Tag Archives: 1930

G.A.R. Roadster

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1930 G.A.R. Type B5 Roadster

Offered by Gooding & Company | Amelia Island, Florida | February-March 2024

Photo – Gooding & Company

Cyclecars G.A.R. was founded in Clichy, France, in 1922, and, through a name change to Gardahaut et Cie in 1929, remained in production through 1934. M. Gardahaut designed the cars, and he took them racing in the mid-’20s to prove their mettle.

The G.A.R. was not a mass-produced car, and only three B5s are known to still exist. This one is powered by a 1.4-liter inline-eight that was rated at eight taxable horsepower. It also has a Cotal pre-selector gearbox and four-wheel drum brakes.

With known history back to 1970, the car came into the Mullin collection in 2011 and was restored two years later, debuting at Pebble Beach that year. It now has an estimate of $75,000-$125,000. Click here for more info.

Phantom II Experimental Dual Cowl Phaeton

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1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Dual Cowl Sports Phaeton by Whittingham & Mitchel

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | February 2024

Photo – Artcurial

The Phantom II was produced by Rolls-Royce between 1929 and 1935, upping the ante over the original Phantom and eventually being replaced by the Phantom III. Of the 1,681 produced, apparently nine were “experimental” chassis. This is one of those.

Powered by a 7.7-liter inline-six, this chassis was originally fitted with Park Ward limousine bodywork. It was later used as a factory test car before being sent back to the factory in 1933 to be modified to “normal” Phantom II specs. Later that year its next owner sent it to Whittingham & Mitchel of London to be re-bodied.

And that bodywork is striking and very unconventional for a Rolls. The low beltline, tiny rear doors, swept fenders… it’s a sporty Rolls for sure. The estimate here is $175,000-$260,000. More info can be found here.

Duesenberg J-318

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1930 Duesenberg Model J Dual Cowl Barrelside Phaeton by LeBaron

Offered by Gooding & Company | Pebble Beach, California | August 18-19, 2023

Photo – Gooding & Company

Great color combo here, gray with red accents and maroon upholstery. Not sure there’s really a bad two-tone Duesenberg though (this one was originally two-tone beige and brown). This is a LeBaron-bodied Model J, and it’s a dual cowl phaeton with a “barrelside” body, meaning the sides of the body had a slight curve, tapering inward at the top and bottom.

Just seven Model Js were bodied by LeBaron in this style. And this is the only one on a long-wheelbase chassis. The car is powered by a 6.9-liter inline-eight that made 265 horsepower.

This car was purchased new by a tobacco heir and was delivered new to its American owner in Paris. It was restored in the early 1980s and looks fresh. The estimate here is a healthy $3,000,000-$4,000,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $2,975,000.

Lancia Dilambda

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1930 Lancia Dilambda Cabriolet by Carlton

Offered by Bring a Trailer Auctions | March 2023

Photo – Bring a Trailer Auctions

The Lambda was a car produced by Lancia between 1922 and 1931, and it was powered by a V4 engine. The short-lived Trikappa of 1922-1925 was the first Lancia powered by a narrow-angle V8. It’s successor, the V8-powered Dilambda, is what we have here. It’s like “two Lambdas” in terms of engine capacity. It was sold from 1928 through 1935.

The engine is a 4.0-liter V8 that made about 100 horsepower. Just 1,104 were built in the first series through 1931. This was Lancia’s halo car during its run. And this particular one was bodied by the Carlton Carriage Company in London. The result is very English and very good looking.

The history of the car includes being stored during WWII, refurbished about 5-6 years ago, and then driven across the U.S. on its way to Pebble Beach. The dealer selling this car has dropped some pretty fantastic photos of the car on its cross-continent journey. You can take a look at them here.

Update: Sold $307,000.

Waterhouse-Bodied Packard

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1930 Packard Deluxe Eight Series 745 Convertible Victoria by Waterhouse

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Amelia Island, Florida | March 4, 2023

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Packard’s eight-cylinder line of cars was their bread and butter for decades. In 1930, at the dawn of the Depression, Packard offered four takes on the Eight: the Standard, Speedster, Custom, and Deluxe. The latter was their top offering, available in Series 745 form only.

This specified a 145.5-inch wheelbase and a 106-horsepower, 6.3-liter inline-eight. Eleven factory body styles were offered in addition to whatever you could get an independent coachbuilder to whip up for you.

This car was bodied by Waterhouse, who were based in Massachusetts. It was restored in the 1980s, purportedly in colors found under layers of newer paint. It’s a striking combination that, coupled with Woodlite headlights, really grabs your attention. No estimate is yet available, but you can read more about it here.

Update: Sold $637,500.

OAF Fire Truck

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1930 OAF AFN Fire Truck

Offered by Dorotheum | Salzburg, Austria | October 15, 2022

Photo – Dorotheum

So it’s not pronounced “oaf”… it’s actually ÖAF, for Österreichische Automobil-Fabrik. The company was founded in 1907 as the Austrian Fiat truck plant. The trucks were called “Austro-Fiats”, and they started developing their own stuff during WWI. In 1925, Fiat lost control of it, and the name shifted to OAF.

MAN took over OAF (what a sentence) in 1938. After WWII, the company was split off, eventually going private in 1970, merging with Graf & Stift. The following year, MAN acquired them again. The last OAF-branded trucks left the assembly line in 2008.

The AFN express truck debuted in 1924 powered by a 2.9-liter Fiat inline-four that made 42 horsepower. This fire truck dates from 1930 and remained with it’s local Austrian fire department until 2009 (though not in use, I hope). It was then sold into private ownership and restored. The estimate here is $24,000-$34,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.

Duesenberg J-368

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1930 Duesenberg Model J Limousine by Willoughby

Offered by Broad Arrow Auctions | Monterey, California | August 18, 2022

Photo – Broad Arrow Auctions

Fixed-roof Model Js have never been the most sought after. Maybe in their day when they were used by titans of industry or Gilded Age heiresses to be chauffeured around in. But not now. Everyone wants an open car of some kind, disappearing top convertibles or even touring cars.

So, because of this, many sedans and limousines have been rebodied, and those that haven’t are generally less expensive. Well those days are apparently over. This car features a limousine body by Willoughby, a design that was updated in period as updates became available. It was later reverted to more closely resemble how it looked when new. The 6.9-liter inline-eight was rated at 265 horsepower.

This car was purchased new by the co-founder of Esquire magazine. A restoration by a later owner was completed in 1991, and the car was subsequently donated to a museum, who sold it for profit. The current owner bought it in 2018. The estimate is $1,000,000-$1,500,000. You’re gonna have to find a different “cheaper” entry point into the Model J owner’s club. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $1,000,000.

Alfa 6C Record Car

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1930 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport Testa Fissa

Offered by Bonhams | Carmel, California | August 19, 2022

Photo – Bonhams

Alfa Romeo’s 6C 1750 was a very successful racing car in its day, racking up victories at the Mille Miglia, Targa Florio, 24 Hours of Spa, and Grands Prix all over Europe. If it had speed on track with other cars, why wouldn’t it have speed on a track by itself?

This car is believed to have been ordered new by a Brooklands racing driver as a rolling chassis that was test driven at the factory before being returned to the U.K. Once there, it was fitted with an aluminum body co-designed by three-time Land Speed Record holder George Eyston. The Alfa’s supercharged 1.7-liter inline-six made 102 horsepower in Gran Sport “Testa Fissa” form. This one is rated at 140 horsepower with some slight modern modifications.

Eyston set multiple records in the car during 1930 at Brooklands. A later owner removed the body, which had been damaged by that point, so the one it wears today is a recreation. This beastly looking Alfa is a throwback to the days of insanely dangerous speed record chasing. You can read more about it here.

Update: Not sold.

BMW DA-3 Wartburg

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1930 BMW 3/15 DA-3 Wartburg

Offered by Dorotheum | Vosendorf, Austria | July 2, 2022

Photo – Dorotheum

It’s pretty amazing how many early BMWs this auction house manages to round up for sale. This is a derivative of BMW first car, the 3/15. First sold as the Dixi 3/15, the 3/15 would be sold in a few series under the BMW marque.

The DA-3 Wartburg was sold in 1930 and 1931. It was only offered as a roadster, making it BMW’s first “sports car.” BMW used a front drop axle to lower the frame, and the aluminum body featured boattail styling. Power is from a 747cc inline-four that got increased compression in the Wartburg for a rated output of 17 horsepower.

Only 150 of these were built, with 100 in the first year and 50 in the second. This one was restored about 20 years ago and now has an estimate of $58,000-$79,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $57,229.

Duesenberg J-362

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1930 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Berline by LeBaron

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Monterey, California | August 19-20, 2022

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

This is what you’d call a stately Model J. While it’s not a traditional limousine, it has that look but with a retractable soft top with landau bars and removable B-pillars. The coachwork is by LeBaron, who were responsible for some great Duesenberg designs back in the day.

Power is from a 6.9-liter inline-eight that made 265 horsepower when new. Model Js had a three-speed manual transmission. But all that power and favorable gearing means that this beast can do almost 90 mph in second gear.

This car was originally owned by an heir to a Chicago department store fortune. Ownership history is more or less known, and the car was restored by RM with work completing around 2000. The current owner bought it in 2010. Price estimates? More than a limo but less than a dual-cowl phaeton. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $1,061,000.