RM Sotheby’s will bring one of the most celebrated private collections of prewar and Classic Era automobiles to Monterey this August, when the Sam and Emily Mann Collection crosses the auction block during the company’s Monterey sale, held August 13–15, 2026. The offering is not simply another group of expensive old cars. It is the core of a collection assembled by two people known for treating the automobile as sculpture, engineering and cultural artifact all at once. RM Sotheby’s describes Sam and Emily Mann as among the world’s most discerning prewar collectors, and their record backs it up: cars from their collection have won Best of Show at Pebble Beach four times, more than any other individual collector.
That matters because Monterey Car Week is where the collector-car world often decides what truly sits at the top of the market. Provenance, restoration quality, design and concours history can turn an already rare automobile into a generational prize. In the Mann Collection, those elements come together repeatedly. These are not just preserved machines; they are cars that have been selected, restored, shown and driven with a particular eye for proportion, drama and historical importance.
The Stars of the Sale
The headline car may be Clark Gable’s 1935 Duesenberg Model JN Convertible Coupe (pictured above), a Hollywood machine with the kind of story auction houses dream about. Gable, one of the most famous actors of his era, ordered one of only four Rollston-bodied JN convertible coupes, among the last two-seat open Duesenbergs delivered to customers. RM Sotheby’s estimates the car at roughly £4.3 million to £6 million, reflecting not just its rarity, but the weight of its original ownership and its place in the golden age of American luxury.
Another standout is the 1932 Chrysler CH Imperial Speedster, described by RM Sotheby’s as Walter Chrysler’s personal speedster and “the earliest concept of the concept car.” That phrase says a lot. Before automakers routinely used dream cars to preview the future, Chrysler had a dramatic one-off machine that combined personal taste, corporate ambition and design theater. It is the kind of car that helps explain why the Classic Era remains so powerful: the best examples were not merely transportation, but rolling statements of identity.
Then there is the 1937 Delage D8-120 S Aerodynamic Coupe by Pourtout (pictured above), one of the most visually arresting cars in the group. The car is identified as the prototype for the D8-120 S chassis and was built as the personal car of Louis Delage, giving it both design significance and direct connection to the man behind the marque. With its sweeping bodywork and French coachbuilt presence, it represents a different kind of glamour from the Duesenberg: less Hollywood power, more European elegance and motion captured in metal.
Why This Auction Matters
The Mann Collection arrives at a fascinating moment for the hobby. Online auctions have made the collector-car market broader and faster, while Monterey remains the grand stage for blue-chip automobiles with serious historical weight. A sale like this reminds enthusiasts why live auctions still matter. The cars are not interchangeable assets; they are objects with stories, personalities and reputations built over decades.
What makes the Mann Collection especially exciting is its focus. It is not a warehouse of random trophies. It reflects a point of view: beauty first, but beauty supported by engineering, provenance and competition on the world’s toughest concours lawns. Whether bidders chase the Gable Duesenberg, the Chrysler speedster, the Delage Aero Coupe or one of the collection’s Pebble Beach-winning masterpieces, the sale should offer a rare look at what happens when great cars are gathered by people who understand design as deeply as they understand history.
For the rest of us, that is the fun of a landmark auction. Most enthusiasts will never own one of these cars (but hopefully there will be some next generation collectors that obtain some of these), but we still get to watch the market decide what history is worth.
