Historic car collectors and enthusiasts gathered at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, US, last Saturday for Bonhams' Classic California, Important Motorcycles, Motorcars and Memorabilia sale.
The lots included a number of famous and preeminent feats of automotive engineering, with the highest amount brought by a 1964 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III Drophead Coupé.
Famous for its size and grandeur, the 6.2 litre V8 engine Rolls sold for an impressive $172,000.
 1964 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III Drophead Coupé ($172k) |
Second over the finish line was a majestic 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, whose four owners have included Frank Sinatra.
The coachbuilt luxury car was one of the superlative automobiles of the '50s, equipped with every luxury and accessory available at the time, and manufactured to the highest standards. Only 504 examples of the car were built during 1957-58.
This model bears the distinction of being driven by an indignant Sinatra when he was stopped for a speeding ticket in 1958, and left the auction block at a price of $122,500.
 Frank Sinatra's 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham ($122,500) |
The three cars which sold for six figures also included a 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Dual Crown Touring automobile - reputedly the last model that Henry Royce designed personally.
Boasting then-redesigned combustion chambers with inlet and exhaust manifolds for far greater performance, the car with a succession of eminent and wealthy owners sold for $111,150.
Starring among the two-wheeled lots - and the fourth highest grossing lot overall - was a 1940 Indian 74ci Chief Frame motorcycle once owned by Hollywood legend Steve McQueen.
The white Indian was the bike loving actor's preferred choice of transportation around Tinseltown, and came to be known as his "Hollywood bike". It brought $99,450.
 Steve McQueen's 1940 Indian 74ci |
Other big selling rolling works of art included a 1933 Ford Model 40 Deluxe Cabriolet Hotrod ($81,900), a 1915 Harley-Davidson Model 11K Boardtrack Racer Engine motorcycle ($58,500), and a 1948 Packard Series 22 Woody Custom 8 Station Sedan ($57,330).
Overall, the successful Bonhams sale offered a fascinating mix of influential engineering and celebrity nostalgia with a number of collectors' vehicles which will be worth keeping an eye on in the future.
