SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA (May 26, 2009) – Gooding & Company is delighted to announce the additional consignment of The Don Lyons Collection, for its annual Pebble Beach Auctions on August 15 and 16, 2009. Consisting of seven automobiles, the rare collection primarily focuses on Indy racing and spans nearly 80 years of motorsport history. The latest entries are in addition to Ettore Bugatti’s personal car – the 1936 Bugatti Type 57C Coupe – which will also be sold without reserve at Gooding & Company’s upcoming auction. “This significant group of cars is one of the most comprehensive collections of Indy race […]
SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA (May 26, 2009) – Gooding & Company is delighted to announce the additional consignment of The Don Lyons Collection, for its annual Pebble Beach Auctions on August 15 and 16, 2009. Consisting of seven automobiles, the rare collection primarily focuses on Indy racing and spans nearly 80 years of motorsport history. The latest entries are in addition to Ettore Bugatti’s personal car – the 1936 Bugatti Type 57C Coupe – which will also be sold without reserve at Gooding & Company’s upcoming auction.
“This significant group of cars is one of the most comprehensive collections of Indy race cars ever to come to auction,” said David Gooding, founder and president of Gooding & Company. “The legacy of each of these cars is extraordinary and their sale is sure to be a thrilling complement to any racing enthusiast’s collection.”
For more than two decades, Don Lyons has worked to assemble one of the finest collections of American race cars in private hands. Demonstrating the rapid pace of innovation and social change that has defined motor racing in America, each car in the collection represents a specific milestone in racing history. From the earliest car, a 1909 Stoddard-Dayton Model K re-creation to the most modern, Mario Andretti’s famous 1985 Lola T900, The Don Lyons Collection traces the history of Indy 500 race cars. Highlights from the collection include pioneering cars that circled the track in the teens and the 200 mph ground-effects race cars which led the way for the current crop of open wheel race cars. Each automobile has been exquisitely restored to its original specifications and is fully operational – a rarity for such advanced racing machinery.
The collection features a 1967 Gurney Eagle that was piloted to fourth place in the 1967 Indianapolis 500, The Dean Van Lines Roadster in which Mario Andretti competed during his rookie season and the Blue Crown Spark Plug Special – one of the most successful race cars in the history of Indy racing. The only automobile in the collection that is not associated with Indy racing is the Ford Super Mustang – an experimental, factory-backed dragster that was one of the most radical racing cars of the 1960s. Every car in the collection is one of the finest examples of its kind and Don Lyons has thoroughly researched the history of each. In a few cases, he was even able to track down the original builders of the cars to help restore them as accurately as possible.
The Gooding & Company Pebble Beach Auction preview days will be from Wednesday, August 12 through Sunday, August 16, 2009. The Saturday and Sunday evening auctions will commence at 6:00PM and are located at the Pebble Beach Equestrian Center. Gooding & Company Pebble Beach Auction catalogs are available for $100 and admit two to the viewing and the auction. General admission to the viewing and the auction can be purchased at the tent for $40 per person. Bidder registration forms, press credentials and additional auction information are available at www.goodingco.com.
