Santa Monica, Calif. (July 10, 2024) — Gooding & Company, the official auction house of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, has unveiled an incredible selection of rare, coveted antique and Classic Era selections from the most respected American and English automotive marques, including Duesenberg, Rolls-Royce, and Packard. Leading the grouping is an outstandingly restored 1934 Duesenberg Model J Disappearing-Top Convertible Coupe, a singular 1914 Alpine Trial-winning Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost 40/50 HP Tourer, and a 1930 Packard 734 Speedster Runabout offered from long-term single family ownership. Six selections from the Scott Isquick Collection are also offered, entirely without reserve. All of these offerings, among others, will cross the block at Gooding & Company’s Pebble Beach Auctions, taking place on Friday, August 16, at 4 p.m. PDT, and Saturday, August 17, at 11 a.m. PDT.
“This exceptional grouping of important American and English cars represents some of the pinnacle moments of early automotive history,” said Gooding & Company President and Co-Founder, David Gooding. “From the incredibly rare Duesenberg Model J Disappearing-Top Convertible Coupe to the only known Alpine Trial-winning Silver Ghost in existence, as well as the Scott Isquick Collection offered from long-term ownership, opportunities abound for the most exclusive events, tours and rallies with these brilliantly historic selections.”
1934 Duesenberg Model J Disappearing-Top Convertible Coupe (Estimate: $3,500,000 – $4,250,000) The Disappearing-Top Convertible Coupe was among the most popular designs devised by the Pasadena-based Walter M. Murphy Company, one of the most distinguished of American coachbuilders credited with bodying the celebrated Model J Duesenberg. In 1931, Siegfried Roebling purchased this example, J-461, as a LaGrande “Sweep Panel” Dual-Cowl Phaeton. Siegfried was a member of the famed Roebling family, closely associated with the builders of the Brooklyn Bridge and founders of the Mercer Automobile Company. In 1934, Roebling’s Duesenberg was refitted as a disappearing-top roadster with the incredibly rare option of dual rear-mounted spares, fitted to only two other such examples. This modification visually lengthened the already sporty roadster.
The Disappearing-Top Model J would later be purchased by William Buddig of Chicago, Illinois, who entrusted his close friend and respected Duesenberg specialist, Fran Roxas with its show-quality restoration. Upon completion in 1985, strikingly finished in solid black, J-461 captured important concours awards: it garnered Best Score, the ACD Fred Duesenberg Award, and Best of Show at the ACD Club Annual Reunion in 1986; it was then displayed at the 1986 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, where it won First in Class, and it was selected the Best Model J Duesenberg out of 125 contenders at the 1987 Gilmore Car Museum Duesenberg Show in Hickory Corners, Michigan. The current owner acquired J-461 in 2010, and in the 14 years of his ownership, the car has enjoyed the open roads of Northern California, and has been displayed at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®. Among the most sporting and desirable of all Duesenbergs, J-461 is believed to retain its original engine, chassis, and firewall. With its extraordinary list of honors and accolades under its belt, few Model Js have the lasting charisma and appeal of this spectacular Disappearing-Top Convertible Coupe.
1914 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost 40/50 HP Alpine Eagle Tourer (Estimate: $3,500,000 – $4,000,000) The 40/50 HP chassis, commonly known as the Silver Ghost, remains the bedrock of the Rolls-Royce mystique due to its record-setting capabilities and pioneering innovation, as demonstrated by a succession of record-setting long-distance tours, rallies, and publicity events upon its debut. One of the most significant and newsworthy achievements was Rolls-Royce’s victory in the intensely grueling Alpine Trial of 1913, where a Silver Ghost proved victorious. However, at the approaching 1914 Alpine Trial, ahead of the near-certain outbreak of WWI, Rolls-Royce declined to enter a team. Thus, British aviator James Radley entered his highly modified, lightweight Silver Ghost, chassis 18PB, specifically built to attempt the 1914 event. Modified with the express intention of winning the Trial outright, the Silver Ghost featured the new four-speed gearbox, a 2.5-gallon auxiliary oil tank, a single-silencer, straight-pipe exhaust, and narrower, doorless aerodynamic aluminum coachwork. Its engine was also specially prepared by Rolls-Royce with various performance-enhancing modifications. Radley ensured that 18PB could withstand the cobblestone roads, unpaved, steep mountain passes, and treacherous drop-offs of the grueling Alpine Trial. The meticulous preparation proved successful, and Radley and his mechanic Harold Ambrose “Tubby” Ward won the rally, without any mechanical repairs – a feat in its own right.
Following its victory, 18PB was held by a number of British owners before ending up with John Bisset of Canaan, Connecticut. It remained in his family for over 60 years, being used as a farm truck and tractor until it was relegated to an outbuilding on the property. In 1999, 18PB was discovered by its present owner, Steve Littin, a highly respected and experienced Silver Ghost restorer and historian. Mr. Littin quickly recognized the great importance of the car and arranged for its restoration, completed to extremely precise standards ensuring its sleek and lightweight coachwork was faithfully recreated. The exhaustive, multi-year restoration was completed in 2013, with countless details present just as the car ran at the Alpine Trial 99 years prior. Resultingly, 18PB earned numerous concours awards at prestigious events. This unique Silver Ghost has also logged well over 30,000 post-restoration miles across three continents with various US and European long-distance tours, including the centennial anniversary of the Alpine Trials, accounting for 4,000 miles alone. Gooding & Company is incredibly proud to offer the only Alpine Trial-winning Silver Ghost known to exist, complete with its original engine and presented in brilliantly restored condition.
1929 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Sedan (Estimate: $1,800,000 – $2,400,000) The famed Walter M. Murphy Company built a total of approximately 50 individual Convertible Sedan bodies for the Model J, including this 1929 example, J-173. Originally retained for use as a demonstrator, J-173 was delivered to its first owner, famed Manhattan restaurateur Alice McCollister, before being sold to Peter Saladino of Jamaica, New York. J-173 would remain with Saladino’s family for six decades under exacting care, as documented in a remarkable file of service records and personal correspondence. This Model J Convertible Sedan remained unrestored for the vast majority of its life, looked after by James Hoe’s legendary Duesenberg shop in Weston, Connecticut. In 2001, it was invited to participate in the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, where it was honored with a class award in the Preservation Class and the prestigious FIVA Award for the best-preserved,regularly driven automobile. Acquired by the current owner in 2011, J-173 continued to earn a string of impressive awards at leading concours events, and was also confirmed by the ACD Club as a Category 1 car, retaining its original chassis, engine, and coachwork. In 2016, the consignor commissioned a show-quality restoration by Old Iron Works of Montgomery, Texas to return the car to its gleaming original appearance; the result was a monochromatic black finish with black leather, carpet, and canvas, complemented by impeccably-chromed accessories and trim. Displaying less than 24,000 miles at the time of cataloguing, J-173 is an American classic of the highest order with its rich history, known provenance, and versatile, elegant open Murphy coachwork.
1930 Packard 734 Speedster Runabout (Estimate: $1,500,000 – $2,000,000) The seventh-series Packard 734 was a high-performance model with a reputation as one of the finest and most exclusive sporting automobiles built by an American manufacturer prior to WWII. Of the five distinct body styles offered for the 734 Speedster, the runabout, with its boattail design, minimal top and staggered seating arrangement, was overtly sporting, proving to be the most popular variant. Just 113 examples of the 734 are estimated to have been built, and of these, just 39 were outfitted with the runabout body. This example, Packard vehicle no. 184087, was purchased new by Nelson Brinckerhoff of Englewood, New Jersey, who shipped it to his home in Switzerland. It was then sold to Nat Weiss of New Jersey, who brought the car back to the US and held onto it for over 15 years. In 1951,the rare Packard was joyously purchased by George Jepson, an enthusiast who would go on to become the president of the CCCA. Jepson debuted this Runabout at the very first CCCA Grand Classic, and in 1958, the car was featured in a Road & Track magazine Salon article. Donald R. Peterson of Minneapolis, Minnesota became enamored with the car after first seeing it on a 1958 CCCA tour, finally purchasing it in 1973 after 22 years of ownership under Jepson’s care. Peterson and his family maintained and drove the Packard on numerous CCCA CARavans, Glidden tours, and the 2005 Colorado Grand. They also embarked on an epic 29-day, 9,638-mile cross-country trip with the CCCA in 1995, logging mileage in each of the 48 contiguous US states. Following Don Peterson’s passing in 2022, his family has decided to part with their longtime cherished companion, offering an incredibly important opportunity to its next fortunate custodian.
From The Scott Isquick Collection Gooding & Company is honored to present six vehicles, entirely without reserve, from the Scott Isquick Collection for its Pebble Beach Auctions. The late Scott Isquick of greater Cleveland, Ohio, was a notable and respected member of the collector car community, known especially for his love of antique and classic era cars. He frequently exhibited cars from his collection at top concours events, including Pebble Beach and Amelia Island. Mr. Isquick was active in the local Cleveland car scene, and even served as president of its Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum. The cornerstone of his collection is the Pininfarina-bodied 1968 Ferrari 330 GTS (Estimate: $2,200,000 – $2,700,000, Without Reserve) finished in a one-off Fly Yellow over red color scheme, uniquely optioned with a central third seat and a six-carburetor intake. Largely unrestored, this 330 GTS has had only three owners throughout its lifetime, and displays just 32,000 km from new. The collection includes a trio of Rolls-Royce offerings, led by a 1913 Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost Tourer (Estimate: $500,000 – $700,000, Without Reserve) with the desirable combination of open coachwork and a four-speed gearbox, formerly owned by RROC Vice President Mark Negrelli. Also offered is a Springfield left-hand-drive 1925 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Piccadilly Roadster (Estimate: $200,000 – $300,000, Without Reserve) finished in elegant deep maroon with a matching interior, as well as a 1939 Rolls-Royce Wraith (Estimate: $40,000 – $60,000, Without Reserve) with Freestone & Webb limousine coachwork. An ACD Club Category 1-certified 1937 Cord 812 Phaeton (Estimate: $140,000 – $180,000, Without Reserve) and an early shaft-driven 1911 Mercedes 50 HP Tourer (Estimate: $300,000 – $400,000, Without Reserve) round out the Scott Isquick Collection.
Additional Brass Era offerings at the Pebble Beach Auctions include a 1910 Stearns 30/60 Touring (Estimate: $1,500,000 – $2,000,000) and a charmingly patinated 1908 American Underslung 50 HP Roadster (Estimate: $900,000 – $1,100,000) with authentic original roadster bodywork. An accurately restored and exemplary 1923 Mercer Series 5 Raceabout (Estimate: $400,000 – $500,000) is also available. A Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance® First in Class-winning, Dietrich-bodied 1934 Packard 1108 Twelve Individual Custom Convertible Sedan (Estimate: $800,000 – $1,100,000) is also presented, as is an exceptionally well-maintained 1934 Packard Twelve 1107 Coupe Roadster (Estimate: $425,000 – $475,000). Lastly, an ultimate specification 1929 Auburn 8-120 Boattail Speedster (Estimate: $450,000 – $550,000) is offered, in addition to a 1931 Auburn 8-98A Speedster (Estimate: $250,000 – $350,000) in a striking original black and red color scheme. Pebble Beach Auctions Dates: Friday, August 16, at 4 p.m. PDT, and Saturday, August 17, at 11 a.m. PDT Location: Pebble Beach Parc du Concours Public Preview: Wednesday, August 14 through Saturday, August 17 Auction Catalogues: $120, includes admission for two to the viewing and the auction General Admission: $50, includes admission for one to the viewing and the auction Bidder Registration: www.goodingco.com/register Website: www.goodingco.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/GoodingandCompany X: @goodingandco #GoodingPebble Instagram: @goodingandcompany #GoodingPebble YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/GoodingandCompany Phone: +1.310.899.1960
About Gooding & Company Gooding & Company is celebrated for its world-class automotive auctions, private brokerage, and unparalleled service in the international collector car market, achieving over $2.75 billion in sales since the company’s inception. The auction house continues to deliver market-leading results through both its live auctions and Geared Online platform, setting new trends and world records with best-of-category cars across numerous verticals. Gooding & Company consistently presents the highest quality consignments while operating with openness and integrity, providing the company a reputation of trust and respect unmatched in the industry. Offering a wide range of services including private and estate sales, appraisals and collection management, the auction house is ready to assist you with numerous collector car services.
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