Ron Pratte's entire car collection comes to Barrett-Jackson

The world-renowned collection of Ron Pratte will be sold by Barrett-Jackson as part of its Scottsdale 2015 sale on January 10-18.

GM Futurliner
There are just nine GM Futurliners extant; it's a collector favourite - expect strong bids



Pratte's collection is famed for containing many unique and rare vehicles, including a number of concept cars. Among the top sellers will be a GM Futurliner bus, one of only 21 ever created and nine extant examples, which he bought for $4.1m in 2006.

Created in the 1940s, the GM Futurliner buses were produced for the company's Parade of Progress, a tour that promoted GM's latest technologies and advancements. Each has a self-contained stage, light towers and was fitted with the latest advancements.

The Futurliner will be sold without reserve with an estimate of $4.4m.

Also highlighting the collection is the legendary 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake, one of two ever built and the only example to have survived.

Famed for its huge power, the other example was made especially for comedian Bill Cosby, but he later returned it as it was difficult to control. Its next owner, Tony Maxey lost control and fatally drove it over a cliff.

Carroll Shelby, an experienced racer, kept the other example as a personal car, entering it in to races and "waking [up] whole towns, blowing out windows, throwing belts and catching fire a couple of times, but finishing."

The Super Snake was last sold at Barrett-Jackson's Scottsdale sale in 2007 for $5m. It is expected to sell for $5.5m in the current sale.

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