Kruse Auctions will host its Auburn Spring Auction 2026 at Kruse Plaza in Auburn, Indiana on April 24-25. The two-day event features a 250-car catalogue encompassing three no-reserve collections, individual consignments and a curated selection of automobilia.
Leading the lots is a numbers-matching 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster from the Dane Miller Estate Collection, which will be offered without reserve. It is joined by a 1938 Delahaye ‘Pantheon’, a unique custom built by Rick Dore that debuted at the 2025 SEMA Show. Let’s dive in and take a look…
Say hello to the Pantheon, a one-off custom car built by Rick Dore and described as his final project. The car is constructed on an Art Morrison chassis and features a hand-formed aluminium body produced by Luc DeLey of Marcel’s Custom Metal. Additional specialist work includes plated finishes by Sherm’s, glass by Galindo Glass and wiring by Ron Francis. Exterior elements, including the grille and tail-lights, were individually fabricated, while the car is finished in Tahitian Blue paint applied by Hillview Customs and Benny Flores. A removable roof allows the car to be configured as an open-top roadster.
Power is provided by a 5.3-litre LS V8 engine paired with a 4L80 four-speed automatic transmission, with a custom dual-exhaust system. The interior was completed by Ron Mangus and includes leather trim, a bespoke steering wheel carrying Dore branding and a centrally mounted instrument display inspired by period design.
The Pantheon made its public debut at the 2025 SEMA Show, where it attracted significant attention. It was subsequently awarded Best in Class at the 2025 Las Vegas Concours d’Elegance and Best Custom Roadster at the 2026 LA Roadster Show.
This 1971 Dinalpin A110 is offered from a collection specialising in rare international marques. Supplied new by Florida Motors in Mexico on July 26, 1971, it was first owned by Roberto Gargollo, an airline pilot, who specified it in Blanco over Negro, a combination it retains. Gargollo kept the car for more than 20 years before passing it to a second owner in the 1990s. In 1998, the car underwent a two-year restoration, including a bare-metal respray in its original colours and overhauls of major components such as the steering and electrical systems. The current collection acquired the A110 in 2020, becoming its third owner.
This Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster hails from the Dane Miller Estate Collection and will be offered at the Kruse Auburn Spring Auction 2026 following 26 years of ownership. Acquired in 2000, it has since been maintained in a climate-controlled facility. Documentation includes a copy of the factory data card, confirming delivery through US distributor Studebaker-Packard in South Bend, Indiana.
Originally painted in black over white, the car has since been refinished in Silver Grey Metallic with a red leather interior. During this work, factory stampings were verified on both inner wing wells. Ahead of the sale, mechanical work included cleaning the fuel system, replacing filters and components, servicing ignition and braking systems, and completing an oil change. Further preparation incorporated dry-ice cleaning of the underbody and engine bay, along with detailing of the exterior and interior. Accompanying items include tools, manuals and a spare wheel.
Here’s something you don’t see everyday. The Hansen Cobra offered here is an early glassfibre custom created in 1952 by brothers Wally and Harry Hansen in Southern California. Designed as a lightweight, innovative show car, it was built on a bespoke box-section steel chassis and powered by a Cadillac V8 engine producing 235bhp, paired with a Lincoln three-speed manual transmission. Suspension components were sourced from a 1940 Ford. The body was formed using a glassfibre process, with the design first shaped in wood and plaster before moulds were created. Period components include bumpers from a 1953 Studebaker, headlights from a 1953 Cadillac and a grille bar from a 1952 Chevrolet.
The car debuted at the 1954 Petersen Motorama, where it attracted significant attention and received multiple awards. It was later featured in Motor Trend in February 1955 and appeared in the 1959 film Road Racers. Retained by the Hansen family until the late 1960s, the car later entered private ownership before being donated to the Petersen Automotive Museum, where it remained until 2025. Recently recommissioned with more than $47,000 spent on mechanical and cosmetic work, it has been restored to closely reflect its original 1954 appearance.
Several lots at the Kruse Auburn Spring Auction 2026 feature celebrity provenance. A 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Convertible formerly owned by The Who bassist John Entwistle will cross the block on April 25, accompanied by a copy of its registration in his name. Meanwhile, a 1958 Chevrolet Impala Coupe (pictured above) previously owned by Buddy Holly is also listed. The car was later purchased in 2010 by Peggy Sue Gerron, the inspiration for Holly’s 1957 hit song. Furthermore, two vehicles from the collection of NBA player Kristaps Porziņģis will be offered without reserve: an early production 1995 Mercedes-Benz S600 AMG tuned by AMG Japan both mechanically and aesthetically, and a 1999 Mercedes-Benz S600 saloon.
The Kruse Auburn Spring Auction 2026 features three distinct estate collections. Alongside the 21-car Dane Miller Estate Collection, the Dr Bill Jackson Estate Collection will offer an ACD Club-certified 1930 Cord L-29 Cabriolet. This example has had two owners since 1949 and achieved a second in class award at the 2010 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Finally the Oscar Roberts Estate Collection includes a restored, ACD Club-certified 1935 Auburn 851 Phaeton.
Further highlights at the Kruse Auburn Spring Auction 2026 include a 2002 Acura NSX-T, the only 2002 example finished in factory Imola Orange Pearl over an orange interior out of 49 ever produced in that exterior colour. The above 1969 Chevrolet Corvette L88 Convertible is one of 116 built for the model year and a former Bloomington Gold Special Collection participant in both 1988 and 2008.
Further details
Previews for the Kruse Auburn Spring Auction 2026 open on Wednesday April 22. Further information, bidder registration and the complete online catalogue can be found here.
