One-Off 1953 Cadillac 'Elegante' Concept Headlines Kruse Auctions' 56th Annual Auburn AuctionKruse Auctions is rolling out a genuine showstopper for its 56th Annual Auburn Auction & Show, the family-run house's flagship Labor Day Weekend sale in Auburn, Indiana. Photography and background detail courtesy of Kruse Auctions confirm that a one-off 1953 Cadillac 'Elegante' concept car, clothed by famed Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Motto of Turin, will anchor the three-day event running September 2-5.The car's roots trace back to New York commercial artist Harry Birdsall and contractor Joe Mascari, who dreamed up an airplane-inspired grand tourer and enlisted designer Albrecht Von Goertz to finesse the shape, years before Von Goertz penned the BMW 507 and lent his eye to the Datsun 240Z. Built on the chassis and running gear of a 1953 Cadillac Series 62 convertible, the finished car went to Carrozzeria Motto for construction: an aluminum body finished in white mother-of-pearl paint, 14-karat gold plated brightwork, a handmade Lucite steering wheel, and a retractable hardtop that still draws a crowd. The Elegante made its debut at the 1955 International Automobile Show in New York, where it was singled out as a style leader, and decades later took home the People's Choice Award at the 2014 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. Comprehensively restored by Birdsall's son and consigned with known ownership from new, this is the first time the car has been offered publicly since it was built.The Elegante headlines a deep field of early consignments. A comprehensively restored 1932 Packard Twin Six Dual Cowl Sport Phaeton arrives with a pedigree that includes noted collectors Don Williams and Leo Gephart, plus Denmark's Frederikson Collection. A highly original, preservation-class 1956 AC Ace Roadster still wears its original engine after decades in long-term ownership, while a numbers-matching 1971 Dodge Challenger 'Hemi' R/T stands out as one of just 10 factory N96 shaker-hood cars built, and one of a mere 5 finished for export. Rounding out the marquee lots is a 1928 Isotta Fraschini 8A SS Dual Cowl Phaeton, one of only 950 8A chassis ever produced and listed in the Isotta Fraschini Register.AdvertisementAdvertisementItalian coachwork has been a recurring theme on the collector market this year. Enthusiasts who like their metal shaped in Turin or Modena may remember this 1969 DeTomaso Mangusta that resurfaced on Bring a Trailer after 23 years with the same owner, a reminder that low-production, coachbuilt machinery keeps finding fresh audiences well beyond the Cadillac faithful.Because the Elegante is a one-off, it will not show up in any price guide, but the cars beneath its bones and the machines sharing the docket give collectors a way to gauge the market. Hagerty's Valuation Tools track condition-based pricing and recent sales for standard-issue 1953 Cadillac Series 62 convertibles, 1971 Dodge Challenger Hemi R/T cars, AC Ace roadsters, and prewar classics like the Packard Twin Six and Isotta Fraschini 8A, and all four categories have shown the kind of steady-to-strong demand that tends to spill over onto rarer, one-off variants when they finally surface. For context on where those markets sit today, and how each has trended over the past year, Hagerty's tool is worth a look before bidding starts in Auburn.Auburn's Labor Day sale joins a busy back half of 2026 for major consignments. Just weeks earlier, this Cunningham-family, Le Mans-raced 1960 Corvette LM heads to RM Sotheby's Monterey auction, another sign that top-tier consignors are lining up marquee cars for the fall calendar.Kruse Auctions traces its own history back to 1952 in Auburn, widely regarded as the birthplace of the American collector car auction industry. Still headquartered there and led by John Kruse, the family business operates a 200,000-square-foot facility with a live auction arena and climate-controlled storage, and offers appraisal, private sale, and estate planning services alongside its live auctions. Consignments for the 56th Annual Auburn Auction & Show are still being accepted; interested sellers and bidders can reach a specialist at kruseauctions.com.⚡️ Read the full article on MotoriousSign up for the Motorious Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
+42 others
