Monthly Archives: May 2018

1960 Edsel Convertible

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1960 Edsel Ranger Convertible

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 18, 2018

Photo – Mecum

The Edsel has not been treated fairly since the brand was eliminated from Ford’s lineup after the 1960 model year. The cars are great. They all have great style, as each model year (1958, 1959, and 1960) all had unique styling that has only gotten better with age. The 1958’s were pretty different from everything else (I love it and almost bought one last week on Bring-a-Trailer but chickened out at the last minute). By 1960 the styling was toned down dramatically to what you see here – which more or less resembles a Buick Electra 225 of the same vintage.

The Edsel offerings for 1960 were slim. There was the Ranger (four-door, two-door, or convertible) and the Villager (wagon). When a company starts trimming its lineup to that degree, it’s a solid sign they’re on their way out. The 1960 cars were introduced on October 15, 1959, and the brand was discontinued that November 19th. That makes 1960 Edsels very rare and only 76 examples of the Ranger Convertible made it out the door. But it isn’t the rarest: both the 2-door Ranger Deluxe Hardtop and the nine-passenger variant of the Villager are harder to find.

A Ranger Convertible cost $3,000 from the factory and this car was one of the last products produced by the marque, rolling off the assembly line on the last day of production. It’s well-equipped and is powered by the optional 300 horsepower, 5.8-liter “Super Express” V-8 (a $58 option in the fall of 1959). It’s a show winner and should bring between $85,000-$125,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Mecum in Indy.

Miura P400

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1967 Lamborghini Miura P400

Offered by Coys | Monaco | May 11, 2018

Photo – Coys

The Lamborghini Miura is largely considered to be the first supercar. And rightfully so as it checks most of the supercar boxes: outlandish, racy looks (check!); unreal speed (it was the world’s fastest car upon introduction… so… check!); a mid-engined layout with a V-12 (check!) and a very exotic name (check!).

Miuras were built between 1966 and 1973 and the first model offered was the P400. Produced between 1966 and 1969, when it was replaced by the P400 S, the base P400 is powered by a 4.0-liter V-12 producing 350 horsepower. These cars were capable of about 170 mph, making them quicker than anything else on the road at the time.

This example, one of just 275 produced, was sold new to a rich Texan via Lambo’s London dealership. He kept the car until 1987 when he donated it to a museum in San Antonio. From there, it was purchased by a German owner in 1994. Another German had it until it was purchased by its current owner in 1999. A rare, well-maintained survivor, this 26,000 mile car will likely break the bank if it finds a new owner this weekend in Monaco. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Ferrari F1/87

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1987 Ferrari F1/87

Offered by Bonhams | Monaco | May 11, 2018

Photo – Bonhams

This is a pure 1980s Formula One car. The F1/87 was Ferrari’s entrant for the 1987 F1 season. Their drivers were Gerhard Berger (who won the last two races of the year in a similar car) and Michele Alboreto, who drove this one. This car, interestingly, is chassis #100 – which it means that it was Ferrari’s 100th Grand Prix car built since they started that numbering sequence in 1961.

This car is powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged V-6 that was capable of 950 horsepower in qualifying trim. That’s a lot of power from such a tiny engine. The car improved as the year went on (hence Berger’s two wins) and this was a mid-season car, used by Alboreto in the following races:

  • 1987 Hungarian Grand Prix – 19th, DNF
  • 1987 Austrian Grand Prix – 18th, DNF
  • 1987 Italian Grand Prix – 23rd, DNF
  • 1987 Portuguese Grand Prix – 16th, DNF

Okay, so maybe not Ferrari’s most successful chassis. And definitely not Alboreto’s most successful F1 season. This car has been on long-term static display and appears to be entirely original (because it looks like it’s been used). It is noted that a complete mechanical recommissioning will be necessary before any future use. Still though, it’s a Ferrari F1 car. In this condition, it’s expected to bring between $790,000-$1,000,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams.

Update: Not sold.

Lister Storm Road Car

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1994 Lister Storm

Offered by Historics at Brooklands | May 19, 2018

Photo – Historics at Brooklands

!!!! Let’s start at the beginning: Brian Lister founded Lister Cars in 1954 and they built sports racing cars for the duration of the decade. Later they acted as a factory race team for other manufacturers and have been a long-time Jaguar modifier. But in the early 1990s they went berserk and decided to build a monster race car to take on the McLaren F1, Jaguar XJ220, and Ferrari F40 LM at Le Mans.

And then they had to homologate this monster by building some road cars.

And that’s what we have here. One of just four Lister Storm V-12 Road Cars ever built (only three exist today). Honestly this is a vehicle I never thought I would see trade hands publicly at auction. The race cars competed from 1995 through 1999 as a works entry and for a few years after that in privateer hands.

The road cars were only built in 1993 and 1994 and they were expensive. They also had the largest V-12 engine anyone had stuffed into a production car since the end of WWII. It’s a 7.0-liter V-12 based on the engine from a Jaguar XJR-9 Le Mans car. Power is rated at 546 horsepower (pretty stout for 1993). It was a world class supercar in its day and was the fastest four-seater in the world for over a decade (that’s right, it had four seats!). Top speed: 211 mph.

This three-owner example has just under 31,000 miles on it. It’s a true rarity. It’s one of those cars that they claimed to have built but no one ever really sees (unless you go to Wilton House supercar shows or Goodwood or somewhere on the regular). I’m giddy just writing about it. Great job Historics… now if you could just manage to bring an Isdera Commendatore or Mega Monte Carlo to auction you’d really win my heart.

This car is expected to sell for between $200,000-$225,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Australian Terraplane

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1937 Terraplane Series 71 DeLuxe Utility Coupe

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Auburn, Indiana | May 11-12, 2018

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Terraplane was a marque introduced by Hudson as a standalone brand in 1934 (in ’32 and ’33 they were called Essex-Terraplane). As an entry-level car on the pricing scale, for a brief period during the Depression, Terraplane outsold its parent, Hudson.

Unfortunately, the lifespan of Terraplane was short and 1937 was the final year the cars could be had. Two models were available for ’37: the Series 71 DeLuxe and the Series 72 Super. Both were virtually identical to the Hudsons of that year with just slight trim changes. The DeLuxe differed from the Super in that it only had one taillight and no vents on the front windows.

This well restored example (the restoration cost $263,000 – quite a bit for a car that cost about $600 when new) is likely powered by a 3.5-liter straight-six that makes 96 horsepower. What’s interesting about this particular car is that it is an Australian example, hence the “Utility” or pull-out pickup bed out back. Terraplanes were sold in Australia when new but were all bodied locally, hence the Aussie take on an American export.

A rare body style stateside, and one of only a few known to exist worldwide, this entry-level Hudson should bring between $80,000-$100,000. Click here for more info and here for more from RM in Auburn.

Update: Not sold.

Update: Not sold, RM Sotheby’s, Auburn Fall 2018.

Gilco 1100 Zagato

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1949 Fiat-Gilco 1100 Zagato

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

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Gilberto Colombo began building lightweight automotive chassis right after WWII. It was an extension of his father’s tube-manufacturing company and eventually Gilco became a company in its own right. They were famous for building chassis for racing cars for the likes of Alfa Romeo and Ferrari.

In 1949, Gilco wanted to build a car to race in the famous Mille Miglia. They produced a chassis called the 205MM and before they ever went racing they changed their focus and decided to build a limited-edition roadster. Using a Fiat 1100 1.1-liter straight-four, Gilco reached out to Zagato to get a racing body designed.

And then it all stopped. Only this one prototype was ever built. It was restored in Germany within the last three years and is now a driveable footnote in Italian automotive history. Why the car is called a Fiat-Gilco 1100 Zagato and not a Gilco 205MM Zagato makes it kind of seem like Gilco is getting a little shortchanged. At any rate, it carries a pre-sale estimate of $245,000-$310,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Rolls-Royce Camargue

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1982 Rolls-Royce Camargue

Offered by Historics at Brooklands | May 19, 2018

Photo – Historics at Brooklands

There are Rolls-Royces from the 1980s that you can acquire for about $10,000. I’m not saying it’s a good idea, but it’s possible. Not so here. The Camargue was a luxury coupe built by Rolls-Royce that was even more unattainable than the Corniche. It was the most expensive car sold in the U.K. at the time of its launch.

And that didn’t really help its cause. While certainly a statement on wheels, the Camargue was outsold by the Corniche (which could also be had as a convertible). Built between 1975 and 1986, Rolls managed to sell just 531 examples of this monstrous coupe.

This one-owner Camargue is powered by a 6.75-liter V-8 that made somewhere between 220 and 250 horsepower. RR wasn’t big on quoting actual figures at the time. This chassis was originally sold to a Middle Eastern royal family and has covered less than 5,000 miles since new. It’s likely the nicest example extant and can be yours for between $84,000-$105,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $99,318.