Reeves Callaway 1947-2023
I was shocked today to learn that my friend, colleague and former boss Reeves Callaway (Ely Reeves Callaway III) died on Tuesday from a fall-related injury. Following a casual encounter with Reeves at Arlan Ettinger’s Guernsey’s “Autohampton” auction in Bridgehampton, LI, he responded to telephoned questions about the cars he’d offered including Sledgehammer. I paid […]
A Comedy of Errors
A two-destination, five leg, international trip? What could go wrong? So much that the experience became, in the end, a Comedy of Errors (credit to William Shakespeare). The itinerary was ambitious, particularly in the time of Covid 19: Boston-Ft. Lauderdale, then on to Monaco via Newark and Nice, return via Newark to Boston. Boston-FLL on […]
What car is on your computer desktop?
I wonder what car occupies your computer’s desktop? This is mine, the XKSS Continuation from RM’s Elkhart auction. Now I’ll admit that when I wore a younger man’s clothes and learned to drive in an XK 120 I thought this was heaven. And it was. It’s Spring. Get your car out of the barn. Take […]
“Berlina Aerodinamica Tecnica”
The Three B.A.T.s Offered at Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Evening Sale On October 28, 2020 In a Friday Surprise, on October 16 RM Sotheby’s circulated a press release announcing that the three B.A.T. design concepts would be offered as a single lot as part of Sotheby’s regular Contemporary Art Evening Auction on October 28, just twelve […]
Worldwide Auctioneers, Auburn, August 30-31, 2019
The big news from Worldwide Auctioneers in 2018 was their location’s move to their new headquarters in the former WWII Museum just across I-69 from the Auburn Auction Park. Somewhat surprisingly, considering the beyond-spacious facility encompassing over four acres inside, the consignment was down substantially – in fact by one-third – from last year’s cramped […]
RM Auctions, Spring Auburn, May 11-12, 2018
This is RM Auctions first Spring Auburn after absorbing Auctions America. Note, though, that it is “RM Auctions”, not RM Sotheby’s, continuing the market positioning that distinguished RM Sotheby’s catalog auctions from the consignment sales of RM Auctions formerly Auctions America. As mentioned two months ago after the first newly-named RM Auctions sale at Ft. […]
Monaco GP Historique, May 10-12, 2018
On alternate years the Auto Club de Monaco strangles the city of Monte Carlo in advance of the FIA Formula 1 Grand Prix for a few days of delicious exercise of historic cars on the Monaco GP course. It is one of the most evocative events on the historic racing calendar: running flat out in […]
Coys, Espace Fontvieille, Monaco, May 11, 2018
This is a rather useless auction report, and a wasted half-day on a tightly-scheduled trip to Monaco during the GP Historique. The pointlessness is on account of Coys of Kensington’s nearly opaque operation. Many of the cataloged lots have no chassis numbers, and there was no on-site list to make up for that lack of […]
Bonhams, Fernandina Beach Golf Club, Fernandina Beach, Florida March 8, 2018
2018 marked Bonhams fourth year across Fernandina Beach Boulevard from runway 13/31 at Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport (FHB). The runway is closed for the duration of the auction, much to the relief of auction staff and attendees saved from ducking during the approach and runup before departure of the Citations and Gulfstreams of the glitterati […]
RM Sotheby’s, Arizona Biltmore, Phoenix, January 18-19, 2018
“Diversification” is a recognized business strategy which RM Sotheby’s is increasingly employing. In 2018 it sharpened its emphasis on separate business units with separate organizations for catalog auctions (RM Sotheby’s at Arizona, Paris, Amelia Island, Monaco, Villa Erba, Monterey and London), consignment sales (RM Auctions at Auburn, Ft. Lauderdale, Santa Monica and Hershey), a separately-managed […]