Monthly Archives: March 2015

Vinot et Deguingand

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1914 Vinot et Deguingand AM4 Tourer

Offered by H&H Auctions | Duxford, U.K. | April 15, 2015

Photo - H&H Auctions

Photo – H&H Auctions

It’s interesting to think about the brand names of automobiles that the world currently has. Chevrolet would be a very foreign word if it wasn’t for General Motors. Peugeot would be unpronounceable by an even wider audience if it hadn’t made it. Imagine if Vinot et Deguingand had succeeded. It’s sort of a mouthful.

The company was founded in 1898 as a bicycle manufacturer by Lucien-Marie Vinot-Préfontaine and Albert Deguingand. They turned to automobiles in 1901. The company actually acquired Gladiator in 1906, but Vinot went out of business in 1926. Deguingand formed a company without the Vinot prefix the following year and it lasted until 1930.

The Vinot 12/14HP was new for 1912 and it used a 1.7-liter straight-four, the smallest engine offered by the firm in 1914. The beautiful touring body was done by the Olympia Carriage Works – one of only two cars bodied by that coachbuilder. It has known ownership from new and has never been completely restored – just refurbished as needed. It could very well be the best example of the marque extant. It seems like a bargain, being listed in the catalog for between $42,000-$48,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $42,554.

Hagemann-Sutton Special

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1959 Hagemann-Sutton Special

For sale at Fantasy Junction | Emeryville, California

Photo - Fantasy Junction

Photo – Fantasy Junction

Ah, the great American road-racing specials of the 1950s – the golden era of American road racing. The Hagemann-Sutton Special was one such car. It was built by Jack Hagemann in California at the request of a racer named Wally Taylor who was unable to secure a brand new Scarab.

Hagemann started building the car, but Taylor couldn’t afford to complete it. So he had and a chassis and engine. It wasn’t until 1978 that he would acquire a body – one built in the 1950s by Jack Sutton. It was originally fitted to a customized Talbot-Lago. In the 1980s, the chassis, body, and engine combination found their way to another racer, Butch Gilbert, who restored the car in 2005.

The original 283 Chevy V-8 was bored and stroked to 5.4-liters. It’s a great car to take vintage racing and to the Monterey Historics in particular. It is for sale for $650,000. Click here for more info.

March 2015 Auction Highlights

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The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance occurred in March, and with it, a slew of amazing sales, the first being Bonhams’ auction. The top sale was this much-ballyhooed (and rightfully so) 1930 Cord L-29 Town Car by Murphy for $1,760,000.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Of our feature cars, the top seller was the Stutz Super Bearcat for $1,012,000. The Templar Touring brought a more reasonable $60,500. Two cars failed to sell: the Thomas and the Wanderer.

The “French-Front” Oldsmobile sold for $94,600 and the 1911 EMF went for $242,000. And last but not least, the Wills Sainte Claire sold for $151,250. Click here for full results.

Next up is newly re-branded RM Sotheby’s and their Amelia Island sale, where the top seller was out featured Ferrari 400 Superamerica for $6,380,000. Other million dollar feature cars included the 427 S/C Cobra for $2,117,500, the Jaguar XJR-9 for $2,145,000, and a previously-featured Duesenberg that proves a paint job can go a long way. It sold for $1,155,000.

Another previously-featured car that showed up at this sale is the 1932 Marmon HCM Prototype. It brought $429,000. I’m going to call out this 1952 Kurtis 4000 that finished 5th at the 1952 Indy 500 as most-interesting non-feature car. It sold for $495,000.

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

On a related note, the Miller 91 brought $770,000.  And the beautiful Stutz DV-32 sold for $522,500. Check out full results here.

The third Amelia Island sale (well, second if you’re going by the calendar… third in our rundown) is Gooding & Company’s sale. The top seller was a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 that has been in the same family for 40 years. It brought $3,300,000.

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

The top seller of our feature cars would’ve been the Maserati 200 SI, but it failed to sell (as did the Duesenberg from this sale). Instead, it is the AAR-Toyota Eagle for $660,000. The March-Cosworth went for $231,000 and the first Lotus ever sold to a customer sold for $247,500. Check out full results here.

Bonhams had another sale in March, in Goodwood. The top sale was our featured Frazer Nash Le Mans Coupe for $695,854. The other Frazer Nash failed to sell. Interesting cars included this 1961 Fiat-Abarth 1000 Bialbero Record Monza by Zagato for $94,089.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The H.R.G. Le Mans sold for $243,444. And the Audi Quattro Rally car sold for $368,210. Click here for full results.

And finally, Osenat’s March sale, in which our featured Aryathis failed to sell. The top sale was this 1939 Citroen Traction Avant 15/6 Cabriolet for $661,435. Click here for full results.

Photo - Osenat

Photo – Osenat

Renault Sport Spider

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1997 Renault Sport Spider

Offered by Silverstone Auctions | Birmingham, U.K. | March 28, 2015

Photo - Silverstone Auctions

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

Renault isn’t really a company known for their sports cars. In the 1980s, they had the 5 Turbo, one of the hottest of hatches of the era. In the 1990s, Renault decided they needed a vehicle that would draw attention to their brand. So they turned to their in-house sporting division, Renault Sport (a division that traces its roots back to Alpine and Gordini), to build one.

The Spider went on sale in 1996 and was discontinued in the 1998 model year. They were powered by a mid-rear-mounted 2.0-liter straight-four making 148 horsepower. Renault also hosted a one-make racing series for these cars that lasted from 1995 through 1999.

This car is a 1990s classic. It’s one of the more unique vehicles produced by any major manufacturer during the decade and will be always be collectible for both its one-of-a-kind styling and rareness. Only 1,635 were built and this is one of only 60 right-hand drive examples. It should sell for between $27,000-$33,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $33,300.

Shelby CSX

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1989 Shelby CSX Hatchback

Offered by Auctions America | Ft. Lauderdale, Florida | March 27, 2015

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

The Shelby CSX was built between 1987 and 1989 and was based on the Dodge Shadow. Available as a two or four-door hatchback, they were all powered by a 2.2-liter turbocharged straight-four making 175 horsepower. It offered serious performance for only $13,495. This car is essentially brand new – it still has the plastic on the seats. Only 500 were built and this has to be the nicest one around. It is expected to bring between $20,000-$30,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $17,600.

Shelby Charger

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1983 Dodge Shelby Charger Hatchback

Offered by Auctions America | Ft. Lauderdale, Florida | March 27, 2015

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

This was the first car that Shelby got his hands on at Chrysler. They went on sale in 1983 and lasted through the 1987 model year. The engine is a 2.2-liter turbocharged straight-four making 175 horsepower (the Shelby standard while at Chrysler). This model was much more common than some of the other Chrysler Shelbys, with 8,251 built in 1983 alone. Still, it should bring between $12,000-$16,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $11,000.

Chrysler Shelbys

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Chrysler Shelbys

Offered by Auctions America | Ft. Lauderdale, Florida | March 27, 2015

 1989 Shelby CSX Hatchback

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

The Shelby CSX was built between 1987 and 1989 and was based on the Dodge Shadow. Available as a two or four-door hatchback, they were all powered by a 2.2-liter turbocharged straight-four making 175 horsepower. It offered serious performance for only $13,495. This car is essentially brand new – it still has the plastic on the seats. Only 500 were built and this has to be the nicest one around. It is expected to bring between $20,000-$30,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $17,600.

1986 Shelby Omni GLHS Hatchback

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

This might be the most-famous car that Carroll Shelby’s name was put on during his collaboration with Chrysler in the 1980s. The Dodge Omni was a subcompact car that has essentially disappeared from America’s roads. There was the Dodge Omni GLH (“Goes Like Hell”) which was a Shelby special sold by Dodge. But then there was this, the GLHS (“Goes Like Hell S’more”). This car uses a turbocharged 2.2-liter straight-four making 175 horsepower. That’s a lot as the base Corvette from 1986 only made 230. Only 500 of these were built and this one could bring between $20,000-$30,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $15,400.

1983 Dodge Shelby Charger Hatchback

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

This was the first car that Shelby got his hands on at Chrysler. They went on sale in 1983 and lasted through the 1987 model year. The engine is a 2.2-liter turbocharged straight-four making 175 horsepower (the Shelby standard while at Chrysler). This model was much more common than some of the other Chrysler Shelbys, with 8,251 built in 1983 alone. Still, it should bring between $12,000-$16,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $11,000.

1987 Shelby Lancer Hatchback

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

This was the third product of the Chrysler/Shelby collaboration. The 1987 Shelby Lancer was actually built by Shelby. The 1988 and 1989 cars were built by Dodge. Shelby only built 800 in 1987 – half came with an automatic and the other half had a 5-speed manual (this car included). All were powered by the ubiquitous 2.2-liter turbocharged straight-four making 175 horsepower. The Dodge-built cars are actually rarer than the Shelby-assembled ones, but this is more collectible. It could bring between $20,000-$30,000 as it is essentially brand new. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $16,500.

1989 Shelby Dakota

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

This was the only rear-wheel-drive Chrysler product that Shelby put his name on. They were built in 1989 only and this one is fresh – only 23 miles on the odometer. Luckily, it had something other than the 2.2-liter turbo unit used on the other cars. This truck has a 5.2-liter V-8 making… the same 175 horsepower that the little turbo four makes. In all, 1,475 were built, 995 of those were this red you see here (the rest were white). They cost $15,813 when new and this one should bring between $20,000-$30,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Auctions America’s Ft. Lauderdale lineup.

Update: Sold $24,200.

Renault Delivery Van

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1909 Renault Camionette Delivery Truck

Offered by Auctions America | Ft. Lauderdale, Florida | March 29, 2015

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

This old Renault is a good example of how early automakers were able to transform their road vehicles into commercial vehicles without too much undue effort. If you look at everything from the seats forward, it’s very much an early Renault road car. The fact that it has an extended wheelbase and a big box on the back is what turns it into a work truck.

Or more of a van, really, as camionette is French for “van.” Like many early Renaults, this is powered by a two-cylinder engine. The steering wheel is on the right and there is actually a windshield, although weather protection as a whole leaves something to be desired.

If you own a business, this is the vehicle for you. Have it repainted with your logo on the side and use it as a promotional vehicle. It will draw a crowd wherever it goes. This former museum piece is offered with an estimate between $30,000-$40,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $39,600.

A Beautiful Packard

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1934 Packard Twelve Series 1106 Sport Coupe by LeBaron

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Fort Worth, Texas | May 2, 2015

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

This car is a stunner. The Twelve was Packard’s crowning achievement. The Twin Six reappeared in Packard’s lineup in 1932 with the “Twelve” moniker used exclusively from 1933 on. 1939 would be the model’s final year – an impressive feat considering that many of its rivals did not last nearly as long.

The engine is a 7.3-liter V-12 making 160 silky smooth horsepower. The particular engine in this car is one of the first two V-12s built for the Eleventh Series cars (1934 was the Eleventh Series). This car was specially bodied by LeBaron in gorgeous Sport Coupe form. It sits on a special, short chassis that was reserved for select few Packards.

Only four LeBaron Sport Coupes were built and this one was on the Packard stand at the 1934 New York Auto Show. After the show season, the front end was updated by Packard to reflect the slightly restyled 1935 Twelfth Series cars. It wasn’t sold to its first owner until 1939.

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

Look at that profile view. Tell me it isn’t perfection. Being beautiful and only one of four built, it has led a fairly privileged life. It was restored in the 1980s, but as you can see, it still looks brilliant, especially in this dark green. If you want to see more, look here. And for more from this sale, here.

Update: Sold $2,200,000.

Update: Not sold, RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island 2023.

Cupelle Open Touring

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1905 Cupelle 8HP Two-Seater Open Touring

Offered by Auctions America | Ft. Lauderdale, Florida | March 29, 2015

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

Cupelle is a very rare automobile marque. In the early years of automobile manufacturing, there were companies that specialized in different things. De Dion-Bouton, for example, was a prolific engine builder. And there was another French company, Lacoste et Battmann (of Paris), who built entire cars – for other companies.

Lacoste et Battmann built cars but didn’t want the hassle of marketing them, so they delivered them to other companies who badged, marketed, and sold them. Cupelle was one of those makes. Built by Lacoste et Battmann, this Cupelle uses an eight horsepower single-cylinder engine.

This example was restored in the 1950s and has been in a museum for a while. 1905 was the only year the Cupelle was manufactured, which makes this car mind-blowingly rare. It is thought that it may be the only one in existence. It can be yours for between $30,000-$40,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $45,100.