Monthly Archives: November 2014

Pontiac Bonneville Concept

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1954 Pontiac Bonneville Special Concept

Offered by Barrett-Jackson | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 17, 2015

Photo - Barrett-Jackson

Photo – Barrett-Jackson

Here is one of the highlights from Barrett-Jackson’s upcoming sale in Scottsdale. This car rolled across the Barrett-Jackson block in 2006 for $2.8 million, going into the collection of Ron Pratte – who is selling his entire collection at this year’s sale.

Two of these cars were built for GM’s Motorama in 1954. One was bronze and the other green (guess which one this one is!). This one toured dealerships all over the country. The engine is a 4.4-liter straight-eight making 230 horsepower.

The design is a pure 1950s jet age show car. The top is a canopy and the rear makes it look like there’s a jet engine hidden somewhere under the fiberglass. And it’s the first Pontiac to wear the Bonneville name. This is a fantastic chance to acquire a supremely rare and beautiful concept car from the golden age of concept cars. It should clear the 2006 benchmark price. Click here for more info and here for more from Barrett-Jackson.

Update: Sold $3,300,000.

Mercedes-Simplex Roi-des-Belges Tourer

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1909 Mercedes-Simplex 35HP Roi-des-Belges Tourer

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | November 30, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Wilhelm Maybach was a brilliant automotive engineer and he does not get the recognition today that he deserves. Unfortunately, today, his name is more likely associated with a short-lived, over-priced Benz driven by rappers than the brilliant cars he designed before WWII.

The Mercedes Simplex was his design. This 35HP model is from 1909, the last year for the model, and the penultimate year for the Simplex. The engine is a 5.9-liter straight-four driving the rear wheels via a shaft.

This car was used by a sheep station in Queensland, Australia. It was the station manager’s car from 1914 into the 1930s and was regularly used in the very-inhospitable Australian outback. The car was sold to another outback outpost where it remained until the 1980s. The beautiful restoration you see here was completed in 2010. It runs and drives and it’s simply incredible it survived such a harsh, early life. But that’s a testament to Maybach’s industrious design. It should sell for between $640,000-$960,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams.

Update: Not sold.

Thunderbird Supercharged Concept

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2003 Ford Thunderbird Supercharged Concept

Offered by RM Auctions | Farmer’s Branch, Texas | November 15, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions
Photo – RM Auctions

The Ford Thunderbird F-Code from 1957 was a mean, powerful machine. This car was meant to be the spiritual successor to that car. Ford never put it into production. But they should have. The last Thunderbird was a dud and perhaps a hot rod version would have helped.

The engine is a supercharged 3.9-liter V-8 making 390 horsepower. That’s sports car territory. It has a vented hood and other minor details to set it apart. This car was also acquired by Sam Pack from Ford in 2010. It should sell for between $50,000-$80,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of the sale of the Sam Pack Collection.

Update: Sold $57,750.

Thunderbird Sports Roadster Concept

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2001 Ford Thunderbird Sports Roadster Concept

Offered by RM Auctions | Farmer’s Branch, Texas | November 15, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions
Photo – RM Auctions

Ah, the retro styling craze of the early 2000s. Ford decided to bring back the Thunderbird for the 2002 model year. The car’s introduction was preceded by a slew of concept cars, including this Sports Roadster.

These Thunderbirds had soft tops or removable hard tops. This car is topless and has a fiberglass tonneau cover that fits nicely against the back of the head rests. You could’ve gotten a similar look on a 1960s T-Bird.

The engine is a standard 280 horsepower 3.9-liter V-8. This car was acquired from Ford by Sam Pack in 2010. It’s the only one like it and should sell for between $60,000-$80,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $55,000.

A Pair of T-Bird Concepts

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Ford Thunderbird Concepts

Offered by RM Auctions | Farmer’s Branch, Texas | November 15, 2014

 2001 Ford Thunderbird Sports Roadster Concept

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

Ah, the retro styling craze of the early 2000s. Ford decided to bring back the Thunderbird for the 2002 model year. The car’s introduction was preceded by a slew of concept cars, including this Sports Roadster.

These Thunderbirds had soft tops or removable hard tops. This car is topless and has a fiberglass tonneau cover that fits nicely against the back of the head rests. You could’ve gotten a similar look on a 1960s T-Bird.

The engine is a standard 280 horsepower 3.9-liter V-8. This car was acquired from Ford by Sam Pack in 2010. It’s the only one like it and should sell for between $60,000-$80,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $55,000.

2003 Ford Thunderbird Supercharged Concept

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

The Ford Thunderbird F-Code from 1957 was a mean, powerful machine. This car was meant to be the spiritual successor to that car. Ford never put it into production. But they should have. The last Thunderbird was a dud and perhaps a hot rod version would have helped.

The engine is a supercharged 3.9-liter V-8 making 390 horsepower. That’s sports car territory. It has a vented hood and other minor details to set it apart. This car was also acquired by Sam Pack from Ford in 2010. It should sell for between $50,000-$80,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of the sale of the Sam Pack Collection.

Update: Sold $57,750.

CLK DTM Cabriolet

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2007 Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet

Offered by Silverstone Auctions | Birmingham, U.K.| November 15-16, 2014

Photo - Silverstone Auctions

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

The Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class was purchased in convertible form mainly by South Florida former-trophy wives now in their 50s. It was built between 1996 and 2009, preceded and succeeded by the E-Class Coupe. But this ain’t your aunt’s CLK.

Mercedes in-house tuner arm AMG always got their mitts on all of the Benz model lines. And they built some pretty stout versions of the CLK, none more menacing than the CLK DTM (CLK GTR supercar notwithstanding).

Mercedes campaigned the CLK in the DTM series in Germany, so they decided to build a short run of road cars inspired by these awesome machines. There were 100 coupes built, and for 2006, 80 cabriolets. They all used a 582 horsepower supercharged 5.4-liter V8. The convertibles were “limited” to a 192 mph top end.

These cars were popular with F1 drivers of the period, with Mika Hakkinen and Juan Pablo Montoya being among their purchasers. It’s the ultimate overly-powered Monaco cruiser. This example has 26,000 miles on it and should sell for between $175,000-$200,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Silverstone’s auction lineup.

Update: Sold $196,560.

Jowett Jupiter

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1952 Jowett Jupiter

Offered by Mecum | Anaheim, California | November 13-15, 2014

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

Jowett Cars of Bradford, West Yorkshire, was founded in 1906. The company has an interesting history as it was able to weather the 1920s, 30s and WWII (three difficult periods that saw many automobile manufacturers go out of business) and continue building cars into the 1950s – all while remaining independent and never being acquired by another company, unlike many of its British counterparts.

The Jupiter is a two-door drophead coupe (“convertible”) that was introduced at the London Motor Show in 1949. Deliveries began the following year and the car remained in production through 1954. About 900 were built. The engine is a 1.5-liter flat-four that makes 60 horsepower (later cars got 63 horses). Top speed was 85 mph.

Jupiters were rare in their day and are even rarer today – especially in the U.S. It’s a quintessential British sports car from the 1950s and one not everyone has heard about or seen. It’s very interesting and could bring a price around $30,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $26,000.

Foers Ibex

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2007 Foers Ibex 250

Offered by H&H Auctions | Buxton, U.K. | November 12, 2014

Photo - H&H Auctions

Photo – H&H Auctions

Foers was founded by off-roader John Foers in the 1980s. They’re still in business and are based in Northumberland. Basically, what they sell is a way to take a Land Rover and make it even more off-road capable.

The Ibex is available as a kit or pre-built and it’s based around Land Rover running gear. Foers supplies a spaceframe chassis that grants more ground clearance. This example has a Range Rover diesel engine. It has less than 700 miles on it since completion.

These are unique vehicles that actually look pretty nice considering they are usually assembled in your neighbor’s garage. Only about 100 have been completed thus far, though there’s still time to build your own. This one should sell for between $25,750-$29,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of H&H’s auction lineup.

Update: Not sold.

Delahaye Estate Car

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1912 Delahaye Type 47 10/12hp Estate Car by H.M. Hobson Ltd

Offered by Bonhams | Harrogate, U.K. | November 12, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Delahaye is one of France’s crowning automotive achievements. It’s one of the most desirable and prestigious French marques of all time. From their beginning in the 1890s, the cars were known for their quality.

The Type 47 was produced around the turn of the first decade of the 20th century. The engine is a 1.6-liter straight-four making 10/12 horsepower. This car was bought new by a lady in England to use on her estate. It was bodied in the U.K. and features a rather functional body layout.

The car was discovered in 1950 in a barn, last registered in 1922. By 1954 it was on display in the Beaulieu Museum and stayed there until the 1970s. The current owner acquired it in 2004 and had mechanical work completed on the car in 2008. The interior is original! What an interesting car – and for between $32,000-$40,000, it seems like a great deal on a 102-year-old desirable French automobile. Click here for more info and here for the rest of this auction’s lineup.

Update: Not sold.

Ford Focus Kona Concept

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2000 Ford Focus Wagon Kona Concept

Offered by RM Auctions | Farmer’s Branch, Texas | November 15, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions
Photo – RM Auctions

The Ford Focus went on sale in North America for the 1999 model year (1998 in Europe). To appeal to the active lifestyle types, Ford partnered with Kona U.S.A., manufacturer of mountain bikes, to produce Kona Editions Focuses in 2000. Focuses? Focii?

The engine is a 2.0-liter straight-four making 130 horsepower. Production cars had bike racks on the roof. This was the pre-production prototype used to introduce the limited-edition model. It was first shown at the 2000 Los Angeles Auto Show. Only 5,000 production versions were made. This one should cost between $10,000-$20,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $8,250.