Category Archives: Uncategorized

Bianco Coupe

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1979 Bianco S Coupe

Offered by Auctions America | Ft. Lauderdale, Florida | April 2, 2016

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

Here’s another Volkswagen-based car from Brazil. The Bianco was designed by Ottorino Bianco (who designed Formula 3 cars first). It debuted at the 1976 São Paolo Motor Show but would only last through 1979 when the company closed.

It’s powered by a rear-mounted 1.6-liter Volkswagen flat-four. The body is plastic and fiberglass. It certainly looks like a kit car but they were actually built at a factory – by hand. About 20 per month were churned out.

If you’ve never seen one these don’t worry – most people haven’t. This car comes out of a Brazilian collection and has to be one of very few in the U.S. It should bring between $10,000-$20,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $24,750.

Stoddard-Dayton Runabout

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1907 Stoddard-Dayton Model K Runabout

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 21, 2016

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

I’m trying to think of a good comparison… what company from today is the modern equivalent of Stoddard-Dayton? They were sporty, luxurious cars but not extraordinarily extravagant. If they were still around they would probably compete against the likes of Maserati or Cadillac. Somewhere in there.

In 1908, Stoddard-Dayton would move to a number/letter model name combination (think the last number of the year in front of the model letter, like Model 8-H, for a 1908 Model H). But in 1907, the models were standalone, and the Model K was the top of the range. It was only offered in this three-passenger Runabout form.

The engine is a 30 horsepower 5.5-liter straight-four. The Model K, new for 1907, would continue on through 1911 (albeit, with a numerical prefix). This example was discovered in a barn in South Dakota and the engine was overhauled in 2015. It’s a quick, rare early sporting machine (with white tires!) and is one of three known to exist. Click here for more info and here for more from Mecum.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $200,000.

Update: Sold, Worldwide Auctioneers, Auburn 2017, $118,800.

Update: Sold, RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island 2017, $190,400.

SSC Aero

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2005 SSC Aero SC/8T

Offered by Barrett-Jackson | Palm Beach, Florida | April 8-10, 2016

Photo - Barrett-Jackson

Photo – Barrett-Jackson

As we always say: we love our supercars. And in the spirit of not featuring any cars that are still in production, we have this: the SSC Aero. Produced between 2006 and 2013, the Aero is, so far, the only automobile produced by Shelby SuperCars Inc. (now known as SSC North America). The “Shelby” refers to Jarod Shelby, not Carroll (no relation and thus why they had to change the name of their company).

Specifications of the Aero changed on a near-annual basis. This, the SC/8T (2005 edition) is powered by a 6.3-liter supercharged Corvette racing engine making 787 horsepower. A later version of the car would take the title of “World’s Fastest Car” but this model had to settle for 236 mph.

The company’s followup car, the Tuatara, was shown as a concept in 2012 but production has yet to start. With that, you’re looking at a true home-grown American supercar. No one is really sure how many were actually made but this is car #2 and it has 2,178 miles on it. The original price of this car was over $600,000 but it will be much cheaper at auction. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Withdrawn from sale.

Dodge WD15

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1947 Dodge WD15 Pickup

Offered by Mecum | Houston, Texas | April 14-16, 2016

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

The Dodge WD15 was ¾-ton light truck built by Dodge between 1941 and 1947. The truck was also actually built during the war years of 1942 and 1943 (primarily for the government. No ’44 or ’45 models were made). The 1941 model was essentially the same as the 1940 VD15 truck.

Original equipment here was a 3.6-liter straight-six making 95 horsepower. The WD was offered in five styles with the pickup being the base “complete” truck (two chassis versions were available). The original list price was $1,096 in 1947.

Only 9,992 of these were delivered for this year. Most trucks like this were used heavily and probably scrapped. They were utility vehicles that were run into the ground, meaning: not many remain. This one is really nice and has some modern mechanical bits (think: brakes) and 10-year-old paint. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $18,000.

Ferrari 340 America

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1951 Ferrari 340 America Barchetta by Touring

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Monaco | May 14, 2016

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

There were a number of Ferrari automobiles that wore a “340” badge. There was the 340 Mexico, the 340 MM, the 340 F1, and this, the 340 America. The America, obviously, was part of the Ferrari America line of cars that began in 1950 with this model. It would continue through 1966 with the 500 Superfast (and maybe through 1967 with the 365 California if you count that one).

The 340 America is powered by a 4.1-liter V-12 making 317 horsepower. That’s some serious get-up-and-go for 1951. It’s first owner was a Frenchman who drove his first 24 Hours of Le Mans 20 years prior. And with that, this car was entered in the 1951 24 Hours (just a week after its owner took delivery, no less). It’s competition history includes:

  • 1951 24 Hours of Le Mans – 56th, DNF (with Louis Chiron and Pierre-Louis Dreyfus (the car’s owner)
  • 1952 24 Hours of Le Mans – 45th, DNF (with Dreyfus and Rene Dreyfus)

It’s a quick car, too – able to hit 150 mph on the Mulsanne. It sports a recent restoration to 1951 Le Mans spec and has both competed in the historic Mille Miglia and has been shown at Villa d’Este. It is the third of 23 340 Americas built. Only eight were bodied by Touring (this is the second). Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $8,233,680.

540K Roadster by Lancefield

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1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K Roadster by Lancefield

Offered by Bonhams | Stuttgart, Germany | March 19, 2016

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

We’ve seen a lot of 500K and 540K cars roll through here over the past few weeks. So to find something else to say about these cars is tough. The 540K was the pinnacle of Mercedes-Benz engineering when it debuted in 1936. There were 419 chassis built.

The engine is a 115 horsepower 5.4-liter straight-eight that could pump out 180 horses when you pushed the throttle pedal to the floor and engaged the supercharger. Most of the cars were bodied by Mercedes’ in-house coachbuilding division, Sindelfingen. Not nearly as many were bodied by an outside firm.

This is one of those cars. It is an attractive convertible roadster designed by Lancefield Coachworks Ltd. of London. This would’ve been a late body by the company as they switched to aircraft components during the war and maintained that production afterward. It’s a one-off body and it is quite elegant. Look for it to bring between $3,000,000-$3,800,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams’ all-Mercedes sale.

Update: Not sold.

Update: Sold, RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2022, $1,050,000.

S/N: 169317

1913 Mors

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1913 Mors Type RX Torpedo

Offered by Osenat | Fontainebleau, France | March 20, 2016

Photo - Osenat

Photo – Osenat

Mors was a French automobile marque and one of the first major manufacturers, having been founded in 1895. Their first automobile race occurred in 1897 and they were one of France’s premier, early automobile companies.

Émile Mors expanded his company after the turn of the century, opening an American arm. But like a fair number of early automotive giants, the years took their toll and Mors was gone by 1925.

This Type RX Torpedo is a decent-sized touring car. It’s powered by a 12/15 horsepower four-cylinder engine. Mors are fairly rare today and this one looks pretty nice. It’s been with its current owner for almost 30 years and should sell for between $16,300-$21,700. Click here for more info and here for more from Osenat.

Update: Sold $28,135.

Puma GT

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1972 Puma GT Coupe

Offered by Auctions America | Ft. Lauderdale, Florida | April 1, 2016

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

Brazil is on the board! It’s always interesting to add a new country to our geographical list of cars and Brazil is the newest addition. Puma was based in São Paolo and they got their start in 1966. Brazil was a strange case –  it’s a huge country and imported cars were very expensive. Only manufacturers that built cars in Brazil really sold them there: like GM and VW.

So what do you think this Puma is based on? That’s right, a Volkswagen. It’s got a rear-mounted 1.6-liter flat-four. Complete cars were available in Brazil and some were exported to the U.S. in kit form. A convertible was also offered.

The Puma GT was built between 1968 and lasted up through 1995 when the company went under (the car’s popularity across the sea is one reason the company sprang back to life in 2006 in South Africa). This GT is one of 330 Coupes built in 1972 (they built 484 total cars that year). Puma’s total production as a marque was over 22,000 cars. This car is fully restored and comes out of a Brazilian collection. It should bring between $10,000-$15,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $19,250.

Bentley-owned DFP Sports

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1913 DFP 10/12HP Special Sports by R Harrison & Son

Offered by Bonhams | Chichester, U.K. | March 20, 2016

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Doriot, Flandrin & Parant, based in Courbevoie, was a French automaker that was around between 1908 and 1926. From 1906 until 1908, the company was simply known as Doriot-Flandrin. When Jules-René Parant came on board and the company took off.

The 10/12 was produced between 1911 and 1914 and is powered by a 1.6-liter straight-four. It was the smallest car the company offered at the time. DFP exported some cars to the U.K. where the official importer was none other than brothers Horace and Walter Owen Bentley.

The Bentleys were responsible for finishing the cars – getting bodies made, etc. W.O. Bentley tuned some of them and entered them into competition events like hillclimbs and speed trials. This car was actually used by the Bentleys and was later purchased by a museum. The engine has been rebuilt and other bits restored. It is usable and is noted as being the “Oldest car in the world with a Bentley plate.” It’s sort of a part of Bentley history and you can read more about it here. It should sell for between $63,000-$91,000. Click here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $66,641.

500K Sports Roadster

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1936 Mercedes-Benz 500K Sports Roadster by Sindelfingen

Offered by Bonhams | Stuttgart, Germany | March 19, 2016

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

This is a slightly more “standard” 500K – even though it is so beyond most of its 1936-era contemporaries. Most of the 354 500Ks built fall into specific categories such as Cabriolet A, Cabriolet B, Cabriolet C, Special Roadster, etc. This is a Sports Roadster and is one of somewhere between seven and 12 such examples built. There is a category of “other open cars” with regards to 500K body styles and this would fall in there.

The engine is the standard supercharged 5.0-liter straight-eight making 100 horsepower or 160 with the kompressor engaged when the throttle is held wide open. This car was delivered new to London and later ended up in Florida. In 1989, it returned to Europe – this time Sweden. It’s a wonderful example of one of MB’s all-time great models. It should bring between $3,900,000-$5,000,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Update: Sold, RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2022, $1,270,000.

S/N: 130857