Countach Periscopio

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1975 Lamborghini Countach LP400

Offered by Artcurial | Le Mans, France | July 7, 2018

Photo – Artcurial

The Countach was the second, what we’ll call, “Mega-Lamborghini.” Originally there was the Miura, the first mid-engined supercar. There were other V-8 and V-12-powered cars in between but they weren’t outrageous. And if there’s one thing that Lamborghini does well, it’s being outrageous.

Originally penned by Marcello Gandini at Bertone, the Countach went on sale in 1974. The LP400 (LP, for the longitudinal mounting of the engine) was powered by a 375 horsepower, 3.9-liter V-12. Top speed was 167 mph. The LP400 was the first model and there would be a few others, as production rambled on through 1990. Lamborghini as a corporate entity changed hands a few times during the Countach’s production run so it was a car made with many “cooks in the kitchen,” if you will.

The other thing that changed between 1974 and 1990 was the preferred styling by customers. The Countach was sort of the torch-bearer for this as they got boxier and boxier with time. But this cool, sleek, original design is really the best-looking of the bunch.

This example was purchased new by a Saudi Prince and by the 1990s it made its way to Italy. An extensive restoration by the third owner followed, with a repaint in the original Giallo Fly. It’s traveled less than 6,000 km since the end of the restoration. Lambo only built 158 examples of the LP400, making it the second rarest variant of the Countach (after the LP400 S). It should sell for between $1,050,000-$1,160,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Artucurial.

Update: Sold $1,141,049.

Marendaz Sports

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1936 Marendaz Special 13/70HP Sports Tourer

Offered by Bonhams | Chichester, U.K. | July 13, 2018

Photo – Bonhams

Bonhams has assembled quite the lineup for their Goodwood Festival of Speed sale. There’s an Aston DB4GT, a DB4GT Zagato, a Blower Bentley, and much, much more. But, to us, this is the most exciting car of the sale. Marendaz existed in England for 10 years: 1926 to 1936. In that time they turned out precious few cars and they are sporty.

This car, the 13/70, was available from 1932 through 1934. It’s powered by a 2.4-liter Continental straight-six rated at 70 horsepower. The factory used this engine but slimmed it down when new to 1.9-liters for tax purposes. So this car has the “correct” engine, but just not in the same specification it would’ve had when new. It’s got open four-seat coachwork with exhaust reminiscent of a Mercedes Type S.

Despite offering nearly 15 different models over the course of the short decade that Donald Marcus Kelway Marendaz’s company existed, they managed to only build between 80 and 120 cars in total. They’re sporty, very rare, and the entire history reminds one of manufacturers like Arab, Squire, and Alta. It’s an interesting old sports car for sure and the price should fall in the $93,000-$110,000 range. You can read more here and see more from Bonhams here.

Update: Not sold.

Update: Sold, Bonhams Beaulieu 2018, $111,710.

Alpine GTA V6

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1991 Renault Alpine GTA V6 Turbo Le Mans

Offered by Historics at Brooklands | July 7, 2018

Photo – Historics at Brooklands

Alpine was a car company founded in 1955 by Jean Rédélé. They built rear-engined sports cars, like the A110, and were closely linked to Renault for much of their early history. So closely linked, in fact, that Renault bought Alpine outright in 1973.

The GTA above replaced the Alpine A310 in 1985. This was the first car branded as a Renault (though this car’s successor would revert to just “Alpine”). The Renault Alpine GTA was offered in a few different variations between 1985 and 1991.

Still rear-engined, this GTA “Le Mans” Turbo uses a 2.5-liter turbo V-6 making 200 horsepower. The sprint to 60 mph took 6.7 seconds and top speed was 150 mph. The Le Mans model was introduced in 1990 and 325 were made over the course of about a year. These are rare, pretty cool, and definitely eye-catching cars. This one should bring between $25,000-$35,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $44,738.

June 2018 Auction Highlights, Pt. II

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Bonhams held back to back sales the first weekend of June. In addition to their Aston Martin sale, they also had their sale at the Greenwich Concours. While the 1907 Thomas-Detroit we featured was an incredible bargain at $61,600, the top seller was this slightly more expensive 1965 Aston Martin DB5 Convertible for $1,450,000.

Photo – Bonhams

The National Model 50 we featured brought $147,840. Both cars from Carroll Shelby’s personal collection that we featured sold, with the Ram Prototype bringing $33,040 and the V-8 Can-Am $100,800. The Panhard and Lozier both failed to sell. Click here for complete results.

Next up, we have the second of Osenat’s June sales. This was a more traditional sale. The Matra we featured sold for $24,462 and the top sale was $322,023 for this 1930 Bugatti Type 49 Roadster (it’s kind of an assembled car so the year is sort of a guess). More results can be found here.

Photo – Osenat

Onward to Barrett-Jackson’s Northeast sale. The top sale here was a charity combo lot: $1,000,000 for the last production Viper and Challenger Demon.

Photo – Barrett-Jackson

Meanwhile, back in Reality Land, the Whippet we featured sold for $13,970 and the Model T-based Mercury Speedster $24,200. Click here for complete results.

On the complete other side of the country we’ve got Mecum in Portland, Oregon. Shockingly, this Mecum sale saw a 2005 Ford GT take top sale honors, this one bringing $214,500.

Photo – Mecum

The Gardner Radio Special we featured failed to sell. Click here for more results from Portland.

And now Brightwells’ Bicester Classic & Vintage sale. The Bitter SC we featured failed to meet its reserve and the Buckler was withdrawn. The top sale was this 1935 Riley Amilcar Special that brought $175,581. Click here for complete results.

Photo – Brightwells

DB4GT

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1960 Aston Martin DB4GT

Offered by Bonhams | Chichester, U.K. | July 13, 2018

Photo – Bonhams

The Aston Martin DB4 was already the best-looking Aston to date when it arrived on the scene in 1958 (and possibly remains as such), but when they turned it into a lightweight factory special, it looked both pretty and mean. That’s without mention of the ultra-high dollar DB4GT Zagato (of which Bonhams also has one at this same sale).

The high performance DB4GT went on sale in late 1959. We’ve featured the original factory prototype, but what we have here is one of the most successfully campaigned classic British race cars on the market. So what differentiates this from the normal DB4? Well it’s a few inches shorter, for one. Alloy bits were applied everywhere from the doors, hood, and even some suspension parts.

With lightweight cylinder heads and high compression pistons, the 3.7-liter straight-six made 302 horsepower. This particular car was fitted with an Aston-built 4.2-liter racing engine about 15 years ago. The original engine comes with the car, but for competition purposes its safer to use a reproduction (albeit a correct, factory-built one).

Road registered when new, this car competed in some hillclimbs and circuit events, acquiring damage from two separate accidents in the process. The factory completed all repairs. With known ownership history from new, this car comes with an extensive file of its successes on the historic racing circuit. Only 75 DB4GTs were built (with another 19 Zagato-bodied versions and the lone Bertone Jet). This very usable example should bring between $3,100,000-$3,300,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Bristol Blenheim 3

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2000 Bristol Blenheim 3

Offered by Coys | Woodstock, U.K. | June 30, 2018

Photo – Coys

The Bristol 411 was produced from 1969 through 1976 when it was replaced by the 603. The 603 was a pretty big departure, styling-wise from earlier models. It was more modern and less “classically British.” Somehow Bristol managed to continue building the 603 from 1976 through 2011, which is pretty incredible.

After a few different name changes as the model was refined, the Blenheim name was introduced in 1995. It would be produced in three different series until 2011. The Blenheim 3, as we have here, first went on sale in 2000. It featured an upgraded interior and different tail lights. Oh yeah, and the engine got an upgrade. It’s got a 360 horsepower, 5.9-liter Chrysler V-8.

Bristol is one of the most secretive automotive marques in the world. They didn’t even officially publish a horsepower figure. With such exclusive clientele, they certainly won’t tell us how many examples of the Blenheim (of any sort) have been made. This 51,000 mile example should bring between $60,000-$65,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Coys’ lineup.

Lambo 400 GT 2+2

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1966 Lamborghini 400 GT 2+2

Offered by Artcurial | Le Mans, France | July 7, 2018

Photo – Artcurial

The first Lamborghini road car was the 350 GT grant tourer. Ferruccio’s followup was the improved 400 GT. The first 400 GTs were just 350 GTs with a bigger engine. Introduced later in 1966, the 400 GT 2+2 featured slight styling changes (thanks to Carrozzeria Touring) as well as the bigger engine.

That bigger engine is a 4.0-liter V-12 making 320 horsepower. This is also a true 2+2 with two seats in the back. Part of the aforementioned styling tweaks include a longer roofline that increased greenhouse space within the car, allowing for a human to sit in the back. This car also featured a Lamborghini-designed transmission.

Built only between 1966 and 1968, the 400 GT was still constructed in very limited numbers. Only 248 were built, with just 224 of those being the restyled 2+2 model. Wearing silver paint when sold new in Switzerland, this car is thought to still sport its original interior (even though its exterior has been repainted). It should sell for between $400,000-$525,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $500,948.

The Last Bugatti Super Sport

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2012 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport

Offered by Bonhams | Chichester, U.K. | July 13, 2018

Photo – Bonhams

The Bugatti Veyron was a whole new kind of car. Unlike anything before it, the pure power and speed this car is capable of rewrote the rules of hypercardom (that’s now a word). It was a 1,000 horsepower brute capable of 253 mph.

But after five years of production, those stats started to seem kind of pedestrian. So Bugatti pumped it up and out came this, the Super Sport. Built between 2010 and 2012, it was the ultimate hardtop Veyron (the topless twin was the Grand Sport Vitesse). This monster features a 1,200 horsepower version of the 8.0-liter, quad-turbocharged W-16 engine. Though capable of 267 mph, Grand Sports were electronically limited by the factory to a mere 258 mph to keep the tires from coming apart.

This car is the last of 30 Super Sports built (the Grand Sport Vitesse would soldier on through 2015). Painted in matte black, this one-owner car has covered only 550 km since new – making it practically a brand new car. It will only go up in value with time and should command between $2,300,000-$2,400,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $2,691,410.

Sovam 1100 VS

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1966 Sovam 1100 VS

Offered by Artcurial | Le Mans, France | July 7, 2018

Photo – Artcurial

Sovam was founded in 1930 by André Morin to produce mobile kiosks on the backs of small trucks. What a niche business. Eventually that company was spun off and they focused on other things. In 1965, they decided to build sports cars. It was a short-lived endeavor, lasting only through 1968 when the company pivoted to building small airport vehicles and moving walkways. What a weird history.

Three different Sovam models were produced with the 1100 VS being the sort of “middle model.” It’s powered by a 1.1-liter Renault straight-four making 62 horsepower. That chassis was also from Renault – coming from their 4 model. The body is fiber-reinforced plastic and reminds me of an elongated version of the Mini Marcos we featured a few weeks ago.

Only 77 examples of the 1100 VS were built and the current owner of this car acquired it in 2004. When restored, the original 1.1-liter engine was swapped out for a 1.4-liter unit. This one should bring between $9,000-$14,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Artcurial.

Update: Sold $13,915.

June 2018 Auction Results

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Bonhams leads off our June results rundown with their Aston Martin sale, held in Reading, England, this year. The top sale was this 1965 Aston Martin DB5 Convertible for $1,179,543.

Photo – Bonhams

Another convertible, the DB MK III we featured, sold for $523,694. Click here for more results.

Next up, H&H Classics at the Motor Sport Hall of Fame. The overall top sale was this 1960 Bentley S2 Continental Drophead Coupe that brought $146,421. The GSM Delta we featured failed to meet its reserve. Click here for complete results.

Photo – H&H Classics

Onward to Mecum in Denver. The VW Samba Bus was the third top seller, bringing $118,250. The #1 sale was this resto-mod 1970 Plymouth Barracuda Convertible (in Plum Crazy!) for $181,500.

Photo – Mecum

The Asquith Shetland brought $13,200. Click here for more results.

Osenat held back-to-back sales, one of which appeared to be a collection of old cars recently pulled out of a large warehouse. There was some interesting stuff here and the largest sale was this 1931 Renault Type TG1 Nervastella Sport Sedan by Million-Guiet. It went for $148,031. Click here for more results.

Photo – Osenat

Finally, Brightwells’ Modern Classics sale. We didn’t feature anything, but this 2012 Mercedes-Benz SL350 was the top sale at $25,209. Click here for all of the results.

Photo – Brightwells