Collection of rare and unique MGs to go up for auction this September

By Colin Wood
Aug 5, 2022 | MG, Magnette, RM Sotheby's, TD, MGA, Auction, Twin Cam, K3, Airline Coupe, PB, Gene Ponder Collection, Special, K1

Photography Courtesy RM Sotheby's

What do you do after creating and then selling not one, but two commercial cabinetry manufacturers? That’s right, you go all out and assemble an eclectic collection of over 120 cars, motorcycles and boats–plus a sizable assortment of automobilia.

That’s exactly the story behind the Gene Ponder Collection set to go across the RM Sotheby’s auction block September 22-24.

The collection features various blue-chip classics–like a 1960 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster, a 1967 Ferrari 330 GTC and even two Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupes–but it’s the number of unique and rare MGs that make this assembly of cars truly stand out:

1959 MG MGA Twin Cam Special

Inspired by the MG EX186 works competition car, this MGA Twin Cam-based special is good for over 100 horsepower and comes fitted with a five-speed gearbox.

The car also features a wood rim steering wheel, Pirelli Cinturato radial tires, Dunlop knock-off steel rims and even comes with a British Motor Industry Heritage Trust certificate.

1935 MG PB Airline Coupe by Carbodies

Only 14 PB Airline Coupes are believed to have been built, and this is one of them.

Billed as one of only 526 PB chassis constructed in total, the MG comes fitted with “the final and most refined iteration” of the overhead-valve crossflow Midget engine.

1953 MG TD Supercharged Special

Designed to resemble the “Leonidas,” the MG racer fieled by Miles Collier in the 1939 Le Mans 24, the TD comes powered by a four-cylinder MG engine fitted with a period supercharger and backed by a five-speed transmission.

Featuring hand-formed aluminum bodywork and polished aluminum cycle fenders, the MG special is billed as a California Mille veteran.

1933 MG K1/K3 Magnette Conversion

A tribute to one of MG’s most successful pre-war race cars, the car is noted to mirror the 1933 Mille Miglia class-winning MG K3.

Power comes from a supercharged, inline-six engine that’s backed by a four-speed, pre-selector transmission.

View the rest of the auction lots and learn more about the Gene Ponder Collection by visiting rmsothebys.com.

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Comments

wspohn SuperDork
8/5/22 11:17 a.m.

Concours types should shy away from this sale - the owner submitted many of his cars to modifications that range from interesting to 'well, that one didn't work out so well'.

The latter includes an MGA Twin Cam with what looks vaguely like what happens if an XKE had backed into it...

Everyone has the right to do whatever they want to cars they own, but it isn't necessarily going to be greeted with equal delight in the market at large.....