CAFÉ RACER 76: Coys to offer Karl Ritter Museum collection without reserve

On 12 and 13 October in Graz, Austria, British auction house Coys will sell off the entire Karl Ritter Museum collection. Comprising 200 vehicles – from Goggomobils to a Unimog – and over 1,000 collectibles, each lot will be offered ‘without reserve’…

Spanning such a diverse range of vehicles, the lotlist is very typical of a Coys auction: from 1:18 scale models to an historic pedal car; mopeds to tractors; pre-War to modern day; nut and bolt restorations to ‘barn finds’ – in short, if it’s got wheels, it’ll be at the sale in Austria.

Parking itself nicely in the ‘barn find’ category is a 1947 Bristol 400 Coupé, one of the first cars the British firm ever built. With partial-aluminium bodywork, this car took part in the Monte Carlo Rally of 1949 and was used until 1966, at which point the then-owner’s health deteriorated and it was consigned to storage. The rare Bristol has barely seen the light of day since.

In contrast, the BMW 327 on offer has been the subject of a recent restoration, and as a result is now “in extremely impressive condition throughout”, according to Coys. In the fetching combination of black and cream over red leather, it’s said to have been used by its present owner only twice – both times in dry weather.

A particular highlight of the collection is the 1969 Ferrari 365 2+2, not just because it’s generally considered one of the more genuinely usable classic Ferraris, but also as it’s been recently refurbished and faithfully repainted in its original shade of ‘Rosso Marrone’.

Photos: Coys