A movie-star Mercedes, a Cadillac dream car saved from destruction, the first Auburn 851 Speedster, and a Packard once owned by a star of Dallas are among the fascinating stories heading to Hershey this October.
Remarkable Stories Behind RM Sotheby’s Hershey Sale
- A car from Hollywood’s earliest days: the 1915 Mercedes 28/60 HP Town Car believed to have been owned by Universal Pictures Co-Founder Carl Laemmle and featured in Waterloo Bridge.
- The Cadillac dream car that was supposed to die: the one-off 1956 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham Town Car survived after being sent to a Michigan salvage yard for destruction.
- The first Auburn 851 Speedster ever built: the 1935 Auburn 851 Supercharged Speedster was the first 851 produced and was later rescued for just $200.
- Cliff Barnes’ ultra-rare Packard: the 1939 Packard 1707 Twelve 2/4-Passenger Coupe was formerly owned by Dallas star Ken Kercheval.
- When GM executives could order one-offs: the 1960 Buick Electra 225 'GM Styling' Convertible is believed to have been built for former GM President Harlow Curtice.
- A Philadelphia fire engine from 1894: the Silsby/American LaFrance Fourth-Size Steam Pumper was the first apparatus assigned to Engine Company 42.
- These cars and many more are heading to RM Sotheby’s Hershey auction, taking place October 7-8, 2026, at the Hershey Lodge in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
BLENHEIM, Ontario, September 28, 2026: The cars crossing the block at RM Sotheby’s Hershey sale this October are significant for plenty of reasons, but some of their best stories go far beyond rarity and value. Returning to the Hershey Lodge on October 7-8 for its 20th year as the official auction of the AACA National Fall Meet, RM Sotheby’s will offer an exceptional group of veteran, Brass Era, and early American automobiles. The sale is led by a 1934 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Berline by Murphy, offered after more than two decades in current ownership and estimated at $900,000 USD to $1,200,000 USD.
“Hershey is one of those sales that reminds you just how broad and interesting the collector car world really is. Where else can you go from a world-class Duesenberg to a one-off GM executive commission, an early electric car, something with Hollywood history, and even historic fire apparatus, all in the same room? Every few feet there’s another story, and that mix of history, design, personality, and surprise is what makes Hershey one of the highlights of the auction season for me,” said Jake O’Gorman, Car Specialist, RM Sotheby’s.
When GM Executives Could Order One-Off Cars from the Design Studio – There was a time when the General Motors’ Styling department did not just design production cars and futuristic concepts. It could also create something completely unique for the company’s top executives. The 1960 Buick Electra 225 'GM Styling' Convertible is one of those cars.
Built as a one-off by GM Styling, it features unique fiberglass tailfins, bespoke taillights, one-off Buick emblems and ventiports, special upholstery, hidden storage compartments, and numerous other details never offered on a production Electra.
Former owner Richard Sills believed the car had originally been created for legendary GM President and Buick loyalist Harlow Curtice following his retirement. Regardless of its original recipient, its GM Styling identification and extensive bespoke features offer a rare look inside an era when Detroit’s design studios had extraordinary freedom (Estimate: $200,000-$250,000 USD).
A Car from Hollywood’s Earliest Days Heads to Auction – The 1915 Mercedes 28/60 HP Town Car and Tourer Display Chassis is believed to have been owned by Universal Pictures Co-Founder Carl Laemmle, one of the most important figures in the early history of Hollywood. The Mercedes later appeared on screen in the 1931 film Waterloo Bridge, produced by Laemmle’s son, Carl Laemmle Jr. It subsequently became part of Art Austria’s well-known collection of automobiles used by Hollywood studios and today is accompanied by a recreated open tourer body mounted on a separate display chassis. The two configurations were displayed together at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 2011 (Estimate: $450,000- $650,000 USD).
The Cadillac Dream Car That Was Supposed to Die – Few cars tell the story of Detroit’s golden age of design better than the 1956 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham Town Car. Created as experimental model XP-48 for the 1956 GM Motorama, the one-off Cadillac was designed by Robert Cumberford at just 19 years old under the direction of Herb Cadeau and legendary GM Design Chief Harley Earl. More than 2.3 million people attended that year’s Motorama exhibitions, where the Cadillac was presented alongside a model dressed in Christian Dior. It later appeared at the Paris Salon.
Then, like many GM concept cars of the era, it was sent away to be destroyed. In 1958, the Cadillac arrived at Warhoops salvage yard in Warren, Michigan, alongside several other GM dream cars. Instead of destroying it, yard owner Harry Warholak Sr. hid it away. Decades later it emerged largely intact, surviving an era when most concept cars were simply scrapped. Today, it remains the only 1956 Eldorado Brougham and one of the few surviving Motorama dream cars from Harley Earl’s celebrated era (Estimate: $300,000-$400,000 USD).
The First Auburn 851 Speedster Ever Built – The 1935 Auburn 851 Supercharged Speedster offered at Hershey is not simply an example of Gordon Buehrig’s celebrated design. It is the very first 851 Speedster produced. Its early production features include enclosed pontoon-style front fenders and exhaust pipes emerging through the hood louvers, details found only on the earliest cars. It also carries supercharger number 1001. Its history gets even better. Following an accident, the car was rescued in Massachusetts in the early 1950s for just $200. Now ACD Club Category 1 certified and restored by RM Auto Restoration, it stands among the most historically significant surviving Auburn automobiles (Estimate: $850,000-$950,000 USD).
Cliff Barnes’ Ultra-Rare Packard Heads to Auction – Fans of the television series Dallas will recognize the name Ken Kercheval, who played Cliff Barnes throughout the hit show’s long run. Off-screen, Kercheval was also a serious Packard enthusiast, collector, and restorer. Among the automobiles he owned was the 1939 Packard 1707 Twelve 2/4-Passenger Coupe now offered at Hershey. Approximately 12 examples of this body style were built, with only eight or nine believed to survive. The car was later part of The Michael Leith Collection for more than 20 years and is offered without reserve (Estimate: $120,000-$140,000 USD).
A Philadelphia Fire Engine from 1894 Heads to Auction – Long before motorized fire trucks, Philadelphia firefighters relied on equipment like the 1894 Silsby/American LaFrance Fourth-Size Steam Pumper. One of two delivered to the Philadelphia Fire Department in 1894, it became the first apparatus assigned to Engine Company 42 when the company was organized on December 7 of that year. It remained in active service until 1922, when the company was motorized.
The pumper is believed to have had only five owners in more than 130 years and underwent a painstaking 15-year restoration. Of the 41 Silsby steamers purchased by Philadelphia between 1886 and 1897, it is the only known surviving example (Estimate: $200,000-$300,000 USD).
A Silent-Film Actress’ Remarkably Preserved LaSalle – The 1933 LaSalle Series 345-C Five-Passenger Town Sedan by Fisher is believed to have been purchased new by Pennsylvania-born actress Clare Krall, whose career spanned Broadway and silent film. Krall appeared in the original Broadway casts of C.O.D. and High Jinks before portraying Russian Princess Parlova in the 1914 feature The Million Dollar Mystery. The LaSalle later passed to her niece, Clare K. Lane, who preserved it for more than 23 years alongside an extensive archive of family history. One of only 752 examples built in this body style for 1933, the car is believed to remain largely original and displays just 9,614 miles. Offered from The James G. Robinson Collection, this CCCA Full Classic is accompanied by its build record, a period photograph of Krall, and newspaper clippings documenting her career. It is offered without reserve (Estimate: $20,000–$30,000 USD).
RM Sotheby’s Hershey auction takes place October 7-8, 2026, at the Hershey Lodge in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
