DAVID E. DAVIS, JR. ITEMS AND HIS CHERRY '51 CADDIE HIT THE BLOCK AT BONHAMS ACUTION IN SCOTTSDALE

By Matt Davis, Autoblog.com - On January 19th starting at precisely 10:30 am, Bonhams auctioneers at the Barrett-Jackson mega-event in Scottsdale will begin bringing to the stage lots 1 through 151 as part of the auction house's "The Scottsdale Sale". The lots represent a wide range of significant and unique items from the estate of automotive journalism guru and personality David E. Davis, Jr. who suddenly and sadly passed away on March 27th of last year following surgery.

The items are a vast array of Mr. Davis' collection of rarities assembled during his nearly 60-year career history with automobiles, the people who designed and built them, and especially with those legends who risked their lives racing them.

Among the array of a lifetime's collectibles are included several pieces of desk art, original wall art, rare signed photographs of Dan Gurney, Juan Manuel Fangio, Carroll Shelby, and others, plus a great number of authoritative books, many now out of print. Not to mention a perfectly preserved crimson red 1951 Cadillac Series 62 Coupe -- a favored Harley Earl design -- with fewer than 9,000 original miles, listed as lot number 326.

Behind every item there's a big and personal story and the pleasure of bidding on and owning any of these choice memorabilia would be made finer only by the original owner and ractoneur being present to regale us with the details. Davis is acknowledged as being the one responsible for the original success of Car and Driver Magazine in the 1960s and of having saved it again in the 1970s and 80s. Prior to that, Davis had worked originally at Road & Track. Following the C&D years, Davis then founded Automobile Magazine which he turned into a success despite heavy industry skepticism about the need for another car enthusiast title.

The two key items on auction by our assessment -- though it's tough to choose, of course -- are the all original '51 Caddie with smooth running 331 cubic inch OHV V-8 and lot n.128 -- a well preserved red felt race-day pennant from the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup race, won in that edition by the Lancia boys at an average speed of 60 mph. This was the first race in history with photographic evidence of a chequered flag being used to hail the winning car.

There are items available for all budgets and all levels of car enthusiast. Go to the Bonhams site http://www.bonhams.com/eur/auction/19680 and start your bidding for a piece of history from the lifetime of a larger than life car connoisseur and story teller.