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Press Releases
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.
Iconic “23-Window” Volkswagens Set to Provide Timeless California Flair at Upcoming Newport Beach Auction
While originally conceived as a practical cargo- and people-hauler in 1949, Volkswagen’s boxy, Beetle-based Type 2 Transporter quickly grew into a cultural phenomenon that continues uninterrupted today. Often known simply as the “Microbus” and quickly developed into a complete product line including single- and dual-cab pickup trucks, cargo vans, and the dual-purpose “Kombi” and Westfalia pop-up camper variants, the Transporter was also available in range-topping Deluxe Station Wagon form and marketed as a direct competitor for the large, traditional American wagons that dominated Suburbia during the 1950s and 1960s.
With their handsome two-tone finishes and seating for up to nine passengers plus luggage, VW’s inspired Deluxe Station Wagons have gained true collectible status, particularly in their most desirable 23-Window form with a large sliding sunroof and split “Safari” front windows. Economical to operate, highly durable, and relatively inexpensive, VW Station Wagons provided the perfect rolling headquarters for the Love Generation and hordes of Californian surfers during the late-1960s and beyond, complete with a decided anti-establishment flair. Abundant parts supplies and publications, plus excellent club support and a strong network of expert restorers have ensured the distinctive VW’s legend continues stronger now than ever before with rapidly rising collector interest.
Ferrari’s 1966 Turin Show Car to Headline Russo and Steele’s New and Highly Anticipated Auction Event in June at Newport Beach, California
With its svelte Pininfarina designed-and-built bodywork, four-liter Colombo V-12 engine and race-bred fully-independent chassis, Ferrari’s 330 GTC redefined the time-honored Italian Grand Touring concept at a single stroke when it debuted for 1966 at Geneva. Universally praised by respected motoring journalists then and now for its excellent all-around capabilities, sublime driving dynamics, and tasteful luxury, the 330 GTC was produced only through 1968 with just 600 examples built. Long associated with the era’s luminaries and the world’s most beautiful and exotic locations, the 330 GTC remains a landmark Ferrari model in every respect.
Fittingly, Russo and Steele’s inaugural Newport Beach auction event scheduled for June 20 – 22 will feature the offering of a very special 330 GTC Coupe, well-documented as Ferrari’s display car at the 1966 Turin Show. Numbered 9159 and bearing early history including shipment to noted South American Ferrari distributor Carlos Kaufman of Venezuela when new, 9159 eventually made its way to the United States and the personal collection of gallery owner Robert Slack of Atlanta, Georgia, who commissioned its restoration in Italy.
