Tag Archives: 1927

Miller 91

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1927 Miller 91

Offered by RM Auctions | Amelia Island, Florida | March 14, 2015

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

Harry Miller was a racing genius. He was inventive and his cars dominated at Indy for a couple of decades in the early years of racing there. He was one of a handful of major, early names whose sole business purpose was to build race cars. He had no intentions of building road cars. When his company went bankrupt in 1933, everything was bought up by Fred Offenhauser, whose name would appear on cars at the Brickyard into the 1980s.

The Miller 91 was designed to meet AAA’s new rule for 1926 that limited engine capacity to 91 cubic inches (1.5-liters). This car does have an original Miller 91 engine – a 1.5-liter supercharged straight-four making between 155-250 horsepower (read more at RM’s site to found out about this huge range).

Only 12 or 13 rear-wheel drive Miller 91s were built. The current owner of this car acquired an original Miller 91 chassis and went about sourcing an actual Miller 91 engine, and gearbox – two extremely rare pieces as everything was made in-house in limited numbers – perhaps only about 15.

This car was never raced in period (at least not in this form… the original chassis may have a history, but it is unknown what it was used for). These old Indy cars almost never come up for sale so this is an awesome opportunity regardless of this car’s history. It should sell for between $600,000-$750,000. Click here to see more from this sale.

Update: Sold $770,000.

Excelsior Albert I

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1927 Excelsior Albert I Court Cabriolet by Snutsel & Fils

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

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Arthus de Coninck established his company, the automaker Excelsior, in Brussels, Belgium in 1903. Car production began the following year and they began building very fine cars shortly thereafter. In fact, the Belgian ruling family were Excelsior customers for a number of years. But cars favored by royalty are hard to sell when the world economy turns, and the company sold out to Imperia in 1929 with the marque being retired in 1932.

The Albert I was one of the finest cars built in the era and the high point for Excelsior. It uses a 5.3-liter straight-six making 130 horsepower. The body is aluminium and was done by a local coachbulder in Brussels, Snutsel & Fils.

This example was ordered new by the Romanian ambassador to Great Britain but ended up going to South Africa instead where it spent a majority of its life up until 2004. The restoration began in Belgium in 2004 and was completed in 2013. What a fantastic opportunity to acquire a rare and incredible automobile. It can be yours for between $420,000-$480,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams in Paris.

Update: Not sold.

Diatto Tourer

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1927 Diatto Tipo 20A Tourer

Offered by Bonhams | Oxford, U.K. | June 7, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Diatto began life in the first half of the 1800s building carriages. In the 1870s, they entered the railway carriage business and by 1905, automobiles had come to market. The car business started as Diatto-Clement, building Clement-Bayard cars under license in Turin. It wasn’t until 1909 that their own designs went on sale.

After World War I, Diatto turned upmarket and began selling very nice, innovative cars. The new-for-’22 Tipo 20 was the most-popular car they built. It uses a 2.0-liter straight-four making 40 horsepower. The model names were shaken up when a short-wheelbase Tipo 20S was introduced, meaning the original wheelbase version was renamed the Tipo 20A.

1927 was the final year Diatto actually built cars. This one was sold new to Australia and was bodied locally Coffey Brothers. It returned to Europe in 2013 when a collector in the U.K. brought it back and had it readied for road use. It should be in good road-going condition and should cost the new owner between $59,000-$67,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams.

Update: Sold $69,667.

Bean Model 6

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1927 Bean Model 6 Short 14 Faux Cabriolet

Offered by Bonhams | Oxford, U.K. | June 7, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

In 1919, the iron works A. Harper & Sons moved into the automobile manufacturing business. They made munitions during WWI, but after it was over, they needed something to keep them in business, so they turned to cars.

They bought the rights to the Perry and company director Jack Bean helped launch the successful motor car business by introducing twin moving track assembly lines – much like GM in America. The owners changed in 1921 and the company actually outsold Morris and Austin for a few years. In 1927, the Bean line underwent some changes. The Short 14 (the model seen here) was introduced that used the 2.4-liter straight-four making 14 horsepower. Bean closed its doors in 1929.

This car was sold new in Australia and the body was produced there as well. The car returned to the U.K. in 2010 and has been serviced and restored over the years. It’s ready to run, although it hasn’t been driven a lot in the last few years. It is coming from a nice collection of Beans that are offered in this sale (there’s a weird sentence). This one should bring between $24,000-$30,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $23,222.

A British Talbot

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1927 Talbot 14/35 Drophead Coupe

Offered by Coys | London, U.K. | March 11, 2014

Photo - Coys

Photo – Coys

Talbot is one of the most confusing marques in automotive history. The car you are looking at here is a British-built Talbot (the French cars were almost all hyphenated with another name). The standalone British Talbot began producing cars in 1904. And, as a separate make, Talbot ceased to exist in 1938 – before it was resurrected in 1980 (in France). It died again, unceremoniously, in 1987.

In 1919, Talbot was bought by Sunbeam – giving them access to superior engineering. This car uses a 1.7-liter straight-six making 35 horsepower. This car spent most of its life in its home country of the U.K. but the current Austrian owner acquired it a few years ago.

This is a very old car that is in very good condition. Only a few Talbot 14/35s are known to exist. This one should sell for between $13,000-$20,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Coys in London.

Update: Sold $21,800.

10 Cool Tractors

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Gone Farmin’

All tractors offered by Mecum | Walworth, Wisconsin | August 8-10, 2013

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1948 McCormick-Deering W-4

1948 McCormick-Deering W-4

Last week, Mecum held their annual tractor sale. Tractor collectors are serious and the market for them is strong. They are finally getting the respect in the collector vehicle world that they deserve. That said, I’m not an expert on tractors – I know very little about them. I thought I’d pull 10 tractors out of their catalog to feature just as something cool and different. I picked ones that I thought were rare and/or interesting. I’ll give you some specs, but won’t go into too much detail.

First up is this 1948 McCormick-Deering W-4. McCormick-Deering was a brand produced by International Harvester. The brand was around from 1923 through 1948. The W-4 was also sold as the Farmall H.

Engine: 2.5-liter straight-four. 23 horsepower.

Production: 24,377.

Produced: 1939-1948.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $2,000.

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1919 Waterloo Boy N

1919 Waterloo Boy N

Founded in 1892, Waterloo Boy was the first company to build and sell gasoline-powered tractors. In 1918, they were bought out by John Deere and the brand name disappeared after 1924. This N model is unrestored and all-original. Some specs:

Engine: 7.6-liter two-cylinder. 25 horsepower.

Production: 21,392.

Produced: 1917-1924.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $68,000.

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1948 Massey-Harris 44-6

1948 Massey-Harris 44-6

Massey-Harris was one of the two predecessors of Massey-Ferguson. Massey-Harris was founded in 1891 in Canada as the result of a merger. In 1953, they merged with Ferguson to become Massey-Harris-Ferguson. In 1958, the Harris part was dropped. The 44-6:

Engine: 3.7-liter straight-six. About 80 horsepower.

Production: 6,657.

Produced: 1946-1950.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $1,800.

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1924 John Deere D

1924 John Deere D

John Deere is the most famous of all tractor manufacturers with their iconic green and yellow paint scheme. The company, which is still technically Deere & Company, can trace its roots directly back to its founding by John Deere in 1837. Here’s some info on the D model:

Engine: 7.6-liter two-cylinder. About 27 horsepower.

Production: about 160,000.

Produced: 1923-1953.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $42,000.

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1927 Rumely Oilpull M 20/35

1927 Rumely Oilpull M 20-35

Rumely Oilpulls were a type of tractor built by Advance-Rumely, a company that was organized in 1915 and acquired by Allis-Chalmers in 1931.

Engine: 9.9-liter two-cylinder. About 35 horsepower.

Production: 3,671.

Produced: 1924-1927.

Update: Sold $35,000.

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1950 Ford 8N

1950 Ford 8N

Henry Ford had his own brand of tractors called Fordson, which he merged with his automobile company in 1920. Ford used the Fordson brand into the 1960s, but they also built tractors under the Ford brand. The N Series was in production from 1939 through 1954. Here’s some info on the 8N:

Engine: 2.0-liter straight-four. About 27 horsepower.

Production: about 524,000.

Produced: 1947-1953.

Update: Sold $2,800.

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1952 Minneapolis-Moline GTC

1952 Minneapolis Moline GTC

Minneapolis-Moline was founded by the result of a merger in 1929. The brand name was discontinued in 1974 – 11 years after the company had been acquired by the White Motor Company. About the GTC:

Engine: 5.6-liter straight-four.

Production: about 1,100.

Produced: 1951-1953.

Update: Sold $2,900.

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1957 Ferguson F-40

1957 Ferguson F-40

Ferguson was a brand of tractor founded by Harry Ferguson and David Brown (they guy who owned Aston Martin) in 1934. In 1953, the company merged with Massey-Harris to form Massey-Harris-Ferguson. Massey-Ferguson survives today. The F-40:

Engine: 2.2-liter straight-four. 33 horsepower.

Production: about 9,097.

Produced: 1956-1957.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $6,000.

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1937 Oliver 70

1937 Oliver 70

Like many tractor manufacturers, Oliver was formed by the result of a merger. In their case, it was four companies that came together in 1929 to make Oliver a reality. In 1960, they were bought by the White Motor Company who discontinued the brand in 1974.

Engine: 3.3-liter straight-six. 27 horsepower.

Production: unknown.

Produced: 1935-1948.

Update: Sold $3,200.

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1957 Farmall 350

1957 Farmall 350

Farmall was a brand developed by International Harvester to target a certain market. That market was “General Purpose Tractors.” The Farmall name first appeared in 1923 (as a sub-brand of IH) and they dropped the brand in 1973. You can check out more tractors here. Here’s some info on the short-lived 350 model:

Engine: 3.2-liter straight-four. 39 horsepower.

Production: about 17,000

Produced: 1956-1958.

Update: Sold $7,500.

Bugatti Type 37 Grand Prix

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1927 Bugatti Type 37 Grand Prix

Offered by RM Auctions | Lake Como, Italy | May 25, 2013

1927 Bugatti Type 37 Grand Prix

One of the best Bugatti’s ever. The Type 37 was an evolution of the Type 35 – it used the same chassis and body but used a different, smaller engine. That engine is a 1.5-liter straight-four making 80 horsepower.

This car uses the same formula that Colin Chapman would champion (tongue-twister alert) many years later: you don’t need a big engine if your car is lightweight and nimble. Compare a Bugatti like this to a Blower Bentley. The Bentley was huge and heavy and had to use a huge engine with huge power. This didn’t need big power because it’s small and light.

This car was sold new to Malaysia where the first owner kept it for two years before trading up (or down, depending on your perspective) for a Bentley. It was sold to someone in Singapore, who had to disassemble it and hide it during WWII. Years later it was discovered and taken back to England. In 1965, it was sold to German ownership – the current owner acquiring it in 1983.

The car is mostly original (which is mind-blowing) and has been mechanically sorted and its ready to go. Sure, it doesn’t have an awesome race history, but it’s still an awesome car. Only 290 Type 37s were built. It should sell for between $975,000-$1,250,000. Click here for more info and for some glorious photos. And here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Bugatti Type 38A

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1927 Bugatti Type 38A Tourer by J. Figoni

Offered by Gooding & Company | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 20-21, 2012

Photo – Gooding & Company

The Type 38 Bugatti was the second iteration of the eight-cylinder Bugatti. The first, the Type 30, was introduced in 1922. It wasn’t until 1926 that the Type 38 came about (the Type 40 was introduced that same year). There were 385 Type 38 Bugatti’s built with only 54 being the supercharged Type 38A, which featured the supercharger from the Type 37A race car.

The rather anemic supercharged 2.0 liter straight-8 engine made 60 horsepower. Only a few years later supercharged Duesenbergs would be putting out 320 horsepower – then again that was almost 7.0 liters. There’s no replacement for displacement.

This Bugatti features rather exceptional bodywork by Joseph (Giuseppe) Figoni of Figoni & Falaschi fame, although that partnership would not come to fruition for another eight years.  One thing I like about this car is that, even though it’s a 4-6 passenger (depending on size) touring car, it still has that awesome “Bugatti camber” that shows that this car means business:

Photo – Gooding & Company

These cars are rare but they aren’t quite as desirable as any Bugatti with, say, racing provenance or more sporting intentions (read: “more than 60 HP”). Gooding estimates this car at $500,000-$650,000. For more info, check out the car’s page on the auction website and more on the auction here.

Update: Sold $495,000.

Purple Isotta Boattail

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1927 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A Boattail Tourer

Offered by RM Auctions | Phoenix, Arizona | January 19-20, 2012

Look. At. This. Car. It’s mindblowing. First of all, how many two-tone purple cars do you see? Now, how many two-tone purple cars do you see that grab and hold your attention quite like this. Look at that grille!

This is the second Tipo 8A that we’ve featured that’s being offered in Arizona this January. It is by far the more awesome. The car is immaculate and I’d by dying to put a bid in on it, had I not been aware that RM sold this car back in 2007 for a touch over $390,000. At that time, it undercut the lower end of the estimate by a cool $60,000 – so, by definition it’s a steal. (The car lacked the current grille-work that it has now at that time).

It’s got a 135 horsepower, 7.4 liter Straight 8 engine which isn’t Duesenberg power but it’s no slouch, able to hit 100 mph. The Boattail bodywork is by Carrozzeria Italiana Cesare Sala (not a household name by any means) and it cost $6,000 back in 1927 – on top of the $8,500 chassis price. They weren’t exactly giving these cars away.

RM doesn’t have an estimate handy as of this writing, but $400,000 sounds about right, we’ll see. I’d pay it, conditions willing. More info can eventually be found here and more about RM in Arizona here.

Update: Sold $407,000.

Bonhams Harrogate Highlights

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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!).