Christie’s, the British art and luxury auction house has agreed to acquire the California-based classic, prestige and collector car auction house Gooding & Company. The deal should be completed by the end of this year, and Gooding & Co. will become Gooding Christie’s.
Gooding is expected continue with its existing calendar of events, including the automobile and automobilia auctions in Pebble Beach, Amelia Island and London, as well as several online-only sales.
It’s good to note that the ebullient British auctioneer Charlie Ross will continue on the rostrum with Gooding Christies. Charlie has always been popular with his plummy English accent providing great entertainment in conducting some of the most expensive sales of cars at auction.
Christie’s chief executive officer Guillaume Cerutti is quoted as saying: “Christie’s has long admired Gooding & Company and their way of doing business. The legacy that David Gooding and his team have built over the past two decades is well admired by collectors internationally and we could not be more honoured to welcome them into the Christie’s family. We are confident that the combination of resources will provide many opportunities for significant global growth.”
David Gooding also commented: “When we founded Gooding & Company 21 years ago, we built it on the pillars of integrity, quality, and passion within the collector car market. I am proud of our tremendous growth within this industry, and I am confident that our acquisition by Christie’s is the next step in our continued development as a global market leader in this space. I look forward to working with Guillaume and the Christie’s team to achieve the next evolution of the Gooding & Company brand.”