I had a rare treat yesterday. Bob Mosier, a very talented restorer in the LA area, has been preparing the cars and catalog for the Chandler auction to be held on 10/21. He invited a couple of us to come up and see the collection, and perhaps to get rides in a couple of the cars. Unexpectedly, it turned out to be the press preview day, and we were treated to an excellent lunch as well. The first of the cars that we were able to ride in was a 1907 Renault Vanderbilt Cup racer, one of 10 cars that William K. Vanderbilt had built for a bunch of his buddies to race on a private course on Long Island. This particular car is one of 5 known to exist, and was previously in the Harrah collection. It's powered by a (crank started) 450 CI 4 cylinder that makes a very authoritative noise and, although it's a fairly primitive vehicle, it's in glorious condition and can hurry along fast enough to scare you. The driver and passenger sit several feet above the road like in a fire engine, so cornering -- even at low speeds -- is an adventure. The second car we rode in, Bob says, is the crown jewel of the Chandler collection. It's a '33 Packard V12 dual-cowl phaeton, originally a New York Auto Show car with a body by Dietrich, and is largely original down to the paint and interior. It travels along in regal (and rapid) style, and is as solid as a bank vault. The loudest noise it makes is from the tires. Although there are 7 Packard 12s in the collection, this one is Bob’s favorite, and it’s easy to see why. There are about 100 vehicles in the collection, including classic and modern cars and an amazing array of early motorcycles (the muscle car collection that he assembled some years ago was sold off). I've included a picture of one of the bikes, a 1912 Marsh Metz, just because I thought it was particularly cool looking. As the icing on the day’s cake, the catalog is a 300 page book, with glorious color photography and authoritative, interesting descriptions. This auction will be a class act, and should be a bonanza for Mrs. Chandler. [edit] I shot several other vehicles. If there's interest, I'll post more.
50fraud, keep us posted. Otis Chandler was a great collector. Not only did he own the stuff he enjoyed it by driving and working on them. A friend needs a Marsh Metz MC engine. If there's an extra laying around, snag it up
50 fraud, THANK YOU! Keep us updated on this auction, and details on getting a catalog. I'm buying extra Lotto tickets this week. The 1907 Renault you rode in was bought by James Meston in 1943, from someone right here in my hometown of Ridgefield, Ct.
The Meston car may have been one of the sister vehicles. According to the catalog, the sequence of this car's owners prior to Mr. Chandler goes Whitney/Thompson/Waterman&Gibson(1940)/Rockefeller(1960's)/Harrah/unknown/Kaus/Dragone, with Mr. Chandler acquiring it in 1999. At the moment, the only info I have about the catalog is that the purchase of a copy for $85 will admit two to the viewing and the auction (doesn't include a bidder's pass, however; that's an additional $185). Too rich for me; I don't expect to be there.
The Jalopy Journal
