Earlier this week, Matt Hardigree wrote about Gooding & Company putting on an auction of cars from the Mullin collection –an amazing selection of French cars that made up the Mullin Auto Museum in Oxnard, California. The owner of the collection, respected philanthropist, businessman, and car nut Peter Mullin, passed away late last year, and therefore the cars were auctioned off and the glorious museum closed down.
The auction concluded two days ago and, while most of the cars went for around what they were estimated to sell at, a good number came in quite a bit higher. Others, significantly lower. Let’s take a look at a few of the highlights.
[Ed Note: I was able to visit The Mullin the very last weekday of its existence. Autopian cofounder Beau figured it’d be a good opportunity to document an important part of car culture before it was gone forever, and let me just say: It was amazing. To be the only person in an absolutely sensational automotive museum (in my view, one of the best on earth – and I’ve been to many) just days before its demolition – it was actually somewhat emotional. I’ll explain the experience when I publish the article/video in the coming weeks. -DT]
A Coda!
Kicking if off with perhaps the rarest of the bunch (probably not) is none other than the Coda SD EV Sedan. I wrote about this thing at length a few weeks ago; ten years back, it was an attempt at creating an affordable econobox EV for the masses. For a number of reasons, it was never a big success, though a decent number of units made their way into SoCal driveways. Including Mullin’s.
The lot was estimated to fetch anywhere from $4,000 to $8,000, though it looks like it … never crossed the block. It was actually withdrawn. Maybe someone responsible for the fleet deemed it to be far too valuable, or maybe they donated it to another museum? That belongs in a museum, they probably screamed at some mustachio’d man in a white hat onboard a boat off the nearby coast in Southern California. Anyway, I’m digressing—it’s wild seeing a random Coda among such a cool and eclectic mix of classic French cars.
A Nicely Priced Citroën 2CV France 3
Hardigree had nothing but nice things to say about this extra-cool 2CV, and I can’t help but agree: It’s a rad whip. A dashboard-mounted four-speed manual shifter, 602 cc air-cooled twin powerplant, and one of the most iconic compact body designs-slash-storied chassis, ever. I dig the fun graphics, too, and I bet this thing’s got endless sense-of-occasion for tooling around in.
I’ve only ever seen a 2CV on the road once, and it was on Kedzie Avenue in Humboldt Park, Chicago during the summer of 2015. Iconic, and sure to be burned into anyone’s memory.
Bidding got up to $22,000 on this bad boy, which is within the $20,000-$30,000 estimate. Nice.
A Lil’ Low: 1960 Citroën ID19
The ID19 proceeds the legendary DS, which, as Gooding & Company put it, “Sporting a futuristic, aero-efficient body shell and fully independent self-levelling, hydropneumatic suspension, plus power-operated brakes, clutch, and steering, the DS was immediately successful and influential.” The DS debuted in 1955, whereas the ID19 debuted in 1956 and was meant to be a more value-minded DS.
This 1960 model was obtained by the collection in 2015 as a project and, according to the listing, is still considered as such. Which is probably why it only went for $650 … six-hundred-and-fifty! As someone who’s a little too inclined to take on a potential massive headache because it was a deal, that’s music to my ears. It’s also quite lower than its $4,000-$6,000 estimation.
I love the goofy steering wheel and everything about its exterior—thing would be so fun to slowly restore into decent running condition and scuttle around town in. Or a massive undertaking full of pain and suffering, but a guy can dream. I hope whoever scored it gives it the new lease on life that it deserves.
Holy Crap: 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Aravis ‘Special Cabriolet’
Let’s get right to the point: After an estimation of $2,500,000-$3,500,000, this one-of-two Bugatti cabrio went for a whopping $6,000,000. Six mil!
This gorgeous luxury convertible possessed impressive stats for its day. “To further enhance performance, Bugatti introduced a supercharged version in 1937: the Type 57C, the “C” standing for compresseur,” Gooding & Company wrote. “Equipped with a Roots-type blower, magneto ignition, four-wheel hydraulic brakes, additional instrumentation, and other subtle upgrades, the 160 hp Type 57C was among the finest high-performance automobiles built prior to WWII, boasting a top speed well in excess of 100 mph, with commensurate roadholding and braking. Of the approximately 710 Type 57s produced, just 96 left the factory in supercharged 57C form.”
The story behind this thing is massive, and it even has racing pedigree. It was thoroughly restored between 2002 and 2005, including an engine rebuild by Leydon Restorations of Pennsylvania, which included sourcing a reproduction supercharger and intake manifold to return it to original factory specification. I can’t fathom what the final bill was for all of that.
$100,000 2CV: 1966 Citroën 2CV Sahara
It’s hard to imagine splashing that much cash for 2CV, even if it’s one of the most iconic and fascinating every-persons’-cars, ever. But this one is different.
It’s a 4X4, but not in the traditional sense: twin 425 cc flat-twin engines sit on each axle, producing 12 horsepower each to net a total output of 24 horsepower. What a ground-pounder! Though, it could be turned into two-wheel drive by simply only running one engine. While the standard 2CV had a top speed of around 45 mph, this one could reach the 65 mph mark.
Experts say that 694 2CV Saharas were built between 1958 and 1971, with only 27 still around today. This example was restored in 2010 and obtained by the collection in 2015. It started out life as one might expect: In service on a farm.
What are some of your favorite selections from this auction (click the first hyperlink in this article to check them out)? So much cool stuff, right?
This is a good argument for effective estate planning. Unless he wanted the museum to close upon his death…
I saw an interview with a collector. It was an older man who was talking about why he was selling his huge collection. He first talked about how it had been his life’s work to build and curate the collection. He ended the interview by saying that he was too old to deal with them anymore and his kids were not interested, so he thought he might as well sell them. There was something really sad about that to me. It seemed like such a waste.
The 2CV Sahara is my fav of this group. Like a Safari car! Haha!
You would be surprised, spare engine in your pocket and you do it yourself.
I just had an odd thought: The 2CV Sahara could have been the perfect starting point for an early hybrid.
I have considered the same thing, while idly pondering on the ideal post-apocalyptic vehicle; my thinking was along the lines of stock petrol engine in the front, simple EV in the back with a battery pack tucked in the chassis (similar to this: https://2cvgarage.nl/en/ev-chassis/), then a small diesel generator stashed somewhere, along with a few solar panels on the roof (would probably go for a fourgonnette to get a bit of extra space). Should in theory land you with a simple, light, easy-to-fix vehicle that’s fairly efficient, can deal with rough terrain, and run off anything you can get hold of.
They’re all amazing but I’m obsessed over the Bugatti! The Type 57’s are fascinating. I’ve been getting into 2CV’s more and they’re amazing. Wow, whoever got that Citroën ID19 for $650 got a great deal! That’s more on my level…what a classic design
Type 57s are genuinely gorgeous automotive eye candy. Except maybe the one at Toyota’s museum that is the most unflattering colors of non-metallic brown and dull yellow. It was truly a shock and awe example for me to see a dream ’30s car in the worst color combination.
Yeah, and I think out of any car’s history one of the one’s that fascinates me the most is the Atlantic
“Type 57 SC Atlantic Coupé is not just one of the Bugatti legends but perhaps the greatest. Only four of these cars were created between 1936 and 1938. Three of these extraordinary coupés are still in existence. They are regarded as the most valuable cars in the world. The automotive world has been searching for the fourth Atlantic for over 80 years.”
There’s a lot more story/detail to them than that, but what’s also interesting is that if found (which I doubt) it would be the most valuable car and the world and sell for at least $100 million!
If you would like to know more about the twin-engined 2CV Sahara, there’s a great video from The Late Brake Show on YouTube
https://youtu.be/lTPGWCGysD8?feature=shared
The Mullin was a wonderful museum.
Not only were the displays of Bugattis and Citroens fantastic – not all were heavily restored trailer queens, which brought a certain degree of depth to the collection – but he had an amazing collection of Art Deco furniture and decorative artwork.
I was sad to hear of his passing and the final disposal of the collection.
Man if you just wrote this before the auction I could have had a Bugatti
I hope the winning bidder for the ID19 was someone who will turn it into the “bubble car thing”, a someone with a fine art degree, a sense of the absurd and a deep appreciation for automobile advertising.
I believe I read somewhere that was the intention at Mullin but never happened.
I’m no sure if I’m onboard with the “auction off the no longer needed old guy’s toys” approach. Kind of a sad ending, which the owner would probably disapprove of. Surely there would be a way to continue this heritage collection? What was the reason it turned sour?
I think he requested that the collection should be split up, so others could start there own.
Kids want their money not dads crappy toys. I’ve seen it many times.