Tag Archives: 1961

Fram-King Fulda

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1961 Fram-King Fulda

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

Photo – Dorotheum

History lesson: the Fuldamobil was a microcar built in Fulda, Germany, originally by Elektromaschinenbau Fulda and later by a company whose initials were NWF. The first Fuldamobils went on sale in 1950. Fulda didn’t have the capacity to build that many cars, so they contracted with NWF in 1954 to build them.

NWF built the smaller-engined cars, including some under their own name, while Fulda introduced better versions of theirs. The Fulda S7 debuted in 1957 in Sweden as the Fram-King Fulda, which was built there under license. Power should be from something approximating a 191cc single making just shy of 10 horsepower.

The Fram-King Fulda was built for a short time… until the factory burned down. Production resumed in 1958/1959, and the cars were then sold as the King S-7. So either this car is actually earlier than it is registered as, or it’s really a King (FKF is what many Fuldamobils are known as). Either way, they’re the same car. Click here for more info on this one.

Update: Sold $11,566.

Two Fuldamobils

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1961 Fram-King Fulda

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

Photo – Dorotheum

History lesson: the Fuldamobil was a microcar built in Fulda, Germany, originally by Elektromaschinenbau Fulda and later by a company whose initials were NWF. The first Fuldamobils went on sale in 1950. Fulda didn’t have the capacity to build that many cars, so they contracted with NWF in 1954 to build them.

NWF built the smaller-engined cars, including some under their own name, while Fulda introduced better versions of theirs. The Fulda S7 debuted in 1957 in Sweden as the Fram-King Fulda, which was built there under license. Power should be from something approximating a 191cc single making just shy of 10 horsepower.

The Fram-King Fulda was built for a short time… until the factory burned down. Production resumed in 1958/1959, and the cars were then sold as the King S-7. So either this car is actually earlier than it is registered as, or it’s really a King (FKF is what many Fuldamobils are known as). Either way, they’re the same car. Click here for more info on this one.

Update: Sold $11,566.

1968 Alta A200

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

Photo – Dorotheum

Well, we’ve already covered the early history of the Fuldamobil. But, with the exception of Sweden, we didn’t really touch on the export markets or the license-built versions. It was sold as the Nobel in a few markets and was even produced in India.

Two different companies built them in Greece: Attica and Alta. Alta was based in Athens between 1962 and 1978 and built microcars, motorcycles, and light commercial vehicles. The A200 is powered by a Heinkel 200cc single.

It was the last Fuldamobil variant still in production when it was axed in 1974. This is a nice one, and you can read more about it here. More cars from this sale can be viewed here.

Update: Sold $10,778.

TVR Grantura

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1961 TVR Grantura Series II

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Online/Somewhere in Europe | June 3-11, 2020

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Remember the Griffith? That insane short-wheelbase coupe powered by a huge Ford V8? Well, this is the AC Ace to the Griffith’s Cobra. TVR’s Grantura was built in a number of series between 1958 and 1967. No V8s here – these were all four-cylinder-powered.

Series II cars were built between 1960 and 1962, and like other Granturas, they feature a fiberglass body and mechanical parts from other cars on sale at the time. Some cars used bits from Volkswagens, MGs, Triumphs, or Austin-Healeys. This car is powered by a 1.6-liter inline-four from an MGA. That was a factory option.

With this engine, which produced 79 horsepower in the MGA, the Grantura was capable of 98 mph. Approximately 400 Series II cars were built, making it the most popular of all Granturas. This right-hand-drive example should bring between $27,000-$38,000 when it sells at no reserve. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $19,743.

Emeryson F1

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1961 Emeryson 1.5-Litre Formula 1

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

Photo – Bonhams

There have been a lot of teams in Formula One over the years. Some have lasted decades, others just a few races. Paul Emery got his start building F3 cars in the early 1950s before building his first F1/F2 car in 1953. As a works team, Emeryson entered a single race in 1956.

They reappeared on the grid twice in 1962. Privateers entered Emeryson cars at least four times in ’61 and ’62. The Emeryson team was acquired by an American teenager in 1961, and the cars were fitted with Coventry-Climax engines. This car, 1004, was used by drivers Mike Spence, Jack Fairman, Tony Settember, and John Campbell-Jones in a number of non-championship Formula One races in 1961 and 1962.

This car’s lone F1 entry was at the 1961 Italian Grand Prix, where it DNF’d with Settember, who retained the car himself until 1963. The car was purchased by a collector in 1992 and restored. It retains a 1.5-liter Coventry-Climax inline-four and is the only surviving Emeryson F1 car. It should sell for between $150,000-$200,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $211,331.

Facel Vega Facellia Cabriolet

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1961 Facel Vega Facellia Cabriolet

Offered by Aguttes | Paris, France | March 15, 2020

Photo – Aguttes

Facel S.A. was a French company that got its start building aircraft components. From there they turned to furniture and then automobile bodies. Finally, in 1954, Facel Vega was founded to build complete automobiles. They were like a small, independent, French version of Alfa Romeo. Their cars were luxurious, expensive, and exclusive.

The Facellia first appeared in 1960. It was like a French alternative to the Mercedes-Benz 190SL. A small, sporty car. A new one would’ve fun about $4,000 in the U.S. at the time. The Facellia was produced from 1960 through 1963.

Coupes and cabriolets were offered, with the convertibles coming first. Power was from a 1.6-liter inline-four good for 115 horsepower, but the engines were built in-house by Facel, instead of earlier cars that used Chrysler V8s. This was the car’s undoing.

Pretty much every car had to have its engine replaced under warranty, which ruined Facel’s reputation and ate most of their cash. By mid-1961, a fix was in place for the F2 series of cars, but the company was gone by 1964. In all, 1,045 examples of the Facellia were produced. This one should bring between $43,000-$54,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $74,345.

Porsche 356B by Beutler

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1961 Porsche 356B Super Coupe by Beutler

Offered by Gooding & Company | Amelia Island, Florida | March 6, 2020

Photo – Gooding & Company

The 356B was built by Porsche between 1960 and 1963 and featured styling and technical advances compared to earlier cars. This particular example is one of five constructed by Beutler of Switzerland. It’s… bookish.

Power is from a 1.6-liter flat-four good for 75 horsepower. Design cues for this four-seat coupe include a larger greenhouse and a flat rear deck, both striking features when compared to the standard, quite round, 356. The two-tone paint is also a win.

This is believed to be the one that Beutler showed at the 1960 Geneva Motor Show. The rare coachbuilt bodywork really runs the price up, though. You’re looking at a pre-sale estimate of $400,000-$600,000 to take this home. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $395,500.

Kuzma-Offenhauser

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1961 Kuzma-Offenhauser

Offered by Barrett-Jackson | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 11-19, 2020

Photo – Barrett-Jackson

Eddie Kuzma built Indy roadsters in the 1950s and early 1960s. Kuzma won the 500 in 1952 with driver Troy Ruttman, the youngest person to ever win the race. Ruttman actually ran this very car at Indy in 1963, where he finished 12th.

This is a “lay-down” Indy roadster, meaning the 4.2-liter Offenhauser engine is laid on its side, protruding from the bodywork. This both reduced drag and increased the left-side weight bias, making it faster around ovals. The car was not used in USAC after 1963 (the rear-engined cars had arrived). Instead, it went east, where it was used as a super modified.

Unfortunately, Ruttman’s son, Troy Jr., was killed driving this car in an accident at Pocono in 1969. The car was purchased by Bob McConnell in 1980 and was restored by a later owner in 2004. The catalog lists this as a 1963 but also states it was built in 1961. Not really sure which is correct. Anyway, it is selling at no reserve. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $165,000.

Bristol 406

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1961 Bristol 406

Offered by H&H Classics | Duxford, U.K. | March 20, 2019

Photo – H&H Classics

The Bristol 404 and 405 were a 2-door coupe or a 4-door sedan/2-door convertible, respectively. In 1958, they gave way to this, the 2-door 406 coupe. Naturally, it would be replaced by the 407 in 1961.

The 406 was the final Bristol to use the, by then, antiquated BMW-based 2.2-liter straight-six. While the engine was larger than in previous models, the power output was unchanged at 105 horsepower, which left the Bristol in the dust of most of its competitors. So the company had to make up for it in luxury and engineering. For instance, it was one of the first cars to receive 4-wheel disc brakes.

The 406 is not all that rare by Bristol standards, with a whopping 174 units produced in its short production run. This nice example is selling at no reserve. Click here for more info and here for more from H&H Classics.

Update: Sold $44,045.

OSCA 1600 Zagato

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1961 OSCA 1600 GT by Zagato

Offered by Gooding & Company | Amelia Island, Florida | March 8, 2019

Photo – Gooding & Company

Very few racing teams or race cars builders have managed to survive for extended periods of time without producing road cars to fund their racing fun. Ferrari had to do it. So why not the Maserati brothers on their second go-round, this time with OSCA?

The 1600 GT was designed from the outset as a road car, unlike earlier models such as the MT4. It is powered by a 1.6-liter DOHC inline-four that makes 125 horsepower. The body carries Zagato’s “double bubble” design language and is made of aluminum so that 125 horsepower doesn’t have to cart around all that much weight.

Only 60 examples of the 1600 GT were sold, and only 31 are thought to still exist. The current owner has spent over $300k since 2012 getting it into the shape it’s in. Looking at it from an ROI perspective, it’s not that great of an investment, considering the wide estimate is from $350,000-$500,000. But ROI is certainly not what it’s all about with these cars. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $489,000.

Plymouth Asimmetrica

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1961 Plymouth Asimmetrica Roadster by Ghia

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Monterey, California | August 24-25, 2018

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

While based on one of their chassis, this is no hum-drum Plymouth Valiant. This car, dubbed “Asimmetrica” for its asymmetrical design, was one of the last projects kicked off between Chrysler and Ghia during Virgil Exner‘s design reign at Chrysler. Or, at least that’s the thought. Some people say this was a Ghia thing all around.

Built as kind of a successor to the Plymouth XNR Concept, this was supposed to be a “more realistic” car that could actually be built in limited numbers and sold to the general public. Yes, this was the restrained version. The plan was to build a run of 25 of these, but it’s thought that only two were ever made.

Power comes from a NASCAR-spec 2.8-liter Hyper-Pak slant-six making 101 horsepower. Displayed at the 1961 Turin Motor Show and, later, the Geneva Show, this example was purchased off the Geneva stand by novelist Georges Simenon. Acquired and restored by the Blackhawk Collection in 1989, the current owner purchased the car in 2000. A wild example of unrestrained early 60s design, it should bring decent money in Monterey. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $335,000.