RM Sotheby’s, gearing up for its signature collector car auction of the year during Monterey Car Week in August, has announced some of the featured cars for the sale.
Foremost among them is an awe-inspiring Italian sports racer, a 1954 Maserati A6GCS factory team car, chassis 2078, that will be offered after two decades of ownership by an enthusiast who has driven it in historic races and rallies in the US and Europe
The A6 was raced extensively by Maserati during 1954, when it achieved a number of podium finishes, after which it was sold to an Argentine privateer who competed with it in major South American events. It returned to Europe in the early 1980s, where it was owned by an Italian industrialist who ran it three times in the Mille Miglia.
The attractively low-slung racer was restored in 2013 and appeared on the grass at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 2014, earning the Grand Turismo Award. The Maserati is offered in turn-key condition, RM Sotheby’s says in a news release, with an estimated pre-auction value of $3.25 million to $3.75 million.
“We’ve had the pleasure of offering some exceptional Maserati racers at auction over our 40-year history, and this A6GCS stands among the very finest,” David Swig, car specialist for the auction company, said in the release. “Chassis No. 2078 offers a turn-key solution for today’s gentleman racer, combining exceptional period competition pedigree, a well-documented history from new, and single enthusiast ownership for the last two decades.
“An A6GCS is a rare sight at auction, and rarer still in such well-cared-for, fresh-to-market form.”
At the other extreme is the consignment for Monterey of an iconic micro-mini car, a 1964 Peel Trident, the improbably tiny bubble-roofed two-seater powered by a 50 cc 2-cycle engine. Described as “highly original,” the Peel is valued at $80,000 to $100,000.
RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction was expanded to three days for 2019 to accommodate a group of more than 30 Aston Martins that have been consigned, prompting the auction house to add an extra day, August 15, for a single-marque Aston sale. The evening auction, held in partnership with Aston Martin, also will celebrate the 60th anniversary of Aston Martin’s victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The RM Sotheby’s auction, held at the Monterey Conference Center in downtown Monterey, will continue August 16-17 with an array of about 90 high-value collector cars. For more information and a list of cars consigned thus far, visit the auction site.
