East Anglia-based auctioneers, Cheffins, will sell over 160 lots from the world-renowned automobilia collection belonging to Stewart Imber of Goodwood Revival. The collection will be offered as part of the Cheffins Cambridge Vintage Sale on the 27th April 2019, which is the biggest sale of its type in Europe.
The famous collection has previously been seen on Quest TV’s Salvage Hunters and has been dressing sets at The Goodwood Revival since 2005. On offer will be over 40 classic Mercedes-Benz items dating from 1920 to the 1990s, forming the most comprehensive assortment of vintage Mercedes paraphernalia owned by any enthusiast in the UK. Included within the Mercedes-Benz items are rare illuminated signs, enamel dealers’ signs, posters, flags, service tools and advertisements. There is also a large consignment of original tinplate Mercedes-Benz toys, some of which date back to the 1950s. The highlight of the section is a 1960s forecourt double-sided illuminated Mercedes-Benz garage sign with blue neon rim lighting which is in full working order and expected to sell for between £5,000 and £6,000. There is also a Mercedes-Benz showroom Perspex sign from the 1970’s and an original pre-war dealers enamel sign from Germany which both have an estimate of £2,500 - £3,000 apiece. The Mercedes-Benz lots are expected to achieve between £18,000 and £20,000 in total.
The additional 120 lots on offer include original enamel and illuminated signs, forecourt maps, spares, tools, parts, promotional clothing, flags, posters and so on. A number of these items are either original 1950s and 1960s examples or reproductions which were created especially for TV and film sets. One of the highlights is a Morris-Commercial garage hanging illuminated sign from the 1920s which is still working, this extremely rare item has an estimate of £4,000 - £5,000. Similarly, a Morris Distributor illuminated sign from the 1930s is expected to achieve between £2,000 and £2,500. There is also an unusual coin-operated arcade ride in the form of a speedboat which has an estimate of £700 - £900.
Stewart Imber, the seller, comments: “The collection has been amassed over 43 years and is now so vast that I need to pass these wonderful pieces over to new custodians. As a Mercedes-Benz enthusiast and previous MB owner, there is a large MB contingent in the collection which is bound to be of interest for fans of the brand. A number of items within the collection were especially created for Goodwood Revival where I have been dressing sets for the past 13 years, whereas others are extremely rare original examples. I am still very happily dressing sets for The Goodwood Revival and will continue to do so for the coming years.”
Jeremy Curzon, Director, Cheffins comments: “We are pleased to be offering the next section of Stewart Imber’s collection for sale following the first consignment’s previous success under the hammer last year. Stewart is renowned as having one of the greatest collections of motoring-related items in the UK. With some incredibly rare automobilia lots on offer, this sale will give fans and enthusiasts a one-off opportunity to buy pieces never previously seen on the open market. Automobila is slowly becoming one of the most highly-populated collecting classes, particularly in the UK and America. There is a huge variety of items which fall under the automobilia umbrella, including clocks, thermometers, enamel signs and illuminated signs, some of which now achieve well over £5,000-apiece.”
Cheffins offered 140 automobilia pieces for sale on behalf of Stewart Imber in April 2018, the top price went to a ‘Michelin Man’ forecourt compressor which sold for £2,310.
For more information please call Cheffins auctioneers on 01353 777767.