Cinq Chevaux, mascot created by René Lalique to be mounted on the radiator cap of the 1925 Citroën 5CV
This past weekend was filled with excitement at beauty at Amelia Island’s Concours d’Elegance in Florida. There were 50th anniversary celebrations of both the Ferrari 250 GTO and the Shelby AC Cobra that featured 12 of the GTOs together along with a Shelby Daytona. Gooding & Company’s auction was headlined by the Drendel Family Collection of rare Porsches that set record prices including a 1974 Porsche RSR Carrera Turbo 2.14 that sold for $3,245,000, well above the $1,700,000 to $2,000,000 range that pre-auction estimates had it at. RM Auctions also presented a fantastic selection of cars with half a dozen of them selling for more than a million dollars each, including the 1929 Cord L-29 Special Coupe that sold for $2,420,000.
One of the lots from the RM Auctions catalog that stole my attention is The Lalique Mascot Collection of Ele Chesney that sold for $850,000. These stunning works of art were created by French artist René Lalique to be mounted on radiator caps of a wide range of cars in the 1920s. The 30 piece collection came complete with a pair of display cabinets built to preserve and highlight the beauty of these creations.
Sadly, modern safety laws prevent manufacturers from mounting hood ornaments on cars. I hope you can enjoy this glimpse of past greatness that celebrates artwork created for cars.
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- Tête de Bélier – Ram’s Head
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- Epsom – Straining Head of Horse
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- Pintade – Guinea Hen
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- Faucon – Falcon
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- Sanglier – Boar
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- Perche – Perch
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- Display Cases
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- Comète – Comet
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- Tête d’Épervier – Sparrow Hawk
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- Victoire – Spirit of the Wind
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- Grenouille – Frog
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- Tête de Paon – Peacock’s Head
All images courtesy RM Auctions.
