It's sad when cars carefully collected over the years must be sold to settle an estate. Necessary, but sad nevertheless. On the other hand, buyers are equal beneficiaries, assuming purchases are acquired at the right price. I can't vouch for the latter but certainly the 80+ cars from the estate of John McMullen, a long-time Michigan car dealer, are as good as it gets. They'll go on the block at an RM auction in Lapeer, Michigan, June 09th. The collection includes, among others, a 1931 Deusenberg Model J, a 1930 Cadillac V-16 Phaeton, a 1958 Buick Limited Convertible (that I'd love to own).

The Deusenberg, one of only seven produced, was bought from the Howard Hughes estate by Otis Chandler, who then restored it. Hughes had modified the back of the special body sedan so he could launch gliders by using the 100 mph speeds of the Duesey.

Checking the auction lots on the RM site I was charmed by this 1913 Packard I-38 Roadster which, like all the cars to be auctioned, is offered without reserve. Coming from an era when motoring was still an adventure, the Packard's functional simplicity is just as impressive as the massive power and elegant bodywork of later models. Look closely at the chair perched precariously on its hindquarters: once known as mother-in-law seats (because mom's complaints couldn't be heard above the wind and engine noise), they evolved into the rumble seats of the 1930's.