THE BENTLEY ‘BOBTAIL’ LE MANS RACE CAR JOINS STARTING LINEUP FOR RM SOTHEBY’S TWO DAY AMELIA ISLAND SALE

THE BENTLEY ‘BOBTAIL’ LE MANS RACE CAR JOINS STARTING LINEUP FOR RM SOTHEBY’S TWO DAY AMELIA ISLAND SALE

·         RM Sotheby’s secures 1928 Bentley 4½-Litre Le Mans Sports ‘Bobtail’ for its Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance sale, March 10-11 in Florida

·         One of the most important Bentleys in existence, the ‘Bobtail’ is a two-time Factory Le Mans entrant

·         Additional recent highlights include a superb private collection of rare sports cars, led by a one-of-two 1956 Maserati A6G/54 Frua Coupe Series III

·         Further event information and a frequently updated list of entries available at www.rmsothebys.com

BLENHEIM, Ontario (27January, 2017) - Fresh on the heels of its successful Arizona sale this past weekend, RM Sotheby’s is thrilled to announce the latest feature attraction for its Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance sale, March 10-11: the 1928 Bentley 4½-Litre Le Mans Sports “Bobtail”, chassis no. KM3088. Boasting a phenomenal provenance and race record, the ‘Bobtail’ is one of just two factory team cars to claim podium finishes at two major endurance races in period—a result that cements its status as one of the world’s greatest Bentleys.

Sporting coachwork by Vanden Plas and finished in Napier Green, KM3088 was born for competition. A two-time factory team Le Mans entrant, it competed as part of the Works team at both the 1928 and 1929 events, flying to an impressive 3^rd overall in 1929. Just a month earlier, KM3088 established its race pedigree at the 1929 Brooklands Double Twelve, clocking an average 81.39 mph to finish 2^nd overall. The car remained with its Works team following the 1929 season where it was used for practice, prior to being sold to its first private owner. Testament to its incredible appeal, it has been cherished by only a very limited chain of collectors over the years, notably spending significant periods of time in single ownership.

KM3088’s first longtime private custodian, Mr. Lauchlan Rose—who, reportedly drove the British giant to work on occasion, an activity that also involved after lunchlaps around the Brooklands circuit—purchased the car in 1930. Other than for a brief period, KM3088 remained with the Rose family through 1971. The ‘Bobtail’ then moved into the custody of respected English collector, Bill Lake, forming part of his esteemed pre-war sports car collection for 33 years, and only sold after he passed.

In recent years, KM3088 has been the recipient of a professional preservation restoration by marque specialists. It will come to Amelia Island complete with a report by noted Bentley Historian Dr. Clare Hay (Est. $6,500,000-$7,500,000).

“We’re thrilled to be presenting this Bentley ‘Bobtail’ at Amelia Island—a proven venue for offering the world’s most important automobiles,” says Gord Duff, Auction Manager, RM Sotheby’s. “A superb motor car in every sense, the ‘Bobtail’ is part of the Bentley legend, rarer than a Bentley Blower, and extremely eligible for countless events and international concours. It’s a terrific addition to our already unprecedented lineup, which also includes a fantastic Ferrari 250 GT SWB and the one-of-three Bugatti Type 57S Cabriolet.”

Among a long list of other recently secured attractions for RM’s Amelia Island sale is a well-known private collection of sporting cars, offered without reserve. Spanning 60 years of automotive design, this group comprises a fascinating mix of show-winning restorations contrasted against well-preserved, all-original cars, and is highlighted by a one-of-two 1956 Maserati A6G/54 Frua Coupe Series III, chassis no. 2181. Dramatic in two-tone red and black with a cream interior, the Frua Coupe was a class winner at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and comes to Amelia in show condition (Est. $1,600,000 – $2,000,000).

Additional highlights include:

-          a matching-numbers, Ferrari Classiche certified 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB, chassis no. 06681 (Est. $1,600,000 - $1,800,000);

-          a 1955 Lancia Aurelia B24S Spider America, chassis no. B24S-1072, which displays a spectacular, Pebble Beach class-winning restoration (Est. $1,400,000 - $1,800,000);

-          an all-original 1956 Alfa Romeo 1900C SS Coupe Zagato, chassis no. 01915, a magnificent high-nose Zagato GT and veteran of the 1955 and 1956 Mille Miglia (Est. $800,000 - $1,000,000);

-          along with a trio of highly desirable Porsches, ranging from an all-original 1974 Carrera RS 3.0 (Est. $900,000 - $1,100,000) and a matching-numbers 1973 Carrera RS 2.7 Lightweight (Est.$800,000 - $1,000,000) to a rare 2005 Carrera GT in black over tan (Est. $750,000 - $850,000). The complete list of cars is available for viewing here: http://bit.ly/2jjvdMg.

The official auction of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island sale returns to the Ritz-Carlton, March 10-11. The sale has been extended to two days in 2017 with the previously announced ‘A Gentleman’s Collection: The Pride and Passion of Orin Smith’ to be offered largely without reserve during an exclusive evening auction on March 10. RM Sotheby’s traditional Amelia Island day sale, featuring the Bentley ‘Bobtail’ and the private sports car collection highlighted above, will be held March 11.

For further information or to view a frequently updated list of entries, please visit www.rmsothebys.com, or call +1 519 352 4575.