Bonhams’ cheapest cars have remarkable histories

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By this time we all know it’s not too difficult to spend a couple of hundreds of thousand dollars and become the next owner of a Concours winning beauty – as long as you have the money. The auctions are the place to go, and with Scottsdale becoming the centre of the world for such purchases, a ticket to The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa will bring you right in the heart of car collecting where Bonhams hammers down some (almost) priceless pinnacles of motoring. From 1902 Boyer 9hp (estimate $175- to 250,000) to 1924 RR Silver Ghost with Special Roadster body by Piccadilly ($450- to 650,000) to even a 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 by Figoni (price on request but probably a few million?)

It makes you wonder whether the more mundane classic car collector has something to do here? Well, the answer is yes. We picked out two of the cheapest estimated vehicles from the Bonhams sale and fell in love with them from their descriptions, due to their wonderful originality!

1923 Hupmobile Roadster Coupe

The first one is a 1923 Hupmobile Roadster Coupe, which is estimated to sell (at No Reserve) for $ 7,500 to 15,000. With its side-valve four-cylinder engine, single carburettor, live axles and tiny little drum brakes it is nowhere near the expensive top guns, but it has to be much more original than all the other exotics on offer. The car supposedly spent all of its life in Southern California with just three owners until December 2017, when Ron Walden of Culver City sold it after having put it in storage carefully in 1964. From the seller’s blurb: “Requiring nothing more than an inspection, the addition of vital fluids and a fuel system, the Roadster Coupe roared to life in August of 2018 for the first time in nearly 60 years or more.” How cool is that?

1923 Studebaker Model EL Series 22 Special Six Touring

And there’s another stunner we want to share with you here. It’s a 1923 Studebaker Model EL Series 22 Special Six Touring, which is estimated to sell at $15- to 20,000, again with No Reserve. It’s a true time-warp motor with this one having had just two owners since it was new and 27,000 miles on the clock! Let’s quote the auctioneer once more: “The consigner had known the original owner since his youth and had spent time as a child riding in the car. In 1959, he was given the opportunity to purchase the car and soon after paid $100 for it. Seeing that the vehicle was located in Michigan and the purchaser had relocated to California, the Studebaker was freight railed all the way across the country for the truly hefty fee of $468.”

That’s the spirit! Let’s hope both cars will find new owners who will take tender loving care of them in similar ways. Which one do you prefer?

Words by Jeroen Booij. Pictures courtesy Bonhams.

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