John Oates’ Historic Race Car to be Auctioned at Amelia Island
RM Sotheby’s will offer the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s race car, with proceeds benefitting local hospice and other worthy causes.
Set to take place March 5-8, Florida’s Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance weekend is one of the most prestigious and well-known automotive events in the world. John Oates is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and one of the most well-known artists in the world. He also happens to be a diehard automotive enthusiast. Coincidentally, he and his wife Aimee are celebrating their silver anniversary this year as is the Amelia Island Concours. To mark these two momentous occasions, the couple will be donating their historic 1984 Tiga SC84 Sports 2000 race car. It will be offered at no reserve at the RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island sale on March 6 and 7. All proceeds will benefit the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance Foundation, which supports the Community Hospice & Palliative Care and other deserving charities from Florida’s First Coast.
Race cars get auctioned off all the time, but rarely by a famous musician who is donating it for charity. We were fortunate enough to meet the legendary Hall & Oates rocker at the 2019 Amelia weekend and spent some time talking with him about his Rod Emory-built 356 Outlaw that he was displaying. It was immediately clear that he is extremely down to earth and was more than willing to chat with fellow auto enthusiasts that would stop by to ask him about cars or music. He just seems like a genuinely good guy, so it is not surprising that he and his wife would be donating a car to help a worthy cause.
“As Aimee and I approach our 25th anniversary, we are reminded of how fortunate we are to have found each other,” said the musician in a press statement about the auto event. “Our hope is that the money raised from the sale of our racecar provides comfort and resources for the individuals and families supported by the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance Foundation’s charitable giving.”
Oates doesn’t have a collection just for the sake of having a collection. Each car means something to him, and when he spoke to us about his 356 he went into great detail about why he made every decision on his custom build. Make no mistake, the 1984 Tiga SC84 Sports 2000 that he and his wife are donating is special.
In the mid-1970s, Formula 1 drivers Tim Schenken and Howden Ganley founded the race car manufacturer Tiga. Tiga cars were quite successful in the Sports 2000 series taking numerous championships in Europe and America. The car being offered here, chassis no. 249, was raced in the 1980s in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) events including going to the SCCA Runoffs. It was acquired by the Oates in 2018. It then underwent a comprehensive restoration including an engine rebuild. It was then fully prepared for vintage racing. Additionally, the body was removed, repaired back to new, and received a custom livery. It has been tested at Palm Beach International Raceway and reportedly runs better than new.
The pre-auction estimate for this car is $35,000-$45,000. Hopefully, the bidders open their wallets and hearts for this historic racer and top the high estimate for a worthy cause. The new owner should then get out there and enjoy it the way it was meant to be enjoyed.
Photos: RM Sotheby’s