A vast collection of classic cars belonging to Texas business mogul and former owner of the Houston Rockets – Charlie Thomas – will go under the hammer at Mecum's forthcoming 9-11 April sale. The 45-car set, which ranges from the eclectic to the iconic, heads up a bumper offering of more than 1000 musclecars.
One of the stars of the Charlie Thomas Collection is a striking 1959 DeSoto Adventurer – one of just 590 examples built. The Virgil Exner-designed, finned beauty sports a powerful 350bhp 383cu in V8 and features power steering, air conditioning and push-button automatic transmission. It is expected to sell for $80-90,000.
A 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible is one for the true connoisseur of '50s Americana. The 'Fuelie' doesn't have the biggest engine on the option list, but it does have the most powerful; the Rochester fuel injection set-up offered an impressive 283bhp – the highest specific output of any American car at that time.
