Monthly Archives: August 2013

FXX Evo

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2005 Ferrari FXX Evoluzione

Offered by Gooding & Company | Monterey, California | August 17-18, 2013

2005 Ferrari FXX Evoluzione

Photo – Gooding & Company

The Ferrari Enzo was the epitome of supercars when it came out in 2002. But some people are really hard to please and Ferrari realized they could capitalize on these people and sell them an upgraded Enzo for double the money.

So in 2005 they took a street-legal Enzo and made it entirely street-illegal. The engine was enlarged – to a 6.3-liter V-12 making 789 horsepower. Then they threw in their Formula One transmission, upgraded brakes, and custom-made racing slicks.

Then they sought out customers (you weren’t allowed to approach Ferrari with the intent to buy one). You would purchase the car (at something like $1.8 million a pop) and you would be allowed to drive it on Ferrari-designated track days all over the world. Then Ferrari would house the car for you – forget taking your new $2 million toy home! Owners and drivers (including Michael Schumacher) would send all their track day data back to Ferrari for whatever purposes they saw fit.

The Evoluzione program began after all 30 FXXs had been built. It was a kit that bumped horsepower up to 850, lowered aerodynamic drag, and increased shift times. This car has that kit. This was the first FXX built and has had a single-owner from new. Thankfully, Ferrari has removed restrictions on taking the car home so now you can take this one to yours. It is still the ultimate example of Ferrari engineering superiority and track prowess. It should sell for between $2,300,000-$2,600,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Gooding’s sale.

Update: Not sold.

S/N: ZFFHX62X000145369

Voisin C25

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1935 Voisin C25 Aérodyne

Offered by Gooding & Company | Monterey, California | August 17-18, 2013

1935 Voisin C25 Aerodyne

Voisins are some of the most stylish and advanced cars from the coachbuilt era (except that Voisins weren’t coachbuilt – they didn’t need to be). They’re an easy ticket to car show super-stardom, too. Judges (and everyone else in attendance) go crazy over their outlandish features and unconventional design. And rightfully so.

I’m not getting into an argument with myself or anyone else about my decision to refer to this as a “Voisin” and not an “Avions Voisin” as the catalog does. G.M. Georgano refers to it as simply “Voisin” and if you don’t know who that is, then you aren’t in a position to argue against my decision. Anyway, Gabriel Voisin was a French aircraft pioneer who turned to motorcars in 1919.

He valued lightness in his cars and worked with a lot of aluminium and alloys (all that aircraft knowledge came in handy). The cars weren’t supposed to be beautiful – but “rational” – that is, functional and efficient. The lines are angular and supposed to serve a purpose. He wanted to build the world’s most perfect automobile. The engines were also efficient – this car uses a 3.0-liter Knight Sleeve-Valve straight-six making 90 horsepower. And it’s a big car, so speed obviously wasn’t a priority.

The Aérodyne was introduced at the Paris Auto Salon at the end of 1934. The car was marketed at the most well-heeled clients and was fabulously equipped. The interior is wrapped in a crazy Art Deco print design and the fastback roof is full of portholes for sunlight and the whole thing actually slides back like the world’s first giant sunroof.

voisin c25 aerodyne top

This car was owned by the same man from 1963 until his death in 2008, when the car was sold and restored by its new owner. He, the current owner, only displayed the car once – meaning it is ripe for 2014 Concours season. Only 28 Voisin C25s were built and only eight had Aérodyne coachwork. Only four of those are believe to survive today and you can buy one (and you might as well) as it is expected to bring between $2,000,000-$3,000,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Gooding & Co. in Monterey.

Update: Sold $1,925,000

S/N: 50023

July 2013 Auction Roundup

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I have three auctions on my calendar from July that we haven’t talked about. First is H&H’s sale at Pavilion Gardens. The top sale (reported, there was one old Bentley that didn’t have a price attached to it) was this 1936 Bentley 4.25-Litre Special which sold for $164,246.

1936 Bentley 4.25-Litre Special

Interesting cars were topped off by a car we featured from a previous H&H Auction. It failed to sell then, but sold here. It was the Jaguar XJ220 Development Prototype and it sold for $111,384. Our featured Jensen CV-8 failed to sell. Check out full results here.

Next up was RM’s annual sale held around the St. John’s Concours d’Elegance. The top sale here was our featured Duesenberg for $682,000. Cool cars included this 1941 Dodge Half-Ton Canopy Express for $29,700.

1941 Dodge Half-Ton Canopy Express

Personally, I think this 1956 Plymouth Belvedere Convertible is awesome. Too bad I didn’t have $90,750 to drop on it.

1956 Plymouth Belvedere Convertibl

And yet another Chrysler product, this 1961 Imperial Crown Convertible was a car I thought about featuring but didn’t. I love how outrageous this thing is. It sold for $148,500.

1961 Imperial Crown Convertible

Our other two feature cars did well. The Lincoln Model K sold for $165,000. And the Cadillac Model 30 Military Roadster brought $110,000. And finally, this 1915 Mitchell Light Six Six-Passenger Touring car was one of my favorites of the sale. It sold for $50,000. Click here for full results.

1915 Mitchell Light Six Six-Passenger Touring

And finally, Silverstone Auctions’ Silverstone Classic sale. The top sale here was a 1965 Aston Martin DB5 for $571,838.

1965 Aston Martin DB5

Our feature car, the 2001 Lotus 340R failed to sell, however a 2004 version (which is weird, you’ll have to read the lot description as to why it’s a 2004) managed to sell for $36,950. Interesting sales were easily topped by the “how-did-I-not-see-this-and-feature-it” 1927 Falcon-Knight 10 Tourer. It brought $44,000. Do you know how long it’s going to be until another Falcon-Knight comes up for sale? A long time.

1927 Falcon-Knight 10 Tourer

And finally, as is always the case with a Silverstone sale, there are some cool competition cars. The coolest this time round was this 1989 Lancia Delta Integrale Group N Rally Car. It sold for $41,350. Click here for full results.

1989 Lancia Delta Integrale Group N Rally Ca

Ferrari 500 Mondial

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1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider Series I by Pinin Farina

Offered by RM Auctions | Monterey, California | August 16-17, 2013

1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider Series I by Pinin Farina

We featured a Ferrari 750 Monza a few weeks back. Well this car, even though it’s called a “Mondial,” is part of that family of cars. In fact, it directly preceded the 750 Monza. The 500 Mondial was built for 1954 only.

Ferrari began building four-cylinder engines for Formula Two in 1952 and walked away with the championship in ’52 and ’53. Back in these days, the Scuderia would transfer those race engines directly into other cars – many of which were sold to customers (imagine Ferrari or McLaren doing that today). In this case, the 2.0-liter Lampredi straight-four was dropped into the 500 Mondial sports racing car. It makes 170 horsepower.

This was one of four cars entered by Ferrari in the 1954 Mille Miglia – but because the organizers of that race kept such poor records, nobody knows for sure who drove it or where it finished. It was sold upon completion of that race and used by a privateer in Italy before making its way to its second owner in Venezuela the following year.

It entered American ownership in 1964 and it was restored for the first time in 1987 and again 10 years later in 1997. Only 20 Series I cars were built, with an additional 10 Series II cars – making there just 30 examples of the 500 Mondial built. This is car #6. It has Scuderia Ferrari team history and Mille Miglia history. And it’s one of those great cars that is perfect for classic car rallies and tours. It is expected to sell for between $2,750,000-$3,250,000. Click here for more info and here for more from RM.

Update: Sold $3,520,000.

S/N: 418MD

Birdcage Maserati

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1960 Maserati Tipo 61

Offered by RM Auctions | Monterey, California | August 16-17, 2013

1960 Maserati Tipo 61

In my mind, this is the most-famous Maserati ever built. If you want a classic race car from the Trident People, there are no other cars to consider. It’s a Birdcage or nothing.

The Tipo 61 was introduced in 1959 and it uses an intricate space-frame chassis with hundred of tiny steel tubes connecting everything – hence the nickname “Birdcage.” The cars were used for assaults on Le Mans and every other major sports car race in the early 1960s. The cars were very quick – but the mechanicals were unreliable, so they never won the big races they were supposed to.

This car is from 1960 – the final year was 1961. Only 16 were built in total over the three years (this was the 11th made). The engine is a 2.9-liter straight-four making 250 horsepower. It also weighed practically nothing – only 1,300 pounds. This was a team car of the Camoradi squad – headed by American Lloyd Casner. Its competition history includes the following:

  • 1960 12 Hours of Sebring – DNS (blew engine in practice, with Jim Rathmann)
  • 1960 1000km of Nürburgring – 1st (with Stirling Moss and Dan Gurney)
  • 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans – 53rd, DNF (with Giorgio Scarlatti and Gino Munaron)
  • 1960 Swedish Grand Prix – 2nd (with Jo Bonnier)

It then competed in (and won) some SCCA races in privateer hands later that year. It was sold a few more times before ending up in the U.K. in the early 1970s when it was restored and subsequently damaged during a historic event. A few more European owners enjoyed it after that, restoring it again in 1986 and using it in the Goodwood Revival and Festival of Speed. The most recent restoration was carried out in 2006.

This is a very rare car and one of the most desirable and legendary race cars of the 1950s/1960s. And if you’re going to buy one – this is the one to have. It has some of the best competition history and the best paint scheme. It should sell for between $3,000,000-$4,000,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $2,090,000.

S/N: 2461