RM Sotheby’s will auction an eclectic group of 17 cars that it’s calling the Timeless Collection at the company’s annual sales event at the Salles du Carrousel du Louvre in Paris’ Golden Triangle on Jan.31.
The offerings, many of them pre-war but some modern, range from a king’s Hispano-Suiza to a Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona that, well, a king might like to own. The open 1919 Hispano-Suiza H6 Torpédo with body by Duvivier is a definite highlight, oozing period charm and patina. The car, chassis number 10003, was delivered new to King Alfonso XIII of Spain. He was in fact the first customer for any H6. Evocative photos of the king seated in the car accompany the sale. The royal conveyance also featured in a 1921 magazine ad that’s part of the history file, along with an original Geo Ham painting of the Hispano going about its official duties. The King owned the car until 1931, when it was sold to Spanish resident Patricio Chadwick.
The current owner fully restored the Hispano-Suiza in green and black, making sure the royal crest of the house of Bourbon was on the rear doors. Post-restoration, it was a second-in-class and Alec Ullmann Award winner at Pebble Beach in 2004, and also a class winner at Italy’s Villa d’Este in 2007. Alterations from the original include an added louver in the hood and changes to the opening windshield. The car is estimated to bring between €400,000 and €500,000 (US$444,200 and US$555,300).
A second Hispano in this collection is a 1934 J12 Coupé Chauffeur by Kellner, estimated to sell for at least €300,000 The original owner of this 12-cylinder town car, with an open chauffeur compartment, was Marcel Boussac, a French textile executive who owned the fashion house Christian Dior. The car had other owners in France before it went to the U.K., where it was restored before sale to Count Frederic Chandon de Brialles. It came to the U.S. in 1978.
Another pre-war standout is a 1934 Packard Twelve 2/4-Passenger Coupé, one of only 10 still existing in this body style on the company’s 12-cylinder 1107 chassis. This example was originally sold by famed Los Angeles Packard dealer Earle C. Anthony. It was ordered with twin side mount spares and solid wood “artillery” wheels, by 1934 an unusual choice. Owners include Oklahoma’s Streeter Flynn and Connecticut’s Ed Perkins. The Packard has had a replacement engine that is correct for the model, but is otherwise very original. It is expected to bring between €200,000 and €250,000.
A pair of Rolls-Royces includes a 1933 Phantom II Continental Berline by Fernandez et Darrin (one of the few not bodied in England, with an estimate between €80,000 and €120,000) and a 1936 Phantom III Saloon by Barker with bespoke touches added by its first owner, the socialite Hélène Beaumont (estimated between €150,000 and €200,000). There’s also a 1920 Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost Tourer by Rothschild et Fils (retaining its original engine, it’s estimated between €350,000 and €450,000).
Among the more modern cars in the collection is a 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta by Scaglietti (estimated between €425,000 and €475,000). The 4.4-liter V12 engine is the original, connected to a five-speed manual transmission. It is an early example, ordered in the rare color combination of Viola Dino Metallizzato with white Connolly leather interior. A Swiss owner kept the car for 25 years before selling it to a German dealer. Currently, the car wears red paint and is in running condition, though needing further servicing before being ready for the road, according to RM Sotheby’s.
Also from Ferrari is a 1983 512 BBi (estimated between €180,000 and €220,000) that was supplied new to Belgian agent Garage Francorchamps, then converted to U.S. specifications later that year. By early 1987, it was in California and had covered only 3,900 miles when serviced there. The BBi went back to Europe in 1990, and was acquired by the consignor in 2009. It’s running, but in need of a full service. It’s one of 1,007 built and retains its matching-numbers engine.
If an American in Paris is desired, there’s a 1948 Cadillac Series 62 Club Coupé (estimated between €30,000 and €40,000). This car, in Horizon Blue, was first sold by the Don Lee Cadillac agency in Los Angeles. The consignor acquired it in 2005 from a later California owner. These elegant fastbacks look quite at home on European roads, with a raked roofline similar to the bespoke Bentley Continental of the period.
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