Tag Archives: 1951

1950s Mercedes-Benz Station Wagon

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1951 Mercedes-Benz 170 Da Kombi

Offered by Coys | Jüchen, Germany | August 6, 2016

Photo - Coys

Photo – Coys

The station wagon boomed in the 1950s – but not just in the United States. While Germany may have produced some wagons, they didn’t build a whole lot of them. Here’s some model history: the 170 DA was an evolution of the W136 Mercedes-Benz that was first introduced in 1935. Production stopped due to the war in 1942 with just over 75,000 built.

After the war ended, W136 production resumed in 1947, thanks to its pre-war popularity. There were two models, the 170 V and the 170 D and in 1950 both were upgraded to the 170 Va and 170 Da respectively – with the 170 Da being the car you see here. The engine is a 1.8-liter straight-four.

The 170 Da was produced between 1950 and 1952 and the Kombi wagon variant is quite rare. This example has been completely restored and looks like it belongs in a museum. It should bring between $66,000-$88,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Coys.

Update: Sold about $71,000.

Stanga Barchetta

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1951 Stanga Barchetta

Offered by Dragone Auctions | Westport, Connecticut | June 4, 2016

Photo - Dragone Auctions

Photo – Dragone Auctions

“Etceterini” is a term to describe light Italian racing cars built between the immediate postwar period up through the early-to-mid-1960s. The Stanga brothers’ little company falls neatly into that category. Gianfranco, Sandro, and Camillo Stanga set up shop in 1949.

Stanga Barchettas began life as a Fiat 500 chassis (the Topolino, not the original Cinquecento). The engine is a Giannini-tuned Topolino engine, the straight-four now buffed up to 600cc. For the bodies, the brothers turned to Motto.

This car does have Mille Miglia history (all Stangas competed there) but the exact race history of this car is unknown. Only seven Stanga Barchettas were built and only two carry bodywork by Motto. This car should bring between $175,000-$185,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Ferrari 340 America

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1951 Ferrari 340 America Barchetta by Touring

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Monaco | May 14, 2016

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

There were a number of Ferrari automobiles that wore a “340” badge. There was the 340 Mexico, the 340 MM, the 340 F1, and this, the 340 America. The America, obviously, was part of the Ferrari America line of cars that began in 1950 with this model. It would continue through 1966 with the 500 Superfast (and maybe through 1967 with the 365 California if you count that one).

The 340 America is powered by a 4.1-liter V-12 making 317 horsepower. That’s some serious get-up-and-go for 1951. It’s first owner was a Frenchman who drove his first 24 Hours of Le Mans 20 years prior. And with that, this car was entered in the 1951 24 Hours (just a week after its owner took delivery, no less). It’s competition history includes:

  • 1951 24 Hours of Le Mans – 56th, DNF (with Louis Chiron and Pierre-Louis Dreyfus (the car’s owner)
  • 1952 24 Hours of Le Mans – 45th, DNF (with Dreyfus and Rene Dreyfus)

It’s a quick car, too – able to hit 150 mph on the Mulsanne. It sports a recent restoration to 1951 Le Mans spec and has both competed in the historic Mille Miglia and has been shown at Villa d’Este. It is the third of 23 340 Americas built. Only eight were bodied by Touring (this is the second). Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $8,233,680.

T26 Grand Sport by Dubos

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1951 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport by Dubos

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | February 5, 2016

Photo - Artcurial

Photo – Artcurial

The Talbot-Lago T26 Record was a car introduced by Talbot-Lago in 1946. In late 1947, a Grand Sport version was introduced, which included a more powerful 4.5-liter straight-six making 190 horsepower (in this form). Grand Sport cars (that weren’t race cars) were all sent out to coachbuilders to have some of the best designs of the period attached to them.

This one went to Carrossier Louis Dubos near Paris for this elegant cabriolet that, while originally black, looks glorious in white. Never completely restored, mechanical bits have been redone as needed. This is one of three T26s bodied by Dubos and the only Grand Sport to wear one of their bodies. It should sell for between $260,000-$350,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $293,834.

Coachbuilt Classics at Rétromobile

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Coachbuilt Classics at Rétromobile

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | February 5, 2016

1951 Salmson G72 Coupe by Saoutchik

Photo - Artcurial

Photo – Artcurial

Salmson, the French auto manufacturer, built cars up through 1957. They had a range of sedans and two-doors. This is a G72, a model introduced in 1950. Most G72s were sedans, but some of them were sent to coachbuilders for something a little more fancy. Power was supplied by a 2.3-liter straight-four.

This car was bodied by Saoutchik, the legendary French coachbuilder. It was repainted some 25 years ago but otherwise it is original. Only 254 of this series of the G72 were produced and this one carries a one-off body. It should bring between $175,000-$240,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $207,019

1953 Renault Frégate Ondine Cabriolet by Ghia

Photo - Artcurial

Photo – Artcurial

The Renault Frégate was Renault’s executive sedan that they built between 1951 and 1960. Estate wagons were available as well, under different names. Renault showed a convertible at the 1953 Paris Motor Show, but it never entered production. Later, three more examples were shown and two disappeared. It is believed this is the only survivor of those cars.

The body is actually made of some kind of polyester blend. We’re really not sure what that means, but the engine is likely a 2.0-liter straight-four. The restoration was completed in the 1990s and it is believed that this car was used by legendary French singer Edith Piaf in the 1950s. It is the only car like it and it should bring between $87,000-$110,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Artcurial.

Update: Sold $86,814.

1939 Graham-Paige Type 97 Supercharged Cabriolet by Pourtout

Photo - Artcurial

Photo – Artcurial

The Graham brothers of Dearborn, Michigan, began producing their own trucks in 1922 after years of modifying Fords. That company was bought by Dodge in 1925 and the brothers joined Dodge’s board. But when Chrysler took over Dodge in 1928, the Graham brand was soon phased out. Good thing the brothers bought the Paige-Detroit Motor Company in 1927.

So in 1928, the Graham-Paige marque was introduced. In 1938 they introduced a bold (and awesome) new style that they built in low quantities through 1941. After the war, the automotive portion of the company was acquired by Kaiser-Frazer (which never reintroduced the Graham-Paige automobile brand), but Graham-Paige, strangely, soldiered on as a real estate company into the 1960s before becoming the Madison Square Garden Corporation. Weird, huh?

Anyway, the Type 97 Supercharged was built in 1938 and 1939. It is powered by a supercharged 3.5-liter straight-six making 115 horsepower. This car left Graham-Paige as a coupe (they didn’t offer a convertible) and made its way to France to be bodied by Pourtout in Paris. It may be the only such car with this body. It has been restored and should sell for between $165,000-$215,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $186,985.

Update: Sold, RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island 2017, $770,000.

1949 Delahaye 135MS Coupe by Ghia

Photo - Artcurial

Photo – Artcurial

The Delahaye 135 was one of their best models. It lasted (in some form) between 1935 and 1954. The 135MS was the sportiest version – sometimes it was a race car, and sometimes it was a road car. It was the final Delahaye car available for purchase before the brand was phased out.

Bodies for the car varied widely. This car, with its covered wheels and sort of boxy design, was styled by Ghia in Turin. It’s beautiful. The engine is a 3.6-liter straight-six making 120 horsepower. It was built for the Shah of Iran who owned it until the late 1950s when it went back to Europe. Since then it spent time in the Blackhawk Collection and the John O’Quinn collection. The restoration was carried out sometime in the early 1990s. It’s a wonderful car and one of three Delahaye 135s styled by Ghia. It should sell for between $210,000-$285,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $180,307.

1951 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport by Dubos

Photo - Artcurial

Photo – Artcurial

The Talbot-Lago T26 Record was a car introduced by Talbot-Lago in 1946. In late 1947, a Grand Sport version was introduced, which included a more powerful 4.5-liter straight-six making 190 horsepower (in this form). Grand Sport cars (that weren’t race cars) were all sent out to coachbuilders to have some of the best designs of the period attached to them.

This one went to Carrossier Louis Dubos near Paris for this elegant cabriolet that, while originally black, looks glorious in white. Never completely restored, mechanical bits have been redone as needed. This is one of three T26s bodied by Dubos and the only Grand Sport to wear one of their bodies. It should sell for between $260,000-$350,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $293,834.

212 Inter Cabriolet

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1951 Ferrari 212 Inter Cabriolet by Vignale

Offered by Bonhams | Carmel, California | August 14, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Another high-dollar Ferrari – but recently, aren’t they all? Even Ferrari 308s are commanding sums into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Is there a Prancing Horse bubble? Well if there is, this is the kind of Ferrari to have your money in. These early, Colombo V-12 cars are the roots of Ferrari.

The 212 Inter (not to be confused with the race-bred 212 Export) was a grand touring car built between 1951 and 1952 only. The bodies were all by the leading Italian coachbuilders of the day, with this car sporting a distinctive Vignale drop-top body. The car looks sort of Aston Martin and Maserati-ish.

The engine is a 2.6-liter V-12 making 170 horsepower. This was car #16 of 78 Inters built and one of only four with this Vignale coachwork. This car spent most of its life in Switzerland and has known ownership history from new. The restoration was completed last year and it’s being offered fresh off an award-winning debut at Pebble Beach in 2014. It should bring between $2,400,000-$2,800,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $2,200,000.

Update: Sold, Bonhams Scottsdale 2020, $1,930,000.

Lotus Mk IIIB

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1951 Lotus Mk IIIB

Offered by Gooding & Company | Amelia Island, Florida | March 13, 2015

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

The Lotus Mark III was the third Lotus model produced. It came about when Colin Chapman and his partners modified three Austin Sevens to compete in the 750 Motor Club formula. One car was completed in 1951 before a man named Adam Currie came around to the Lotus shop and ordered this car, the Mk IIIB – the first Lotus ever sold to a customer.

It is also the first car to wear the legendary yellow Lotus badge. The engine is a massively reworked straight-four from a Ford 10 that was slimmed down to 1.1-liters. Horsepower is estimated at 50. The body is aluminium and the car was raced in period by Colin Chapman, Adam Currie, and successful hillclimber and Formula One driver Tony Marsh.

The car’s competition years lasted solidly through 1954. The current owner acquired the car in 1994 from long-term ownership dating back to the late 1950s. A restoration was performed in 1995, taking it back to 1953 race livery. This is an important Lotus, one of the oldest examples money can buy. It can be yours for between $250,000-$450,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $247,500.

Allard J2X

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1951 Allard J2X

Offered by Coys | Ascot, U.K. | April 26, 2014

Photo - Coys

Photo – Coys

The Allard J2X is one of the legendary automobiles. If you want to talk early, serious sports cars, then this is a great place to start. Sydney Allard really got into building his hillclimb specials after WWII and as time went on, the cars became more original, more competitive, and much more popular. Not to mention they went into actual production.

The J2X replaced the J2 for 1951. This is the very first J2X built and it was a works test car before being sold into public hands. The J2X featured improved handling thanks to a lengthened chassis and a choice between Cadillac or Chrysler V-8s. This car uses a 5.4-liter Cadillac V-8 that makes 200 horsepower.

It was originally campaigned privately all over England and the restoration was finished in 2007. Since then, it has appeared at historic events and is eligible for the Goodwood Revival. Only 83 J2Xs were built before production ended in 1953. This is among the nicest and should bring between $465,000-$535,000. Click here for more info and here to see the rest of Coys’ lineup at Ascot Racecourse.

Here’s video of a similar car:

Five Military Vehicles

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The Littlefield Collection

Offered by Auctions America | Portola Valley, California | July 11-12, 2014

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ca.1960 Daimler Ferret FV701

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

The Ferret was an armored car built by Daimler in the U.K. for reconnaissance purposes. They were built between 1952 and 1971. The engine is a straight-six making 129 horsepower which can push it to 58 mph. These were used in almost every Commonwealth country up to and into the early-1990s. In total, 4,409 were built and they have become an attainable military vehicle for many collectors. This one should sell for between $25,000-$35,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $54,050.

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ca.1951 Vauxhall Churchill FV3901 Toad

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

The Churchill tank was used by British forces during WWII. They were built between 1941 and 1952 and they were pretty much obsolete by the time the war ended, making them a great candidate for modification for other service. One such modification was that to a “Toad” – a minesweeper. The engine is a 21.2-liter flat-12 making 350 horsepower. The flail (that chains that pound the ground to detonate mines) has its own engine, another V-12. It will do a whopping 12 mph.

They converted 42 Churchills into Toads in the early 1950s. The one you see here has been fantastically restored and is the only one left in the world. And it is fully functional. This is one of the stars of the show. It should sell for between $400,000-$500,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $80,500

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ca.1959 ChKZ 8U218 TEL 8K11 Scud A

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

No, I did not just slam my fingers on my keyboard to name this. This is an accurate vehicle name as I can provide. It was built by ChKZ (Chelyabinsk Kirov Plant) in St. Petersburg, Russia. This particular model of TEL (transporter, erector, launcher) was built between 1958 and 1962. The missile is a Scud A – a Soviet ballistic missile and one of the scarier parts of the Cold War.

The vehicle is powered by a 520 horsepower 12-cylinder engine. Top speed is 23 mph. This is a really cool piece of Cold War history. It can be yours for between $300,000-$350,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $345,000.

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ca.1967 Praga M53/59

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

This is a former Czechoslovakian Army vehicle built by Praga. It uses a Tatra straight-six making 110 horsepower. They only built less than around 350 of these, so it’s kind of rare. This six-wheel-drive truck will do 37 mph. It’s certainly interesting and should sell for between $20,000-$25,000. Read more here.

Update: Sold $33,350

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1942 Vickers-Armstrongs Infantry Tank Mk III, Valentine Mk V

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

The Mark III Infantry Tank was called the Valentine in the U.K. during World War 2. They were built by Vickers-Armstrongs, among other manufacturers. It was a big, strong tank that was fairly reliable too. It’s powered by a 138 horsepower GMC straight-six. The top speed was 15 mph. This is one of many tanks I’m hoping to feature over the coming weeks. Between 1940 and 1945, 8,275 of these were built. In original condition, this should sell for between $100,000-$150,000. Click here to read more and here for more from this awesome sale.

Update: Sold $109,250.

Churchill Toad

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ca.1951 Vauxhall Churchill FV3901 Toad

Offered by Auctions America | Portola Valley, California | July 11-12, 2014

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

The Churchill tank was used by British forces during WWII. They were built between 1941 and 1952 and they were pretty much obsolete by the time the war ended, making them a great candidate for modification for other service. One such modification was that to a “Toad” – a minesweeper. The engine is a 21.2-liter flat-12 making 350 horsepower. The flail (that chains that pound the ground to detonate mines) has its own engine, another V-12. It will do a whopping 12 mph.

They converted 42 Churchills into Toads in the early 1950s. The one you see here has been fantastically restored and is the only one left in the world. And it is fully functional. This is one of the stars of the show. It should sell for between $400,000-$500,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $80,500