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Russo and Steele Honored to Offer a Pair of Pontiac Trans Am Anniversary Models From the Personal Collection of Automotive Legend Jim Wangers
In addition to the air of excitement surrounding our inaugural Newport Beach auction scheduled for June 20 – 22 at the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort, we are thrilled to announce the offering of two very special Pontiac Trans Am Anniversary models – in fact the final two cars – from the personal collection of automotive marketing legend Jim Wangers. Best of all, Mr. Wangers will be on hand with us at the sale, providing a great opportunity for Pontiac fans to meet him in person.
To legions of fans, Jim Wangers redefined the art and science of automotive marketing and he was one of the driving forces responsible for Pontiac’s quick and dramatic turnaround from near-extinction in the 1950s to 3rd place in sales rankings during the “Wide-Track” era. The architect of Pontiac’s high-performance parts program and its association with Royal Pontiac, Mr. Wangers oversaw the planning, marketing, and high-profile placement of some of the era’s greatest performance cars including the Bonneville, Grand Prix, Catalina 2 + 2, GTO, and Firebird/Trans Am during his long and storied career. While best-known for his undying love of Pontiac’s 1960s stormers, he also acquired some of the marque’s later high-performance icons, including the outstanding pair of Trans Am Anniversary models from 1979 and 1989 offered here.
Kenny Bernstein’s Original “Budweiser King” AA/Funny Car Races to Newport Beach
A true drag racing icon is set to “light up” the upcoming June 20 – 22 Russo and Steele auction at Newport Beach – none other than Kenny Bernstein’s original Budweiser King AA/Funny Car, marking the beginning of the longest-running and most successful sponsorship in motorsports.
After a self-imposed hiatus to focus on his restaurant business, Kenny Bernstein returned to drag racing full-time and full-throttle in 1978 with his fully-equipped Chelsea King Funny Car. Commissioned by racing-engine legend Ed Pink, the Chelsea King was built and prepared by the best using only the best, with a leading-edge chassis by Jim Hume and Pat Foster at Van Nuys, California’s H & H Racecraft, an Ed Pink-prepped Keith Black Hemi and 8-71 blower with Enderle injectors, backed by a Crowerglide clutch, Lenco two-speed transmission, and narrowed 9-inch Ford rear end. The sleek Plymouth Arrow-derived body was beautifully finished with Candy Red paint by Bill Carter and lettered in gold leaf by Glenn of Circus Circus.
Multiple Show-Winning, Extremely Rare 1970 Oldsmobile 442 W-30 Convertible Headed to Newport Beach Auction
Long revered for its winning combination of pavement-melting performance, outstanding handling and remarkable sophistication, Oldsmobile’s 442, particularly in its ultimate W-30 specification, has been aptly described by magazine editors as “…the thinking man’s GTO.” Scheduled for Russo and Steele’s upcoming Newport Beach auction, June 20 – 22, one of the finest examples anywhere in the world in the form of an extremely rare, W-30/W-27/M-21 four-speed 1970 Oldsmobile 442 Convertible will be offered at auction.
Now offered from 35 years of single-owner stewardship, this 442 is one of just 96 four-speed Oldsmobile 442 Convertibles originally equipped with the legendary W-30 high-performance option. While the original owner specified a stripe delete, the car arrived at the selling dealer with black stripes on its flanks nonetheless, rendering the 442 an incredibly rare tri-color example. Even more compelling, this very special 442 Convertible is possibly the sole example factory-equipped with the extremely rare W-27 aluminum rear-axle housing and cover, a highly coveted one-year-only option for 1970.
