How an Ontario shop became the go-to place for car collectors - The Globe and Mail
One-hundred years after Gray-Dort Motors began nearby as a local pioneer in the auto industry, RM Auto Restoration has gained international stature making old cars new again. 14 Estimate: $2. 4 million to $2. 8 million At last year’s Pebble Beach concours, this car was class runner-up to the Ferrari 375MM that won best-in-show. Its V-12 generates 170 hp. 1960 FERRARI 250 SWB BERLINETTA COMPETITZIONE RM Sotheby’s, Aug. 13 Estimate: more than $17 million, no reserve Rarity, racing wins and perfectly proportioned alloy sculpting make the SWB second only to the even rarer GTO among Ferrari investments. In this car, chassis number GT1773, Bob Grossman finished second at Nassau to Stirling Moss in another SWB. Grossman later won at Mosport in GT2731. But RM stands alone with an unmatched five best-in-show vehicles at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the foremost event of its kind, at Monterey, Calif. , since 2001. On Sunday, nine cars restored or prepared by RM will be among the classics arrayed on the 18th fairway, high above Monterey Bay. Wealthy collectors trust only a few shops with their diamonds in the rough: a full restoration can range from $100,000 to $1-million and require one to two years. Gray-Dort, RM’s predecessor in local auto lore, began in 1915 with William Gray and Sons, local carriage makers, hooking. Source: www.theglobeandmail.com
