Naked Ambition. Dan Roberts

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СКАЧАТЬ having moved on—and after more than an hour of exploring the park’s many pathways—Chen walked out of Central Park, this time on the east side. Again, he found himself in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the city. Standing on the sidewalk near the corner of a busy intersection with numerous occupied cabs whizzing by him, Chen decided to continue to walk rather than ride toward the East River.

      It didn’t take long until Chen found himself at the corner of York and 72^nd Street facing the sleek, contemporary façade of a building housing Sotheby’s. A few more steps and he was at the upscale auction house’s front entrance being welcomed by a smiling doorman. Once inside, Chen found the cool and quiet of the spacious, high-ceilinged foyer a delight, especially after his long walk in the heat of the day. Even more delightful was what he saw as he walked toward the reception desk. Just to the left was an object that quickly grabbed his attention. Surrounded by a thick velvet rope and bathed in bright white gallery lighting was one of the most beautiful automobiles he had ever seen. There, richly clad in a deep burgundy-red color, topped with a light beige cloth convertible roof, stood one of the jewels the 1930s. And like a gem it sparkled as it sat center stage—big and brash and bold—displayed for all the world to see.

      Drawn by his love of older cars, Chen could not help but walk toward the focus of his attention to begin a closer inspection. As he moved around the aerodynamically shaped body, carefully noting the massive fenders that covered the thick white-walled tires, he recognized a joy welling up from deep inside himself, one that he did not often feel. Much like the allure of a woman, this car was now demanding his attention, acting like a magnet to Chen’s senses, slowly but surely bringing them to the surface. The shiny chrome of the massive grill, the flowing lines of the body and the creamy texture of the leather seats, all beckoned to his sense of style and elegance. And to his touch. In fact, had it not been for hearing his name called out Chen just might have reached out and caressed the gleaming surface that so strongly summoned his hand.

      The voice that stopped him from breaching the rope barrier came from someone nearby. It was a voice that was male and French and pleasant. As Chen turned around he saw someone approaching him, smiling, saying, “Monsieur Chen. Bonjour!”

      Chen, recognizing the man, smiled back as he replied, “Bonjour, Huber.”

      Huber Roget, a slim, silver-haired man of medium height, was impeccably dressed in a dark gray suit and a starched white shirt fronted by a peach colored silk tie. It was with an outthrust hand that Roget continued his warm greeting. “Welcome, Monsieur Chen. So good to see you, sir.”

      “And you, too, Huber.” Chen habitually gave a slight bow as he returned the Frenchman’s handshake. After glancing ever so quickly at the displayed car, Chen spoke of the reason for his visit. “I had some time this afternoon so I thought I would come over and see that painting you called me about.”

      “Oui, Monsieur. The Matisse,” came the reply. “I will be happy to show you. It’s in our estate gallery on the tenth floor.”

      Seeing Chen torn between his wish to see the painting and wanting to continue his viewing of the car, Roget wisely paused a moment. As Chen’s eyes moved once again to the shiny, red-bodied vehicle on display, Roget said, “It’s a real beauty, no?”

      “Yes, quite,” was Chen’s answer.

      “It is a true American classic. A Duesenberg. Do you know of the name?”

      “Oh, yes. Quite a famous line of cars. But never have I seen one as beautiful as this. Certainly not in person.”

      “Monsieur Chen, this is one of the most beautiful automobiles we’ve had the privilege of offering here at Sotheby’s.

      It was then that Roget, with a sense of pride, took hold of the velvet-covered rope barrier, opened up the no-touch zone, and invited Chen to step closer. Now standing just inches from the bumper, Chen watched as Roget made a grand sweeping motion with his one hand as he said, “This, Monsieur Chen, is a truly unique automobile. A 1935 SJ Duesenberg Convertible Coupe. Everything has been fully restored. Just like new.” It was then that Roget lowered his voice a bit, speaking almost as if he was revealing a secret. “Actually, there was not much need of restoration since it has been garaged since 1937. It seems the original owner had gone to France and stayed there during the war years. For whatever reason, he never returned to America. We have documented proof of it being in storage for all those years.”

      Chen’s reply was a nod followed by, “Interesting.”

      Roget, a man of great knowledge when it came to the items being sold at Sotheby’s, continued on. “As I’m sure you know, the Duesenbergs were all one of a kind, each one being hand built as ordered. They were like… like sculptures on wheels. But this one, Monsieur Chen, is extremely rare. There were only three of this particular style ever built.” Leaning toward his visitor, Roget softened his voice as he repeated, “A very rare item indeed.”

      “Yes,” said Chen, his eyes filled with fascination. “I’m sure it is.”

      Recognizing the level of Chen’s interest, Roget continued. “Did you know, Monsieur, that the Duesenbergs were known not just for their elegance in style, but also for their engines?” With his hands now visually expressing ‘bigness,’ Roget said, “They had large engines.. huge ones… designed for racing. Several of their sport models were driven by winners of the Indianapolis 500.”

      Upon hearing that, Chen asked about the motor on this particular model.

      “Ah, Monsieur Chen. Powerful, very powerful.” Now pointing to the hood that seemed to go on forever, Roget said, “Under here is a 320 horsepower engine. Supercharged, believe it or not. I am told that it has a top speed of almost 140 miles per hour. In it’s day that was very, very fast.”

      Chen grinned at the thought of sitting behind the wheel of this beauty at any speed.

      Letting a little time pass for introspective thinking, Roget then said, “This classic will be in our auction next month along with several others including a 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300Sc Coupe. That, too, is a beautiful example of design and speed.

      Still concentrating on the Duesenberg, Chen asked, “And what is the value of this one, Huber?”

      Seemingly pleased that Chen had asked that question, Roget replied with, “It is expected to sell for somewhere between three-and-a-half and four million dollars.” Seeing that Chen didn’t flinch at the numbers, Roget continued. “If you ask my opinion, Monsieur, I think it’s going to be a wise investment for whoever buys it. For an automobile so rare, especially in mint condition, the price can only go up as the years pass.” Roget, knowing of Chen’s history of buying—and why—added, “I would think that this would be a good investment for you, would it not?”

      Chen smiled as he looked at Roget and said, “You know me well, Huber.”

      Trying to add even more of a reason for Chen to think about a purchase of such magnitude, Roget said, “And, as you know, Monsieur, we can keep such an item for you in our secure, climate-controlled storage area. For as long as you would need.”

      Still eyeing the red beauty, Chen added, “Tempting, Huber, very tempting. But, unfortunately, I’ll not be in New York next month.”

      Not one to let absence be an excuse, Roget replied, “But, Monsieur, here’s always telephone bidding.”

      Chen nodded. “Yes, of course there is.”

      It СКАЧАТЬ