Monthly Archives: April 2017

Sbarro SB2 Tornado

Posted on by
Reply

2005 Sbarro SB2 Tornado

Offered by Oldtimer Galerie Toffen | Toffen, Switzerland | April 29, 2017

Photo – Oldtimer Galerie Toffen

Franco Sbarro founded the car company that bears his name in 1971. Over the years they’ve alternated between building replicas of other cars and wild designs of their own. This car definitely falls under the latter category.

In 2004, Sbarro showed a car called the SB1 – a two-seat roadster based on a Ferrari 550 Maranello. The next year they showed this, the SB2 Tornado, again based on the 550 Maranello. In fact, it still has Ferrari badging around the car, though the catalog lists it as a “1994,” which was long before 550 production began.

It’s powered by the Ferrari 5.5-liter V-12 making 485 horsepower. This is the only example built and I have to say, it’s really not that bad looking. It looks sporty, racy, and like something Ferrari might have built themselves as a concept car. No estimate is available but you can read more about it here and see more from this sale here.

Stellite

Posted on by
Reply

1914 Stellite 8/10HP

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 16-21, 2017

Photo – Mecum

Wolseley, which finally went out of business in 1975, was founded in 1901 by Vickers, the former British armaments manufacturer. Early on, they were known for their luxury cars. So when Wolseley designed a light car, Vickers decided to have it produced by another company under their umbrella: the Electric & Ordnance Accessories Co. And it would be a separate marque, Stellite, to preserve the Wolseley brand.

The Stellite was powered by a 1.1-liter straight-four rated at nine horsepower. Cruising speed was a comfortable 30 mph and at launch only two-seater convertibles were offered. The car was introduced for 1914 and went out of production once WWI started. It reappeared briefly after the armistice but was quickly replaced by the 1920 Wolseley Ten.

Stellite was a short-lived British marque that was directly related to one of its oldest. Even Mecum’s catalog lists this as a “Wolseley.” They’re very rare, but not unheard of and this one should probably sell in the $15,000-$30,000 range. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold, high bid $10,000.

Update: Sold, Mecum Chicago 2017, $3,500.

Update: Sold, Mecum Kansas City 2017, $3,750.

NOTE: Dear owner, I’ve $$$ (more than you’re getting at auction) right now for this car. Just email me.

Lotus Excel

Posted on by
2

1989 Lotus Excel

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | April 20, 2017

Photo – Brightwells

Introduced in 1982, the Excel was a sort of evolution of the earlier Lotus Eclat. It was born out of the limited partnership between Lotus and Toyota when the latter’s Supra was in development.

This later Excel is powered by a 2.2-liter straight-four making 160 horsepower, which was the same engine used in Esprits of the era. There were a few special editions that made more power, but all cars more or less looked identical.

Production lasted 10 years and ended in 1992. It’s a little confusing trying to figure out how many were built because numbers vary everywhere you look. Somewhere between 1,400 and 2,500 were actually built, and about 10% of them are still registered in the U.K. A Lotus is an exotic car, and this is one of the best ways to get an exotic for a reasonable price. Figure $7,500-$8,750. Just hope you don’t suffer any crazy issues. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $7,818.

1912 Cadillac

Posted on by
Reply

1912 Cadillac Model 30 Four-Passenger Touring

Offered by Worldwide Auctioneers | Arlington, Texas | April 21, 2017

Photo – Worldwide Auctioneers

The Model 30 was introduced by Cadillac in 1909 and it was the first model that really pushed Cadillac to the top of the heap among American automakers. The model underwent slight changes (and engine enlargements) year after year until it was ultimately replaced for 1915.

Over the years, a variety of body styles were offered and this car sports a Four-Door Touring body which was the entry-level style offered in 1912. The price would’ve been $1,800. It’s powered by a 4.7-liter straight-four making more than 40 horsepower. That engine, famously, has a built-in starter. No crank required! If only modern IndyCars could figure out how to use that same, 100-year-old technology.

Let’s talk appearance: this car has a wonderful patina and is all-original. We’ll call it “time warp condition.” And it has an amazing story: last used on the road in 1923, a man bought it from a used car dealer in 1935 for $10! It’s amazing and will sell without reserve. If you have the know-how (or resources) to get this back to roadworthy condition, it’s a must-buy. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Worldwide’s lineup.

Update: Sold $36,300.

Australian-Bodied Rolls

Posted on by
Reply

1923 Rolls-Royce Twenty Open Tourer by Smith & Waddington

Offered by Coys | London, U.K. | April 12, 2017

Photo – Coys

The Rolls-Royce Twenty was introduced in 1922 and it was Rolls-Royce’s “small car” – if you can consider something that is as large as this as “small.” In its early years, Rolls-Royce built gigantic cars, so really, anything less than gargantuan could be considered small. It was their first new model since 1907.

The Twenty is powered by a 3.1-liter straight-six making, presumably, 20 horsepower. With the correct (read: lightweight) body work, the car could attain 60 mph. The simple yet sporty body on this car was constructed by Smith & Waddington of Sydney, Australia.

That’s right, this British-built Rolls was sent as a bare chassis to Australia where its first owner chose to have it bodied locally. Smith & Waddington were the premier Australian coachbuilder for Rolls-Royces. At one point, they were building bodies for 85% of the Rolls-Royces coming into Australia. This car came back to the U.K. in 2013 and has covered 13,000 miles since the engine was rebuilt in 1990.

When production ended in 1929, only 2,940 Rolls-Royce Twenty models had been produced. This one should bring between $56,500-$69,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold, approximately $56,250.

Abarth 207/A

Posted on by
Reply

1955 Abarth 207/A by Boano

For sale at Fantasy Junction | Emeryville, California

Photo – Fantasy Junction

Carlo Abarth’s little company first put its name on cars at the tail end of the 1940s. In the following decades they were responsible for many “Fiat-Abarth” cars and even some original designs of their own. While a lot of these originals were prototype race cars, there were some very obscure cars that could’ve been used on the street too (it would take some creative talking at your local DMV to get a license plate on this one, however).

The 207/A was built in 1955 and it’s a sports racing car built at the request of an importer in the U.S. The 207/A, with sporty body by Boano, was powered by a 1.1-liter straight-four from the Fiat 1100. Of course, Abarth had their way with the engine and it’s more powerful than it would’ve been in any Fiat.

This particular example is the first 207/A built and its period racing history includes:

  • 1955 12 Hours of Sebring – DQ’d, with John Bentley and Jim McGee

It continued to race through 1957 and didn’t see the track again until it entered the historic circuit in 1986. It’s been restored and is fully prepped and ready for the track. Only 10 were built and they do not change hands often. Get your hands on the very first one for $275,000. Click here for more info.

Update, Gooding & Company Amelia Island 2019:

Photo – Gooding & Company

Sold $362,500.

Hemi Challenger R/T

Posted on by
Reply

1970 Dodge Challenger R/T Hemi

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 16-21, 2017

Photo – Mecum

The Dodge Challenger was the platform mate to the Plymouth ‘Cuda. While they have similar characteristics, they have quite different styling. The Barracuda was more angular, more aggressive, while the Challenger was slightly curvier and carried a more luxurious stance. While there might be something slightly luxurious about its looks, this car was all performance underneath.

The first generation Challenger was built from 1970 through 1974, with 1970 being the peak year for the car. The R/T was only available for ’70 and ’71 and Mopar’s 7.0-liter 426 Hemi V-8 was only available those years as well. This 425 horsepower beast has an automatic transmission – one of only 150 Hemi automatic Challengers built in 1970.

Listed in the Chrysler registry, this well restored R/T Hemi is sort of a sleeper in copper paint. A lot of people like these cars in bright colors and the restrained look here does the car some good. It’s simply one of the best muscle cars, and while it won’t be expensive as the Convertible variant, it will still not be cheap. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $145,000.

Delahaye Torpedo

Posted on by
Reply

1923 Delahaye Type 87 Torpedo

Offered by Coys | Essen, Germany | April 8, 2017

Photo – Coys

Known for their exotic coachbuilt cars of the 1930s and 40s, Delahaye cars date back to the 1890s and up until the 1930s, they resembled many other large, well-built cars. Take, for example, this Type 87 Torpedo. Looking at it in near-profile, it’s pretty hard to distinguish it from a Hispano-Suiza, Mercedes, or any number of large American touring cars also built in 1923.

The Type 87 was introduced at the 1921 Paris Auto Salon and was one of the first new Delahayes introduced after WWI. It’s powered by a 1.8-liter straight-four and it was sold in the 10CV class. This model was produced through 1926 and in total about 3,800 were built.

This particular example was discovered in the south of France in 1989. It has since undergone a complete restoration and is a solid driver, having participated in quite a few historic car driving events. It should bring between $48,500-$70,250. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Coys’ lineup.

Update: Sold, approximately $53,800.

1931 Oakland Sedan

Posted on by
Reply

1931 Oakland Model 301 Custom Sedan

Offered by Mecum | Houston, Texas | April 6-8, 2017

Photo – Mecum

Edward Murphy and Alanson Brush got together in 1906 after one of Brush’s designs was rejected by Cadillac. They started building their own car in Pontiac, Michigan, in 1907. But before production really gained any steam, Brush left to found his own company and Murphy died. Enter William Durant who scooped up Oakland and added it to GM’s growing stable of brands.

Some early Oaklands were rather large, but the company was a mid-range GM brand, slotting in between Chevrolet and Buick. In 1926, Pontiac was introduced and it outsold the Oakland it was marketed alongside. 1931 was the final year for Oakland and the Model 301 was the only model produced that year. Six body styles were offered, with the Custom Sedan being the largest and most expensive. It’s powered by a 4.1-liter V-8 making 85 horsepower, so it’s no slouch. The car is also much larger than the picture above does justice as its 117″ wheelbase is five inches longer than that of a new Ford Explorer.

This car is in beautiful shape with two-tone green paint and gray interior. Pontiacs outsold Oaklands by a wide margin, making this car extremely rare – as are most Oaklands built in the final years of the marque. Click here for more info and here for more from Mecum.

Update: Sold $30,000.

Indra Spider

Posted on by
Reply

1972 Intermeccanica Indra Spider

Offered by Coys | Essen, Germany | April 8, 2017

Photo – Coys

Construzione Automobili Intermeccanica was a tiny car manufacturer that only built original models from 1966 through 1974. It’s a relatively short amount of time (even though they’ve been building replicas since) and yet, we’ve featured quite the array of their vehicles.

The Indra was the final non-replica Intermeccanica built and it lasted from 1971 through 1974. It was offered as a Convertible or in the form of two slightly different Coupes. Most of them were powered by V-8s from Chevrolet. When GM pulled their support, the Indra went out of production.

This example, with funky bucktoothed rally-style lights, is one of just 60 convertible Indras produced – 125 were built in total. This one should bring between $80,000-$90,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.