Bonhams will present a remarkable slice of American motoring history this August, offering the personal collection of the late Vic Edelbrock Jr. at The Quail Auction during Monterey Car Week on 15 August. As the long-time head of Edelbrock Corporation and a figure synonymous with US performance culture, Edelbrock amassed a stable of significant road and racing machinery. All will be offered with no reserve.
Among the headline entries is the 1968 Chevrolet Camaro Trans Am, ex-Smokey Yunick and ex-Don Yenko – the so-called ‘mysterious No.13 car’. Estimated at $500,000-700,000, it carries an enviable racing pedigree, having been driven in period by Mark Donohue, Bruce McLaren, Lloyd Ruby, as well as brothers Al and Bobby Unser. Purchased by Edelbrock in 1993, it remains one of the most storied Trans Am cars of its era.
Equally compelling is the ex-Shelly Washburn, Bob Bondurant 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray Z06, also estimated at $500,000-700,000. One of just six pilot-batch ’63 Z06s built, it boasts period wins at Santa Barbara and Riverside, plus appearances at Pomona, Candlestick Park and the Goodwood RAC TT. This car marked Edelbrock’s own first foray into competitive racing and retains the specification that made it a formidable force in early Corvette competition.
Edelbrock’s love of hot rod heritage is represented by the 1932 Ford Original Roadster Duplicate by Roy Brizio. Built in collaboration with Edelbrock as a faithful tribute to Vic Edelbrock Sr.’s famous original – a car pivotal in American hot-rodding history – it is estimated at $60,000-80,000. A second ’32 Ford, a ‘Hi-Boy’ Roadster also by Brizio and tailored to Edelbrock’s exact specification, carries an estimate of $80,000-100,000.
The collection also reflects personal connections, with a desirable first-year 1955 Ford Thunderbird, purchased by Edelbrock for its identical specification to the car his father bought new in 1955, is offered at $30,000-50,000. A 1973 Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL, delivered new to Katie Edelbrock Higgins, wife of Vic Edelbrock Sr. and retained by the family from new, is estimated at $10,000-20,000.
Custom craftsmanship is showcased in the 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom by Posie, commissioned for Edelbrock at a reported cost exceeding $400,000 and featured on the cover of Hot Rod magazine in 2001. Its estimate stands at $70,000-90,000.
For more information, see cars.bonhams.com
