Over the last year, we have been treated to several sales of large collections. Notable examples include the Palmen Barnfind Collection, and Rudi Klein’s Junkyard Collection. In about two weeks, Classic Car Auctions will complete a dispersal sale on behalf of Joop Stolze, who is closing his business and redeveloping his property in advance of retirement. Mr Stolze has amassed more than 500 cars, a similar number of motorbikes, and countless examples of automobilia – an assemblage that counts as one of Europe’s largest such collections. Located at De Lier, The Netherlands, items can be viewed in person or online, with bidding allowed online only. The cars range in condition from restorable to near-perfect, and many lots are at no reserve. The notion of choosing just a few of these jewels to feature in an article is enough to give me vertigo, but you have to start somewhere, and for me, that’s at the top….
…with this 1948 Cisitalia Aerodynamica. This Italian gem is a result of a happy confluence of a racer’s need for a new race car, and the willingness of many others to help produce it. Like a famous movie – and many specialty cars built in the same era – this one’s list of credits is long: Piero Dusio, engineer and founder of Cisitalia; Dante Giacosa from Fiat; Giovanni Savonuzzi, technical director at Cisitalia; and finally, both Vignale and Pinin-Farina, designers and constructors. Production numbers for the Aerodynamica are non-existent, but records suggest that five were entered in the 1947 Mille Miglia. The car is based on Cisitalia’s 202 and like all of its siblings, it sits on a lightweight space-frame, one of the first employed in a racing car and a hallmark of Piero Dusio’s engineering thought process. Power comes from an Abarth-ized Fiat 1100 engine making about 60 hp. This example needs finishing – the gearbox is sitting in the cabin, the glass is either missing or not installed, the steering wheel is an aftermarket wood-rimmed affair. The current bid is € 21,750, and the estimate sits at €635,000-685,000. If you want to stand out in the field at Pebble, this is your ticket.
Next up we have this restrained 1954 Fiat by Boano. Or is it all that restrained? Contradicting the elegant frontal view is a heavy rear end, laboring beneath a “continental kit” arrangement. Still, this one-off Fiat is widely viewed as a useful styling exercise before Carrozzeria Boano surprised the world with the gorgeous Ferrari 250GT Low Roof. We found the Fiat’s “before” photo shoot, showing the car in “as found” condition. Stolze began the restoration in his shop; with the auction underway, the car remains in “unknown” driving condition. One bidder has offered €20,000, but the estimate is considerably higher at €578,000-665,000. If your heart wants a Fiat but your wallet won’t open that wide, at least six other Fiats are available from the sale – TVs, OSCAs, 124s, 1100s, 1200s – and if even that seems daunting, plenty of Fiat automobilia is also available.
Enough of exotica. Stolze had a fondness for Studebakers – several populate the listings. This is my favorite – a 1955 President Speedster. Made for one year only, the Speedster was a marriage of the company’s slightly dowdy President sedan with the Starliner coupe. It received the best genes from each, with premium trim, a full-sized chassis, and that 259 cu. in. V8, capable of 185 hp. Buyers could choose a three-speed manual or an automatic, both from Borg Warner. This car has the automatic. All Speedsters came dolled up with two-tone paint, quilted leather seats, a machine-turned dash, racing-style round gauges, power accessories and loads of chrome, boosting the Speedster to the top of the stack in Studebaker’s line-up. This car needs new tires; the chrome is hazy and wavy; and it’s in “engine could be started” condition. Bidding sits at €10,000, while the estimate is over three times that.
We’ll close with a tease from the automobilia section – and an enthusiastic wave of anticipation from one of our favorite characters. If you are bidding, bonne chance, and if not, the catalog makes for outstanding window shopping.
1,100 lots? I tried to wade through day 1 (of 5) and my eyes glazed over. Is this the largest sale ever?
Bidding estimates today are mostly ‘Pipe dreams’. The auction houses are riding a trend that ‘everything is valuable and will sell at its stated value’. There definitely is a market for 1/2 million$ cars but I see that market shrinking. There certainly looks like some interesting cars at this sell-off. A 20K pound bid on a stated value car of 600K tells you something!
A common strategy in large, high-money auctions like this is to hold back and figure out just where your half-million euros (or whatever) of spending money is going to go–serious contenders may be bouncing back and forth between multiple cars deciding which to pass on because they have too much interest, and later swoop in on a lesser “bargain” instead after other high-rollers blew their wads on other cars.
There is a very good filter and it is easy to navigate. No muscle cars to speak of. 55 Chevy, a bunch of Vettes, 240Z’s all at reasonable prices right now:
no thing will B @ “a reasonable price”:
1). its an auction,
2). it has a world wide audance,
3). it is on the net.
(U cant do but 2, 3 things more to get higher prices on items than these 3).
It’s a very large collection. One wonders on the maintenance on engines and drive trains on some of these from sitting. The high dollar cars and favorites get taken for a spin… but owning so many requires someone like Jay Lenos full time mechanic. I thought the filters worked great to see items as well as selecting convertibles category to see some early Mustangs in various states of repair. Good luck with the sale. The Netherlands could have a traffic jam if they all drive or remove them all at once. :-)
Looked at this: Jaguar MK1 1956, which looked nice at first glance. I was wondering about the left hand steering on it and noticed it was converted based on the gauges and suspect that the shifting would be like the Citroen I rented a few years ago in England where it had seemed the moved the steering to the right without adjusting the position of the shifter making it a reach.
Definitely going to get lost in this auction for a while…
It’s kind of sad actually. To have acquired so many cars and motorcycles and probably never ridden or driven a great percentage of them. I get it that a lot of these are works of art, possessed to simply gaze upon. But to get lost in that pursuit and lose the main attraction of these vehicles, which is that they are made to be driven/ridden. To have and to hold but to never have experienced is the greatest loss.
This auction and the upcoming Mecum event in Indy will be a referendum on the chaotic state of the economy being foisted on us at this time. Or not.
Consider that those who are the target market for these goods already have the means to participate. And they are the ones for whose benefit the current craziness is putatively being promulgated. Still, there are those at all levels of financial worth who are likely to be a bit tentative with their disposable income.
“Disposable Income” – As I wrote that I realized what a ridiculously elitist concept that is. As a younger man that meant that I could ‘dispose’ of $1,800 on a KZ 650 or $5,000 on a Catalina 22. Now I can choose between a $35 bottle of Four Roses Small Batch or a case of Coors.
But lest we forget, this site is about the cars and, as usual, Michelle provides a succinct and highly informative peek into this rather spectacular event. Keep up the good work.
I wouldn’t call this a collection. Joop Stolz is a long-established dealer with a very distinctive modus operandi – he’ll buy anything. So this is a retirement sale of his stock. You have to assume that Joop gets his stock at good prices and that reserves will be realistic.
For something like 30 years Joop has been buying and selling from a large ex plant nursery. He has always had an eye for the unusual, had no problem with having multiple examples of the same model. Conditions vary as Michelle says, so there will be sometjing for everyone.
Stolze was a classic car trader. O yes, he collect but its most off all bussines. He did restoring but from what i heard was the quality of the restoration discussable. Lots of cars look better on the pics than they really are. They price they will go for is too high i think like most auctions. And dont forget the 15 or 16% auction fee! I live 3 hours from the auction, maybe i will take a look.
If you go, let us know what you think!
I have been there often, in the 90″s and early 2000’s when Joop was still trading in his former location. Back then he had really a lot of special cars including Appolo’s, rows of XK’s, Facel Vega’s and 356’s, Maserati’s, some etceterini’s etc. I bought some from him (recall 2 Sebring’s) and sold him a few.
In the boom about 15 years ago, all the rare cars went. From then they just bought everything.
We are going to Rotterdam and would love to just be able to go and Check out the collection. I wonder if that is Possible or not?
Yes it is. You must purchase tickets to view the inventory. Here is the link:
https://shop.weeztix.com/89a6c1d4-d488-41f5-aca4-1a3386264bd3/tickets?shop_code=c9vxqq3d&original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fclassiccar-auctions.com%2F