1961 Scarab

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1961 Scarab Formula Libre

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Monterey, California | August 13-14, 2021

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

It requires a lot of money to successfully to take on the establishment in the world of auto racing. And even then success is not guaranteed. In the case of the Scarab, there was certainly money behind the effort. Lance Reventlow was the sole heir to the Woolworth fortune.

Venice, California, was home to Reventlow Automobiles Incorporated, builder of the Scarabs. There were both Scarab sports cars and open-wheel cars, including one that raced at the 1960 Formula One U.S. Grand Prix. Since that didn’t go so well, and because new rules came about in 1961, Reventlow decided to focus his efforts to less restrictive forms of open wheel racing.

This car was fabricated by Phil Remington based on a design by Eddie Miller, nephew of Harry Miller. It was fitted with a Buick/Oldsmobile 3.0-liter V8 breathing through four Weber carburetors for an output of about 300 horsepower. It took aim squarely at the new Intercontinental Formula rules.

But then the rules changed again, and this car was ineligible. Instead, this Scarab entered a 1962 Formula Libre race in Australia. With driver Chuck Daigh, the car finished fourth after drivers Jack Brabham, John Surtees, and Bruce McLaren – and ahead of Stirling Moss.

It was restored in 1997 and has since participated at both the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Hillclimb. You can read more about it here and see more from this sale here.

Update: Sold $196,000.

Duesenberg J-225

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1929 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Sedan by Murphy

Offered by Mecum | Monterey, California | August 12-14, 2021

Photo – Mecum

The Convertible Sedan produced by the Walter M. Murphy Company of Pasadena, California, seems like one of the most common Duesenberg Model J body styles. But they only actually made 31 of them. Although… I guess that is a lot, considering the limited production of the Model J.

The Model J, of course, is powered by a 6.9-liter Lycoming inline-eight that made 265 horsepower when new. This example was delivered new to the president of Hammermill Paper in Pennsylvania, and it was next owned by a Sears executive. The car was on museum display as early as 1973.

Although the pictures don’t really show it, the car is finished in dark green, and it is excellent. You can read more about this seven-figure car here and see more from this sale here.

Update: Sold $2,365,000.

Ferrari 512 BB LM

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1981 Ferrari 512 BB LM

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Monterey, California | August 13-14, 2021

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Ferrari has had historical success with prototype racing cars (though none in a while), but their success with taking their road cars and turning them into race cars has been pretty spotty. Sure, the 550/575 had GT racing versions, and they’ve been a little more serious since the 458, but nothing really mind-blowing. Or that famous. Well, until you get back to this car.

Ferrari’s 512 BB went on sale in 1976, and the fuel-injected 512 BBi replaced it in 1981. Luigi Chinetti (the famed American Ferrari importer and founder of NART, the North American Racing Team), had been running home-grown 365 GT/4 BB-based race cars in the late 1970s. When they finally ran out of steam, Chinetti convinced Ferrari to develop a racing variant of the 512. Ferrari built four Series 1 cars in 1978. In 1980, they introduced the Series 3 512 BB LM. Sixteen examples were built, and this is number 10.

Ferrari didn’t run the cars themselves but sold them to various independent racing teams to operate. The S3 LM was powered by a 5.0-liter flat-12 making 480 horsepower. This car was the last Ferrari sold to or raced by Chinetti’s team, and its competition history includes:

  • 1981 24 Hours of Le Mans – 23rd, DNF (with Alain Cudini, Philippe Gurdjian, and John Morton)
  • 1982 24 Hours of Le Mans – 9th (with Cudini, Morton, and John Paul Jr.)

It was supposed to appear at Le Mans in 1983, but the team folded before that could happen. Instead, the car bounced between a series of collections and has been active in historic racing. No pre-sale estimate is yet available, but you can read more about it here and see more from this sale here.

Update: Not sold.

NSU Sport Prinz

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1963 NSU Sport Prinz

Offered by Artcurial | Monaco | July 19, 2021

Photo – Artcurial

NSU started out as a knitting machine manufacturer in 1873 and was acquired by Volkswagen in 1969. The company was then merged with Auto Union, which would later just become Audi.

The Prinz first went on sale in 1957 as a homely two-door sedan with a rear-mounted inline-twin. They were not powerful. They were slow. But they were meant as a “people’s car.” John Glenn famously drove one while his fellow astronauts had Corvettes. In 1958, NSU introduced the Sport Prinz, which was, as the name implies, a sporty version of the Prinz. It was powered by a, in this case, 598cc inline-twin.

The 598cc engine was only available from 1962 until the end of Sport Prinz production in 1968. In all, 20,831 were produced. This one remained with its original owner in Saint-Tropez until 2011, and it’s now expected to sell for between $12,000-$18,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $9,153.

Cadillac 30 Roadster

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1910 Cadillac Model 30 Roadster

Offered by Historics Auctioneers | Slough, U.K. | July 17, 2021

Photo – Historics Auctioneers

Cadillac’s Model 30 was produced from 1909 through 1911. It was their only model those three years and was based on a design stemming from 1906 (although it was called by different names then, including the Model G). The four-cylinder model would continue one essentially unchanged through 1914.

The engine is a 4.2-liter inline-four that was rated at 33 horsepower when new. In 1909 and early 1910, you could only get the 30 as an open car. Limousines and coupes didn’t come until mid-1910. Two roadsters were available at $1,600 each. This is the two-seat roadster.

It was restored over time, and the body is said to have been fitted about 100 years ago. So I guess that makes it close enough to being “original.” It is expected to fetch between $37,000-$55,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $46,194.

Jensen 541R

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1959 Jensen 541R

Bonhams | Bicester, U.K. | July 17, 2021

The Jensen 541 was a GT car produced by Jensen Motors between 1954 and 1959. In 1957, Jensen added a 541R to the range, and upgrades included four-wheel disc brakes and rack-and-pinion steering.

In 1960, both the base car and the R were replaced by the 541S, which was a luxury version. The S was in turn replaced by the C-V8 in 1963. The 541R was powered by the same 4.0-liter Austin inline-six as the base car, but it was fitted with twin carburetors for a rating of 150 horsepower.

The body is fiberglass, and this car features a two-tone paint scheme with the wheels being the same color as the roof. Only 193 examples of the 541R were built. This one should bring between $62,000-$76,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $54,564.

Force India VJM-04

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2011 Force India-Mercedes VJM-04

Offered by Bonhams | Chichester, U.K. | July 9, 2021

Photo – Bonhams

You don’t often see “current” F1 cars coming up for sale (although we did just feature a 2010 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes). This is one of the most recent such cars I can remember coming up for public sale. And it’s being offered directly from Force India’s successor team, what is now known as Aston Martin F1.

Force India was formed ahead of the 2008 season by Vijay Mallya after buying the Spyker team, and they were around through 2018 when the company was purchased by Lawrence Stroll and renamed Racing Point (which has since been rebranded as Aston Martin). The VJM04 was from the team’s third full season as a constructor and featured a 2.4-liter Mercedes V8 as well as a McLaren-sourced seven-speed gearbox. This car also had a Kinetic Energy Recovery System. Unfortunately, this one is a roller. No drivetrain included.

The competition history for this chassis, 02, includes:

  • 2011 Australian Grand Prix – 10th (with Paul di Resta)
  • 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix – 10th (with di Resta)
  • 2011 Chinese Grand Prix – 11th (with di Resta)
  • 2011 Turkish Grand Prix – 23rd, DNF (with di Resta)
  • 2011 Spanish Grand Prix – 12th (with di Resta)
  • 2011 Monaco Grand Prix – 12th (with di Resta)
  • 2011 Canadian Grand Prix – 18th, DNF (with di Resta)
  • 2011 European Grand Prix, Valencia – 14th (with di Resta)
  • 2011 British Grand Prix – 15th (with di Resta)
  • 2011 German Grand Prix – 13th (with di Resta)
  • 2011 Hungarian Grand Prix – 7th (with di Resta)
  • 2011 Belgian Grand Prix – 11th (with di Resta)
  • 2011 Italian Grand Prix – 8th (with di Resta)
  • 2011 Singapore Grand Prix – 6th (with di Resta)
  • 2011 Japanese Grand Prix – 12th (with di Resta)
  • 2011 Korean Grand Prix – 10th (with di Resta)
  • 2011 Indian Grand Prix – 13th (with di Resta)
  • 2011 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – 9th (with di Resta)
  • 2011 Brazilian Grand Prix – 8th (with di Resta)

So yeah, it ran the whole damned season with Paul di Resta. And had eight top 10 finishes and only one accident (Canada). Despite its lack of podiums, it’s still a pretty incredible machine. And it carries a nostalgic “classic” Force India livery. The pre-sale estimate is $120,000-$180,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Withdrawn.

Update: Sold, Bonhams Goodwood 2022, $105,560.

Bentley Corniche

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1974 Bentley Corniche Coupe

Offered by Bonhams | Chichester, U.K. | July 9, 2021

Photo – Bonhams

The Rolls-Royce Corniche, as a model, was around from 1971 through 1995. The name reappeared in 2000 for a few years as well. The convertible versions made from the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s are the epitome of South Florida old lady-ness in my mind.

But what we have here is from the first generation of Corniche production, which lasted from 1971-1987. And it’s not a Rolls-Royce. No, this is an example of some high-end badge engineering. The Bentley Corniche was produced as a coupe and convertible, and the coupe was discontinued alongside the Roller coupe in 1981.

Somehow, in 10 years, there were only 69 Bentley Corniche two-door sedans built. The Bentley convertible version lasted until 1984, and only 77 of those were made. They are extremely rare, even when compared to the Rolls-Royce version (which totaled over 4,000 in the same period). The car is powered by a 6.75-liter V8 making 237 horsepower. Top speed was about 118 mph.

So why did they sell so few? Well, Bentley was kind of faltering at the time, and it was just considered a “cheaper” version of the Rolls. Not so much anymore. The rarity factor makes these sought after, and this one carries an estimate of $55,000-$69,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $56,948.

Maserati Tipo 26B

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1928 Maserati Tipo 26B

Offered by Bonhams | Chichester, U.K. | July 9, 2021

Photo – Bonhams

Maserati’s first car was the Tipo 26, and it was introduced in 1926. It was an evolution of a Diatto racing car that Alfieri Maserati had designed, and it won its class at its debut race: the 1926 Targa Florio.

The following year, the company introduced the Tipo 26B. They would build six examples of this open-cockpit racing car through 1930. A 26B finished third overall at its debut race: the 1927 Targa Florio. Maserati would also be represented by the 26B at the 1930 Indianapolis 500. Power is from a supercharged 2.1-liter inline-eight good for 150 horsepower and 118 mph. (This car’s restored engine now displaces 2.0 liters).

This example was purchased new by a privateer racing driver from Argentina, who had it shipped to his home country. The car competed in races in Argentina and Uruguay. It was purchased from the original owner’s family in the late 1980s and later restored in Italy.

This car should be eligible for just about any historic open-wheel race and just about every imaginable show. It should sell for between $1,300,000-$1,800,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Steyr Type II

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1920 Steyr Type II 12/40HP

Offered by Dorotheum | Vosendorf, Austria | July 3, 2021

Photo – Dorotheum

I’m pretty sure Dorotheum has now offered more Steyr automobiles in the last six months than every other major auction house has combined over the past five years. Steyr made their money with munitions, and with the end of WWI on the horizon, they realized they needed a product to fill the gaping hole they were about to see on their books.

So cars it was. Steyr brought in Hans Ludwinka – the guy who would later be responsible for the Tatras – to design their first car, which they called the Type II (The Type I was their initial test car). It went on sale in 1920 and was powered by a 3.3-liter inline-six rated at 40 horsepower.

Steyr produced 2,150 examples of the Type II through 1924, most of which were touring cars or limousines. This car was sold new to the Egyptian ruling family and was purchased and returned to Austria in the late 1970s when it was restored. It is now expected to bring between $290,000-$380,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $372,685.