Yellowstone Park Touring Bus

Posted on January 8, 2013 by classiccarweekly

1925 White Model 14-45 Yellowstone Park Touring Bus by Bender

Offered by Gooding & Company | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 18, 2013

1925 White Model 15-45 Yellowstone Park Touring Bus

In 1925, the National Park Service – or more correctly, the Yellowstone Park Transportation Company (which I guess was a private company and had nothing to do with the Park Service, my bad), purchased 90 of these White Model 14-45 Touring Buses with coachwork by Bender.

Your average car couldn’t traverse the rough terrain of a giant park like Yellowstone in the 1920s. So you’d hop aboard one of these more rugged vehicles that would take you to see everything you came to see. At one point in time, there were hundreds of buses that carried visitors throughout the park. This is one of only a few that survive and it’s “likely the finest restored example.” It is indeed impressive. These open-air coaches were replaced in 1939 by the closed variety, and they were sold off.

The 11-passenger convertible bus is powered by a 3.7-liter straight four making 45 horsepower. The restoration began 15 years ago and turned out beautifully, as you can see. You’ll probably never have the opportunity to buy one of these again. The estimate is $110,000-$130,000. Click here for more info. And here for more from Gooding.

Update: Not sold as the vehicle was withdrawn from the sale.

Update II: Sold, RM Sotheby’s, Hershey 2016 $88,000.

Coventry-Eagle Flying-8

Posted on December 30, 2011 by classiccarweekly

1925 Coventry-Eagle 980cc Flying-8 Sidevalve

Offered by Bonhams | Las Vegas, Nevada | January 12, 2012

Photo – Bonhams

Coventry-Eagle built very desirable bikes (desirable both then and now) from 1903 until the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. They produced lightweight bikes and larger, more luxurious (and more expensive) bikes like this.

Introduced in 1923, the Flying-8 featured a 980cc sidevalve v-twin until an overhead valve JAP engine was offered in 1926. The models remained in production until 1931 and 1930, respectively.

Coventry-Eagles are fairly rare today and big bikes like this are especially sought after by collectors. This is a fine example with a recent overhaul that can be ridden and shown with pride. Bonham’s estimates it at $90,000-$110,000. Not cheap, but it’s not exactly Brough Superior money. More info here and more on Bonhams in Vegas here.

Update: Not Sold.

Bonhams Harrogate Highlights

Posted on November 30, 2011 by classiccarweekly

Bonhams recent motorcycle and car auction at the Yorkshire Event Centre in Harrogate, U.K. featured a few interesting sales. Unfortunately, three of our featured vehicles here on the site did not sell: the Triumph 1800 Roadster, Bristol Beaufighter and the Brough Superior SS100.

Some of the highlights include a 1963 Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser. The 40 Series of the Land Cruiser range were made from 1960 until 1984 (and even longer in Brazil. These cars – er, uh, Jeeps – are much beloved by the off-road community. This particular model looks brand new and was owned by the Rover Car Co as an “evaluation” vehicle. It sold for about $26,000. Bonhams has these pictures locked, but I’ll do what I can for the other cars.

At most British auctions, there is a large selection of British cars. Two that I’d like to focus on are a 1946 Hillman Minx Drophead Coupe and this 1934 BSA Scout Roadster.

This isn’t the exact car – the exact car had striking red brakes and wheel caps. BSA, Birmingham Small Arms Company, is known primarily as a motorcycle manufacturer but they built cars from 1909 until 1926 and again from 1929 until 1940. Some of these cars where sporty three-wheelers but they built a number of four-wheeled variants as well. This 8.9 horsepower Scout uses a 1,075cc engine that was rebuilt about three years ago. It sold for about $12,000.

The Hillman Minx was produced from the early 1930s through 1970. The immediate postwar Minx (the example sold at Bonhams a 1946) did not differ much from the pre-war Minx. The model is commonplace but the Drophead Coupe body style is quite rare. A driver in nice black paint sold for about $5,700.

There were two interesting old trucks that passed across the block at this sale: a 1925 Autocar 27KS 5-Ton Truck in original running condition sold for about $10,000. And a 1927 International SF24 1.5-Ton Flat-Bed Truck in restored-as-necessary condition with an engine rebuild at some point brought about the same price.

Check out the complete results here (with pictures!).