Auburn, Indiana – Consignments are rolling in for the 54th Annual Collector Car Auction and Show in Auburn, Indiana, as Worldwide Auctioneers gears up for another Labor Day weekend automotive extravaganza. Collectors can look forward to a dynamic three-day boutique auction with a curated offering of outstanding sports and supercars, pre-war automobiles, select muscle cars, racecars, classics, vintage trucks, hotrods and customs, as well as an exceptional selection of the best memorabilia to be found.
This year’s auction offers enthusiasts an unprecedented opportunity to acquire the only two 1937 Miller-Gulf Race Cars in existence, with two-of-two of the historic racing cars commissioned by Indianapolis 500 veteran Ira Vail slated for the sale. Each is among the last of the major racing car projects completed in partnership with Gulf Oil by the legendary Harry Miller, the most successful and creative racing engineer and constructor of the pre-WWII era, and each is a tour de force of advanced engineering and construction. Recognized as the most original survivor by Miller aficionados, Chassis Number 1 will cross the block during the 54th Annual Collector Car Auction and Show alongside Chassis Number 2, the only other 1937 Miller-Gulf Race Car ever built, another pioneering example with unique and innovative tubular cooling system and side mounted gas tanks, a former exhibitor at both The Amelia and the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
Other significant automobiles slated for the sale include a spectacular 1932 Auburn 12-160A Boattail Speedster, itself exhibited at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 2023. Offered from known and long-term ownership, this example is an ACD Club Certified A-456 and an ACD Club Senior Award winner. Recently the recipient of a correct and stunning concours level restoration, it is a paragon of unmistakable elegance, brilliant design, and exceptional power.
Early auction consignments reflect the exciting diversity of cars on offer in a sale that has traditionally catered to all tastes, including a highly equipped, numbers-matching 1969 Ferrari ‘Sunroof’ 365 GT 2+2, custom ordered new by casino magnate Bill Harrah and documented with Marcel Massini and Ferrari Heritage Certificate, to be sold without reserve. Other exceptional pre-war automobiles in the sale include an extremely rare 1932 Packard 905 Twin-Six Convertible Victoria, 1 of only 4 known to exist, the seventh 1932 Twin-Six Convertible Victoria of only ten ever produced, with body designed in-house by famed designer Raymond Dietrich. Also on offer is a freshly restored 1941 Chrysler Town & Country ‘Barrelback’ Station Wagon, 1 of only 24 known surviving examples, with the Louis Vuitton family believed to have been among its previous owners. Auburn has welcomed more than its fair share of celebrity vehicles cars over the decades and this year’s sale will feature a real piece of rock and roll history, with The Grateful Dead’s personal equipment truck also set to cross the block, an infamous psychedelically painted 1949 Studebaker M5, known around the world as “The Dred”, formerly owned by Owsley Stanley himself.
Ultra-desirable modern sportscars going under the hammer include a stunning 2019 Porsche 911 Turbo S Exclusive Series, 1 of a mere 200 cabriolets produced, with just 225 break-in miles from new, and an exceptional 2004 Ferrari 360 Spider, with clean CARFAX® and under 8,250 original miles, a topless and very desirable take on the 360 Modena. Representing the best performing automobile on America’s roads from another era entirely is a venerable 1908 Holsman Model 10 Runabout. Found inside an Illinois dairy barn and now the recipient of an AACA award-winning professional restoration, this historic vehicle is another of the many no-reserve offerings in this year’s sale. Other notable cars include a meticulously restored
1962 Chevrolet Corvette ‘Fuelie’ Roadster with original numbers-matching 327/360 HP fuel injected engine, the recipient of a prestigious NCRS Regional Top Flight Award. Consignments of cars and collections are still invited and can be discussed with a Worldwide specialist at +1.260.925.6789 or sales@worldwideauctioneers.com.
The 54th Annual Collector Car Auction and Show is scheduled to run over Labor Day weekend from August 29-31 at Kruse Plaza in Auburn, Indiana, and is open throughout to the general public as well as to auction buyers and sellers. Enthusiasts can also enjoy an on-site marketplace of hand-picked automotive lifestyle vendors, car corral and swap meet, as well as experience the host of outstanding participant and spectator events staged as part of the celebrated long-running Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival that same week.
“Some of the world’s greatest cars have traded hands here over the decades, at The Auburn Automobile Company in the 1920s and ’30s and later at auction, when Auburn became the birthplace of the collector car auction business in America,” said John Kruse, Principal and Auctioneer. “Labor Day weekend in Auburn has long been a tradition for automotive enthusiasts and we’re proud to be at the heart of that story. We invite enthusiasts from everywhere to join us for the 54th Annual Collector Car Auction and Show, and to also enjoy the world-class automotive museums and unique events that are part of this town’s heritage.”
Full details on consignments, schedules, bidder registration, general admission and vendor, swap meet and car corral registration are available at worldwideauctioneers.com, with additional information on the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival, museums and related events available online here at Destination Auburn.
About Worldwide Auctioneers. Worldwide Auctioneers is a U.S.-based, boutique catalogue auction company that is unique in having principals who are owner auctioneers, wholly invested in delivering the optimal result for every client. In addition to the acquisition and sale of classic automobiles at auction, it offers an extensive range of personalized services to the serious collector, including appraisal, collection direction and consultancy, estate planning and asset management. For those seeking to sell a car or collection privately, the company’s Private Sale Gallery is a 200,000-square-foot, climate-controlled and purpose-built showroom housed at its Auburn headquarters, with a dedicated Sealed Bid Series of auctions offered as an online extension. Worldwide’s traditional annual schedule includes the Scottsdale Auction in January, the Enthusiast Auction in April in Auburn, Indiana, the Auburn Auction, held over Labor Day weekend in Indiana, and stand-alone auctions of significant private collections. worldwideauctioneers.com
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