LIVE THE STONE COLLECTION
THE STONE COLLECTION
This collection of five pre- and post-war American vehicles comes to us from BaT seller @McDeeb. These automobiles have been together for a while; they were purchased as a lot by their current owner in 2018, and are now being auctioned individually as the Stone Collection. All were refurbished at different points under previous ownership, and the Ford pickup and Chevy sedan have been modernized. Each is being offered at no reserve.
Auctions from the Stone Collection are now live, as of June 16. A preview of the collection is below.
The star of the Stone collection is a Series Seven Packard Standard Eight sedan. This is a big car, weighing in at over two tons, from the final years of Packard’s most successful period. Even in Standard trim a Packard was a luxurious automobile, with rear suicide doors, dual gloveboxes, a robe bar, a folding luggage rack, a trunk, and a full-syncromesh gearbox. This example was refurbished in Nevada in the 2010s, and has been with its current owner since 2018.
Chevrolet’s Standard Coupe body style was the same configuration as Packard’s four-door sedan—a seven-window cabin with four opposing doors—but cost less than half of the Packard’s sticker when new. This one now runs a 305ci Chevy small-block paired with a three-speed automatic transmission. Other updates include power-assisted braking with front discs, power steering, air conditioning, a cassette stereo, and a CB radio. We’re uncertain when this car was built into a hot rod, but it’s been long enough that the brown velour upholstery has had time to come back into style. Looks like it could make a cozy cruiser!
This Ford pickup is another modified vehicle, though it stays true to its roots with flathead V8 power. Beyond that, it has received a host of upgrades that should make it more drivable on modern roads: Mustang II-style independent front suspension, power-assisted braking with front discs and rear drums, power rack-and-pinion steering, a Ford AOD transmission, and a Ford 8″ rear end. The cabin has been trimmed out in red velvour with wood accents and brass-bezel Dolphin gauges, and also features a tilt steering column and a Kenwood CD player.
The Jeepster was a short-lived attempt to convert returning G.I.s’ perceived affinity for the military jeep into a consumer sales pipeline. Brooks Stevens took the basic styling elements of the jeep and gave them a more streamlined, civilized look with a phaeton-style open-roof body and healthy application of chrome trim. This example is finished in black over red vinyl with complimentary tartan inserts and a white folding roof. Power is from a 134ci “Go Devil” four paired with a three-speed manual with overdrive.
These days, it’s unusual to see a 1951 Merc that hasn’t been subjected to a kustom-style build, but this one has escaped the welder’s torch. Finished in ivory over blue and white upholstery, the car sports period accessories like dual spotlights and removable fender skirts. Mercury cars from this era had a number of interesting features, like an optional foot-button radio control, power windows, dual heater and vent controls, wind-diffusing trim strips over the wing windows, and a plunger-actuated overdrive unit. What more could you have wanted in 1951? This example was refurbished prior to 2018 and had a new top fitted in 2017, though the mechanism is not currently functional.