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Home / Sports / 2017 November 19 "Heroes of Sport" Catalog Auction - Dallas Auction #7220 / Lot #50022
    LOT #50022  | 
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    1953 Borg-Warner Trophy Presented to Bill Vukovich for Indianapolis 500 Victory. ...

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    • Miscellaneous Collectibles:General, 1953 Borg-Warner Trophy Presented to Bill Vukovich for Indianapolis 500 Victory. ...
    • Miscellaneous Collectibles:General, 1953 Borg-Warner Trophy Presented to Bill Vukovich for Indianapolis 500 Victory. ...
    • Miscellaneous Collectibles:General, 1953 Borg-Warner Trophy Presented to Bill Vukovich for Indianapolis 500 Victory. ...
    Miscellaneous Collectibles:General, 1953 Borg-Warner Trophy Presented to Bill Vukovich for Indianapolis 500 Victory. ... Miscellaneous Collectibles:General, 1953 Borg-Warner Trophy Presented to Bill Vukovich for Indianapolis 500 Victory. ... Miscellaneous Collectibles:General, 1953 Borg-Warner Trophy Presented to Bill Vukovich for Indianapolis 500 Victory. ... View More >
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    Description

    1953 Borg-Warner Trophy Presented to Bill Vukovich for Indianapolis 500 Victory. Success in auto racing requires a delicate navigation of the razor's edge between life and death, and, for a brief and glorious period, nobody did that better than Bill Vukovich. "Vuke" would lead four consecutive Indy 500's in the early 1950's, nearly winning his first in 1952 before his steering failed in the 192nd of 200 laps. He'd then go on to take the checkered flag in 1953 and again in 1954, leading 71.7% of laps during that three-year period, a record that stands to this day.

    He was once again at the head of the pack, holding a seventeen-second lead in the fifty-seventh lap of the 1955 Indy 500, when a chain-reaction crash sent Vukovich's car airborne, somersaulting four and a half times and killing him instantly. He would be the second defending Indy 500 champion (after Floyd Roberts) to die during the race.

    Presented is one of the most significant American auto racing artifacts ever offered to an auction bidding audience, the Borg Warner Trophy earned for Vukovich's first Indianapolis 500 victory.

    Crafted from heavy bronze on a polished wood plaque, the design announces, "Borg-Warner Trophy, The Indianapolis 500 Mile Race," text which is repeated on the trophy cup just below. On the base of the cup is a charming little sculpted head of the winning driver above engraved lettering which reads "Bill Vukovich 1953, 128.740 M.P.H." The prestigious award exhibits a degree of handling wear expected from over six decades of existence but still displays wonderfully. Dimensions are 11x26".

    Auction Info

    Auction Dates
    November, 2017
    19th Sunday
    Internet/Mail Bids: 15
    Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
    Page Views: 3,653

    Buyer's Premium per Lot:
    25% on the first $200,000 (minimum $14), plus 20% of any amount between $200,000 and $3,000,000, plus 12% of any amount over $3,000,000 per lot.

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