Liectenstein Saloon Cars 2014

Liechtenstein is continuing its “Collections in Liechtenstein” series with precious saloon cars from the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. The Canadian artist Mark Heine painted the rarities in oil precisely for this purpose.

The gold hot foil stamping emphasises the exclusive nature of the subjects. A unique specimen is the “Rolls Royce Phantom II 1933” (value: CHF 0.85), which was made for an American manufacturer so that he could give his future wife a gift as befitting her standing and status. The saloon car without a luggage compartment was used solely for short trips around town and offers seating for six people, two of whom at the front in a separate chauffeur compartment.

The “Pierce Arrow Type 133 1929” (value: CHF 1.00) is a seven-seater saloon that is still virtually in its original condition. Its owner only reworked a few mechanical and visual details. The headlights of this rare version were mounted on a separate front bar and were not integrated into the wings, which was usually the case with this type of car.

Like many automobiles in this era, the “Studebaker Big Six 1935” (value: CHF 1.40) was not made by a single car manufacturer either. While the chassis and the engine came from the Studebaker Corporation in Indiana/USA, the body maker Hartmann from Lausanne was responsible for the complete bodywork of the exclusive vehicle.

The “Jaguar Mark IV 1948” (value: CHF 1.90) is what is known as a drophead coupé; a two-door sports car with four seats and a folding roof. The producer used it as a test vehicle in Alaska. Among other things, several heating systems were installed for test purposes. At the beginning of the 1950s, the vehicle was given a Jaguar MK7 engine and a hydraulic braking system, later a XK150 transmission and modern oil-filled shock absorbers. In 2001, the car was sold to California from where it reached Liechtenstein in 2005 via Belgium and eastern Tyrol.

Released August 30, 2014