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Our 10 highlights from RM Sotheby’s in Motor City

It’s traditional that the RM Sotheby’s Motor City sale – which this year takes place in Plymouth, Detroit on 30 July – comprises a host of American Art Deco and muscle cars, but there is also a wide selection of European classics, reflecting the region’s appetite for cars across the world…

Chalk and cheese

Highlights from the 71-lot sale are abundant, and literally come in all shapes and size – from a tiny 1959 Messerschmitt microcar (est. 40,000-50,000 US dollars) to an opulent 1933 Packard Twelve Coupe Roadster (400,000-475,000 dollars). We imagine you’d be a talking point at any ‘cars and coffee’ meet driving the 1969 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS, which was the official pace car for the 1969 Indy 500. Meanwhile, although it’s unusual to see a Lagonda in the States, the dark grey, early production Series III model offered – estimated to fetch 85,000-125,000 dollars – is quite at home, as it was one of the stars of the 1986 New York Auto Show. We also rather like the quirky 1990 Renault Alpine V6 Turbo (20,000-30,000 dollars), another particularly rare car across the pond. For seeing the automotive sights of Detroit, however, we’d opt for the ‘21-window’ Volkwagen Type 2 Deluxe, which benefits from a comprehensive restoration and is expected to garner 90,000-110,000 dollars. You can find the entire catalogue for the RM Sotheby’s Motor City sale listed in the Classic Driver Market. 

Our 10 favourites