The world's largest private fleet of military vehicles, the Littlefield Collection, brought an impressive $10.2m at Auctions America in a two-day sale on July 11-12.
 The magnificently restored half-track carried German gunners to the front lines |
The historic auction in California was the most diverse sale of its kind ever staged, with bidders from 10 countries competing for some of the finest tanks and armoured vehicles.
The collection was assembled over 30 years by the late Jacques Littleffield, founder of the Military Vehicle Technology Foundation.
Top lot of the sale was a German SD.KFZ.7 Half-Track personnel carrier, an 8-ton beast that was used to tow artillery in the second world war. With seating for up to 11 gun crew, it sold for $1.2m.
Also among the favourites of the sale was a 42-ton 8K11 Surface-to-Surface Missile Launcher from the Soviet Union - one of only two in private hands - which sold for $345,000.
 The Sherman was built by the Ford Motor Company for use in the second world war |
Sharing that price was an American Sherman tank. Otherwise known as a Popgun tank, it was built by the Ford Motor Company in 1942.
Further American highlights included a 1942 M5 Stuart Tank, which was built by Cadillac in the home of US car manufacturing, Detroit, Michigan. It sold for more than twice its estimate at $310,500.
"There is no question that Jacques Littlefield created the world's leading private collection of military technology," commented Rob Collings, executive director of The Collings Foundation, which supports living history events.
"This past weekend's sale provided a very special opportunity for collectors from around the world to sustain Jacques' incredible legacy and help preserve, protect and present the vehicles that defined the world we live in."
Paul Fraser Collectibles has a fantastic selection of militaria for sale.
