Stalin ’s name makes car world's dearest

Press, 8 February 1985, Page 16

Stalin ’s name makes car world's dearest

By

SIMON MARSH,

Features International

What is being hailed as the second-hand car sale of the century takes place in a plush New York showroom on February 19, to be attended by the world’s most dedicated car buffs — and watched by a posse of armed security guards. Only one car will come under the auctioneer’s hammer, and anyone looking for a cheap bargain should steer well clear of the marble-pillared Fifth Avenue showrooms. For whoever gets the 45-year-old Mercedes sports car will be buying the most expensive second-hand car in history — and paying around $2.4 million for the privilege. It is a superb car — in shining black, without a spot of rust, and only 22,000 miles on the clock, despite the fact that it was made in 1939. But what makes it so special is the name of its first owner: Joseph Stalin. The 540 K roadster was given to the Russian leader by Hitler when their two countries signed a non-aggression pact at the start of the Second World War. Stalin kept it under wraps on his country estate for many years — and it has only recently found its way to the west, to start a wave of excitement among collectors. It is certain to smash the existing world-record price for a used car, set recently at Sotheby’s in London, when a 1930 Bentley fetched £246,000 ($593,343). It was a Silent Speed Six — but its value stemmed from the fact that it had belonged to a legendary racing driver and socialite, "Babe”

Barnato. When the Bentley marque dominated motor racing in the 19305, Barnato was regarded as the team’s top driver. In. 1931, he was seeing a friend off on the Blue Train from Monte Carlo to London when their banter developed into a serious wager. Barnato bet £lOO ($240) that he could beat the train to London in his Bentley. He won — and it was the same car which came up for auction 53 years later. Said one dealer at the sale: “It’s a gem of an automobile — in perfect condition and with a superb history. We can also be quite certain that it is genuine — we have ‘authenticated the provenance,’ in the words of the trade.” “Authenticating the provenance” is one of the tricky areas for a would-be purchaser. Basically, it means making sure he is not being conned. In the historic vehicle market, cars from World War Two often crop up, with claims that they were once owned or used by German, British or American military and political chiefs. Where the claim stands up, the car is certain to be worth a fortune. German manufacturers have brought out lists of their vehicles which belonged to leaders of the Third Reich. Various Mercedes limousines which belonged to Goering are now

in the hands of collectors. The cars were usually bullet-proofed and had recesses in each door to house a machine-gun! A Mercedes which belonged to Hitler’s mistress, Eva Braun, has been acquired by an Australian collector, while a similar car used by Hitler himself is now in Las Vegas. On the British side, Winston Churchill’s cars are not so numerous — he used to be ferried around in official vehicles most of the time. But a celebrated collector of “Churchilliana,” Lord Bath, spent more than £3OOO ($7235) on an Austin 10 which Churchill owned long before he became Prime Minister. The great man had even signed the ownership document himself. Now, the car is at Lord Bath’s stately home, Longleat. The Montague Motor Museum at Beaulieu has a number of vehicles with famous former owners, including Sir Donald Campbell, Lord Snowdon and Peter Sellers. One Hispano Suiza in the museum still belongs to Paul McCartney. It has striped bodywork and upholstery, and is looked after by the curator, Michael Ware. “Prices are difficult to predict, but you can say — as a general rule — that a famous former owner probaby doubles the value of the vehicle,” Mr Ware says. Often, the degree of fame in-

flates the price still further. A 1953 Rolls Royce recently sold for £120,000 (289,435) because it was the car used by Prince Rainier and Princess Grace at their wedding. As people realise the extra glamour — and the extra cash — that a famous former owner brings, it is expected that the number of vehicles on the market will increase. Collectors are particularly anxious to get hold of a host of fine cars which went behind the Iron Curtain and have never been seen since. For instance, it is one of Russia’s worst-kept secrets that the late Leonid Brezhnev was mad about cars and built up a huge private collection on his estate just outside Moscow. Every time world leaders visited Moscow and inquired about a suitable present for the Soviet President, they were encouraged to bring choice automobiles. He was said to be particularly pleased with two American sports cars given to him by President Nixon. Also in his collection were at least two Rolls Royces. Whether these vehicles ever reappear in the West, like Stalin’s Mercedes, remains to be seen. But one car seems certain to elude the collectors’ grasp. They would love to get their hands on Lenin’s Rolls Royce — the car on which he fitted half-tracks to cope with the Russian winter. This offended the British manufacturers so much that they informed him icily that he had “invalidated the warranty.” That car seems likely to stay firmly where it is — in the Lenin Museum in Moscow.