Coming up in just a few weeks is the Antique Automobile Club of America’s Eastern Fall Meet in Hershey, PA. Running from October 7 to 10, it’s a huge get-together for people who love old cars. You’ll find rows of beautifully restored vehicles, endless flea market stalls with parts and memorabilia, and plenty of chances to just talk cars with fellow enthusiasts. I’ve never attended Hershey, but am strongly considering attending this year, at least to preview the lots on offer at RM Sotheby’s 2025 Hershey Sale. In today’s Market Monday, I’m highlighting my favorite European pre-war cars from the overwhelmingly American catalog.

It doesn’t get much earlier than 1908 in the world of automobiles and the French brand Panhard is one of the first to build these newfangled horseless carriages. This particular car is a competition variant believed to have been put together in 1909 and raced in-period. The car was sold by Christie’s for $138,000 at their Petersen Museum sale in 2002 and is estimated now at $800,000-1,200,000. This is a big jump, but 20 years is a long time and the car appears to have had some refurbishment since its last sale.

Here’s yet another film car for your enjoyment — this time it was featured in the 1930 film Morocco and was a gift to actress Marlene Dietrich. This car has real presence, especially thanks to the iridescent green paint (the like I’ve never seen before), and was previously sold by RM Sotheby’s at their Monterey sale in 2023. Back then, the car managed $390,000. It’s currently estimated at $275-325,000, a reflection of today’s market.

I’m fascinated by jet-age styling, which is why this particular car is exciting to me. The other reason is its wild styling. It’s a radical departure from the original design of the Hudson Jet and a successful design in its own right. Unlike modern cars that seem to call unnecessary attention to its exterior lighting via bulbous and stretched housings, the Hudson Italia integrates its tail lights into a series of mock exhaust pipes in the rear, as well as other subtle treatments. The last Italia I could find was also sold by RM Sotheby’s but was a 1954 model and a slightly darker color. That example sold for $495,000 at Hershey back in 2023. It will be interesting to see what the current market is like for special coachbuilt cars like this one.

Delahayes have some of the most beautiful, sweeping bodywork of any prewar automobile. This car represents a sporting direction for Delahaye with competition versions racing in the famed Mille Miglia. This example was sold just a year ago at Worldwide Auctioneers’ Auburn Auction for $208,320. Here’s another lot worth tracking to see how the market is faring as we enter the last quarter of 2025.

Declining interest for pre-war cars among the young is constantly discussed, but I say how can this be true when there are cars like this still traversing our roadways? This example, like many Bugattis, was rebodied in its past in the form of a Cabriolet, presumably from a coupe configuration. It’s also a bit of a conglomeration of parts. The car was restored around 30 years ago and has nabbed some wins at various concours. This car is an RM Sotheby’s favorite, having been sold by the auction house in 2022 (for $582,500), 2021 ($665,000) and 2017 (for $572,000).

If the restored and beautiful Bugatti above is a bit too much to swallow in terms of price, perhaps this ¼ million dollar 1933 Hispano-Suiza J12 project car is a good option. By the time you’ve finished the restoration, you’ll have spent at least as much as the Bugatti but you’ll have a rare and beautiful 12-cylinder car from a storied manufacturer. There are some questions as to its authenticity noted in the catalog description, so a healthy investigation of the documentation on this car is advised prior to bidding.

Lagonda is well-known among fans of British automobiles, mostly for its having been acquired by Aston Martin in 1947 and for its generally unsuccessful re-emergence as a brand now and again. The early cars are some of my favorites as they are handsome vehicles with nice proportions. This car was originally black over red and was refurbished in 2012 in the UK by a Lagonda specialist. More a tourer than a sporting car owing to its four-seater configuration, this would look lovely cruising down a leafy back road.

Here’s a tempting little car. While I prefer the design of the preceding DB2, this evolution added rear seats and an opening tailgate as well as other useful improvements. What makes this early Aston interesting is that it’s not stock. Modified for vintage racing in the early 1990s, the dash features an aftermarket tachometer and the seats are buckets rather than plush leather recliners. A rollbar with harnesses and various mechanical changes complete the competition kit. The racing changes may make this car a bit of a deal in today’s market. This car was last sold for $168,000 at RM Sotheby’s in Monterey back in 2023, so there’s a chance you could snag this for even less.

Classic Bentleys always have presence, and this car is no different. I’m also a sucker for pre-war cars that wear fabric-covered bodywork. It just feels incredibly vintage. Far from a pristine original, the chassis was cut down and then later returned to its correct length, meaning the bodywork is also recreated. LED headlights replace the standard units and other improvements have been made for reliability, making this car a potential candidate for a vintage rally.

Customs aren’t limited to 30s hot rods and 60s muscle cars. Here’s a 1936 Rolls-Royce 25/30 that’s been modified from its original limousine bodywork to a sleek 2-seater sports-purpose build with a beautifully executed mahogany rear deck. Lightened braces for the flying fenders do a lot to call this car out of anything but original. It will be interesting to see if customized pre-war cars are as hot as more modern examples.

With its focus on antique vehicles, Hershey is a more narrow cross-section of the market than something like Monterey, so it may not be the most appropriate proxy for the overall collector car market. Regardless, I’ll be watching the sales performance at Hershey as an indicator of whether the Fed’s recent lowering of interest rates will free up some cash.

Mecum’s recent “Larry’s Legacy” sale had pretty strong results, so we’ll just have to wait and see!

Wolf and Mare provides car finding, appraisals, and auction services for buyers and sellers of collector European cars. If you’re interested in acquiring an overseas car, give us a call or drop a line!