Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | February 3, 2023
Photo – Artcurial
Rohr was founded by Hans Gustav Rohr, a WWI fighter pilot. Since Germany really wasn’t allowed to be too pro-military after the war, Rohr turned his focus to automobiles beginning in 1927. Their first car, the Type R sold in okay numbers, but the Depression really took the wind out of their sails. Mr. Rohr himself left the company to join Adler in 1931. The final Rohr cars were built in 1935.
This particular prototype started out as a 1933 Rohr Junior, which was actually a Tatra T.57 built under license. It features an air-cooled 1.5-liter flat-four and a body designed by Rohr engineer Karl-Wilhelm Ostwald. It features a streamlined sheet metal body with wood sides and floors.
It was used by the designer’s family for nearly 40 years before being laid up and later discovered by the consignor. It’s in original condition and carries an estimate of $54,000-$87,000. Click here for more info.
Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | October 16, 2022
Photo – Artcurial
Renault’s Fregate was a sedan offered between 1951 and 1960, but a few of them ended up as coachbuilt two-door cars, including this pretty cabriolet from Henri Chapron. Chapron actually designed three different variations of the Fregate. This is an example of the third.
Only three of these were built, and this is the only one left. It’s powered by a 2.1-liter inline-four that could be had in 75- or 80-horsepower form. This particular car was restored in the early 2000s.
The paint colors are great for a ’50s car, and are actually period Chapron colors, although this car was previously burgundy. The pre-sale estimate is $77,000-$116,000. Click here for more info.
Offered by Artcurial | Le Mans, France | July 2, 2022
Photo – Artcurial
Michel Hommell’s small cottage industry sports car company existed from 1990 to 2003. The Barquette was a track car launched in 1994 alongside a road-going version called the Berlinette, which was essentially produced to homologate this racing version.
The 2.0-liter inline-four produced 155 horsepower, enough to push this car to 130 mph. Competition events included a one-make racing series that was in action from the mid-1990s through the early 2000s.
This is the fourth of 52 examples produced. From the timeline in the catalog, it appears this car was originally black but was bought by the current owner in 1998 and repainted this blue. The wheels have been more recently painted, and now the car has an estimate of $31,000-$42,000. It’s like an off-brand Renault Sport Spider. Click here for more info.
Offered by Artcurial | Le Mans, France | July 2, 2022
Photo – Artcurial
Philippe Giai was a Citroen dealer from Provence before and after WWII. Prior to the war, he built a Rosengart-based sports special. After the war, he built a Peugeot-based sports special. This is that car.
The chassis was from a 1939 Peugeot 202 and was modified, and for power he relied on the 202’s 1.1-liter inline-four that made about 29 horsepower new. A tubular structure was built around the chassis, and a Darl’Mat-inspired body was mounted over the top.
The car was used in hillclimb events from 1947 into the 1950s. It was restored in 2008 and has been in the same ownership since 2004. The pre-sale estimate is $74,000-$95,000. Click here for more info.
Offered by Artcurial | Le Mans, France | July 2, 2022
1983 Renault RE40
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First up is Renault’s 1983 entrant, the RE40. It led them to second place in the constructor’s championship that season, with drivers Eddie Cheever and Alain Prost, the latter of whom drove this car. And won a race in it.
The powerplant is a turbocharged 1.5-liter Renault-Gordini V6 that made about 640 horsepower. The competition history for this chassis, #3, includes:
1983 San Marino Grand Prix – 2nd (with Alain Prost)
1983 Monaco Grand Prix – 3rd (with Prost)
1983 Belgian Grand Prix – 1st (with Prost)
1983 U.S. Grand Prix – 8th (with Prost)
1983 Italian Grand Prix – 19th, DNF (with Prost)
It was also used as a test car for both drivers during the season. It was restored in 1995 and is now being offered directly from Renault’s collection. The estimate is $850,000-$1,250,000. Click here for more info.
Update: Not sold/withdrawn
1986 Tyrrell-Renault 015
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Tyrrell Racing was actually around for quite a while, debuting in 1971 and lasting through 1998. That puts this car sort of right in the middle of their existence. The 015 was designed by Maurice Philippe and featured power from Renault.
The Renault-Gordini engine is a turbocharged 1.5-liter V6, which this chassis, #3, retains. Its competition history is not described, but the teams driver’s were Martin Brundle and Philippe Streiff, the latter of whom kept this car at the end of the season. He traded it to Renault in 1994 for a 1984 Renault F1 car.
Renault is now selling it, with an estimate $160,000-$260,000. Click here for more info.
Update: Not sold/withdrawn.
1993 Williams-Renault FW15
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Williams‘ FW15 was the team’s car for 1993. It was designed by a who’s who of F1: Patrick Head, Adrian Newey, Paddy Lowe, and Eghbal Hamidy. A Renault 3.5-liter V10 was stuffed out back, and the combination proved super successful: Williams won the constructor’s championship, with driver Alain Prost taking the driver’s championship. The team’s other driver was Damon Hill.
Unfortunately, this is not a race chassis and has never had an engine in it. It’s purely a display car and has been retained by “the constructor” since new. Renault is selling other cars, so it’s unclear if this is coming from Renault or Williams, but I’d assume Renault. The estimate is $42,000-$84,000. Click here for more info.
Update: Sold $54,696.
1997 Benetton B197
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Benetton’s 1997 car was the B197, designed under technical director Pat Symonds. It featured power from a 3.0-liter Renault V10 capable of up to 755 horsepower. Unfortunately, this is a pure display car as well, so it’s never even had an engine mounted in it. That said, the body is a real ex-F1 car body, complete with Mild Seven livery.
Benetton utilized Jean Alesi for the entire season along with Gerhard Berger, who was replaced by Alexander Wurz for three races mid-season due to health issues. Berger won a race upon his return, proof that someone else in your seat makes you step up your game. The estimate here is $42,000-$84,000. Click here for more info.
Offered by Artcurial | Le Mans, France | July 2, 2022
Photo – Artcurial
The Citroen Mehari was a weird recreational pickup thing that was produced from 1968 through the late 1980s. Think about how much cars changed in that time. Well the Mehari held strong to its 2CV underpinnings.
Meanwhile, Renault wanted to compete and hired Teilhol of Courpiere, France, to design and build just such a competitor. That was the Renault Rodeo. When the Mehari went out of production, Teilhol started building this, the Tangara. It had 2CV mechanicals and pre-dyed fiberglass-reinforced-plastic body panels.
Power is from a flat-twin of unstated displacement. Only about 1,100 of these were built from 1988 through about 1990. This one has a pre-sale estimate of $8,000-$12,000. Click here for more info.
Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | March 18, 2022
Photo – Artcurial
Amedee Gordini started out as a tuner, mostly of Renault products. He eventually got his company into both motorsports (there was a Formula One team at one point) and into sports car production. All of this before Renault acquired the company in 1968.
This Type 18S is one of two produced, and it is powered by the only supercharged Gordini engine, which is a 1.5-liter inline-four. Output was rated somewhere around 175 horsepower. This Simca-based factory race car had the following competition history:
1950 24 Hours of Le Mans – 41st, DNF (with Juan Manuel Fangio and Jose Froilan Gonzalez)
Other famed names to have raced this car in period include Jean Behra and Maurice Trintignant during a competition period that lasted through 1958. The car now has an estimate of $875,000-$1,750,000. Click here for more info.
Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | March 18, 2022
Photo – Artcurial
Sizaire-Naudin was a combination of the Sizaire Brothers and family friend Louis Naudin. Their company produced cars from 1903 through 1921, with the Sizaires only remaining with the firm until 1912. The following year they co-founded Sizaire-Berwick with London-based financial investment. By 1920, they had moved onto their own company: Sizaire Freres, which was based solely in France.
The company lasted through 1929 and included models powered by Hotchkiss and Willys-Knight engines. This particular car is powered by a 2.0-liter overhead-cam inline-four that made 50 horsepower. This model was the company’s biggest technical achievement with four-wheel independent suspension, rack-and-pinion steering, and the relatively advanced engine.
The catalog describes the body as “Weymann-type,” which means it’s probably not actually a Weymann body, and the landau bars on the solid rear pillar are an interesting touch. The car hasn’t been driven in a decade and needs mechanical work. Even still, it has a pre-sale estimate of $38,000-$55,000. Click here for more info.
Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | March 18, 2022
Photo – Artcurial
The Siluro: the most famous of all Bandini models. The cars were produced in 1100 and 750cc form, the former between 1947 and 1949, and the latter between 1950 and 1956. The 750cc Siluro won multiple SCCA championships and saw racing success on both sides of the Atlantic.
The 747cc inline-four was a modified Crosley unit capable of pushing out 71 horsepower. Bodywork varied car to car, but it followed general trends over the years. For example, 1953 cars received fenders that blended into the body in lieu of more cycle-style fenders or cars that were fender-less altogether.
This car arrived in the U.S. prior to 1957 after having raced in Italy. It later returned to Italy where it was acquired by the Bandini family and restored. It’s been a part of three historic Mille Miglias and now carries an estimate of $285,000-$400,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.
Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | March 18, 2022
Photo – Artcurial
Albert Guyot was an early gearhead. By 1905 he ran a Gladiator and Delage garage in France and later turned to driving race cars. He competed in five Indianapolis 500s between 1913 and 1926, with four top 10 finishes, the highest being third in 1914.
He also ran races in European Grands Prix. He drove a Duesenberg in the 1921 French Grand Prix. Rolland-Pilain hired him the next year to design their Grand Prix car. After that, he started designing his own car, the GS25, seen here. It appeared for the 1925 season. It’s powered by a supercharged 2.0-liter inline-six that featured a valve-less aluminum design. Horsepower was rated at 125.
The competition history for this car includes:
1925 Italian Grand Prix – 14th, DNF (with Guyot)
After that, it entered in Formula Libre events, remaining in competition until 1948. A restoration happened circa 1980, with mechanical freshening happening more recently. This one-off Grand Prix car carries an estimate of $420,000-$535,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.
