Monthly Archives: April 2018

Pontiac El Catalina Prototype

Posted on by
Reply

1959 Pontiac El Catalina Prototype

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 15-19, 2018

Photo – Mecum

The Pontiac Catalina was Pontiac’s entry-level full-sized car in 1959. It was a big car and the convertible was certainly a looker. It was offered as a two-door coupe or convertible or a four-door sedan or wagon. It was not offered as a pickup truck. Or car-based pickup truck.

Chevrolet had that market cornered within GM with their El Camino (there was a GMC version for a short while as well). Pontiac, throughout their 84 year history, never sold a pickup truck. This El Catalina Prototype was built to tease the possibility for a 1960 model that never came to be.

It’s powered by a 6.4-liter V-8 good for 300 horsepower. It’s well-equipped and has been well-shown, winning awards nearly everywhere it went. If you want a one-off factory Pontiac or a genuine GM concept car, here’s your chance. Click here for more info and here for more from Mecum in Indy.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $340,000.

Update: Not sold, Mecum Kissimmee 2019, high bid of $240,000.

Senna’s Toleman TG184

Posted on by
Reply

1984 Toleman-Hart TG184

Offered by Bonhams | Monaco | May 11, 2018

Photo – Bonhams

Toleman Motorsport was a short-lived Formula One team based in Witney, U.K. While they might be a somewhat forgotten team from 30+ years ago, they did give a certain Brazilian (um, Ayrton Senna) his first F1 ride. And this very car was raced by Senna himself.

The TG184 was the second-to-last F1 car used by the Toleman team. It debuted at the fifth round of the 1984 World Championship and, under Senna, it was the team’s most successful car. The race history for this chassis includes:

  • 1984 Monaco Grand Prix – 2nd (with Senna)
  • 1984 Canadian Grand Prix – 7th (with Senna)
  • 1984 British Grand Prix – 3rd (with Senna)

This car was designed by Rory Byrne and Pat Symonds and it looks like a 1980s F1 car. But that sort of dual rear wing is pretty interesting. The Hart engine is a turbocharged 1.5-liter straight-four that could produce 600 horsepower. 1985 was a rough year for Toleman and they gave this chassis to driver Stefan Johansson in lieu of salary. He kept the car until 1994 when the next owner acquired it.

This car failed to sell at a 2012 Silverstone Auctions sale and at that point in time it was unrestored and all-original. Anything Senna-related has become increasingly valuable since his death and it seems like lately that things have really started taking off. A 1985 Toleman (though without engine) sold for $48,000. This Senna-raced (and non-winning) car is expected to bring between $920,000-$1,200,000. That’s a pretty big Senna-factor! Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $1,921,374.

March 2018 Auction Results, Pt. III

Posted on by
Reply

Yet more sales from March, beginning with H&H Classics at the Imperial War Museum. Interestingly, there was a collection of Nash-related motorcars sold at this sale. These included the one-off Nash Pickup that sold for $30,216 and the LaFayette that brought $63,614. The overall top sale was this 1966 Aston Martin DB6 that went for $326,023.

Photo – H&H Classics

The White half-track we featured failed to sell and you can find more results here.

Osenat’s March sale saw this 1928 Bugatti Type 44 Cabriolet by Vanvooren bring some big money: $446,583.

Photo – Osenat

The La Buire Coupe we featured brought $64,754 and the Venturi Coupe $52,101. Click here for more results.

Leclere MDV held a sale the same weekend as Osenat and both of our feature cars failed to sell (the Léon Bollée and the Aston Martin Cygnet). The top sale was $518,607 paid for this 1953 Mercedes-Benz 300 S Coupe. Full results can be found here.

Photo – Leclere MDV

Next we have Mecum during the first full weekend in April. They were in Houston and the Continental Mk II we featured failed to sell. The top sale was this 2006 Ford GT for $286,000. Click here for complete results.

Photo – Mecum

Finally, RM Sotheby’s in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This is the first sale from RM Sotheby’s that would’ve been under the Auctions America banner last year (we miss you Auctions America!). The top sale was a 1962 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster for $1,540,000.

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The Acura NSX we featured brought $71,500 and the Buick Roadmaster Sport Phaeton sold for $56,100. The Laforza was a relative bargain at $4,125. And a previously-featured Michigan Touring car failed to sell at this auction. Click here for more results. from this sale.

Bond Equipe

Posted on by
Reply

1970 Bond Equipe 2-Litre GT Mk II

Offered by Oldtimer Galerie | Toffen, Switzerland | April 21, 2018

Photo – Oldtimer Galerie

Bond Cars Ltd was a British manufacturer primarily known for their three-wheeled vehicles, namely the Bond Minicar and the Bond Bug. The Equipe, which was introduced in 1963, was their first foray into the world of four-wheeled vehicles.

The Equipe was built through 1970 when Reliant, who had acquired Bond, shuttered Bond’s Preston, England, factory. There were five different Equipe models with this, the 2-Litre being available from 1967 through the end of production in 1970. A two-door Saloon and Convertible were offered. This is obviously the saloon. It’s powered by a 2.0-liter Triumph straight-four that made 95 horsepower (or 105 as the catalog states).

Styling on the 2-Litre differed rather dramatically from earlier cars and it was the final iteration of the model. In all, 591 examples of the two-door saloon were built, which makes it rarer than its convertible counterpart. This 48,000km example looks nice and will go under the hammer in Switzerland later this month. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Monteverdi Sierra Cabriolet

Posted on by
Reply

1978 Monteverdi Sierra Cabriolet

For sale at Galantica Collection | Crans-Montana, Switzerland

Photo – Galantica Collection

American cars of the late-1970s weren’t great. There were some that were okay, but why Peter Monteverdi chose the Plymouth Valiant as a base for his new boutique luxury car, the Sierra, I’m not really sure. He must’ve gotten a hell of a deal.

The Sierra was sold primarily as a sedan and somewhere between 20 and 50 of those were built. He also built a very limited Cabriolet – so limited that only two were built. These were based on the Dodge Diplomat of the era. The cabriolet has a 178 horsepower, 5.9-liter V-8. Styling was by Fissore and it helped turn the dud of a Dodge into something resembling a nice Fiat.

Monteverdis are rare cars, but being one of just two, this Sierra Cabriolet is rarer than most. This one is for sale in its native Switzerland for $207,500. Click here for more information.

Ford Prodigy P2000 Concept

Posted on by
Reply

2000 Ford Prodigy P2000 Concept

Offered by Worldwide Auctioneers | Arlington, Texas | April 21, 2018

Photo – Worldwide Auctioneers

The basic approach we take when combing through auction catalogs to find feature cars is: what have we never seen before and what are we unlikely to see again? Concept cars are usually shoo-ins and this is no exception.

The initial Ford Prodigy concept debuted at the 2000 North American International Auto Show. It’s thing was efficiency and with a low drag coefficient and a small engine it was said to be capable of 80 mpg. The styling on that original Prodigy Concept is a little different from this roller (sometimes car companies build one driveable concept and a few rollers for different auto shows). This car has a small electric motor to help move it around, but it’s not a driver. The body is steel and it’s mounted to a wooden frame. There’s a bench seat and prototype dashboard, but otherwise no interior.

It’s hard to believe that this car goes back to 2000, as the styling looks a little more modern. Some cues are easily found on the first generation Ford Fusion and Ford Five Hundred. If you want something unique, here you go. Last time this changed hands it brought $4,400. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $2,200.

1954 Kaiser Special Club Sedan

Posted on by
Reply

1954 Kaiser Special Club Sedan

Offered by Barrett-Jackson | Palm Beach, Florida | April 12-15, 2018

Photo – Barrett-Jackson

The name of the entry-level Kaiser automobile seemed to change every year. In 1953 it was the Deluxe. In 1954 it was the Special (it was different in ’52 and ’55 too). And some of those 1954 Specials were just rebadged 1953 Deluxes that were left over (they also had some styling tweaks applied as well). The Special could be had as a four-door sedan or a two-door Club Sedan.

The Special is powered by a 3.7-liter straight-six making 118 horsepower. This car is one of the 1953 carry-over cars. It still sports the “jet airscoop” front grille that marked all 1954 Kaisers (which was added by the factory before sale) but you can tell it is a “first series” car because the rear glass is a single piece that does not wrap around to the sides.

About 3,500 1953 Kaisers were carried over and sold as 1954 Specials. The number of actual 1954 cars is much, much lower. But the Club Sedan is definitely the rarer of the two body styles. This car has had a cosmetic restoration and an engine rebuild, but the interior is original. These Kaisers are beautiful and rare cars that will stand out at any cruise-in you attend. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach lineup.

Update: Sold $44,000.

Benetton B192

Posted on by
Reply

1992 Benetton-Ford B192

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Monaco | May 12, 2018

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Benetton became a Formula One constructor for the 1986 season and their first car, the B186, was driven by Gerhard Berger and Teo Fabi. In 1991, Michael Schumacher joined the team and we’ve featured the very Benetton car he scored his first F1 podium with.

In 1989 the team switched to a new Ford power plant (their HB engine). It’s a 3.5-liter naturally-aspirated V-8. The B192 chassis (of which this is the first example) was introduced by the team for the fourth race of the season, the Spanish Grand Prix and it replaced the earlier B191B. The race history for this chassis includes:

  • 1992 Spanish Grand Prix – 2nd (with Michael Schumacher)

And that’s it. After that, it was the team’s spare car for San Marino and Monaco. The car was never damaged and still retains a Ford HB race engine. It sports the correct as-raced Camel livery. This is a rare chance to acquire a Michael Schumacher-raced Formula One car (and the car he scored his first 2nd place finish in). Big money required (but I guess if you’re going race car shopping in Monaco you’re probably covered). Click here for more info and here for more from RM in Monaco.

Update: Sold $960,929.

Scripps-Booth Type C

Posted on by
Reply

1917 Scripps-Booth Type C Roadster

Offered by Brightwells | Bicester, U.K. | April 11, 2018

Photo – Brightwells

If you drive a Pontiac or an Oldsmobile and think “man, GM really abandoned the car I drive” well, spare a thought for Scripps-Booth, one of the first marques that General Motors phased out.

Founded in Detroit in 1913 by James Scripps Booth (of the wealthy publishing family), Scripps-Booth was absorbed by the Chevrolet division of General Motors in 1917 after the company switched to using Chevy engines and away from the Sterling engine that proved problematic in this, the Model C. The Model C was introduced in 1915 and for 1916 (when this particular car was probably built) used a 1.9-liter straight-four making 20 horsepower.

But that Sterling engine proved very unreliable and saddled the Scripps-Booth with some unsavory nicknames like “Scraps-Bolts” and “Slips-Loose.” This car was sold new in Colorado and now resides in the U.K. It has known ownership history from new and was restored in Indiana before crossing the Atlantic. GM shuttered Scripps-Booth after the 1922 model year, making it an early casualty of their empire. Not many are left and this one should bring between $26,500-$30,500. Click here for more from Brightwells.

Update: Not sold.

’56 DeSoto Fireflite

Posted on by
Reply

1956 DeSoto Fireflite Convertible

Offered by Barrett-Jackson | Palm Beach, Florida | April 12-15, 2018

Photo – Barrett-Jackson

DeSoto was introduced as a new marque by Walter Chrysler for the 1929 model year and in 1933 Chrysler took it upmarket. In 1955 they introduced the Fireflite as their top-level car. For 1956 the cars were mostly carried over, but the introduction of the Adventurer put the Fireflite as the mid-level car in DeSoto’s lineup.

For 1956 the Fireflite could be had in four different body styles (plus a limited package on the convertible to commemorate the car’s use as the Indy 500 Pace car in 1956). A non-Pacesetter Convertible would’ve run you $3,454 in 1956 and 1,485 were built (pace cars included).

Power came from a 255 horsepower, 5.4-liter V-8. A no expense spared frame-off restoration was performed and the car wears two-tone Shell Pink and Charcoal. It looks like ice cream on wheels. DeSoto Convertibles always bring big money at Barrett-Jackson auctions, but most of those are ’57 or ’58 cars. It’ll be interesting to see if this beautiful car brings as much. It is coming from the famous John Staluppi Cars of Dreams Collection. You can read more here and see more from this sale here.

Update: Sold $225,500.