1931 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Sedan (Estimate: $1,700,000 – $1,900,000)
Photo copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company, LLC. Image by Joshua Sweeney.

Early announcements for the upcoming Amelia Island Auctions include the famed 1931 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Sedan once owned by Queen Maria of Yugoslavia and the collection of antique vehicles connoisseur William Alley.

Gooding Christie’s will return to Amelia Island in March 2025 to host its first auction event following its recent acquisition by global luxury leader Christie’s. Early consignments for the sale include a 1931 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Sedan of Paris Salon de l’Automobile and Queen Maria of Yugoslavia fame, as well as a selection of offerings from longtime collector, concours judge, and authority on early and classic automobiles, Mr. William Alley. The 15th annual Amelia Island Auctions presented by Gooding Christie’s will take place at the Omni Amelia Island Resort on Thursday, March 6 and Friday, March 7, with additional catalogue offerings to be announced over coming weeks. 

“Gooding Christie’s is honored to present a selection of Classic and Brass Era cars which have been admired and consistently awarded prizes on concours lawns reflecting their authenticity, elegance, and provenances,” says Rupert Banner, Gooding Christie’s Senior Specialist. “Mr. Alley’s prescient appreciation for originality was far ahead of the modern trends, preserving their condition for future generations where it might otherwise have been erased.”

1931 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Sedan (Estimate: $1,700,000 – $1,900,000)
Since its debut at the New York Auto Salon in late 1928, the stately Duesenberg Model J has remained among the most important American automobiles ever constructed and an elegant, powerful, and innovative testament to Classic Era engineering and design. Built for the most exclusive clientele of the period, each Model J featured custom coachwork, and many were outfitted by some of the most prominent European coachbuilders of the day, including this 1931 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Sedan, chassis no. 2465, engine no. J-446. A stunning one-off Duesenberg featuring an elegant dual-windscreen convertible sedan body by Carrosserie Franay of Parisian suburb Levallois-Perret, this Model J was originally finished in Pearl Gray over a Rose Beige interior. In the summer of 1931, Franay themselves debuted J-446 on the French concours circuit, and a few months later, with the addition of chrome accents and updated headlights, the Model J was displayed on E.Z. Sadovich’s Motor De Luxe stand at the Salon de l’Automobile, held at the Grand Palais in Paris. J-446 was then enjoyed by Queen Maria of Yugoslavia, among the more prominent women drivers and car owners of the era, before being sold to sugar baron and international playboy Antonio Chopitea of Lima, Peru. The Chopitea brothers were serial Duesenberg buyers and are best known for their ownership of the pontoon-fendered Figoni ‘French Speedster’. 

After a brief stint with a Parisian brewer, J-446 crossed the Atlantic to join the stable of Mr. Warriner in Maryland for more than 30 years, before passing through a number of American owners. In 1977, noted collector Charles Goodman purchased J-446 and retained it for the next 18 years. After an extensive restoration completed in 1996 began two decades of display at the retrospective concours mirroring those which it had debuted when new. Events have included the Louis Vuitton Classic in New York City’s Rockefeller Center, where it won the Pre-War Touring Class; the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, and the Meadow Brook Hall Concours d’Elegance in 1997. In current ownership since 2002, this Model J has seen exhibition once again at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance® and the 2005 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, where it took Second in Class. More recently, this Model J underwent servicing by respected Duesenberg experts Straight Eight of Troy, Michigan. Today, J-446 presents beautifully in black over a red interior, featuring chrome wire wheels, its singular Franay coachwork, and a Lalique crystal Chrysis hood ornament.

The William Alley Collection
Gooding Christie’s is uniquely proud to present the William Alley Collection at its upcoming Amelia Island Auctions, widely considered to be one of the most important collections of original, authentically restored cars from the Antique, Brass, and Classic eras. A longtime collector, car enthusiast, and esteemed concours judge, William Alley has remained a true proponent of originality and preservation throughout his six decades in the collecting community. He has judged many a prewar class at concours events throughout the nation, including Pebble Beach and Amelia Island, and has notably exhibited his exceptionally maintained collection with accolades at The Elegance at Hershey, the Hilton Head Concours d’Elegance, the Radnor Hunt Concours d’Elegance, and the Misselwood Concours, among many others. Following his success as a record-setting javelin thrower and competitor at the 1960 Olympics, Mr. Alley established his long-term career as an engineer and inventor based in Vermont. His passion for early cars remained central to his personhood, and throughout the years, Mr. Alley amassed an incredible collection of early cars, largely working on them himself with the utmost attention to authenticity.

The Amelia Island Auctions will feature 13 lots from the William Alley Collection, ranging from a 1902 Rambler Model C Runabout (Estimate: $70,000 – $90,000, Without Reserve) to a 1934 Ford V8 Phaeton (Estimate: $30,000 – $40,000, Without Reserve). Highlights of the collection include one of Mr. Alley’s most well-known cars, a faithfully restored 1914 Locomobile Model 38 Four-Passenger Berline (Estimate: $250,000 – $325,000). No stranger to the concours scene, this Locomobile, bodied by Kellner, has garnered several Best of Show awards at venues including the Glenmoor Gathering in 2006, the Misselwood Concours d’Elegance in 2014, and the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance in 2017. Believed to be the sole survivor of only 300 such cars made, this Locomobile is upholstered with imported French fabric and features nickel-plated Tiffany reading lamps. Also offered is an elegant and significant 1910 Packard Model 30 Seven-Passenger Touring (Estimate: $225,000 – $275,000) eligible for HCCA tours and events, as well as a 1906 Pierce-Arrow Great Arrow Model NN 28-32 Tonneau (Estimate: $150,000 – $225,000, Without Reserve) formerly owned by legendary automotive designer Dick Teague of General Motors and American Motors Corporation fame. The collection also features a never-before-shown 1906 Stevens-Duryea Model U Five-Passenger Touring (Estimate: $175,000 – $225,000, Without Reserve) and an incredibly preserved, unrestored 1910 Stevens-Duryea Model X Five-Passenger Touring (Estimate: $125,000 – $175,000, Without Reserve).

Additionally, the Amelia Island Auctions will feature a no-reserve trio of Chrysler Town and Country cars from the F.G. "Tim" Burton Collection. This includes a 1942 Chrysler Windsor Town and Country Barrelback (Estimate: $250,000 – $325,000, Without Reserve), a 1947 Chrysler Town and Country Sedan (Estimate: $70,000 – $90,000, Without Reserve), and a 1950 Chrysler Town and Country Coupe (Estimate: $50,000 – $70,000, Without Reserve).

Amelia Island Auctions
Date: Thursday, March 6 at 3 p.m. EST, and Friday, March 7 at 11 a.m. EST
Location: Racquet Park, Omni Amelia Island Resort
Public Preview: Wednesday, March 5 through Friday, March 7
Auction Catalogue: $120, includes admission for two to the viewing and the auctions
General Admission: $50, includes admission for one to the viewing and the auctions
Bidder Registration: www.goodingco.com/register
Live Auction Broadcast: www.goodingco.com