McLaren MP4-17

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2002 McLaren-Mercedes MP4-17

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | St. Moritz, Switzerland | September 17, 2021

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

McLaren-Mercedes was a pretty solid chassis/engine combo in Formula One about 10-20 years ago. The MP4-17 was actually used in two slightly different configurations over two seasons. There was the initial car (later retroactively dubbed “MP4-17A”) that was used for 2002, and there was 2003’s updated car, the MP4-17D.

This chassis (#06) debuted in 2002 and was later upgraded to “D” spec. Power is from a 3.0-liter Mercedes-Benz V10 good for 845 horsepower. The competition history for this chassis includes:

  • 2002 European Grand Prix – 3rd (with Kimi Raikkonen)
  • 2002 British Grand Prix – 14th, DNF (with Raikkonen)
  • 2002 French Grand Prix – 2nd (with Raikkonen)
  • 2002 German Grand Prix – 11th, DNF (with Raikkonen)
  • 2002 Hungarian Grand Prix – 4th (with Raikkonen)
  • 2002 United States Grand Prix – 3rd (with David Coulthard)
  • 2002 Japanese Grand Prix – 18th, DNF (with Coulthard)
  • 2003 Australian Grand Prix – 1st (with Coulthard)
  • 2003 San Marino Grand Prix – 2nd (with Raikkonen)
  • 2003 Spanish Grand Prix – 20th (with Raikkonen)
  • 2003 Monaco Grand Prix – 7th (with Coulthard)
  • 2003 Japanese Grand Prix – 2nd (with Raikkonen)

The car was also used as a test car here and there. Once its competitive career was over, the car was backdated to “17A” spec, in which it currently exists. It is expected to sell for between $2,200,000-$2,750,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $2,136,444.

La Dawri Conquest

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1962 La Dawri Conquest

Offered by Mecum | Dallas, Texas | September 8-11, 2021

Photo – Mecum

The La Dawri Cavalier was one of the earliest fiberglass specials of the 1950s. It debuted in 1956 and was produced by La Dawri Coachcraft of British Columbia, Canada. The company was founded by Lee Dawes, who moved it to Southern California in 1957. After the move, the Cavalier was renamed the Conquest.

La Dawri had a prolific model range until they closed in 1965, due in part to their 1961 acquisition of Victress. Victress models under then produced under the La Dawri brand. But anyway, this Conquest is powered by a 4.3-liter Chevrolet V8. It has unnecessarily been modified with Torq Thrust-style wheels. It’s a rare enough car that hot-rodding it isn’t needed.

The frame is from a Corvette, as is the suspension. I haven’t seen one of these for sale at an auction in quite some time… and if I recall, the only ones I have seen have been slightly modified as well. I don’t get it. But wheels are easy to change. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $25,000.

Stafford Special

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1936 Stafford Single Seater

Offered by H&H Auctioneers | Duxford, U.K. | September 8, 2021

Photo – H&H Auctioneers

This one-off single-seater special is sort of like the British version of an early-1930s “junk formula” Indy car. Except that instead of having history at Indianapolis, this car has history at Brooklands. But first, the story of its creation.

It was built by Rodney Stafford between 1936 and 1938 utilizing a specially built Blaker Engineering Company chassis and a supercharged 1.5-liter Meadows inline-four. The aluminum body work was shaped in the aerodynamics of the day and is pure function.

It competed at Brooklands, before the war broke out, against the likes of Bugattis, Maseratis, and Altas. Its competition history picked back up after the war and continued throughout the 1940s. This one-of-one period race car carries a pre-sale estimate of $90,000-$115,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Update: Not sold, Bonhams Beaulieu 2022.

Mikrus MR-300

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1960 Mikrus MR-300

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Auburn, Indiana | September 2, 2021

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The Mikrus MR-300. A household name. Not really… unless it’s late-1950s Poland. And even then, probably not. WSK-Mielec was a company based in Mielec, Poland, and was primarily an aircraft manufacturer. But in the late 1950s, like so many other companies in that part of the world, they ventured into microcars.

Microcars were popular because they were cheap and could be sold to the public while officials cruised around in comparative luxury cars. The Goggomobil was the inspiration here, and power is provided by a rear-mounted 296cc twin good for 14.5 horsepower.

The MR-300 was the only Mikrus automobile, and it was only available as a four-seat two-door sedan. Between 1957 and 1960, the company produced 1,728 examples. This one has a pre-sale estimate of $5,000-$10,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $4,400.

Rochet-Schneider 18HP

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1910 Rochet-Schneider 18HP Series 9300 Open-Drive Landaulet

Offered by Bonhams | Beaulieu, U.K. | September 5, 2021

Photo – Bonhams

Rochet-Schneider was founded in 1894, and by 1910, they had earned the right to be producing large luxurious limousines like this one. Their cars were for the wealthy elite, and nothing says “I’m wealthy” like an open-drive landaulet where you right in an enclosed cabin out back while your driver suffers through the heat/rain/freezing cold.

The Series 9300 was introduced for 1910 and is powered by a 3.7-liter inline-four rated at 18 horsepower. This example was part of a large collection that was disbanded in 2005. The car is either largely original or wearing a very old restoration. The exterior isn’t perfect, but looks good. And the tufted leather in the rear compartment seems to have held up well.

The issue here is that, since the current owner bought it in 2005, it has only been started once. This thing is gonna need a nice recommissioning if you want to use it. The pre-sale estimate is $41,000-$55,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $26,999.

Allard K2

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1951 Allard K2

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Auburn, Indiana | September 3, 2021

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

In 1946, Sydney Allard’s company introduced two lines of cars, both of which would spawn follow-up models. Those would have been the J1 and K1. Following up the K1 in 1950 was the K2. It was produced through 1952.

This British roadster featured American power – a 5.4-liter Cadillac V8. It was as at home on the track as much as it was on the street, but the K models were more street cars than the J cars. This one was sold new out of New York City.

Only 119 K2s were built. And they are rarely seen. The pre-sale estimate here is $60,000-$70,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $66,000.

Alvis TC 21/100

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1952 Alvis TC 21/100 Drophead Coupe

Offered by H&H Auctioneers | Duxford, U.K. | September 8, 2021

Photo – H&H Auctioneers

The Alvis TC 21 was sold in two forms, the first being the TC 21. It was only offered as a four-door sedan, although that didn’t stop coachbuilders such as Graber from turning it into a two-door convertible. The car was introduced in 1953.

Later that year, Alvis tweaked the formula a bit, offering the TC 21/100, aka the Grey Lady. It featured a top speed of 100 mph thanks to a revised exhaust and an increased compression ratio in the 3.0-liter inline-six. The TC 21/100 was offered as a drophead coupe, with bodies like this one sourced from Tickford.

Only 757 examples were produced between the standard TC 21 and the Grey Lady through 1955, making it about twice as rare as the TA 21 that preceded it and way more common than the ultra-rate TC 108G that came later. This one is expected to fetch between $96,000-$116,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Horstman Tourer

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1924 Horstman Tourer

Offered by Bonhams | Beaulieu, U.K. | September 5, 2021

Photo – Bonhams

Sidney Horstmann and his brothers founded a company producing transmissions and other automotive components in 1904. In 1913 they branched out into automobiles… like fully assembled ones.

At the end of WWI, the company dropped the final “N” from their name to make it look less German. Automobile production continued through the end of the 1920s. Approximately 3,000 cars were made by the firm in that time.

This rare survivor features body-color disc wheels and a 995cc inline-four. The car is said to require a little TLC, but it’s a good chance to acquire a rare, nearly-100-year-old car that appears to be in decent shape. It is expected to sell for between $19,000-$24,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Metrocab

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2000 Metrocab TTT

Offered by Bonhams | Beaulieu, U.K. | September 5, 2021

Photo – Bonhams

Metrocab was a brand name of taxi produced for the British market by Metro Cammell Weymann, a bus manufacturer. The MCW Metrocab went on sale in 1987 and was rebranded alongside some major updates in 2000 as the Metrocab TTT. This version remained in production through 2006.

Styling looks familiar because it used off-the-shelf parts from mainstream cars. I think it looks like an Austin hatchback, but there are a lot of Ford parts in there as well. Power is from a 2.5-liter diesel inline-four sourced from a Ford Transit. Most TTTs got Toyota diesels.

This car was a licensed taxi for its first 19,000 miles, and then it was put into storage for 18 years. It has to be one of the best ones left and is expected to sell for between $6,800-$11,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

1909 Packard Runabout

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1909 Packard Model 18 Runabout

Offered by Worldwide Auctioneers | Auburn, Indiana | September 3-4, 2021

Photo – Worldwide Auctioneers

Packard’s Model 18 went on sale for 1909 and would remain in production through 1912. Launch-year body styles included a limousine, landaulet, touring, and demi limousine, in addition to the runabout. While Packard was known mostly as a luxury car manufacturer, this one has a twinge of sportiness.

It’s powered by a 5.3-liter inline-four rated at 18 horsepower. The two-seat body is finished in white, with a matching fuel tank, trunk, wheels, and tires. It’s a lot of white. I can’t imagine it was ever this clean back in the day.

Only 802 Packards were produced for 1909, and this is said to be one of a dozen Model 18s known to exist across all model years and body styles. It would’ve cost $3,200 when new and will sell at no reserve for much more next month. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $102,150.