Cameron Peck sale

Does anyone know when Cameron Peck's cars were sold off? Was it a single sale, or were cars sold a unit at a time?

I thought it was in 1950 and it was one big auction.

Club members,,,AACA,,VMCCA,,all got stapled lists,,typewritten copied,,descriptions with a mininimum bid as I recall,,I think D,Cameron Peck was VMCCA President about 1949-50,,He attended the june meet at John Macombers 1mi? dirt race track in Framingham Ma,,W/a 1902 Panhard-Levassor racer,,still running the original Make and break ign system,,oh my,,what a sweet sound,,plunk tink,tinky tink plunk plunk tink,,random ragtime,, I was still in high school back then,,and was one of the youngist club members at that time,,Oh yes there were three or more mailings,,,,so it definately was not a one time deal,,The cars were fantastic,,the best,,As ever,,,Ben

Has annyone saved one of these lists??Ben

Mr Peck also served a term as AACA President.I also would love to see a list of his cars.I remember a series of auctions liquidating Barney Pollard's collection in the late 70's.I think he had over a thousand cars he saved from the WWII scrap drives.When you see pictures like that Duesenberg on the scrapper scale, you wonder why nobody saved that one.Barney had cars nobody knew existed. He had multiple buildings.As he filled them up and ran out of room,he would take the first car in the row and raise the front up to the rafters and tie it with rope,then back a car up to it, raise the front of that one and so on.Years went by and most of the ropes broke then he had some fires.by the time the cars came out in the sun,there was little left of value but they mostly all sold.I remember a car called an "Oliver"made out of plywood and a bunch of "Curved-dash Oldsmobiles"at least one a 1901 model. Barney was a contractor in Detroit.The buildings were in various locations in Detroit.

Please add me to the list of members that would like list of the Cameron Peck cars, happy to pay for an original or a good copy of one. The 1919 Hudson INDY 500 race car was the one car in the collection I'd love to own, now in California. It was found on a used car lot in Philadelphia in the late 1940's, made the letters to the editor of Motor Trend in 48-49.

A June 1952 Antique Automobile article by Don McCray states, "On May 3 a precedent was set by Cameron Peck which never has been and probably never will be equalled in the history of our hobby. On that day he sold his entire collection of cars with the exception of two he intends to keep....Over 3500 requests were received for the list of 67 cars...."

There was a typewritten list of the cars mailed-out in early 1952, and there was one other published list in the May 1952 Antique Automobile of cars and parts left over from the auction.

A car I now own, a 1902 White Stanhope steamer, sold that day to Morris Frost for, I believe, $600. I sure would like to have a photo of my White in Peck's collection. If anyone knows of one, please let me know.

Peck had a few other sales of cars earlier. In one sale of some 43 cars held on November 19, 1949, he listed a 1933 Dusenburg 7 passenger sedan as "a boxcar on wheels...but a good chassis. $375."

For a while he also wrote a piece in the Bulb Horn,,Power Boat Division,,Ondillea [sp] was a favorite boat,,Maybee I get mixed,,,,Peck rounding the track,in the 1902 Panhard racer,,Jim Lacey tending Cameron Bradleys 1892 Panhard-Levassor under the trees/wblown head gasket,[early car had steel tyres],Dr Miller w/the 1907 White 'pullman' absoutely huge,,drove up from Ct,,and Hayden Shepley riding a Columbia ordenary,,[now called hi-wheeler,,]all in the persuit of fun,,,Cheers,,Ben

The following article appeared in the June 1952 issue of the ANTIQUE AUTOMOBILE and was written by Don McCrary. According to the article, all the cars, except 2, were put up for auction on May 3. Mr. Peck acted as auctioneer.

D Cameron Peck Sale Article

Enjoy!

The Antique Automobile was published quarterly in 1952. Issues came out in March, June, September and December. I am not sure what you are referencing as May 1952 Antique Automobile. The main write up was in the June 1952 issue - see above post. I did find a pictorial follow up of six pictures in the September 1952 issue.

September 1952: Antique Automobile

Very interesting cars, I never knew he had early European cars. Were they found here in the USA, and were are they all now?

He had a Voisin that was sold at one of the earlier sales noted. He found that car walled up in Paris. It is now in Pennsylvania...

Supposedly, the negatives from the Cameron Peck photographs are in the AACA IL Region library. I haven't verified this resource; contact may be made through the IL Region web page.

Supposedly, the negatives from the Cameron Peck photographs are in the AACA IL Region library. I haven't verified this resource; contact may be made through the IL Region web page.

I have the IL. Region AACA library. Yes there are some photos of the Cameron Peck cars. here are some that were asked about in this form. I have not found one of the 1902 White . Bob Ronning

Bob,

Do you have photos of the 1899 Hertel or 1920 Argonne that Peck owned? The latter was incorrectly identified as a Biddle until Harrah's had had it for awhile.

Nancy

Bob,

Do you have photos of the 1899 Hertel or 1920 Argonne that Peck owned? The latter was incorrectly identified as a Biddle until Harrah's had had it for awhile.

Nancy

Sorry Nancy I do not have any photos of them. Bob

Make Hertel Model 3hp Tiller Steering Runabout Price £56,500

(approx. €65,291 or $91,999) Year 1899 Price Significant Previously owned by noted collectors Cameron Peck, Henry Austin Clark, Vernon Jarvis and Bob Bahre, road tested by late World Champ Phil Hill, early starter on London to Brighton Condition Rating

(condition rating 2) Lot Number 173 Auction House Bonhams Auction Title Ward Brothers Reserve Collection Country United Kingdom Date Of Sale Saturday 18 July 2009 Auction Location Edwardian and Vintage Motor Cars, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire

Argonne was named after the the French battlefield. There were two engine types available. The 4 cylinder Buda and the optional - also 4C - 4.9 litre 302ci 8 valve Rochester Duesenberg . It made approximately 71 hp. and was also in use in Roamer and Revere.

Argonne tourer & roadster models were available from 1919 powered by Buda engines on 118inch - 128inch wheelbase. The company went into receivership in July 1920. Remaining parts sold off and subsequently assembled into closed bodied vehicles."

This Argonne is part of the Fountainhead Collection, Fairbanks, Alaska which opened in the Spring of 2009.

Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum | Car Collection

Here is one more from the Peck collection. I have almost 70 photos of the cars. This one is a 1919 Cunningham DePalma Speedster. Bob R

Thanks for the Hertel info, glad it make the Brighton Run. Henry Austin Clark always wanted to make that event and thought his Columbia would be the car for it. The Columbia did make the run years after his passing, often wonder how many of his old cars went on to complete the run. Was the Peck Cunningham later sold to Briggs Cunningham, or was his a twin to it?

Two more from the Peck collection. 1919 Ballot and a 1925 Doble steam car. I am sure everyone knows where the Doble is now. Bob

Was there a 1910 Pullman Touring in the lot?

If I have the Doble properly pegged it is E-11, currently not in the US.

The Doble looks like the one Clarence Marshall drove from Delaware to Lakeville Ct in the summer of 1955,,Tom drove the 1912 Stanley,,Said they both crused at 55 comfortably,,It was a big steam meet,,,Ben

If the 1919 Ballot is the one wrecked by Jean Chassagne in the INDY 500 that year it has been rebodied it that photo. Briggs Cummingham restored the car to its 1919 race configuration, the car is now part of the Collier collection.

Ben,

If that is E-11, I believe Clarence Marshall was the owner after D. Cameron Peck.

Bob

Thank you Packard32 for the posts about the Hertel and the Argonne. Both of those are our cars. Fun to see the photo of the Hertel at the auction.

I did not go to the Peck aution in 1952 but I did go down to the old Bowman dairy building in Evanston, IL to view the cars the saturday before the auction with the list of the 67 cars. I knocked on the door and a man came and let me in, probably was Hal or Bill Ullrich. Once in I was free to roam around and view the vast collection. On the list was a description of each car and a minimum bid that would be accepted. I recall adding up the bids and it came to $131,000. As a 20 year old, that was a unheard of amount. I remember that 2 cars had minimum bids of $5,000 each. The Buggatti Royale was one and i think a Serpolett steamer was the other. One other notable car was a 1939 Packard 12 coupe. I opened the door and it smelled new and closing the door had the sold of a bank vault.I think I may have that list but cannot find it at the moment.

So getting back to my original post, it appears that the 'main' auction was indeed in 1952. Were the earlier sales of his cars done privately, on a one-on-one basis, or did have large sales similar to the '52 auction?

I do not know of any other Peck automobile sales.

I finally found my typewritten "announcement of sale of cars" dated October 28, 1949 to all members of AACA, HCC, SCCA, and VMCCA The sale to club members only was held Saturday, November 19,1949 at his garage in Evanston, Ill. 9:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. Cars not sold would be available for purchase by mail or telephone and all requests given priority according to order received. 1. FISSON hunting break rear entrance 2 cyl 1895 $3,000. 2. F.I.A.T. runabout 16-20 h.p. 4 cyl 1904 $500. 3. DE DION ET BOUTON chassis 4 cyl 1905 $300 4. CADILLAC touring model F 1 cyl 1905 $575 5. FRANKLIN runabout 4 cyl 1905 $800 6. STANLEY STEAMER touring model f 20 h.p. 1908 $350 7. AMERICAN roadster model 50 4 cyl 1908 $4,000 8.HOLSMAN stanhope model 10-K 2 cyl 1909 $575 9. MERCEDES PRINCE HENRY TYPE chassis 15 h.p. 4 cyl 1910 $275 10. STAVER 7 passenger touring model 40-R 4 cyl 1911 $200 11. RENAULT limosine by Brewster type CF 4 cyl 1911-12 $1,150 12. ALCO berline model 11-60 6 cyl 1912 $750 13. NATIONAL semi racing roadster (raceabout) model 40 4 cyl 1913 $3,800 14.PEUGEOT 7 passenger touring model 18-46 4 cyl 1913-14 $275 15. PEUGEOT BEBE chassis (Lion) 4 cyl 1914 $100 I believe there were other sheets but not sure if they were for this date or not but they elude me just now.

I am wondering if anyone saw this post and might comment on the content?

I am wondering if anyone saw this post and might comment on the content?

I saw your post and I had A listing of more than one page, But I can not find it at this time. I do not know if it was for the same date.

i will keep looking for my list. Bob

Hi, does anyone know if the 1911 Staver 7 Pas. touring listed in the sale is the same one owned; and toured, for many years by William Van Aken of N.Y. State? It is almost certainly the same car as there is only one known surviving 7 pas. touring but it would be nice to know for sure. Also assuming they are one and the same, did Mr. Van Aken purchase it at the sale or was there an owner in between? Thanks Greg in Canada { any other Staver info always welcome}

I know nothing of the car.

Bill Van Aken's Staver was always referred to as a 1913 touring.I had seen it many years ago and remember it as a 5 passenger, the 7 passenger body would be rare as few were built. But we are almost certain at least one was saved in the above mentioned Peck sale. ---Bob

Here is one more from the Peck collection. I have almost 70 photos of the cars. This one is a 1919 Cunningham DePalma Speedster. Bob R

Hello, Bob;

there were only 67 photos in total, so you probably have them all. Have you thought of getting them scanned and sold through the AACA Library ? I would like copies of the Rolls Royce Phantom 2 Continental, chassis number 157-RY especially.

thankyou

Peter

Please add me to the list of people that want copies of all the photos from the Peck collection. How many Cunningham speedsters were built? There is one in the Cunningham/Colier collection, and just a few weeks ago there was a photo of Jay Leno in one at a meet in LA, who has the Peck Cunningham?

Hello, Bob;

there were only 67 photos in total, so you probably have them all. Have you thought of getting them scanned and sold through the AACA Library ? I would like copies of the Rolls Royce Phantom 2 Continental, chassis number 157-RY especially.

thankyou

Peter

Sorry, Bob R; I should correct that. There were 67 cars but Don McCray advertised 70 photos for sale for 10 dollars at the time. Perhaps there was more than one photo of some of the cars ?

I will be looking though the photos soon I will post more later. sorry I do not look at the forms that often. Bob