Special attraction for automobilia fans in Ladenburg this December

Automobilia expert Seidel goes on to say, "My team and I have almost 2,500 lots on offer, including the Lamborghini automobilia collection of Manrico Zanuso, the bequest of Carl Hahn Junior, and a diverse range of bequest exhibits from the chauffeur of Karl Dönitz." When asked which lots he would like to highlight in particular, his choice is clear: the original crash helmet of Jean Alesi, which is being offered as Lot 5093. This helmet, which bears the identification code Snell no. K98 / K111660, was worn in the Mercedes-Benz AMG DTM 2004 and has a reserve price of € 2,000. Seidel also mentions a hand-signed letter written by Enzo Ferrari to Signor Comm. Francois Ferrario on 17 September 1958 from the city of Modena, concerning an elevator and the completion of a Ferrari "neon".

Marcel Seidel is especially excited about Lot 1892, from the bequest of Günter Prior, the driver of the former German head of state Karl Dönitz. This includes the logbook of the Mercedes Benz 770 "Grosser Mercedes", armour-plated, 35 pages with entries, various certificates stating that Günter Prior was the personal driver of the supreme commander of the German Navy, hand-signed and dated by the chief of staff on 7 December 1944. Also included are a handwritten letter from Karl Dönitz to Prior, written when he was in prison, a certificate booklet with the sports badge from the Third Reich, a certificate of apprenticeship (examination certificate) for the profession of motor vehicle mechanic, a black and white photo of Prior in his uniform, and some further correspondence of historical interest. This extremely interesting lot comprises a total of 20 pieces and is listed with a reserve price of € 2,000.00.

Lot no. 4499 has likewise been highlighted as being of particular interest. This is a two-page letter dated 12 December 1957 from Enzo Ferrari to Count Berghe von Trips and Huschke von Hanstein (this carbon copy was sent especially for von Trips) regarding participation in the races in Buenos Aires and participation of the Scuderia Ferrari in the Hill Climb Championship. The letter concerns an enquiry as to which races Count Berghe von Trips can take part in for Porsche without causing a breach of his contract with Scuderia Ferrari. A very special exhibit for all Ferrari fans.

Lot 4593 is also something for Ferrari collectors: this rare carbon copy of a letter from Count Berghe von Trips to the Managing Director of Ferrari Girolamo Gardini, written in the year 1961, concerns the purchase of the Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Cabriolet S2 (#2361GT) and has a reserve price of € 500.00.

A reserve price of € 50,000.00 has been set for the original engine block (crankcase) of the Porsche 911 S/T 2.5 litre engine type 911/70, engine code 6622040, which is in good condition and listed as lot no. 3203. The very rare original magnesium engine housing Porsche Type 771 for a Porsche 907 (with engine code) in good condition is earmarked as extremely rare. It comes with a full set of Mahle pistons for a Porsche Type 771, or for a Porsche 907 with a 2.0 litre engine, complete with rings and bolts, NOS in the Mahle box, and the reserve price is € 120,000.00.

Also worth a mention is a mixed lot of five pages of sketches and calculations by Ettore Bugatti, all signed with his initials, from the years 1936 to 1947. These rare historical documents are listed with a reserve price of € 1,500.00.

If you would like to view these or any other exhibits, we would be happy to arrange an appointment for a preview. Slots are available from Monday to Thursday, between 8:30 am and 3:30 pm. To book an appointment, please contact our team on +49 (0) 6203 – 95 77 870.

In addition to all this, there will also once again be countless small and larger automobilia exhibits. Further information has been published on the website https://www.automobilia-ladenburg.de. Here, you will not only find information on all the lots in the forthcoming December in-person auction, but also full details of all other upcoming auctions. If you are unable to attend the auction at the beginning of December, you can take a look at the subsequent sale of unsold items.