The Mann Collection | RM Sotheby's

Winning Beauty

Sam and Emily Mann and the Designing of a Collection

This summer, RM Sotheby’s is delighted to present the impeccable collection of Sam and Emily Mann. Renowned as two of the world’s most discerning pre-war car collectors, the pair have carefully curated a collection that is truly revered globally. Today, these historically significant automobiles have become a proud addition coming to auction in Monterey, California this August. Sam and Emily’s collection embodies unparalleled beauty, unrivalled design and no small amount of history, and we are proud to share their in passion.

Above Photo courtesy of Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum

Above Photo courtesy of Royce Rumsey

During his childhood in Paterson, Sam Mann developed an appreciation for automobiles, one that only blossomed through his education; his marriage to Emily, now spanning 54 years; and his subsequent career as an industrial designer and manufacturer, during which he became the recipient of over 80 U.S. and international patents for products as diverse as modern ear-piercing technologies, health and cosmetic appliances, and devices for the sailboat and skiing industries.

While always interested in cars, the Manns began to collect with serious passion in the early 1980s, and in the last four decades have become among the most prominent competitors on the international concours circuit. Each of their cars was chosen with careful consideration for its beauty, special history, and engineering, and meticulously restored—some by in-house staff, and others by outside specialists. Brought to their ultimate glory under the influence of both Sam and Emily, each has then been campaigned, both on the show field and the open road, with equal success.

Indeed, the Manns have received Best of Show at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance four times, more than any other individual collector, and has seen four of their other cars receive Best of Show Nominations, as well.

Left: Photo courtesy of Steve Burton/Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

Offered this year at The Monterey Auction is the core of The Sam and Emily Mann Collection, a group representing their most fiercely beloved and most highly honored automobiles, in many instances held within the collection for decades.

Photo courtesy of Steve Burton/Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

Clark Gable’s revered Duesenberg JN was custom-styled to the taste of the "King of Hollywood" in the throes of his greatest romance. An exceptionally original example of the vaunted Mercer Raceabout stands as, simply, its time’s ultimate automobile. Du Pont and Cord each represent the height of advanced style at opposite ends of an era. A V-12 Delahaye beats with the heart of a champion under Franay’s fluid cloak.

Lastly but certainly not least, there are no less than three of the Manns’ Pebble Beach Concours victors, including Walter Chrysler’s personal speedster, the earliest concept of the concept car; Pourtout’s glorious Delage Aero Coupe, a car with nary a straight edge to be found; and the Saliot Voisin that is, simply, one of the most beautiful objects ever to carry an engine.

Each car carries with it extraordinary provenance, and demonstrates that special touch that always clearly marks a car from the Manns’ stable – one selected by a designer himself, restored with the watchful assistance and input from a woman who knows how to draw the most beauty from an automobile, and each vetted by some of the most strenuous competition a modern show field can offer.

It is a study in meticulous curation, from a couple that were ahead of their time in recognizing the automobile as art.