1901 Durkopp

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1901 Durkopp 7HP Rear-Entrance Tonneau

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 1, 2023

Photo – Bonhams

Durkopp was one of at least a few automobile companies to have got their start with sewing machines or the like. They built their first car in 1898, and just three years later this rolled out. This is thought to be one of two 1901 automobiles from the marque to survive.

It’s powered by a seven-horsepower inline-twin. The rear-entrance tonneau body style was a popular one in this time, and something you’ll find a fair share of at events like the London-to-Brighton run, of which this car is an alumnus.

This car has been in museums and private collections for quite a while, having spent the last 21 years under its current ownership. It now has a pre-sale estimate of $160,000-$195,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold, but, Bonhams has LAMELY withheld the result.

Vanvooren-Bodied Delage

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1938 Delage D8-120 Cabriolet by Vanvooren

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | February 3, 2023

Photo – Artcurial

The D8 was Delage’s masterpiece. It was available in various forms, but the D8-120s seem to always have the most beautiful coachwork. The D8-120 was available from 1937 through 1940 and was the ultimate iteration of the D8.

Power is provided by 4.7-liter inline-eight rated at 115 horsepower. French coachbuilder Vanvooren built the body here, and it seats five. It was restored around the 1980s in a pretty excellent two-ton cream and brown. Check out the artillery-style wheels: the fronts are cream and the rears are brown.

This coachbuilt Delage is expected to fetch between $705,000-$920,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.

Maserati 4CM

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1937 Maserati 4CM

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 2, 2023

Photo – Bonhams

Maserati has been around since the mid-1920s, but not many of their early cars survive. Most of that has to do with the fact that not many were built, because they were all low-production racing cars.

The 4CM was an open-wheel Grand Prix car produced between 1932 and 1938. It was the Maserati Brothers’ first light racing car, powered by a supercharged 1.1-liter inline-four that was good for 125 horsepower and 130 mph. This particular car was one of the last of the model built. It was purchased new by driver Johnny Lurani, and it’s competition history includes:

  • 1938 Tripoli Grand Prix – 3rd (supposedly) (with Johnny Lurani)
  • 1938 Targa Florio – DNF (with Lurani)

It was first restored in the 1960s and, after, was shown at a Swiss classic car show before being hung on a wall for 38 years. It was returned to usable condition in 2017 and was on track at the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix historics. It has an estimate of $1,200,000-$1,500,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $880,507.

Rosengart Supertraction Cabriolet

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1939 Rosengart LR539 Supertraction Cabriolet

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | February 3, 2023

Photo – Artcurial

The first Rosengarts were Austin Sevens built under license in France. Later on, the company expanded its range with models of its own design. They partnered with Adler to explore front-wheel-drive layouts in the early 1930s, and their development of this layout led to the car you see here.

Called the Supertraction, the LR539 model launched at the 1938 Paris Motor Show and used Citroen Traction Avant mechanicals. The stock coupe and cabriolet bodies were much more stylish than those of the Citroen, however. The engine is a 1.9-liter inline-four that made about 50 horsepower.

This one was discovered in 1976 and was later parked in the 1980s. It’s not current running, but is a very rare example of the model, which was produced for just over a year before the war shuttered production. This sale has two of these in it, with this one being much nicer. The estimate is $43,000-$65,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.

Ermini Sport

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1954 Ermini 1100 Sport Competizione

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 2, 2023

Photo – Bonhams

I’m not sure if Ermini or Bandini are the definition of “etceterini,” but I’d have to lean toward Ermini. The cars are named for their constructor: engineer and racing driver Pasquale Ermini. He built his first cars in 1949 and shifted from full cars to bodies for specials in the mid-1950s. By 1962, it was all over.

Only a small number of Ermini cars were actually built, with some sources estimating total output of less than 40 examples. This car is powered by a 1.1-liter Fiat twin-cam inline-four. This car had a fairly extensive racing career in Italy with its first owner through 1959.

It’s been in Italian collections of the last few decades. This is a ticket into historic racing and rallying events worldwide. It’ll cost the next owner between $405,000-$460,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.

Benetton B195

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1995 Benetton-Judd B195

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | February 3-4, 2023

Photo – Artcurial

Benetton’s first year in Formula One was 1986, and their last was 2001 before they became the Renault factory team. The team’s first year using Renault power was 1995, in which they campaigned the Rory Byrne/Ross Brawn-designed B195.

The car featured a 3.0-liter Renault V10 capable of up to 700 horsepower. This one now has a 3.5-liter Judd V10 in it. Drivers Michael Schumacher (in his last season before departing for Ferrari) and Johnny Herbert ran for the team, which won its first and only constructors championship this season. Schumacher also won his second title this season, with some of it spent behind this chassis (#02).

The catalog states that Schumacher won races in this chassis but doesn’t specifically state which ones. Oh well!. The Judd engine was installed prior to the current owner’s purchase, and it’s been gone over apparently. Artcurial estimates this car to sell in the range of $2,165,000-$3,250,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.

DKW-Vemag GT Malzoni

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1965 DKW-Vemag GT Malzoni Race Car

Offered by Bring a Trailer Auctions | January 2023

Photo – Bring a Trailer Auctions

DKW was a German automobile manufacturer that was part of Auto Union and lives on today as one of the rings in Audi’s logo. In 1956, DKW designs (and the name) were licensed to a Brazilian company called Vemag. A couple of their cars were just re-branded DKWs, and a few models were distinct to South America.

One of them was designed by Rino Malzoni. These GT coupes were initially developed for racing, and this car is one of three fiberglass-bodied cars built for Vemag’s in-house racing team. It’s powered by a 981cc two-stroke inline-three. This car was raced in-period by Emerson Fittipaldi.

The cars were produced for Vemag by a company called the Lumimari Company and branded as DKW-Vemags. Only a handful of road-going versions were made before Lumimari changed their name to Puma and continued on with a very similar design. To be clear, this car is not a Puma. It is the proto-Puma. DKW-Vemag shut down after 1967. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $32,250.

Rohr Prototype

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1933 Rohr Tatzelwurm Coupe

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | February 3, 2023

Photo – Artcurial

Rohr was founded by Hans Gustav Rohr, a WWI fighter pilot. Since Germany really wasn’t allowed to be too pro-military after the war, Rohr turned his focus to automobiles beginning in 1927. Their first car, the Type R sold in okay numbers, but the Depression really took the wind out of their sails. Mr. Rohr himself left the company to join Adler in 1931. The final Rohr cars were built in 1935.

This particular prototype started out as a 1933 Rohr Junior, which was actually a Tatra T.57 built under license. It features an air-cooled 1.5-liter flat-four and a body designed by Rohr engineer Karl-Wilhelm Ostwald. It features a streamlined sheet metal body with wood sides and floors.

It was used by the designer’s family for nearly 40 years before being laid up and later discovered by the consignor. It’s in original condition and carries an estimate of $54,000-$87,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $41,595.

Jordan 191

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1991 Jordan-Ford 191

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 2, 2023

Photo – Bonhams

Eddie Jordan’s Jordan Grand Prix competed in F1 between 1991 and 2005. This car is from their debut season, which saw drivers Bertrand Gachot and Andrea de Cesaris start the season. Roberto Moreno, Alex Zanardi, and a very young newcomer called Michael Schumacher also ran races for the team in place of Gachot.

Power is provided by a 3.5-liter Ford V8 that made about 650 horsepower. This particular chassis, #6, has the following competition history:

  • 1991 Hungarian Grand Prix – 7th (with Andrea de Cesaris)
  • 1991 Belgian Grand Prix – 13th, DNF (with de Cesaris)

It was used as a spare at Italy, Portugal, Spain, Japan, and Australia as well. Schumacher used this car at Spa during free practice one before it was raced by de Cesaris. That makes this the first F1 car ever driven by Schumacher during an F1 weekend. It’s had a few private owners since, and was used on F1 TV race coverage at Silverstone in 2021 when Mick Schumacher did some demonstration laps with it. It’ now has an estimate of $1,500,000-$2,150,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $1,658,926.

T26 Grand Sport Coupe

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1948 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport Coupe

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 2, 2023

Photo – Bonhams

The Grand Sport was the short wheelbase sports car version of Talbot-Lago’s T26, which was their first car introduced after WWII in 1946. The T26 hung around through 1953. This particular Grand Sport, one of just 36 built, was ordered new as a bare chassis by racing driver Andre Chambas.

Chambas designed the body himself in clay and supposedly had it built locally by Contamin, a company that actually built cabins for cranes. Power is from a 4.5-liter inline-six that made around 170 horsepower. Chambas took this car racing, including:

  • 1949 24 Hours of Le Mans – 17th, DNF (with Andre Chambas and Andre Morel)
  • 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans – 13th (with Chambas and Morel)
  • 1951 24 Hours of Le Mans – 17th (with Chambas and Morel)
  • 1952 24 Hours of Le Mans – 9th (with Chambas and Morel)
  • 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans – 52nd, DNF (with Chambas and Charles de Cortanze)

The original coupe body was removed after Le Mans in 1950 and replaced with an open style. This remained on the car until after Le Mans in 1953 (during which the car spun out, and the gearbox was subsequently ruined). The original coupe body was reinstalled at this time.

The car has had quite a few owners in quite a few countries since Chambas sold it in the mid 1950s. It’s a pretty fantastic looking car with a pretty remarkable (all privateer) racing history. Actually, this Talbot has more starts at Le Mans than any other. Pre-sale estimate? $2,150,000-$2,650,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $2,424,585.