Across Puget Sound from Seattle,on Washington’s magnificent Olympic Peninsula, the impressive Don & LynetteShort Collection of historic American automobiles was auctioned Saturday byBonhams with great results. TheShort Collection, lead by an unheard of eight models of Stutz – the car “born”at the first Indy 500, included more than two-dozen early American cars frommanufacturers like Buick, Cadillac, Chalmers, Ford, Lambert, Locomobile,Mitchell, Oldsmobile, Pierce-Arrow, Studebaker and Tourist. Inside the modern and bright Port Townsend Aero Museum, bidscame briskly from around the world representing the truly global interest inthese historic motorcars and Bonhams’ international reach. Highlights included: The ex-William Harrah 1920 Stutz Bearcat made […]
Across Puget Sound from Seattle,on Washington’s magnificent Olympic Peninsula, the impressive Don & LynetteShort Collection of historic American automobiles was auctioned Saturday byBonhams with great results.
TheShort Collection, lead by an unheard of eight models of Stutz – the car “born”at the first Indy 500, included more than two-dozen early American cars frommanufacturers like Buick, Cadillac, Chalmers, Ford, Lambert, Locomobile,Mitchell, Oldsmobile, Pierce-Arrow, Studebaker and Tourist.
Inside the modern and bright Port Townsend Aero Museum, bidscame briskly from around the world representing the truly global interest inthese historic motorcars and Bonhams’ international reach. Highlights included:
The ex-William Harrah 1920 Stutz Bearcat made $260,000 after competitive bidding from collectors in the room and a collector on the telephone in the Far East who ultimately won out.
After lively bidding and applausein the room the 1929 Stutz Blackhawk L-6 Two-Passenger Speedster sold for$159,000 to an American enthusiast.
Another ex-Bill Harrah motorcar,the 1907 Locomobile Model E Five-Passenger Tourer, brought a very worthy priceof $155,500 and the 1919 Pierce-Arrow Series 31 Four-Passenger Roadstersold for $141,200.
Additionally, hundreds of rare, hard-to-find spare parts andcomponents, primarily Stutz items, saw some of the most competitive biddingduring the day. Some of these items, like a very early tachometer by Warner,represented the holy grail of pioneering car accessories and these estimateswere comfortably exceeded.
Says Malcolm Barber, CEO ofBonhams Group and the sales auctioneer, “The Short Collection was a remarkableassembly of American heritage and despite the remote albeit gorgeous location,collectors and enthusiasts participated en masse. We are very pleased with theresults and witnessed the continuing strength of the specialty car market.”
Bonhams has two more US automotivesales approaching in June:
The Greenwich Concours d’Elegance, Greenwich, CT, June 5th
The Wallace Lewis Collection of Classic American Cars, Portland, OR, June 11th
