1933 LINCOLN KB CONVERTIBLE COUPE

This lot has no reserve.

Photograph credit: Rus Baxley AN INTRODUCTION TO THE PATRICK S. RYAN COLLECTION " A life without passion is a life without meaning" - Oscar Wilde "Serving one's own passion is the greatest slavery of all" - Thomas Fuller These two fellows might not have had automobiles in mind when they wrote these lines, but their words certainly ring true for me: I have been a slave to my passion and my passion has been automobiles. From an early age I was fascinated by their potent beauty. My teenage years were spent in pursuit of enough cash to own just one: a clapped out Ford Custom (but it was a Police Interceptor). A year at Notre Dame, where only seniors could have cars, was more than I could stand and the 'would be chemist' went looking for a job to support this budding passion. At age 19, the first place to look was the Ford dealership. "Sorry kid, our insurance won't let us hire anyone under 21". March 7, 1967, my twenty-first birthday, I returned and would not take 'no' for an answer. That day I became a car salesman and with that came a brand new Mustang demonstrator. Nirvana. It did not take long to figure out that as a car salesman I would be limited to one brand and one car. I was also not much of a salesman. Selling to business owners was more my style so I got into fleet sales, then leasing, then my own fleet management and leasing company, all the while collecting exciting cars, one at a time, but having to sell each to fund the next. My tastes ran from sports cars to high revving small-block pony cars. The Trans-Am series lit my fire and I worked as a volunteer flag marshal, primarily at Road Atlanta, from 1968 to 1978 to be close to my heroes...the cars. Ultimately I formed a partnership with my ex-boss, the Ford dealer, and we got into the business of re-distributing new, U.S. production Japanese cars during the Voluntary Restraint era in the '80s. We bought and sold over 60,000 new cars. Finally I could afford the cars of my dreams. Beyond Nirvana. By about 1985 I could not only afford these cars, I finally had adequate funds to start holding on to them. At this time, I developed a few rules and I have lived by them: I only bought cars in the condition in which I would keep them; I could only have a car if I believed it would hold its value as well as the Treasury bill it would replace; We should try to drive every car at least every 60 days; Beauty and history should dominate over performance and function. By the time my 8-car garage overflowed, I had a full time mechanic/detailer and by the time my collection reached 60 cars, we had a 20,000 square foot, drive in and out museum (open daily to the public) a curator and a full time staff of 4. By 1990 the price of an Accord had moved from $10,000 to $18,000, killing that golden goose. Meanwhile my Gullwing halved in value roasting the other 'vintage' goose pretty well. Undaunted, I continued to add slowly to the collection in the early '90s, paring down a bit through the late '90s which finds me today with 45 cars. The words "addiction" and "slavery", so easily ignored in youth, gain weight after fifty, just like waistlines. Like a theatre that shows the same movie every evening, after a few years there were very few visitors to our museum in Montgomery, Alabama so we moved to a facility more suited to driving and maintaining the cars and they became available to the public only by appointment. Recently I lost the lease on this facility and, faced with building a permanent home for the collection, I decided to scale down. Remembering that my last downsize (from 60 to 45 cars) took years of advertising and sales, I decided to sell 18 cars in one day. So as there would be no turning back, I decided to sell the majority at no reserve. Only Christie's has the reputation for genuine 'No Reserve' cars. Yes, maybe your buddies can buy back your car elsewhere, and a few auctions even discount the seller's commission if he buys back his car. Definitely not so at Christie's. I accept the fact that some of the cars will bring wholesale money and trust that Christie's will attract enough dealers to prevent a tragedy. Gulp. Such is the price of liquidity. All of my cars have lived in air-conditioned and humidity-controlled comfort during my stewardship until I lost my lease a couple of months ago. True to my rules, they have been driven by the staff on average every 60 days to 90 days (except the Indy cars). They are the same or better than the day they arrived, not through restoration, but through constant and vigilant maintenance and very controlled use. Therefore, many are in the same condition as when they won major shows. The cars I have selected to sell are mostly those that are too nice (the Classics) or too fast (Indy cars) for someone with 45 cars to drive often or for pleasure. My objective with Classic cars was to have one extraordinary example of each of the great American marques. I owe a deep debt of gratitude to my lifelong friend Samuel A. White III, whose research for "The 100 Greatest Individual Cars - According to the Experts" provided me with the education needed to distinguish among these extraordinary cars. My thanks also go to the 110 plus automotive experts in 13 countries who were interviewed in person by Sam for their nominations. Offered here are, in my opinion probably the world's best Cadillac and Auburn, a truly exceptional Lincoln KB and Ray Wolff's favorite Duesenberg: Doc Elsner's Tourster, the 1933 World's Fair car. The same standards applied to my vintage and historic racing cars: I focused on Indianapolis 500 winners. Only at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum or Roger Penske's shops will you find more than one Indianapolis 500 winning car. Here is your chance to own four, one from each decade, '50s through '80s. I believe there may be less than 10 winnners in private hands. And so to the future: My current 'competitive' passion is vintage racing. It still feels new and wonderful even after 13 seasons and over one hundred race weekends in an ex-Mark Donohue/Roger Penske Sunoco Camaro. My son Sean has raced with us for the last 7 years which has added a new dimension to this pleasure. I find this type of competition more compelling than concours, rallies or tours, though I wish I had time for all. With more than 25 cars remaining in my collection, I will continue to be a slave to this passion, but somewhat less its prisoner. Patrick S. Ryan June 2001

Details

1933 LINCOLN KB CONVERTIBLE COUPE
COACHWORK BY LEBARON
Chassis No. 2407
Engine No. 2407
Black with scarlet red fenders and detailing, black leather interior and black soft top
Engine: V12, overhead valve, 488ci., 150bhp at 3,400rpm; Gearbox: three-speed manual with free wheeling; Suspension: front and rear leaf springs; Brakes: four wheel mechanical drum with vacuum assist. Left hand drive.

With the depression of the thirties slowly strangling luxury car sales, the car manufacturers, including Lincoln, offered more flamboyant and powerful automobiles in the hopes of attracting new customers. The KB Lincoln was one such model and for many collectors it represents the pinnacle of aesthetics and mechanical achievement of the Lincoln marque. The KB engine was the largest displacement engine offered by the company until the mid-sixties. The use of fork and blade connecting rods, 160 degree crank shaft and separate engine blocks were ideas held over from the early Henry Leland days at Lincoln. There were other amenities found on this car that made for luxurious and easier motoring. Freewheeling allowed the driver to coast when decelerating, a feature that saved gas and engine effort. Power assisted brakes made easy work of stopping. The KB was an aesthetic triumph as well. The new wheelbase was extended to 145 inches, skirted fenders were added to cover the frame, the V shaped radiator was slanted back and the new lower body sill line curved low over the frame rails to match the graceful curves of the running boards. One of the most popular and surely the sportiest of the body styles was the LeBaron Convertible Coupe. With the top folded down below the belt line, it provided a low, sporty appearance. Just 37 of these LeBaron bodied Convertible Roadsters were ever produced. Although Lincoln used the name Roadster, this model actually has the luxury of roll up windows.

According to an article by Mr. Ray Levy in the Classic Car of America publication Torque, January-February 1984, this car, serial number KB 2407, was purchased in 1963 by Mr. Bill White of Grayslake, Illinois. Mr. White was already a long time Lincoln enthusiast and he kept the original KB ready for a future restoration. By all accounts the car was extremely original and in 1982 Ray Levy purchased it. At the time it was sitting on four old truck tires and all the hardware such as instruments, door handles, etc. were in boxes. The headlights, trunk rack and running boards were stuffed into the rumble seat. Mr. Levy then commissioned respected restorer Fran Roxas in Alsip, Illinois to complete a thorough frame-off restoration, both cosmetically and mechanically. The result was stunning and in 1984 this roadster was rewarded with both an AACA National First Prize and a National First Prize by the Classic Car Club of America. A few years later, the Lincoln was acquired by Bill Clayton of Arizona and when it was shown at the Grand Prix Concours in Palm Springs, it was awarded Best Lincoln of the show.

The KB has been in Pat Ryan's collection for a number of years and is still in beautiful condition. The paintwork is very eye-catching with the contrasting red fenders and red coachline. This is carried through into the interior with black leather upholstery and black carpets piped with red leather. The engine compartment is very clean and well detailed with many polished parts. The soft top fits well and the rumble seat is correctly trimmed. The car has only been driven and used sparingly since its restoration. Just 38 miles were on the KB at the time of cataloguing and this is very likely all the car has covered since restoration. Pat Ryan notes that this car is especially tight and drives like a new car, and according to many tour veterans, the KB is one of the mose desirable cars one can use. This represents an opportunity to acquire one of the most desirable Lincolns and it will be eligible for all Classic Car Club events and tours.

WITHOUT RESERVE

Special notice

This lot has no reserve.