February 2025 - US auction previews
12 February, 2025
More than 100 cars from The Academy of Art University Collection in San Francisco are set to change hands at Broad Arrow Auctions on 15 February when the entire catalogue will be offered without reserve. One of the star exhibits at the museum is a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing that carries a guide of $1,200,000 – 1,500,000. The Gullwing has been on display since it joined the collection in 2009, prior to which it underwent a colour change to the present shade of Strawberry Red during a body-off restoration by marque specialist Hjeltness Restorations.
Elegant pre-war machinery includes a concours award-winning 1930 Isotta Fraschini 8A S Castagna Roadster Cabriolet, believed to have covered just 13,527 miles and one of seven surviving examples (estimate $500,000 – 700,000); a 1937 Squire 1½ Litre Corsica Drophead Coupe (estimate $400,000 – 600,000); and a unique 1933 Chrysler Custom Imperial LeBaron Dual-Windshield Phaeton, built for LeBaron designer Ralph Roberts (estimate $900,000 – 1,200,000).
[ The Academy of Art University Collection Sale – auction catalogue here ]
Following on from successful sales earlier this month of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum’s Mercedes-Benz W196R Streamliner and Le Mans-winning Ferrari 250 LM, RM Sotheby’s is set to offer a further nine cars from the collection at its Miami sale from 27-28 February. The museum’s 1966 Ford GT40 Mk II finished 2nd at the 1966 12 Hours of Sebring with Walt Hansgen and Mark Donohue at the wheel and was driven by Donohue later that year at Le Mans. Donated to the museum in 1968, it was restored to its Le Mans livery between 2006 and 2011 and is expected to fetch $8,000,000 – 11,000,000.
Elsewhere, the line-up also features a brace of Porsche 959s: an ultra-rare Sport, one of only 29 produced, with 3,757 miles from new (estimate $5,500,000 – 6,500,000), and an SC Reimagined by Canepa, with power upgraded to 825bhp (estimate $3,000,000 – 3,500,000).
RM’s BMW 2002 turbo has only had two owners in the last 40 years, originally supplied to Italy, it comes with a well-documented history and now shows 62,834km. Since forming part of the consignor’s BMW collection in 2015 some $85,000 has been spent on a mechanical overhaul and a glass-out repaint (estimate $150,000 – 200,000).
[ RM Sotheby’s Miami Sale – auction catalogue here ]
Classic car auction price estimates for: Mercedes-Benz | Isotta Fraschini | Squire | Chrysler | Ford | Porsche | BMW
From leading auction houses: Broad Arrow Auctions | RM Sotheby’s
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