Tag Archives: 1925

The 3rd Place Car from the 3rd Race at Le Mans

Posted on by
Reply

1925 Lorraine-Dietrich B3-6 Le Mans Torpedo Sport

Offered by Bonhams | Chantilly, France | September 5, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

At one time, Lorraine-Dietrich shared as many 24 Hours of Le Mans victories as did Bentley (actually, they won it two years in a row, so they had more victories than did Bentley. And Porsche. And Audi. Combined). Sure, that year was 1925, the year in which this car competed – and its sister car won – the famed 24 hour race. It was the event’s third such running. Lorraine-Dietrich could trace its automotive roots back to 1896. Their last cars were made in 1935.

The model is the 15CV B3-6 which uses a 3.5-liter straight-six making somewhere from 85 to 100 horsepower. This was a factory Lorraine-Dietrich race car and its race history includes the following:

  • 1925 24 Hours of Le Mans – 3rd (with Henry Stalter and Edouard Brisson)
  • 1925 24 Hours of Spa – 5th (with Stalter and Brisson)

So, a very successful, early racer that continued racing with the factory through 1926 and was still competitive a decade later in the hands of privateers. Strangely, in 1949, the car was taken apart and used as farm equipment, but thankfully it was rescued and restored.

The restoration was completed in 1997 but it still looks great. Imagine how fun this would be at historic racing events. It’s entirely unassuming – unless you knew, you’d never be able to guess that this thing finished on the podium at Le Mans. It should bring somewhere in the huge range of $650,000-$1,100,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Renault 40CV Torpedo

Posted on by
Reply

1925 Renault 40CV Torpedo

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

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Renault began by producing small, De Dion-powered automobiles and even today they’re known primarily for their smaller cars. But for a brief period of time, they built some big fanciful cars, like this the 40CV.

In fact, not only was this Renault’s big car, it was the biggest car on the market at the time (until Bugatti topped them all with the Royale). This car is powered by an absolutely massive 9.1-liter straight-six that makes about 120 horsepower. These were seriously grand cars, rivaling the best from Rolls-Royce and Panhard and other European marques. As proof, between 1920 and 1928, the 40CV was the official car for the French President.

All were custom built to suit. This one carries its original coachwork, although the coachbuilder has never been identified. It was owned by the Nethercutt Collection between 1984 and 2010 and the restoration is over 20 years old.

Although introduced originally in 1911, the 40CV underwent changes over the years and the final “HF” version featuring the 9.1-liter engine was new for 1920. Between 1924 and the end of production in 1928, only 608 were built. Only six are known to survive and only a few of those are in private hands. This is your chance to be one of very few. It should bring between $410,000-$520,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Update II: Not sold, Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2016, high bid of $357,500.

Update III: Not sold, Auctions America Ft. Lauderdale 2016, high bid of $290,000.

Voisin C3 Transformable

Posted on by
Reply

1925 Voisin C3 Cabriolet Transformable by Rothschild et Fils

Offered by RM Auctions | Paris, France | February 4, 2015

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

Voisins are highly desirable cars because they’re just so unique. Gabriel Voisin was an aviation engineer but he was also a former student at the Fine Arts School of Lyon. So the combination of art and engineering really came together with his cars.

This C3 is a long chassis model powered by a 4.0-liter sleeve-valve straight-four making 80 horsepower. The body is by Rothschild and features a convertible passenger section behind the open driver’s compartment.

Delivered new to an American architect living in Paris, the car is being offered from the collection of John Moir, who had the car restored. Look for it to sell for between $200,000-$285,000. Click here for more info and here for more from RM in Paris.

Update: Sold $243,656.

A Late Stanley Steamer

Posted on by
Reply

1925 Stanley Model SV 252A Touring

Offered by Bonhams | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | October 6, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The Stanley Steamer is one of the most beloved American automobiles of all time. Beginning in 1897, the Stanley brothers (who were actually twins) began producing steam automobiles in Watertown, Massachusetts. They were the #1 American automobile manufacturer in terms of production through 1899. The sold the early company to Locomobile and moved on to build the coffin-nose Stanleys everyone recognizes leading up to WWI.

Steam-powered cars didn’t do so well after about 1910, but Stanley soldiered on, sticking with the propulsion that got them that far. In 1923, bankruptcy came calling and the company was reorganized as the Steam Vehicle Corporation of America (SVCA). In 1925, they introduced the Model SV which uses a 20 horsepower, two-cylinder steam engine.

SVCA only built five Model SV Sedans and 48 Touring models in 1925. The car here is the only surviving unrestored 1925 Touring car. There are a couple restored cars out there and only one of those approaches factory-correct. This is thought to be the SV prototype that was built in 1924 before being re-bodied and sold to the public a year later.

It is unrestored, original, and running. Stanley only completed a handful of cars in 1926 and 1927 models may or may not have actually been built (if you have proof, we’d love to see it). At any rate, this car should sell for between $70,000-$90,000, which seems like a bargain. Read more here and see more from this sale here.

Update: Not sold.

Cunningham V-6

Posted on by
Reply

1925 Cunningham Series V-6 Phaeton

Offered by Bonhams | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | October 6, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Cunninghams were exclusive cars built in Rochester, New York, between 1911 and 1930 by James Cunningham, Son & Company. Their target audience were wealthy individuals who cared for quality – something Cunningham could deliver.

The company built mainly four and eight-cylinder models, and despite its name, the Series V-6 was actually an eight-cylinder car. Makes perfect sense, right? The Series V-6 was built for 1925, 1926 and 1927 and all used a 7.2-liter straight-eight engine originally rated at 90 horsepower, but now estimated to be around 100. The bodies were always built in-house by Cunningham.

The car has known history back to prior to WWII and has only had three owners since the 1930s. It has under 40,000 original miles and has been repainted, although it was never completely restored. Cunninghams don’t come up for sale often, and this one should bring between $135,000-$160,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $162,250.

1925 Star Sedan

Posted on by
Reply

1925 Star Model F-25 Sedan

Offered by Auctions America | Auburn, Indiana | August 29, 2014

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

There have been quite a few car companies going by the name “Star,” but only one was founded by Billy Durant after he left GM. It was an assembled car, built using pieces made by other manufacturers. The Star was the affordable line of Durant Motors, built to compete against the Model T.

Production started in 1922 and the company was phased out in 1928. The four-cylinder model was dubbed “F-25” for 1925 only and it was the last year Star built only four-cylinder cars (a six was introduced alongside it for 1926).

This car has an older restoration, but it is simple and attractive. And usable. I saw a similar car for sale a few years ago for about $8,000 and not buying it remains one of my biggest automotive regrets. This one is nicer and should bring between $20,000-$30,000. Click here for more info and here for more from AA’s Auburn sale.

Update: Sold $8,250.

Duesenberg Model A

Posted on by
Reply

1925 Duesenberg Model A Touring by Millspaugh & Irish

Offered by RM Auctions | Plymouth, Michigan | July 26, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

One thing we do here at ClassicCarWeekly.net is feature every Duesenberg Model J that comes up for sale (that we can find). What we have yet to do, however, is give any attention to Duesenberg’s original road car, the 1920-1927 Model A.

The Duesenberg brothers built race cars for the Indianapolis 500 prior to building road cars (they also manufactured aero and marine engines during WWI). So in 1921, they began selling a four-passenger car called the Model A. It was powered by an 88 horsepower 4.3-liter straight-eight engine and had all of the luxuries of the day. They were also fun to drive for what they were (and for when they were built).

Duesenberg wanted to build 100 of them a month, but they ended up only building 150 in the first year. By the time production ended after 1927, only about 500 were built. This one wears a body by popular Model A coachbuilder Millspaugh & Irish (who were sort of the “in-house” coachbuilder for the Model A). The restoration on this car was done around 2004 and it should sell for between $175,000-$225,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of RM’s Michigan lineup.

Update: Sold $264,000.

5 Cool Tractors

Posted on by
Reply

Gone Farmin’ Tractor Spring Classic

All tractors offered by Mecum | Davenport, Iowa | April 4-5, 2014

 1928 Rumely Oilpull X 25-40

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

This is our second chunk of tractors we’ve featured. I try to get a few of them in the mix as something different. We featured a Rumely Oilpull before. Here are the need-to-knows about this very nice old tractor:

Engine: 9.9-liter two-cylinder. 50 horsepower.

Production: 1928-1930.

Produced: 2,400.

Update: Sold $20,000.

1919 Minneapolis 12-25

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

The Minneapolis Threshing Machine Company began in 1889 building traction steam engines. In 1911 they started building tractors under the Minneapolis name and in 1929 it merged with two other companies in Minneapolis to form Minneapolis-Moline.

Engine: 25 horsepower.

Production: 1919-1924.

Produced: ?

Update: Not sold, high bid of $50,000.

1925 Rumely Oilpull L 15-25

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

Here is another rare Rumely Oilpull (I think tractors are cooler the older they get – they’re very raw machines). This tractor looks highly original.

Engine: 6.1-liter two-cylinder. 30 horsepower.

Production: 1924-1927.

Produced: 4,855.

Update: Sold $10,500.

1913 Bull Little Bull 5-12

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

The Bull Tractor Company was founded in 1912. The tractor you see here was built one year later – 101 years ago. The Bull was the best-selling tractor of 1914 and cost $395 when new. It was the first commercially-successful gas-powered tractor but Bull couldn’t sustain the progress and went belly-up in 1920.

Engine: Two-cylinder. 12 horsepower.

Production: 1913-1917.

Produced: 3,800+.

Update: Sold $81,000.

1963 Minneapolis-Moline Jet Star 2 Orchard

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

As you can read above, Minneapolis-Moline was founded in 1929 but the brand name was phased out in 1974 after having been acquired by the White Motor Company in the year in which the tractor you see here was built. Check out more cool tractors from Mecum here.

Engine: 3.4-liter four-cylinder. 44 horsepower.

Production: 1963.

Produced: 1,213. Only 1,100 were gas-powered. Only 22 of those were Orchard models.

Update: Sold $14,500.

Rumely Oilpull L 15-25

Posted on by
Reply

1925 Rumely Oilpull L 15-25

All tractors offered by Mecum | Davenport, Iowa | April 4-5, 2014

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

Here is another rare Rumely Oilpull (I think tractors are cooler the older they get – they’re very raw machines). This tractor looks highly original.

Engine: 6.1-liter two-cylinder. 30 horsepower.

Production: 1924-1927.

Produced: 4,855.

Update: Sold $10,500.

Rolls-Royce Hunting Car

Posted on by
Reply

1925 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Torpedo Sports Tourer by Barker & Co.

Offered by Barrett-Jackson | Las Vegas, Nevada | September 28, 2013

1925 Rolls-Royce Phantom I by Barker

The Rolls-Royce Phantom I was the successor to the Silver Ghost. The first Phantom was introduced in 1925 – making this a launch-year model. It was available from either Rolls-Royce or Rolls-Royce of America. This is from the British arm of the company.

This is actually a really interesting car and I’ve been monitoring it as it sat at the Auto Collections in Las Vegas, where it’s been for sale for a little while. This car was ordered new by Umed Singh II – the Maharaja of Kotah in India. Rolls-Royces were popular among Maharajas (India was under British rule at the time) and a Maharaja Rolls is a thing that pops up every now and then.

The Maharaja had this Torpedo Sports Tourer body put on the car by Barker & Co. of London – the supplier for many of the bodies on early Silver Ghosts. Barker & Co. would be acquired by Hooper (another popular Bentley/Rolls coachbuilder) in 1938. The engine in this car is a 50 horsepower (or “sufficient,” in Rolls-speak) 7.7-liter straight-six.

India is a land of exotic game and many kings of the day liked to go hunting. This car was well-equipped with enough firepower (including a tow-behind machine gun!) to go hunting on his family’s private estate. This has been referred to as the “Tiger Car” as it packs enough punch to take down a Bengal Tiger.

1925 Rolls with Gun

It’s a really awesome car that has the potential to bring a lot of money. You just don’t see outrageous Rolls-Royces like this – especially one armed like a tank. Only 2,269 British-built Phantom Is were built – and there’s only one like this. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Barrett-Jackson’s Vegas lineup.

S/N: 23RC

Update: Not sold, high bid of $450,000.