Monthly Archives: October 2015

Nissan 300ZX

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1992 Nissan 300ZX Coupe

Offered by Auctions America | Hilton Head, South Carolina | October 31, 2015

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

The Toyota Supra. Mazda RX-7. Mitsubishi 3000GT. And the Nissan 300ZX. These were the sportiest Japanese cars you could buy in the 1990s. But by the mid-to-late 90s, they were all gone. As the prices came down on used ones, high schoolers took over, modifying them beyond repair. This car is a glimmer of hope.

This generation of Nissan’s Z-car was built between 1989 and 2000 (although they ceased arriving on American shores after 1996). The engine is a 3.0-liter V6 making 222 horsepower. An even-sportier twin turbo model was also offered. This car does have the glass T-tops.

Because so many of these have been driven into the ground by young people desperate to get their hands on something fast, not many remain – especially this clean and in this condition. In fact, Supras and RX-7s are climbing in price and are hardly ever seen. This is the most common of the three but you never see one that really looks like its got its stuff together. It’s a low-mileage, one-owner car estimated to bring $25,000-$30,000. Hopefully it goes to a good home. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Auctions America’s lineup.

Update: Sold $12,100.

Stanley Steamer

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1903 Stanley CX 6.5HP Steam Runabout

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | October 30, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The Stanley is an iconic American automobile. The Stanley brothers built one of America’s largest early automotive manufacturers and they did it on the basis of steam. While the coffin-nose Stanleys are quite famous, it’s these earlier, simpler-looking cars that helped make the company what it became.

1903 was the third year for Stanley production and three models were offered, with the two-cylinder Model CX being at the top of the heap. The CX was an eight horsepower car and the Model C was the 6.5 horsepower car. Both had identical bodies. So take your pick as to what this car really is.

The car is in great shape and has had work done recently to keep it going. It’s a runner and a driver that can be used with pride. Steam cars take a special sort – as well as $54,000-$62,000. Click here for more info and here for more from one of our favorite sales of the year.

Update: Sold $61,742.

1899 Panhard-Levassor

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1899 Panhard et Levassor Type M2E 4HP Two-Seater

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | October 30, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

If I were handed the photo above with no information and told to guess the year of manufacture, I would probably guess 1902 or 1903. This is what cars looked like in 1902 and 1903, for the most part. But no, this is from 1899. While three to four years might not seem like much, these particular three to four years were light years in terms of automotive development. And Panhard-Levassor was at the forefront of it.

Most pre-1900 cars had a more “horseless carriage” look to them, but René Panhard devised this layout – the now-ubiquitous front-engined, rear-wheel drive car (with a clutch, gearbox, and rear differential). All successful automobiles thereafter adopted this (more or less).

Then again, by 1899, Panhard-Levassor had almost 10 years of automobile production under their belt. This car is powered by a vertical 1.2-liter twin-cylinder engine making four horsepower. The original owner is known, but the car wasn’t restored until its 100th birthday. And now its the perfect car for the London-to-Brighton run. It should bring between $460,000-$540,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

De Tomaso Longchamp

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1983 De Tomaso Longchamp

Offered by Motostalgia | Austin, Texas | November 6-7, 2015

Photo - Motostalgia

Photo – Motostalgia

Argentine Alejandro De Tomaso’s car company is most well-known for its Pantera sports car. Some people are familiar with the Mangusta, as well, but there were a number of other, lesser-known models that were produced over the years. Like this, the Longchamp.

Offered as a two-door coupe (and aftermarket convertible), the Longchamp was produced in limited numbers between 1972 to 1989. That may seem like an eternity, but De Tomaso was never the most financially sound company and only a handful were built in the later years. Power in this car is provided by a 330 horsepower 5.8-liter Ford V-8. Other engine options were available depending on what year it was.

This all-original example is one of only 395 closed coupes that were built. With non-conformist looks and a nearly 150 mph top speed, this car is both a head turner and performer. It should sell for between $45,000-$55,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $39,600.

1904 Pope-Hartford

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1905 Pope-Hartford 20HP Model D Two-Cylinder Side-Entrance Tonneau

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | October 30, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

We’ve featured a number of Pope-related automobiles lately. The Hartford was one of five Pope-branded automobiles, the others being the Tribune, Waverley, Toledo and the very short-lived Robinson. The Columbia from last week was also originally a Pope-owned company.

This Model D was built at the end of 1904. The Model D was only built for the 1905 model year and uses a two-cylinder engine making 20 horsepower. This was the only body style offered.

The current owner acquired the car in 2005 and restored it that year as well. The paint and interior were refreshed in 2014 when the car took part in the London-to-Brighton run. This car looks great and is a fine example of pre-1905 American motoring. It should bring between $120,000-$130,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams.

Update: Sold $126,000.

Star Benz

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1899 Star Benz 3.5HP Vis-a-Vis

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | October 30, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

England’s Star Motor Company built its first car in 1898 and it was a German Benz vehicle built under license in Wolverhampton. The company continued to build this model through 1902. This car is one of those.

The engine is a single-cylinder making 3.5 horsepower of Benz’s design. Star was one of England’s largest automobile manufacturers before WWI. A series of ownership changes, coupled with the Great Depression, spelled the end to what could have been one of England’s biggest post-World War II automakers.

This car has known ownership back to 1932 and it was restored in 1954. It has run in over a dozen London-to-Brighton runs – going back to 1938! For the past three decades, this car has been on museum display, so it’ll need a little work to get it roadworthy – but it looks great considering the restoration is over 60 years old. It should sell for between $92,000-$110,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $141,463.

Update: Sold, Bonhams London-to-Brighton $178,725.

Albion Dogcart

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1901 Albion 8HP A1 Dogcart

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | October 30, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Albion is a Glasgow, Scotland-based manufacturer that was founded by Thomas Blackwood Murray and Norman Osborne Fulton in 1899. That’s right, is – this company is still active, although they haven’t built a road-going vehicle since it’s last bus left the line in 1972 (passenger cars ceased in 1915). Today they make just axles for other car companies.

The rear-mounted engine in this A1 Dogcart is a 2.1-liter twin-cylinder making eight horsepower. We’ve always found “Dogcart” to be an interesting name for a car’s body style. Traditionally, it refers to a one-horse carriage with four-seats: two facing forward, and two facing backward. If you didn’t know this, perhaps you might think Albion was slamming the physical appearance of their customers. It’s a term we almost exclusively relate to the London-to-Brighton run.

This car has been in the same family since the 1960s and has competed in the London-to-Brighton run many times. These super-early cars are always fascinating. This one should bring between $170,000-$220,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $225,647.

Mustang Enduro Prototype

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1980 Ford Mustang GT Enduro Prototype

Offered by Auctions America | Hilton Head, South Carolina | October 31, 2015

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

The third-generation “Fox body” Mustang was built between 1979 and 1993. Ford actually took them racing int the 1980s. In the early 80s, these racing IMSA Mustangs were very boxy and wide. So Ford had three road-going prototypes built in 1982 to “resemble” these boxy racing cars. This is one of them (the other two are red).

The engine is a 5.0-liter V-8 that has been modified to something that more resembles a race engine than the Fox body’s dorky 2.3-liter straight-four base powerplant. Horsepower is generously “more than stock.” Everything else – from the shifter, transmission, drivetrain and suspension – has been customized.

This 14,000-mile car is a very rare prototype and one of the coolest Mustangs built in the 1980s – which, let’s be honest, wasn’t the nameplate’s high point. It should bring between $45,000-$60,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $40,700.

1904 Columbia

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1904 Columbia Mark XLIII Two-Cylinder Rear-Entrance Tonneau

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | October 30, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Although many car companies bore his name, Columbia did not bear the name of Albert Pope, who first began building electric automobiles under the Columbia name in 1897. Gasoline-powered cars followed in 1899. Pope’s Columbia merged with the Electric Vehicle Company to form the Columbia Automobile Company in 1899 as well.

The 1904 Mark XLIII was the only two-cylinder car offered by the company that year and it could only be had in 2.9-liter 12/14 horsepower, four-passenger rear-entrance tonneau form. A four-cylinder car was also offered alongside no less than 35 electric variants. Their range was huge – I’m not sure any other American manufacturer was offering this many different cars in 1904. In 1911, the trend had reversed and gasoline was the dominant power source. That year, the company became part of the United States Motor Company, which failed in 1912, taking Columbia with it.

This car was restored in the 1960s and has been owned by the current owner since 2004. It’s very nice. Surviving early Columbias are mostly electrics, which makes this car quite rare. It should bring between $140,000-$170,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $121,950.

MMC Tonneau

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1904 MMC 8HP Rear-Entrance Tonneau

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | October 30, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

MMC is the abbreviation for the creatively-named Motor Manufacturing Company. Harry J. Lawson invented the “Safety Bicycle” in the 1870s and later saw the future: automobiles. His plan was to basically own all British motor production by acquiring as many patents as possible. He organized the Great Horseless Carriage Company in 1896. It failed quickly and was re-organized as the MMC in 1898. This company actually built some cars but went bankrupt in 1904. They built a few cars between 1904 and 1907 and were gone by 1908.

This car appears to have an eight-horsepower single-cylinder engine and known ownership history back to 1953. The restoration was finished in 1960, just in time for the car to be featured in a number of films in the 1960s. It was last used on the road in the 1960s and had some touch up work done in the 80s.

It is not road-ready, but it is rare, coming from a marque that had but a brief history and is fairly unknown. MMC is perhaps best known as having been founded by Lawson, who was later convicted of fraudulently raising money for his businesses – including this one. It should bring between $61,000-$92,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $79,383.