‘Transportation History” is the title of a Bonhams sale of automobilia to be held December 4 at the auction company’s Madison Avenue galleries in New York City. Bonhams said the auction features “an impressive array of historic automotive-related collectibles, from original artworks — such as oil paintings, period sculptures and rare advertising posters — to antique motoring watches, trophies and scratch-built scale models.”
Some 250 lots are included, including more than 90 from the Blackhawk Automotive Museum, many of those formerly from the Raymond Holland Automotive Art & Automobilia Collection. Several other lots are coming from the Larry Burns Collection, which includes bronze sculptures and one-off mascots.
Bonhams says many of the items have never before been offered for public sale.
“There are so many special pieces in this auction that it’s difficult to select highlights,” said Kurt Forry, Bonhams U.S. director of automobilia. “Whether it’s because of scarcity, provenance, historical relevance or a combination of these factors, we have some truly remarkable items that are appealing not just to automotive enthusiasts or museums, but to a wide spectrum of connoisseurs.”
Among them, according to Bonhams, are four original pieces from illustrator Peter Helck, 15 vintage racing posters valued from $1,000 to more than $20,000, and nearly a dozen scratch-built models by people such as Gerald Wingrove, Michele Conti and Giuseppe da Corte. Conti’s 1:10-scale of a 1958 Maserati 3500 GT has an estimated value of $18,000 to $22,000 while da Corte’s 1:8 model of a 1931 Rolls-royce Phantom II roadster is expected to bring $27,000 to $30,000.
Among these rare, appreciated and intricately made works are a 1:10 scale model of a 1958 Maserati 3500 GT by Conti ($18,000-$22,000) and a 1:8 scale model of a 1931 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Roadster by da Corte ($27,000-$30,000).
Here’s the link to the online catalog.
