March 2015 Auction Highlights

The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance occurred in March, and with it, a slew of amazing sales, the first being Bonhams’ auction. The top sale was this much-ballyhooed (and rightfully so) 1930 Cord L-29 Town Car by Murphy for $1,760,000.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Of our feature cars, the top seller was the Stutz Super Bearcat for $1,012,000. The Templar Touring brought a more reasonable $60,500. Two cars failed to sell: the Thomas and the Wanderer.

The “French-Front” Oldsmobile sold for $94,600 and the 1911 EMF went for $242,000. And last but not least, the Wills Sainte Claire sold for $151,250. Click here for full results.

Next up is newly re-branded RM Sotheby’s and their Amelia Island sale, where the top seller was out featured Ferrari 400 Superamerica for $6,380,000. Other million dollar feature cars included the 427 S/C Cobra for $2,117,500, the Jaguar XJR-9 for $2,145,000, and a previously-featured Duesenberg that proves a paint job can go a long way. It sold for $1,155,000.

Another previously-featured car that showed up at this sale is the 1932 Marmon HCM Prototype. It brought $429,000. I’m going to call out this 1952 Kurtis 4000 that finished 5th at the 1952 Indy 500 as most-interesting non-feature car. It sold for $495,000.

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

On a related note, the Miller 91 brought $770,000.  And the beautiful Stutz DV-32 sold for $522,500. Check out full results here.

The third Amelia Island sale (well, second if you’re going by the calendar… third in our rundown) is Gooding & Company’s sale. The top seller was a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 that has been in the same family for 40 years. It brought $3,300,000.

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

The top seller of our feature cars would’ve been the Maserati 200 SI, but it failed to sell (as did the Duesenberg from this sale). Instead, it is the AAR-Toyota Eagle for $660,000. The March-Cosworth went for $231,000 and the first Lotus ever sold to a customer sold for $247,500. Check out full results here.

Bonhams had another sale in March, in Goodwood. The top sale was our featured Frazer Nash Le Mans Coupe for $695,854. The other Frazer Nash failed to sell. Interesting cars included this 1961 Fiat-Abarth 1000 Bialbero Record Monza by Zagato for $94,089.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The H.R.G. Le Mans sold for $243,444. And the Audi Quattro Rally car sold for $368,210. Click here for full results.

And finally, Osenat’s March sale, in which our featured Aryathis failed to sell. The top sale was this 1939 Citroen Traction Avant 15/6 Cabriolet for $661,435. Click here for full results.

Photo - Osenat

Photo – Osenat

Abarth 1000SP

1966 Fiat-Abarth 1000SP Tipo SE04

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | November 30, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

If you’ve been following recent trends with regards to cars coming to auction, you might think this car is part of the liquidation of the Maranello Rosso Collection. And you’d be right. It’s a pretty car, this racer. It was used in both hillclimbs and on circuits.

The SE04 was Abarth’s first multi-tubular chassis and it used a Fiat-based 982cc straight-four making 105 horsepower at a wailing 8,000 rpm. It might not seem like a lot of power for a race car – even in 1966, but it weighs practically nothing and has a power-to-weight ratio of around 10 pounds per horsepower. It had a top end north of 130 mph.

This car was campaigned around Italy by privateers in various hillclimbs, winning here and there. Fabrizio Violati acquired the car around 1980 and added it to his fantastic collection of rare Abarths. It’s pretty cool and somewhere around 50 were made. This one should bring between $130,000-$190,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $213,767.

Abarth Spider Tubolare

1962 Abarth 1000 Sport 131-MC Spider Tubolare

Offered by Bonhams | Goodwood, U.K. | September 13, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Abarth cars are some of the hardest to find information on. They tuned some cars and they built their own race cars – and the records are only in the hands of marque specialists (if they exist at all). This Spider Tubolare is a race car, and one I’d honestly never heard of until now.

There was a new wave of sports prototype car building going on in the late-1950s and early-1960s. Tubular spaceframe chassis construction offered a stiff, lightweight alternative to traditional chassis design. And it allowed a company like Abarth to swap engines in and out of the mid-engined layout depending on what races they wanted to enter. This car uses a 1.0-liter straight-four that was installed in period to compete in the European Hill Climb Championship.

This car has been owned by Fabrizio Violati since the 1970s and has been a part of his Maranello Rosso collection for nearly 40 years. As it’s been on display for a while, it needs a complete refreshening to be usable. In any case, it should sell for between $200,000-$250,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $198,786.

Abarth 2000 Sport Prototipo SE010

1969 Abarth 2000 Sport Spider SE010 Prototipo

Offered by Bonhams | Goodwood, U.K. | September 13, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Carlo Abarth founded his company in 1949. Originally a race team, they soon turned their attention to tuning Fiats. Racing was always the love of Abarth so long as Carlo was in charge (instead of a trim line on modern Fiats).

They never lost their racing roots, as this car attests. The 2000 Sport Prototipo was introduced in 1968. This car is part of the later SE010 series with its signature four headlights (or “Quattro Fari“). The engine is a 2.0-liter straight-four making around 250 horsepower.

This car was used in hillclimbs in Italy when new, winning many that it entered. It was later acquired by Fabrizio Violati and has been in his Maranello Rosso collection for years. This is chassis #40 of what is believed to be around 50 built total. They don’t come up for sale often and this one is in very nice condition, even if it will require a thorough re-freshening after having been on display for many years. It should sell for between $330,000-$410,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $302,415.

2014 Scottsdale Auction Highlights Pt I

Well I’ll start by saying I missed one auction in December. It was Osenat’s sale that closed out the 2013 auction calendar. The top sale there was this 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II by Hooper. It went for $68,500.

1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II by HooperThe coolest car from this sale was this cheap 1932 Peugeot 201C that sold for a paltry $8,905. You can check out full results here.

1932 Peugeot 201C

Because they’re already done and posted, I’ll go ahead and cover the first few days (Tuesday-Friday) of Barrett-Jackson. Also – a big thank you to Barrett-Jackson for posting your results as you go. It’s awesome. The top sale over these first few days was actually a charity car – this 2014 Chevrolet Camaro Copo Coupe for $700,000. It is serial #1 of 69.

2014 Chevrolet Camaro COPO

Of non-charity cars, the top sale was this 1957 Ford Thunderbird “E” Convertible for $330,000.

1957 Ford Thunderbird E Convertible

As far as interesting cars, I’m always a fan of Plum Crazy Mopars and this 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T Convertible fits the bill. It brought $104,500.

1970 Dodge Challenger RT Convertible

Also cool, this 1975 Autobianchi A112 Abarth sold for $16,500. The rest of the good stuff all crosses the block tonight. You can check up-to-the-minute results here.

1975 Autobianchi A112 Abarth

And the other part of our Part I coverage will be Bonhams Scottsdale sale. The #1 seller there was this 1951 Ferrari 212 Export Berlinetta for $3,190,000.

1951 Ferrari 212 Export Berlinetta

Our featured Simplex failed to sell. The Figoni et Falaschi Bentley brought $605,000. Cool cars included this amazing all-original 1915 Packard 1-35 Twin Six Seven-Passenger Touring for $144,100.

1915 Packard 1-35 Twin Six Seven-Passenger Touring

I like the low, mean look of this 1929 Stutz Model M Monte Carlo by Weymann. It sold for $264,000. Our featured Thomas Flyer sold for $275,000.

1929 Stutz Model M Monte Carlo by Weymann

Our featured Intermeccanica Omega brought $73,700. And finally, the how-could-you-not-show-it, a 1936 Mercedes-Benz 500K Sport Phaeton that sold for a seemingly reasonable $1,430,000. You can check out full results here.

1936 Mercedes-Benz 500K Sport Phaeton

Gooding & Company Scottsdale 2013 Highlights

Auctions held by Gooding & Company are usually packed with the highest quality examples available of a wide variety of cars. Yes, some are even affordable. They only hold three sales a year but they are always mind-blowing in their scope and quality. This was no exception. The top sale was a 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider for $8,250,000.

1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider

The second, third, fourth, and fifth top sellers were all feature cars here on the site. The Porsche RSK went for $3,135,000. The one-off Maserati 150 GT Spider sold for $3,080,000. That downright gothic Mercedes 500K Cabriolet A was sold for $2,750,000. And the Duesenberg from this sale sold for $2,695,000. Next up was a 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe Speciale by Pinin Farina for $2,365,000.

1958 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe Speciale by Pinin Farina

Our featured Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux sold for $451,000 and this 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Atalante went for $2,035,000.

1938 Bugatti Type 57C Atalante

The next two cars on the million-dollar list were a 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster for $1,540,000 and a 2003 Ferrari Enzo for $1,485,000.

1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster

2003 Ferrari Enzo

Then there was a wonderful 1932 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Series V Gran Sport by Zagato that sold for $1,375,000. Our featured Ferrari F50 sold for the same price.

1932 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Series V GS

The final million-dollar car was a 1965 Shelby Cobra 289 Roadster that brought $1,320,000.

1965 Shelby Cobra 289

Our featured White Yellowstone Park Bus was withdrawn from the auction. And the Cisitalia 202 we featured sold for $650,000. The interesting cars front included this 1960 Abarth 850 Record Monza for $89,100.

1960 Abarth 850 Record Monza

And, last but not least, this 1926 Hispano-Suiza H6B Tourer sold for $363,000 – well above it’s high estimate of $200,000. Check out complete results here.

1926 Hispano-Suiza H6B Tourer

RM London 2012 Highlights

RM Auctions’ 2012 London sale was held earlier this week. Our featured Ferrari 250 Tour de France was the top seller at $3.1 million. The Alloy Mercedes 300SL failed to sell, but was bid far beyond the Ferrari. As far as very early cars go, there was only one – this 1904 Cadillac Model F Four-Passenger Touring that sold for $90,000.

1904 Cadillac Model F Four-Passenger Touring

We featured a pair of supercars: a Maserati MC12 (that didn’t meet its reserve) and a Koenigsegg CCX that did, selling for $397,000. Other interesting cars included this 1970 Astra RNR2 FVC race car powered by a Ford-Cosworth engine that sold for $72,000.

1970 Astra RNR2 FVC - Ford Cosworth

How about these two little Italian cars, first a 1964 ASA 1000 GT (first below) sold for $58,702. The second car below is a 1963 OSCA 1600 GT. It sold for substantially more at $261,900.

1964 ASA 1000GT Ferrariana by Bertone

And speaking of little, I really liked this 1974 DAF 33 Variomatic. And it was affordable too, coming in at an auction low of $11,750.

This sale had a couple of really awesome Alfa Romeo 6Cs. First, this 1930 6C 1750 GS Testa Fissa is gorgeous and sold for $1,265,000.

1930 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS Testa Fissa

Then there is this 1934 Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 that sold for $451,500.

And finally, this post-war Alfa 6C – a 1948 6C 2500 S Cabriolet by Pinin Farina. It sold for $298,000, which, for whatever reason, seems like a good deal.

1948 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 S Cabriolet by Pinin Farina

Another Italian car (kind of a trend here) is this 1956 Fiat Abarth 750 GT Double Bubble coupe by Zagato. It sold for $126,000. A car along similar lines (that is: “tiny”) was our featured Ogle SX1000 GT. It sold for $23,400.

Two more cars to show you: first a 1937 Bentley 4.25-Litre Saloon by Mann Egerton sold for the “wow, that’s all it costs for a Bentley?” price of $36,000.

1937 Bentley 4.25-Litre Saloon by Mann Egerton

And finally, this 1937 Bugatti Type 57C Stelvio Cabriolet by Gangloff sold for the “yeah, Bugattis ain’t cheap” price of $993,000.

Our featured (and super awesome) Aston Martin DB6 Shooting Brake failed to sell. Complete results can be found here.

Abarth OT 1300

1966 Abarth OT 1300

Offered by Oldtimer Galerie International | Zurich, Switzerland | June 10, 2012

Photo – Oldtimer Galerie

Carlo Abarth is mainly known for his hot rod Fiats, but he also built cars of his own – well, kind of. He constructed his own cars, usually using bits and pieces of other cars. The one you see here is based on a SIMCA chassis with SIMCA and Fiat parts and a 1.3-liter, four-cylinder engine based on a SIMCA design, but built at a race shop in Italy. It makes 140 horsepower and can do a little more than 150 mph.

Between 1965 and 1966, 50 examples of the OT 1300 were built. There were also OT 1000, OT 1600, and OT 2000 models (I’m not sure of their production numbers off-hand). All OT models were intended for the track when built, however this particular car is road-legal (and in Switzerland at that).

Personally, I quite like the styling and the competition history of the model makes it seem like a performer (the OT 1300 won its class at Le Mans). I wouldn’t mind taking one for a spin. But I’m not sure if I can afford it – as the estimate is “on request.” Perhaps it’s my fault that the two cars I picked from this sale were the only two with “on request” estimates. Then again, they were the pick of the litter.

For more information and photos, click here. And for more on this sale, click here.

Artcurial Rétromobile Highlights

The Artcurial auction at Rétromobile in Paris had a high sell-through rate with a variety of interesting cars. Unfortunately, we only had time to feature two of them. First was the 1938 Horch 853 Cabriolet that ended up selling for $520,732, slightly exceeding its pre-sale estimate. Our other feature car was the awe-inspiring 1913 Delaunay-Belleville that has been in the same family since new – almost 100 years. Artcurial provided a rather large range for the car’s estimate and it sold right in the middle for $600,834.

There were numerous really interesting cars (I keep mentioning that, don’t I?). Some were extravagantly priced while others were downright affordable, like this 1965 Renault 4 that was modified to a convertible shortly after purchase. Renault did produce a 4 convertible – called the Plein Air, but this car pre-dates that model. It sold for $16,690.

The next car was not, well, affordable. But it certainly is jaw-dropping. It’s a 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Cabriolet B with a 180 horsepower 5.4 liter straight-8. This particular car was once in the Rockefeller family and has an awesome paint scheme with black and silver with red highlights. It was the second top seller at $629,961.

A quartet of interesting pre-war cars from lesser-known manufacturers than Mercedes-Benz include this 1908 Lorraine Dietrich 12 HP Touring car. It sold for $72,831.

Even older is this London-to-Brighton eligible 1898 (or 1899) Decauville Voiturelle. It’s an early French car that appears to be quite rudimentary by today’s standards. But this was quite a vogue car back in 1898 when over 600 of them were sold. I’m sure they cost a lot less in the 19th century than the $106,212 it went for in Paris in 2012.

The 1912 Gobron-Brillie 12 CV Torpedo Skiff by Rothschild (below) had been on sale in St. Louis at Hyman Ltd. for $325,000. It’s the only one in existence and it could have been yours for $273,117. That’s about a $50,000 savings over buying it off the lot.

The cheapest car (by price) in the entire auction (including motorcycles and scooters) was this 1933 Rosengart LR4 Torpedo that missed its estimate and was sold for $6,828.

Slightly newer is this 1969 Alpine A110 1600 Coupe – a great looking car with racing pedigree. It sold for $84,970.

Cisitalia is best known for their 202 road car and even their monoposto race cars. But they also built about 15 of the 33 DF Voloradente model in the mid-1950s. This 1954 model brought $189,665.

Something I personally thought was really cool was this 1977 Fiat 131 Abarth Rally – a homologation rally car built for the street. 500 were built with a 140 horsepower 2.0-liter straight-4. It’s boxy, so you know it means business. Sale price: $71,314.

Top sale of the auction (which it as by nearly a factor of 10) was this 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder. It sold for $5,740,248. The average price for a LWB California Spyder over the past five or so years is about $3.4 million. Prices are rising.

Two other Italian gems were this aluminum-bodied 1967 Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada – one of only 72 alloy 5300 GTs. A very desirable car, selling for $447,608.

The other was this 1947 Fiat 1100 S MM by Rappi. It’s eligible for all kinds of historic events including the Mille Miglia. These cars are very rare and, although it only has 51 horsepower, they are apparently quite fun – and stylish. $166,905.

This auction also featured more than a dozen rare cars in their original condition. Multiple cars from Talbot-Lago, Hotchkiss, Panhard, Talbot, and Salmson. Most were sedans from the late 1940s and early 1950s. They all looked stately and dusty and ready to be freshened and brought back to life. Prices ranged from about $27,000-$90,000 for the cars as they were in various conditions. None of them were especially extravagant, but the one that keeps catching my eye as I look through the results was the last lot in the sale – this 1939 Hotchkiss 686 Chantilly Limousine. It is in need of a restoration – but imagine how good it would look all prettied up. It sold as is for $39,450.

For complete results, click here.

Bonhams Scottsdale Highlights

We featured a few cars from the January 19, 2012 Bonhams auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. One of them, this 1967 Fiat Abarth TC Berlina Corsa, sold for just under it’s auction estimate at $46,800. One of the big sales of the auction was this 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Transformal Phaeton by Hibbard & Darrin.

Once owned by actress Marlene Dietrich, it sold for $524,000. The car was given to her as a gift from director Josef Von Sternberg. The coachwork is slightly unusual with the convertible top that comes down between the windows. Interesting and pretty cool.

Another top sale was the 1924 Isotta-Fraschini Tipo 8 Torpedo Phaeton that we featured last two weeks ago. Estimated between $425,000-$525,000, it ended up in the middle at $447,000. Two more of our feature cars did not sell: the 1967 Porsche 906 factory race car and the 1929 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Convertible Sedan. So if you missed them, there’s still time!

However, the interesting 1954 Cramer Comet that we did feature fell right in the middle of it’s pre-sale estimate of $100,000-$150,000 at $122,500. It has a 1350 horsepower Allison aircraft V12. Somebody’s going to have some tire-melting fun.

The top sale of the auction goes to this 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Cabriolet C. This 180 horsepower German beauty is a very desirable car. RM Auctions sold a few pre-war Mercedes “K” cars back in Monterey for millions and millions of dollars. Comparatively, this was a steal at $667,000.

And look at the detail of the dashboard. These cars are magnificent.

And finally, the final car we featured from this auction was a 1947 Delahaye 135M Three-Position Drophead Coupe by Figoni et Falaschi. It blew the doors off its estimate of $250,000-$350,000 and sold for $474,500. Looking back, that estimate was pretty conservative given the ravenous appetite for pre-war French classics (not to mention anything containing the name “Figoni et Falaschi”) that existed only a few years ago. Times and tastes change and auction houses have to be aware of that. But in this case it seems that good taste prevailed.

For complete results, please check out Bonhams website here.