Pimpana Pickles Auctions

The date marks a special vintage vehicle, stationary engine and veteran machinery auction, hosted by Pickles Auctions. Featuring many items from the collection of Reg Schuster, plus a number of individual offerings from ten other private collectors, the October auction is the first major vintage automobile auction held by Pickles for some time. When we say 'rare' in reference to the offerings up for auction, try some of these names on for size: Standard; Maxwell; Karrier; Stearns Knight; and CarNation. The CarNation is particularly interesting, and is worthy of further investigation. Built in Detroit, Michigan between 1912-14 by the American Voiturette Company, the CarNation (carnation - flower - geddit?!) was a lightweight 'cyclecar' that featured a four cylinder, air-cooled engine with a three speed transmission. A distinctive visual feature of the CarNation was the radiator that projected to a point creating a ship's prow appearance. Seating was strictly for two and white rubber tyres appear to have standard on these vehicles.

Only a handful of these rare cars are known to exist worldwide, and the CarNation up for auction this October is believed to be the only one in Australia. Most of the cars on offer date from the 1920s, with nothing newer than 1939 in the auction catalogue. In addition to the mass of stationary engine on offer, a highlight for vintage machinery fans will undoubtedly be the 1930 Dennis fire engine that comes complete with all hoses, pumps, ladders, even a pair of brass helmets. The Dennis is one of eight vehicles from Reg Schuster's impressive collection that will be on offer this October. After so many years of collecting, the time has come to sort out the collection and part with some unwanted treasures. Reg has been in the business of collecting and restoring vintage cars for the better part of fifty years, which explains the breadth and variety of his collection. It all started for Reg with a 1927 Standard tourer. The Standard belonged to his wife's uncle, James Heron, and was the only car she'd ever ridden in until she married Reg. When Heron passed away in the late 1950s, the car was given to Reg, who treated it to a comprehensive restoration. The Standard gave Reg 'the bug' and thus was started a craving for old motor cars.

Over a 25 year period from the early 1960s, Reg purchased and restored six other cars, plus a rare Fiat truck. Able to fund his passions through a successful crane hire business run in partnership with his brothers, Reg's next love affair was with steam. In 1985, Reg purchased a rare 1901 Locomobile, a car he still treasures today. Next came commercial vehicles, where Reg turned his attention and abilities to the restoration of a Caldwell Vale and Daimler truck. A 1938 International 'cream truck' also came into the collection, and is on offer as part of the October auction. With the passage of time, the maintenance of such a collection has become too big a job, hence the reason for making these vehicles available for auction. Just Cars had the chance to have a brief chat with Reg, who offered some interesting insights into the vehicles he's parting with. The 1927 Stearns Knight sedan is one of the stars of the collection, described by Reg as a real "gangster's car". It's certainly an imposing vehicle with its long bonnet (housing a straight 8 engine) and truck-sized 650x20 tyres. In its day, the Stearns- Knight was one of the more expensive automobiles you could buy.

The level of appointments give some indication as to the clientele the big Stearns-Knight was aimed at: passenger compartment reading lights; cigar lighter; even a bar! Reg purchased his example from Gilltrap's Auto Museum (a name familiar to many Just Cars readers both here and in New Zealand, we're sure) in 1980. Having only had three known owners from new, and carefully maintained throughout most of its life, the Stearns-Knight is a stunning piece of machinery. Like the CarNation, this Stearns-Knight is believed to be the only one of its kind in this country. Another big unit from the Schuster collection is the 1922 Studebaker 7 seater tourer. Rather than the usual dickie seat arrangement for the third row of passengers, the additional seating in the Studebaker actually folds out of the back of the front seats. The two small "jump seats" were jokingly referred to by Reg as "Mother-In-Law seats"! Other highlights from the Schuster collection include a 1925 Rolls Royce tourer, 1932 Chevrolet tourer and a restored 1928 Maxwell (the forerunner of Chrysler) tourer. Among the vehicles on offer from other vendors include a rare, English-built 1925 Hornsby, one of only two in Australia, among three worldwide.

A pair of unrestored 1926 Austins, 1928 & 1930 Essex sedans and 1931 Riley 9 Sports, are amongst the other rare offerings on offer. With an eye on our current feature marque, a 1929 and 1939 Hudson Super Six are also in the catalogue. Both Hudsons are restored runners, and the '39 model is currently registered. Stationary engines of all ages and stages of restoration are also part of the auction. There's even a pair of working WWII-era searchlights! A vintage collection this diverse is unlikely to be on offer again anytime soon, so if you have a passion for vintage vehicles and machinery, we'd thoroughly recommend you further investigate this auction, due to be held at the South Coast Restoration Society Grounds, 193 Rifle Range Road, Pimpana, QLD. Online bidding is also available. See the Pickles Auctions advert in this issue for further details.