The Gooding & Co. Pebble Beach 2016 auction will feature a selection of pre-war automobiles when it returns August 20-21 to the Pebble Beach Equestrian Center in California. Offerings include the 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza, the Jean Bugatti-owned 1932 Bugatti Type 55 Roadster, a 1930 Packard 734 Speedster Runabout and the 1932 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Berline.
“The diversity and quality of our cars this year offers our clients one of the best Pebble Beach sales ever curated in our company’s history,” said David Gooding, President and Founder of Gooding & Company.“From the exceedingly rare and significant Alfa Romeo Monza, to the stunningly beautiful Bugatti Type 55 Roadster and the artfully sculpted and sporty Packard 734 Speedster, I want to welcome you to join us for this special moment as these stars of the weekend grace the auction block.”
The Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 was the most successful and technically advanced sports car of the early 1930s, featuring a supercharged twin-cam straight-eight engine. Available in both long and short chassis, the 2.3 was also offered in Monza — or Grand Prix — form, with an even shorter wheelbase, lightweight coachwork and high-performance features. This third-series factory-built Monza with Brianza coachwork was owned and raced by Genovese drivers during the 1930s and 1940s, including Renato Balestrero. In his hands, this 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza competed successfully at major racing events, including San Remo, Gran Prix of Bari, Circuito di Senigallia, Circuito di Modena, and Circuito di Voghera, all of which supported Balestrero’s achievement of winning the 1947 Italian National Sports Car Championship. Owned by California collectors since 1952, this 8C has participated in the Mille Miglia Storica, Colorado Grand and the Monterey Historic Automobile Races (Estimate: $12,000,000 – $15,000,000).
The 1932 Bugatti Type 55 presented at the 2016 Gooding and Company Pebble Beach auction (Estimate: $10,000,000 – $14,000,000) is one of 38 examples of the Type 55 and one of 14 finished with Roadster coachwork. As one of the first examples completed, this car, chassis 55213, debuted at the 1932 Mille Miglia, where it was piloted by the Bugatti factory driver Achille Varzi. Mr. Varzi got off to a great start at the 1932 Mille Miglia, neck-and-neck with the leader until a rock punctured 55213’s fuel tank and it could not be repaired in time to continue. Prior to the race, historical photos show Ettore Bugatti discussing race strategy with Varzi seated in 55213. Presently, this matching-numbers car has undergone an extensive restoration that was completed in 2013 and has been fully documented by Bugatti historians Pierre-Yves Laugier and David Sewell. According to Mr. Laugier’s research, this Type 55 was registered to Carlo Cazzaniga at the address of the Bugatti shop in Strasbourg, which suggests that 55213 was kept in company ownership and retained for Jean Bugatti’s personal use. A historical photo confirms this, as Jean Bugatti was pictured next to the car at Monza in September 1932. Mr. Sewell inspected 55213 in 2006 and produced a report that concluded: “This car must surely rank amongst the very best of surviving Type 55 Bugattis, indeed it may well be the finest of them all.”
The history of the offered 1930 Packard 734 Speedster Runabout (Estimate: $1,200,000 – $1,500,000) can be traced back to new. A letter from H.W. Potter, manager of Packard’s Custom Car Department, details the original specification for sales order number 25977, which corresponds to this Runabout, carrying Packard Vehicle Number 184100 and body number 442-31. This car has been owned by noted collectors for over 50 years. The current owner, Mr. Glenn Mounger, acquired the car from the Craven Foundation in 1986. Mr. Mounger commissioned the car to a full restoration that was completed in 2002. The Packard has gone on to earn a 100-point score at the 2004 Pacific Northwest Grand Classic.
The 1932 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Berline (Estimate: $1,800,000 – $2,200,000), chassis 2MS, was built with saloon-type coachwork by Windovers and delivered in May 1932 to the Prince of Nepal. The prince commissioned coachbuilder Figoni et Falaschi to refinish his Phantom II Continental as a Pillarless Berline. In the process, 2MS marked two firsts — the largest automobile bodied by the French coachbuilder and the only body it ever produced for a Rolls-Royce Phantom II. Upon completion, the Rolls-Royce was displayed at the Deauville Concours d’Elegance in France in 1939. Today, this Rolls-Royce has been fully restored and has earned numerous awards, including Most Elegant Closed Car at the 2015 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The subject of numerous articles and documented in authoritative Rolls-Royce texts, this one-of-one Phantom II Continental is estimated to sell for $1,800,000 – $2,200,000.
Additional Gooding & Co. Pebble Beach 2016 Pre-war Offerings:
- 1933 Marmon Sixteen Convertible Coupe (estimate: $1,200,000 – $1,500,000)
- 1927 Bentley 3 Litre Speed Model Sports Tourer (estimate: $650,000 – $800,000)
Gooding and Company 2016 Pebble Beach Auction
Dates: Saturday, August 20 at 5:00pm and Sunday, August 21 at 6:00pm
Location: Equestrian Center, corner of Stevenson Drive and Portola Road, Pebble Beach, CA
Public preview: Wednesday, August 17 – Sunday, August 21
Auction catalogues: $100, includes admission for two to the viewing and the auctions
General admission: $40, includes admission for one to the viewing and the auctions
Bidder Registration: $200 includes a catalogue, admission for two to the viewing and auction with two reserved seats, subject to availability.
For additional information, visit GoodingCo.com.
[Source: Gooding & Company]
