The annual Labor Day weekend collector car auctions in Auburn, Indiana, reported nearly 100 percent sell-through rates, with Worldwide Auctioneers at 98 percent and with sales of $17.6 million and with RM Auctions at 97 percent and reporting total sales of more than $15.8 million at its event.
The auction venues are on opposite sides of Interstate 69, just south of Auburn, Indiana, where the annual Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival was taking place. This year marked the 50th anniversary of collector car auctions in the northeast Indiana community.
The top sales of the weekend were achieved at Worldwide, with a 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Atalante coupe selling for $1.765 million, a 1965 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe formerly owned and driven by Carroll Shelby bringing $1.49 million, and a 1934 Packard Twelve custom convertible purchased for $1.435 million.
The top sale at RM was the $550,000 paid for a 1936 White Model 706 “Yellowstone National Park” tour bus. RM also noted that the Glen Hague Collection of 68 American cars, 58 Cushman scooters and more than 500 lots of automobilia sold for $1.63 million. (Prices reported by both auction companies include buyer’s fee.)
“Over the decades, some of the world’s finest automobiles have been bought and sold here in Auburn and we’re thrilled to bring that magic back,” John Kruse, a partner in Worldwide, was quoted in the company’s sales report. “Auburn, Indian, once again takes its place as a global player on the world auction stage.”
“The Auburn Fall sale is a fantastic tradition in the auction calendar, and this marked the 51st running of the event,” noted Gord Duff, head of auctions for RM Sotheby’s.
“We welcomed a tremendous crowd and achieved some amazing results over the four days of the sale, and this year was particularly noteworthy for the number of single-owner collections we had on offer, representing an incredible cross-section of automobiles from across the decades and to suit all budgets. We are delighted to have achieved such an impressive sell-through.”
Other top sales at RM included a 1964 Porsche 356 C Carrera 2 coupe for $368,500, a 1956 Porsche 356 A 1600 cabriolet for $236,500, a 1970 Plymouth Superbird for $220,000 and a 2017 Dodge Viper SRT ACR for $220,000.
RM Sotheby’s next auction is scheduled for September 17 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Its next sale in the US is scheduled for October 7-8 at Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Worldwide Auctioneers’ next sale is scheduled for September 10-11 in Auburn when it offers up the Kannenberg Collection of 160 motorcycles, 30 other vehicles — cars, trucks and race cars — and memorabilia.