HISTORIC VEHICLE ASSOCIATION AN UPDATE FROM THE HVA
FIRST, DO NO HARM
Last October, Bonhams conducted an auction at the Simeone Foundation Mu- seum in Philadelphia, dubbed “Preserv- ing the Automobile.” It was comprised almost exclusively of unrestored cars and was the first such sale of its kind. It also coincided with the release of the book The Stewardship of Histori- cally Important Automobiles, edited by the museum’s founder, Dr. Frederick Simeone. We introduced the book in the Spring 2013 issue, but the subject of preservation is worth exploring further.
Noted collector Miles Collier penned the first chapter, “Automobile Collect- ing — The Emerging Ethos,” which in- vestigates the psychology of collecting as it relates not only to having certain objects, but in recognizing significance beyond merely personal desires. Col- lier draws important parallels between classic cars — a “young” type of col- lectible in the scope of items valued by humans through the ages — and other, more established collectibles such as fine art, antique furniture and firearms. Key to establishing and defending the original automobile as something to be preserved for future generations is the comparison to errors in judgment made throughout time in caring for those other collectibles. Where once it was common, for example, for subse- quent owners of fine paintings to have
Originality counts: This 1932 Aston Martin 1½ Liter Le Mans 2-4 Seater sold for $208,500 at the Bonhams Simeone Museum auction.
them physically altered to suit their own personal tastes, the thought of such practices now is absurd. And so it should be with significant automo- biles, argues Collier: “The evolution of the rules that govern how we treat important collectibles appears to have developed through the same steps over and over again.”
HZR20 Model T & TT (’09–27) HZR21 Model A & AA (’28–31) HZR22 Early V8 (’32–48) Pickup (’32–47) HZR24 Ford & Mercury & Edsel (’49–59) HZR32 Ford Pickup (’48–79) *($5.00 each for international postage)
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In the instance of antique furniture, Collier writes, “Original surfaces are viewed as sacrosanct, and the removal of such original finishes, even if markedly deteriorated, can virtually destroy the value of a piece.” Increas- ingly, this understanding has begun to permeate the world of collectible automobiles and is being reflected in market values, where original cars are bringing similar or more money than their fully restored counterparts.
Often, classic cars connect us to another time in our lives, and that con- nection can cloud the way we view the car, not as stewards of an artifact to be preserved but as owners of an object with free reign to alter it as we see fit. In a car that lost its originality several own- ers and several decades ago, the point is moot. But for cars connected to the past through all their original parts and a lifetime of scuffs, scratches, cracks and dings, real consideration and re- flection are required. As Collier writes, “Once the evidence of an object’s travel through time disappears, history disappears.” — Stefan Lombard
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1909-70’s Ford & Mercury
PHOTO: BONHAMS AUCTIONS
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