The historic Auburn Auction Park in Auburn,
Indiana, will become a giant treasure chest of automotive memorabilia June 1-3
when Auctions America by RM offers
the largest private collection of high-quality scale models, fine art
paintings, original signs and rare vintage mascots the auction company has ever
consigned. In addition to the thousands of “automobilia” items, which will all
sell to the highest bidders during the three-day Auburn Spring auction, more
than 600 American muscle cars, Classics, foreign sports cars and hot rods will
cross the block.
“Automobilia is great fun for collectors whether their budgets are
big or small,” said Auctions America by RM’s President Donnie Gould. “Some
enthusiasts buy scale-model cars because they can’t afford the full-size
versions; others buy them to put on a desk while the full-size version sits in
the garage. Not everyone can afford a million-dollar 427 Cobra, but a well-made
scale model might go for a few hundred dollars.”
Model cars offered at Auburn Spring range from 1/24-scale
Franklin Mint models in batches of five (est. $150 - $350) to a 1/8-scale
Conti 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 NART Spyder (est. $10,000 - $15,000). A
five-figure price tag for a model might seem like a lot, but it’s quite a bargain
compared to the $10 million it would take to purchase one of the 10 full-size
NARTs Ferrari built. The star of the collection is a Sapo Modelltechnik model of a
1913 Mercer 35J Raceabout with a 14.5-inch wheelbase and more than
3,000 individual parts. Considered one of the finest detailed models ever, the
Mercer has been appraised at $18,000 to $25,000.
Vintage airplane models such as a Pan Am jet airliner (est.
$250 - $500) and World War II B-17 bomber (est. $500 - $1,000) will go to new
hangars, and a 110-inch-wide recreation of Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis
is expected to soar to an altitude between $2,500 and $5,000.
Mascots, those chrome- and brass-plated sculptures that sit atop
the radiator caps of vintage cars, are another category of great interest to
automobilia collectors, and the Auburn Spring auction is offering some
historically significant examples. Several different versions of Rolls-Royce’s
Spirit of Ecstasy are expected to sell for between $300 and $500, a 1930s
Duesenberg mascot is valued between $500 and $800 and appraisers expect
an unusual
aftermarket rooster mascot to fetch between $500 and $1,000.
Several famous paintings by highly regarded automotive artists
will be offered with no reserve at Auburn Spring. Tom Hale’s “Swan Mascot”
(est. $3,000 - $5,000), Ken Eberts’ “Hershey” (est. $5,000 -
$8,000) and Alfredo De la MarÃa’s “Rolls-Royce” (est. $7,000 - $10,000) are
just a few of the framed originals that bidderswill eagerly seek.
“The best thing about automobilia is that it doesn’t take up much
room,” said Gould. You can enjoy a piece in your house or office when there’s
no time to get to the garage and play with the big cars. Auctions America is
really proud to have have consigned such a large, high-quality private
collection.”
The automobilia lots will cross the block on Friday at 11:00 a.m.,
Saturday at 10:00 a.m. and Sunday at 11:00. During the three-day auction,
Carlisle Events will host the swap meet and car corral, which will feature
hundreds of parts vendors and special-interest cars for sale.
Tickets to the auction are $10 for a daily pass or $25 for a full
event pass, and admission is free for the preview on Thursday, May 31. The
auction runs Friday, June 1, through Sunday, June 3. Internet, absentee and
telephone bidding options are available for those unable to attend the event in
person. Full event details and a list of auction offerings are available online
at www.auctionsamerica.com or by
calling toll free 877-906-2437 (or +1 260-927-9797 outside North America). The
auction will stream live online at www.auctionsamerica.com
to provide real-time coverage of the event.
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