A set of 50 pre-war cars from the Bothwell Collection are to auction at Bonhams on November 11.
The sale will take place at the Bothwell Ranch, high up in the Woodland Hills area of LA.
This 1913 Peugeot features a revolutionary engine
Industrialist Lindley Bothwell (1901-1986) and wife Ann (1918-2016) were passionate collectors and founding members of the Horseless Carriage Club of America – which celebrates cars produced prior to 1916.
Malcolm Barber, chair of Bonhams, said: "Lindley and Ann Bothwell need little introduction.
"Their contribution to historic motoring is renowned, their cars are legendary and, most important, their enthusiasm all encompassing.
"This is truly a monumental collection and we are extremely flattered to represent it at auction. The phrase 'once-in-a-lifetime' is very appropriate."
The star lot looks set to be a seminal 1913 Peugeot 4.5-Litre L45. The model featured a twin-overhead cam that proved revolutionary on the track.
This example made its debut at the 1916 Indianapolis 500.
"Tremendously historic and full of provenance, the significance of this race car cannot be overstated”, comments Bonhams.
"...It is one of the most original and pure racing cars of this era we have ever had the pleasure of offering."
There’s no estimate available for the lot, but it’s likely to go for several million dollars.
There’s a wealth of other 20th century classics from marques like Ford and Cadillac, as well as a collection of horse-drawn street cars originally deployed on the streets of LA.
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