JFK

JFK Ambulance Sold for $120,000 Despite Authenticity Doubts

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

Avid Luxist readers may recognize this vintage ambulance from our article earlier this month. The 1963 Pontiac Bonneville is one of only a handful converted to an ambulance and commissioned by the U.S. Navy. It was said to have carried out the solemn duty of transporting the remains and bereaved of the assassinated president John F. Kennedy, and was slated for the auction block under the auspices of Barrett-Jackson at its recently-concluded auction in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The story sounded credible and straightforward enough, but before the auction took place, reports surfaced to question the authenticity of the vehicle's provenance. It seemed, according to the reports, that the vehicle that actually carried JFK's remains and grieving widow and brother from Andrews Air Force Base to Bethesda Naval Hospital was actually destroyed several years ago.

Authenticity notwithstanding, Barrett-Jackson elected to auction the vehicle just the same, where it promptly sold for a high bid of $120,000 – less than it probably would have fetched if not for the question of its provenance, but more than if it were indeed just an ordinary ambulance. The buyer stated her intentions to donate the car for display at the Smithsonian, but to make the story all the stranger, ended up reportedly selling it for little more than she paid for it to the daughter of a limousine collector in Colorado whose father is presently incarcerated for bribing Alaskan legislators.

Gallery: 1963 Pontiac Bonneville JFK ambulance

Tags: 1963 Pontiac Bonneville, 1963 pontiac bonneville ambulance, 1963 Pontiac Bonneville JFK ambulance, barrett-jackson, jfk, John F Kennedy, john f. kennedy, kennedy, pontiac, Pontiac Bonneville, pontiac bonneville ambulance, scottsdale

Kennedy Ambulance up for Auction at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

Few if any U.S. presidents have elicited the kind of following that JFK did in his life, and arguably even more so in his death. Collectors obsess over Kennedy memorabilia, and this will surely be one of the most coveted pieces.

The vehicle you see here – a 1963 Pontiac Bonneville ambulance commissioned by the Department of the Navy – was tasked with the solemn duty of transporting the slain president's casket (along with his widow and grieving brother who would vie to succeed him) from Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base to Bethesda Naval Hospital and then on to Capitol Hill.

Preserved in original condition, the vehicle will be going up for auction under the Barrett-Jackson gavel in Scottsale, Arizona, from January 17-23.

Gallery: 1963 Pontiac Bonneville JFK ambulance

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Tags: 1963 Pontiac Bonneville, 1963 Pontiac Bonneville JFK ambulance, barrett-jackson, jfk, john f. kennedy, kennedy, pontiac, pontiac bonneville

Lee Harvey Oswald's Coffin Sells For $87,469

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

When I mentioned earlier this month that a Santa Monica auction house was auctioning of the the pine coffin in which the suspected assassin of President John F Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald was buried for almost 20 years, many commenters had very strong opinions. The sale of the water-damaged coffin attracted a flurry of global attention and the lot did extremely well at Nate D Sanders auction house. It had a starting bid of just $1,000 but the AP reports that a mystery bidder picked it up for $87,469 (including a 20 percent buyers' fee).

The coffin was unearthed in 1981 as a consequence of a dispute between Oswald's widow Marina and his brother Robert. Marina sought an exhumation believing that a Russian agent had been buried in her husband's place. After a medical examination proved the body was Oswald's, he was reburied in a new casket. The heavily damaged coffin is being sold by Baumgardner Funeral home, the undertaker that handled the reburial.

The auction was extended for two extra hours to accommodate last minute bidding. According to the auction house, two bidders competed for the prize at the end. The buyer may be revealed within the next few days.

Things connected to President Kennedy tend to sell very well at auction. Recently the Presidential Seal cake side decoration from President John F. Kennedy's May 29, 1962 birthday cake sold for over $6,500 at Heritage Auctions.

Tags: jfk, john f kennedy, kennedy assassination, lee harvey oswald, nate d sanders, oswald coffin

1962 JFK Cake Decoration Up For Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

Ever see the Seinfeld episode in which Elaine accidentally eats a piece of the Duchess of Windor's antique wedding cake? We wouldn't recommend that trick with the piece shown above, the Presidential Seal cake side decoration from President John F. Kennedy's May 29, 1962 birthday cake. The unique piece is being sold November 17 at Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas.

The sugar decoration was taken home by decorated NYPD Detective Patrick "Patty" Larkin the night of the party. The piece is a relic from the famous night when Marilyn Monroe sang "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" to JFK at Madison Square Garden as the giant cake was brought in. Larkin, who was working security detail the night of the event, brought the piece home for his then-girlfriend, Lois. Now Larkin's widow, she says that at the end of the night he saw that it was going to be thrown out and he told a worker he really liked it, and wondered if he could have it. "The worker said, 'that's between (you) and the garbage,' and the rest is now really history." She says the piece went from closet to closet in their houses throughout the years and she's hoping that it will go to someone who can preserve it.

The side decoration carries a pre-auction estimate of $5,000+, is being offered as part of Heritage Auction Galleries November Grand Format American & Political Memorabilia Auction, taking place in-person at the company's Dallas headquarters, as well as live online at HA.com.

The auction features an important selection of John F. Kennedy items assembled to mark the 50th anniversary of his 1960 election, including treasures such as a gold presentation watch worn by JFK throughout the campaign, and what may well be the only example of Kennedy's trademark rocking chair to come with an authentication from the Kennedy family.

Tags: heritage auctions, jfk, john f kennedy, marilyn monroe, president kennedy

The Palm Opens At JFK Airport

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Travelers and those seeing off travelers have a new place to eat at the JFK airport in New York City. The Palm Bar & Grille has opened at JFK International Airport Terminal 4, marking the first airport location of the steakhouse. The Palm Bar & Grille is located in the pre-security, public area of Terminal 4. It will have a built-in clientele, around nine million travelers pass through the terminal each year and thousands of people work in and around the area. The restaurant will have a private dining room for meetings and events and offers private catering from breakfast to evening dining. The steakhouse was founded on Second Avenue in New York City by Pio Bozzi and John Ganzi in 1926 and is famous for prime cuts of meat and popular Italian and seafood dishes.

Tags: airport dining, airport restaurants, jfk, new york airports, restaurants, the palm

Maria Callas Yacht Experience Aboard the Christina O

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Yachts & Sailing

There's a unique opportunity to be transported into the jetset era of the 1950's and 1960's with a new yacht charter aboard late Greek shipping tycoon Arisotle Onassis' legendary 325-ft. Christina O. One of the world's most luxurious yachts, it has played host to the likes of Jackie Kennedy (later Onassis), Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Greta Garbo and Grace Kelly. John F. Kennedy first met Winston Churchill on board in 1957, and more recently Sean "Diddy" Combs chartered the craft; and it was also the setting for of the most glamorous, chronicled and ill-fated romances of the 20th century, between Onassis and the world's most famous opera diva, Maria Callas. The yacht's owners are now offering a special Maria Callas Experience charter this spring and summer, featuring a memorable voyage along the Cote d'Azur from Monte Carlo to Cannes, luxurious appointments, exquisite personal service from the attentive crew, superb dining, fine wines, and a bespoke recital of operatic classics with a storyline of Callas' life by some of Europe's most renowned sopranos.

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: Aristotle Onassis, AristotleOnassis, Christina O, ChristinaO, Jackie O, JackieO, JFK, Maria Callas, MariaCallas, opera, yacht

Omega's New John F. Kennedy Speedmaster Watch Ads

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Please note that the US President in this message does not endorse this ad. This is a brand new advertisement campaign from Omega with permission from the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. The ads will not be limited to the US, as this international campaign is part of a larger effort by Omega to increase demand for the brand worldwide. Recent efforts include the opening of a flagship store on 5th Avenue in New York City, as well as a celebrity appearance by Michael Phelps (which makes sense as Omega is the official Olympics watch).

The Kennedy connection is of course possible due to licensing from the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation that owns Kennedy's image's right of publicity. The idea behind the campaign is that because the Omega Speedmaster Professional was the official watch used by US astronauts, and eventually saw its way to the moon, it has a connection with John F. Kennedy who was instrumental in advancing US efforts to visit the moon and fund the space program. He was killed in 1963, several years before the space program was even looking too promising. I like how the ad displays the Speedmaster Moon Watch in the retro image, making it look perfectly at home, and helps advance the idea that it is really a timeless tool watch design. This year celebrates the 40th anniversary of the moon landing, for which special edition Omega Speedmaster Professional watches are available.

Ariel Adams publishes the popular watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: ad, advertisement, JFK, john f kennedy, JohnFKennedy, moon watch, MoonWatch, omega, speedmaster

Watch Owned by Kennedy and Onassis Up at Auction

by Tracy Chait (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Auctions

Pictured above is the watch JFK wore every day during his morning swim in the White House pool, according to his personal secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, who found the watch in his desk following his assassination and gave it to his wife, Jackie. Now the watch is up for auction at Antiquorum in early March, and is expected to reach final bids between $150,000-200,000.

The watch, designed by Natrix, is a 14K gold timepiece featuring 57 jewels and its original brown alligator strap. It was a gift to the 35th President from Evangeline and David Bruce, who were key supporters of JFK's candidacy.

Interestingly enough, the watch belonged not only to JFK but to Aristotle Onassis. Mrs. Kennedy gave the watch to her second husband in 1971, inscribing the letters FALJ (For Ari, Love Jackie) between the lugs.

[Thanks Michelle!]

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Tags: antiquorum, aristotle onassis, AristotleOnassis, auction, jfk, kennedy, watch

J.F.K.'s Presidential Yacht For Sale

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing

Earlier this week we mentioned a yacht that President John F. Kennedy has used. Now the 62-foot Sparkman & Stephens yacht Manitou that he sailed while in office, is for sale for $1.95 million. The boat was built in Maryland in 1936 and Kennedy used it for both official and personal cruising. Kennedy sailed with both family and dignitaries on the vintage yawl. The yacht includes a fireplace and a single diesel engine. After Kennedy's assassination in 1963, the boat was sold to the Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship. The boat underwent a renovation several years back. I'm sure this piece of American history won't be for sale for long.

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Tags: jfk, kennedy, sailing, yacht

Iconic French Tennis Shoe Arrives in U.S.A.

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Shoes, Men's Style

La Tennis Bensimon, the iconic French sneaker that was a favorite of John F. Kennedy and super-cool musician Serge Gainsbourg, is finally arriving in the U.S. for fall. The classic tennis shoes, rendered in cotton canvas, leather and suede, have long been a favorite of stylish fellows who tracked them down in Europe and Japan. Designer Serge Bensimon, whose grandfather began the business by importing American Army surplus clothing following World War II, says that "For me, creation is a sensitive and eclectic dialogue between art, literature and travel." The men's collection, which will now be available at Bloomingdale's, is "classic and simple yet luxurious, reflecting the essence of Parisian style." Canvas Sneakers have been given the Men.Style.com seal of approval for summer. We're partial to the navy canvas version pictured above. See the gallery for more examples.

[via Kempt]

Gallery: La Tennis Bensimon

Tags: Bensimon, Bloomingdales, France, JFK, John F. Kennedy, JohnF.Kennedy, La Tennis Bensimon, LaTennisBensimon, Paris, Serge Gainsbourg, SergeGainsbourg, Sneakers, Tennis shoes, TennisShoes

Omega Buys JFK Omega Watch

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

The gorgeous albeit rather beaten-up Omega watch worn by President John F. Kennedy when he was inaugurated was auctioned for $350,000. Omega ending up being the top bidder in the Guernsey’s Dec. 15 of the White collection of Kennedy memorabilia. The watch will be in the Omega Museum in Switzerland next to the first watch worn on the moon. After some time in the museum the watch will be shown on tour around the United States.

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Tags: jfk, kennedy, kennedy auction, omega, watch

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