May 2016 Auction Highlights

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Before we jump into May, we again go back to January for Coys’ Grandes Marques sale held in Maastricht, Netherlands. We didn’t feature anything from this sale, but the top seller was this 1994 Porsche 911 Speedster for about $215,000. Click here for full results.

Photo - Coys

Photo – Coys

Actually in May, we have Brightwells whose sale included this 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series I 3.8 Semi-Lightweight Coupe that was the top seller at $161,705.

Photo - Brightwells

Photo – Brightwells

Our featured Donnet-Zedel failed to sell but you can check out full results here.

May means Monaco and the first sale we’re covering from Monaco is that of Bonhams. The top sale there – far and away – was this all-original 1953 Jaguar C-Type with Le Mans history. It brought $8,221,626.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

A previously featured Benetton F1 car sold for $1,200,618 after it no-sold a year and a half ago for less than a third of this price, proving that sometimes it’s better to hold on to it and wait. Our featured Bugatti Type 35 brought the same amount. The Ferrari 330 America justifiably brought more than its estimate at $489,382. All three other feature cars failed to sell: the Aston One-77, De Tomaso Vallelunga, and the Talbot-Lago. Full results can be found here.

Onward in Monaco to RM Sotheby’s. The top sale was our featured Ferrari 340 America (as the 275 NART Spyder didn’t meet its reserve) at $8,233,680. Other feature cars that didn’t sell included the Peugeot 205, Alfa 1900C, Ferrari 330 GTS, and a previously-featured March 711. The two cars from the Quattroroute Collection that we featured both sold and both seemed like bargains: the SCAT Torpedo brought $48,135 and the Hispano-Suiza $120,340. For most interesting, we’ll pick another “car” from that collection, this 1903 De Dion-Bouton chassis & engine that brought $50,668.

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

The Ferrari 275 GTS did sell – it went for $2,026,750. Click here for full results.

And the final highlight for this rundown are that of Silverstone Auctions and their May Sale. Our featured Armstrong-Siddeley Sapphire sold for $7,834. The top sale was this 1983 Lamborghini Countach 5000 S for $408,065. Click here for full results.

Photo - Silverstone Auctions

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

Devon GTX

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2009 Devon GTX

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 17-21, 2016

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

When a new supercar manufacturer springs up (and let’s be honest, it’s often), they design a wild, sporty ride and then, only afterwards, do they remember that they have to make it go. Sourcing engines for your homegrown sports car is the best option, as building your own probably isn’t too feasible. There are many Chevrolet, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, etc. powered cars. This one is Viper powered.

Scott Devon’s Devon Motorworks was active between 2008 and 2013. Introduced at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours, the GTX is powered by a front-mounted 8.4-liter V-10 from a Dodge Viper that makes 650 horsepower in this car (and with a carbon fiber body, it’s no slouch). One serious supercar credential this car boasts is that it has front-hinged McLaren F1-like gullwing doors.

Only two of these were ever made because Dodge ended production of the second-generation Viper, which was the basis for this car. That makes this a very rare, very American, supercar. Click here for more info and here for more from Mecum.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $150,000.

REO Royale

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1931 REO Royale Sport Victoria Coupe

Offered by Silverstone Auctions | Aarhus, Denmark | May 28-29, 2016

Photo - Silverstone Auctions

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

Ransom E. Olds left Oldsmobile in 1905 after only eight years at the helm. He immediately founded REO which would actually last until 1975, producing only trucks after WWII. In the 1930s, many high-end American car companies were producing big, beautiful cars. REO wasn’t really known as a high-end company, but they jumped into that market with the Royale in 1931.

The model would last through 1934 and was offered in different body styles. The 1931 Model 35 range could be had as a Sedan, Victoria or four-passenger Coupe. It is powered by a 5.9-liter straight-eight making 125 horsepower. It’s no slouch when compared to its rivals. In fact, its styling is on par or better than some of its rivals.

This car was actually sold new in Denmark and was at one point actually used by the King (though it was never owned by the Royal Family). The current owner acquired it in 1981 and set about on a five year restoration. It is said that this is one of four such cars in Europe and it should sell for between $90,000-$105,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold, listed for $92,500.

Lagonda Wagon

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1986 Aston Martin Lagonda Series 3 Shooting Brake

Offered by Bonhams | Newport Pagnell, U.K. | May 21, 2016

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Lagonda was (and is again) a marque of automobile that has long been associated with Aston Martin since it acquired the brand in 1947. But in the mid-1970s, Aston Martin introduced a sedan model named Lagonda. This famously-boxy body style was launched in 1976 as the Series 2 Lagonda.

The Series 2 was built between 1976 and 1985, the Series 3 was for 1986 and 1987 only, and the Series 4 lasted from 1987 through 1990. All three of the final series look essentially the same. The Series 3 different from the Series 2 mostly in that it had fuel injection. Only 75 Series 3 cars were built.

It is powered by a 280 horsepower 5.3-liter V-8. All Lagondas were produced as sedans, but there was an aftermarket “Shooting Brake” wagon built by Roos Engineering of Frauenkappelen, Switzerland. The conversion actually took place in the mid-1990s and was very expensive. This is a unique and highly identifiable car. It should bring between $290,000-$360,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Ferrari 348 Zagato

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1991 Ferrari 348 Zagato Elaborazione

Offered by Dragone Auctions | Greenwich, Connecticut | June 4, 2016

Photo - Dragone Auctions

Photo – Dragone Auctions

The Ferrari 348 is not the most beloved Ferrari. Not by a long shot, although people who know know that they are a lot of fun for not a lot of price (in terms of Ferraris). The 348 was introcued in 1989 and lasted through 1995 when it was replaced by the similar-in-style F355.

There were two different powertrain configurations: the TB/TS and the GTB/GTS. The car you see here actually started life as a 348 TB, therefore it is powered by a 3.4-liter V-8 making 300 horsepower. Top speed was 171 mph and 60 arrives in about 5.6 seconds.

In 1991 Zagato planned to build about 20 of these – but only eight were ever completed (they may have built another 3 or 4 in 1992… not sure). They restyled the front and rear of the car and added their signature Double Bubble roof. Nothing underneath the skin of the car was touched. It’s one of the rarest road-going Ferraris of the 1990s. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Aston Martin Concept Car

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1998 Aston Martin Project Vantage Concept Car

Offered by Bonhams | Newport Pagnell, England | May 21, 2016

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Does this look like an Aston Martin Vanquish to you? Well it’s not. The Vanquish didn’t go on sale until 2001 and this concept car is from 1998. It debuted at the 1998 North American International Auto Show in January of that year. It was designed by Ian Callum.

But this wasn’t just some fanciful pie-in-the-sky concept car. No, Aston Martin made sure it was a fully functional driver. It is powered by a 6.0-liter V-12 making 450 horsepower – which is essentially the engine that ended up in the Vanquish. It is the first Aston Martin built with a paddle shift gearbox.

This car is being sold by Aston Martin. It is not eligible to be registered for the road, but can be shown at events. Aston has only shown it once since the auto show. It’s a one-off, fully-functional concept car coming straight from the factory. It should bring between $130,000-$160,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $127,825.

April 2016 Auction Highlights, Pt. II

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We’re back with more from April, but first we have to backtrack significantly – back to January to recap Coys’ Autosport International Sale held in Birmingham. Our featured MG Metro failed to sell and the top sale was this 1974 Ferrari Dino 246 GT for approximately $330,000. Click here for full results.

Photo - Coys

Photo – Coys

Auctionata held a sale in Berlin in April and another Ferrari was the top seller. In this case it was an ex-Marc Gene & Vitaly Petrov 2006 Ferrari F430 GT3 for $118,500. Click here for complete results.

Photo - Auctionata

Photo – Auctionata

Next up, H&H Classics. Their sale at the Imperial War Museum had a Jaguar E-Type Competition car we featured that sold for an auction high of about $1,227,250. “Most Interesting” goes to this 1929 Vauxhall 20/60 Tourer for $41,725. Complete results can be found here.

Photo - H&H Classics

Photo – H&H Classics

Now we move to Houston, where Worldwide Auctioneers held their Houston Classic auction. One of our feature cars, the Ghia 450 SS, brought $151,250. The 540K Cabriolet B brought significantly more at $836,000. Complete results, including the top seller, a $1,375,000 1967 Shelby Cobra 427, can be found here.

And finally, Auctions America’s Auburn Spring sale. We featured a number of cars but not the top seller, which was this 1968 Ferrari 365 GT 2+2 that sold for $247,500.

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

All four of our feature cars went for well below their estimates. The top seller was the Brush for $9,900. Then came the Rockne for $9,625 followed by the Overland at $7,975 and the Flanders at $6,600. All of them were extremely well-bought. Check out complete results here.

Sapphire 346

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1955 Armstrong-Siddeley Sapphire 346

Offered by Silverstone Auctions | Silverstone, England | May 20, 2016

Photo - Silverstone Auctions

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

The history of Armstrong-Siddeley begins with the production of the short-lived Armstrong in 1902. From 1904, the cars were known as Armstrong-Whitworth and in 1919, they bought Siddeley-Deasy and started building cars as Armstrong-Siddeley. Production lasted through 1960 when the company merged again and focused on its other specialty: aircraft engines.

The Sapphire was actually a line of cars built between 1952 and 1960. There were different lines and the 346 was offered in sedan or limousine form between 1953 and 1958. The engine is a 3.4-liter straight-six making 125 horsepower –  or 150 with twin Strombergs on it. Top speed was a solid 95 mph.

The production total for this model was 7,697. This example is very nice and was brought back to the U.K. from Romania. It hasn’t been used a lot recently, so it could take a little love to get it back and road ready. You can read more here and see more from this sale here.

Update: Sold $7,834.

GS Stage 1 Convertible

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1970 Buick GS Stage 1 Convertible

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 17-21, 2016

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

The GS – or Grand Sport – began life as an option package on the Buick Skylark in 1965. It was essentially an engine upgrade and it became its own model in 1967 as the GS. In 1973, once the muscle car era had abruptly ended, the name was lengthened to Grand Sport.

The “Stage 1” was the king engine for the GS line and it was introduced in 1969. The 455 Stage 1 is a 7.5-liter V-8 rated at 360 horsepower and an awesome 510 lb-ft of torque. These cars were well-equipped from the factory with just about every bit of GM know-how built into them. That said, this is a relatively low-option car, as it was outfitted for performance and not necessarily luxury.

This car was restored just prior to 2011 and is one of only 67 4-speed Stage 1 Convertibles built in 1970. Only 19 are known to still exist, with this being the lowest-option model thought to have been built. It’s the biggest, baddest Buick of the muscle car era and it should bring between $200,000-$250,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Mecum in Indy.

Update: Sold $185,000.

Vantage V600

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2000 Aston Martin Vantage V600 Le Mans Coupe

Offered by Bonhams | Newport Pagnell, England | May 21, 2016

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Here is a massively powerful Aston Martin that was never sold in America. Aston had a spotty export record through most of the 1990s, until Ford bought them and started shipping the DB7 stateside. They never bothered with this, as it was very low production.

This car is part of a line of cars that started in 1989 with the Virage coupe. The Vantage was introduced in 1993 and built in very limited numbers through 2000. Almost all were coupes (all but nine that is). The base Vantage came with 550 horsepower. The V600 was powered by the same 5.3-liter supercharged V-8 but instead of 550, it made a monstrous 604 horsepower. Top speed was reported to be 200 mph. It’s a legitimate supercar.

Only 40 Le Mans versions of the Vantage were built and it could be had in base or V600 form. Thirty of them were to V600 specification. This is one of the most powerful and intense cars Aston Martin has ever built and, as an example of this generation Vantage, is one of the last hand-built Newport Pagnell Astons before Ford’s economies of scale production took over. It should sell for between $470,000-$610,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $654,859.