Offered by Silverstone Auctions | Sywell Aerodrome, U.K. | June 4, 2022
Photo – Silverstone Auctions
“Berlinetta Boxer” describes a series of Ferrari near-supercars produced from the early 1970s through the early 1980s. It was the first mid-engined Ferrari-branded road car, and it used a why-the-hell-not flat-12 engine. There were essentially three models over the run: the famed and loved 512 BB, its injected twin the 512 BBi, and this, the sort of odd duck 365 GT4.
The 365 GT4 was the first of the series and was replacement for the 365 GTB/4 Daytona. Manufactured from 1973 through 1976, it is the rarest of the BBs, with just 387 examples produced. Power is provided by a 4.4-liter flat-12 that made 375 horsepower. The engine would get bigger for the 512 – though less powerful.
This car is one of 88 right-hand-drive examples, and it has a replacement drivetrain. The pre-sale estimate is $215,000-$285,000. Click here for more info.
Offered by Historics Auctioneers | Ascot Racecourse, U.K. | May 21, 2022
Photo – Historics Auctioneers
This car represents the end of the line for Alvis. It was launched in March 1966, and the final cars rolled off the line in August 1967. Interesting tidbit, the similarly styled TE 21 was available by special order through 1967 as well.
Power is by the same 3.0-liter inline-six that powered this entire line of cars, which basically covered the entirely of Alvis’ post-war production (well, since the 1950 TA 21 anyway). Output increased to 150 horsepower in the TF, which was offered both as a two-door sedan or a two-door drophead coupe. The bodies were by Park Ward.
Only 106 examples of the TF 21 were produced, and only seven of those were convertibles with a manual gearbox like this one. It now has a pre-sale estimate of $92,500-$117,500. Click here for more info.
Offered by Manor Park Classics | Manor Park, U.K. | May 14, 2022
Photo – Manor Park Classics
You just don’t see second-generation Probes in this condition anymore. At least not in the U.S., where most have rusted away or just died. Recall that the Probe was supposed to be the next Mustang, but people flipped out over the front-wheel-drive Mazda-sourced layout, so Ford just launched it as its own thing for 1989.
But the revamped 1993 model is where it really hit its stride. This is pure 90s, from the jellybean shape to the tri-spoke wheels. They were cool cars, but generally unloved by “serious car people.” That didn’t stop them from being nearly everywhere circa 1998. This one has the bigger 2.0-liter V6 rated at 164 horsepower new.
Trim-wise, it isn’t that impressive, as Americans could get a GT package with graphics and a wing. But this right-hand-drive version is probably up there in rarity. The number of Probes still registered in the U.K.? Just 121. It has an estimate of $4,500-$5,500, which seems like a bargain just for the nostalgia factor. Click here for more info.
Offered by Silverstone Auctions | Northamptonshire, U.K. | May 28, 2022
Photo – Silverstone Auctions
The 3500 GT was Maserati’s big grand tourer of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Both 2+2 coupes and two-seat convertibles were offered, with styling by a select few Italian carrozzeria, including Vignale, who bodied this example and most of the model’s convertibles.
In 1960, Maserati introduced the GTI variant, making it Italy’s first fuel-injected production car. The 3.5-liter inline-six got Lucas fuel injection and a power bump to 232 horsepower. Because fuel injection was still relatively new, it could be somewhat troublesome, and more than a few GTI examples were converted back to Weber carburetors later in life. Not this one.
This car was delivered new in London, and from the 80s onward, it spent time in France and Italy before returning within the last decade to London with its current owner. Only 245 Vignale convertibles were built out of a total 3500 production run of 2,226 examples between 1957 and 1964. The pre-sale estimate here is $470,000-$550,000. Click here for more info.
Offered by Silverstone Auctions | Northamptonshire, U.K. | May 28, 2022
Photo – Silverstone Auctions
We’ve covered the history of the Talbot marque before, and it’s very confusing. We’ll pick up the trail in 1935 when the Rootes Group had both Talbot and Sunbeam under their ownership. Sunbeam-Talbot was a marque that existed from 1935 through 1954, when the cars just became Sunbeams. This was because Talbot-Lago was operating in France and it was confusing. Still is.
Well Talbot-Lago only lasted five more years after that. The dormant Talbot name was then sold to Simca, which became part of Chrysler Europe in 1970. In 1977, Chrysler introduced the Chrysler Sunbeam model. It was a three-door hatchback. It was not very exciting.
However, Chrysler dumped Chrysler Europe on PSA (Peugeot/Citroen) in 1978 for $1. PSA in turn dumped the Chrysler name, rebranding all Chryslers in Europe as Talbots. So now, a few decades removed from Sunbeam-Talbot, there was a Talbot Sunbeam on sale in Europe. Around this time, they also wanted to make the Sunbeam (the model) more exciting.
The hot-hatch Ti variant was introduced in 1978. Chrysler had already been in talks with Lotus to build a rally version of the Sunbeam to take on the Ford Escort RS. Thus, the Talbot Sunbeam Lotus was born, and it went on sale in 1979. It was one of the best hot hatches of the ’70s/’80s.
Power is from a 2.2-liter high-compression version of the Lotus 907 inline-four. Road cars were rated at 150 horsepower. Rally cars were able to get up to 250 horsepower out of the engine. There were also suspension and exhaust tweaks. The car was responsible for Talbot winning the WRC manufacturer’s championship in 1981.
Only 1,184 right-hand-drive examples were made before production ceased due to the fact that they were more expensive to make than they could sell them for. Fifty-six of them were taken by Ladbroke Avon Coachworks to be turned into “Limited Edition” cars that featured the paint scheme seen here.
This limited-edition Sunbeam Lotus carries a pre-sale estimate of $30,000-$37,000. Click here for more info.
Offered by Historics Auctioneers | Ascot Racecourse, U.K. | May 21, 2022
Photo – Historics Auctioneers
The Consul was Ford of Britain’s family car when it went on sale in 1951 as the base model in the Zephyr range. A sedan, a two-door wagon, and a convertible were offered. The second generation ended production in 1962.
In 1961, Ford launched the Consul Classic, which overlapped the second-gen Consul production and that of the Cortina. The Classic was available as a four-door sedan, a two-door sedan, or as a two-door Capri coupe, which is what we have here. The big factory engine option on the Capri was 1.5-liter four, however this car has been hot-rodded with a 2.0-liter Pinto inline-four, a five-speed manual gearbox, and Minilite-style wheels.
It looks good, especially in green. This car was one of the styling highpoints for Ford of Britain. Only 19,421 Consul Capris were produced in two and a half years. This one has a pre-sale estimate of $20,000-$24,000. Click here for more info.
Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 15, 2022
Photo – Mecum
It’s been a while since we’ve featured an obscure neoclassic. So obscure, this one is, that even Mecum didn’t know what they were dealing with at first, labeling it an Excalibur. It’s a BACI, a roadster produced by the Besasie Automotive Company Inc. of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Just 14 of these were built between 1993 and 1995, and they were based on the Ford Thunderbird of the era. This car is powered by a fuel-injected 5.0-liter V8 and features Bose audio, a power-retractable soft top, and air conditioning.
Parts of the styling are supposed to be reminiscent of the Mercedes-Benz Special Roadster. Maybe from the back? You can read more about this one here, and check out more angles via the photos.
Offered by Historics Auctioneers | Ascot Racecourse, U.K. | May 21, 2022
Photo – Historics Auctioneers
This one is a little confusing, as is Renault’s early model line. Their first cars debuted in 1899 with simple voiturettes, though they carried more than half a dozen model names in their first few years. Prior to WWI, the company offered dozens of different models, many of which based on the same powertrains.
In this case, I think, we have a 20/30hp chassis in model V-1 form (not VI as the auction catalog labels it). This was a large car for the company, and it’s powered by a 4.4-liter inline-four rated at 20/30 horsepower. No clue how long this model was offered, but it was at least 1908 and 1909.
The body here is by Stareys & Woolleys of Nottingham. The pre-sale estimate here is listed as $115,000-$135,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.
Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | May 7, 2022
Photo – Brightwells
The first of the Marcos GT line of cars was the 1800GT, which featured a Volvo powerplant. Two years later, the Volvo 1800 was out, and the Ford Kent-powered 1500GT was in. Due to the power drop between the two, Marcos bored the 1500 out, selling an uprated 1650GT for a brief time before introducing the 1600GT, which was sold from 1967 through 1969.
This model featured a 1.6-liter Ford Kent inline-four with a crossflow cylinder head. Output was rated at 100 horsepower when new. The 1600GT outsold earlier models, with 192 built in the three years of production.
Originally blue, this car has been redone, with the engine overhauled to displace 1,670cc, among other upgrades. The pre-sale estimate is $15,000-$18,000. Click here for more info.
Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 19, 2022
Photo – Mecum
The fourth-generation Firebird went on sale for 1993. It was kind of pointy, but if you look at the rear 3/4 of the car, you could tell the genes were there for some muscle. That became more apparent when a mid-cycle refresh came in 1998. The car got a new hood with two big intakes/nostrils up front. It was bulky and looked like a muscle car.
So, of course, on top of the Firebird there was the Trans Am, which usually specified some kind of upgraded suspension, an appearance package, and a power bump. But what do you do when that’s not enough? You go to SLP Engineering and have them turn it into a Firehawk, naturally.
These were sold through Pontiac dealerships. This example is from the final year of Firebird production, making it a final-year example of the top dog… or top bird Firebird/Trans Am you could get. The 5.7-liter V8 was tweaked to put out 335 horsepower. It’s got all of the goodies too: T-tops, a limited-slip differential, a composite hood, a cat-back exhaust, and more. This car has just 57 miles, which will make it among the most expensive Firehawks out there. Click here for more info.
