Photos courtesy Bonhams.
Among the well-preserved and well-documented cars that Bonhams plans to highlight next month at its auction at the Simeone Automotive Museum in Philadelphia, one Cadillac limousine reportedly carries a particularly fitting piece of provenance this election season: It once served in the White House motor pool, transporting President Lyndon Baines Johnson, Lady Bird Johnson and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
This 1965 Cadillac Series 75 Fleetwood Limousine, chassis number S5154317 and one of just 795 Fleetwood limousines built that year, was purchased new by the U.S. Federal Government to act as White House executive security transportation, according to the Bonhams auction description.?While it was in service, this 243.3-inch long car chauffeured VIPs who were kept comfortable and safe within its 149.8-inch wheelbase. Those VIPs were wafted along by the Cadillac?s 325hp, 390-cu.in. V-8 340hp 429-cu.in. V-8 (even though Bonhams wrote that a 390 powers the limousine, our sources agree with John and Lucas in the comments below that it?s actually a 429).
When it was no longer needed by the government, it was sold to astrologer columnist Jeanne Dixon. As the Bonhams auction description notes, ?Eventually, the stars foretold that it was time to sell the car,? so Dixon subsequently sold it to the current seller?s father, a real estate developer and civic leader in the Washington, D.C., area.
The Cadillac is claimed to be ?in splendid shape for a professional car,? with roughly 83,500 miles on the odometer. Bonhams estimates this car, selling with no reserve, to bring between $15,000 and $20,000.
Bonhams writes that their focus for this auction is ?to offer exceptionally fine and original automobiles for sale, providing collectors with the opportunity to purchase fully documented, original automobiles that have either been sympathetically restored or recently unearthed. Select automotive ephemera, spares and accessories will also be included, allowing collectors a useful resource for accurate restoration of their cars.? Rupert Banner, director of Bonhams Car Department, adds, ?Good, original, unrestored cars are now highly sought after with the values of preserved cars escalating every year. In the last two to three years, auction prices for preserved cars in their original condition have exceeded those for cars that have been restored.?
This auction will have the additional benefit of supporting and encouraging interest in the Simeone Automotive Museum. Museum executive director Frederick Simeone said, ?The Simeone Foundation is pleased to welcome Bonhams to our museum for the first preserved automobile auction of its kind. Our interest is to support the concept that there is another alternative in treating historic cars which have survived the test of time in decent condition: preservation rather than fancy restoration. We encourage the recent greater acceptance of this alternative and hope to highlight the natural beauty of cars that wear the same materials and finishes as when they left the factory. Bonhams? history of dealing with all kinds of important historic art makes them ideal to appreciate such a venture.?
That sounds like a cause?our editor-in-chief has been supporting for years.
The auction takes place October 6-8, with admission to the auction on Monday, October 8, by catalog only. For more information, visit Bonhams.com.
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