Autozam AZ-1

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1992 Autozam AZ-1

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | July 6-9, 2023

Photo – Mecum

Autozam was a marque produced by Mazda that offered a half-dozen or so cars over its brief lifespan of 1989 through 1998. The most famous of which, and the only one that wasn’t really a re-badged Mazda or Suzuki, was this, the AZ-1.

Sure, Suzuki would go on to sell their own version later, but the AZ-1 gets all the glory here. This is a small car. Like very small. It has a mid-engine layout, with the turbocharged 657cc inline-three located behind the passenger compartment, which is accessed via gullwing doors. Output was about 63 horsepower.

Just 4,392 examples of the AZ-1 were produced between late 1992 and late 1994. These were only sold in Japan, but have become popular imports now that they’re legal to bring into the U.S. Click here for more info about this one.

Update: Sold $18,700.

Spyker C8 Aileron

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2009 Spyker C8 Aileron

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

Photo – Artcurial

The C8 was Spyker’s big product during its low-volume production run that lasted from roughly 2000 through about 2016. The so-called “second generation” of the model launched with the C8 Aileron at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show.

The Aileron featured the same 4.2-liter Audi V8 as previous C8s, still rated at about 400 horsepower. The styling was the big update, with longer and lower bodywork. It also had an optional automatic transmission, which this car has.

Only 17 Ailerons were built. Regular “first gen” C8s are relatively easy to come by when compared to this, which is from an era of supercar manufacture where actual figures are hard to come by. It’s kind of exciting to see one up for sale, even with an estimate of $400,000-$485,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $495,740.

Maserati Indy

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1970 Maserati Indy 4200

Offered by H&H Classics | Duxford, U.K. | June 14, 2023

Photo – H&H Classics

The Indy was an interesting Maserati. It was the first production car launched by the company under Citroen ownership, and it also was a fairly popular model, with just over 1,100 produced between 1969 and 1975.

The car was styled by Vignale, and this car is powered by a 4.2-liter V8 that made 260 horsepower. Later they would offer 4.7- and 4.9-liter V8s. Of the total, 440 of them were 4200 models, which was the most of the bunch.

This example spent time in South Africa and the U.K. For an Italian GT car from the 1960s/70s, the Indy has never really taken off, price-wise. The estimate here is $47,000-$56,000, which is a fraction of its Maserati contemporaries. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.

Giulietta SVZ

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1957 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce Zagato

Offered by Mecum | Monterey, California | August 17-19, 2023

Photo – Mecum

The Tipo 750 and 101 Giulietta was produced by Alfa Romeo between 1954 and 1965. The Giulietta SZ was a Zagato-bodied competition car, and later Zagato rebodied a Sprint Veloce (while the SZ was just based on the Sprint). The Sprint Veloce Zagato (SVZ) appeared in late 1956.

Just 18 would end up being produced, all powered by a 1.3-liter inline-four that was rated at around 116 horsepower. This car was originally sold in Italy, and the first owner wanted a double-bubble Zagato body, which Zagato went ahead and built for him.

The aluminum coachwork on this car is said to be the only SVZ re-bodied in this fashion. It’s eligible for historic runs of the Mille Miglia and has an estimate of $150,000-$250,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $115,500.

Graber-Bodied TC 21/100

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1955 Alvis TC 21/100 Coupe by Graber

Offered by Bonhams | Cheserex, Switzerland | June 18, 2023

Photo – Bonhams

Another Thursday, another Graber-bodied Alvis. Some of the Graber-bodied cars from Alvis looked pretty much like their factory counterparts. But this car is a far cry from the stock and stodgy TC 21/100 “Grey Lady.” The TC 21 went on sale in 1953. The TC 21/100 was introduced in October of that year.

It featured an updated exhaust system and and an increased compression ratio over the initial model. The engine was a 3.0-liter inline-six that made 100 horsepower initially, but with the changes, the updated model could hit 100 mph.

Only 11 TC 21/100s were bodied by Graber (only five of them were coupes), and this one was sold new in Switzerland. It was restored in the last few years and has an estimate of $90,000-$110,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $104,814.

1917 Rauch & Lang

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1917 Rauch & Lang BX7 Brougham

Offered by Bring a Trailer Auctions | June 2023

Photo – Bring a Trailer Auctions

Rauch & Lang merged with Baker Electric in 1915, with the latter brand eventually phased out. Rauch & Lang would continue to solider on with electric cars for about another 10 years. In 1917, they still looked like this. Which was like a rolling billboard that said “this car is an electric car.” Nowadays, they try to make them look different from gasoline-powered cars while looking largely the same. Not so 100 years ago.

There’s the obvious lack of a grille and radiator. And the interior is really what gives it away. The driver sits on a bench seat at the back of the… well, room. While they face the front windshield, they are also staring at their passengers, who are seated on swiveling chairs. Imagine driving this around with your small kids. Nightmare.

The car features 12 six-volt batteries and an electric motor. Top speed is school-zone-esque, and stiller is via a tiller. This is the type of big old electric car that bounds across stages at places like Pebble Beach. You can read more about it here.

Update: Sold $165,000.

Lotus Europa S

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2008 Lotus Europa S

Offered by H&H Classics | Duxford, U.K. | June 14, 2023

Photo – H&H Classics

The original Lotus Europa was a mid-engined GT car from the 1960s and ’70s. Lotus revived the name for a two-seat coupe in 2006. It was sort of a replacement for the Esprit, but was not sold in the U.S. Think of it as a more friendly Elise that bridged the time gap between the Esprit and the Evora.

Power is from a turbocharged 2.0-liter GM inline-four that made 197 horsepower. Mounted behind the passenger compartment, the engine was paired with a six-speed manual gearbox. The base car was the Europa S. An SE trim was also offered, and this one was so backdated by the factory. That added a revised turbo and other engine tweaks that boosted output to 222 horsepower.

Between 2006 and 2010, just 458 examples of the Europa S were produced. This right-hand-drive example has almost 23,000 miles and has a presale estimate of $30,000-$35,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $31,823.

Chiron

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2020 Bugatti Chiron

Offered by Bonhams | Cheserex, Switzerland | June 18, 2023

Photo – Bonhams

The Chiron is the last of its kind: the full-on factory effort for speed provided by a fossil fuel-burning monster of an engine. Production of the Chiron lasted from 2016 through 2022 across a number of sub-models and is said to be the last hurrah for Bugatti’s insane quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter W16 engine.

That engine, in the base Chiron, produced 1,479 horsepower. It could hit 60 in 2.4 second and topped out at 261 mph, which is actually governed “due to current tire technology.” That’s kind of odd, as later Chirons could hit 300 mph.

This car was spec’d at the factory by its owner in two-tone Atlantic Blue and French Racing Blue. It is one of 500 Chirons produced. Perhaps the most interesting thing here is that Bonhams chooses to claim that the car has never been driven in the rain. How do you prove that? The estimate is $2,750,000-$3,300,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold, but Bonhams is nefariously hiding the price.

Porsche 910

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1967 Porsche 910

Offered by Bring a Trailer Auctions | June 2023

Photo – Bring a Trailer Auctions

If only Porsche went in order with their model name/numbering scheme. That would make the 911 the follow up to this, the 910. Imagine what a street-legal follow up to this car would’ve looked like. Instead, they are entirely unrelated.

The 910 was an evolution of the earlier 906 and for some reason slotted in between the 906 and 907 in terms of P-car prototype racers. The 910 was produced in 1966 and 1967. Just 27 were built, and this one was never raced under the Porsche works factory banner. It was used as an R&D car before being sold into private hands and later raced, including at the:

  • 1973 24 Hours of Daytona – 38th, DNF (with Ed Abate and Bill Cuddy)

It is powered by a 2.0-liter flat-six that made around 200 horsepower. At one point during its life it had a 2.2-liter flat-eight installed that made closer to 300 horsepower. That engine, which is extremely rare and valuable on its own, is included in this sale. This car was recently repainted and was previously used on European tours (so there’s a hope of getting it road registered). You can read more about it here.

Update: Sold $2,500,000.

Alvis TD 21 by Graber

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1959 Alvis TD 21 Coupe by Graber

Offered by Oldtimer Galerie Toffen | Lucerne, Switzerland | June 3, 2023

Photo – Oldtimer Galerie Toffen

Alvis’s TD 21 was produced after their TC 108G and before their TE 21. Sold between 1958 and 1963, the TD 21 was split between two series, with this example being one of 784 cars produced in the Series I range between 1958 and 1961.

“Factory” body styles were actually produced by Park Ward and were styled as a four-seat coupe our a four-seat drophead coupe (convertible). Except when they weren’t. Graber, a Swiss coachbuilder, bodied about 50 examples of the TD 21 (along with other Alvises).

This one received coupe coachwork by Graber, and it was restored around 2011. Power is provided by a 3.0-liter inline-six that made 115 horsepower when new. The cars were capable of just over 100 mph. This one has an estimate of $115,000-$125,000. Click here for more info.