Bertoia's August 28 Automobilia Sale featured rare items from the David Bausch lifetime collection

VINELAND, N.J. - Sept. 15, 2026 - PRLog -- A hand-painted polychrome bronze sculpture by Stanley Wanlass (American, b. 1941-) depicting an early touring car overtaking a man on horseback sold for $34,800, and a handsome 1929 Franklin Series 11 sedan automobile chugged off for $13,200 at Bertoia's August 28 Automobilia Sale. The auction featured automobilia items from the celebrated David Bausch collection, an exceptional assemblage encompassing more than a century of automotive history, advertising and design.

Longtime car and automobilia enthusiast David Bausch's collection is so massive, many of his treasures have been featured in seven auctions conducted by Bertoia's. About half the items entered in the August sale were from his collection, all automobilia. They included posters, prints, enameled gas and oil signs; statuary, early automotive-themed objets de vertu and gentlemen's dresser items, Roseville dishware and more. Fine-quality pieces from other consignors were also offered in the 550-lot sale.

Five of the auction's nine top lots were whimsical hand-painted, polychrome bronze sculptures by Stanley Wanlass, all of them richly detailed and exhibiting an automotive theme. His circa-1930 Passing of the Horse, from an edition of 30, depicted the transitional years during which the car replaced the horse as America's primary means of transportation. The 32-inch-long sculpture atop a carved walnut base is among Wanlass's most acclaimed works. The $34,000 selling price surpassed the $24,000 high estimate.

The 1929 Franklin Series 11 automobile, a 1992 Classic Car Club of America original car award winner, was finished in dark green with black fenders. It exemplified the advanced engineering that distinguished the H H Franklin Manufacturing Company (Syracuse, NY, active 1902-1934). This well-preserved example represented one of America's most innovative independent luxury automobiles of the Classic Car Era. It sold above its high estimate for $13,200.

A large, single-sided porcelain service station sign advertising Franklin Motor Cars, produced circa 1920s, realized $10,200 against a pre-sale estimate of $4,000-$6,000. Measuring a stout 48 inches by 27 inches, the sign featured bold black, white, and yellow graphics, and was manufactured for display at authorized Franklin dealerships, as well as service stations. It was a desirable example from one of America's early American automobile manufacturers and was graded in excellent to pristine condition.

Bertoia Auctions is currently accepting high-quality toys, banks, holiday antiques and collectibles for their future sales. All enquiries are kept strictly confidential and there is never any obligation to consign. Tel. 856-692-1881 or email toys@bertoiaauctions.com. Keep up with Bertoia's via their website: www.bertoiaauctions.com.