(July 27, 2012) CANTON, Ohio — Classic Motorcar Auctions LLC announces it will offer select vehicles and the memorabilia collection from the William A.C. Pettit III Collection during their third annual Grande Salon Auction Sept. 15 during the Glenmoor Gathering of Significant Automobiles Concours d'Elegance at the historic Glenmoor Country Club in North Canton, Ohio.

A lifelong automotive enthusiast, William "Bill" Pettit owned the Pettit Brothers Chrysler-Plymouth-Dodge-Jeep dealership in Louisa, Va., for many years with his father, W.A. "Claude" Pettit, Jr. The Pettits also operated the Museum of Motoring Memories in Natural Bridge, Va., from 1954-1967, operating for 13 years as a leading travel destination with more than 150 collector cars, memorabilia and over 4,000 license plates on display from their private family collection.



All vehicles and other items from the Pettit Collection will be sold without reserve. This selection includes three American Bantam cars: a 1939 Bantam Model 60 coupe believed to have just over 15,000 original miles; a 1940 Bantam Hollywood convertible, pictured below, with just over 500 miles following a comprehensive restoration; and a very rare 1940 Bantam Speedster, pictured above, featuring coachwork by Count Alexis de Sakhnoffsky.

In addition, Classic Motorcar Auctions will sell four collectible Mopars: a 1967 Plymouth Barracuda convertible with the high-performance 273 cubic-inch 230 horsepower V8 "Power Pack" engine; a 1968 Plymouth Sport Satellite convertible; a 1970 Chrysler Newport convertible - one of 1,124 examples from the last year of Chrysler's full-size convertible production; and a 1984 Chrysler LeBaron Town & Country convertible.

The high-quality memorabilia from the Pettit Collection includes an original Charles Sykes Rolls-Royce Flying Lady bronze sculpture from an early Rolls dealer showroom; original porcelain enamel signs; an abundance of classic car sales literature; many Boyce Moto-Meters; and a generous selection of rare, original radiator mascots, among many other one-of-a-kind items.

Classic Motorcar Auctions will also offer four classic car engines on display stands. The Pettit engines comprise a 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom I six-cylinder with all ancillaries and accessories; a 1922 Duesenberg Model A inline eight with ancillary components and three speed manual transmission; a 1931 Stutz DV-32 dual overhead cam inline eight with ancillaries and transmission; and a 1934 Packard Twelve V-12 engine, ancillaries and transmission.

"I am amazed at the quality and quantity of memorabilia items from the William A.C. Pettit, III Collection, many of which dates back to his childhood in the 1930s," said Bob Lichty, president of Classic Motorcar Auctions, LLC. "The cars also represent an important time in our history, as the Bantams were America's first economy car and the Chryslers are indelibly linked to the Pettit family legacy in the Chrysler business. The engines have been preserved for many years in a climate-controlled environment, making them ideal for a vintage car restorer or a museum display."

The William A.C. Pettit, III Collection will be open for preview on Friday, Sept. 14 from 1-8 p.m. The auction will start with memorabilia at 10 a.m. Saturday, followed by cars at 11 a.m. As requested by the former owner, who was dedicated to supporting developments in children's healthcare, estate proceeds will be donated to the Shriners Hospital for Children(r), which Bill Pettit believed offered the best care.

General admission is $10. The Glenmoor Country Club is located at 4191 Glenmoor Road NW, Canton, Ohio 44718. Classic Motorcar Auctions LLC is currently accepting consignments for the event.

For more information, visit www.classicmotorcarauctions.com, email info@classicmotorcarauctions.com or call 866.653.8900.