The Charles H. Brown Collection will be offered at the Bonhams sale at the Grand Palais in Paris on Thursday 7th February.
A single-owner collection charting the evolution of the automobile over more than seven decades from the turn of the century will be offered for sale at the Bonhams auction at the Grand Palais in Paris on Thursday, February 7.
The Charles H. Brown Collection, which is estimated to realize in the region of $1.75m, encompasses 18 vehicles owned by the former architect – many sold at no reserve – and reflects an interest in the design of the automobile from its earliest days.
The collection features electric, petrol and steam-driven motor cars and a number of icons of automotive design, including such models as the Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, the Stanley Steamer, the Detroit Electric, the Lancia Lambda, the Citroen Light Fifteen and the Packard Twin Six.
Particular highlights include a fine example of a vintage car with such torque it was possible to achieve 100 mph, the 1931 Bentley 8-Liter Sports Tourer (Bonhams estimate: $675k–$875k); and a 1927 Renault Torpedo with Art Deco coachwork by Kellner that was formerly exhibited at the Louis Vuitton Classic Concours ($160k–$200k).
Among the other lots in the collection are a 1904 Pierce Stanhope that was formerly housed in the William Penn Memorial Museum in Pennsylvania ($65k–$85k) and two “time-warp” unrestored cars purchased new by Mr. Brown’s family: a 1929 Packard ($55k–$70k) and a 1953 Jaguar XK120 crophead coupé ($80k–$110k).
Among other lots already consigned for the auction are the 1929 American Moth Corporation De Havilland 60GMW Gipsy Moth biplane featured in the 1985 Oscar-winning film Out of Africa (starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford), and the ex-Works Bugatti Type 54 that raced at Monza on September 6, 1931, in the hands of Achille Varzi ($3.3m–$4.7m).
View all the consignments here.
