2020 Gooding Scottsdale Sale (Pre-War Classics Announced)

by

A BMW 328, Hispano-Suiza J12 Dual-Cowl Phaeton, Cord 812 S/C, and Stutz Series M are among 1930s classics announced for the Gooding Scottsdale 2020 sale.

1932 Hispano-Suiza J12 Dual-Cowl Phaeton
© Gooding

Gooding & Company’s announced a range of elegant 1930s pre-war open-top classic cars for its annual Scottsdale Auctions in January 2020. The 1932 Hispano-Suiza J12 Dual-Cowl Phaeton (Estimate: $1,500,000 – $2,000,000) is one of only around ten known to have survived – it was for 35 years in the collection of Briggs Cunningham. The 1937 BMW 328 (Estimate: $350,000 – $450,000) is unrestored and offered for sale from 75 years of single-family ownership. The two European cars are joined by two restored American classics: a 1930 Stutz Series M Boattail Speedster (Estimate: $450,000 – $650,000) and a 1937 Cord 812 S/C Cabriolet ‘Sportsman’ (Estimate: $350,000 – $450,000) that was the recipient of Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance® Awards in 2001 and 2014.

Gooding Scottsdale Classic Car Auction 2020

1925 Bugatti Type 35 Grand Prix
1925 Bugatti Type 35 Grand Prix © Gooding

Gooding & Company’s annual Scottsdale classic car auction: 17 & 18 January 2020 at Scottsdale Fashion Square in Scottdale, Arizona, USA.

  • In 2020, Gooding earned $35,867,560 by selling 123 of 138 lots for an 89% sell-through rate.
  • In 2019, Gooding earned $48 million by selling 105 of 124 lots for a sell-through rate of 85% and an average price of $459,417 per car. The top result was $7,595,000 for a 1963 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta.
  • In 2018, Gooding earned $49.2 million by selling 110 of 129 lots for a sell-through rate of 85% and an average price of $447,415 per car. The top result was $8,085,000 for a 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB Speciale.
  • In 2017, Gooding gained $33.4 million at the Scottsdale auction by selling 106 of the 126 lots for a sell-through rate of 84%. The top result was $3,300,000 for a 1925 Bugatti Type 35 Grand Prix. 

1930s Classics at Gooding Scottsdale 2020 Sale

Among the top 1930s classics announced for the Gooding Scottsdale 2020 classic car auction are:

1932 Hispano-Suiza J12 Dual-Cowl Phaeton

1932 Hispano-Suiza J12 Dual-Cowl Phaeton
© Gooding

The 1932 Hispano-Suiza J12 Dual-Cowl Phaeton (Estimate: $1,500,000 – $2,000,000) on offer at Gooding Scottsdale 2020 is one of as few as ten open J12s to have survived. Only 120 J12s were ever produced.

In 1931, celebrated manufacturer Hispano-Suiza introduced their masterpiece, the J12. The magnificent and highly exclusive model set new standards of acceleration, handling, braking, and overall performance. The J12 chassis was a triumph of engineering, well ahead of its time, besting rivals such as Alfa Romeo, Bugatti, and Isotta-Fraschini.

Just 120 J12 were made over eight years, with many carrying formal closed coachwork. A small number of customers, however, recognized the J12’s highly advanced performance capabilities and had their cars built with open, sporting bodies from the most revered carrosseries of Europe.

The 1932 Hispano-Suiza J12 Dual-Cowl Phaeton (Estimate: $1,500,000 – $2,000,000) was bodied as a rakish sports phaeton by the renowned Henry Binder of Paris. In 1954, Chassis 13016 was purchased by famed collector Briggs Cunningham, and remained in his collection for 35 years.

Today, it is dramatically finished in black with red leather, its dual windshields and rear cowl providing protection during open motoring. Much has been written of the J12 over the ensuing decades; it is considered by many experts and historians as the ultimate prewar car, a true pinnacle of design and engineering. Noted Hispano-Suiza historian Johnnie Green aptly described it, stating that the J12, “Had no peer, and we shall never see her like again.”

1937 BMW 328

Green 1937 BMW 328
© Gooding

The 1937 BMW 328 (Estimate: $350,000 – $450,000 Without Reserve) has been in single-family ownership since 1945. It is unrestored and highly original.

BMW’s 328 is recognized as one of history’s most important sports cars, and examples are proudly displayed in leading museums such as the Revs Institute and the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum. The model emerged victorious in its debut race at the Nürburgring in 1936, won its class at the 1938 Mille Miglia and the 1939 Le Mans, and won the Mille Miglia outright in 1940. With over 200 victories, 328s were competitive until well into the 1950s.

This incredible 328 was purchased in 1945 in Germany by decorated fighter pilot and American Air Corps Commander Edward B. Giller, who was stationed there shortly after the war. Retaining its matching-numbers engine, the 328 here has remained in the Giller family for over 75 years and has never undergone a comprehensive restoration. Offered for sale for the first time since 1945, it is a remarkable piece of history that enthusiasts of preservation-class cars will admire and respect.

1930 Stutz Series M Boattail Speedster

1930 Stutz Series M Boattail Speedster Orange black
© Gooding

The 1930 Stutz Series M Boattail Speedster (Estimate: $450,000 – $650,000) is a recently restored example.

The Stutz Motor Company was largely responsible for producing some of the most desirable American sports cars of the prewar era. The car manufacturer campaigned their first production vehicle at the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911, after only five weeks of design and build. This gamble paid off as the car finished in 11th Place and thus created the advertising slogan, “Stutz – The Car That Made Good in a Day.” This immediate success set the company up to design and produce more competitive models in the years that followed and paved the way for the iconic Bearcat model, a sports car that stayed in production until 1925.

In 1929, Stutz introduced the Series M and referred to the model as the most European of the US auto designs and featured driving lights that turn in harmonization with steering. This particular Series M Boattail Speedster, underwent a striking restoration, comes from a prestigious west coast collection.

1937 Cord 812 S/C Cabriolet ‘Sportsman’

1937 Cord 812 S/C Cabriolet ‘Sportsman’
© Gooding

1937 Cord 812 S/C Cabriolet ‘Sportsman’ (Estimate: $350,000 – $450,000 Without Reserve) was the recipient of Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance® Awards in 2001 and 2014.

Less than 3,000 Cord 812s were built in the manufacturer’s history and thanks to the industry-leading combination of engineering and aesthetics, this car is unquestionably one of the most iconic vehicles of the 1930s.

The 1937 Cord 812 S/C Cabriolet ‘Sportsman’ ( is one of only 64 originally Supercharged Cabriolets. It includes advanced features such as hidden headlamps, seating for two with a convertible top that disappears beneath a flush deck, and its signature 7-louver coffin-nose hood. This 812 recently underwent a meticulous restoration with an emphasis on authenticity and was the recipient of Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance® Awards in 2001 and 2014. This Cabriolet is a timeless model that will be sure to catch the eye of collectors and aficionados alike.

Scottsdale and Arizona Car Auctions 2020

Scottsdale & Arizona Auctions 2020

Many auction houses have sales during the annual Scottsdale week in mid-November, including amongst others:

Scottsdale & Arizona Sales 2020 – Auction Results

Scottsdale & Arizona Sales 2020 – Auction Previews

Scottsdale & Arizona Press Announcements 2020

Scottsdale, Arizona, 2019 Auctions Sale Results