Crow-Elkhart

1912 Crow-Elkhart Model 52 Five-Passenger Touring

Offered by Bonhams | Amelia Island, Florida | March 7, 2019

Photo – Bonhams

The Crow was a brand of automobile introduced in 1911 by Martin E. Crow’s Crow Motor Car Company. For the two years prior to that, they were selling the Black Crow, a rebadged version of the Black highwheeler. For 1912, they updated their own cars to be called Crow-Elkhart, so everyone knew where in Indiana they were built.

Five different four-cylinder cars were offered in 1912 in multiple body styles, with each body style carrying its own model number. Pick a number, 50 through 60, and Crow-Elkhart had a car for you. The Model 52 was a five-passenger touring car powered by a 26 horsepower, 3.7-liter inline-four.

The company went belly-up in 1923 and very few examples of their products survive today. The car seen here was restored years ago and has spent its recent years unused in a private museum. One thing I like about it is that you can see the influence of the Black Crow highwheeler in this car’s exceptional ground clearance. It should sell for between $45,000-$55,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams.

Update: Sold $60,480.

1907 Tincher Touring

1907 Tincher Model H Seven-Passenger Touring

Offered by Bonhams | Amelia Island, Florida | March 7, 2019

Photo – Bonhams

Thomas Tincher sold some seriously expensive cars between 1903 and 1909 (their 1904 90hp race car model cost $12k… in 1904!). Up until the formation of the South Bend-based Tincher Motor Car Company in 1907, his cars were all built by the Chicago Coach & Carriage Company.

The Model H was the only Tincher offered in 1906 and 1907. At $6,000 it was extremely pricey and was powered by a monstrous 60 horsepower, 7.7-liter inline-four. The company never built more than six cars in a single year and closed their doors in 1909 after being unable to make a profit with such a low production volume.

This is the only Tincher known to exist, and it’s going to be one of the more expensive brass era cars sold from this collection, with an estimate of $500,000-$700,000. Be sure to go to the catalog to check out the amazing paintwork. Click here for more from Bonhams.

Update: Sold $423,000.

Michael Andretti’s ’99 CART Car

1999 Swift-Ford-Cosworth 010.c

Offered by Bonhams | Amelia Island, Florida | March 7, 2019

Photo – Bonhams

Well, this was the exact car I rooted for in 20 races of the 1999 CART season. Alex Zanardi just won the championship the year before and departed for F1, leaving me with Gil de Ferran, Greg Moore, Adrian Fernandez, and Michael Andretti for whom to root for the season. And boy, did I love this car.

The Swift 010.c was one of five different chassis used during the season, with others coming from Reynard, Lola, Eagle, and Penske. This Newman/Haas-owned car is powered by a 2.7-liter V8 making 829 horsepower. It carries a wonderful Havoline/Kmart livery and was used by Michael Andretti in all 20 races that season. It was never wrecked, though it did retire from contact in Toronto. It’s competition history during the 1999 CART seasons includes:

  • Homestead-Miami Speedway – 2nd
  • Twin Ring Motegi – 5th
  • Long Beach Grand Prix – 7th
  • Nazareth Speedway – 6th
  • Rio de Janeiro – 26th, DNF
  • Gateway International Raceway – 1st
  • Milwaukee Mile – 15th
  • Portland International Raceway – 10th
  • Burke Lakefront Airport – 3rd
  • Road America – 2nd
  • Molson Indy Toronto – 26th, DNF
  • Michigan International Speedway – 4th
  • Belle Isle – 4th
  • Mid-Ohio – 8th
  • Chicagoland Speedway – 22nd, DNF
  • Molson Indy Vancouver – 14th
  • Laguna Seca – 10th
  • Grand Prix of Houston – 3rd
  • Surfer’s Paradise – 5th
  • Auto Club Speedway – 21st, DNF

Let us all now take a step back and look at just what an awesome schedule that is. You old timers will disagree, but this was the pinnacle of open wheel racing in the U.S. Sorry, it just is.

This race-winning car was later independently raced in the 2004 BOSS SuperCup series in Europe before being put into storage. It should now sell for between $110,000-$150,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $56,000.

Haynes-Apperson

1904 Haynes-Apperson Model F Rear-Entrance Tonneau

Offered by Bonhams | Amelia Island, Florida | March 7, 2019

Photo – Bonhams

Haynes-Apperson is a manufacturer that few know about. But it is one of the most important. Elwood Haynes, who would later hold a patent on stainless steel, partnered with brothers Elmer and Edgar Apperson in 1894 to build a motorcar. A company sprang up in 1898, the first in Indiana (Kokomo, to be exact), and was soon churning out cars as fast as they could. Haynes was a difficult guy to get along with from a business perspective, and the Apperson brothers departed the company in 1902. Haynes-Apperson became just Haynes in 1904.

In 1904, the last year before the name change, the company produced a car called the Model F. It is powered by a flat-twin capable of 18 horsepower. It featured left-hand drive, an adjustable steering column, and a bunch of brass, making it seem rather opulent for the time.

This example was restored by its late owner and is one of two known examples of the Model F in the world. Long overlooked, Haynes-Apperson deserves to be appreciated as one of America’s first, and thereby most important, automobile manufacturers. This car should sell for between $180,000-$240,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams.

Update: Sold $190,400.

February 2019 Auction Highlights

We’ll pick up where we left off last time, Scottsdale. This time it’s Russo & Steele, where this 2012 Lexus LFA blew everything else away, selling for $412,500. Complete results can be found here.

Photo – Russo & Steele

Now we’re on to Retromobile in Paris, where RM Sotheby’s led it off with a huge number for this 1987 Ferrari F40 LM: $5,489,215.

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Next, a couple of no-sales, which included the Ferrari SP30, the 2015 Morgan, the 1900 Panhard, the OSCA, and a previously-featured Hispano-Suiza. On the other hand, the Jordan 196 F1 car sold for $273,468. Click here for more results.

The second sale of the Retromobile week was held by Bonhams, and we featured a lot of cars from this event. On the extreme one end of the spectrum was the Red Bug buckboard we featured. It sold for $4,958. Now a quick rundown of no-sales from this auction: the Clement-Bayard, the beautiful Darracq, the 1911 Renault, the Bellanger, and a previously-featured Horch. The overall top sale was this 1939 Mercedes-Benz 540K Cabriolet A for $1,794,086.

Photo – Bonhams

Cars that did sell include the 1909 Sears for $22,181, the 1913 FN also for $22,181, the Berliet for $43,058, the Hanomag for $66,544, the 1912 Hupmobile for $18,267, and the Pilain for $32,619. A pair of previously-featured cars sold here too: the 1971 Bizzarrini 128 Prototype for $110,907 and aPaige-Detroit for $37,838. Final results can be found here.

The final sale from Retromobile was Artcurial’s – and it was a big one. The top sale here was the Alfa 8C 2900B Touring Berlinetta we featured for $18,997,883, which is apparently about the going rate for those cars. Other big dollar cars included the Voisin C16 for $128,471, the Panhard X86 Dolomites for $108,186, and all three Serenissimas: the Agena brought $500,360, the Ghia GT $513,883, and the ex-Le Mans Spyder a whopping $4,786,229. We’ll award Most Interesting to this 1948 Delahaye 135 M Cabriolet by Letourneur and Marchand that sold for $170,393.

Photo – Artcurial

Cars that failed to sell included the Voisin C11, the Mercedes 500K Cabriolet B, the Citroen Traction Avant Cabriolet, and the Talbot Barquette, while cars that did find new homes were the Voisin C3L for $60,885, the Dick Tricycle for $12,171, and the Rochet-Schneider for $35,160. More results can be found here.

Finally, we have Silverstone Auctions and their Race Retro Classic Car sale. The biggest money was the $381,813 paid for this 1958 Porsche 356A Speedster.

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

The Ginetta G4 we featured sold for $40,824, but the De Tomaso Longchamp Spider failed to find a new home on the block. You can see more results from this sale here.

Two Knox Automobiles

1900 Knox Model A 5HP Runabout

Offered by Bonhams | Amelia Island, Florida | March 7, 2019

Photo – Bonhams

How Harry A. Knox became to be an automobile manufacturer probably has something to do with how this car looks. His neighbor happened to be J. Frank Duryea, who along with his brother, was one of America’s first automobile producers. And their early cars looked a lot like this (three-wheelers included).

The auction catalog lists this as a c.1899, but my information says that Knox built their first 15 3-wheelers in 1900. Another 100 were built in 1901, and a 4-wheeler was added in 1902. This car is powered by a five horsepower, 1.6-liter single-cylinder engine.

The engine number is 28, which might mean this was actually built in 1901. In any case, it’s one of the earliest Knox cars around, and it is really, really cool. It should sell for between $100,000-$120,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $106,400.


1910 Knox Model R Seven-Passenger Touring

Offered by Bonhams | Amelia Island, Florida | March 7, 2019

Photo – Bonhams

Here’s a later Knox, and a much larger, more traditional example. When I think of this marque I think of tiny, early runabouts like this one. But later on, they certainly built big tourers as well.

The Model R was sold in 1910 through 1912 and it is powered by a 40 horsepower, 6.1-liter straight-four. It has shaft drive and is finished in an attractive combo of blue with red wheels. The restoration is described as older, but with big power on tap, it should be a nice, usable car.

The seven-passenger touring body style was only available on the Model R in 1912, after the wheelbase was extended to 122″. But who knows, anything is possible with old cars. This one should bring between $175,000-$250,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams.

Update: Sold $156,800.

OSCA 1600 Zagato

1961 OSCA 1600 GT by Zagato

Offered by Gooding & Company | Amelia Island, Florida | March 8, 2019

Photo – Gooding & Company

Very few racing teams or race cars builders have managed to survive for extended periods of time without producing road cars to fund their racing fun. Ferrari had to do it. So why not the Maserati brothers on their second go-round, this time with OSCA?

The 1600 GT was designed from the outset as a road car, unlike earlier models such as the MT4. It is powered by a 1.6-liter DOHC inline-four that makes 125 horsepower. The body carries Zagato’s “double bubble” design language and is made of aluminum so that 125 horsepower doesn’t have to cart around all that much weight.

Only 60 examples of the 1600 GT were sold, and only 31 are thought to still exist. The current owner has spent over $300k since 2012 getting it into the shape it’s in. Looking at it from an ROI perspective, it’s not that great of an investment, considering the wide estimate is from $350,000-$500,000. But ROI is certainly not what it’s all about with these cars. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $489,000.

Pope-Hartford Limousine

1910 Pope-Hartford Model T Limousine

Offered by Bonhams | Amelia Island, Florida | March 7, 2019

Photo – Bonhams

Albert Pope attached his name to a lot of car companies. The Pope-Hartford, for instance, was built in Hartford, Connecticut between 1904 and 1914. It was one of the more successful marques with the Pope brand. Imagine if General Motors name each car after the city it was physically assembled in. It would be insane.

With some amount of balls, Pope branded their 1910 car the “Model T,” and it is powered by a 4.9-liter inline-four rated at 40 horsepower. It wears a Limousine body, though it was also delivered new with a separate touring car body. That delivery is interesting because the first owners were in Uruguay, of all places.

More interesting is that the first owner was the Uruguayan ambassador to the Vatican. Yes, that’s right, the actual Pope is thought to have ridden in this Pope. It has bounced around the U.S. over the last few decades (including a period where it was local to where I currently reside) and is said to have never been fully restored. It should bring between $160,000-$190,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Brabham BT26A

1968 Brabham-Cosworth BT26A

Offered by Bonhams | Amelia Island, Florida | March 7, 2019

Photo – Bonhams

Motor Racing Developments Ltd. was a Formula One constructor founded by driver Jack Brabham and engineer Ron Tauranac. It is commonly known as “Brabham.” The team competed for 30 years, between 1962 and 1992. Jack won the F1 championship in one of his own cars in 1966 – the only time that’s ever happened.

This chassis began life as a Repco-powered BT26 in 1968 with driver Jochen Rindt. The Repco was an unreliable unit, so the team switched to Cosworth power for 1969. With the new engine and some slight tweaks, the ’68 cars (including this one) were rechristened the BT26A. This car is powered by a 3.0-liter Ford-Cosworth DFV V8. It’s race history includes:

  • 1968 Canadian Grand Prix – 12th (DNF), with Jochen Rindt
  • 1968 United States Grand Prix – 11th (DNF), with Rindt
  • 1968 Mexican Grand Prix – 21st (DNF), with Rindt
  • 1969 Spanish Grand Prix – 6th, with Jacky Ickx
  • 1969 Dutch Grand Prix – 5th, with Ickx
  • 1969 French Grand Prix – 3rd, with Ickx
  • 1969 Canadian Grand Prix – 1st, with Ickx
  • 1969 Mexican Grand Prix – 2nd, with Ickx
  • 1969 Oulton Park Gold Cup – 1st, with Ickx

Not too shabby a record once the Cosworth was installed, which the car retains. It’s an impressive open-wheel car from the glory days of F1. It should bring between $1,100,000-$1,400,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams.

S/N: BT26-3

Update: Sold $1,105,000.

1908 Welch

1908 Welch Model 4-L Seven-Passenger Touring

Offered by Bonhams | Amelia Island, Florida | March 7, 2019

Photo – Bonhams

Brothers Fred and A.R. Welch built their first automobile in 1901 and entered production in 1903 in Chelsea, Michigan. The company moved to Pontiac, Michigan in 1904 and in 1909 they spun off a subsidiary producing a small car called the Welch-Detroit. General Motors acquired Welch in 1910 and quickly phased it out.

The 5.5-liter inline-four was rated at 50 horsepower and features an overhead camshaft and hemispherical combustion chambers. The OG Hemi. Only four “hemi-head” Welch cars are known to survive, and in 1908, this was the only body style you could get on a Model 4-L.

This car has known ownership history back to about 1910, and it was co-acquired by Henry Austin Clark Jr. in 1951. Restored prior to the early-1970s, it has been a mainstay in its current collection for decades. The Welch was one of the best cars in America in 1908, and this one should bring $250,000-$320,000 today. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams.

Update: Sold $456,000.