Bonhams 2019 Amelia Island Auction Review – Strong Results and Hope for the Future

The 1968/1969 3-Liter Brabham-Cosworth Grand Prix car. Photo courtesy Bonhams.

Bonhams kicked off the auction action at Amelia Island yesterday, Thursday March 7 with a characteristically strong selection of memorabilia, literature, and collectibles offered, plus of course many outstanding collector automobiles.

Headlined by two dozen Pioneer, Veteran and Brass Era automobiles from the Don C. Boulton Collection, Bonhams posted robust sales of nearly $15 million in automobile lots alone, plus strong results for the more than 65 lots of collectible items. Here is the link to Bonhams’ auction webpage, including the online auction catalogue and sale results: https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/25219/ .

The late Don C. Boulton of Oklahoma was renowned for his passion and enthusiasm for pre-WW I motorcars who served as a former National President and life member of the Horseless Carriage Club of America and hosted regular weekend “cars and coffee” gatherings at his warehouse collection. Bonhams sold 24 of Mr. Boulton’s antique automobiles, two antique motorcycles and automobilia, with model years ranging from the dawn of motoring in 1899 up to 1914. Highlights included an incredibly rare 1908 Welch Model 4 Seven-Seat Tourer formerly owned by Bill Harrah, a 1904 Peerless Type 8 Four-Cylinder 24hp Rear-Entrance Tonneau, a sporting 1913 Mercer Model 35 J Runabout, and a 1914 Simplex Speedcar.

Other featured offerings from the Boulton Collection included a 1910 Pope-Hartford Model T Limousine originally owned by Uruguay’s ambassador to the Vatican, reportedly having once carried Pope Pius X. A diverse collection, the cars offered from Mr. Boulton’s Collection included such marques as Austin, Columbus, Haynes, Knox, Locomobile, Matheson, Mercer, Oldsmobile, Packard, Peerless, Pierce-Arrow, Pope, Rambler, Simplex, Tincher, and Welch.

Of particular note, seven Boulton Colelction cars also carry possible eligibility for the annual London-to-Brighton Emancipation Run, the world’s longest continuously held automobile run, which is limited to cars from 1904 and earlier.

Coverage of the Bonhams sale from Hagerty insurance provided another crucial insight into the successful offering of the Boulton cars, one that should be encouraging to all involved in today’s collector-car industry. In its analysis, Hagerty’s stated: “The mostly strong results for the Boulton cars should dispel the notion that nobody is interested in cars from the Brass Era. In theory, having such a large selection of vehicles (and hard-to-find parts) from this era attracted enough interested, knowledgeable bidders and collectors to bolster the results. We may very well see more auctions that cater to a specific group in the future.”

More modern classics also performed very well on Bonhams’ auction stage, including the breathtaking 1930 Cadillac Series 452 V-16 Roadster at $1,187,500 including buyer’s premium, the ex-Jochen Rindt/Jacky Ickx 1968/1969 3-Liter Brabham-Repco Cosworth BT26/BT26A Grand Prix car sold at $1,105,000 including buyer’s premium, and the 1998 RUF Porsche Turbo R at $626,500 including buyer’s premium.

Auctions continue at Amelia Island on Friday, March 8, with Gooding & Company’s 10th annual Amelia Island auction beginning at 11:00 AM Eastern.