Glasius, described by Bonhams as a “textile industrialist,” later managed to amass one of the world’s premier collections of Lotus race cars and road cars. Now that he’s decided to retire from vintage racing, Glasius has made the difficult decision to auction off his collection.
The sale will be handled by Bonhams during the 2012 Goodwood Festival of Speed. The timing will likely be beneficial to the sale as well, since Lotus is the featured marque at this year’s Goodwood event, which commemorates Lotus’ 60th anniversary.
The Glasius Lotus Collection contains such significant Lotus models as a Le Mans veteran Type XI (pictured above), an original Formula Junior Lotus 27 and even an ex-Formula One Lotus 18. As for road cars, the collection includes everything from a Lotus Elite Series II through a Lotus Esprit Turbo. It even includes prototypes and concept cars, adding to its value.
While the sale is good news for anyone looking to acquire a specific model of Lotus racer, it may be bad news for Lotus historians. While possible that all 24 cars of the Glasius Collection could sell as a single lot to an interested collector or museum, it’s also highly unlikely.
In preparation for the sale, select cars will be displayed at key vintage motorsport events prior to the Goodwood sale. For full details, see the Bonhams website.