The RM Auctions Hershey 2012 sale was held October 11–12 in Hershey, Pennsylvania, resulting in more than $10.7 million in total sales and a 95% sell-through rate at the annual auction held during the AACA Eastern Regional Fall Meet.
The two-day RM Auctions Hershey 2012 auction saw approximately 120 automobiles, joined by a selection of motorcycles and memorabilia, cross the auction podium before a packed house.Bidders hailed from 17 countries, including as far away as Germany, Israel, and New Zealand.
“We are very pleased with the results and strong global interest received in this year’s Hershey sale,” says Rob Myers, Chairman and Founder, RM Auctions. “With many lots offered fresh to the market, collectors recognized the wide range of exclusive ownership opportunities the sale presented, as illustrated by strong bidder registrations and numerous, lively bidding contests. Almost 25 percent of bidders represented first time clientele, with bidder registrations well-surpassing levels enjoyed at our 2011 sale. We look forward to continuing the momentum at our upcoming Charlie Thomas and London auctions later this month.”
A pair of Duesenbergs, each offered fresh to the market from the Ray Bowersox Collection, claimed top sales honors at the 2012 RM Auctions Hershey sale. The star lot of the weekend, a 1931 Duesenberg Model J Dual Windshield ‘Barrelside’ Phaeton by LeBaron, J299, sold for a $1,292,500. One of just seven examples built and of six known survivors, the famous J299 — part of the Bowersox Collection since 1985 — was the winner of the epic 1932 “celebrity” race at Lake Muroc against the Marx brothers’ Mercedes-Benz, a provenance pronounced as being almost as “valuable as the car itself” by auctioneer Max Girardo.
Also from the Bowersox Collection was a 1929 Duesenberg Model J Sport Sedan, J139, with coachwork by the Walter M. Murphy Company. Offered for the first time since 1979, the Model J, one of only two sporting examples, realized $792,000.
Additional sale highlights included a 1933 Packard Twelve Convertible Coupe, the recipient of a recent 100-point restoration, that exceeded its pre-sale estimate to bring $451,000. In contrast to the restored vehicle, another Packard from the same model year — an original 1933 Packard Twelve Convertible Coupe — sparked one of the sale’s most intense bidding wars, selling for $357,500, more than double its pre-sale estimate. Also well-exceeding its pre-sale estimate was a 1894 Silsby Fourth Size Horse-Drawn Steam Pumper, which sold for $396,000.
RM Auctions Hershey 2012 – Top Ten Auction Results
1. 1931 Duesenberg Model J Dual Windshield ‘Barrelside’ Phaeton – $1,292,500
2. 1929 Duesenberg Model J Sport Sedan – $792,000
3. 1933 Packard Twelve Convertible Coupe – $451,000
4. 1894 Silsby Fourth Size Horse-Drawn Steam Pumper – $396,000
5. 1933 Packard Twelve Convertible Victoria – $357,500
6. 1903 Ford Model A Rear Entry Tonneau – $264,000
7. 1913 Simplex 38 HP Five-Passenger Touring – $214,500
8. 1909 Pierce-Arrow 36 HP Three-Passenger Runabout – $192,500
9. 1953 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible Coupe – $187,000
10. 1932 Ford V-8 Convertible Victoria – $154,000
10. 1933 Packard Super Eight Model 1004 5/7-Passenger Touring – $154,000
10. 1931 Stutz SV-16 Cabriolet – $154,000
(RM Auctions Hershey 2012 – Complete Auction Results)
RM continues its busy fall calendar of events with the presentation of the Charlie Thomas Collection near Dallas, Texas, October 20. The single-day, single-vendor auction later this week will present 175 collector cars without reserve. RM will then conclude the month with its central London sale, October 31, with a roster of 90 automobiles and two motorcycles poised to go under the gavel at Battersea Evolution.
For more information, visit www.rmauctions.com.
[Source: RM Auctions; photo: Eugene Robertson courtesy of RM Auctions]
