Gooding & Co has offered its final invitation for entries to its 2011 Amelia Island Auction on Friday, March 11.
The sale has a lot to live up to after this year's earlier auction raised more than $16.14m in sales for 58 lots sold. It set World Records with the weekend's top-selling $2.75m 1931 Voisin Mylord Demi-Berline, and the $1.705m 1961 Porsche RS61 Spyder purchased by the legendary Sir Stirling Moss.
But the handful of cars already announced has definitely caught the eyes of serious collectors. First up is a stunning 1949 Jaguar XK120 Alloy, one of the oldest surviving examples, and the first XK120 ever imported to the US.
Initially delivered to influential New York foreign car dealer and racing enthusiast Max Hoffman, the XK120 was used as a promotional model at early sports car races. This included the 1949 Watkins Glen Grand Prix, where he drove it in the parade preceding the main event.
The current owner has completed an exhaustive, multiple-award winning restoration, participated in the XK60 Diamond Tour and set a new record in JCNA Slalom. Its auction estimate is $375,000 - $550,000.
 The 1949 Jaguar XK120 Alloy (top) and the Rolly Royce Phantom II (bottom) |
The other major highlight so far is an outstanding Midnight Blue 1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Sedanca Drop Head Coupe. "A better car does not exist the world over," said Britain's legendary "Speed King" Captain Sir Malcolm Campbell when describing the car, and most would be hard pushed to argue.
With its close-coupled body, two-position convertible top and low windshield it remains one of the best looking cars of the period. It is a genuine, highly desirable automobile with all its original parts, and is one of a few Sedanca Coupes coach built by the legendary Gurney Nutting. The estimate for this exceptional Rolls-Royce is $400,000 - $500,000.
With several of the major auction houses announcing stunning line-ups for their 2011 auctions, it seems the bar has definitely been raised. And with the competition between collectors and investors for the rarest and best examples growing ever stronger, 2011 could definitely see some fireworks in the collectible car market.
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