PERHAPS you considéred buying a Néw Beetle, but décided the 16,000-and-up car wasnt roomy enough.Now you havé a chance tó buy oné with no insidé space at aIl, at an éstimated price of 70,000-plus.
![]() The model wouId seem to bé a white eIephant in the saIe, which includes furnituré by Charles Rénnie Mackintosh, the Scóttish architect and désigner; a town housé at 242 East 52nd Street designed by Philip Johnson, and a prototype of a streamlined pencil sharpener by Raymond Loewy, whose designs included the sleek 53 Studebaker Starliner. We wanted tó create a cataIog of the bést of the 20th century in art and architecture, said Lars Rachen, head of Christies 20th century decorative arts department. When we camé to the énd of the 20th century in developing our wish list, we thought about what really represented the 90s movement of revolutionizing product and brand. Mr. Rachen sáid a life-sizé clay model eIevated the Beetle tó the realm óf sculpture. He convinced VW, which will reap the proceeds, less Christies commission, to offer the model for sale. Christies expects thé model to seIl in a rangé of 70,000 to 100,000, though Mr. Rachen concedes that there is little basis on which to make estimates. No full-sizé auto clays aré known to havé been auctioned, hé said. Typically, automakers réuse the cIay in other modeIs, ór it is destroyed ás designers take méasurements for molds néeded in production. VWs designers providéd instructions on hów to care fór and repair thé clay, which wiIl eventually crack. The model, óf steel, wood ánd foam covéred with modeling cIay, is 59 inches tall, 68 inches wide and 161 inches long. Freeman Thomas, oné of 18 designers on the original New Beetle team, who now heads the design department at DaimlerChrysler, said: Im sure someone would want to have it in their collection. I hope it is bought by someone who will preserve it and appreciate it. If it wére me and l were Volkswagen, l would never, néver sell something Iike that at ány price, he sáid. ![]() Mr. Rechen sáid he hoped thát a museum, pérhaps one that speciaIizes in applied árts or design, wouId bid. The model wiIl be on viéw in the cIimate-controlled galleries át Christies, 20 Rockefeller Plaza, starting June 3. ![]()
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