Monthly Archives: August 2018

BMW 315/1 Roadster

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1934 BMW 315/1 Roadster

Offered by Bonhams | Carmel, California | August 24, 2018

Photo – Bonhams

Mercedes-Benz (and more specifically, Daimler) have been around for a long time, and have been a major producer of automobiles for essentially that entire time. Not so with BMW. It seems like the only Pre-War Bimmers that are any sort of common are 327/8/9s. Have you ever seen a 315?

This model was introduced in 1934 to replace the four-cylinder 303. The base 315 was a two-door sedan, cabriolet, or tourer. The 315/1 was the sports car variant. Built between 1934 and 1937, it shared the sedan’s chassis but had a slightly tuned engine. The 1.5-liter straight-six made 40 horsepower in this form. But, this particular car actually has an 80 horsepower, 2.0-liter straight-six from the similar 319/1 Roadster. A swap was made at some point in the past.

Only 242 examples of the 315/1 Roadster were made – perhaps most people haven’t seen them. This car has been more or less dormant for 30 years, so some work is needed. Regardless, it should still command between $125,000-$175,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $134,400.

Simplex Crane Model 5

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1915 Simplex Crane Model 5 Tourer

Offered by Bonhams | Carmel, California | August 24, 2018

Photo – Bonhams

The Crane, Simplex, Crane-Simplex, and Simplex Crane is one confusing mess of marques. Henry Middlebrook Crane started his own car company in 1912 and it lasted through 1914. It was acquired by Simplex and in 1915 they merged the Crane line of cars into their own, as a separate model. From 1915 through the end of the company, the cars were branded as Simplexes and the model was the “Crane Model 5” which Crane introduced back in 1914. When Simplex went under, Henry Crane bought the remnants and sold the Crane-Simplex (as a marque) for about a year in 1922. CONFUSED YET?

What we have here is a Simplex Crane Model 5. It’s powered by a ridiculous 110 horsepower, 9.2-liter straight-six with a four-speed transmission. The two-seater sports tourer body is not original but is nice. Less than 500 Crane Model 5s were produced, making this quite rare today. It should bring between $175,000-$225,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.

Duesenberg JN-575

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1936 Duesenberg Model JN LWB Tourster

Offered by Worldwide Auctioneers | Pacific Grove, California | August 23, 2018

Photo – Worldwide Auctioneers

Here’s yet another Duesenberg on offer during the week of car activities in and around Monterey. What this is is a “JN” – a term never used by Duesenberg themselves. The Model J was introduced in 1929. It was expensive. Obviously, that didn’t go so well once the Depression set in and Duesenberg had surplus chassis lying around for years. So in 1935 they decided to freshen the look a little bit. They put on smaller wheels, lowered the body, and fitted different fenders, taillights, and trim. Every one had Rollston coachwork.

This one does not have Rollston coachwork any longer. It still features the same 265 horsepower, 6.9-liter straight-eight under the hood that all of the other Model Js started with. But the body is different. And here’s why: when it was sold in 1969, it’s new owner, commissioned a restoration. The body was separated from the chassis and the building the Rollston body was stored in burned down.

In the early 1970s, this Derham-style Tourster was constructed on the original chassis with the original engine and mechanicals intact. Since that restoration and re-body, the car has been maintained but never again restored. It shows well and is one of 10 Model JNs built by the factory. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $775,500.

Update: Sold, Worldwide Auctioneers Scottsdale 2019, $605,000.

Update: Not sold, Gooding & Company Scottsdale 2020.

Update: Sold, RM Sotheby’s Auburn 2020, $632,500.

Coachbuilt 911 Convertible

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1966 Porsche 911 Spyder by Bertone

Offered by Gooding & Company | Pebble Beach, California | August 25, 2018

Photo – Gooding & Company

The first Porsche 911 went on sale in 1964, replacing the 356 series of cars. Upon introduction, only a two-door coupe was offered. A removable-top Targa joined the lineup in 1966 and the first 911 convertible didn’t arrive on the scene until 1982. So what was a well-heeled Porsche fanatic to do in the 60s?

Let’s start by not forgetting that Karmann came up with a 911 Cabriolet Prototype in 1964. So then, in 1966, a Southern California Porsche dealer wanted an open-top 911 for his customers and commissioned Bertone to build one. They started with a bare 911 chassis, which did not include the “S” 160 horsepower, 2.0-liter flat-six that the car carries today. Back then it had a stock 130 horse variant.

Rear-engined convertibles tend to seem a little bulky at the back and it’s funny that Gooding & Company draws parallels to the Fiat 850 Spider, which is the exact car I see when I look at this. The final result here is quite nice and nothing about it says “Porsche.” It looks Italian. The current owner acquired this car in 1993 and it’s been on static display for quite some time, so it will require a little attention to make roadworthy. It should bring between $700,000-$1,000,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Gooding & Company.

Update: Sold $1,430,000.

Duesenberg J-262

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1929 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Sedan by Murphy

Offered by Mecum | Monterey, California | August 23-25, 2018

Photo – Mecum

The Walter M. Murphy Company of Pasadena, California, was the most prolific of all Duesenberg Model J coachbuilders. They built more bodies for these cars than any other company. In fact, they built 31 Convertible Sedans alone, which is what this car is.

Finished in black with a black top over a beautiful tan interior, this Model J – like all Model Js – is powered by a 6.9-liter straight-eight engine capable of 265 horsepower. It’s got a 3-speed transmission that would easily pull this car to speeds over 100 mph.

This was a late-add to Mecum’s Monterey sale and it is coming from the Academy of Art University Automobile Museum in San Francisco. They are thinning their collection a bit, and somebody is going to be lucky enough to walk off with this Duesey. Restored in 1991, it is expected to bring between $1,000,000-$1,250,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $1,155,000.

July 2018 Auction Highlights

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Our July auction highlights begin with Bonhams sale at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. We featured two Brough Superior road cars that both sold, with the 3½-Litre Saloon bringing $42,367 and the one-off V-12 $68,091. The overall top seller was this 1961 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato for a whopping $13,264,951. The “regular” DB4GT we featured failed to sell.

Photo – Bonhams

The Marendaz Special also failed to meet its reserve. The other two cars we featured both turned out to be million dollar sales with the Blower Bentley bringing $2,654,569 and the Bugatti Super Sport hammering sold for slightly more at $2,691,410. Click here for complete results.

Osenat held a sale of a private collection and this 1963 Citroen ID 19 Cabriolet was the top sale at $62,172. Click here for more results.

Photo – Osenat

On to H&H Classics’ Pavilion Gardens sale where the Bond Equipe we featured was no match for the top sale, selling for $4,577. That top sale? $98,938 paid for a dusty 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series I 3.8 Coupe.

Photo – H&H Classics

The Beauford and McLaughlin both failed to sell. You can find more results here.

Now it’s time for Silverstone Auctions’ Silverstone Classic Race Car Sale. The top sale, which was one of just a handful of cars to find new owners, was this 1964 Ford Lotus Cortina Mk I for $73,884. Click here for complete results.

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

And finally, into August, Worldwide Auctioneers liquidated Hostetler’s Hudson Auto Museum in Shipshewana, Indiana. The top sale was the 1952 “Fabulous Hudson Hornet” NASCAR race car that sold for $1,265,000. The next big-dollar feature car was the Hudson Town Car. It brought $313,500. We’ll award Most Interesting to this 1936 Terraplane Series 61 Panel Delivery that sold for $115,500.

Photo – Worldwide Auctioneers

The Dover Mail Truck achieved $55,000 and the Essex Touring Car brought $26,400. More results can be found here.

Duesenberg J-475

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1931 Duesenberg Model J SWB Sport Convertible Sedan by Derham

Offered by Worldwide Auctioneers | Pacific Grove, California | August 23, 2018

Photo – Worldwide Auctioneers

I’ve said many times before that the Model J is one of the best cars ever built. Want proof? Look at auction catalogs surrounding big auction weekends (like Monterey/Pebble Beach) and what is the one, classic American car that every auction house has? A Model J. They don’t all have Pierce-Arrows, they don’t all have Cadillac V-16s. But they all have a Model J. Or two. This year Worldwide Auctioneers has two. Gooding & Company has two. Mecum has two. They all come out of the woodwork this time of year.

This Model J has engine number 475 and that engine is a 6.9-liter straight-eight developing a mighty 265 horsepower. It’s a four-door Convertible Sedan but it’s also on the “short” Model J wheelbase (still a massive 11, almost 12, feet). Derham built five examples of their Sport Convertible Sedan, and this is one of three that remain.

This car has known ownership history from new and the current owner acquired J-475 in 1974 as what was essentially a project car. It was restored during the mid-1980s and has been on museum duty for the last two years. It’s been serviced and freshened since and can now be yours. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $1,320,000.

Five Supercars from Mecum

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Five Supercars from Mecum

Offered by Mecum | Monterey, California | August 23-25, 2018

2017 Lamborghini Centenario LP770-4

Photo – Mecum

Mecum has been knocking it out of the park lately when it comes to supercars. They have no less than four Bugatti Veyrons in their Monterey sale this year. But I think this Lambo steals the show. The Centenario is an Aventador-based supercar built in extremely limited quantities. Between 2016 and 2017, they churned out just 20 coupes and 20 roadsters.

The engine is a 6.5-liter V-12 that makes 759 horsepower and top speed is 217 mph. It’s more of a styling exercise than anything, kind of like the Reventon was to the Murcielago. All of these sold out when they were announced, so this very well likely is the first one to publicly come up for sale (I believe it may have been at a So-Cal dealership for a bit before hitting the block). Because of its rarity, and because it’s Lambo’s newest limited-production special, it will be expensive. Check out more info here.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $2,250,000.

2010 Bugatti Veyron Sang Noir

Photo – Mecum

Here’s another black supercar. This time it’s a Bugatti – one of at least four that Mecum has at their Monterey sale this year. The Veyron was produced for 10 years – 2005 through 2015 in four main models. But there were a number of special editions built along the way, including this Sang Noir, or Black Blood in French.

Twelve examples were produced and this is the only one with a red interior. Power comes from a quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter W-16 engine capable of 1,001 horsepower. The Sang Noir special edition was mostly an appearance package but I’m sure they charged a pretty penny for it. You know it will still continue to command a big price. You can read more about it here.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $1,550,000.

Update: Sold, RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island 2019, $1,500,000.

1999 Lamborghini Diablo VT Alpine Edition

Photo – Mecum

This Lamborghini is one of a few special edition Diablos that were built for the American market. The Diablo was produced from 1990 through 2001 and two such special editions were the Monterey Edition and the Momo Edition. The other was this, the Alpine Edition.

Based on the Diablo VT, the Alpine Edition is powered by a 523 horsepower, 5.7-liter V-12 and features all-wheel drive. It had nothing to do with skiing and instead was built to sort of commemorate the Lamborghini connection with Alpine stereos. For the most part, it looks like any other VT, but I guess you can say it’s a limited edition example. Only 12 were built. You can see more about this one here.

Update: Sold $253,000.

2017 Ferrari F12tdf

Photo – Mecum

And here is a special edition Ferrari. The F12berlinetta was Ferrari’s front-engine V-12 GT that they built between 2012 and 2017. As has been the case recently, they’ve gone and built a ridiculous track-focused version of the car and that’s what this F12tdf is. The TDF, which stands for “Tour de France” and references a historic road race and earlier Ferraris, was built in 2016 and 2017 only.

Power comes from a 769 horsepower, 6.3-liter V-12. This one is grey, which is unusual and looks really nice. Apparently, this particular car carries over $100k in options, which isn’t too big of a deal because these F12tdfs have been bringing insane money lately. Only 799 were produced, making it quite pedestrian compared to the other cars features here, and it’s almost as quick as a LaFerrari around Ferrari’s Fiorano test circuit. And it’s that quick at a not-insignificant price discount. Does that make it a bargain? Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $1,000,000.

2010 Lamborghini Murcielago LP650-4 Roadster

Photo – Mecum

Here’s another limited edition Lambo. The Murcielago was Lamborghini’s big V-12 car, the successor to the Diablo and the predecessor to the Aventador, that was built between 2002 and 2010. The LP 640 models were sort of the “second generation” of the car and there was an “LP 640 Roadster” built between 2006 and 2010.

But in 2009 (and for 2010 too) a special LP650-4 Roadster was offered. It’s got a 6.5-liter V-12 good for 641 horsepower, 10 more than the “normal” roadster. Top speed is 210 mph – quite quick for a drop top. Only 50 were built and every one of them is grey with orange highlights. This one sports only 179 miles, so it’s essentially brand new. You can read more here and see more from Mecum here.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $300,000.

Diablo Alpine Edition

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1999 Lamborghini Diablo VT Alpine Edition

Offered by Mecum | Monterey, California | August 23-25, 2018

Photo – Mecum

This Lamborghini is one of a few special edition Diablos that were built for the American market. The Diablo was produced from 1990 through 2001 and two such special editions were the Monterey Edition and the Momo Edition. The other was this, the Alpine Edition.

Based on the Diablo VT, the Alpine Edition is powered by a 523 horsepower, 5.7-liter V-12 and features all-wheel drive. It had nothing to do with skiing and instead was built to sort of commemorate the Lamborghini connection with Alpine stereos. For the most part, it looks like any other VT, but I guess you can say it’s a limited edition example. Only 12 were built. You can see more about this one here.

Update: Sold $253,000.

Murcielago LP650-4 Roadster

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2010 Lamborghini Murcielago LP650-4 Roadster

Offered by Mecum | Monterey, California | August 23-25, 2018

Photo – Mecum

Here’s another limited edition Lambo. The Murcielago was Lamborghini’s big V-12 car, the successor to the Diablo and the predecessor to the Aventador, that was built between 2002 and 2010. The LP 640 models were sort of the “second generation” of the car and there was an “LP 640 Roadster” built between 2006 and 2010.

But in 2009 (and for 2010 too) a special LP650-4 Roadster was offered. It’s got a 6.5-liter V-12 good for 641 horsepower, 10 more than the “normal” roadster. Top speed is 210 mph – quite quick for a drop top. Only 50 were built and every one of them is grey with orange highlights. This one sports only 179 miles, so it’s essentially brand new. You can read more here and see more from Mecum here.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $300,000.