$852,500
In the wake of World War II, with commercial airlines offering transatlantic flights and scientists developing reliable rocket technology, the auto industry found inspiration for its concept vehicles by looking to the sky. In 1953, Dodge unveiled the Firearrow, an aerodynamic roadster that previewed the type of sports car designs that would grace the roads in the latter part of the decade. The first iteration of the Firearrow was merely a rolling display model that lacked any running gear, but after the design garnered public acclaim, the company built a running prototype. When Dodge decided that the second Firearrow prototype could use further refinement, it turned to Luigi Segre, a stylist with Italy’s Ghia coachworks, a firm that previously had worked extensively on the design of the first two Firearrow iterations.
While the car was attention-grabbing for its chrome grille fitted into a rectangular opening and for its flattened wheel wells, it was the concept vehicle’s performance that placed it in a class by itself. Driven by Betty Skelton—a world-renowned aerobatic pilot during the 1950s—at the Chelsea Proving Grounds in 1954, the Dodge Firearrow III peaked at 143.44 mph and set a world record for a woman driver on a closed course.
After Skelton’s record-setting run, the Firearrow III made the rounds on the show circuit, served as the model for an open-top variant, and provided Eugene Casaroll—the founder of Detroit’s Dual Motors—with the inspiration to create a limited-production Dual-Ghia convertible, which was sold through Dodge dealerships in 1957. In early 1955, the Firearrow III was shipped back to Italy, where it remained for more than 30 years. However, during the late 1980s, Dave Holls, then the chief of design at General Motors, learned of the car’s existence and immediately purchased it and brought it back to the States, where it underwent a complete, ground-up restoration. The car recently appeared at RM Auctions’ Monterey sale in August and sold for $852,500.
$935,000
By the late 1930s, the custom coachwork market had faded—a reality impacted by both the Great Depression and a transition to more-corporate styles introduced by General Motors and the Ford Motor Co. With its new company leader, K.T. Keller, at the helm, the Chrysler Corp. embraced the strategy of showcasing potential future styling and technology innovations with concept show cars and promptly created the Thunderbolt, a convertible with the first fully retractable hard top.
Utilizing a full-envelope body with retractable headlights, a straight-through fender line with no dip or belt molding, wheels covered by fender skirts, and a front end with no recognizable grille (thanks to air intakes situated below the front bumper), the Chrysler Thunderbolt looked about as futuristic as any other concept car on showroom floors.
As for the car’s identity, it was named after British auto racer George Eyston’s car, which established a new land speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats in September 1938, a record that would stand for almost a year. Eyston’s Thunderbolt was more than 30 feet long, weighed seven tons, and was powered by dual 12-cylinder Rolls-Royce aero engines. Chrysler’s variation, by contrast, was just over 10.5 feet in length and powered by a "Spitfire" 8-cylinder, L-head inline engine with an overdrive unit that propelled the car to speeds in excess of 100 mph.
According to Chrysler’s documentation, only five Thunderbolts were built, each touting unique body and top color combinations, and all designated for the show circuit. Only four examples still exist, and one—a teal green and copper example—recently graced the block at RM Auctions’ Monterey sale in August, selling for $935,000. After undergoing a 10,000-hour, body-off-the-frame restoration in 2009 at Tired Iron Works in Monrovia, Calif., this particular Thunderbolt is thought to be the most period-correct example in existence.
$167,300
After graduating from Manhattan’s School of Industrial Art in 1947, John Romita spent a year working in the commercial art sector before transitioning to the world of comic books. The Italian-American artist, who was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., began drawing primarily horror and romance stories for the Atlas group, which eventually evolved into Marvel Comics. Later, he accepted a job at DC, where he drew romance stories for eight years before returning to the Marvel brand to ink the Avengers and Daredevil. But it was after Spider-Man’s cocreator Steve Ditko left the company in 1966 that Romita truly made his mark.
In the wake of Ditko’s exit, Romita took over the Spider-Man feature and developed it into one of the comic industry’s most popular characters. At a Heritage Auctions sale in August, the original artwork of Romita’s 11th Spider-Man cover, Amazing Spider-Man #49, sold for $167,300. Penned in 1967 and signed by Romita, the piece measures 13.25 inches by 20.25 inches and remains in very good condition with only slight paper aging. It also spotlights two of the superhero’s arch nemeses: Kraven the Hunter and the Vulture.
$270,413
Within a decade following World War I, aviation had changed dramatically around the world. Technology and materials greatly improved, taking the airplane from low-powered biplanes made of wood and fabric to sturdier, high-powered monoplanes crafted from aluminum. As the planes grew more impressive, mankind’s goals for sustained flight grew more ambitious. Near the end of the Roaring 20s, pilots from numerous countries took to the skies for extended journeys. Charles Lindbergh led the way with a successful flight from New York City to Paris on May 20, 1927; however, on that same day, Italian pilot Marchese Francesco de Pinedo landed in Newfoundland on the return leg of a round-trip flight from Italy to South America.
De Pinedo had agreed to carry mail from Newfoundland to Italy and, to commemorate the event, Canada’s Minister of Posts and Telegraphs issued and printed stamps for the mail carried on that trip. Records indicate that only 300 stamps were printed, with 230 used on the mail, 66 relegated to presentation purposes—many of which were given to de Pinedo—and four that were destroyed.
A rare, mint block of those 1927 de Pinedo air mail 60-cent black stamps recently sold for £168,000 (about $270,413) at a Sotheby’s auction in London. It is believed that only two blocks of four survived from that original issue of 300 and, given that the other known block was divided into individual stamps following a sale at auction more than 30 years ago, this block is considered to be the sole survivor.
$284,500
In some respects, luxury timepiece brands like Patek Philippe operated much differently during the middle of the 20th century than they do today. It was not uncommon for those brands to create custom, one-off pieces for their most important customers, whereas today, a one-off piece is almost impossible to find. In regard to such custom pieces of the 1950s and 1960s, it’s possible that a 1960 Patek Philippe split-second chronograph ref. 1436, which sold for $284,500 at a recent Antiquorum sale in New York, is one such example. Bearing a Tiffany & Co. signature and boasting a dial that combines a tachometer scale with small baton markers, as well as 12 and 6 numerals, it is the only known example of such a configuration. Equally intriguing, it is, as Antiquorum’s Nate Borgelt describes, "the best example of a 1436" that he has ever seen. It is estimated that at the time it was made, the watch would have retailed for about $1,100.
A Patek split-second chronograph is highly sought-after due to its rarity and complexity, but this particular example, made of 18-karat yellow gold and boasting 25 jewels, a straight-line lever escapement, and a monometallic balance adjusted to eight positions, is all the more desirable for its pristine condition. Offered in its original Tiffany & Co. presentation case, the watch shows no signs of polishing or servicing and includes a dial that is devoid of any discoloration. It even includes the original strap and Patek Philippe buckle. "The strap and the buckle isn’t as big a component as the dial or the crown being polished," says Borgelt. "In the eye of a collector, it’s more of a testament that this watch hasn’t been touched. If it’s an all-original piece, it’s just the icing on top if it has the original band and the original buckle."