Top line
The unique collection of more than 120 old European sports cars from one owner - including first-class recreations of some of the world’s most exclusive models - is expected to bring in as much as $ 20 million at an auction in September amid a booming premium car market.
Car collector Gene Ponder has created a custom warehouse for his more than 120 models, which are … [+]
RM Sothebis
Key facts
The collection was built over 15 years by Gene Ponder, a Texan who founded two kitchen cabinet companies and who told Forbes that old European sports cars are his “true love”.
Cars on sale include a rare dark red Ferrari 330 GTC from 1967 with the original engine, a 1935 MG PB Airline Coupe - one of only 14 models from the period known to have been made - and a 1960 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster, which is Ponder often appeared at car shows and other events.
The weight sells high-end replicas of ultra-rare models not available for purchase and said to be often dormant in museums, such as his favorite car, a 1936 Bugatti Atlantic recreation (only three models from that period are believed to exist , and designer Ralph Lauren owns one of them).
Ponder said Forbes his replica Bugatti Atlantic is one of two copies made from authentic parts in a Swiss factory, and he said he was told that comedian Jay Leno owns another model.
The auction of Ponder’s collection - which also includes souvenirs of old cars and a selection of motorcycles - will take place from September 22 to 24 at Ponder’s specially built facility in Marshall, Texas.
Ponder’s 1967 Ferrari 330 GTC is one of the few cars to go on sale later this year.
Darin Schnabel © 2022 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
This replica Bugatti Atlantic is based on one of the most exclusive cars in the world, of which only … [+]
Darin Schnabel © 2022 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
Key background
RM Sotheby’s specialist Thatcher Brush said Forbes the classic car market is “growing significantly”, which he attributes in part to the return of personal auctions after a break during the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. “I don’t know if it was just the excitement of people coming out of their homes to see cars in person again and buy them, but since then, every auction we’ve had has grown in value and selling rate,” Keast said. Forbes. Last week, RM Sotheby’s announced that the original 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe from 1955 - one of only two existing - had sold at a secret personal auction in Germany for $ 142 million, setting a record for the most expensive car ever sold.
A look at one of Ponder’s collections in his purpose-built building on his Marshall estate, … [+]
Darin Schnabel © 2022 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
A surprising fact
This is the second time that Ponder has sold his entire collection at auction. In 2007, after a severe heart attack, Ponder sold a collection of 60 cars, also from RM Sotheby’s, and brought in about $ 15 million, the auction house said. Ponder said Forbes there is “not much difference” between the cars in his first and second collections except the size of the two. He said Forbes he decided to sell his second collection after the death of his wife a few months ago and his son four years ago. “They are not so important to me anymore,” he said about cars, but added that he hoped customers would appreciate his “love and respect for the beauty of cars.”
The auction will take place from September 22 to 24
Darin Schnabel © 2022 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
Crucial Quote
“Some people have Rembrandt hanging on the wall or Chagall. “For me, these cars are works of art,” Ponder said Forbes.
Additional literature
The Mona Lisa Car - the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Coupe - sold for a record $ 142 million (Forbes)
In the photos: Aston Martin Vanquish, which first belonged to Hugh Grant, is for sale (Forbes)
Vintage Lincoln Continental Rite Haivorth from 1941 is up for auction (Forbes)