Monthly Archives: May 2014

Stoddard-Dayton Model 10K

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1910 Stoddard-Dayton Model 10K Baby Tonneau

Offered by Bonhams | Greenwich, Connecticut | June 1, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Stoddard-Dayton was a short-lived marque, but man did they build some awesome cars. John and Charles Stoddard (father and son) built their first cars in 1905 in Dayton, Ohio. Their cars were big, reliable and luxurious machines that made a lot of power for their day – 70 horsepower in 1912 was a lot.

But this was a Model 10K, which was built in 1910 only. The engine is a 5.8-liter straight-four making 50 horsepower (still a lot). It was offered in four different body styles on two different wheelbases. This Baby Tonneau resembles a larger, sporty Mercer (or some similar car) of the day, but with room for four or five. It was the largest car on the shorter of the two wheelbases.

The restoration here is decades old but has been in the same collection for many years. As far as old cars go, few could possibly be more fun to drive than a powerful Stoddard-Dayton. This one will cost you between $195,000-$235,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams.

Update: Sold $170,500.

Reo Express

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1911 Reo Express Delivery

Offered by Bonhams | Greenwich, Connecticut | June 1, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Reo (or REO, depending on who you ask. Both are correct) was Ransom Eli Olds second automobile company after, you know, Oldsmobile. Reo was founded in 1905 and car production start with light cars that gave way to some pretty snazzy stuff along the lines of Oldsmobile. In 1910 the company added a line of trucks. This truck business would keep the Reo name (on trucks) on the road through 1975.

The 1908 Reo Single-Cylinder ‘Model B’ was a successful road car and became the basis for the company’s early trucks – including this one. The engine makes eight horsepower and has a two-speed transmission. It is believed that this truck – like many like it – was built for the railroads to move luggage and cargo around a station platform.

This truck is listed as a “survivor” although it looks amazing. A lot of work has been done to it – although it’s never been restored. It’s a great driver and easy to use. It would be a lot of fun for between $25,000-$35,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams in Connecticut.

Update: Sold $22,000.

Fitch Phoenix

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1966 Fitch Phoenix

Offered by Bonhams | Greenwich, Connecticut | June 1, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

This is one of those cars that I cannot believe is actually for sale. That’s partly because it has never been offered for sale before. It’s the only one like it and a lot of people admire this thing – partly because of what it is, but mostly because of who built it.

John Fitch was an Indianapolis-born racer and innovator who lived cars his whole life. As a racing driver, Fitch won the Mille Miglia and the 12 Hours of Sebring and ran at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and had two Formula One starts. When Pierre Levegh was killed in the 1955 Le Mans disaster, Fitch was his co-driver, standing in the pits as the Levegh in their Mercedes-Benz shredded into the stands. It was this accident that fueled Fitch’s desire for safety innovation: he invented those sand-filled barrels you see on the highway and on race tracks, among other things. He also designed this car.

He loved the Corvair. He saw the potential of a low center of gravity and a rear-engine layout. So he built a prototype sports car around the Corvair. The 2.7-liter flat-six was tuned to put out 170 horsepower. It was 7.5 seconds to 60 mph on its way to 130. The car has great styling and two spares behind the front wheel wells, which is a cool, unique look. He was going to build a run of 500 of them, but the government’s hate of the Corvair helped put a stop to those production plans. This remains the only example built.

John Fitch passed away in October of 2012 at age 95. He remains an American legend to those who know about him and it’s a shame more don’t. He was one of America’s great racers from the golden era of motorsport. The Phoenix is being offered from his estate. The pre-sale estimate is $150,000-$200,000 – but under the right conditions, it could bring more. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $253,000.

Avia III

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1956 Avia III

For Sale at Fantasy Junction | Emeryville, California

Photo - Fantasy Junction

Photo – Fantasy Junction

Avia is a Czech company that is still in the auto business. They were founded in 1919 and had become part of Skoda by 1928. They built aircraft beginning in 1920 and throughout WWII. After WWII, the company was nationalized and aircraft production ceased. By the 1960s, they had launched heavy vehicle production under their own name (after years of producing trucks for other brands).

Between 1956 and 1957, Avia experimented with cars, building between 12 and 15 light cars. One was a streamliner – the car you see here. And it was raced in hillclimbs in period by designer and Avia employee Miroslav Jurca, who had built the Avia cars as an after-hours project. This car uses a 750cc BMW twin making 15 horsepower. The body is lightweight aluminium.

This car lived incorrectly for years as a BMW-Veritas until Jurca’s grandson correctly identified the car after it had been presented at Pebble Beach. The car has since been completely restored and has seen track time at events like the Monterey Historics. Only two Avia road cars still survive, as heavy truck production continues to this day. This is the only Avia streamliner. It is for sale in California for $325,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold, Mecum Monterey 2014, high bid of $185,000.

Renault Type II

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1922 Renault Type II Tourer

Offered by H&H Auctions | Rockingham Castle, U.K. | June 21, 2014

Photo - H&H Auctions

Photo – H&H Auctions

Early Renaults are very distinctive. They had the weird sloped nose you see here with no radiator to speak of. And this big bug-eyed headlights next to it. The windshield is kind of narrow and they have solid flat rims. I wouldn’t call it “dorky” – but more “uniquely French.”

The Type II was introduced either in 1919 or 1922 and lasted likely through 1923. The engine is a 2.1-liter straight-four making 10 taxable horsepower. It was the smallest engine Renault made for those years.

This nice four-seat tourer has a fairly well-known history for being what it is. It has been fixed as needed and would be a great driver and tourer. It should sell for between $20,000-$23,750. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

The 1999 Packard

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1999 Packard Twelve Prototype

Offered by RM Auctions | Plymouth, Michigan | July 26, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

Packard is one the most revered American automobile manufacturers of all time. Their glory years were from their founding by James Ward Packard and his two partners in Warren, Ohio, in 1899 up through their huge pre-war touring cars and limousines. They built some of the finest cars money could buy. Unfortunately, their post-war fortunes were not as grand. They merged into Studebaker and the marque disappeared for 1959 (after two years of selling re-badged Studebakers).

Or did it? Well, yes, it did – but that didn’t stop the new owners of the Packard trademark – Packard Motor Car Company of Phoenix, Arizaon – from constructing this “new” Packard in 1999. The styling is unique and has little bits of classic Packard styling added in (like the grille). It’s a four-door luxury sedan prototype in working order – a concept car for the road. The styling can be polarizing for some, but I don’t really mind it as it reminds me of the kind of crazy era of concept cars that proliferated through the 1990s. I’m thinking “Chrysler Thunderbolt” here.

The coolest part is that this car is all-original. It’s not a re-bodied Lincoln or something like that. The chassis is aluminium. It has four-wheel drive. The engine is a 8.6-liter V-12 making 573 horsepower. It’ll hit 60 mph in only 4.8 seconds. Not bad for a sedan – from 1999.

This car popped up on eBay in 2009 and I don’t know the outcome, but it hadn’t met its reserve by the time it hit $125,000. So I’m guessing they want more. On the plus side, should you choose to spend it, you’ll have the newest Packard on the block. Read more here and check out more from RM here.

Update: Sold $143,000.

A Ferrari Rally Car

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1976 Ferrari 308 GTB Group B by Michelotto

Offered by Bonhams | Francorchamps, Belgium | May 18, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

When one thinks of Ferrari race cars, they think of Formula 1 or sports cars. Hardly anyone pictures rally cars. And yet, that’s what we have here. Not only a Ferrari rally car, but a Ferrari 308 rally car – one of the cheapest Ferraris money can buy today.

But this car ain’t cheap. Let’s start with a little history… the FIA brought about Group B rally in 1983. Michelotto built and campaigned Ferrari race cars and they jumped at the chance race in Group B. But Ferrari didn’t want to build 25 homologation specials in order to take it racing. So Michelotto took standard road-going cars and turned them into rally cars. No specials needed if the road car is quick enough to be made into a racer. The engine is a 2.9-liter V-8 making 288 horsepower.

This is a 1976 Ferrari (the 308 was fiber glass until 1977, when it became steel) that Michelotto converted to rally status in 1983. They only built four of them and this is the first and most successful of those four, having won the Spanish rally championship and coming in as “Vice-Champion” in Italy (which makes it sound like a proponent of gambling and drugs). The other three cars all had more powerful engines.

You can pick up a road-going 308 for about $35,000. If you want a Michelotto Group B 308, be prepared to shell out between $760,000-$1,000,000. Yikes! Click here for more info and here for the rest of Bonhams’ Spa sale lineup.

Update: Sold $835,136.

Hommell Vaillant

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1999 Hommell Vaillant Grand Defi Coupe

Offered by Bonhams | Francorchamps, Belgium | May 18, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The Hommell Berlinette might be a car you know of it you actually owned one (or are a more-than-casual fan of the Gran Turismo series on PlayStation, where the car is among those you can purchase and race). But outside of those two limited circles, Automobiles Michel Hommell isn’t really well known.

The Berlinette was shown in prototype form in 1990 and in production form in 1994. The company lasted until the end of 2003. The Vaillant is a special racing edition of the Berlinette (although this car is road-registered and street-legal – in Europe anyway). It is named for the comic book character Michel Vaillant, of whom I know nothing about. The mid-mounted powertrain mirrors that of the standard Berlinette, featuring a 2.0-liter straight-four making 167 horsepower.

About 16 examples of the Vaillant were built and they were intended for a Celebrity racing series featuring celebrities that I’m sure I don’t know. At any rate, Hommells are very rare and are an attractive late-90s sports car for those who like them. This one should sell for between $83,000-$110,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams at Spa.

Update: Not sold.

Update: Not sold, Artcurial Paris, June 2019.

Update: Sold, Aguttes June 2021, $66,230.

Swiss Cheese Catalina

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1963 Pontiac Catalina Super Duty Swiss Cheese

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 17, 2014

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

The second-generation Pontiac Catalina was produced between 1961 and 1964. These were prime drag racing years and Pontiac got in on the action with its Catalinas. Especially with those equipped with the Super Duty engine packaged.

Not sold for street use, the Super Duty was a 6.9-liter V-8 making 405 horsepower. It also got a heavy duty transmission – and in this case, a special “Swiss Cheese” chassis where the company cut sections out the boxed frame and drilled holes in the frame rails, resembling the cheese for which it was nicknamed. This would be acceptable for drag cars that only need to go straight. Probably a bit of flex if you tried to take it around some corners though.

This particular example is said to be the “most famous” of the 14 Swiss Cheese Catalinas built. It was an NHRA record holder in C/Stock with a 1/4 mile pass of 12.27 at 114.64 mph. It’s a monster of a car with a monster of a reputation. And it will command a monster of a price: the pre-sale estimate being between $600,000-$800,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Mecum in Indy.

Update: Sold $530,000.

Aston Martin Lagonda Prototype

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1969 Aston Martin Lagonda Prototype

Offered by Bonhams | Newport Pagnell, U.K. | May 17, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

You’re looking at the first 4-door Aston Martin. The Lagonda Rapide was David Brown’s attempt at reviving the Lagonda marque, which Aston Martin acquired in 1948. The Rapide lasted from 1961-1964. But that was a Lagonda. In 1969, Aston itself hand-built a prototype four-door version of their two-door DBS V8 and called it the Lagonda. This is that car.

It uses the same 5.3-liter V-8 from the DBS making about 315 horsepower. The Lagonda entered production in 1974 and it was short-lived, ending the following year. Only seven ended up finding homes. This was Sir David Brown’s personal car.

The Lagonda would change shape for 1976, taking on a boxy, angular form that is much more well-known (although, not necessarily more well-liked). The design of this car actually reminds me of a Monteverdi sedan I filmed last year. At any rate, this is the prototype for a run of only seven cars – so it is exceptionally rare. And being David Brown’s personal ride only adds to it. The pre-sale estimate here is $540,000-$640,000. Click here for more info and here for more the rest of Bonhams’ Aston Martin sale.

Update: Not sold.