Bonhams has announced the first major consignments for its annual Monterey Car Week auction at the Quail Lodge. They include vintage Fiat and Siata coupes, a quartet of pre-war Bentleys and an Auburn boattail speedster.
“These supreme, era-defining sporting cars from America, England and Italy form the early foundation for the sale at Quail Lodge in Carmel, California,” Bonhams said in its news release, “and entries of special collectors’ cars are now invited to be represented alongside these automotive gems.”
Those early “gems” include:
• A 1931 Supercharged “Birkin Le Mans Replica” Tourer, a 4 1-2-liter “Blower Bentley,” one of 50 factory examples and a Brooklands BARC winner, Bonhams notes, adding that the car comes from the Virgil Millett collection and formerly was owned by Fred Simeone and Tom Perkins.
• A 1930 Speed Six “Le Mans Replica” Tourer also formerly part of the Millett and Simeone collections.
• A 1929 Bentley 4 1/2-liter Sports Tourer.
• A 1922 Bentley 3-liter Sports Tourer that Bonhams says is among the oldest surviving WO Bentleys in the world.
• A 1953 Fiat Supersonic with coachwork by Ghia, one of 15 produced and formerly owned by Briggs Cunningham.
• A 1952 Siata Berlinetta with coachwork by Bertone, and this car originally displayed at the Paris and New York auto shows.
• A 1932 Auburn 12-160A Boattail Speedster that won an award at Pebble Beach.
The auction is scheduled for August 16 and is held in conjunction with The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering car show.
I don’t remember where I read it, but I am given to understand that country superstar, über Vols fan, and all around great guy Alan Jackson has a blower Bentley that he drives like it deserves.
The luxo/tech barges Bentley sells now are a long way from their roots.
Gimme a SpeedSix, motorcycle fenders & half moon windscreens, and a Brooklands "silencer"… and freedom from the Nannystate.