American antiques experts, authors and television hosts, Leigh and Leslie Keno are no strangers to the spotlight, regularly sharing their expertise with the American public as furniture appraisers on the popular PBS series Antiques Roadshow. This August it will be their family’s beloved 1938 Jaguar SS 100 Roadster 3 ½ litre taking center stage as it is offered without reserve at RM Auctions eagerly awaited Sports & Classics of Monterey auction event in California.

A cherished part of the family for over 40 years, the car was purchased by their father, Ron Keno in 1969. Whilst the Keno twins were only 12 when it came into the family’s possession, as soon as they were old enough, they had full access to their Dad’s rare British sports car, using it for everything from impressing prom dates and friends during their college years, through to competing in various vintage sports car racing events. In addition, it is perhaps one of the world’s best travelled SS 100s – the previous owner shipped it to the US from Scotland and in 1998 the Keno Twins took it on the 1000-mile Louis Vuitton “China Run”, passing such famous sights as the Great Wall of China, Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. It is expected to fetch between $250,000 and $300,000 when it crosses the block in Monterey.

For further information on the Monterey event, please click here or email achristie@rmauctions.com.

ICONS OF SPEED & STYLE ON SHOW

As the countdown gets underway to the single-owner Icons of Speed & Style auction event at the Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles on September 26th, a number of examples from the eclectic private collection have been spotted at shows across the US, namely the 45th annual LA Roadster Show and the 7th annual National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) reunion event at Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Attracting much attention at the LA Roadster show was the original 1965 Dodge ‘Little Red Wagon’ dragster, best remembered for its trademark wheelstands and appearance in a series of Dodge TV commercials in the sixties. Meanwhile, star attractions at the recent NHRA event were the legendary 1961 ‘Mazmanian’ Corvette Racing Car and ‘TV Tommy’ Ivo’s ground breaking 1961 “Wagon Master” dragster. Both events attracted strong international attendance, including NHRA Hall of Famer Robert “Bones” Balogh, who raced the Mazmanian Corvette in the 1960s and was reunited with the car at the NHRA renunion (pictured).

THINKING OUTSIDE THE AUCTION BLOCK

RM Auctions will extend their 30 years of experience in the collector car hobby to the realm of the online marketplace next month with the launch of its exclusive online auction premiering August 9, 2009. Designed to provide a convenient and credible means of conducting business over the Internet, this exciting and new collector car auction experience will offer valued clients a cyberspace alternative to RM's traditional auction venues.

The auction will be facilitated via a secure online bidding interface that has been specially tailored for RM’s bidders. Designed to be user-friendly, the new bidding console will be fully integrated into the RM website, removing the need to visit an external site in order to participate. For further information, please click here or email kerrey@rmauctions.com.

NICK ALEXANDER OPEN HOUSE: EXCLUSIVE MEDIA INVITATION

A featured highlight of this year's Sports & Classics of Monterey event, the distinguished Nick Alexander Collection is one of the most historically significant series of wood-bodied station wagons ever to be assembled.  All meticulously maintained, many have been restored to show-quality condition while others remain extraordinarily original. This summer, 52 examples from the collection will be offered for auction without reserve, with a portion of proceeds from the sale benefiting the Midland School of Santa Barbara, California.
 
As a valued media supporter, Mr. Nick Alexander and RM Auctions cordially invite you to attend an open house celebration on July 18 (10:00 am to 2:00 pm) at 6000 S. Alameda St., Huntington Park, CA 90255 to view the collection in its entirety for the final time prior to the auction. A unique range of media opportunities will be available. To RSVP to this exclusive event, please contact kerrey@rmauctions.com or call +1 519 437 3053 by July 14. For further information on the collection, please click here.

RM Auctions will join in the Meadow Brook Concours’ “Best of Detroit” celebrations in August by offering a selection of Detroit-built luxury cars from the private European collection of Thomas H. Rupf at the Vintage Motor Cars of Meadow Brook event. Amongst those set for the auction block are an award-winning 1933 Chrysler Imperial Eight CL Sport Phaeton, one of only 36 built; an AACA and Grand National award-winning 1933 Packard Twelve Model 1005 Five-Passenger Sport Phaeton; and an elegant 1936 Packard Twelve Convertible Victoria featuring a rare in-dash radio and fully chrome plated headlamps.

RM ANNOUNCES THIRD ANNUAL ‘AUTOMOBILES OF LONDON’ EVENT

RM Auctions will proudly return to England, October 28 for the distinguished 'Automobiles of London' event in Battersea Park. Over the past three years, the stylish Automobiles of London event has attracted fashionable collectors from around the world, emerging as one of the country's leading collector car events for investment quality automobiles. This year's event is set to continue the momentum as over 75 of the world's finest motor cars go under the hammer.

Early highlights include a magnificent series of coachbuilt cars from the esteemed private collection of Mr. Edgar Schermerhorn. Carefully assembled over the past 15 years, this outstanding segment not only reflects Mr. Schermerhorn's affinity for fine coach built motor cars - as highlighted in awe-inspiring coachwork by such respected names as Zagato, Boneschi and Carrossier Graber - but also boasts fascinating provenance. The sale also includes a historic Aston Martin DB2 which has both Le Mans and Mille Miglia provenance, and a 1938 Rolls-Royce Phantom I ‘Jarvis Torpedo’ the latter was widely known as chassis number ‘17EX’ and was one of three experimental chassis produced by the company at that time (pictured).