Monthly Archives: January 2016

330 GTC Speciale

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1967 Ferrari 330 GTC Speciale by Pininfarina

Offered by Gooding & Company | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 29-30, 2016

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

The Ferrari 330 was a series of cars built by the House of the Prancing Horse over a period of years lasting from 1963 through 1968. The 330 GTC (and it’s convertible sibling, the 330 GTS) were built between 1966 and 1968. The 330 GTC was the second-most-produced model among the few different models built. But this is a Speciale – it wears a special body courtesy of Pininfarina.

The drivetrain is the same: a 4.0-liter V-12 making 300 horsepower drives the rear wheels. Pininfarina bodied four 330 GTCs with this body work. The front resembles the 365 California and the rear features a dramatic, vertical rear windscreen and sloping side panels that make the car look mid-engined when the engine is actually up front.

This is car number three of four that wear this styling. It was sold new to a woman in Northern Italy. Less than a decade later, it was in the U.S. and it would bounce between owners on the two continents for the next twenty years before the current owner acquired it in 1994. It was restored in the late 1980s and hasn’t been shown at many major shows. It should bring between $3,400,000-$4,000,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $3,410,000.

1896 Raynaud

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1896 Raynaud Vis-à-Vis Prototype

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Paris, France | February 3, 2016

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

Here’s a car you aren’t likely to find anything else about. It is probably the only one built and was ahead of its time. It is thought that this car was constructed by Claude Raynaud of Flayosc, France. Nothing known ties him to the automobile industry in any way, so why he built this is kind of a mystery.

It is powered by a 3.8-liter two-cylinder engine. It has a gear transmission, which nearly no other car had at this point. And you’ll notice that it has a steering wheel in place of a tiller, something that wouldn’t be standard for years to come.

This car was discovered in France in 1975. It has been repainted and has had new solid tires fitted, but that is the extent of the work done to in in nearly 120 years. This one-of-a-kind car is being offered out of a private collection and can now be yours. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $149,980.

Update II: Not sold, Bonhams’ London-to-Brighton 2016.

McLaren P1

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2015 McLaren P1

Offered by Bonhams | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 28, 2016

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The McLaren F1 has a legendary status in the automobile world. It was so good that McLaren took about 10 years off from road car production before returning with the “mid-market” (in supercar terms) MP4-12C. Then they tried to top themselves with this, the P1 – one of the most advanced cars ever built.

It’s a hybrid supercar. It uses a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V-8 and an electric motor for a combined output of 903 horsepower. Just about everything you see is carbon fiber, so it weighs nothing. The sprint to 60 mph takes only 2.7 seconds and the top speed is 217 mph. Active aerodynamics keep it suckered to the ground.

The car went into production in October of 2013 for the 2014 model year and the last one was built in December 2015. Only 375 were made and this was #371 – the last U.S. market car produced. Sold new to a Florida collector via Chicago, this is an easy way to pick up one of these rare machines while they are still new and available. Supercars are often bought when they first come out, used and they quickly resold where they will sit in collections for years or decades. Get ’em while they’re hot. The price should be between $1,900,000-$2,200,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $2,090,000.

Fiat 600 Mirafiori

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1957 Fiat 600 Mirafiori

Offered by Gooding & Company | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 29-30, 2016

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

The Fiat 600 was a city car that slotted in the Fiat lineup right above, you guessed it, the Fiat 500. It was built between 1955 and 1969. The 600 Multipla was minivan-like five-door, six-seat version of the 600 that was built between 1956 and 1965. The cars were constructed at Fiat’s Mirafiori plant in Turin.

The 600 Mirafiori was built – at the request of Fiat president Gianni Agnelli – internally by Fiat to transport visitors (specifically, VIP visitors) around the Fiat plant and campus in Turin. It is based on the 600 Multipla and has a removable panoramic hardtop and is powered by a 29 horsepower 767cc straight-four.

Five were built between 1956 and 1958 and it is thought that this is the only survivor. When this thing’s useful life concluded, a Fiat manager took it home and kept it until 1995. It was restored in the 1990s and this is likely the first time one of these has ever been offered on the open market. It should bring between $150,000-$200,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $143,000.

630K by Saoutchik

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1928 Mercedes-Benz 630K La Baule Transformable by Saoutchik

Offered by Bonhams | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 28, 2016

Photo - Bonhams
Photo – Bonhams

We’ve featured a Mercedes-Benz 630K before and this car has much more attractive body work – from Jacques Saoutchik of all people, the man responsible for some of the most sought-after designs to ever come out of France. The 630K was the new name of the Mercedes 24/100/140 after the merger of Daimler and Benz.

Power here is supplied by a 6.2-liter supercharged straight-six – it puts out 100 horsepower normally and 138 once the supercharger is engaged. The “K” variant of the Typ 630 is the short-wheelbase version. Top speed was over 90 mph.

Only 267 Model K Mercedes’ were produced between 1926 and 1932. The early history of this car is not known, but it is believed that it has been in North America for many years. It was restored a while back, but not widely shown, meaning it is eligible for most major car shows. It’s a rare treat – Saoutchik body on a high-performance Benz chassis. It should bring between $1,000,000-$1,300,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $973,500.

Update: Not sold, Bonhams Amelia Island 2021.

December 2015 Auction Highlights

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This month, we’ll start with a brand new auction, the inaugural sale by the Keno Brothers held in New York. The top sale was a 1967 Bizzarrini 5300 Strada for $1,010,800.

Photo - Keno Brothers

Photo – Keno Brothers

The “cars as art” thing isn’t anything new, but this sale really pushed it hard. Hopefully all of the new owners realize they can still use these beautiful machines. Full results can be found here.

Next up, Bonhams’ December sale. We featured one car here, a 4¼-Litre Bentley that brought $144,019. The top sale was another Bentley, a 1926 3-Litre Light Tourer by Vanden Plas for $419,251. Complete results are here.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Auctionata’s Mercedes-Benz-only sale saw a few sellers, with this 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Coupe topping them all at $91,775. Click here for more.

Photo - Auctionata

Photo – Auctionata

RM Sotheby’s “Driven by Disruption” sale was a headline-grabber with our featured ex-Fangio 290 MM selling for $28,050,000. The other mega-dollar car was the Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato that went for $14,300,000. But among all of the million dollar cars were a parade of no-sales, including: the Lambo Concept S, the 300SL Race Car, the 500 Mondial, and the Ferrari 212 Inter. Interesting sales included an ever-increasing-in-value Countach – a 1981 Lamborghini Countach LP400 S for a crazy $962,500.

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

The Siata 208S sold for $1,650,000 and the Delage $1,430,000. The Pegaso was a relative bargain at $742,500. And a previously-featured Ferrari 250 Europa sold for $3,300,000. Check out full results here.

And finally, Mecum’s Austin sale. The top sale was a 2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition with 573 miles on the clock for $440,000.

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

Our featured Aston Martin Virage sold for $97,500. Click here for full results.

1900 Bardon

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1900 Bardon Type A Tonneau

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Paris, France | February 3, 2016

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

Louis Bardon founded his automobile company in 1899 in Puteaux, France. The company produced cars up through 1903 when Georges Richard took over the plant and used it to manufacture Unic cars.

Bardon built a number of different cars over the short lifespan of the company. This car is powered a 4/5 horsepower 1.2-liter opposed-piston single-cylinder engine. That means that there are two pistons that share the same cylinder. It’s a really strange and interesting powerplant.

Only three Bardon cars are known to exist and the other two are in long-term collections, unlikely to come up for sale in the near future, if ever. The restoration on this car was completed a while back but is still a good runner, driver, and shower. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $106,200.