Monthly Archives: December 2020

GTO Spano

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2015 Spania GTA Spano

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Paris, France | February 13, 2021

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

I am unclear if the company name here is Spania GTA, or if the model name is GTA Spano. That is, I’m not sure if “GTA” is part of the marque or model. In any event, the company was founded by Domingo Ochoa, team principal of GTA Motor Competición, a Spanish racing team.

This was the only model the company produced, and it debuted in 2010. The production version went on sale in 2013, and apparently, only 10 of the “first generation” cars were constructed. The company stated that 99 were to be built, but only 12 made it out of the factory, including this, the only “Series 2” example remaining. Three Spanos were destroyed for crash testing.

Power is from a twin-turbocharged 7.9-liter V10. That engine is an Ilmor-modified version of the Dodge Viper‘s, and it produces 925 horsepower. That monster motor is mounted behind the seats and is covered by carbon fiber and Kevlar bodywork. Sixty is gone in 2.9 seconds, and the top speed is said to be 230 mph.

This is a hardcore supercar, despite its cottage-industry looks. Apparently, the Spano is still available, but this is the most recent one, and it was built in 2015…. sooo…

I love European auctions that feature cars that we can’t get in the U.S. Cars just like this. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Withdrawn from sale.

Fiat 1100 Charmant Coupe

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1954 Fiat 1100/103 TV Charmant Coupe by Vignale

Offered by Bonhams | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 21, 2021

Photo – Bonhams

The Fiat 1100 was a small family car built between 1953 and 1969. At the 1953 Paris Motor Show, they introduced the TV, or Turismo Veloce, variant (and for some reason, Bonhams insists on spelling it out, even though it was called the TV. I guess it sounds sexier spelled out like it’s some rare sports car… which it isn’t).

The TV did receive an upgraded engine: a sporty 1.1-liter inline-four good for 57 horsepower. There were also styling tweaks that were done in-house. This car, however, is one of 12 bodied by Vignale as a “Charmant Coupe.” Styling was actually penned by Michelotti.

The standard 1100, or even the TV, did not have fastback styling, Borrani wire wheels, or an Abarth intake manifold. This one was stored for a long time and supposedly has very few miles on it. No estimate is available yet, but you can read more about it here. Check out more from Bonhams here.

Update: Sold $190,400.

Cizeta V16T

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1993 Cizeta V16T

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Phoenix, Arizona | January 22, 2021

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

If last week’s Isdera wasn’t crazy enough, here comes RM Sotheby’s yet again with another supercar score. A Cizeta V16T. The car was developed by former Lamborghini engineer Claudio Zampolli with financial backing from 80s music composer Giorgio Moroder, who left the project after the first prototype was built (it was called the Cizeta-Moroder up to that point).

The design itself was penned by Marcello Gandini, who, shockingly, also worked on the Lamborghini Diablo. Power is from a 6.0-liter V16 that was essentially two Lamborghini Urraco V8s squeezed together in a single block. Output was rated at 540 horsepower.

RM reports that just nine examples were produced before production ceased in the mid-1990s. Two cars have been built since, and word is that Zampolli will still build you one if you want it.

This car is one of three that was ordered by the Brunei Royal Family, although it was never delivered and sat in a Singapore Ferrari dealer’s storage facility until the current owner bought it in 2020. It has a little over 600 original miles. The other two Brunei Cizetas were converted to use Lambo V12s, and one of those is apparently a disassembled project car.

This is not a car that comes up for public sale often, so it will be interesting to see what it sells for. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $665,000.

’65 GT350 Fastback

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1965 Shelby GT350 Fastback

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 15, 2021

Photo – Mecum

Since 1965, there have been quite a few Shelby-branded products that weren’t Cobras. And this is the best of them. They were built around the early, light first-run Mustangs. The first-generation GT350 was technically built in 1965 and 1966, but the ’65s are better.

All 562 first-year GT350s were finished in Wimbledon White, and most had Guardsman Blue Le Mans stripes. Power is from a 4.7-liter (289) V8 rated at 306 horsepower. This particular car was originally used as a Shelby factory demonstrator.

It has less than 7,000 original miles, having pretty much sat in storage with every one of its many owners of the years. Mecum estimates it to be worth between $400,000-$500,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $500,500.

Countach LP500 S

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1984 Lamborghini Countach LP500 S

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Paris, France | February 13, 2021

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

This is the middle child of the Countach family. The Countach launched in 1974 in LP400 configuration. That was the cleanest, sleekest Countach: no fender flares, no boxy bumpers, no horrendous wing.

1978’s LP400 S started to get boxy. And 1982’s LP500 S (sometimes referred to as the 5000 S) continued that trend. The LP500 S was produced until 1985, and in total, 321 examples were built. It’s not the rarest variant, but not the most common either. Things would get even boxier by the time the 25th Anniversary model rolled out in 1988.

This car is powered by a 4.8-liter V12 rated at 370 horsepower. Top speed was 182 mph, a big jump from the LP400 S, and 60 arrived in 5.2 seconds. I’m sure owning one of these in the early 80s was a nightmare from a servicing standpoint, but the knowledge exists now, and this should make a fun, occasional ride for someone. You can read more about this one here, and see more from RM here.

Update: Not sold.

Marmon-Herrington Mercury

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1947 Mercury Series 79M Marmon-Herrington 4×4 Wagon

Offered by Worldwide Auctioneers | Auburn, Indiana | January 23, 2021

Photo – Worldwide Auctioneers

Mercury’s immediate pre- and post-war models consisted of the “Eight.” They are often referred to by their series name, and 1947’s was the 79M. You could go downtown and buy a Mercury or two. Or five, as that’s how many body styles of the 79M were offered, including a station wagon.

The wagons were rare. Only 3,558 were built for the model year. They were all powered by 3.9-liter V8s rated at 100 horsepower. What makes this one special is also the reason this one looks so incredibly badass. Two words: Marmon. Herrington.

Marmon-Herrington was the successor to the Marmon Motor Car Company. Walter Marmon teamed up with Arthur Herrington to create this new company, and they bought the old Duesenberg plant in Indianapolis to make the magic happen (part of this building can be seen in one of our rotating header banners). Their business was focused on turning station wagons into 4x4s. It started in the 1930s, and they were popular in the 1940s for turning cars like Ford wagons into mid-century monster trucks.

Ford even sold them through their dealerships. The price included a whopping 100% markup. Meaning this car would’ve cost $4,414 when new. Only three 1946-1948 Marmon-Herrington Mercurys are known to exist. This one was once part of the Nick Alexander collection and is now selling at no reserve. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $346,000.

Isdera Commendatore 112i

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1993 Isdera Commendatore 112i

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Paris, France | Sometime in 2021

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Well here we go. Two years ago, Historics auctioned a Lister Storm road car and I said “now if you could just snag an Isdera Commendatore” you’d win my heart. Well, RM Sotheby’s is doing it. The one and only Commendatore 112i is going under the hammer in Paris next year.

Isdera was founded by Eberhard Schulz in Germany in 1982. The company’s biggest success on the production car front was the Imperator 108i, which was a production version of the Mercedes-Benz CW311 concept car (which was designed by Schulz). Thirty were built between 1984 and 1993. Apparently, Isdera has produced 70 cars since 1993, but nobody really knows what they are.

The Commendatore 112i launched as a concept car at the 1993 Frankfurt Motor Show. It was named for Enzo Ferrari and was originally fitted with a 6.0-liter Mercedes-Benz V12 capable of 408 horsepower. A Ruf six-speed manual transaxle was fitted, and the car could do 211 mph.

The body is fiberglass over a spaceframe chassis. Production never materialized, and only this prototype was built. It reappeared in 1999 under the care of a Swiss businessman who updated it to the name “Silver Arrow.” It was offered for sale a few times in the ensuing years, but Isdera managed to reacquire it in 2016. It was then restored back to 1993 specification, including it’s awesome periscope mirror.

This car is 100% pure 1990s insanity. It is at the top of the heap of over-the-top supercars. And it is being sold directly from Isdera – at no reserve. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $1,343,774.

Ferrari Daytona

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1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 15, 2021

Photo – Mecum

Here’s another “blue chip” collector car. The Ferrari Daytona is one of the last “classic” Ferraris, in my opinion. Before things got all boxy. The 365 GTB/4 was styled by Leonardo Fioravanti at Pininfarina – not really a household name, which is a shame because this car is gorgeous.

Ferrari built 1,383 Daytona coupes between 1968 and 1973, and they also made just 122 Spyders, or “GTS/4”s. Power is from a 347-horsepower, 4.4-liter V12. Top speed is 174 mph. This car has six Weber carburetors, a limited-slip differential, Borrani wire wheels, Ansa exhaust, and air conditioning.

The Daytona Spyder is a million-dollar car every day of the week. The Berlinetta version has been creeping up over the years, and this one is estimated between $650,000-$700,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $500,000.

300SL Roadster

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1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 16, 2021

Photo – Mecum

I think we all know at this point that the Mercedes-Benz 300SL is one of the poster children for “collector cars.” The Gullwing coupe version is probably in the dictionary next to the phrase. The roadster was introduced in 1957 when the coupe was discontinued. It would be built through 1963.

Power is from a fuel-injected 3.0-liter inline-six. Output was rated at 240 horsepower when new. Also, keep in mind that fuel injection was no common sight in 1960. Or even 1970. The 300SL was really a landmark car and deserves its reputation as an amazing machine.

With its extended production run, the roadster was more common than the coupe, with 1,858 built. This restored example is finished in Silver Gray Metallic over red leather. It’s good-lookin’ stuff. A little over a decade ago, these were $500,000 cars. They’ve been trading right at about a million dollars now for the last five years or so. This one carries an estimate of $1,100,000-$1,300,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $1,210,000.

Torino Twister Special

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1970 Ford Torino Cobra Twister Special

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 7-16, 2021

Photo – Mecum

What a great looking car. The 1970 Torino is one of Ford’s styling highpoints of the era. This model year had a dizzying assortment of models, sub-models, trims, body-style, and engine combos. The Torino Cobra was the top sport-level trim, slotting in above the Torino GT. It was available as a two-door Sportsroof fastback only.

The dealers in Ford’s Kansas City sales district were selling a limited edition Twister Special of the Mustang for 1970. Only 96 were ordered. Alongside those, the dealers opted to outfit 90 Torinos with a similar package. Only 30 of those had a four-speed manual transmission like this car has.

Power is from a 7.0-liter (429) Cobra Jet V8 rated at 370 horsepower when new. The Twister Special package added some blacked-out trim and graphics. This car has rear window sport slats and spoilers up front and out back. Fully restored, it’s going to sell at no reserve. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $236,500.