1906 Tourist

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1906 Tourist Model K Touring

Offered by Mecum | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | July 26-29, 2023

Photo – Mecum

Tourist is a rare example of a California-based car company and was a product of the generically named Auto Vehicle Company of Los Angeles. It existed from 1902 to 1910. When the funding ran out, the Auto Vehicle Company reverted to being a dealership for Firestone-Columbus, Warren-Detroit, and Columbus Electric cars, while their factory and tooling was sold off to make the Beardsley electric car.

A range of models were offered by Tourist, including trucks. In 1906, when the company was making about 500 cars a year, they offered the Model K and the four-cylinder Model M, both in five-passenger touring car form only. The Model K is powered by a 3.2-liter flat-twin making about 20 horsepower.

This restored example was part of a collection and is one of but a few of Tourist cars remaining. You can read more about it here.

Update: Sold $27,500.

BMW 329

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1937 BMW 329 Cabriolet by Reutter

Offered by Dorotheum | Vosendorf, Austria | July 1, 2023

Photo – Dorotheum

The BMW 303 was an early model by the manufacturer, sold between 1933 and 1934. It was a six-cylinder sedan and was joined by a whole range of models with similar running gear.

The 319 was one such model, available in 1935 and 1936 with a 1.9-liter version of the 303’s inline-six. In early 1937, the 329 replaced the 319 and used the same 45-horsepower six. The big difference was that the 329 used the front end from the BMW 326 (which looked like the 328).

The 329 was only available as a two- or four-seat cabriolet and only for one year, with this car being bodied by Reutter. This two-seater is one of 42 produced. It now has an estimate of $87,000-$120,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.

Update: Sold, Dorotheum October 2023, $61,162.

Nissan R90CK

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1990 Nissan R90CK

Offered by Artcurial | Le Mans, France | June 30, 2023

Photo – Artcurial

Nissan’s Group C program gave us some pretty spectacular prototype race cars. Especially those in their red, white, and blue livery. The R90C was their car for the 1990 World Sportscar Championship season, and there were a few subvariants.

This is an R90CK, which featured a low nose and two massive inlets up near the base of the cockpit. It’s powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V8 that could produce up to 1,000 horsepower in qualifying trim. This chassis is the last of 13 R90C cars built and is one of six of the R90CK variety. The race history for this chassis, #07, includes various races in the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship in addition to the:

  • 1992 24 Hours of Daytona – 8th (with Volkert Weidler, Mauro Martini, and Jeff Krosnoff)
  • 1993 1,0000km Suzuka – 2nd (with Martini and Heinz-Harald Frentzen)

For that last one, the car had been upgraded to R93 specification, but afterward Group C was pretty much done. The car was put away for about a decade before being purchased by someone looking to race it in historic events. It now has an estimate of $550,000-$875,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $587,060.

Chenard et Walcker Aiglon

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1932 Chenard et Walcker Aiglon Convertible

Offered by Aguttes | Paris, France | June 25, 2023

Photo – Aguttes

This is an appropriate post, as it is being written a day after the conclusion of the 100-year anniversary of the first 24 Hours of Le Mans – which was won by a Chenard et Walcker. The French company existed from the late 1800s until 1946.

Their Aigle and Aiglon models were produced in the 1930s. In 1932, the company offered four models: two Aigles and two Aiglons, with the latter being offered in 8CV and 10CV models. No clue which one this is, but it’s powered by an inline-four engine.

This car has at least been cosmetically restored. It looks very much the part of a 1930s French Chrysler, though, as with all French cars of the era, is likely smaller than any potential American counterpart. Described by the catalog as “easy and interesting,” the car carries a pre-sale estimate of $13,000-$19,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.

Renault 8 Gordini

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1969 Renault 8 Gordini 1300

Offered by Artcurial | Le Mans, France | June 20, 2023

Photo – Artcurial

The Renault 8 was the successor to the Dauphine and was produced exclusively as a four-door sedan. The base car was not super powerful, but when the Gordini-tweaked variant went on sale in 1964, two years after the initial 8 launch, things got a little spicier.

Gordini cars initially got a 1.1-liter inline-four that resulted in a power bump over the stock car. Later Gordinis also could be had with a 1.3-liter unit that made about 89 horsepower – roughly double the stock 8.

These were fun rear-engined sports sedans. This one competed in the Gordini Cup in 1969 and later resided in the Renault Classic Collection. It’s a relatively low-mile, real-deal Gordini with recent historic event activity. The estimate is $43,000-$65,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $83,493.

Unic L2 Truck

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1924 Unic L2 Boulangère

Offered by Aguttes | Paris, France | June 25, 2023

Photo – Aguttes

French manufacturer Unic set up shop in 1905 and continued producing passenger cars through 1938. They produced military vehicles during WWII and concentrated on trucks after the war, soldiering on independently until Fiat took them over in 1966. The brand was phased out after being merged into Iveco in 1975.

But this L2 from 1924 proves that Unic had a hold on commercial vehicles well before the end of WWII. It’s powered by an inline-four of unknown displacement but apparently rated at 10 (presumably taxable) horsepower.

The body style is listed as Boulangère, which is kind of a French huckster wagon. The driver’s compartment is quite nice, and the wagon has a fold-down tailgate for the cargo area, a solid roof, and roll-up side curtains. The estimate here is $10,000-$16,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $15,889.

Fiat 600 Jungla

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1966 Fiat 600 Jungla

Offered by Artcurial | Le Mans, France | June 20, 2023

Photo – Artcurial

The standard Fiat 600 looked nothing like this. It looked like a Fiat 500. And the Multipla version looked like a minivan microcar. This Jeep-like thing used bits from the standard 600 and Multipla, but it isn’t just a re-bodied 600.

The Jungla was conceived as an Italian military Jeep that could be dropped out of cargo aircraft. Most of the running gear was lifted from the 600, including the 633cc inline-four. It was repainted red at some point in the past was was put into a collection in 2019.

Only about 600 examples of the Jungla were produced, and they remain fairly uncommon. This one has an estimate of $21,000-$32,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Withdrawn.

Rosengart LR62

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1932 Rosengart LR62 Roadster

Offered by Aguttes | Paris, France | June 25, 2023

Photo – Aguttes

The initial Rosengarts were produced by Lucien Rosengart’s company in France in 1927. They were copies of the Austin Seven, produced under license. Eventually the company would move on to cars of its own design before fading away shortly after 1950.

The LR6 was a six-cylinder evolution of the original Seven-based LR2. The sub-model LR62 was produced between 1932 and 1935. The inline-six is of unknown displacement, and power output is… probably nothing to write home about.

Rosengarts are pretty rare, with non-LR2 models being very rare. This car, which is probably a lot smaller than it looks, does look quite nice. It has an estimate of $13,000-$19,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $15,889.

Alfa 6C 1500

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1928 Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 Spider

Offered by Artcurial | Le Mans, France | June 30, 2023

Photo – Artcurial

The 1500 variant of the Alfa Romeo 6C was the first, and it was a car that would launch a dynasty of pre- (and post)-war sporting machines. Introduced in 1927, it would be available in five forms of tune (from Normale up to Super Sport Testa Fissa) through 1929, with outputs ranging from 44 horsepower to 84.

This car is powered by an example of Vittorio Jano’s 1.5-liter inline-six that made 44 horsepower. The bodywork here isn’t original but is of the type that this car could’ve had back in the day.

Speaking of back in the day, this car was sold new in Argentina and was eventually acquired by Pur Sang – the Bugatti replica maker who split the body from the chassis. It’s been re-assembled and is ready to run. The estimate is $235,000-$280,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Withdrawn.

Panhard X87 Dyna Junior

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1954 Panhard Dyna Junior X87

Offered by Aguttes | Champerret, France | June 25, 2023

Photo – Aguttes

Struggling Panhard decided that a great way to save their business was to launch a sports car. And then they decided to put a two-cylinder engine in their sports car. No wonder it didn’t work out for them.

Based on the Dyna X sedan, the Dyna Junior was offered in X86 and X87 form, the difference between them being the version of the Dyna X chassis they used. Later cars used the X87 chassis. This one is powered by a 851cc flat-twin rated at 41 horsepower.

This drop-top cabriolet version is a project in the midst of a restoration. Of all types, about 4,700 examples of the Dyna Junior were produced between 1952 and 1956. The pre-sale estimate here is $13,000-$19,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.