FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
contact: Mike Geylin or
Fred Hammond
CHANDLER COLLECTION SHOULD BRING MORE THAN $20 MILLION
AT OCTOBER AUCTION BY GOODING & COMPANY
ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT PRIVATE COLLECTION SALES
UNIQUE PACKARDS, LINCOLNS, INDIANS AND HARLEY-DAVIDSONS
SANTA MONICA, CALIF. -- The sale of the Otis Chandler Collection, one of the largest private automobile, motorcycle and automotive memorabilia collections to be offered for sale, could bring as much as$25 million at the October 21st auction to be conducted by Gooding & Company.
According to David Gooding, president and founder of the auction house, “This sale should attract an interestingcross section of collectors, enthusiasts and celebrities thanks to Otis Chandler’s unique personality and discerning taste.
“Otis was a passionate enthusiast, with eclectic tastes, which is reflected in vehicles ranging from a 1904 Mercedes 40/45 Sports Touring to a 1934 Packard 12 Two Place Coupe by Dietrich to a 2004 Porsche Carrera GT. Many of his cars are rare and highly desirable,” said Gooding. “We expect some record-breaking prices by the time the gavel falls on the final lot.”
The auction will be Saturday, October 21, following a charity benefit reception the previous night, both of which will be heldat Chandler’s Vintage Museum of Transportation and Wildlife in Oxnard here which houses the collection. In addition, the museum will be open to the public for the last time September 25-30 (it had been open five or six days per year, as well as by appointment).
Select items from the sale will be previewed August 17-20 in the Gooding & Company showroom at Pebble Beach.
Chandler, who passed away in February 2006 at the age of 78, was best known for his business acumen, having transformed the family-owned Los Angeles Times from a mediocre regional newspaper into one of national significance and was the cornerstone of the Times-Mirror media empire.
His sporting nature, which included competing through school and beyond in track and field as well as driving race cars, is clearly evident upon a visit to his museum, which houses the collection on two levels.
The collection was constantly changing, as Chandler’s desires changed. He would buy and sell vehicles as his automotive interests were developed and refined.
Featured lots, which, according to Gooding, will be highly sought after include the 10 Packards, especially the V-windshield Dietrich-bodied models, the 1907 Renault, a 1931 Duesenberg J Special Phaeton by LeBaron, a 1963 Corvette Split Window Z-06 “Big Tank,” a 1901 Indian F Head Single (which might be the oldest American motorcycle extant) and a 1907 Harley-Davidson Strap Tank Single (which, when it was last sold, set a record price for a motorcycle at auction).
“We could easily see several multi-million dollar vehicles in this sale,” he said. “This will be the most important single-collection auction sale since the Harrah Collection during the 1980s, and that sale of more than 1, 200 vehicles was spread over five years.”
Gooding & Company (www.goodingco.com) provides unparalleled service for those in the close-knit world of classic car collecting. The auction house has set numerous world records including the highest price paid for an American car at auction (1935 Duesenberg SJ Speedster – the “Mormon Meteor”), a Ferrari road car (1967 Ferrari 275 GTS/4 Alloy NART Spyder) and, at this year’s inaugural Gooding & Company Palm Beach Auction in Florida, a 1938 Talbot-Lago T150 C SS Teardrop Coupe for $3,905,000.
Gooding & Company conducts the official Pebble Beach Auction at the annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and the Gooding & Company Palm Beach Auction. The company offers a wide range of services including private and estate sales, appraisals, collection management, estate and tax planning assistance.
For information on the Otis Chandler Collection Auction or to purchase an auction catalogue, contact Gooding & Company at 310-899-1960 or visit the web site.
Dealers:
