Tag Archives: 1971

Four-Door Rolls-Royce Convertible

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1971 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI Four-Door Cabriolet by Frua & Royle Cars

Offered by Gooding & Company | Pebble Beach, California | August 20-21, 2016

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

If the Rolls-Royce Phantom VI wasn’t rare enough (only 374 were built between 1968 and 1990 – an eternity as far as single model production goes), this Rolls-Royce is a one-off, four-door convertible.

The Phantom VI was the final version of the numerical Phantoms that began all the way back in 1925 with the Phantom I. A VI was actually Queen Elizabeth’s official state car until 2002. It’s powered by a 6.2-liter V-8 engine making 220 horsepower. VIs were sold as bare chassis and most were bodied by Mulliner Park Ward. This car was sold as a bare chassis to an Englishman who sent it to Frua in Italy for a Sedanca de Ville body to be fitted.

It never was and the chassis changed hands, this time to an American. It wasn’t until 1977 that the body you see here was designed. But it wouldn’t actually be completed until 1993 – after Pietro Frua had died and after the American owner’s collection had been sold. The new owner had Royle Cars Ltd. complete the Frua design and it was done just in time for the 1993 Geneva Auto Show, which makes this the final Phantom VI to be completed.

It also makes this practically a brand new car. It has covered only 72 miles in its life. It’s a Rolls-Royce, so the car’s interior is way off the end of the luxury scale, with a dizzying amount of details scattered throughout. It’s also one of the rarest bodystyles in the world: a four-door convertible. Not many people are crazy enough to build such a car. Only two Phantom VI convertibles were built, here is the other one. This one should bring between $800,000-$1,200,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Update: Sold, RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2017, $385,000.

Intermeccanica Italia Spyder

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1971 Intermeccanica Italia Spyder

Offered by Motostalgia | Austin, Texas | November 6-7, 2015

Photo - Motostalgia

Photo – Motostalgia

At this rate, we will have featured the entire Intermeccanica range in no time. Before they turned to replicas in the mid-1970s, they built a couple of different models. We’ve featured three Intermeccanicas in the past, including another Italia – the coupe version. This is the convertible version.

The Italia (which was the re-named Torino), is powered by a 310 horsepower 5.8-liter Ford V-8. This is a 40,000 mile car that looks great (except for those cheesy knock-off wire wheels). It has been recently restored.

Less than 400 Italias were built and only 56 of those were coupes, which makes the convertible a little more common, but still quite rare. This one should bring between $110,000-$125,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Motostalgia’s sale.

Update: Sold $105,600.

’71 Hemi Charger

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1971 Dodge Charger R/T Hemi

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 23, 2015

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

This Charger is from the first year of production of the third generation body style, which would be built through 1974. It was the last “real” two-door Charger that wasn’t badge-engineered and that was a capable of anything resembling performance.

What makes this car even better is that it has a Hemi. 1971 was the final year for the 426 Hemi – the 425 horsepower 7.0-liter monster V-8. This is the highest-optioned Charger known to exist from this year – it is one of very few cars with a powered sunroof and is one of only 63 built in ’71 with a Hemi.

The original base price of a 1971 Charger was almost doubled when the finally option tally was finished. The High Impact Hemi Orange is set off by the R/T package of graphics. The car is correct and has 35,638 original miles on it. It has everything and Mecum actually has an estimate on it: $450,000-$550,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Mecum.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $375,000.

Miura SVJ

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1971 Lamborghini Miura SVJ

Offered by RM Auctions | Phoenix, Arizona | January 15-16, 2015

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

The Lamborghini Miura was the most extreme car to come out of the 1960s. In a way, it sort of kicked off the whole supercar thing. It had insane styling and mind-bending performance. The Miura was built between 1966 and 1973 and the Jota was a special variant that appeared in 1970.

Bob Wallace, Lambo’s test driver, wanted the Miura to take on Ferrari and Porsche on the international circuit (something Lamborghini still really doesn’t do). Wallace had a single Jota prototype built. It had more power and was essentially a race car for the street – but it was destroyed in 1971.

Customers got wind of this all-conquering Miura variant and they wanted one. So Lamborghini would, for a price, upgrade your shiny new Miura to SVJ specification. For example, this car began life as a standard Miura P400 SV but was upgraded by 1974 to SVJ spec. The engine were slightly tuned – the 4.0-liter V-12 now made 385 horsepower.

Between five and seven of these factory conversions were done between 1971 and 1975 (with an additional one done in the 1980s). A handful of other cars have had less official conversions, all of them done in the aftermarket. The current owner acquired this example in 2010 after it had spent some time in Japan before being restored in the late 1980s. It can now be yours. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $1,897,500.

Intermeccanica Italia

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1971 Intermeccanica Italia Coupe

For sale at Hyman Ltd. | St. Louis, Missouri

Photo - Hyman Ltd.

Photo – Hyman Ltd.

The sports cars built by the tiny Construzione Automobili Intermeccanica company in Turin looked fairly similar over the years. They started with the leftover Griffith, which was the same as the Apollo before it – a car Intermeccanica designed. Their version was the Omega. Next came the Torino, which was later renamed Italia. You can easily see the influence of earlier cars from the company in this design (not to mention the Ferrari 365).

It has a 5.8-liter Ford Cleveland V-8 under the hood making 310 horsepower. When new, it cost a few bucks less than $8,000 and is for sale today – but you’ll have to ask Hyman Ltd. about the exact price.

Around 600 Italias were built between 1967 and 1973, most of them convertibles. Only 56 coupes were constructed. Convertibles can run as high as $150,000, but coupes tend to cost less, even if they are rarer. You can check out more here.

Bristol 411

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1971 Bristol 411 Series II Coupe

Offered by Bonhams | Oxford, U.K. | December 7, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Bristol Cars has been around since the end of World War II, a spin-off of the Bristol Aeroplane Company. They’ve built low-volume luxury sports sedans and coupes for over 60 years. They went bankrupt in 2011, but were purchased and are back in business.

The 411 was the successor to the 410 and was built in small amounts between 1969 and 1974 in 5 Series. Series II cars differed from Series I in that they had a self-leveling suspension. The engine was a 6.3-liter V-8 but the owner of this car had it replaced with a Chrysler 7.2-liter V-8, fitted by the factory. It makes 325 horsepower.

This car has been owned by a Bristol Owners Club member for 20 years. The engine was rebuilt in his care and the paint is a little over a year old. Bristols have always been handbuilt cars and they only made 287 of the 411 across all series. This one should sell for between $63,000-$71,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Withdrawn.

March 711

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1971 March-Ford-Cosworth 711

Offered by Coys | London, U.K. | December 2, 2014

Photo - Coys

Photo – Coys

By 1971, March was a force in motor racing, having only been around since 1969. They built cars for their own team, but they also sold customer cars for a handful of different series’ around the world. March continued building cars into the 1990s.

This car, the March 711, was the team’s machine for 1971. It never won any races, but it was competitive and had multiple podiums. The aerodynamics were designed by Frank Costin and the competition history for this chassis includes:

  • 1971 South African Grand Prix – 10th (with Ronnie Peterson)
  • 1971 Spanish Grand Prix – 18th, DNF (with Peterson)
  • 1971 Monaco Grand Prix – 2nd (with Peterson)
  • 1971 Dutch Grand Prix – 4th (with Peterson)
  • 1971 British Grand Prix – 21st, DNF (with Mike Beuttler)
  • 1971 German Grand Prix – 19th, DSQ (with Beuttler)
  • 1971 Austrian Grand Prix – 17th, DNF (with Niki Lauda)
  • 1971 Italian Grand Prix – 13th, DNF (with Beuttler)
  • 1971 Canadian Grand Prix – 17th, NC (with Beuttler)

This is a very cool looking car and it’s powered by a Ford-Cosworth 3.0-liter V-8. It’s an ex-Lauda and ex-Peterson car from one of the golden eras of Formula One. Click here for more info and here for the rest of this sale’s lineup.

S/N: 711-2

Update: Not sold.

Update II: Not sold, RM Sotheby’s Monaco 2016.

Ginetta G15

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1971 Ginetta G15

Offered by Silverstone Auctions | Silverstone, U.K. | September 20, 2014

Photo - Silverstone Auctions

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

Ginetta Cars has been around since 1958 when it was founded by four brothers with the name Walklett in Suffolk. The company began by building kits to turn boring, high-production automobiles into sports and race cars. As time went by, they turned to building complete road-and-race-ready cars.

The G15 was launched in 1967 and is based around a Hillman Imp. As time went on, you could buy a G15 as a kit or as a completed car. About 800 were built before Ginetta moved on in 1974. The engine is an 875cc straight-four making 51 horsepower.

This car won the 1977 Silverstone Production Sports Car Championship, winning 17 of 19 races that year (among other career triumphs). The G15 was the first Ginetta to really sell in serious volume and it allowed the company to grow. This would be a very fun car to acquire for only $15,000-$20,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of this sale’s lineup.

Update: Sold $21,557.

Corvette ZR2

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1971 Chevrolet Corvette ZR2

Offered by Barrett-Jackson | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 18, 2013

1971 Chevrolet Corvette ZR2

The third generation (C3) Corvette was all new for 1968. The Stingray, as it was called, dawned at the height of the muscle car era. Chevy and GM had their feet firmly planted in pony car territory. But all-out muscle cars?

In 1970, Chevy offered a special package on the Corvette called the ZR1. It was a high-performance package with an upgraded engine, brakes, suspension and more. For an extra $500 or so on top of that, you could’ve ordered a ZR2.

The ZR2 package was supposed to be for 1970 only, but it got delayed a bit too long and is only found on 1971 Corvettes. It uses the big 7.0-liter 454 V-8 underrated by the factory at 425 horsepower. It also got power disc brakes, heavy-duty suspension, and posi-traction. The package was an additional $1,747 on top of a base Corvette and only 12 were built.

A high-performance Corvette that is one of only 12 built + a Barrett-Jackson auction in January? Yeah, that’s going to make for one expensive car. Check out more here and see the rest of Barrett-Jackson’s auction lineup here.

Update: Sold $495,000.

NART Daytona Spider

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1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona N.A.R.T. Spider by Michelotti

Offered by Gooding & Company | Monterey, California | August 17-18, 2013

1971 Ferrari 365 GTB4 Daytona NART Spider

The Ferrari Daytona is one of the most classic Ferraris. Of the cars they built in the late-1960s and even through most the 1970s, these are the Ferraris everybody wants. And on top of that, there is the 365 GTS/4 – or Daytona Spider. These are exceptionally rare and highly prized and collectible. They were built by Scaglietti.

And then there’s this. Only a handful of Ferrari Daytonas were custom-bodied and this is one of them. It is one of five custom-bodied Daytonas commissioned by Luigi Chinetti (the guy responsible for Ferrari being in America) – though not all were the same. It was built as a 365 GTB/4 coupe and sold by Chinetti in Connecticut. He bought it back in 1976 and shipped it to Michelotti in Italy to receive this custom body.

Michelotti designed it and built three just like it – all for Chinetti. It was finished in the colors you see and given to Mrs. Chinetti as a gift. The car also carries “NART” designation. N.A.R.T. stands for North American Racing Team – Chinetti’s race team that he used to tout the Ferrari marque around America. The engine is a standard 365 GTB 4.4-liter V-12 making 352 horsepower.

The car was acquired by its current owner in 1991. It has never been restored and was refreshed before being brought to auction. Remarkably, it has covered only 1,568 miles in its life (not including when it was a Daytona coupe for five years). As you’ll see next week, this NART Spider is a bargain at $700,000-$1,000,000. That’s even cheap for a 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider. Click here for more info and here for more from Gooding in California.

Update: Sold $720,000

S/N: 14299