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Frazer Nash Targa Florio

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1952 Frazer Nash Targa Florio

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | December 1, 2013

1952 Frazer Nash Targa Florio

Archibald Frazer-Nash built some cool, exciting cars in his day – but he never built many of them. His pre-war cars were all very similar in design and many of them were called “replicas” because they were made to look like a car he used in competition. They were original cars, but painted in “replica” fashion or some such thing that makes them hard to distinguish (in name) from actual replicas today.

Anyway, after the war, the company went back to sports cars. The Targa Florio was a sports car introduced in 1952 at the London Motor Show – and this was the very car they exhibited. This was the fourth example produced and it was purchased off the show stand by Briggs Cunningham. Cunningham entered it in the 1953 12 Hours of Sebring where it finished about 45th, a DNF, with drivers John Gordon Bennett and Charles Moran.

Moran, head of the SCCA in the mid-1950s, bought the car after Sebring. It has had numerous owners over the years and was repainted and freshened in 2011. The Targa Florio could be hand in two trim levels: base Turismo or hotted-up Grand Sport. This is a Grand Sport, so it uses a more powerful Bristol engine. The motor is a 2.0-liter straight-six making 125 horsepower.

This is one of only 14 Targa Florios built – so it is extremely rare. Strangely, of the seven models Frazer Nash built after the war, this was the second most popular. It is strikingly good-looking and can be yours for between $400,000-$480,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams.

Update: Sold $441,795.

Schumacher’s First Title Car

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1994 Benetton B194 Ford

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | December 1, 2013

1994 Benetton B194 Cosworth

The Benetton Formula One team began competing in the top tier of world motorsport in 1986. The team was founded by the Benetton family, owners of the Benetton fashion brand, when they purchased the Toleman team at the end of 1985. In 1991, they hired a young driver named Michael Schumacher who took the team to the pinnacle. Michael won his first two drivers championships with Benetton before departing for Ferrari.

Schumacher won his first title driving a B194 – winning eight races (half of them with this chassis), despite being disqualified from two races and banned from two more. It was a very controversial season to say the least. This car uses a Cosworth-built, Ford-badged 3.5-liter V-8. The race history of this car includes (but is not limited to):

  • 1994 San Marino Grand Prix – 1st (with Michael Schumacher)
  • 1994 Grand Prix of Monaco – 1st (with Schumacher)
  • 1994 Canadian Grand Prix – 1st (with Schumacher)
  • 1994 French Grand Prix – 1st (with Schumacher)

This car won four races with Michael en route to the season driver’s title. Benetton became Renault F1 for 2002 and Renault sold off many of the Benetton team cars that had been left behind. This one found its current home in 2008. A restoration was completed in 2010 and features the original 1994 Mild Seven livery. This is one important race car and it comes with a host of spares. No estimate is available, which is auction house code for “a lot.” You can read more here and check our more from Bonhams in London here.

S/N: B194-05

Update: Sold $1,009,281.

Tojeiro EE

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1962 Tojeiro EE Buick Coupe

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | December 1, 2013

1962 Tojeiro EE-Buick Coupe

Bonhams 2013 London sale has something amazing going for it: seven Ecuri Ecosse team cars and their famous team transporter are all being offered for sale. Let’s start with the team’s story…

Ecurie Ecosse – which is French for “Team Scotland” – was a Scottish racing team whose cars were always painted in this dark “Flag Blue Metallic” paint. The team was founded in 1952 by David Murray and Wilkie Wilkinson. They competed in Formula One, Formula Two and the 24 Hours of Le Mans – which they won, twice. The original team disbanded in the 1960s but their roster of former drivers is illustrious to say the least: Innes Ireland, Masten Gregory, Roy Salvadori, John Tojeiro and Jackie Stewart.

The last two have something in common: this car. The team had raced Jaguar D-Types in the 1950s and by 1962, they needed something new. So Murray met with Tojeiro, who had been designing his own sports racers for a few years, and had him build the team a new race car. The Tojeiro EE (for Ecurie Ecosse) was the result.

It was ready, literally, just in time for the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans. It was Climax-powered for that race where it finished 38th (a DNF) with drivers Jack Fairman and Tom Dickson. For the 1963 British national sports car season, the team fitted a new aluminium-block 3.5-liter Buick V-8 making around 230 horesepower and hired a young man named Jackie Stewart to drive the car. He managed to win one race with it.

This car has been at Goodwood a few times in the past decade and is coming from an amazing Ecurie Ecosse collection. Only two of these cars were built (the other had a Ford V-8 the last time it was raced). This one should sell for between $290,000-$370,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this awesome sale.

Update: Sold $350,265.

Hemi Charger Fastback

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1966 Dodge Hemi Charger

Offered by Mecum | Anaheim, California | November 23, 2013

1966 Dodge Hemi Charger

Of the six generations of Dodge Chargers, I think this one might be my favorite. It was the first gen model and it was only sold for 1966 and 1967. It was essentially a fastback version of the B-body Coronet.

The base engine was a 5.2-liter V-8. But you could definitely up your car’s power if you wanted. And the owner of this car did. This particular Charger carries a 426 cubic inch (7.0-liter) Hemi V-8 under the hood. Horsepower was listed at 425 – which is a lot for a car that I would essentially qualify as a sleeper (it looks pretty mundane. I mean, check out those wheels and luxury-barge-esque grille).

What makes this car even better is that it is almost entirely original – even the paint is as it was from the factory. The engine was rebuilt in the late-90s after sitting for over 10 years. It has some rare equipment too: it is one of 257 launch-year Hemi Chargers with a four-speed manual transmission. This is about a $100,000 car. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Mecum’s Anaheim lineup.

Update: Failed to sell (high bid of $40,000).

Custom-Bodied 250 Europa GT

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1955 Ferrari 250 Europa GT Coupe by Pinin Farina

Offered by RM Auctions | New York, New York | November 21, 2013

1955 Ferrari 250 Europa GT Coupe by Pinin Farina

The 250 is one of Ferrari’s best-known classic model lines and also one of the longest lasting. The 250 started as a race car in 1952. A road-going version came a year later and the famous 250 GT series of cars started with the 250 Europa GT in 1954.

The Europa GT was the first road car to use the 3.0-liter Colombo V-12 engine. It made 217 horsepower in its introductory form. This model was also (for the most part) the last of the coachbuilt 250 GT cars. After this, nearly every 250 GT shared more of a standardized design, based on which model it was, of course.

This is number six of eight custom-bodied Europa GTs. It is definitely unique with that long sloping nose and a very alien looking grille with the big prancing horse in the center. The interior is orange (why not?) and was tailored by Parisian luxury designer Hermès.

Sold new in Rome, this car soon found its way to Seattle where it raced competitively (only once, although it did win its class). The restoration was completed in 2006 and it has won awards at the Cavallino Classic and Amelia Island Concours. This is the 26th Europa GT built of a total of 43 and it is the only one with this custom Pinin Farina coachwork. It is expected to sell for between $2,250,000-$2,750,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of RM’s lineup.

Update: Sold $2,420,000.

Figoni & Falaschi Teardrop Delahaye

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1936 Delahaye Type 135 Competition Court Teardrop Coupe by Figoni et Falaschi

Offered by RM Auctions | New York, New York | November 21, 2013

1936 Delahaye Type 135 Competition Court Teardrop Coupe by Figoni et Falaschi

This car is gorgeous. Elegant, French, swoopy lines wrapped around what was then a sporty chassis and engine combination. This car was the 1936 equivalent of – there is no modern equivalent to compare it to. Today’s car companies don’t wrap art around their race cars. It’s all about function. Style like this is, unfortunately, a thing of the past.

The Type 135 was introduced by Delahaye in 1935. There were other models in the line including the 135M and 135MS. This is the base model, which used a 3.2-liter straight-six making up to 110 horsepower. The Type 135 stayed in production until 1940 and did not go back into production after the war like the other two models.

This Competition model (which features bits and pieces from Delahayes race cars, like a shorter chassis and a very rare four-speed manual transmission) was bodied by Figoni & Falaschi by special order. It was the last of six Type 135 Coupes built by the coachbuilder and it is different from the other five: the headlights, for example, are fared into the fenders. This car was also a Delahaye factory demonstrator before being hidden during WWII.

Ownership history is known from the early-1950s (it was likely owned by Delahaye up to that point). It sat parked in Italy for 40 years until being uncovered in the late-90s and restored by its new American owner. It has been displayed here and there, winning awards wherever it goes. Coachbuilt French Teardrops have been popular for a long time and because they are art-in-motion (just like Joseph Figoni intended) they will likely remain so.

This is one of three short-chassis Figoni coupes that still survives. It is estimated to bring between $3,000,000-$4,000,000. Click here for more info and here for more from RM in New York.

Update: $2,420,000.

Veyron Bleu Nuit

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2011 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Bleu Nuit

Offered by RM Auctions | New York, New York | November 21, 2013

2011 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Bleu Nuit

The Bugatti Veyron is the current king of special edition models. There are seemingly more one-off versions produced by Bugatti for various reasons than there are normal from-the-factory models. So here we have the Bleu Nuit. And it’s the only one like it.

We’ll start with the fact that it is a Veyron 16.4: one of the most intensely engineered vehicles ever built. The engine is an 8.0-liter quad-turbocharged W-16 making 987 horsepower. And of course, everyone knows the original Veyron hit 253 mph. The Grand Sport (which is the roadster version) was introduced in 2009. It has a reinforced chassis to make up for the missing roof.

There was a factory one-off in 2010 called the Sang Bleu and the owner to-be of the car offered here liked that car, but wanted some changes. So Volkswagen – err… Bugatti built him a one-off as well, called Bleu Nuit (“Blue Night”). It has dark blue carbon fiber and polished aluminium. It has covered less than 350 miles since delivery.

Only 150 Grand Sport Veyrons were to be built (I think they may still be making them, but are capping it at 150). This is one of many one-of-a-kind Veyrons, but it’s the only one like this and it has a special from-the-factory designation. It could be yours for between $2,000,000-$2,800,000. Click here for more info and here for more from RM.

Update: Sold, $2,310,000.

The Only A6G Spyder by Zagato

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1955 Maserati A6G/2000 Spyder by Zagato

Offered by RM Auctions | New York, New York | November 21, 2013

1955 Maserati A6G2000 Spyder by Zagato

This might be one of my favorite Maseratis. First of all, the color. Who would’ve thought that a race-bred Italian sports car would look so good in this brilliant shade of blueish-green? The next best thing (besides that sporty light uptick in the body right behind the door) is that grille. It looks deep and has that ridiculous Escalade-sized trident in the middle. Absolutely gorgeous.

The A6 was a series of six-cylinder cars from Maserati in the 1950s. The A6G/2000 was built between 1954 and 1957 and used a 2.0-liter straight-six making 150 horsepower. Only 60 were made and this was the only Spyder bodied by Zagato.

The famed design house displayed the car at the 1955 Geneva Auto Salon. The well-known South American dictator Juan Peron tried to buy the car and had some modifications made to it (which they still sport to this day). He never took delivery and instead the car was sold to an American serviceman in France who brought it home with him. His divorce saw the car sold in 1969. After 20 years in storage, it was restored between 1999-2003 and shown at the 2003 Pebble Beach Concours.

It’s being sold from a collection in the U.K. and it is a downright sexy car. It should bring between $3,500,000-$4,500,000. Click here for more info and here for more from RM in the Big Apple.

Update: Sold $4,455,000.

Update: Not sold, RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2022.

Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle II

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1964 Chevrolet CERV II

Offered by RM Auctions | New York, New York | November 21, 2013

1964 Chevrolet CERV II

The Chevrolet CERV (Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle) program was a series of five cars that were test beds for upcoming models (generally Corvette-related). The original CERV-I of the late-50s was more of an open-wheel race car than a road-going prototype.

The CERV-II was completed in 1964 and it was built under the supervision of Zora Arkus-Duntov, the father of the Corvette. Remember how every time a new generation of the Corvette is on the horizon, rumors abound that it will be mid-engined? Well you can thank this car for that. It is indeed mid-engined and came about the same time as the GT40. Duntov wanted to build five or six of them and compete at Sebring and Le Mans. The racing plans were quashed by GM, but one car was built anyway.

The first engine was a 6.2-liter V-8 making 500 horsepower. Dependent on gearing, it could do 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds or top out at 212 mph. Both are extremely impressive today. Also: it was four-wheel drive, which was unheard of in a sports racing car like this back in the day.

Later on, Duntov found a 7.0-liter (427) ZL1 V-8 engine and stuffed it behind the driver’s seat. It is conservatively estimated to make 550 horsepower (probably more like 700 in reality). It also weighs 1,848 pounds! Duntov thought it could’ve broken Mark Donohue’s 221+ mph closed-course speed record. It was never attempted.

The car was later donated to the Briggs Cunningham Museum in California and remained there until it closed in 1986 and was sold. The current owner bought it in 2001 and made sure every piece was period-correct. Just about everything on this car is original, including the paint, which is part of the reason this is probably the coolest car in this sale (and this sale is packed tight with unbelievable cars). Just the fact that it is so outrageous and has survived this long is a testament to how important these Corvette technology test cars are.

If you’re a serious Corvette collector, this is a car you must have. It should sell for between $1,400,000-$1,800,000. You can check out more here and see more from this sale here.

Update: Sold $1,100,000.

Figoni & Falaschi Teardrop Cabriolet

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1938 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS Teardrop Cabriolet by Figoni et Falaschi

Offered by RM Auctions | New York, New York | November 21, 2013

1938 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS Teardrop Cabriolet by Figoni et Falaschi

Talbot-Lago is one of those French marques that is widely associated with swoopy Art Deco coachwork from some of the most renown French coachbuilders of the pre-war era. The T-150C was introduced by Talbot-Lago in 1937. It had a competition chassis and the “SS” refers to it having a short wheelbase.

The engine is a 4.0-liter straight-six putting out 140 horsepower. Many of the cars were bodied by Figoni & Falaschi and the Teardrop bodystyle is their signature look. This Teardrop also happens to be a cabriolet. This is said to be the only short-wheelbase example with its original chassis, engine, and body.

Only 11 T-150C SS models were built and only two received Figoni Teardrop Cabriolet bodies (they did a third cabriolet on the longer wheelbase). This, the first one one has an interesting history: it was acquired by a merchant in Lille in 1941. He later moved to Paris and became a double agent under the Germans and had to flee to Brazil toward the end of the War.

It was confiscated and sold and by the mid-1950s, it found its way to Chicago. The current owner acquired it in 2008 and commissioned a stunning restoration that will easily win the car awards. These are truly amazing cars with flowing lines and a downright beautiful design. This is what RM is talking about when they call a sale “The Art of the Automobile.” It is art in motion. It will bring millions (between $8,000,000-$10,000,000). Click here for more info and here for more from RM.

Update: Sold $7,150,000.