Tag Archives: 1935

500K by Saoutchik

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1935 Mercedes-Benz 500K Cabriolet by Saoutchik

Offered by Bonhams | Stuttgart, Germany | March 19, 2016

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The fact that this car looks so fresh as if the body was constructed during a restoration – but wasn’t – signifies that it is something special: it is entirely unique to this model. Jacques Saoutchik is responsible for some of the most beautiful designs of his era. And to have one of those stylish bodies on one of the greatest chassis of the era is quite a feat.

The Mercedes-Benz 500K is one of their most sought-after models with only 354 built. They are powered by a 5.0-liter straight-eight making 100 horsepower or 160 with the supercharger engaged. This particular chassis was displayed as a bare chassis at the 1935 Paris Salon.

It was sold new to California and remained there until the current owner acquired it in 1989. It has been restored but it hasn’t really done the show circuit. It’s quite the ticket and should bring between $6,600,000-$7,700,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Update: Sold, RM Monterey 2022, $1,710,000.

A Pair of Stunning 500Ks

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A Pair of Stunning 500Ks

Offered by Bonhams | Stuttgart, Germany | March 19, 2016

1935 Mercedes-Benz 500K Cabriolet by Saoutchik

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The fact that this car looks so fresh as if the body was constructed during a restoration – but wasn’t – signifies that it is something special: it is entirely unique to this model. Jacques Saoutchik is responsible for some of the most beautiful designs of his era. And to have one of those stylish bodies on one of the greatest chassis of the era is quite a feat.

The Mercedes-Benz 500K is one of their most sought-after models with only 354 built. They are powered by a 5.0-liter straight-eight making 100 horsepower or 160 with the supercharger engaged. This particular chassis was displayed as a bare chassis at the 1935 Paris Salon.

It was sold new to California and remained there until the current owner acquired it in 1989. It has been restored but it hasn’t really done the show circuit. It’s quite the ticket and should bring between $6,600,000-$7,700,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

1936 Mercedes-Benz 500K Sports Roadster by Sindelfingen

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

This is a slightly more “standard” 500K – even though it is so beyond most of its 1936-era contemporaries. Most of the 354 500Ks built fall into specific categories such as Cabriolet A, Cabriolet B, Cabriolet C, Special Roadster, etc. This is a Sports Roadster and is one of somewhere between seven and 12 such examples built. There is a category of “other open cars” with regards to 500K body styles and this would fall in there.

The engine is the standard supercharged 5.0-liter straight-eight making 100 horsepower or 160 with the kompressor engaged when the throttle is held wide open. This car was delivered new to London and later ended up in Florida. In 1989, it returned to Europe – this time Sweden. It’s a wonderful example of one of MB’s all-time great models. It should bring between $3,900,000-$5,000,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Buddy Stewart Pickup

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1935 Stewart Model 40H Buddy Pickup

Offered by Mecum | Houston, Texas | April 9-11, 2015

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

The Stewart Motor Corporation of Buffalo, New York, began building commercial vehicles in 1912. For 1915 and 1916 only, they offered a passenger car, before returning to what they did best. In 1926 they introduced the “Buddy” – a light truck with road-going performance.

What you see here is just such a model, which was likely produced up through 1937 (Stewart folded in 1940). It’s powered by a 2.7-liter straight-four. Today, this wouldn’t be considered a commercial vehicle, but an everyday pickup truck.

And that’s why this is so interesting. This is a relatively late example (most car companies that the Depression was going to kill were already dead by this point and the only survivors are the ones that are household names today). So here’s a light pickup that would’ve competed against Ford and Chevrolet from a company you’ve probably never heard of. Check out more here and see more from Mecum here.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $37,500.

Update II: Sold, Auctions America, Auburn Fall 2015, $20,350.

Duesenberg SJ-553

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1935 Duesenberg Model SJ Town Car by Bohman & Schwartz

Offered by RM Auctions | Ft. Worth, Texas | May 2, 2015

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

It’s been quite awhile since I’ve done a write-up on a Duesenberg. This is an SJ, a factory supercharged example. What’s even better is that it has it’s original chassis, engine and body – there aren’t many SJs (or any Duesenbergs) that can say that.

The SJ was a supercharged version of the standard 6.9-liter straight-eight that pumps out a still-impressive 320 horsepower. The history of this car is interesting: it was a bare chassis sitting in a Duesenberg warehouse after the great clamor for these cars had passed. Designer Herb Newport of Bohman & Schwartz penned this body and the car was to be built for Mae West, who bought another Model J before this one was done.

Instead, this car was sold to Ethel Mars, of the Mars Candy Company. She was chauffeured around Chicago in this car for years. The car then had a string of Chicago-area owners into the 1960s before Bill Harrah got his hands on it. When his collection was dispersed, this car had a few more owners before RM sold it in 2007 for $4.4 million.

So how rare is this combo? Well, it’s a one-of-one design and it’s one of only 36 factory supercharged Model Js built (less than 30 remain). Only 10 have one-off bodies on an original SJ chassis. Bohman & Schwartz only bodied nine Duesenbergs and five of those were rebodies – making this one of four Bohman & Schwartz originals.

It has known ownership history since new and could top $5 million. Check out more here and see more from The Andrews Collection here.

Update: Sold $3,630,000.

A Pretty Packard

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1935 Packard Super Eight Coupe Roadster

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

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

So there’s really nothing super exotic about this Packard. But when I looked through the catalog for this sale, it caught my eye. It’s just pretty, isn’t it? Packards are quite stately as-is, but this one – and maybe it’s that deep ruby red paint – I really like.

The Super Eight appears to have been new for 1933 as a deviation of the then-three-year-old Eight. The engine is a 150 horsepower 6.3-liter straight-eight. These are still usable cars… although the wonderfully styled rear-hinged doors aren’t something you see much of anymore.

The car was actually restored decades ago but has been freshened and detailed more recently. It still looks excellent. This Series 1204 Coupe Roadster should sell for between $150,000-$200,000. Click here for more info and here for more from RM in Michigan.

Update: Sold $181,500.

Aston Martin Ulster

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1935 Aston Martin Ulster

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | June 27, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The Ulster is one of Aston Martin’s most sought-after and glorious models. It’s also quite manly, isn’t it? It just looks like to takes serious brawn to slide over that big exhaust and into the car. What’s even better is that this car competed in some of the biggest races of its day as an Aston factory racer.

The Ulster was built between 1934 and 1936 and only 21 were constructed, making it extremely rare. It was essentially a lightened version of the Aston Mk II and uses a 1.5-liter straight-four making 80 horsepower (although a one-time owner and specialist said that number is more like 120). It could do 100 mph.

This one has some pretty serious race history, including:

  • 1935 Mille Miglia – DNF (with Eddie Hall and “Marsden”)
  • 1935 24 Hours of Le Mans – 8th (with Maurice Faulkner and Tom Clarke)
  • 1935 Targa Abruzzo – 5th, 1st in class (with Count Giovanni Lurani and Ermengildo Strazza)

The first actual owner of this car was an Aston factory driver, Ian Porter-Hargreaves. Marque specialist Derrick Edwards bought it in 1963. It’s been restored to its former glory. Bonhams says that this might be the “most revered” Ulster there is. That’s a big statement. And it carries a big price: $2,400,000-$2,700,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

BSA Scout

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1935 BSA Scout Series I

Offered by Bonhams | Oxford, U.K. | March 8, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The Birmingham Small Arms Company began motorized vehicle production in 1907 with some prototype cars. Motorcycles arrived in 1910 and would become the company’s signature product through the 1960s and into the 1970s. BSA motorcycles are some of the most classic British bikes from the era.

Early BSA cars were kind of a mess and it wasn’t until their fourth attempt at automobile production that they finally got it right (or as close to right as they would before realizing that maybe they should stick with motorcycles). The Scout was introduced in 1935 and used a 1.1-liter straight-four engine making 9 (RAC) horsepower (which I think is around 30hp in today’s terms).

The Scout was available in six series through 1939 and established BSA as a builder of reliable automobiles. Unfortunately the War killed any hopes of them continuing after the Scout ceased production. It’s a small, light car with really good looks. This one was a basket case when it was found in the 1970s and eventually restored to great condition. It’s a cool little car from a company better known for their two-wheelers. It should sell for between $10,000-$13,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams’ Oxford sale.

Update: Sold $20,249.

Hispano-Suiza Cabriolet deVille

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1935 Hispano-Suiza J12 Cabriolet deVille by Rippon Brothers

Offered by RM Auctions | Phoenix, Arizona | January 17, 2014

1935 Hispano-Suiza J12 Cabriolet deVille by Rippon Brothers

We featured a Hispano-Suiza J12 a few months ago but that car was withdrawn from the sale before it could cross the block so I couldn’t really get a feeling as to what it was going to sell for. The estimate was in the millions. This car shouldn’t be too far off with an estimate between $1,000,000-$1,300,000.

But then again, this car isn’t a long two-door cabriolet. Instead it’s a very stylish and expensive looking four-door limousine-like tank. RM’s catalog description uses the word “aristocracy” and that’s spot-on as this is truly a car for an aristocrat.

The J12 was Hispano-Suiza’s halo car. Built from 1931 through 1938, only about 100 of the magnificent V-12-powered cars were built. This car uses the smaller 9.4-liter engine making 220 horsepower.

Delivered new to the U.K., it made it’s way to the U.S. after a restoration in the 1980s. It became part of the John O’Quinn collection in 2006. A mechanical overhaul was recently completed, making this a better driver than it has been in over half-a-century. This car has it’s original body, engine, and chassis – numbers matching, as they say. It is stupendous and fit for a king. Read more here and check out more from RM here.

Update: Sold $1,045,000.

A Brough Superior Road Car

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1935 Brough Superior 4-Litre Drophead Coupe by Atcherely

Offered by H&H Auctions | Buxton, U.K. | October 30, 2013

1935 Brough Superior 4-Litre

George Brough built, perhaps, the greatest motorcycles of all time. Brough Superior motorcycles are the most sought-after collector bikes out there and with good reason: they were the result of fantastic engineering and incredible build-quality. They were the most expensive motorcycles you could buy and were the equivalent of a two-wheeled Rolls-Royce.

Motorcycle production started in 1919 and continued to 1940. In 1935, George Brough decided to produce a few cars as well. The first model used a Hudson-sourced 4-litre straight-eight engine making 125 horsepower. They offered quick acceleration and a 90 mph top speed. The 4-Litre lasted only through 1936 before it was replaced by a six-cylinder model. Most had this bodywork from Atcherley.

Only about 20 4-Litre cars were built and only eight are known to survive (Brough Superior only built about 85 cars total). This car is “described as ‘restored.'” What’s interesting to me is that Brough Superior motorcycles, while very rare, outnumber cars by a lot to a few and bring prices very similar to the $110,000-$130,000 that this car is supposed to bring. I’ve just always assumed cars would be more expensive than motorcycles. I guess that’s not always the case, but it sure makes this car seem like a bargain. Click here for more info and here for more from H&H.

Update: Sold $107,800.

A Scuderia Ferrari Alfa 8C-35 Grand Prix Car

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1935 Alfa Romeo 8C-35 Grand Prix

Offered by Bonhams | Chichester, U.K. | September 14, 2013

1935 Alfa Romeo 8C-35 Grand Prix

Before Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren there was Alfa Romeo, Mercedes-Benz, Maserati and Auto Union. The 1930s were a thrilling (and scary) time in Grand Prix racing and some of its all-time stars came from that era: Caracciola, Nuvolari, Rosemeyer, Varzi and more. And so did one other man: Enzo Ferrari. Scuderia Ferrari began as a race team in 1929 – becoming the Alfa Romeo factory team. It wasn’t until after the war that he started building his own cars.

This is a special, special car. It’s an 8C-35 – it uses a supercharged 3.8-liter straight-eight engine making 330 horsepower – quite a sum for 1935. This is an actual Scuderia Ferrari team car driven by Nuvolari (and more). The Ferrari-era history of this car is not known, but legend holds that Nuvolari won the 1936 Coppa Ciano with it. Toward the end of 1936, this car was sold to a privateer – Hans Ruesch, who raced it as often as possible. Some of his driving career in the car is as follows (including 3 European Championship – the precursor to Formula One – eligible races in 1937, as noted by asterisk*):

  • 1936 Donington Grand Prix – 1st (with Ruesch and Dick Seaman)
  • 1936 Mountain Championship at Brooklands – 2nd (with Ruesch)
  • 1937 South African Grand Prix – 4th (with Ruesch)
  • 1937 Grosvenor Grand Prix – 5th (with Ruesch)
  • 1937 Finnish Grand Prix – 1st (with Ruesch)
  • 1937 Grand Prix des Frontieres – 1st (with Ruesch)
  • 1937 Bucharest Grand Prix – 1st (with Ruesch)
  • 1937 German Grand Prix* – 8th (with Ruesch)
  • 1937 Monaco Grand Prix *- 8th (with Ruesch)
  • 1937 Swiss Grand Prix* – 15th, DNF (with Ruesch)
  • 1937 Mountain Championship at Brooklands – 1st (with Ruesch)

Ruesch sold the car in 1939 after much success (and a few major repairs). The car came into the hands of Dennis Poore during the war and he maintained the car for 40 years, using it in a fair number of events. It was sold at auction in 1988 and was restored to its 1930s-era look in the late-1990s. The current owner acquired it about 10 years ago and has used it in some historic events as well. This is the only surviving example of an 8C-35 and it should sell for between $8,600,000-$10,000,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams at Goodwood.

Update: Sold $9,511,542.

S/N: 50013