Monthly Archives: November 2012

Stately Soviet Sedan

Posted on by
3

1978 GAZ Chaika M13

For sale at Hyman Ltd | St. Louis, Missouri

Russian cars are so weird. But in a really interesting way. The “marque” is usually associated with a particular factory, in this case it is GAZ – which roughly translates to “Gorky Automobile Plant.” It is located in Nizhny Novgorod, which, coincidentally, will be the name of my first-born child.

The Chaika (which kind of translates to “seagull”) was a car used by Soviet government officials – but not the really important ones (they got ZIL limousines). This was for your run-of-the-mill bureaucrats and field officers. You might be thinking “How is this a 1978? It looks like something from the mid-1950s.” Well you’d be right. After WWII, the U.S. government prodded Packard into licensing (or selling) their old body dies to the Soviet Union, presumably to appease them into not nuking us.

Well Packard did just that but Packard also went out of business in the 1950s. So the Chaika (Mark I or “M13”), which was produced from 1959 through 1981 was almost a direct copy of the 1955-1956 Packard Patrician, at least from the outside. The engine was a 195 horsepower 5.5-liter V8. It also used Russia’s first three-speed push-button automatic transmission (which was essentially copied from Chrysler). In 1977, the Chaika M14 was introduced and it was more of an original (and contemporary) design, at least for the time.

Chaikas are really rare – anywhere in the world, especially in the U.S. They were not mass produced by American standards – or anybody’s standards, really. And their limited market ensured not many would be built. It’s really interesting and a piece of Cold War history. This one is in really good shape and can be yours for $69,500. For more information, click here.

Factory Five GTM

Posted on by
1

2007 Factory Five GTM

Offered by Mecum | Anaheim, California | November 17, 2012

Well here’s something different. It’s not quite a classic car but it’s still interesting. Factory Five Racing is a Massachusetts-based company that is known primarily for their Shelby Cobra replicas. Sometime around 2006 they introduced this: the GTM.

The car was intended to be a kit car. This one was “professionally built” – likely by a hot rod shop or some such similar business – and not in some dude’s garage, like the term “kit car” lends one to imagine. The mechanical bits are from GM and Porsche – it has a Porsche transaxle and a mid-mounted LS3 engine from a C5 Corvette. The 6.2-liter unit makes 500 horsepower in this car, enough to scoot it to 60 mph in 3.0 seconds.

It’s a super-quick car that has vaguely GT40-ish looks (but different enough that Ford can’t collect). That said, it does look like a kit car and as fast as it is or as cool as it may look or as bargain basement the price may seem (because of its outstanding performance) – it will never be as desirable as a production sports car. The kits ran about $20 grand and a fully built car will run you about $60,000. For more information click here. And for more from Mecum in Anaheim, click here.

Update: Not sold.

Ferrari 512TR

Posted on by
2

1994 Ferrari 512TR

Offered by Silverstone Auctions | Birmingham, England | November 17, 2012

The Ferrari 512TR is the second iteration of the Ferrari Testarossa. The Testarossa was produced from 1984 through 1991, when the 512TR was introduced. It lasted until 1994, and was replaced by the F512M, which lasted through 1996. In the four years it was in production, 2,280 512TRs were built.

This is one of my favorite Ferraris, for reasons I can’t really explain. It has that classic Testarossa style, but it’s smoother, less boxy and squared-off – and it has some of the best wheels Ferrari ever put on a car. It uses a 4.9-liter flat-12 making 428 horsepower. It can hit 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 195 mph.

This is a 17,000 mile car that was serviced about 9 months ago. The car is in great condition and the rear-mounted flat-12 looks almost clean enough to eat off of – almost. This would be a fun, good-looking, Ferrari to own. It is expected to sell for between $80,000-$96,000 – down from its $212,000 as-new price. You can read more here and check out the rest of the auction line up here.

Update: Sold, $83,700.

White M16 Half-Track

Posted on by
Reply

1944 White M16

Offered by Auctions America | Auburn, Indiana | December 8, 2012

Here’s another good-lookin’ White half-track, this one an M16. The M16 was essentially an M3 (like the Autocar above) but it has a powered, armored turret with up to four .50 caliber machine guns. As with all of the items offered in this sale, the guns have been demilitarized – meaning, they no longer work as guns. But this is what makes something like this legal to own… and drive down the street. Engine-wise, this is powered by a 148 horsepower 6.3-liter straight-six. More here.

Update: Sold $95,000.

Update II: Sold, Auctions America Auburn Spring 2017, $82,500.

Unic Half-Track

Posted on by
Reply

1939 Unic Kegresse P107/U304(f)

All offered by Auctions America | Auburn, Indiana | December 8, 2012

Photo – Auctions America

Unic, the French automobile manufacturer that turned to trucks in 1938 – which was highly convenient when war broke out the following year. Military vehicles are usually an extension of the heavy-truck business. Unic was bought by Fiat in 1966 and was merged into Iveco in 1975.

This Kegresse tracked tractor uses a 60 horsepower 3.4-liter straight-four. Kegresse means that the tracks are made out of rubber or canvas and not metal like most tanks and other half-tracks. I guess it’s gentler on the roads… or enemy soldiers. Strangely, all of these vehicles were built before the Germans took over France – but Germany used them anyway. More here.

Update: Sold $20,000.

Opel Half-Track

Posted on by
Reply

1943 Opel Maultier

All offered by Auctions America | Auburn, Indiana | December 8, 2012

Photo – Auctions America

This 2-ton Opel Maultier is one of about 4,000 built. It has a 75 horsepower 3.6-liter straight-eight. Opel was a curious case during the war. They have been a General Motors subsidy since 1929. When the war broke out, Opel’s automobile production ceased so they could help with the war effort. Meanwhile, back in Detroit, GM was building airplanes that could have possibly flown missions in Europe, essentially bombing their own factories. More here.

Update: Sold $65,000.

Hanomag Half-Track

Posted on by
Reply

1940 Hanomag S.P.W. Ausf. C Sd.Kfz. 251/1

All offered by Auctions America | Auburn, Indiana | December 8, 2012

Photo – Auctions America

This massive Hanomag is technically a 3/4-track. Whatever. I don’t like fractions. The Sd.KFz. 251 was one of the more popular German vehicles with 15,252 built by various manufacturers, with Hanomag being the most prolific. It uses a 100 horsepower 4.2-liter Maybach straight-six. This is a Model C (they made them in A through D configuration) so it had many improvements over earlier models, such as better engine ventilation. More here.

Update: Sold $160,000.

Borgward Half-Track

Posted on by
Reply

1942 Borgward H kl 6

All offered by Auctions America | Auburn, Indiana | December 8, 2012

Photo – Auctions America

Carl Borgward’s little (okay, it wasn’t that little) automobile company was drafted into producing vehicles for the Reich. This truck has a 3-ton payload capacity and entered production in 1937. This particular vehicle does not have an engine – it’s more of a static display piece – but back during the war it likely had a 100 horsepower 4.2-liter Maybach straight-six. More here.

Update: Sold $145,000.

Opel Rocket Launcher

Posted on by
Reply

1943 Opel Maultier Panzer-Werfer 42 Rocket Launcher

All offered by Auctions America | Auburn, Indiana | December 8, 2012

Photo – Auctions America

This Opel Panzer-Werfer is a tracked rocket launcher. It’s pretty mean looking, isn’t it? It has one 10-barreled rocket launcher mounted in the back – of course it no longer works, so you won’t be able to blast traffic jams out of your way. This piggish brute is powered by a 75 horsepower 3.6-liter eight-cylinder engine. It weighs about 7-tons, so that is probably no where near enough horsepower. Only 300 of these were built. More here and the rest of the auction lineup here.

Update: Sold $60,000.

Update II: Sold, Auctions America Auburn Spring 2017, $45,100.

Autocar M3 Halftrack

Posted on by
Reply

1941 Autocar M3

Offered by Auctions America | Auburn, Indiana | December 8, 2012

Photo – Auctions America

This is, by far, one of my favorites of this sale. It has that classic look – as did most of the vehicles produced by White, Autocar and Diamond T. That slanted front where a radiator would usually be. And whatever that thing is hanging off the front. Classic.

About 12,000 of these were built for the U.S. war effort (about 41,000 half-tracks were built in total of all kinds for the U.S.). This one has a 148 horsepower 6.3-liter straight-six. It’s quick too, capable of 40 mph. More here.

Update: Sold $38,000.