Luxury Car Memorabilia Auction August 16 - 18, 2012

Enzo Ferrari Prancing Horse Sculpture (c) Russo & Steele 2012

Russo and Steele, home to classic collector automobile auctions will be holding its 12th Annual Sports and Muscle auction in Monterey California on August 16 - 18, 2012.

Along with 250 automobiles, the sale will include a spectacular array of automotive memorabilia including the famed Ferrari "Prancing Horse" (Cavallino Rampante) sculpture that graced Enzo Ferrari's office for twenty-five years. This is a one-of-a-kind piece and the king of Ferrari collectibles will be sold without reserve. It is scheduled to be lot number one and sold before the automobiles.

Starting at 5:00 PM each day there will be a huge selection of certified ephemera bearing the signatures of some of automobile history's greatest figures including Ford, Bentley, Chrysler, Ferrari, and Howard Hughes. All sales are without reserve.

It's 1984 and Mustang was Turning 20!

1985 Ford Dealership Mustang Standee Side 1

A few years ago I attended what started out an as an auction, but  turned into a battle-of-wills marathon.
The auction was the estate of one of the most successful Ford dealers in the Midwest and it ran over with rare an unusual pieces from the business.

The sale was a two-ring nine-hour marathon of unintended memorabilia. It wasn't that the family collected Ford memorabilia. It was that they never threw anything away. 

This treasure is a never used promotion standee intended for the dealership showroom. It advertises the 20th anniversary edition of the classic 1964 1/2 Mustang pony car. The limited edition Mustang, produced in 1984, came in Oxford White with a Canyon Red interior. It had the original pony badge on the front fenders and came with a plaque engraved with the owner's name and the vehicle's production number.  Overall it is about 16 by 44 inches. Each side of the folded triangle would measure about 15 by 17 inches.

These backroom pieces are always a rare find, especially in flat unpunched condition. Neither the bottom flaps nor the side flaps have been creased. The entire unit is nicely flat and the colors are vibrant. I've chosen to keep it flat and display it on top of a shelving unit. However, carefully folded up and notched together would not significantly detract from the value.

Unusual pieces are often found at auctions. Businesses put extra items in the backroom and forget about them, sometimes for decades. Be prepared to be patient and dig through a lot of boxes. This beauty was in the barn. I'll be posting more about this crazy auction. Stay tuned, it was not your everyday sale.  Photos (c) Terri Lynn Coop 2012

1985 Ford Dealership Mustang Standee Side 2