Tag Archives: 1956

Fiat Eden Roc

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1956 Fiat Eden Roc by Pinin Farina

Offered by Gooding & Company | Pebble Beach, California | August 15-16, 2015

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

The Fiat 600 Multipla isn’t one of the sexiest cars ever built – far from it. But it did have a solid layout and drivetrain – enough to move nearly a quarter of a million of them off dealer lots between 1956 and 1969. The Fiat 500 and 600 were the basis for quite a variety of “beach cars” built for wealthy people who didn’t need something practical for everyday driving, but for a way to get from the front door to the ocean.

So when Fiat president Gianni Agnelli wanted a car for just that purpose, Pinin Farina took a 600 Multipla, widened it a little, and crafted this really pretty open-air little transporter. It is powered by a 962cc straight-four (mounted at the rear) making 50 horsepower. It features an early-Econoline setup with the driver essentially riding the windshield, but it’s quite pretty. It has a very Cary Grant-in-1950s-Italy sort of feel about it, doesn’t it?

Agnelli’s Eden Roc premiered at the 1956 Paris Motor Show and it caught the eye of an American oil man who commissioned another example (this one). It’s had two owners (both of the same family) since new and was restored sometime post-2008. Both examples still exist but this is likely the only one that will ever be available. No pre-sale estimate is available as there is no sale history for this model. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $660,000.

Allard Palm Beach

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1956 Allard Palm Beach Mk II

Offered by H&H Classics | Chateau Impney, U.K. | July 11, 2015

Photo - H&H Classics

Photo – H&H Classics

Sydney Allard starting building cars in the late 1930s to compete in hillclimb events. Not the civilized, paved hillclimbing that we know today, but trials – as in, up nearly-impassible dirt hills. After the war he started building some road cars – and nice ones at that. Then he moved to sports cars.

One such car, built near the end of Allard’s run, was the Palm Beach. First introduced in 1952, the car received a substantial upgrade to Mk II specification in 1956. The body was classed up and fit more with the times. And the engine was bumped up to six-cylinders only. This car uses a 2.6-liter straight-six from a Ford. Jaguar engines were also available.

This car is beautiful, having had a recent ground-up restoration. It was on the stand at the 1956 Earls Court Motor Show. After that, it was an Allard factory demonstrator. The Palm Beach ended production in 1958 with 80 built – only six of which were Mk II cars, making this exceptionally rare. This one should sell for between $125,000-$155,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $138,880.

Maserati 200 SI

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1956 Maserati 200 SI

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

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

This is a special Maserati. It was the first 200S chassis produced and was a factory race car for all of its early life. At the end of 1956, the car returned to the factory to be turned into a 200 SI – which meant it now met requirements for FIA sanctioned races due to slight mechanical changes.

The engine is a 195 horsepower 2.0-liter straight-four. Immediately after transformation in SI form, it was sold to a privateer in Venezuela. Some of the highlights of this car’s competition history includes:

  • 1955 Targa Florio – DNF (with Giovanni Bracco)
  • 1956 Mille Miglia – DNF (with Luigi Bellucci)
  • 1956 Gran Premio di Napoli – 1st (with Bellucci)
  • 1956 Gran Premio di Bari – 1st (with Jean Behra)
  • 1956 Rheinland-Pfalz Preis Nurburgring – 2nd (with Stirling Moss)

Look at some of those names. This car was driven by some of the world’s best. Luigi Villoresi drove this car in the final race of his career. In one race in Havana, Stirling Moss outran a more powerful, six-cylinder Maserati 300S. The car was once owned by Jim Hall, founder of Chaparral and has spent extensive time in a Japanese collection.

The car is completely operable and organizers of historic events would love to have this thing show up. Only 28 200S cars were built and the 200 SI was only built for 1957 (except for this factory development car) before being replaced by the 250S in 1958. This is an exceptional car and it won’t come cheap. Read more here and check out more from Gooding & Company in Amelia Island here.

Update: Not sold.

GAZ-12

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1956 GAZ 12

Offered by Coys | Maastricht, Netherlands | January 10, 2015

Photo - Coys

Photo – Coys

Here’s another obscure Soviet sedan. This one was built by GAZ, one of the more well-known old, Russian automotive factories. The car is sometimes called the ZIM-12, which is the name under which it was originally built, but when the namesake for ZIM fell out of favor, the Russians changed the name of the car.

It is powered by a 3.5-liter straight-six making 95 horsepower. The styling is eerily reminiscent of a 1948 Cadillac and 1947 Buick. I guess GM would’ve been really popular in Russia back in the day had they the opportunity to market their cars.

What’s interesting about the GAZ-12 is that it is the only executive, full-size car available for purchase by regular citizens – but it was priced exorbitantly, leaving it out of reach for most. But they still managed to sell 21,527 between 1950 and 1960. This one looks pretty nice and is expected to bring between $25,000-$35,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Coys.

Update: Sold $107,890.

EJS Special

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1956 EJS Climax Special

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | November 2, 2014

Photo - Artcurial

Photo – Artcurial

This is a one-off racing special built in the 1950s, when many cars like this were being constructed by creative engineers all over England and the U.S. Edwin Joseph Snusher was the man behind the EJS. It took him over two years to build this, starting in 1954 and finishing it in 1956.

He entered the car at Goodwood and Brands Hatch in 1956, and finished 4th at Crystal Palace that season. After the race, he put the car in storage. He sold the Climax engine and the Aston Martin gearbox. The car sat until 2001.

It was restored after its discovery and fitted with a correct 1.1-liter Climax straight-four and a transmission from an MGA (a far cry from the Aston Martin DB3 unit it once had). It was sold to the current owner in 2010 and is eligible for historic events, including Goodwood. It should sell for between $158,000-$183,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Update: Not sold, Historics Auctioneers, March 2020.

Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France

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1956 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Competizione “Tour de France” by Scaglietti

Offered by RM Auctions | London, U.K. | September 8, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

Ferrari 250s are very nice. They’re exceptional, wonderful examples of the golden age of Ferrari from the golden age of motor racing. The 250 GT Berlinetta followed the Europa GT, GT Boano, GT Ellena. They used Scaglietti bodies based on a Pinin Farina design and were sold from 1956 through 1959.

These two-door coupes (only body style) were powered by a 225 horsepower 3.0-liter V-12. They were nicknamed “Tour de France” after the 250 GT Berlinetta won it’s first race at the 1956 Tour de France (a 10 day race in France). The GT Berlinetta also won the Targa Florio and it’s class at Le Mans.

Not all “Tour de France” 250 GTs were race cars. In fact, of the 77 examples built, only nine were “Competizione” models – this being #8. It’s competition history includes:

  • 1956 Tour de France – 8th (with Jacques Peron and Jacques Bertrammier)
  • 1956 Coupes du Salon, Montlhery – 2nd (with Peron)
  • 1957 12 Hours of Reims – DNF (with Peron)
  • 1957 Tour de France – 5th (with Peron and Georges Burggraff)

This car is finished in the best color combination you can get on a 250 GT Berlinetta. These are spectacular cars, and very important in the history of the 250 GT. This one has great period race history and known ownership from new. It’s ready to take on any historic event you want, but it’ll cost you somewhere in the neighborhood of $6,850,000-$8,650,000 in order to do so. Click here for more info and here for more from RM in London.

Update: Sold $8,119,188.

Maserati 250F

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1956 Maserati 250F

Offered by Gooding & Company | Pebble Beach, California | August 16-17, 2014

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

The 1950s was the “Golden Era” of Formula One. The glamour that we all know now was really taking shape, and the drivers were larger-than-life men who manhandled these cars around some of the most legendary and dangerous tracks the world has to offer. And the danger was certainly high – you never knew who was going to be alive for the next race.

Few names capture the glory of 1950s-era F1 like Maserati. The first 250F was built in 1954 as the new rules for Grand Prix racing dictated a 2.5-liter engine formula. Maserati installed their 2.5-liter straight-six in a nimble little chassis and the 250F was born. Power output is listed at 270 horsepower.

The 250F won races through 1957 and was campaigned in to the 1960 season by some privateers. This is one of two experimental “offset” cars built, which put the driveshaft next to the driver and allowed for a lower cockpit (and center of gravity). This car won the 1956 Italian Grand Prix at Monza with Stirling Moss at the wheel as a factory entry. Moss claims the 250F was the best front-engined F1 car he ever drove.

Shortly after its maiden victory, the car became a collectible. It has had seven keepers between Maserati and the current owner. Only 26 250Fs were built, and this is one of two “offset” cars. It is exquisite and can be yours for between $4,000,000-$6,000,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Gooding at Pebble Beach.

Update: Sold $4,620,000.

Chrysler Plainsman Concept

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1956 Chrysler Plainsman Concept by Ghia

Offered by Auctions America | Burbank, California | August 1-2, 2014

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

Chrysler had a pretty good relationship with Ghia in the 1950s. The famed Italian design house built some pretty good-lookin’ rides for this one of Detroit’s Big Three during the decade. You might not call this car “good-lookin'” but it definitely screams “1950s.”

The design is by Virgil Exner and it certainly is of the era. I’m not sure about the name, however, and am pretty confident no one would buy a car called the “Plainsman” (although that would be a very apt name for the Camry). The original engine is gone, but since the 1960s it’s used a 440 (7.2-liter) V-8 making 375 horsepower.

This is said to be the only known station wagon concept car from the 1950s still in existence. It has an international history: being sold to a high-ranking Cuban official in the 1950s before the revolution. He had to smuggle the car out of the country when Castro took over and he had to flee. After that, it went to Australia where it was converted to right-hand drive and used regularly. Once back in the U.S., it was re-converted to left-hand drive and used even more. This car is highly original and it sold in 2010 for $90,000. You can see more here and check out more from this sale here.

Update: Sold $176,000.

Update: Sold, Worldwide Auctioneers, Scottsdale 2020, $742,500.

Avia III

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1956 Avia III

For Sale at Fantasy Junction | Emeryville, California

Photo - Fantasy Junction

Photo – Fantasy Junction

Avia is a Czech company that is still in the auto business. They were founded in 1919 and had become part of Skoda by 1928. They built aircraft beginning in 1920 and throughout WWII. After WWII, the company was nationalized and aircraft production ceased. By the 1960s, they had launched heavy vehicle production under their own name (after years of producing trucks for other brands).

Between 1956 and 1957, Avia experimented with cars, building between 12 and 15 light cars. One was a streamliner – the car you see here. And it was raced in hillclimbs in period by designer and Avia employee Miroslav Jurca, who had built the Avia cars as an after-hours project. This car uses a 750cc BMW twin making 15 horsepower. The body is lightweight aluminium.

This car lived incorrectly for years as a BMW-Veritas until Jurca’s grandson correctly identified the car after it had been presented at Pebble Beach. The car has since been completely restored and has seen track time at events like the Monterey Historics. Only two Avia road cars still survive, as heavy truck production continues to this day. This is the only Avia streamliner. It is for sale in California for $325,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold, Mecum Monterey 2014, high bid of $185,000.

Maserati 450S Prototype

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1956 Maserati 450S Prototype by Fantuzzi

Offered by RM Auctions | Monaco | May 10, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

The Maserati 450S was an evolution of the Maserati 350S. The chassis was lengthened to house the new monster V-8. The car was a racing success in the latter half of the 50s and would give way to the legendary Birdcage Maseratis.

The engine is a 5.7-liter V-8 making a whopping 520 horsepower. Good Lord. This thing must fly. The car you see here is the prototype version of the 450S. It’s the first one – and it was originally a 350S. It’s competition history as a 350S includes:

  • 1956 Mille Miglia – DNF (with Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson)

The car was more or less totaled in that race when Moss lost his brakes and blasted through a barrier and into a tree. So Maserati turned this into a test mule for the forthcoming 450S. This car’s race history as a 450S, you’ll have to read on RM’s site. This car has had three owner’s since it left Maserati and has been meticulously restored. It will fetch between $5,500,000-$7,500,000. Click here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $4,816,350.