Monthly Archives: January 2016

1908 Sizaire-Naudin

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1908 Sizaire-Naudin Type F1 8HP Sport

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | February 5, 2016

Photo - Artcurial

Photo – Artcurial

Sizaire-Naudin was a French marque that existed between 1903 and 1921. The Sizaire name lived on for a few years after 1921 in a few different forms. The company was founded by brothers Georges and Maurice Sizaire and their friend Louis Naudin in Courbevoie.

The car features unique styling at the front. The engine cover has a cyclops-like design to it and the eight horsepower single-cylinder engine resides beneath. Microcars aside, single-cylinder cars (especially of this size) went out of favor by about 1904. Still, this car is capable of 49 mph.

Sold new in Nice, the car is as it would’ve been when it was new and has been restored as needed over time, with major work being carried out in the 1980s and around 2000. It’s a rare marque and a fine example that should bring between $70,000-$90,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $133,561.

Iso Rivolta

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1967 Iso Rivolta IR 300 Coupe

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 4, 2016

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The Iso Rivolta is, obviously, a very good-looking coupe built by Iso between 1962 and 1970. The IR Coupe was offered in two forms, the 300 and the 340. It was the first car the company introduced after their famous Isetta, marking the move from microcars to powerful tourers, sports cars, and sedans.

The engine is a 5.4-liter V-8 from Chevrolet making 300 horsepower. Top speed is 135 mph. The styling was done at Bertone by Giorgetto Giugiaro and the chassis was was designed by Bizzarrini. It’s an Italian-American sedan. And a mean-looking one at that.

This car was restored two years ago and has spent its whole life in Italy. This was Iso’s best-selling model, with 797 built. This one should bring between $93,000-$140,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $103,095.

The Fanciest Pre-Jaguar

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1939 SS 100 2.5-Litre Roadster by Van den Plas

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Phoenix, Arizona | January 28-29, 2016

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

We’ve featured another SS 100 before, but that was the larger-engined 3.5-litre model. This car is actually powered by a 2.7-liter straight-six (even though it’s called a “2.5-litre”) making 102 horsepower.

The SS brand, as we all know, became Jaguar after WWII and the Nazi connection those two letters had. This particular car is thought to be the final 2.5-litre SS 100 chassis built in 1939 and it was purchased by Van den Plas, the Belgian coachbuilder. But war broke out and they weren’t able to do anything with it until after things had settled down, so this car with this fantastic, Figoni-esque body debuted in 1948 at the Brussels Motor Show.

Van den Plas began in Belgium in 1870 and a British arm, Vanden Plas, opened in London in 1917. Jaguar had a long associated with that brand through its British Leyland ownership and beyond. You can see the underlying SS 100 under the added swoopy fenders – the grille and hood line is still intact.

This car arrived in the U.S. in the late 1980s or early 1990s and it was then restored. It still wears that restoration that shows well. It is one-of-one and will cost you a pretty penny. Click here for more info and here for the rest of RM’s lineup.

Update: Sold $1,402,500.

Bugatti EB112

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1999 Bugatti EB112

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | February 5, 2016

Photo - Artcurial

Photo – Artcurial

Well what do we have here? Bugatti has existed in three different forms. First, Ettore’s original company, which built cars up to the war. Ettore died soon after it ended and the company fumbled along until closing its doors in 1952. But alas! Romano Artioli revived the marque in the late 1980s – in Italy. He built the over-the-top EB110 supercar through the mid-1990s. Then in 1998, Volkswagen bought the brand name and revived it again for the 2006 model year.

This car is listed as a 1999 – which you’d think means it was built by Volkswagen. But no. The EB112 was shown as a concept car in 1993 at the Geneva Motor Show. It never reached production and as the second chapter of the Bugatti story came to a close, three such EB112 super sedans were in the factory in some form.

When the assets were liquidated, Monegasque businessman Gildo Pallanca Pastor bought all three. In 1998, his racing team managed to complete two of the cars (hence why it is listed as a 1999). One was sold to a Russian collector and this one was retained by Pastor.

The engine is a 6.0-liter V-12 making 455 horsepower. Sixty arrives in 4.5 seconds thanks to all-wheel drive and the car tops out at 186 mph. It’s an incredible performer considering it’s a large, luxurious sedan designed in the early 1990s. It is in perfect condition and is one of those cars you’ll never get another chance to grab. Artcurial isn’t even publishing an estimate. This is a mind-blowing chance. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Cadillac Series 62 Coupe by Ghia

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1953 Cadillac Series 62 Coupe by Ghia

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Phoenix, Arizona | January 28-29, 2016

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

When you think of 50s Cadillacs, you think big fins. But 1953 was a pre-fin year and everything was a little more restrained. The Series 62 was the entry-level Cadillac from 1952 through 1968 when it’s name was changed. The series was introduced in 1940.

In 1953, Ghia of Italy ordered two Cadillac Series 62 Convertible chassis and had them shipped to Italy. They applied this gorgeous, stylized black coupe body with gold accents all around. The engine is the standard 5.4-liter V-8 making 210 horsepower.

This car has slightly different styling than its sister car at the front and passed through the Blackhawk Collection more than 20 years ago before its current owners acquired it around the time of its restoration. As a 1950s American chassis with an Italian body – and it being one of two – it will be pricey. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $1,430,000.

Ferrari 335 S

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1957 Ferrari 335 S by Scaglietti

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | February 5, 2016

Photo - Artcurial

Photo – Artcurial

What you’re looking at could be the second-most expensive car ever sold at auction. This rare Ferrari racer is just one of four made and carries a pre-sale estimate between $30,315,000-$34,650,000. That is some serious dough. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves…

The Ferrari 335 Sport was an evolution of the earlier 315 S that was built in 1957. The 1957-1958 335 S was powered by a 4.0-liter V-12 making a handy 390 horsepower. It was a car built to dominate the Mille Miglia – and it ended up ending the race.

This car began life as a 315 S and in that form competed in two races:

  • 1957 12 Hours of Sebring – 6th (with Peter Collins and Maurice Trintignant
  • 1957 Mille Miglia – 2nd (with Wolfgang von Trips)

After the 1957 Mille Miglia (which was marred by the accident of Alfonso de Portago in a different Ferrari 335 S that killed nine people, including de Portago), this car was upgraded to the 4-liter engine it currently has, bringing it to 335 S specification. It’s factory competition history continued:

  • 1957 24 Hours of Le Mans – 44th, DNF (with Mike Hawthorn and Luigi Musso)
  • 1957 6 Hours of Kristianstad (Sweden) – 2nd (with Hawthorn and Musso)

After this, back to the factory it went for damage repair. Slight modifications were made to add a more “pontoon-fendered” look to it (like the 250 Testa Rossa). Then it was back to the circuit:

  • 1957 Venezuelan Grand Prix – 2nd (with Hawthorn and Musso)
  • 1958 Cuban Grand Prix – 1st (with Masten Gregory and Stirling Moss)
  • 1958 Road America 500 – 1st (with Gaston Andrey and Lance Reventlow)

Those last two races were in privateer hands, once the car had been sold by Ferrari to Luigi Chinetti. It was restored in 1981 and the original nose configuration was put back on the car (although the pontoon-nose was kept as well). This car has been with the same owner since 1970 and a 335 S is not a car you will likely see at auction for years to come. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $35,075,200.

Newton-Ceirano

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1925 Newton-Ceirano 150S 14HP Tourer

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 4, 2016

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The Newton-Ceirano was a short-lived British marque that was just an imported version of the Italian Ceirano, a car that was produced in Turin between 1919 and 1931 by Giovanni and Ernesto Ceirano. Newton & Bennett sold the cars in England as the Newton-Ceirano, specifically, the 150S model.

The engine is a 1.5-liter straight-four. The 14HP rating is for tax reasons, as the 150 Normale model boasted 30 horsepower from this engine. The 150S (or as the catalog has this, the S150) was geared differently and was capable of 65 MPH.

This car has known history since 1949 and was involved in an accident at some point, but repaired by the current owner. It has traveled 400 miles since work was completed. Only a handful of examples from this marque are known, making this very rare. It should bring between $49,000-$60,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Duesenberg J-295

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1934 Duesenberg Model J Town Car by Murphy

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Phoenix, Arizona | January 28-29, 2016

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

This Model J Duesenberg sports a fairly low engine number but a relatively new model year designation. The Model J was introduced in 1929 – before the stock market crashed. Money was flowing, orders were placed. Then things went south and the company was stuck with a lot of inventory (in the form of engine/chassis combinations) that took years to move out to the door to coachbuilders.

This car was first sold in 1934, hence its model year. In that year, the widow of the head of Campbell’s Soup ordered this Duesey sent to the Walter M. Murphy Company of Pasadena, California, to be fitted with stately Town Car coachwork. The engine is the standard 6.9-liter straight-eight making 265 horsepower.

Only 1,800 miles were put on this car before it was acquired by its second owner in 1947. Currently, the mileage stands at a tick under 40,000. It has been restored twice, and shown at Pebble Beach twice (in 1990 and 2010). It’s a matching numbers car and is thought to be one of six Murphy Town Cars. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Update: Sold, Gooding & Company “Geared Online”, August 2020, $1,012,000.

ASA 1000 GT

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1965 ASA 1000 GT Coupe

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 4, 2016

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

ASA was a small auto manufacturer based in Milan that debuted in 1962 and lasted through 1969. Their main model was this, the 1000 GT. It was designed by Giotto Bizzarrini and the body was done by Giorgetto Giugiaro of Bertone.

The engine is a 1.0-liter straight-four making 95 horsepower. The engine was actually designed by Ferrari engineers as, basically, a chopped up version of Ferrari’s Colombo V-12. There was a hotted-up version with a larger engine called the 411 GT.

Only about 90 examples of the 1000 GT were built. They are pretty and this one was sold new in Germany. The award-winning restoration was completed in 2014. This should bring between $99,000-$144,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams.

Update: Sold $146,910.

Phantom II Torpedo Sports

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1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Torpedo Sports by Barker

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Phoenix, Arizona | January 28-29, 2016

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

When you think of 1930s streamlined automobiles, you probably think of those Art Deco French beauties. Well here is an English example. It’s a Rolls-Royce Phantom II, which was produced between 1929 and 1936.

It is powered by a 120 horsepower 7.7-liter straight-six. Barker & Co. of London was one of the more common coachbuilders for Rolls-Royce. Most of their designs were relatively traditional – sedans and the like. But obviously not all of their designs were stodgy. This Torpedo Sports looks like something from the late 1930s, not the dawn of the decade.

Built for a man in New York (but never delivered), this car has windswept fenders, rear wheel covers, and the upper part of the rear decklid comes to a boattail-like point. The first owner isn’t actually known for sure (it is thought to be a Maharaja), but from the second owner on, the history of this car is known. The current owner bought it in the early 1990s and it has since been restored.

Only 1,402 Phantom IIs were built and this is the only one quite like this. It’s also one of the sportiest Phantom IIs, too. If you want to see more, click here. And find the rest of RM’s catalog here.

Update: Not sold.