Monthly Archives: May 2016

Monterey Edition Diablo

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1998 Lamborghini Diablo SV Monterey Edition

Offered by Barrett-Jackson | Uncasville, Connecticut | June 23-25, 2016

Photo - Barrett-Jackson

Photo – Barrett-Jackson

The Lamborghini Diablo is one of the best supercars of the 1990s. In the mid-1980s, the Mimran Brothers of Switzerland acquired the company and started planning to replace the Countach. They sold the company to Chrysler before it could enter production, but once Chrysler got their feet under them, the Diablo was launched.

The SV (or SuperVeloce – words the company now spells out on its high-performance models) was introduced in 1995. For 1998, there was a limited edition version of the already-special SV. Called the Monterey Edition, it featured twin scoops on the roof from the earlier SE30 special edition. Standard SV features included a 510 horsepower 5.7-liter V-12.

Only 20 Monterey Editions were built, but they were quickly overshadowed once the Diablo was facelifted for 1999. This model was one of the last to use pop-up headlights and the 1999 model year cars had fixed lamps up front. Power was also increased for 1999.

On a side note, this particular car has been screwed with, having been supercharged to make 790 horsepower. Hopefully it’ll hold together! Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $236,500.

Lea-Francis 2.5-Litre Sports

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1950 Lea-Francis 2½-Litre Westland Sports

Offered by Historics at Brooklands | June 11, 2016

Photo - Historics at Brooklands

Photo – Historics at Brooklands

Lea-Francis was founded by Richard Lea and Graham Francis in 1895. As did many, the pair began by building bicycles and cars came in 1903. Strangely for a company that began by building bicycles, motorcycle production started after cars did. An independent their entire existence, the company folded in 1960.

The 2½-Litre was introduced in 1949 and was built in very small quantities through 1953. In fact, only 77 were built in total. The engine is a 2.5-liter straight-four rated at 120 horsepower. This is the sportiest car Lea-Francis built after the war.

Kind of resembling a Jaguar XK120, this Westland-bodied Lea-Francis is among the most collectible cars that the company built. Coupling with the decent looks and low production numbers, this example with a six-year-old restoration is expected to bring between $50,000-$60,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $47,775.

Car-Nation

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1913 Car-Nation Model C Roadster

Offered by Bonhams | Greenwich, Connecticut | June 5, 2016

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Car-Nation. Get it? Carnation. Forrest Keeton found success with his Keeton automobile and so he launched a second brand: the Car-Nation Motorette Company. Both companies were purchased by Charles Schaeffer and merged into the American Voiturette Company. The Car-Nation marque only existed between 1912 and 1915.

It’s a cyclecar, and is powered by an 18 horsepower 2.2-liter straight-four. Three models were ever offered by the company and this is the Roadster. It was the least expensive at $495 – which was cheaper than a Model T.

This car was discovered in Maine in 1954 and restored. It spent a long time in a museum but is being offered from a private owner. Only two Car-Nation Model C Roadsters are known to exist and there can’t be that many Car-Nations out there in general. It should sell for between $35,000-$40,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $24,200.

Stanga Barchetta

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1951 Stanga Barchetta

Offered by Dragone Auctions | Westport, Connecticut | June 4, 2016

Photo - Dragone Auctions

Photo – Dragone Auctions

“Etceterini” is a term to describe light Italian racing cars built between the immediate postwar period up through the early-to-mid-1960s. The Stanga brothers’ little company falls neatly into that category. Gianfranco, Sandro, and Camillo Stanga set up shop in 1949.

Stanga Barchettas began life as a Fiat 500 chassis (the Topolino, not the original Cinquecento). The engine is a Giannini-tuned Topolino engine, the straight-four now buffed up to 600cc. For the bodies, the brothers turned to Motto.

This car does have Mille Miglia history (all Stangas competed there) but the exact race history of this car is unknown. Only seven Stanga Barchettas were built and only two carry bodywork by Motto. This car should bring between $175,000-$185,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

K-R-I-T Roadster

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1912 K-R-I-T Model A Roadster

Offered by Bonhams | Greenwich, Connecticut | June 5, 2016

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

If you’ve even ever heard of the K-R-I-T Motor Car Company of Detroit, the one thing you probably know about them is that their emblem was a swastika. Fun fact. Fortunately, K-R-I-T, which was founded in 1909, went out of business in 1916 – well enough in advance of the downfall of the original meaning of the swastika, which means lucky or auspicious.

Krit (as the marque was spelled from 1913 onward) offered four different models of its four-cylinder model in 1912. The Model A was the short wheelbase version and the least expensive. It was the Roadster form and cost $800 new. It’s powered by a 22.5 horsepower 2.9-liter straight-four.

It’s an attractive and sporty early American car from a little-known, short-lived manufacturer. This example was actually used in Boardwalk Empire, which is pretty cool. It should sell for between $20,000-$25,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $24,200.

Chandler Six

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1928 Chandler Special Six Sedan

Offered by Mecum | Portland, Oregon | June 17-18, 2016

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

The Chandler Motor Company of Cleveland, Ohio, was founded in 1913 by Frederick Chandler after he and some other executives left Lozier. The company built quality cars priced in the middle of the market. If the company were still around, I would guess they’d be a competitor to Buick (they were just slightly less expensive than Buick in ’28).

In 1929, Chandler was bought out by Hupmobile and the marque was retired. This car is powered by a straight-six and is listed in the catalog as a Chandler Six. But in 1928, they offered both the Special Six and the Big Six. I’m sort of just assuming this was the entry-level Special Six, which could be had in a bunch of body styles and the five-passenger Sedan cost $995 when new.

Chandlers used wood frames, which is one reason the cars didn’t survive quite as well as some of their competitors. They are much rarer than they should be, considering they sold over 20,000 cars in 1927 alone. The engine was redone in 2012 and this would be a nice, affordable classic. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $13,000.

1957 Frick Special

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1957 Frick Special GT Coupe

Offered by Bonhams | Greenwich, Connecticut | June 5, 2016

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Bill Frick found his automotive niche prepping and modifying race cars in the 1950s and 60s. He worked in NASCAR and had his own shop in New York. Before the War, Frick got his start swapping engines and he returned to his origins in the 50s when Cadillac introduced a new V-8.

In 1953 Frick created a car called the “Studillac” which had a Cadillac V-8 stuffed into a 1953 Studebaker. He got the car bodied by Vignale and set up shop to offer them for sale. But ultimately only three were built – the original “Studillac” prototype, a convertible and this coupe.

The engine is a 5.4-liter Cadillac V-8 making a very solid 270 horsepower. The body, designed by Michelotti and built by Vignale, resembles other Vignale cars of the era, specifically those from Ferrari. This car cost $9,000 when new and was first sold in Michigan.

The current owner acquired it in 1989 and the car is all original (though, it has been repainted). It has a tick over 40,000 miles and known ownership history from new. It’s the only one like it and should bring between $180,000-$220,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

May 2016 Auction Highlights

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Before we jump into May, we again go back to January for Coys’ Grandes Marques sale held in Maastricht, Netherlands. We didn’t feature anything from this sale, but the top seller was this 1994 Porsche 911 Speedster for about $215,000. Click here for full results.

Photo - Coys

Photo – Coys

Actually in May, we have Brightwells whose sale included this 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series I 3.8 Semi-Lightweight Coupe that was the top seller at $161,705.

Photo - Brightwells

Photo – Brightwells

Our featured Donnet-Zedel failed to sell but you can check out full results here.

May means Monaco and the first sale we’re covering from Monaco is that of Bonhams. The top sale there – far and away – was this all-original 1953 Jaguar C-Type with Le Mans history. It brought $8,221,626.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

A previously featured Benetton F1 car sold for $1,200,618 after it no-sold a year and a half ago for less than a third of this price, proving that sometimes it’s better to hold on to it and wait. Our featured Bugatti Type 35 brought the same amount. The Ferrari 330 America justifiably brought more than its estimate at $489,382. All three other feature cars failed to sell: the Aston One-77, De Tomaso Vallelunga, and the Talbot-Lago. Full results can be found here.

Onward in Monaco to RM Sotheby’s. The top sale was our featured Ferrari 340 America (as the 275 NART Spyder didn’t meet its reserve) at $8,233,680. Other feature cars that didn’t sell included the Peugeot 205, Alfa 1900C, Ferrari 330 GTS, and a previously-featured March 711. The two cars from the Quattroroute Collection that we featured both sold and both seemed like bargains: the SCAT Torpedo brought $48,135 and the Hispano-Suiza $120,340. For most interesting, we’ll pick another “car” from that collection, this 1903 De Dion-Bouton chassis & engine that brought $50,668.

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

The Ferrari 275 GTS did sell – it went for $2,026,750. Click here for full results.

And the final highlight for this rundown are that of Silverstone Auctions and their May Sale. Our featured Armstrong-Siddeley Sapphire sold for $7,834. The top sale was this 1983 Lamborghini Countach 5000 S for $408,065. Click here for full results.

Photo - Silverstone Auctions

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

Devon GTX

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2009 Devon GTX

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 17-21, 2016

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

When a new supercar manufacturer springs up (and let’s be honest, it’s often), they design a wild, sporty ride and then, only afterwards, do they remember that they have to make it go. Sourcing engines for your homegrown sports car is the best option, as building your own probably isn’t too feasible. There are many Chevrolet, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, etc. powered cars. This one is Viper powered.

Scott Devon’s Devon Motorworks was active between 2008 and 2013. Introduced at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours, the GTX is powered by a front-mounted 8.4-liter V-10 from a Dodge Viper that makes 650 horsepower in this car (and with a carbon fiber body, it’s no slouch). One serious supercar credential this car boasts is that it has front-hinged McLaren F1-like gullwing doors.

Only two of these were ever made because Dodge ended production of the second-generation Viper, which was the basis for this car. That makes this a very rare, very American, supercar. Click here for more info and here for more from Mecum.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $150,000.

REO Royale

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1931 REO Royale Sport Victoria Coupe

Offered by Silverstone Auctions | Aarhus, Denmark | May 28-29, 2016

Photo - Silverstone Auctions

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

Ransom E. Olds left Oldsmobile in 1905 after only eight years at the helm. He immediately founded REO which would actually last until 1975, producing only trucks after WWII. In the 1930s, many high-end American car companies were producing big, beautiful cars. REO wasn’t really known as a high-end company, but they jumped into that market with the Royale in 1931.

The model would last through 1934 and was offered in different body styles. The 1931 Model 35 range could be had as a Sedan, Victoria or four-passenger Coupe. It is powered by a 5.9-liter straight-eight making 125 horsepower. It’s no slouch when compared to its rivals. In fact, its styling is on par or better than some of its rivals.

This car was actually sold new in Denmark and was at one point actually used by the King (though it was never owned by the Royal Family). The current owner acquired it in 1981 and set about on a five year restoration. It is said that this is one of four such cars in Europe and it should sell for between $90,000-$105,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold, listed for $92,500.