‘On the Road’ auction: French collector’s American cars

Andre Weber was a scrap medal dealer who also had a gas station on land in what was a rural area on France’s national road 14 a few dozen miles from Paris. As Paris grew, so did Weber’s businesses, which added more filling stations as well as Lancia, Autobianchi and Honda dealerships.

But Weber’s passion was for American cars of a bygone era, and over a period of some 50 years he bought and repaired and maintained and drove them, and now they are being offered at auction from his estate.

“Although these models are not necessarily the most exclusive brands, his collection touched us with its panache and style,” Artcurial Motors says in the catalog for the On the Road sale, taking place October 9 at Weber’s collection.

“Such a collection is always exciting as it represents the singular vision of a man, and the love that he devoted to building up such an unusual line-up of automobiles.

“The cars in the collection are mostly in rare states of origin and the seats and benches are covered with plastic to protect the upholstery. The bodies are beautifully preserved and the chrome is still as bright as when they came out of the factory.”

The cars included nine Cadillacs, the oldest a 1936 Series 75 Imperial touring sedan that originally served the Dutch consul in Belgium.

Among the featured vehicles is a Rollston-bodied 1932 Packard 904 dans le style Convertible Victoria.

The Webers drove from their wedding in a Ford (of France) Vedette and there are six such cars in the collection, three of them convertibles. The oldest car in the collection is a 1928 Hudson; the most recent a 1989 Chrysler.

The docket also includes a 1938 Chevrolet Imperial 4-door sedan built in Poland, a 1938 Graham, a 1941 Oldsmobile 78 Dynamic Cruiser coupe, a 1947 Pontiac Streamliner 8 sedan coupe, and many others.

All are offered at no reserve, as are several European cars including a 1935 Talbot T120, 1938 Panhard Panoramique X73 Berline Parisienne and a 1960 Simca Plein Ciel.

“Rarity, authenticity, history… these are the criteria that give a collection its value. However, it is the extra measure of passion that makes Mr. Weber’s collection so special,” Matthieu Lamoure, Artcurial Motorcars managing director, said in a news release on the sale.

“In recent years he has been able to house his collection in one place. This location has been designed and decorated for the purpose, giving a feel more of a museum than simply an enthusiast’s collection of cars.

“This collection takes us back to the good old days of rock ’n’ roll and is a fantastic tribute to this golden age of automobile production.”

The auction catalog is available online.