Fifty cars and motorcycles from makers including Ferrari, Bugatti, Jaguar, Porsche and Packard and valued at more than $22 million will be placed on the auction block next month at the Nassau County Museum of Art.
The event on Oct. 12 comes from Manhattan-based charity event company RAND Luxury, headed by CEO Bradford Rand, who says the auction is to be the first of its kind in Nassau County.
“There’s a large number of car collectors on Long Island and in New York, but there’s no auction to service and reach these collectors,” Rand said.
Andrew Levitt, automotive director for RAND Luxury, says that while major auctions for collectors exist in Scottsdale, Arizona, in January, Amelia Island, Florida, in March and Monterey, California, in August, such an event has yet to break through in New York.
“New York is a car culture-rich region,” Levitt said. “There’s never really been an auction that’s been able to stand the test of time here. It’s a massive culture that’s untapped, so RAND is trying to fill that gap.”
Added Rand, “They don’t necessarily go to Pebble Beach, or Scottsdale, so we’re actually bringing a luxury auction to them.”
Of particular interest to bidders, says Levitt, is a 1983 De Tomaso Pantera GT5-S from the personal collection of the late Carroll Shelby, designer of the Ford Mustang, as well as a restored 1963 Ferrari 250 SWB, which is estimated to go for $1.25 million to $1.5 million.
“Nearly all of the cars are museum quality, they’re all collectible, they’re all in wonderful condition, and it should be interesting to see what sells,” Rand said.
A portion of the proceeds will benefit the event’s host, the Nassau County Museum of Art. The 140-acre estate and former home to members of the Frick family “couldn’t be any more fitting” for the auction, Rand says.
“Many of these cars are artworks to a degree, so it’s proper that they are showcased and being auctioned at the museum,” Rand said.
English automotive journalist, commentator and racer Guy Loveridge will serve as auctioneer at the event, which Rand says “will be run similar to a Sotheby’s auction.” While Rand said that he wants to make the event the first of many, he recognized that its status as first of its kind does come with expectations.
“The auction houses that have come to New York in the past 10 years have all done the city,” Rand said. “We’re the first to be doing an auction on Long Island in at least 30 years, and that was done in the Hamptons. We do have expansion plans to other cities in the Northeast, but we’re taking one step at a time.”
The auction will be held at the Nassau County Museum of Art in Roslyn on Saturday, Oct. 12, with a preview reception the day before. Bidder registration takes place at randluxury.com.
