The collector car auction calendar has a reliable highlight each August, and Gooding Christie’s 22nd annual Pebble Beach sale looks set to be one of the more compelling in recent memory. Three distinct no-reserve collections will cross the block on 14 and 15 August, covering pre-war French exotica, British classics, and a carefully chosen group of modern performance cars from the 1990s and early 2000s.
The Mullin Collection: A Final Farewell
The most historically significant group comes from the estate of the late Peter Mullin, assembled alongside his wife Merle over many years. Gooding Christie’s has handled Mullin material before, including a dedicated on-site sale, and describes this as the final instalment of the collection’s cars.
Four Bugattis lead the offering. The rarest is a 1930 Bugatti Type 43A Roadster, estimated at $1,400,000–$1,800,000. Alongside it sits a one-off 1930 Bugatti Type 46 Convertible Coupé with de Villars coachwork ($800,000–$1,200,000), a 1928 Bugatti Type 43/49 Roadster ($700,000–$900,000), and a 1934 Bugatti Type 54 Roadster ($500,000–$750,000).
Further French highlights include a 1928 Lorraine-Dietrich B3-6 Sports Roadster with H. De Corvaïa coachwork, a pair of Avions Voisin recreations (one with an Hermès tan leather interior) and a 1924 Chenard & Walcker T5 Roadster originally delivered and bodied in Australia. Every lot is offered without reserve, which removes the floor price and puts genuine price discovery in the hands of bidders.
The Robert Cole Collection – British and European Postwar Classics
Robert Cole spent decades focusing on British marques and European postwar automobiles, and his collection reflects that disciplined focus. Two pre-war Bentleys anchor the group: a 1939 Bentley 4¼ Litre Sports Coupé by Park Ward ($550,000–$650,000) and a 1935 Bentley 3½ Litre Drophead Coupé ($500,000–$600,000), both without reserve.
A pair of Jaguars (a 1956 XK140 SE Roadster and a 1961 XK150 3.8-Litre Fixed Head Coupé) are each estimated at $100,000–$120,000. Italian representation comes via a late-production 1962 Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ ‘Coda Tronca’ ($400,000–$450,000), a Bertone-bodied 1961 Giulietta Sprint Speciale, and a 1963 Lotus Elite SE.
The Driver’s Edit: Modern Classics Without Reserve
The third collection takes a different approach entirely. Dubbed the Driver’s Edit, it gathers low-mileage, desirably specified cars from the mid-1990s to early 2000s, the era now firmly established as the golden age of analogue performance.
Two air-cooled Porsche 993 variants feature: a Carrera 2S ($275,000–$350,000) and a Speed Yellow Cabriolet ($150,000–$180,000). A pair of manual-gearbox Ferraris (a 2000 Ferrari 360 Modena and a 1997 Ferrari F355 Spider )will appeal to buyers who still value the gated six-speed shift experience. A 1994 Mercedes-Benz E500 Limited with Evo-II wheels and a JDM-specification 1993 Toyota Land Cruiser VX Limited showing just 23,000 miles round out a group that covers considerable ground.
All three collections share the no-reserve condition, which matters. It signals genuine intent to sell rather than test the market, and it tends to draw more active bidding. For buyers at any level, that transparency is worth something. The public preview opens on 12 August, with the sale running across two sessions on 14 and 15 August at Parc du Concours in Pebble Beach.
