Maserati 150 GT Spider

Posted on December 13, 2012 by classiccarweekly

1957 Maserati 150 GT Spider

Offered by Gooding & Company | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 18-19, 2013

Photo – Gooding & Company

This is one of the best looking Maserati road car convertibles I’ve ever seen. Part of the reason for this is that this is the only one like it I’ve ever seen as it was the only one ever made. It began life as a A6GCS, Maserati’s 2.0-liter race car built from 1953 through 1955. It was a Maserati team car and after the 1954 season, it returned to the factory where the chassis was used for the prototype 300S, with the 3.0-liter six. The 300S went into production and Maserati then turned to the 150S race car, which used a 1.5-liter four.

With production of the race-bred 150S well under way, Maserati turned to developing a road car variant. They pulled this chassis back in, stripped it of the 300S bits and strapped the 1.4-liter four in from the 150S, a transmission from the A6GCS (in current form this car makes about 195 horsepower and weighs less than 2,000 lbs). Then they shipped the car to Fantuzzi, who constructed this incredible convertible body.

Due to things that seem obvious now – the price being “prohibitive” (it was a one-off, of course it was expensive) and it being a poor handler/performer on the road (again, it was a prototype and was never properly tuned – parts were just thrown on it and bodied to show off to the public) – Maserati shelved it and production never started. Instead, the company started development of the legendary 3500 GT.

This car was forgotten about and sold to a dealer in the U.K. in 1960 who kept it until the 1980s when it was sold to a German collector, who owned it until 2007. The new owner found the car with red paint and a relatively unknown history that was, at best, confusing. He did some research and discovered just what this car was. It was then properly restored and repainted to this lovely cream color. And now Gooding & Company estimate that this car will bring somewhere between $3,000,000-$4,000,000. Quite a find. For more information check out Gooding’s site.

Update: Sold $3,080,000.

Ford Model S

Posted on December 12, 2012 by classiccarweekly

1907 Ford Model S

For Sale at Hyman Ltd | St. Louis, Missouri

The Ford Model S was a variant of the Ford Model N, which was introduced in 1906. The Model S went on sale in 1907, alongside the Model R and they lasted through 1908. It was an important car for Ford, as it was the lead-in to the Model T.

Like the Model T after it, it was rugged, simple and not very luxurious. In 1907, automobiles were purchased by the affluent – not the “everyman.” But it wasn’t cheap. The Model S retailed for $700, while the Model T, once economies of scale and mass production came into play, would hit a price point as low as $260.

The Model S used the same 2.4-liter straight-four making 15 horsepower as the Model N, though the bodywork was more modern and it featured full running boards and a third seat behind the front bench. It was also Ford’s final right-hand drive model. Only 3,750 were built and this one can be yours for $59,500. You can find out more here.

Hudson Italia

Posted on December 11, 2012 by classiccarweekly

1955 Hudson Italia

Offered by Barrett-Jackson | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 19, 2013

The Hudson Italia is one of the most gorgeous American cars ever produced… even though that svelte body was constructed in Italy (although it was designed by American Frank Spring). Based on the Hudson Jet platform, the Italia was built by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan. The prototype made the rounds in 1953, garnering enough consumer interest to put it on sale.

So Hudson put the car into production. They shipped the mechanical bits to Milan and Touring put the body on and sent them back. Hudson sold them for $4,800 when a new Cadillac Coupe de Ville cost $3,995 – and Hudson lost money on every one. The engine was a 3.3-liter straight-six making 114 horsepower.

The car entered production for the 1954 model year, but in January 1954, Hudson announced it was merging with Nash to form AMC. Orders for the car were cut off and only 26 were built. Of those, 21 are known – the other five thought to never have been delivered to the U.S. and still in Europe somewhere. So 26 cars over two model years – it’s a very rare car.

This car has had four owners from new, spending the last 30 in one collection. A fresh restoration was completed this year. This is a $225,00-$275,000 car. For more information, click here. And for more from Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale, click here.

Update: Sold $396,000.

Microcar Mondays, Pt I

Posted on December 10, 2012 by classiccarweekly

The Bruce Weiner Microcar Collection

Offered by RM Auctions | Madison, Georgia | February 15-16, 2013

1951 Atlas Babycar

Bruce Weiner, the undisputed king of microcars, is selling off most of the cars in his museum. That’s about 200 cars – all of them tiny, rare and really fun. There are, seemingly, about a hundred I want to feature but there’s no way will I have time – especially with all the fun in Arizona approaching in January. So, instead, every Monday (or at least, we’ll try to make it every Monday) we’ll feature about 10 cars from this one-of-a-kind collection.

First up is this 1951 Atlas Babycar. These were built in France from 1950 through 1952. It uses a 170cc single-cylinder making 8.5 horsepower (yeah, you better get ready for a lot of lawn-mower-esque power ratings). It will do 37 mph and it is one of two in the world. More info can be found here.

Update: Sold $60,375.

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1951 Kover CK 1

Another car of French origin, this Kover was actually made by the same company that produced the Atlas above. While its single-cylinder engine only displaces 125cc and only puts out 5.5 horsepower, it matches the Atlas’ speed of 37 mph. Only a few were made – and good luck fitting under that convertible top. More info can be found here.

Update: Sold $28,750.

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1954 Daus

This prototype was built by Otto Daus in Hamburg, Germany in 1954. Daus was the chief engineer for Tempo, the German three-wheeled truck manufacturer. This car uses a 197cc single-cylinder making 9.5 horsepower. It can do 46 mph and was never registered for the road in Germany when it was built and it never entered production. This is the only one. And you can read more about it here.

Update: Sold $32,200.

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1954 Mi-Val Tipo MO Mivalino

If this Italian Mivalino looks a lot like a Messerschmitt KR-175, that’s because, essentially, it is. Metalmeccanica Italiana Valtrompio S.p.A. – or Mi-Val for short – was an Italian motorcycle manufacturer and in late 1953 they decided to build their own version of the Messerschmitt. They imported parts from Germany and threw their own engine in it and called it an original.

About 100 were built between 1954 and 1956 and about eight survive, this being the most original and complete, having covered less than 200 kilometers in its life. It was originally owned by an Italian family who also owned the oldest Ford dealership in Rome. The engine is a 171cc single-cylinder making 9 horsepower. It’ll do 55 mph and you can read more here.

Update: Sold $83,375.

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1959 Velorex Oskar 54

The three-wheeled Velorex Oskar was built in Czechoslovakia (in the city of Hradec Králové, modern-day Czech Republic). Production ran from 1954 through 1971, which is kind of a long time for a little cloth-covered car like this. The engine is a Jawa-sourced 249cc two-stroke single-cylinder making nine horsepower. Top speed is 52 mph. You can read more here.

Update: Sold $12,650.

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1966 Peel Trident

The Peel Engineering Company is the only automobile manufacturer ever to be located on the Isle of Man. Unfortunately, that is still part of the U.K., so it won’t get its own section on our “Country of Origin” page. The Trident was the second car built by Peel and only about 45 were made, the last six of which used the 98cc one-cylinder engine making 6.5 horsepower. This is one of the last six built and has that engine. Horrifyingly, this car will do 46 mph. This example has spent most of its life in museums and is one of few extant. Read more here.

Update: Sold $103,500.

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1957 Jurisch Motoplan

You can kind of see it, but this car was actually built around a motorcycle sidecar. It was built by Carl Jurisch of Altdorf, Germany. From 1957 through 1959, he turned out three examples: one red and two blue. This is the only one known and it has a 173cc single-cylinder making 9.5 horsepower. Top speed is 54 mph. Read more here.

Update: Sold $103,500.

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1958 Zündapp Janus

So is it coming or going? Looking at the Zündapp Janus directly from the side makes it difficult to tell. The Janus was the only car Zündapp ever built, although they made plenty of motorcycles. In production for 1957 and 1958 only, 6,902 were made – a testament to the size and production capacity of Zündapp at the time. It’s one of the the muscle cars of the group featured today, making 14 horsepower from it’s 248cc single-cylinder. Top speed is 49 mph. Fun fact: the villain in the Pixar film Cars 2 is a Zündapp Janus. Only a few are left. Read more here.

Update: Sold $51,750.

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1964 Lightburn Zeta Sports

I think I could best describe this car as “pointy.” It’s very odd looking and it has no doors or opening panels of any kind. Easy to build, I would guess. Produced by Lightburn & Co Ltd of Camden, Australia, the car is sometimes referred to as a Zeta Sports, with Zeta being the marque. But not today. The engine is a somewhat large 494cc two-stroke twin making 20.5 horsepower. And it will do a serious 77 mph. This car was intended to be driven on the road with power and performance like that! Just take your insane pills before trying to do it. Only 28 were built and only 6 survive. Two of them are offered in this sale, the other a coupe. Learn more here.

Update: Sold $51,750.

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1955 Grataloup

Here’s a weird one. Built by a Frenchman, last name Grataloup, of spare parts he found. It’s kind of well put together, with the engine essentially under the driver’s seat, but exposed on the right side of the body. It’s a single-cylinder Villiers two-stroke of 247cc making 7.5 horsepower. It’s normal sized twin front wheels help it reach 52 mph. It’s the only one ever built and they aren’t even sure when it was built. The man just showed up with it one day at Citroen garage in France. Read more here and check out more of the collection here.

Update: Sold $34,500.

Lightburn Zeta

Posted on December 10, 2012 by classiccarweekly

1964 Lightburn Zeta Sports

Offered by RM Auctions | Madison, Georgia | February 15-16, 2013

Photo – RM Auctions

Update: Sold $51,750.

Velorex Oskar

Posted on December 10, 2012 by classiccarweekly

1959 Velorex Oskar 54

Offered by RM Auctions | Madison, Georgia | February 15-16, 2013

Photo – RM Auctions

The three-wheeled Velorex Oskar was built in Czechoslovakia (in the city of Hradec Králové, modern-day Czech Republic). Production ran from 1954 through 1971, which is kind of a long time for a little cloth-covered car like this. The engine is a Jawa-sourced 249cc two-stroke single-cylinder making nine horsepower. Top speed is 52 mph. You can read more here.

Update: Sold $12,650.