Detroit Iron

By Greg MacLeman
Gallery
 | 17 Jul 2014

 

When Henry Ford founded the Ford Motor Company in Detroit, Michigan he started a chain of events that would see the city become one of the world's biggest automotive hubs and an economic powerhouse for nearly a century. Dodge, Packard and Chrysler followed and, for a while, some of the most technologically advanced automobiles emerged from Motor City.

 

Detroit hit its heyday in the 1950s, but since then the city has been in decline. The population has dropped from 1.8m in 1950 to today's figure of around 700,000, and much of the city lies in ruins.

 

RM Auctions returns to Detroit on 25-26 July for its Motor City sale, and will bring with it some of the finest classics from the city's halcyon years. Here are some of our favourites. Click here for a full list of auction lots.

 

Photo credit: Aaron Summerfield, Eric Fuller, Darin Schnabel, Patrick Ernzen, courtesy of RM Auctions. 

 

 

Packard has been synonymous with Detroit since 1899, but the main production facility now lies in ruins. This badge is from a 1947 Packard Custom Super Clipper Sedan, with coachwork by Henney. ($40-60,000)

 

 

The Ford Thunderbird was a rival to the Chevrolet Corvette, and first broke cover at the 1954 Detroit Auto Show. ($40-50,000)

 

Chrysler's Airflow Eight Sedan was a technological marvel featuring wind tunnel-honed bodywork and a truss bridge chassis, but sales suffered due to the Great Depression. ($75-95,000)

 

Cadillac unveiled a V16-engined car in 1938, but it was the firm's V8 models that remained its bread and butter. This Series 75 Convertible is one of just 58 built that year. ($60-80,000)

 

 

Motor City wasn't just known for automobiles – some of the finest motor launches were also produced there. This example was built for Gar Wood's brother, Logan. ($250-300,000)

 

 

Detroit was on top of the world in the 1950s. So much so that this high-spec 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham cost more when it was new than a Ferrari or Rolls-Royce. ($150-200,000)

 

 

The Packard name was revived in the late '90s, resulting in this 1999 Twelve prototype. It sports a custom 573bhp V12 engine and all-wheel drive. ($125-250,000)

 

 

This 1924 Duesenberg Model A Speedster started out life as a touring model, but was transformed to race in the Indianapolis 500. ($175-250,000)

 

 

The 1961 Chrysler 300G Convertible featured a handy swivelling driver's seat, which made getting in and out a more elegant process. ($160-180,000)

 

 

Despite some 4456 Oldsmobile Dynamic Eight-Eight Convertibles being built in 1958, this example is one of very few known to survive. ($75-100,000)

 

 

Only 13 Willys-Knight 66B 'Plainside' Roadsters remain on the road, and this 1930 Griswold-bodied example is a stunner. ($100-150,000)

 

 

Only three Packard Custom Super Eight One Eighty All-weather Town Cars were built. This is the last of its kind. ($90-130,000)

 

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Greg MacLeman

Greg MacLeman is a contributor to and former Features Editor of Classic & Sports Car, and drives a restored and uprated 1974 Triumph 2500TC