The Bonhams Paris Auction 2013 will be held Thursday 7th February during Salon Retromobile week at the Grand Palais in Paris.
Bonhams will offer 125 motor cars and nearly 100 motorcycles at the 2013 Paris auction, headlined by the ex-works Bugatti Type 54 that raced at Monza in 1931 at the hands of the great Achille Varzi.Chassis 54201 is one of only four surviving cars from the nine built in 1931-1932. After later ownership by Prince Georg Lobkowicz, Zdenek Pohl and Peter Hampton, the Bugatti was last driven in a race in 2012 at the Goodwood Revival (estimate €2.5 million – €3.5 million).
Another featured offering is the Charles H. Brown Collection, which is estimated to realise in the region of £1.3 million. It 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.
Highlights of the Brown Collection include a 1931 Bentley 8-Litre Sports Tourer (estimate €500,000 – €650,000); and a 1927 Renault Torpedo with Art Deco coachwork by Kellner that was formerly exhibited at the Louis Vuitton Classic Concours (estimate €120,000 – €150,000). Among the other lots in the collection are a 1904 Pierce Stanhope that was formerly housed in the William Penn Memorial Museum in Pennsylvania (€50,000 – €65,000), and two ‘time-warp’ unrestored cars purchased new by Mr Brown’s family: a 1929 Packard (€40,000 – €50,000) and a 1953 Jaguar XK120 Drophead Coupe (€60,000 – €80,000).
An interesting consignment is the 1929 American Moth Corporation De Havilland 60GMW Gipsy Moth biplane that featured in the 1985 Oscar-winning film ‘Out of Africa’ starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford.
After one year away from the venue, Bonhams returns to the Grand Palais in Paris, where the Motor Car, Motorcycle and Automobilia departments will combine with the 20th Century Decorative Arts department to conduct a joint sale. This year’s auction will take place on Thursday 7th February 2013. The sale will start at 12:00pm for automobilia and 1:30pm for motorcycles and motorcars. Public viewing hours are Wednesday 6th February from 9am – 5:30pm and Thursday 7th February from 9am – 4:30pm.
For more information or to view the auction catalog, visit bonhams.com.
Bonhams Grand Palais Paris 2013 – Auction Preview
[Source: Bonhams]
