RM Auctions, Hershey
For a dozen consecutive years, RM Auctions, part of the RM/Sotheby’s conglomerate, made the trek from its home in Blenheim, Ontario, Canada, to the south central town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, to host what was originally billed as the “Cars of Hershey” sale. The event coincided with the famed AACA Eastern Fall Meet, and it quickly became the official auction of the Hershey Meet.
That tradition continued October 9-11, when RM delivered a catalog brimming with 208 vehicular lots, as well as 128 “nostalgia” lots, to its also-traditional location at the Hershey Lodge. After a full day of preview, the evening sale schedule made it convenient for registered bidders from 23 countries and nearly all 50 states to attend after a day in the nearby flea market.
Unlike some other auctions, domestic makes basked in the limelight here — only seven foreign-labelled cars were auctioned, by our count — and domestics dominated the top 10 sales spots. Leading the way was a magnificent 1930 Cadillac V-16 Sport Phaeton by Fleetwood that realized $1,221,000 (detailed within this report), followed by a 1931 Marmon Sixteen Coupe by Fleetwood that achieved $550,000, and a 1911 Olds Model 28 Autocrat Roadster (also outlined here) that brought $286,000. Elsewhere on the list, a 1900 Rockwell Hansom Cab, reportedly the first motorized taxicab in New York City, brought an astounding $132,000 against a high estimate of $45,000. These examples, and the cars that follow, were part of a $15,218,500 sales total for vehicles. Add $351,094 from the sale of nostalgia lots and RM’s grand total was $15,569,594 (all sale prices listed within this report include a buyer’s premium).
For complete results from the Hershey sale, as well as a comprehensive list of upcoming auctions both in the U.S. and abroad, visit www.rmsothebys.com.
BY THE NUMBERS
Total Sales: $15.2 million
Sell-Through: 95.67 percent; 199 of 208 lots
Top Sale: 1930 Cadillac V-16 Sport Phaeton by Fleetwood; $1,221,000
UPCOMING DATES
March 6-7: Amelia Island; Amelia Island, Florida
March 20-21: Palm Beach International Raceway; Palm Beach, Florida
May 8-9: Auburn Auction Park; Auburn, Indiana
FOR MORE INFORMATION
www.rmsothebys.com519-352-4575
