Monthly Archives: April 2022

Siata 200CS

Posted on by
Reply

1952 Siata 200CS by Bertone

Offered by Bring a Trailer Auctions | April 2022

Photo – Bring a Trailer Auctions

Siata only built cars in low numbers, and they all looked like low, sleek Mille Miglia-style racing cars for the street. Well, you know, until the Spring. The 200CS was a model that launched as a bare chassis in 1952. The Chrysler V8-powered car was supposed to preview the next line of Siata cars.

But instead, they switched to Fiat 8V power, and the 200CS was kind of a stillborn project. This one is now powered by a 6.4-liter Chrysler FirePower V8, which has been installed in place of the car’s original 5.4-liter Chrysler V8. The body was built by Bertone especially for John Perona, the then-owner of New York’s El Morocco nightclub.

The current owner traced the car down in 1983, finding it in an Indiana garage. It’s unclear how many 200CS chassis were built, but this is the only one that looks like this. Bidding is already into the six figures, and you can read more about it here.

Update: Sold $689,999.

Diamond T Tanker

Posted on by
Reply

1929 Diamond T Model T4D 1.5-Ton Tanker

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 13, 2022

Photo – Mecum

Diamond T built some beautiful trucks in the 1930s and ’40s. But the company was actually founded by C.A. Tilt in 1905, back when things were more… functional. This is the earliest Diamond T we’ve featured.

At the end of the 1920s, trucks were big, heavy, slow, and purposeful. Styling hadn’t entered the arena yet. This tanker truck is powered by a Hercules 4.1-liter inline-four paired with a four-speed transmission. In thinking about why this truck survived scrap drives during WWII, I’d guess it was used as a water truck on a farm or something where it was relied upon.

This truck was part of the Hays Antique Truck Museum, which Mecum liquidated earlier this year. So why is it back at auction (and with the same pics)? Either it didn’t sell, it got pulled from the catalog at the last second, or the winning bidder flaked. In any event, glad it’s back so we could feature it this time around. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold, Mecum East Moline 2022, $22,000.

The First Brabham F1 Car

Posted on by
Reply

1962 Brabham-Climax BT3 F1

Offered by Bonhams | Monaco | May 13, 2022

Photo – Bonhams

Motor Racing Developments Ltd, aka Brabham, was an F1 team that competed between 1962 and 1992. That makes this car from their first season as a team. Jack Brabham drove for Cooper the few years before this, and his business partner Ron Tauranac designed this car for Brabham to drive in 1962.

Power is from a 1.5-liter Coventry-Climax V8 that made about 157 horsepower in 1962 spec. The competition history for this chassis (F1-1-62) includes:

  • 1962 German Grand Prix (Nurburgring) – 19th, DNF (with Jack Brabham)
  • 1962 U.S. Grand Prix (Watkins Glen) – 4th (with Brabham)
  • 1962 Mexican Grand Prix – 2nd (with Brabham)
  • 1962 South African Grand Prix – 4th (with Brabham)
  • 1963 Monaco Grand Prix – Did not start (with Brabham)
  • 1963 Belgian Grand Prix (Spa) – 15th, DNF (with Brabham)
  • 1963 Austrian Grand Prix – 1st (with Brabham)
  • 1963 Italian Grand Prix – 5th (with Brabham)
  • 1964 British Grand Prix – 17th, DNF (with Ian Raby)
  • 1964 Italian Grand Prix – DNQ (with Raby)
  • 1965 British Grand Prix – 11th (with Raby)

Imagine the same F1 chassis competing in four different seasons today. This car had many other non-championship races and wins (that Austrian GP race was a non-points race). This car spent decades in the Donington Collection before the current owner bought it in the 2000s. This is a pretty remarkable piece of racing history and has a pre-sale estimate of $590,000-$850,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $471,501.

March 84C

Posted on by
Reply

1984 March-Cosworth 84C

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 13-21, 2022

Photo – Mecum

We are making our way back through time with these March Indy Car chassis. Eventually we’ll get back to 1981’s 81C, but for now we have March’s 1984 chassis: the 84C. This one is Cosworth-powered, with a turbocharged 2.7-liter DFX V8 mounted behind the driver.

This car was supposed to be A.J. Foyt’s ride at Indy in 1984. He took the green in qualifying and then blew the engine. So he hopped in George Snider’s car and put it into the show. A.J. Foyt Enterprises swapped a new Cosworth engine into this car for Snider to go make a run in. He made the race as well, finishing 11th.

It’s been restored and is being offered out of Ray Evernham’s collection. You can read more about it here.

Update: Sold $104,500.

1923 Swift Tourer

Posted on by
Reply

1923 Swift M Type Tourer

Offered by H&H Classics | Buxton, U.K. | April 27, 2022

Photo – H&H Classics

The Swift Motor Company operated out of Coventry, England, between 1900 and 1931. Early cars used De Dion engines, then the company moved into cyclecars. After WWI, cyclecars were gone and more a traditional model range took their place.

This M Type is powered by a 2.0-liter inline-four that was rated at 12 taxable horsepower. The model was also known as the “12”. This attractive tourer sports some really cool wheels, the kind you only find on British cars of this era.

It was first restored in 1991 and again in 2013, with just 900 miles having been covered since. It now carries and estimate of $15,000-$20,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $11,702.

Mario Andretti’s Hawk-Ford

Posted on by
Reply

1965 Brawner Hawk-Ford Indy Car

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 13-21, 2022

Photo – Mecum

Clint Brawner was a race car designer and mechanic who worked on the front-engined Indy roadsters before he built this, the rear-engined Hawk. Hawks were all over the American open-wheel grid from 1965 into the early 1970s.

This particular car is powered by a 4.2-liter Ford DOHC V8 with Hilborn fuel injection paired with a two-speed Halibrand gearbox. It carries the Dean Van Lines Special livery that Mario Andretti ran in his rookie year at the Indy 500. The competition history for this chassis includes:

  • 1965 Indianapolis 500 – 3rd (with Andretti)
  • 1965 Hoosier GP at IRP – 1st (with Andretti)
  • 1966 Indianapolis 500 – 18th, DNF (with Andretti, from pole)

That ’65 win at Indianapolis Raceway Park was Mario’s first Indy Car victory. He won a total of nine races in this car as well as the 1965 and 1966 USAC Champ Car championships. It’s being offered out of Ray Evernham’s personal collection. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $2,200,000.

SS1 Tourer

Posted on by
Reply

1935 SS1 2.5-Litre Tourer

Offered by Bonhams | Chichester, U.K. | April 10, 2022

Photo – Bonhams

The Swallow Coachbuilding Company started building their own cars in 1932. The first model launched was the SS1. Bonhams quotes a total of 2,503 examples produced through 1936. SS, of course, would become Jaguar after WWII and the resulting new associated connotations with “SS”.

The SS1 was powered by a choice of inline-six engines, with this car being powered by the later, larger 2.6-liter unit. There was an SS2 that featured a four-cylinder powerplant. Output in this car was rated at 68 horsepower.

Five body styles were offered, including the tourer shown here. It remained with a single family for about 50 years, being restored early in their stewardship. Now it has a pre-sale estimate of $78,000-$105,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $73,188.

Snowberger-Offy

Posted on by
Reply

1956 Snowberger-Offenhauser

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 13-21, 2022

Photo – Mecum

Russ Snowberger competed in 15 Indianapolis 500s as a driver between 1928 and 1947 with one pole position and a best finish of fifth (two years in a row). He was the king of the “junk formula” that debuted in the 1930s that required stock-ish engine blocks.

He built and entered some of his own cars, including this Hupmobile-powered roadster. After his career as a driver ended, he became the chief mechanic for the Federal Engineering racing team based in Detroit. This lasted until 1961 and included prepping this Federal Engineering Detroit Special in 1956.

The chassis is based on a Kurtis 500C, and it’s powered by a 4.2-liter Offenhauser inline-four. No specific competition history is listed, but it was driven in period by Tony Bettenhausen, George Amick, Billy Garrett, and Tom Pistone. It’s currently owned by Ray Evernham, who is thinning his collection a bit at Mecum in Indy. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $220,000.

Williams FW21

Posted on by
Reply

1999 Williams-Supertec FW21

Offered by Bonhams | Monaco | May 13, 2022

Photo – Bonhams

Coming off of back-to-back CART championships, Alex Zanardi was on quite the hot streak going in to 1999. Williams, who won the constructor title in F1 in 1997, was also a hot commodity. But the pairing of the two never really led to anything. Zanardi drove just one season for Williams, 1999, finishing only six of 16 races.

It wasn’t all the car. Teammate Ralf Schumacher had three podiums and finished in the top five 11 times. The FW21 was powered by a year-old Renault 3.0-liter V10 that was branded “Supertec” after Renault pulled out of F1 at the end of 1998. The competition history for this chassis (#05) consists of (all with Zanardi):

  • 1999 San Marino Grand Prix – 11th
  • 1999 Monaco Grand Prix – 8th
  • 1999 Spanish Grand Prix – 19th, DNF
  • 1999 Canadian Grand Prix – 12th, DNF
  • 1999 French Grand Prix – 14th, DNF
  • 1999 British Grand Prix – 11th
  • 1999 Austrian Grand Prix – 19th, DNF
  • 1999 German Grand Prix – 14th, DNF
  • 1999 Hungarian Grand Prix – 22nd, DNF
  • 1999 Belgian Grand Prix – 8th
  • 1999 Italian Grand Prix – 7th
  • 1999 European Grand Prix – 19th, DNF
  • 1999 Malaysian Grand Prix – 10th
  • 1999 Japanese Grand Prix – 24th, DNF

It’s unclear the history of the car after that race in Japan, but it’s being offered as “last raced.” The pre-sale estimate is $110,000-$165,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $443,352.

Mitsuoka Le-Seyde

Posted on by
Reply

1991 Mitsuoka Le-Seyde

Offered by H&H Classics | Buxton, U.K. | April 27, 2022

Photo – H&H Classics

Mitsuoka, the most Japanese of all Japanese car manufacturers, has built some wild-looking cars over the years. And this is certainly one of them. If you’ve always wanted a Zimmer or Tiffany that’s based on a Nissan Silvia. Well look no further.

The Le-Seyde was only produced between 1990 and 1993, with just 500 units produced. Later, a convertible version called the Dore was also built. Mitsuoka sold an updated Le-Seyde briefly in the 2000s (does that make it a neo-neo-classic?).

This car is powered by a 1.8-liter DOHC inline-four from an S13 Silvia that made about 131 horsepower when new. I think it wouldn’t look so outrageous (outside of the whole neo-classic thing) if it weren’t for those convex wheel covers. H&H estimates that $6,500-$9,000 will take this home. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $10,327.