Category Archives: Uncategorized

EJS Special

Posted on by
1

1956 EJS Climax Special

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | November 2, 2014

Photo - Artcurial

Photo – Artcurial

This is a one-off racing special built in the 1950s, when many cars like this were being constructed by creative engineers all over England and the U.S. Edwin Joseph Snusher was the man behind the EJS. It took him over two years to build this, starting in 1954 and finishing it in 1956.

He entered the car at Goodwood and Brands Hatch in 1956, and finished 4th at Crystal Palace that season. After the race, he put the car in storage. He sold the Climax engine and the Aston Martin gearbox. The car sat until 2001.

It was restored after its discovery and fitted with a correct 1.1-liter Climax straight-four and a transmission from an MGA (a far cry from the Aston Martin DB3 unit it once had). It was sold to the current owner in 2010 and is eligible for historic events, including Goodwood. It should sell for between $158,000-$183,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Update: Not sold, Historics Auctioneers, March 2020.

Laperrelle Tonneau

Posted on by
1

1901 Laperrelle Rear-Entrance Tonneau

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | October 31, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Voitures Légères, F de Laperelle, Mottereau-Brou (E&L) was the name of an otherwise unknown company that existed around the turn of the century in France. No record of it exists anywhere in the known realm of automotive literature. Or even the internet, for that matter. In fact, the lot description spells the name of the car two different ways.

This car is powered by a single-cylinder engine and is all original except for the paint (which was redone in 1960). Literally nothing else is known. The chassis number is 96, which suggests they built a hundred cars, yet no one recorded it anywhere. It’s kind of strange that a brand new, unheard of marque from 115 years ago just pops up out of the blue. Automotive archaeology at its finest.

This car has been owned by the same family since new, which is astounding. It also runs and drives. This is a remarkable car and perfect for someone who wants a challenge and something interesting, historical, and unique. The estimate is $96,000-$130,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Buick GNX

Posted on by
Reply

1987 Buick GNX

Offered by Mecum | Chicago, Illinois | October 9-11, 2014

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

You’re looking at the coolest American car of the 1980s. Also, one of the most collectible. Isn’t it kind of strange that one of the most desirable American cars of the last 25-ish years is a Buick?

The second generation Regal entered production in 1978. It was Buick’s entry into NASCAR for the early 80s and its success on track allowed Buick to offer a Grand National version for road use. The 1986-1987 Grand National is a sought after car – as they look quite aggressive. Slotted above the Grand National, the GNX was a 1987-model-year-only bad ass machine.

A GNX started as a Grand National and then it was sent to McLaren Performance Technologies/ASC to be turned into a monster. The engine is a turbocharged 4.1-liter V-6 underrated by the factory at 245 horsepower. Performance is fantastic, with a 0-60 time of less than five seconds.

Only 547 GNXs were built and you could only get them in black. There are many low-mileage examples out there as apparently quite a number of people stashed them away after buying them. Few, if any, have fewer miles than this one as it has only 45 miles on the odometer. Low miles GNXs have been known to crack the $100,000 barrier. This one certainly ought to. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $97,500.

1954 Indy 500 Pace Car

Posted on by
Reply

1954 Dodge Royal 500 Indy Pace Car Edition

Offered by RM Auctions | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 10, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

There’s a lot of cars to choose from that we could’ve featured this week. RM’s Hershey sale was chock full of rare antique automobiles and we’ve featured a number of them. But this is the last car from this sale we got to feature and I couldn’t pass it up. It’s a beauty.

It’s very striking – yellow with black graphics and top and wire wheels with whitewalls (tongue twister alert). There’s a continental kit out back as well. The Royal was a new model for Dodge in 1954, the same year of Dodge’s inaugural pacing of the Great American Race. The Royal was the top model for Dodge in ’54 and it used a 150 horsepower 4.0-liter Hemi V-8 to muscle it along.

Dodge built 701 Pace Car Edition Royal Convertibles. This car was restored by its current owners and it looks amazing. Suddenly, this rare edition has become one of my must-have 1950s American classics. Go figure. It’ll cost me between $50,000-$70,000, though. Too bad. Click here for more info and here for the rest of RM’s Hershey lineup.

Update: Sold $49,500.

Spacke Cyclecar

Posted on by
Reply

1913 Spacke Cyclecar Prototype

Offered by RM Auctions | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 9, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

Indianapolis, Indiana’s Spacke Machine Company was responsible for a great many of the small, one-and-two-cylinder cyclecar engines that putt-putted around America and Europe during the 1910s.

One thing they did not do, however, was build their own production automobile. Fred W. Spacke died in January of 1915 and his sons soon sold the business. In 1919, the new company built a car and offered it for sale. No takers. They tried it again in 1920. Nothing doing. There are only three known cars carrying the Spacke name. And this one is unique.

It was built either in 1912 or 1913 and is a cyclecar, unlike the later examples. It uses one of Spacke’s own 13 horsepower, 1.2-liter engines. It’s the only Spacke automobile built prior to WWI and it never entered production. The car has been recently restored and looks beautiful. It should sell for between $30,000-$50,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of RM’s Hershey lineup.

Update: Sold $38,500.

Queen Runabout

Posted on by
Reply

1905 Queen Model B Runabout

Offered by RM Auctions | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 9-10, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

Queen was a short-lived automobile make from Detroit, Michigan, that was produced between 1904 and 1906. The company was founded and run by C.M. Blomstrom – but the company was one of those early manufacturers that was backed with dubious money. Thus it only lasted three years.

The Model B was only built in 1905 and it uses a 12 horsepower 4.7-liter twin (them are some big cylinders!). This car has never had a full restoration, but the interior has been re-done and it has been repainted. I think that means it qualifies as a survivor.

It is estimated that only 1,500 Queens were built in total, making this a very rare car. It will need a quick mechanical refreshening before it is road-worthy. It should sell for between $25,000-$40,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $52,250.

Crouch Steam Car

Posted on by
Reply

1899 Crouch Steam Runabout

Offered by RM Auctions | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 9, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

It’s incredible that cars like this survive. W. Lee Crouch began in a machine shop in New Brighton, Pennsylvania in 1895 when he built a gasoline-powered automobile. In 1896, he tried again, finishing the car and entering it in a race (where it did not finish). A few years later he was back at it, this time with steam.

It is thought that Crouch only built three cars – the last two being steamers and this one being both the only survivor, and the only one built by the Crouch Automobile Manufacturing & Transportation Company in Baltimore. It is also thought that all of his previous creations were cannibalized for parts for this car, which uses a twin-cylinder steam engine that puts out eight horsepower (that was probably adapted for an automobile from some sort of marine engine).

It features tiller steering and runs and drives great. It’s a usable, pre-1900 steam car. The story is that this car was discovered in the basement of the original Baltimore Crouch factory during WWII, long after Mr. Crouch had moved on (he was in Ohio by 1914 trying to get a cyclecar company off the ground). It was sold to scrappers, who saved it. Stuff like that just doesn’t happen anymore.

Anyway, this is the only Crouch in existence and it should cost between $60,000-$90,000. You can read more about it here and see more from RM here.

Update: Sold $93,500.

September 2014 Auction Highlights, Pt. II

Posted on by
Reply

Our next five auction results and highlights start with Bonhams Goodwood Revival sale, where the ex-Fox & Nicholl team car 1936 Lagonda LG45R Rapide race car broke a record for the marque, bringing $2,564,680.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Our featured OM Superba wasn’t far behind at $2,038,669. The pre-war Maserati Grand Prix car brought $984,190. Of the two Abarths we featured, the 2000 Sport Spider brought more, selling for $302,415 while the 1000 Sport Tubolare “only” managed $198,786. Interesting sales were topped by this ex-Alex Zanardi 1999 Williams-Supertec Renault FW21 for $148,864.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Our other feature car, the Chenard et Walcker, sold for $56,002. Check out full results here. Next up is Mecum’s Dallas sale, where this 1969 Chevrolet Corvette L88 Convertible was the top sale at $680,000.

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

Our featured Vector disappeared from the auction catalog (and not for the first time). A previously featured Locomobile failed to sell (and not for the first time either). Interesting cars were topped by the strong money put up for this 1935 Reo Speedwagon Pickup: $93,000.

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

Our featured Maxwell sold for $13,500 – a steal for a 100+ year old car. Check out full results here. Our third auction this go-round was Silverstone’ Autumn sale. This 1985 Ferrari 308 GTS bagged top honors, selling for $144,330.

Photo - Silverstone Auctions

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

Our feature cars both sold. The Lynx Eventer brought $46,863 and the Ginetta G15 $21,557. Check out full results here. We featured one car from Barrett-Jackson’s Las Vegas sale, the ’69 Mustang Boss 302. It sold for $88,000. The top sale was actually sold for charity, so the next top actual sale was this 2013 Lamborghini Aventador for $440,000. Click here for full results.

Photo - Barrett-Jackson

Photo – Barrett-Jackson

Finally, Coys’ Nurburgring sale, where our featured Shadow F1 car was the top sale for $582,900. Check out full results here.

Regal Underslung

Posted on by
Reply

1911 Regal Model N Underslung

Offered by H&H Auctions | Duxford, U.K. | October 8, 2014

Photo - H&H Auctions

Photo – H&H Auctions

Underslung is a word most commonly associated with the American Motor Car Company. The term denotes a chassis design that was a novel idea at the time: hang the chassis below the axles. It provides for a sportier ride from a lower center of gravity. But American wasn’t the only company to take advantage of this. For example, there was also the Regal Motor Car Company. Despite its, um, regal, name, the cars were actually produced in Detroit.

Founded in 1907, the company introduced its Underslung model in 1910. The Model N was the base model in 1911 and it uses a 20 horsepower straight-four. It was only offered in two-passenger Runabout form. Two larger models were also sold. The Model N would stick around through 1914 and Regal would close its doors in 1918 due to material shortages during the Great War.

This car shows nice and is a, perhaps, more interesting alternative to the seemingly more common American Underslung. And at a much easier entry point, price-wise. This one will set you back between $40,500-$48,500. Click here for more info and here for the rest of H&H’s lineup.

Update: Sold about $39,477.

G.N. Cyclecar

Posted on by
Reply

1914 G.N. Cyclecar

Offered by RM Auctions | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 9, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

The G.N. company was founded by two men who would later produce sports cars independently of each other: H.R. Godfrey and Archibald Frazer-Nash (later of H.R.G. and Frazer-Nash, respectively). G.N. operated out of London between 1910 and 1923. The car came about at the perfect time as 1910 was about the year that the cyclecar craze really took off.

Cyclecars are all about being tiny, light vehicles that used wheels not much bigger than those on your penny-farthing. Because of their tiny engines, they could be registered as motorcycles – thus they were cheap to purchase and own. The engine here is a front-mounted 1.1-liter twin making 10 horsepower. I don’t know how much it weighs, but I would estimate “not much.”

The body work is simple and it’s technically a two-seater, if both driver and passenger are relatively minuscule. The interior was redone long ago and the paint is fresher than that – but otherwise this car is believed to be original. It should bring between $40,000-$60,000 and offer a lot of fun at that price. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $110,000.