Category Archives: Uncategorized

Lightweight Mustang Prototype

Posted on by
Reply

2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302R Lightweight

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 12-17, 2015

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

We love one-offs and prototypes here at ClassicCarWeekly.net. This is a one-off prototype race car built by Ford. But let’s zoom way out. The Mustang Boss 302 was re-introduced for the 2012 model year (and was built through 2013). The 302R was the race car variant that Ford campaigned in Grand Am’s GS class. There was also the hard-core Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca Edition road car that fell somewhere in between.

The 302R was a good race car, but it was heavy. So Ford attempted to homologate a lightweight version that would let teams play with weight distribution. But Grand Am nixed the idea because the 302R was competitive as is. So only one lightweight race car was built – this one.

It uses a race variant of the road car 302’s 444 horsepower 5.0-liter V-8 (even though the car started life as an plucked-off-the-line Boss 302, like all 302Rs). This car was never raced. Instead, it was sent to a Ford dealer in Illinois. It appears to have been kept in the family and is now being offered for sale with an estimate between $125,000-$175,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Mecum in Indy.

Update: Sold $130,000.

April 2015 Auction Highlights, Pt. II

Posted on by
Reply

First up is Coys Techno Classica sale in Essen, Germany. The top sale was a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing for $1,183,640. Our featured ZiL 114 sold for $44,856 while the EMW 327 failed to sell. Click here for full results.

Moving on, we head to Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach sale where a 2006 Ford GT was the top sale at $319,000. Ford GT’s are almost no-brainer top sale cars at many auctions today. It’s crazy how quickly they’ve doubled in price.

Photo - Barrett-Jackson

Photo – Barrett-Jackson

Our featured International R100 Pickup sold for $22,000. Find full results here. Mecum’s Kansas City sale had a similar result with, you guessed it, a 2005 Ford GT being the top sale, at $255,000. Our featured Crosley Fire Truck failed to meet its reserve. Click here for full results.

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

Now we’re off to RM Sotheby’s sale of the Andrews Collection in Texas. There were some amazing American cars from the 1930s in this sale, namely Packards and Cadillacs. Our featured Packard, the beautiful Sport Coupe sold for $2,200,000. We also featured a Cadillac, a ’58 Eldorado Prototype. It sold for $324,500. Both Duesenbergs brought big money – the Bohman & Schwartz Town Car sold for $3,630,000 and the Disappearing-Top Roadster $3,520,000.

The top sale was this 1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica SWB Cabriolet by Pininfarina for $7,645,000.

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

The Buick Blackhawk brought $363,000. The Kurtis 500 by Allied sold for $220,000. With Kurtis, another Indy Car builder from the 1950s/1960s, Watson, was represented at this sale, too. Their 1960 Roadster brought $577,500. A previously featured Lincoln design study sold for $1,210,000. Click here for full results.

Finally, Worldwide Auctioneers held their Houston Classic on April 25th. Our featured Moretti failed to sell, which paved the way for a silver 1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to be the top sale at $715,000. Our three featured barn finds sold for way below their estimates, with the Rattler coming in at only $9,900. The Imperial did a bit better, bringing $13,750. And the Flint Touring went for $12,100.

Frazer Nash TT Replica

Posted on by
Reply

1937 Frazer Nash TT Replica

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | May 13, 2015

Photo - Brightwells

Photo – Brightwells

I don’t know what Archibald Frazer-Nash’s obsession was with naming his road models “Replicas” but he had at least two cars that featured that word. Imagine if Jaguar would’ve called their F-Type an “E-Type Replica” – it would have been chaos. “Replica” isn’t necessarily a word full of positive connotations.

But in this case it served a purpose. They were based on the cars that competed in the 1931 Tourist Trophy race, a race in which Frazer Nash entered three cars. The road car could be had with two engines, this one features the smaller 1.5-liter Meadows straight-four. The chassis was from an earlier FN car – the Boulogne – and is chain-drive.

The TT Replica was the second-most popular Frazer Nash model built, with 83 constructed between 1932 and 1938. These light, British sports cars were among the first of their kind and led the way for many light, British sports cars to come. This one should bring between $210,000-$240,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $337,550.

Low-Mileage Hemi ‘Cuda

Posted on by
1

1970 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 12-17, 2015

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

The third-generation Plymouth Barracuda was new for 1970 and the top-of-the-line ‘Cuda, when properly equipped, was the absolute king of muscle cars. The 1970 and 1971 ‘Cudas are particularly collectible, but the 1970 model was a little cleaner in design.

This car has the biggest and baddest engine that was available: Chrysler’s stunning 426 Hemi – a 7.0-liter V-8 rated at 425 horsepower. This car was ordered new just as you see it – in high impact Tor Red with painted wheels. The new owner, who was in his 60s at the time, used the car exclusively at the drag strip.

When he passed away shortly after a handful of quarter miles, the car was sold and the new owner covered just a single mile in the car in 16 years. The next owner drove it the most – 73 miles. That’s right. This car has 81 miles on it. It is the lowest-mileage ’70 Hemi ‘Cuda known to exist and short of Chrysler discovering a warehouse full of unsold cars that rolled right off the factory floor into storage, you will never find anything like this again. It is a time warp car – unrestored but completely roadworthy. It is one of the final 10 Hemi ‘Cudas built in 1970 – but it’s the mileage that sets it apart. Look for a price between $600,000-$800,000 when it crosses the block. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $450,000.

Dare DZ

Posted on by
Reply

1998 Dare DZ Convertible

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | May 13, 2015

Photo - Brightwells

Photo – Brightwells

DARE (UK) Limited is the company that brought you this wild car in the late-1990s. It was also founded by the same family who founded (and later sold) Ginetta. The company is still around, currently building new versions of a pair of old Ginetta models. Interesting.

The DZ was a courageous design that fit squarely in the time period in which it was manufactured (i.e. the late-90s). These were the years of the Ford Indigo Concept and the Plymouth Prowler. Apparently, the burning question in the 90s was “How do I drive an open-wheel car on the highway?”

It is powered by a mid-engined 2.0-liter straight-four making 130 horsepower (although this car was originally turbocharged to 210 ponies, it has since been bumped back to natural aspiration). It might not seem like a lot, but this car is extremely light. It was targeted at Lotus cross-shoppers. Ultimately, only ten were built, with this being the first and factory demonstrator. It’s pretty awesome and should bring somewhere between $18,000-$21,500. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $15,385.

DB4 Vantage Convertible

Posted on by
Reply

1962 Aston Martin DB4 Series IV Vantage Convertible

Offered by Bonhams | Newport Pagnell, U.K. | May 9, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The Aston Martin DB4 is the car that started a styling trend that would continue for over a decade in a handful of models. They’re beautiful cars with a lightweight body, as designed by Carrozzeria Touring. They were built between 1958 and 1963 in five different series with each successive series featuring slight styling tweaks.

This is a Series IV car. It is also a “Vantage” car – Aston speak for the biggest and baddest available. In this case, it means it features a triple-carbureted version of the DB4’s 3.7-liter straight-six, making an impressive 266 horsepower. Vantage cars were only available beginning with the Series IV launch in 1961.

Of the total 1,110 DB4s built (not counting DB4GTs), only 136 hard tops were built with the Vantage engine. An even fewer 32 convertibles had the same motor. Only 70 DB4 Convertibles were built in total. And yes, this car is a pre-Volante terminology Aston Martin “convertible.” It’s a rare car.

This car was purchased new by actor Peter Utsinov and it is left-hand drive. It has seen very little use since the mid-1980s and has never been restored. It will need a little attention before you take it out on the road, but that shouldn’t hamper the price too much – it is estimated to bring between $1,400,000-$1,500,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $2,332,827

H.E. Short-Chassis Six

Posted on by
1

1929 H.E. 16/60 Short Chassis Sport Tourer

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | May 13, 2015

Photo - Brightwells

Photo – Brightwells

H.E. – which stands for Herbert Engineering – was a short-lived British car company that was founded shortly after World War One. It was a car with sporting intentions and was offered in a variety of styles and engines. Looking at it, it is decidedly Bentley-esque.

The engine is a 2.3-liter straight-six making about 60 horsepower. The introduction of this six-cylinder engine was a last ditch attempt to keep the company afloat, but they would close their doors anyway in 1931. This 80 mph tourer was the fastest car the firm built.

H.E. only built 61 six-cylinder cars and only three were Sport models like this. It’s the only short chassis 16/60 left and has known history since the 1950s. It’s really a fantastic car. Consider it a steal over a 3-Litre Bentley. Especially as this one is likely to go for between $135,000-$140,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Update II: Sold, Bonhams Goodwood, June 2016 $131,338.

Ford GTX1

Posted on by
1

2006 Ford GTX1 TT

Offered by Auctions America | Auburn, Indiana | May 7-9, 2015

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

Ford GTs are hot right now. Like really hot. Try finding one for below $300,000. And with talk of a new GT on the way, they’re about at their peak. So why not roll in an even rarer version with gobs more power?

This is a GTX1, which is not an official factory designation. The GT was built between 2004 and 2006 with 4,038 built. The GTX1 was a concept car first shown at the 2005 SEMA Auto Show. It is special because it is a roadster. What makes supercars better? Why, chopping the top off of course.

The first GTX1 was built by Genaddi Design Group of Green Bay, Wisconsin. Ford commissioned them to build another 30 as a sort of aftermarket conversion. It’s an official car in that it appears in used car price guides and they are listed with the Shelby American Automobile Club.

The base GT uses a 5.4-liter supercharged V-8 – but this car has been turbocharged to put out over 1,000 horsepower, hence the “TT” in the car’s name. GTX1s were built between 2005 and 2008 out of original GTs. Does it’s limited production make it more or less valuable than a standard GT? We’ll see: this one is expected to bring between $300,000-$350,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $330,000.

DB6 Volante

Posted on by
Reply

1967 Aston Martin DB6 Mk I Volante

Offered by Bonhams | Newport Pagnell, U.K. | May 9, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The Aston Martin DB6 is one of the sexiest Astons ever made. And in most cases, a drop-top Aston Martin is always more drool-inducing than their closed-roof counterparts. This car is no exception.

Prior convertibles were just that, convertibles. With the introduction of the DB6 in 1965, the term Volante was used to describe a rag top Aston and let’s be honest, it’s a fine, exotic-sounding word. The DB6 is a wonderful GT too, a true four-seater. It is powered by a 4.0-liter straight-six making 282 horsepower.

The DB6 would remain in production through 1970 – into the 1971 model year – with a total of 1,575 hard tops produced. The Volante was much rarer – only 178 built with this car being a Mark I, signifying it was built before the summer of 1969, when the Mark II was introduced. This is a 58,000 mile car with recent service history that is ready for the road. It should bring between $1,000,000-$1,100,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Ferrari 212 Export

Posted on by
1

1952 Ferrari 212 Export Barchetta by Touring

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Lake Como, Italy | May 23, 2015

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

What’s great about these old Ferraris is that they were built for sport but are totally street-able. They are sports cars. But there’s nothing outrageous about them and they look like an early post-war convertible car from Europe.

The 212 Export (which differs from the 212 Inter, which was marketed as Ferrari’s grand touring model while the Export was being built as a racing car) was built in 1951 with a at least a couple finished in 1952. This is actually the final 212 Export to be bodied by Touring and is one of only 28 ever built. It is powered by a 160 horsepower 2.6-liter V-12.

This car has period race history, including:

  • 1952 Targa Florio – 10th (with Baron Luigi Bordonaro di Chiaramonte)
  • 1953 Targa Florio – 16th (with Bordonaro)
  • 1956 Mille Miglia – DNF (with Edouard Margairuz)

Those are some pretty important races and it’s 1952 Targa Florio finish is most impressive. The car spent 30 or so years in the hands of American owners before being shipped to its next owner in Madrid. It then moved to London before returning to the States, where it resides today. It was restored years ago but looks great. It’s eligible for nearly every great historic racing event and will command a nice sum at auction. Click here to read more and here to see more from this sale.

Update: Sold $7,593,600.