Trivia Time - March 28, 2015 - King's Cars (and Bikes) Part II

This incredible 1928 Rolls-Royce, Phantom I, Springfield Brewster, St. Martin Town Car was purchased new by King C. Gillette, and it remained under Gillette family ownership until 1964, when it was purchased by the Shochitt family of New York with approximately 13,000 miles at that time.

The car truly became a celebrity in its own right; appearing in numerous movies including The April Fools with Jack Lemmon, The Cotton Club, Putney Swope, and numerous television commercials. It also won first in its class at the 1965 Madison Square Garden Autorama. .

How much is it worth?

It was sold last year, they are not saying for how much, however, the original asking price
was a mere $169,000. Which, as an antique car collector, I feel was a steal. Many other
cars, without a pedigree and two owner history, are bringing in the millions....

Very cool car. $169,000 seems like a very fair price for a piece of history. Are these older cars not in as much demand, as say 1970's muscle cars?

There are many reasons....
Most of the Muscle Cars are being bought up and shipped to Asia, where they are driven as status symbols. Some
classics are selling high because of the mystique of their name (Duesenberg, Cord, and Tucker).

The older cars, such as this, do not have power brakes, power steering, power windows, A/C, or power anything.
As a result, even if they were made of solid gold, they are uncomfortable by comparison to other cars, and as such,
are simply not desirous. Only true automobile gourmands buy them, or they end up as tax deductions for museums
collections. However, as a result of today's poor economy, that is not often happening either.

Today, the money is made in classic cars by buying them, not selling them!

Bob