Tag Archives: 1959

Fiat 600 Rendez Vous

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1959 Fiat 600 Rendez Vous by Vignale

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Paris, France | February 13, 2021

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The Fiat 600 was introduced in 1955 and would remain in production until 1969. It was the basis for Fiat’s 500 and was available as a two-door fastback and a mini-MPV called the Multipla. They built over 2.5 million of them. But this example is no ordinary, somewhat-dumpy Fiat 600.

The famed Italian coachbuilder Vignale decided that they wanted to take this near-microcar and make it look like a fancy, two-door coupe. Its classy looks make it look a lot bigger than it is, and it isn’t made clear if this car has a 633cc inline-four or the 767cc version. In either case, the engine is mounted out back.

Fewer than 20 of these “Rendez Vous” cars are thought to have been produced, and this one was restored less than 300 miles ago. You can read more about it here and see more from this sale here.

Update: Not sold.

1959 Edsel Corsair

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1959 Edsel Corsair Convertible

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 7-17, 2021

Photo – Mecum

Edsel was only around for three model years, and each year saw fairly different styling. The 1958 cars were the most polarizing, and the 1960 cars are quite pretty but also pretty much forgotten about. The 1959 cars are the most common, and, style-wise, the most mainstream, if you can call them that.

I love them, not as much as the ’58s, but I still find them to be quite stylish cars. Two models were offered in ’59: the Ranger and the Corsair (there were also wagons with different names). The Corsair was the higher-trim level and looked exactly like a Ranger. It just had a bigger engine and some styling/equipment differences. This car is powered by a non-original 5.9-liter V8. The stock 5.4-liter, 225-horsepower V8 is missing.

Only 1,343 Corsair convertibles were produced in 1959, making it the rarest body style for the model year. You can read more about this one here, and see more from Mecum here.

Goggomobil T700

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1959 Goggomobil T700

Offered by Dorotheum | Vosendorf, Austria | July 10, 2020

Photo – Dorotheum

Hans Glas had his own car company until he sold it to BMW in 1966. Before that happened, he actually produced cars until two brands: Glas and Goggomobil. The latter was responsible for what were essentially microcars.

The lines started to blur at the 1957 Frankfurt Auto Show when Goggomobil introduced the T600, which was larger than their earlier cars. A more powerful T700 was also offered beginning in late 1958. It was powered by a 688cc flat-twin that made about 29 horsepower. Top speed was 69 mph.

It’s a not-unattractive car, but it’s small. But not small enough, because Glas would rename the T600/T700 the Glas Isar at the end of 1959. The cars lasted until 1965, with 73,311 two-door sedans built. That means a very small percentage were Goggomobil-branded 700s. They are almost unheard of today. You can read more about this car here and see more from this interesting sale here.

Update: Sold $17,744.

AC Ace-Bristol

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1959 AC Ace-Bristol

For Sale by Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

AC’s first post-war product was the 2-Litre, a kind of frumpy-looking thing using an engine that dated back to 1922. In 1953, they decided to put a sports car into production that was based on a John Tojeiro design. That same dated 2.0-liter engine was the initial underhood offering, but things soon got more exciting.

Beginning in 1956, AC offered a 2.0-liter inline-six from Bristol that made 120 horsepower. Sadly, this engine was also based on a pre-war design, but it made the car capable of 116 mph, which really upped AC’s sports car cred. They won their class at Le Mans and were popular on the sports car racing circuit. By 1961, a Ford-based 2.6-liter inline-six was offered for a short time. AC also offered a coupe version called the Aceca.

The Ace ceased production in 1963, but by that point, an American called Carroll Shelby had found the car and stuffed a V8 into it and called it the Cobra. The Ace name would also reappear in the 1990s on a different car.

In all, 463 Aces were built with a Bristol powerplant, the most common of the three engines offered. But it’s still rare, and it’s still “one of those cars.” It’s sports car royalty, and it’s for sale by Bonhams for $423,164. Click here for more info.

Sadler-Meyer Special

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1959 Sadler-Meyer Special

For Sale by Fantasy Junction | Emeryville, California

Photo – Fantasy Junction

I thought we featured this car a long time ago, but apparently not. So here we are. The 1950s were the golden age of this sort of sports racing special. This particular car was named for two gentlemen: Bill Sadler and Van Meyer. The car started as Meyer’s own rail-frame special that he competed with for a number of years.

In 1958, he took that car to Bill Sadler, who ended up building a number of Sadler-branded race cars. He also heavily reworked Meyer’s special. It used a ladder frame and a Pontiac V8. The aluminum body is reminiscent of a period Maserati. Sadler was successful campaigning the car in hillclimb events before eventually selling it.

The car has changed hands a few times and has been restored twice, most recently in 2008. The engine was replaced over the years and is now a 5.6-liter Chevrolet V8 that makes 425 horsepower. Fantasy Junction sold this car once in 2015 (which is probably why I thought we featured it) and now they’ve got it back. It’ll run you $395,000. Click here for more info.

Fiberfab Jamaican

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1959 Fiberfab Jamaican

Offered by Bonhams | Goodwood, U.K. | March 29, 2020

Photo – Bonhams

Calm down, Austin-Healey lovers. This car started life as a 1959 Austin-Healey 3000 Mk I. Bonhams lists it as an Austin-Healey with “coachwork by Fiberfab,” which is a fancy way to say this big Healey wears a fiberglass body produced in California in the late 1960s, which is roughly when this car was re-bodied.

The engine is a 2.9-liter inline-six that has been rebuilt and tuned to an impressive 285 horsepower. This thing will scoot. Which is good, because it is being marketed as a historic competition car.

The Jamaican was Fiberfab’s best-looking product, and to see one fitted to a Healey is kind of rare. Many were placed on TR3/4, MGA, or even Volkswagen underpinnings. This one is expected to bring between $58,000-$71,000, which might seem like a lot for what some would consider a fiberglass kit car, but a big portion of that estimate is for the car underneath. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

DB HBR4

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1959 DB HBR4 Coupe

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | February 7, 2020

Photo – Artcurial

Charles Deutsch and Rene Bonnet built cars under the Deutsch-Bonnet marque until 1947 when they shortened it to DB. Their HBR5 model was sold between 1955 and 1961, with both road cars and race cars constructed.

The HBR5 was powered by an 848cc flat-twin. Cars with the smaller 747cc flat-twin were dubbed “HBR4,” such as this one here. It was purchased new as a road car and modified by its first owner, Jacques-Edouard Rey, for competition use.

It was successful its first time out, so much so that Rene Bonnet ended up building 10 factory examples. The interesting competition history for this car includes:

  • 1960 Rallye Monte Carlo – DNF (with Andre Guilhaudin and Jacques-Edouard Rey)
  • 1961 24 Hours of Le Mans – 20th (with Guilhaudin and Jean-Francois Jaeger)

The car remained in Rey’s possession until 1989, and it was restored in 1994 to its 1961 Le Mans configuration, which is how it sits today. How many cars have competed in the Monte Carlo Rally and Le Mans? This one should sell for between $155,000-$200,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Artcurial in Paris.

Update: Sold $190,176.

GSM Dart

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1959 GSM Dart

Offered by Russo & Steele | Newport Beach, California | June 8-10, 2018

Photo – Russo & Steele

This site has been around for about six and a half years. Not an eternity, but a decent amount of time. In that time, this is just the second GSM-branded car we’ve come across for sale that fit into our schedule. The first one? One week ago exactly.

This sudden flood of GSM cars to market is really strange as Glass Sport Motors of Cape Town, South Africa, didn’t really build that many cars in the six years they existed between 1958 and 1964. The GSM Dart was South Africa’s first production fiberglass automobile.

Power sources varied as donor cars were usually needed. This is one of just three Darts lucky enough to feature Alfa Romeo four-cylinder engines. The Dart was called the Delta when it was exported (thanks, Daimler). Just 122 examples of the Dart were sold and this one was once exhibited at the Petersen Museum. You can see more here and see more from this sale here.

Update: Not sold.

Update: Not sold, Russo & Steele, Monterey 2018.

Pontiac El Catalina Prototype

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1959 Pontiac El Catalina Prototype

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 15-19, 2018

Photo – Mecum

The Pontiac Catalina was Pontiac’s entry-level full-sized car in 1959. It was a big car and the convertible was certainly a looker. It was offered as a two-door coupe or convertible or a four-door sedan or wagon. It was not offered as a pickup truck. Or car-based pickup truck.

Chevrolet had that market cornered within GM with their El Camino (there was a GMC version for a short while as well). Pontiac, throughout their 84 year history, never sold a pickup truck. This El Catalina Prototype was built to tease the possibility for a 1960 model that never came to be.

It’s powered by a 6.4-liter V-8 good for 300 horsepower. It’s well-equipped and has been well-shown, winning awards nearly everywhere it went. If you want a one-off factory Pontiac or a genuine GM concept car, here’s your chance. Click here for more info and here for more from Mecum in Indy.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $340,000.

Update: Not sold, Mecum Kissimmee 2019, high bid of $240,000.

Kellison J4R

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1959 Kellison J4R Coupe

Offered by Bonhams | Amelia Island, Florida | March 8, 2018

Photo – Bonhams

Can we all agree that this looks like a late model race car? Like it should be sideways, sliding around a dirt short track somewhere? But it’s not, it’s a Kellison J4R, a fiberglass hot rod sold in the 1950s and 60s by Jim Kellison.

Available as a kit or a ready-to-run complete car (which would’ve run you a pricey $6,700 in 1960), the J4 was available between about 1958 and sometime in the early 1960s. This one is powered by a 497 horsepower, 6.6-liter V-8 and was originally set up as a race car (the “R” denotes a lightweight racing body, as on this J5R).

The current owner acquired this car in 2001 and wanted to be able to use it on the street, so he had it converted to a street-legal setup making it an awesome road and track car. The J4 was available as a Coupe or much rarer Roadster. About 300 examples of the Coupe were built and this one should sell for between $35,000-$55,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams.

Update: Sold $28,000.