AMELIA ISLAND AUCTIONS CATALOGUE GOES LIVE
Santa Monica, Calif. (February 2, 2023) — Following a series of major announcements on star consignments to the Amelia Island Auctions, Gooding & Company has unveiled its entire online catalogue for the event, revealing a number of highly significant, collectible Italian offerings. These include select automobiles from notable Italian marques like Alfa Romeo, Cisitalia, and OSCA, as well as The Leo Schigiel Motorcycle Collection, featuring an Italian-led assortment of the finest motor bikes. All of the offerings from the catalogue are set to cross the auction block on Thursday, March 2 and Friday, March 3 at Gooding & Company’s marquee at the Omni Amelia Island Resort. Interested parties are encouraged to reach out to a Gooding & Company team member ahead of the event. Individuals unable to attend the auctions in person are able to participate via digital, mobile, or telephone bidding.
“We’re very proud to present this exceptional selection of Italian sports cars, which includes fantastic examples of models that are rarely offered at auction, especially in the US,” stated Gooding & Company Senior Specialist, David Brynan. “It is also an honor to have been selected to represent The Leo Schigiel Motorcycle collection, a carefully curated assembly of exquisite, predominantly Italian machinery, including the finest bevel-drive Ducatis, innovative Moto Guzzis, and iconic low-light Vespas.”
1955 Alfa Romeo 1900C SSZ (Estimate: $1,500,000 – $2,000,000)
Alfa Romeo’s 1900 series was its first all-new postwar model featuring innovations that would go on to influence the Italian marque’s next half-century of sports car production. Assembled on the 1900 corto (short) wheelbase platform and equipped with the twin Solex-carbureted tipo 1308 engine and five-speed gearbox, the Super Sprint iteration was an immediate success. Zagato produced only 39 of these gran turismos, and the International Alfa Romeo 1900 Register indicates that only 29 original cars survive today. One such surviving example is this 1955 Alfa Romeo 1900C SSZ, chassis 01915, originally finished in the elegant color scheme of Grigio Metallizzato (Metallic Grey) with green upholstery. First owned by Sergio Bettoja, a young Roman race car driver, the SSZ would go on to join the collections of several race car drivers and enthusiasts, boasting period race history including two outings at the legendary Mille Miglia in 1955 and 1956, respectively. Acquired by the current caretaker in 2017, the SSZ underwent a complete, concours-quality restoration by the experts at the renowned Motion Products Inc. of Neenah, Wisconsin. Following its painstakingly meticulous restoration, this Super Sprint has been selectively exhibited, including appearances at the Zagato centenary celebration at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, and at the Cavallino Classic in Palm Beach, where it joined a special Alfa Romeo display. Surely one of the finest examples of a rare breed, this Zagato-bodied Super Sprint is worthy of the most esteemed collections.
1953 OSCA MT4 2-AD Spider (Estimate: $700,000 – $900,000)
Officine Specializzate Costruzione Automobili, or OSCA, was established in Bologna, Italy by Bindo, Ernesto, and Ettore Maserati in 1947. After the Maserati brothers left their legendary namesake company, they founded OSCA with the intent to produce, in extremely limited numbers, a wide variety of mechanically advanced sports racing, grand touring, and formula cars. The most recognizable OSCA model is undoubtedly the MT4, which stands for “Maserati Tipo 4-Cilindri.” Initially designed with a single overhead-cam 1,100 cc engine, later versions developed from 1953 to 1955 resulted in an updated twin-cam model, the 2-AD, which was produced in various displacements ranging from 1,100 to 1,500 cc. In its ultimate form, the 1,500 cc engine produced approximately 120 bhp. Proving especially popular in the US, the MT4s were sold to an elite clientele of connoisseurs, including racing luminaries Bill Spear, Jim Kimberly, and in this case, legendary American sportsman Briggs S. Cunningham. This 1953 OSCA MT4 2-AD Spider, chassis 1124, was raced by Cunningham at various races, including the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1953, where the car placed 1st in Class for the under 1,500 cc class and a respectable 5th Overall. Today, this pedigreed MT4 is being offered after not being seen for nearly four decades, stored away in private ownership. Poised for its grand return to the public eye, its successful history with Briggs Cunningham places 1124 among the most important surviving OSCAs.
1951 Cisitalia 202 SC Gran Sport Cabriolet (Estimate: $600,000 – $800,000, Without Reserve)
Cisitalia’s 202 SC Coupe was immediately hailed as a design masterpiece when it made its debut in 1947. New York’s Museum of Modern Art famously exhibited an example in 1951, and a 202 remains in its permanent collection to this very day. According to marque authority Nino Balestra, an approximate 60 examples were bodied as cabriolets by coachbuilders including Pinin Farina and Vignale. The 1951 Cisitalia 202 SC Gran Sport Cabriolet offered here, featuring coachwork by Vignale, is without a doubt one of the finest examples of this exceedingly rare variant. Having been owned by a number of passionate collectors, the Cabriolet underwent an incredibly thorough photo-documented restoration by Carrozzeria Quality Cars of Vigonza, one of the most renowned restoration shops in Italy, in the early 2000s. Following its restoration, the Cistialia was shown at the prestigious Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, and in 2011, it participated in the Mille Miglia Storica. This jewel-like 202 SC Gran Sport Cabriolet was acquired by Miami-based collector Leo Schigiel in 2013, and since then, the car has been exhibited at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, where it received a Third in Class award for the highly competitive Post-War Open Class, as well as the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.
1949 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Super Sport Cabriolet (Estimate: $550,000 – $650,000, Without Reserve)
Introduced in 1938, the 6C 2500 was the final Alfa Romeo model powered by a Vittorio Jano-designed engine. The absolutely stunning 1949 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Super Sport Cabriolet presented here, featuring coachwork by Pinin Farina, was built in 1949 and sold new to Compagnie Générale des Voitures in Paris. It remained in France before passing through the hands of Italian collectors, eventually making its way to the collection of the Miami-based Leo Schigiel. In recent years, Italian car specialist Paolo di Toronto conducted thorough research on the 6C, confirming its history, condition, and the originality of its components. As the research proved the car to be remarkably complete, Mr. Schigiel decided to go forth with a comprehensive restoration, and entrusted marque experts Carrozzeria Capello, based near Torino, Italy, with the majority of the work. The engine and gearbox were sent to the specialists at Bainotti Giuseppe. Following this three-year, multi-faceted restoration, the Alfa Romeo was shown at the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance® and the 2017 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, where it received The Gil Nickel Far Niente Award. According to the International Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Register, this car is one of just 63 examples of the 6C 2500 SS Cabriolets built in the postwar period, and presents in a gorgeous color combination with an impressive, robust history file.
The Leo Schigiel Motorcycle Collection
Gooding & Company is honored to present The Leo Schigiel Motorcycle Collection at its upcoming Amelia Island Auctions this March. A well-respected private collector based in Miami, Florida, Mr. Schigiel was a frequent participant in many of the top concours d’elegance, and made repeat entries at Pebble Beach and Amelia Island with many of his incredibly unique, well-maintained, and highly researched collector cars. In addition to his passion for automobiles, Mr. Schigiel had a tremendous affinity for Italian motorcycles, and carefully assembled a collection over a period of years, relying on noted experts to select only the finest examples of the most iconic bikes. Like his cars, his bikes were shown at some of the most exclusive events, including the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance® and Quail Motorcycle Gathering. Many of the motorcycles offered in the collection have been awarded significant accolades for their high-quality restorations and overall presentation. Additionally, all of the motorcycles are being offered without reserve.
Italian motorcycles are well represented among the bikes of Mr. Schigiel’s collection with one of the finest, unrestored examples of Ducati’s legendary 750 Super Sport, as well as a 750 Sport and a 750 F1 Laguna Seca. The collection also includes several beautifully restored Moto Guzzis, one of Italy’s most innovative manufacturers, as well as multiple early production Vespas, and two MV Agusta ‘Disco Volantes’. Mr. Schigiel also acquired a number of the most iconic English bikes, including a multiple-award-winning 1956 Ariel Square Four with Garrard Sidecar and a beautifully restored 1948 Norton International Model 30. Two of the ultimate Triumphs are also on offer: an early Bonneville T120 and a TR6 Trophy. Other highlights of The Leo Schigiel Motorcycle Collection include a 1941 Indian Four Model 441, one of the most sought after of all prewar American bikes, as well as the early production 1961 BMW R69S, a highly original example of BMW’s top-of-the-line model.
In addition, the catalogue will include a well-documented 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA (Estimate: $500,000 – $600,000) presented in original racing livery, as well as a 1959 OSCA Tipo S-187 (Estimate: $500,000 – $600,000). Also on offer is a low-mileage 1974 Lancia Stratos HF Stradale (Estimate: $600,000 – $700,000) finished in Rosso Arancio, and a 1952 Fiat 1400 Rondine Coupe (Estimate: $150,000 – $200,000, Without Reserve) featuring coachwork by Stabilimento Monviso.
Amelia Island Auctions
Date: Thursday, March 2, at 3 p.m. EST, and Friday, March 3, at 11 a.m. EST
Location: Racquet Park, Omni Amelia Island Resort
Public Preview: Wednesday, March 1 through Friday, March 3
Auction Catalogues: $100, includes admission for two to the viewing and the auctions
General Admission: $40, includes admission for one to the viewing and the auctions
Live Auction Broadcast: www.goodingco.com
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