SCP Auctions, Inc.
Timed Auction

2022 FALL PREMIER AUCTION

Wed, Nov 23, 2022 09:00PM EST - Sun, Dec 11, 2022 09:35AM EST
Lot 447

1976 Montreal Summer Olympic Games Torch

Sold for
$2,572.80
Sold Price includes BP

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$200 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$3,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$20,000 $2,000
$30,000 $2,500
$50,000 $5,000
$100,000 $10,000
$200,000 $20,000
$300,000 $25,000
$500,000 $50,000

Offered here is an Olympic torch from the 1976 Montreal Games relay, one of the more elusive Summer torches to find in the market. These were the first Games, Summer or Winter, to take place in Canada. Designed by George Huel and Michael Daillaire, the torch was innovative in several respects as it was developed in a laboratory to withstand heat up to 850° F. The choice of olive oil as a fuel to honor the Olympics' Greek roots allowed for an orange-colored flame, making it much more photogenic than the blue flame from the butane gas used in Munich four years earlier. However, olive oil was not strong enough for one torch to ignite another during the relay, so Nitropropane and Heptane were added to yield a more potent fuel that produced the desired effect.

The torch relay began in Olympia, Greece, taking the flame to Athens where it was transmitted via Satellite to Ottawa, Canada. From there, the runners transported it to Montreal for the opening ceremonies. 1,250 torches were made by Queensway Machine Products, a relatively low number compared with other Games. The red aluminum handle/shaft has a perforated burner in machined aluminum on top painted in black. The red shaft is stamped with the '76 Montreal Olympic logo in white. The torch measures 26.5 inches (66 cm) in length and weighs less than 2 lbs. With hardly a scratch on the clean shaft and no signs of being lit, this outstanding example appears to be unused, giving it greater appeal for certain Olympic collectors.

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