RM auctioned 209 automobiles, mainly pre-war, at the Antique Automobile Club of America's (AACA) Eastern Division Fall Meeting in Hershey on October 10 and 11, 2019 over two evenings.

The cars were estimated at just under USD 20 million, USD 15.2 million was realized, nine cars (8%) could not be sold, including some of the more expensive vehicles.
Wide range
With 95 brands, the range of manufacturers represented was broad. Ford (23 cars), Packard (20) and Cadillac (12) stood out, while all other brands were represented in single-digit numbers, including carmakers that have long been forgotten, such as Abbott-Detroit, Brush, Chandler, Dyke, Essex, Grout, Kelsey, Orient, Shelden and White.
On average, the cars were 95 years old, which clearly indicates that it was mainly (older) pre-war vehicles that were auctioned.
The valuable
The front-runner in terms of price was the 1930 Cadillac V16 Sport Phaeton with Fleetwood body (lot 417). Instead of the expected USD 0.9 to 1.1 million, as much as USD 1.221 million was paid for this beautiful car.

The Marmon Sixteen with Le Baron coupé body from 1931 (lot 433) was sold well below the estimate; instead of USD 650,000 to 850,000, the buyer only had to pay USD 550,000.

In general, bids for expensive cars in particular were well below expectations in most cases. On average, cars valued at over USD 200,000 only achieved just under 70% of the median estimate as the highest bid.
In addition, four of these cars did not sell, including the 1913 Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost (lot 408) and a 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SC Coupé, one of the few post-war classic cars.
Big swings
In general, the Hershey auction seemed to be ideal for gamblers and gamblers, as the highest bids sometimes deviated greatly from the estimated values.
The Ruger Sports Tourer Prototype from 1970 (lot 445), for example, could be bought for EUR 44,000 instead of USD 160,000 to 200,000.
A Willys-Knight Model 65 Five-Passenger Touring from 1925 (lot 268) was available for USD 5500, and a Chrysler CG Imperial Dual-Cowl Phaeton in the style of LeBaron from 1931 (lot 398) could be purchased for USD 55,000 instead of USD 140,000 to 180,000.
With a total of 53 cars, the highest bids reached only 60 percent of the median estimate or less. Many were sold anyway because they were offered without a limit.
However, the other end of the spectrum was just as impressive. For a 1900 Rockwell Hansom Cab (lot 217), the buyer paid over three times more than expected at USD 132,000.
The 1916 Rauch & Lang JX-6 Dual Control Electric Coach also achieved a price of USD 110,000, which was almost three times higher than the median estimate.
69 cars achieved top bids that were at or above the estimated value.
Offered and Sold Vehicles
The following table lists all offered and sold vehicles with estimated prices, highest bids, and sale prices. The price conversion was made at the exchange rate valid on the auction day. All information is provided without guarantee.
Lot | Car | Year | USD Est from | USD Est to | USD HP | USD SP | CHF SP | EUR SP | % Est | S |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
163 | Oldsmobile 'Curved-Dash' Replica Surrey by Bliss | 1902 | 6000 | 8000 | 3500 | 3850 | 3850 | 3503 | -45%
|
V |
164 | Orient Buckboard | 1903 | 10'000 | 15'000 | 22'000 | 24'200 | 24'200 | 22'022 | +93.6%
|
V |
165 | Rambler 4 HP Runabout Replica by Gaslight | 1902 | 8000 | 12'000 | 4000 | 4400 | 4400 | 4004 | -56%
|
V |
166 | Smith Flyer C Motorette | 1916 | 10'000 | 15'000 | 17'000 | 18'700 | 18'700 | 17'017 | +49.6%
|
V |
167 | Chevrolet Fire Engine | 1926 | 25'000 | 35'000 | 27'000 | 29'700 | 29'700 | 27'027 | -1%
|
V |
168 | Essex Terraplane Deluxe Six Model KU Sedan | 1933 | 15'000 | 25'000 | 17'000 | 18'700 | 18'700 | 17'017 | -6.5%
|
V |
169 | Enger Model B High-Wheel Runabout | 1909 | 15'000 | 25'000 | 41'000 | 45'100 | 45'100 | 41'041 | +125.5%
|
V |
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All information is provided without guarantee.
Legend: Column S = Status (V = Sold, N = Not sold, Z = Withdrawn, U = Under reserve)
Est = Estimate, HP = Hammer Price, SP = Sale Price