2019 Bonhams Amelia Island Sale (Auction Results)

A 1930 Cadillac Series 452 V-16 Roadster sold for $1,187,500 as the top result of the Bonhams Amelia Island 2019 sale but Brass Era veteran and antique cars really stole the show.

Brass Era Antique cars from the Don Boulton Collection sold at the Bonhams Amelia Island 2019 classic car auction. All 24 sold, some for world record prices. — © Bonhams

Bonhams sold a 1930 Cadillac 452 V-16 Roadster with coachwork by Fleetwood and the 1968 GP-winning Brabham-Cosworth BT26 Formula 1 car for just over a million dollar each as the top results at the Amelia Island 2019 classic car auction. However, the clear stars of the sale were the two dozen American Bronze Era antique cars from the Don Boulton Collection. A 1913 Mercer Type 35J Raceabout roadster sold for $898,000 while a 1914 Simplex 50 HP Speedcar Roadster sold for a world record $885,000, as did a 1904 Peerless Type 8 Style K Runabout that achieved $698,000.

Bonhams Amelia Island 2019 Classic Car Sale

Bonhams scheduled its fifth Amelia Island sale for March 7, 2019, at the Fernandina Beach Golf Club in Florida, USA.

Bonhams is the smaller of the big three catalogue auction houses at Amelia Island and had mixed results in recent years. In 2019, Bonhams earned $16 million with a respectable sell-through rate of 84%. Highlights of this sale were two dozen American antique Brass Era cars from the Don Boulton Collection.

In 2018, Bonhams earned $13.4 million and in 2017 the gains were around $10.2 million. Bonhams’ best Amelia Island auction was in 2016 when it earned $27.5 million in sale that included a $9,735,000 result for a 1937 Bugatti Type 57 SC Sports Tourer while a 1937 Mercedes Benz 540 K Cabriolet A sold for $2,970,000.

Top Results at the Bonhams Amelia Island 2019 Sale

The ten highest results at the Bonhams Amelia Island 2019 classic car auction were:

–	Year	Car	Price ($)	Estimate
1	1930	Cadillac Series 452 V-16 Roadster by Fleetwood	1,187,500	1,250,000 – 1,500,000
2	1968	Brabham-Cosworth BT26/BT26A Formula 1	1,105,000	1,100,000 – 1,400,000
3	1913	Mercer Type 35J ‘Raceabout’	896,000	800,000 – 1,000,000
4	1914	Simplex 50 HP ‘Speedcar’	885,000	600,000 – 800,000
5	1904	Peerless Type 8 Style K Kiing of Belgium	698,000	400,000 – 480,000
6	1998	Ruf Porsche Turbo R	626,500	650,000 – 850,000
7	1904	Thomas Model 22 Flyer Rear Entrance Tonneau	489,000	400,000 – 500,000
8	1929	Bentley 4 1/2 Liter Sports Tourer	472,500	525,000 – 575,000
9	1908	Welch Model 4-L Seven-Passenger Touring	456,000	250,000 – 350,000
10	1907	Tincher Model H 60 HP Seven-Passenger Tourer	423,000	500,000 – 700,000

Million-Dollar Cars at Bonhams Amelia Island 2019 Sale

Two cars sold for more than a million dollar at the Bonhams Amelia Island 2019 sale:

1930 Cadillac Series 452 V-16 Roadster by Fleetwood

A 1930 Cadillac Series 452 V-16 Roadster sold for $1,187,500 as the top result of the Bonhams Amelia Island 2019 — © Bonhams

The most-expensive car at the Bonhams 2019 Amelia Island classic car auction was as expected a magnificent 1930 Cadillac Series 452 V-16 Roadster by Fleetwood that sold for $1,187,500. This large American classic is believed to be one of only ten surviving 1930 Cadillac V16 roadsters.

This 1930 Cadillac retained its original coachwork, chassis and driveline. It was shown at Pebble Beach in 1998 and has since received further restoration work.

1968-9 Brabham-Cosworth BT26A Formula 1

1969 Brabham-Cosworth BT26A Front Quarter — © P. Litwinski / Courtesy of Bonhams

The second highest result at the Bonhams Amelia Island 2019 classic car auction was $1,105,000 for the 1968-9 3-Litre Repco Brabham-Cosworth BT26A Formula 1 racing car, chassis BT26-3.

This Brabham was first raced by Jochen Rindt in the 1968. He contested four Grand Prix in the car and qualified it on pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix. However, the Repco engine was unreliable.

1969 Brabham-Cosworth BT26A — © P. Litwinski / Courtesy of Bonhams

In 1969, the car was fitted with a Cosworth engine and raced by Jacky Ickx in nine qualifying Grand Prix, including to victory at the 1969 Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport Park, 2nd in the Mexican GP, 3rd in the French GP, 5th in the Dutch GP and 6th in the Spanish GP.

An hour after the Ickx finished second at the Mexican GP, chassis #3 was sold to Doug Champlin for his driver Gus Hutchinson to campaign in the 1970 SCCA L&M Championship, against 5-liter Formula A/5000 competition. Hutchinson drove the car in six 1970 L&M rounds, winning two – at Sears Point and Dallas – while also placing 2nd at Sebring and 4th at Edmonton. He also drove it in the 1970 United States GP at Watkins Glen.

Antique Brass Era Cars at Bonhams Amelia Island 2019 Sale

Boulton Collection Cars — © Bonhams/Simon Clay

The true stars of the Bonhams Amelia Island 2019 classic car auction were the 24 antique cars from the Don Boulton Collection – several sold for well above estimate and for world record prices. The top results included:

The 1913 Mercer Type 35J ‘Raceabout’ sold for mid-estimate $896,000 and was as expected the most valuable car in this remarkable collection. The Mercer is generally considered the first American sports car and is arguably the most legendary American car from the Brass Era. These cars had a top speed of 100 mph while competing trains could reach only 60 mph and biplanes around 45 mph. The lovely yellow car on offer is in a fully restored condition.

The 1914 Simplex 50 HP ‘Speedcar’ achieved $885,000 – a record price well above estimate and only $11,000 less than the Mercer. The Simplex was designed by a Mercedes importer to the US and clearly influenced by the German original. The intention was to run the car at high speed over long distances The 597ci was nearly double the size of the Mercer and fortunately featured an electric started from new. The restored car has a known ownership history from 1943.

The 1904 Peerless Type 8 Style K 24 HP Four Cylinder King Of Belgium with coachwork by J.M Quinby Company sold for a sensational $698,000 – over $200,000 more than upper estimate. It participated three times in the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.

The similarly aged 1904 Thomas Model 22 Three Cylinder 24 HP Flyer Rear Entrance Tonneau sold at top estimate. It is the only survivor of its kind and eligible for the London to Brighton run.

The 1908 Welch Model 4-L Seven-Passenger Touring sold for over $100,000 above pre-auction top estimate. A remarkable result for an innovative car – it used an overhead cam and hemispherical combustion chambers in a layout only followed decades later by other carmakers.

The replica of the 1866 Benz Patent Motorwagen sold within estimate for $52,640 – exactly the same result that Gooding achieved for a similar vehicle at Scottsdale 2019. (RM Sotheby’s is offering a similar car two day later at Amelia Island.) The original is in the German Museum in Munich – even the Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart must make do with a replica.