Tag Archives: 1500

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Update: Withdrawn.

Glockler-Porsche

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1954 Glockler-Porsche 356 Carrera 1500 Coupe

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

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Walter Glockler was a Volkswagen and Porsche dealer based in Germany. He had a number of Porsche-based specials built between the late 1940s and mid-1950s. This is actually the last of the six of them. In 1954, he acquired a replacement 356 Pre-A chassis to build his only coupe-bodied special.

It is powered by a 1.5-liter four-cam flat-four (from a Porsche 550 Spyder… a car that owes its existence to a Glockler special) that was fitted in the 2000s. This car was originally intended to compete in the 1954 Mille Miglia, but was not finished in time. Instead it took part in a French/Italian road rally.

It later spent time at the Porsche factory before being exported to the U.S. It went back to Germany in the 90s and was restored the following decade (when the engine was swapped). This is an interesting piece (it even has Glockler-Porsche badging), and should bring a decent sum. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Siata 1500 TS

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1964 Siata 1500 TS

Offered by Aste Bolaffi | Milan, Italy | May 24, 2019

Photo – Aste Bolaffi

Siata was founded in 1926 and spent their first few decades tuning Fiats. Their first original model debuted in 1948, but it was still Fiat-based. That trend continued into the 1960s, when they introduced the 1500 TS.

Based on Fiat’s 1500, the TS was styled by Giovanni Michelotti and was powered by a Siata-tuned 1.5-liter inline-four producing 94 horsepower. They are attractive, small, and all but forgotten. This is probably the last Siata you would picture if trying to recall all of their models.

Very few were built – and some were even built by Neckar Automobile in Germany. Even fewer survive today. This one should bring between $28,000-$34,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $25,774.

Chenard et Walcker Y7 Grand Sport

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1929 Chenard et Walcker 1500 Type Y7 Grand Sport Torpedo

Offered by Osenat | Chassieu, France | November 11, 2018

Photo – Osenat

Cars built by the company founded by Ernest Chenard and Henri Walcker always appear to be quite heavy, as if carved from a single block of lead. Or maybe I just get that impression because of their association with the so-called Tanks they built.

The company has some racing heritage, winning the first 24 Hours of Le Mans. So there is some sporting pedigree, adding a degree of legitimacy to calling this Torpedo-bodied automobile a sports car. It’s no lightweight French cyclecar. This thing was meant to move. Power is from a 1.5-liter straight-four and top speed is about 83 mph.

This example has known history back to the 1960s and was on museum duty until the early-1990s. It was restored in the last five years and is thought to be one of three known Torpedo-bodied examples. It should sell for between $115,000-$150,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Four Racers from Artcurial

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Four Racers from Artcurial

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | February 9, 2018

1949 Simca 8 Barquette by Motto

Photo – Artcurial

The Simca 8 was a family car built by Simca in France between 1937 and 1951. It was offered in a variety of body styles and two engines were offered, one before 1949 and a slightly larger one after 1949. This 1949 car originally featured a race-prepped version of the earlier, 1.1-liter straight-four.

It was originally a road car, but was transformed into a racing barquette by a racing driver in 1950. The body was built in aluminium by Motto, an Italian coachbuilder. Once race-ready, the owner promptly registered it for the road! It was entered for the 1951 24 Hours of Le Mans but never showed up, though it did compete in some other French sports car races in the early 1950s.

Discovered again after 2000, it was restored and the engine was redone and enlarged to 1.2-liters. It’s just destined for the historic circuit with its new owner. It’ll likely bring between $275,000-$335,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.

1930 Chenard et Walcker 1500 Type Y8 Tank

Photo – Artcurial

Here’s my pick of these four. The Chenard & Walcker Y8 was introduced at the 1927 Paris Motor Show and was built through 1930. It’s powered by a 1.5-liter straight-four and it’s called a “Tank.” Chenard & Walcker were famous for their tanks, which were kind of squared off yet aerodynamic cars that were mainly destined for the track. Bugatti also built some racing “tanks” around this era as well.

This is a two-seat convertible and it probably doesn’t have racing history, but plenty Chenard tanks saw track action. It’s been in collections for decades and is largely original. No one knows how many of these were built, but there aren’t that many around. This one should bring between $85,000-$160,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $94,913.

1963 Rene Bonnet Aerodjet LM6

Photo – Artcurial

When Rene Bonnet left Deutsch-Bonnet in 1961, he set up shop building cars under his own name. His first new model was the Djet and what we have here is a racing version of the road car. It’s powered by a Renault-Gordini 1.1-liter straight-four and the body is fiberglass.

This car was raced at the 1963 24 Hours of Le Mans with Bruno Basini and Robert Bouharde behind the wheel. It finished the race, but did not complete the minimum distance, ultimately resulting in an official “Not Classified” result, but more realistically they were 14th.

The current owner bought the car in 1989 and it was restored, with a 1.3-liter Gordini striaght-four installed in place of the original. Only three of these longtail LM6 Aerodjets were built and this is the nicest, most original one left. It should sell for between $300,000-$425,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.

1956 Riffard-Renault Tank Record

Photo – Artcurial

I’m just going to go ahead and say it: this looks like one of those tin toys that kids played with in the 1950s. In reality, it started life as as one of two custom-built Guépard race cars that were built in 1952 and 1953. Both competed in a race in 1954 and this one crashed.

The owner took it and while repairing it, decided to turn it into a World Speed Record car. Designed by Marcel Riffard, it’s a sleek, Renault-powered streamliner with a body by Heuliez. The engine is a 750cc four-cylinder and it’s unknown if it ever attempted any records, but it did do a speed run in 1998 after decades in a private collection. It’s a unique car and should bring between $18,000-$30,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $70,090.

Chenard et Walcker Y8 Tank

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1930 Chenard et Walcker 1500 Type Y8 Tank

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | February 9, 2018

Photo – Artcurial

Here’s my pick of these four. The Chenard & Walcker Y8 was introduced at the 1927 Paris Motor Show and was built through 1930. It’s powered by a 1.5-liter straight-four and it’s called a “Tank.” Chenard & Walcker were famous for their tanks, which were kind of squared off yet aerodynamic cars that were mainly destined for the track. Bugatti also built some racing “tanks” around this era as well.

This is a two-seat convertible and it probably doesn’t have racing history, but plenty Chenard tanks saw track action. It’s been in collections for decades and is largely original. No one knows how many of these were built, but there aren’t that many around. This one should bring between $85,000-$160,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $94,913.

Gatso 1500

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1948 Gatso 1500

For sale at The Gallery Brummen | Brummen, The Netherlands

Photo - The Gallery Brummen

Photo – The Gallery Brummen

Gatso was the name given to the cars built by Maurice Gatsonides, a Dutch businessman and racing driver. He built his first vehicle in the late 1930s and called it the “Kwik” but nothing become of it and the war put his plans on hold.

Fast forward to 1948, Gatsonides introduced a car prototyped as the Gatford 4000, later renamed the Gatso 4000. It was a three-eyed sports car and eight or 11 were built. He also built a lone racing car, this, the 1500. It was based on a Fiat 1500 and uses a 1.5-liter straight-six making 55 horsepower.

Gatsonides campaigned the car a few times, at one point setting a one-hour speed record at Zandvoort. He lost the car later in life when finances got out of hand and it has had several owners over the years and has been restored. It’s a great piece of Dutch racing history and the only Gatso automobile that survives today. It is for sale for around $200,000. Click here for more info.

Borgward Rennsport

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1958 Borgward 1500 Rennsport

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 5, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The story of Carl F.W. Borgward is a really interesting (and heartbreaking) one. His companies definitely built some interesting cars but they were all closed down for financial reasons that may or may not have been valid.

The story of Borgward racing started as a racing project from a privateer team but morphed into a factory effort after the privateers took some victories. Borgward reworked the engine from the Hansa 1500 and dropped it into an ever-evolving chassis and went racing. The engine underwent development from it’s 1952 racing debut and by 1956 the 1.5-liter straight-four was putting out 150 horsepower, thanks to 16-valve fuel injection.

This particular car was constructed using spare parts left over from Borgward’s racing program, which was on the decline after 1956. The car was assembled in 2009 and completed in 2013. So it’s sort of new but uses all period parts and looks really cool. At any rate, reproduction or not, it should still command an impressive $300,000-$410,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams.

Update: Sold $256,698.

ex-Scuderia Ferrari Alfa 6C 1500 SS

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1930 Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 Super Sport by Zagato

Offered by Coys | Essen, Germany | March 29, 2014

Photo - Coys

Photo – Coys

The Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 was the first of Alfa’s legendary 6C/8C models. It was a lightweight, low-slung sports car – especially when compared to the big touring car it replaced. And with bodies from the likes of Zagato, their sportiness would never be questioned.

New for 1925, the 6C 1500 used a 1.5-liter straght-six and in blown Super Sport trim, this car wears a supercharger that pushes output to 76 horsepower. Top speed was 87 mph. It was more powerful than many of the 6C 1750 models that were introduced as this car’s replacement in 1929.

This 1930 model is one of the last 6C 1500s built and it was delivered new to Scuderia Ferrari in April of 1930 – Ferrari sold it three months later. It has period competition history as follows:

  • 1933 Mille Miglia – 16th, 2nd in class (with Giuseppe Mignini)
  • 1937 Mille Miglia – 10th, 1st in class (with Pasquale Contini and Salvadori)
  • 1938 Mille Miglia – 21st, 1st in class (with Felice Bellandri and Vegelli)

The car was restored in 1980 and has been in current ownership for 30 years. It is obviously eligible for the historic running of the Mille Miglia. About 3,000 6C 1500s were built but only 12 of those were supercharged Super Sports like this one. I don’t even want to guess how many came through Scuderia Ferrari. This is a big time, big money car. Read more here and see more from Coys here.

Update: Not sold.

Fiat 1500 Cabriolet

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1937 Fiat 1500 Cabriolet

Offered by Bonhams | Brooklands, U.K. | December 3, 2012

This is a good-looking car. It’s clean and – when you usually think of nice, big cabriolets from the 1930s, Fiat isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. So it’s a little surprising that I’m this drawn to it as it would have never occurred to me that Fiat built something this nice. When I think “Fiat from the 1930s,” I think “Topolino.”

The 1500 was introduced in 1935 and it remained in production until 1950 (of course, they took a few years off in there because of the war). This car was designed with the help of a wind-tunnel – one of the first such cars to do so. A normal 1500 sedan has a very rakish and aerodynamic grille. This car, with gorgeous coachwork from Ghia, has a more upright grille – a grille that would become standard on the series in 1940.

The engine is a 1.5-liter straight-six making 45 horsepower. Top speed was near 70 mph and 42,500 of these cars (in all body styles) were produced by the time production wrapped. The history of this car is known since the end of the war, where it found itself in South Africa. A few owners later, the car was restored. It is believed to be the only Ghia-bodied Fiat 1500 in existence. And it’s nice. The estimate is $110,000-$140,000. For more information, click here. And for more from Bonhams at Brooklands, click here.

Update: Sold $128,600.