Tag Archives: aston martin

August 2015 Auction Highlights, Pt. II

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We’ll continue where we left off last time: Pebble Beach, specifically, Gooding & Company’s sale. The top dog here was a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider that sold for $16,830,000. Our featured Ferrari 250 GT Speciale “Shark Nose” wasn’t far behind at $16,500,000.

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

And honestly, not too far behind that was the Porsche 956, selling for $10,120,000. The Fiat Eden Roc, which came in without an estimate, surprised us a little, selling for a healthy $660,000. The 1912 Packard brought $280,000 and a previously-featured Delage failed to sell. Complete results are right here.

Up next is Russo & Steele’s sale where our featured Dual-Ghia sold for $412,500. The top seller was this 2005 Porsche Carrera GT Coupe for $781,000. Check out full results here.

Photo - Russo & Steele

Photo – Russo & Steele

Now let’s move into September, a month front-loaded with awesome auctions. Bonhams’ Beaulieu Sale was held on September 5th and the top sale was this 1929 Bentley 4.25-Litre Sports Saloon by Mulliner project for $1,059,594.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

We featured a bunch of cars from this sale and the only one that didn’t sell was the Frazer Nash Colmore. Here’s the rundown of all our featured cars that sold, from least expensive to most:

Click here for complete results. Actually, Bonhams held two sales in two different countries on the same continent on the same day. Their other sale, the inaugural sale at the Chantilly Concours in France. The sell-through rate wasn’t outstanding, with three of our feature cars (the Lorraine-Dietrich, Bugatti and Aston Sportsman) all failing to sell. The top sale was our featured Maserati Boomerang for $3,714,522. Interesting sales were led by this 1934 Mercedes-Benz 500K Cabriolet C for $678,861. Click here for full results.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

And the last sale of this rundown is Silverstone Auctions’ Salon Privé sale. We unfortunately weren’t able to feature anything from this sale, but the top seller was this 1968 Aston Martin DB6 Vantage Volante that brought $1,368,000. Click here for the whole catalog with results.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

Aston Martin Sportsman

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1996 Aston Martin V8 Sportsman Shooting Brake

Offered by Bonhams | Chantilly, France | September 5, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Aston Martin has a great history of wagons – err… Shooting Brakes. A lot of the cars built earlier in Aston’s history were aftermarket jobs by outside coachbuilders. Not this thing. It was converted by Aston Martin themselves.

This car started life as a 1996 V8 Coupe, which is what the Virage was called from 1996 through 2000. Only 101 V8 Coupes were built. And only two were turned into wagons. The V8 Coupe was powered by a 5.3-liter V-8 making 330 horsepower.

This is a two owner car from new, with the current owner having used the car for hunting. I would presume it is fox or quail hunting or something as nothing could be more European. This is the last (or at least, most recent) Aston Martin Shooting Brake and it’s really cool. It should bring between $380,000-$600,000. Click here for more info and here for more form this sale.

Update: Not sold.

The First Post-War Aston Martin

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1948 Aston Martin 2-Litre Sports

Offered by Bonhams | Carmel, California | August 14, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

A few weeks ago we featured the last Aston Martin sold prior to the outbreak of WWII. Well here is the bookend to that car: the first Aston Martin built after the war ended. It is the first car built in the David Brown era – and in fact, the 2-Litre Sports (as it was originally called) would become the DB1. Only 15 examples of the DB1 were built (the 2-Litre Sports included).

Designed by Claude Hill, the 2-Litre Sports features a – you guessed it – 2.0-liter straight-four engine making 90 horsepower. Because they wanted to race this car to get Aston’s name back on the minds of the motoring public, the body was a rush job. It is cycle-fendered while the successive DB1s were all fully-fendered roadsters.

That race they were in such a hurry to enter was the 1948 24 Hours of Spa. And they won it with drivers St. John “Jock” Horsfall and Leslie Johnson. Then David Brown wanted to show the car at the ’48 London Motor Show so they re-bodied it slightly (to what you see here). They didn’t sell it (so David Brown gave it to his son) but they ended up taking orders for more cars (the 14 DB1s). This car put Aston Martin on a path to success that is still going strong.

This car, one of one, is one of the most important Aston Martins in existence. It should sell for between $600,000-$900,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $781,000.

Vanquish Roadster Prototype

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2004 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Roadster Prototype

Offered by Bonhams | Carmel, California | August 14, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The Vanquish (also called the V12 Vanquish in the beginning) was Aston Martin’s flagship car (and supercar) in the early oughts. It was built between 2001 and 2007, with the final two model years available solely in Vanquish S form. The car was only every sold as a two-door coupe. There was never a convertible.

Except for this. A second generation Vanquish went on sale in 2013 and a convertible Volante variant was introduced for the ’14 model year. But for the original car, this is the only convertible. It was built by Zagato and shown at the 2004 Geneva Auto Salon. It was later shown at the “concept and prototype green” at Pebble Beach where the current owner managed to acquire it.

The car began life as a Vanquish testing mule but when converted by Zagato it was made entirely roadworthy. It was even wind-tunnel tested to make sure it was quiet in the cabin. The engine is the standard Vanquish 5.9-liter V-12 making 460 horsepower. 1,492 Vanquish coupes were built. But this is special. It is legally in the U.S. and has over 13,000 miles on it. Bonhams is estimating a sale price of $700,000-$850,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $660,000.

July 2015 Auction Highlights, Pt. I

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First up in July is H&H Classics and their Chateau Impney sale. We featured three cars from this sale and two failed to sell: the Chevron B8 and the New Carden. The top sale was this 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster for $164,920.

1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster

Our featured Allard Palm Beach sold for $138,880. Click here for complete results.

The Nautilus from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen sold for $49,411 at Coys’ Blenheim Palace sale. Complete results can be found here. Brightwells July sale had this 1935 Alvis 3.5-Litre Drophead Coupe by Charlesworth as the top sale for $114,700.

Photo - Brightwells

Photo – Brightwells

Our featured Gilbern Genie sold for $7,285 and the Marlin 1800 brought $2,635. Full results are here.

Auctions America’s California sale is up next. The top sale was actually a tie between this 2004 Ferrari Enzo and the following 1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster by Nawrocki for $1,870,000 each.

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

Of our four feature cars from this sale, the top seller was the Pope-Hartford Portola Roadster for $181,500. The Crofton Bug brought a more affordable $22,000. More affordable still was the 1906 Franklin for $19,800. The Sorrell-Manning Special failed to sell. Full results can be found here.

And finally, Artcurial held a small sale in Monaco in July. We featured one car: a 1908 Cadillac. It sold for $23,816. The top sale was this 1989 Aston Martin Lagonda for $174,652. Click here for complete results.

Photo - Artcurial

Photo – Artcurial

Aston Martin Speed Model

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1940 Aston Martin Speed Model Type C

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Monterey, California | August 14-15, 2015

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

This car looks like the grandchild of those early speed trials cars (like the Beast of Turin, the Fiat S76). While the rear is streamlined and racy, it has an abrupt shape at the front and a tall engine compartment. The headlights seem like an afterthought, located in the grille – and perhaps this is the singular feature that gives us this impression. The passenger compartment is just a way to attach a human to an otherwise monstrous machine. I think it can best be described as “chunky.”

But unlike the ridiculous 28-liter engine in the S76, this pre-war Aston uses a 2.0-liter straight-four rated at 125 horsepower. This was a competition car and the first examples were built in 1936. The last were built in 1940 – and this car is believed to be the final Aston Martin sold before the outbreak of WWII.

Of the 23 Speed Models built, only the final eight had the Type C streamlined body. This car has known ownership since new and has been restored in the past five years. When you see one of these in person, it will stand out because it’s rather different from other cars of similar vintage. This one is the prettiest I’ve seen. You can read more here and see more from RM in Monterey here.

Update: Sold: $1,155,000.

June 2015 Auction Highlights, Pt. II

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There were a lot of auctions in June. H&H Classics held what appeared to be a 90% Rolls-Royce/Bentley sale in June. The top sale was a Rolls-Royce – a car we were going to feature but ran out of time. It’s a 1923 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Shooting Brake and it brought $253,210. Check out full results here.

Photo - H&H Classics

Photo – H&H Classics

If we jump across the English Channel, we’ll find ourselves in Paris, for Artcurial’s sale. The top sale was actually a 1991 Ferrari F40 for $1,114,520 even though I was sure this Bugatti would’ve taken top honors.

1991 Ferrari F40

Photo – Artcurial

Our featured Alpine A210 sold for $524,480. Check out complete results here. Racking up more frequent flyer miles, we hop back to England where Bonhams had an awesome sale at the Goodwood Festival of Speed where a previously-featured Croizemarie sold for $35,237. The top sale was this 1935 Aston Martin Ulster factory race car with amazing race history for $4,578,122.

1935 Aston Martin Ulster

Photo – Bonhams

A featured Aston Martin failed to sell. The Gordon-Keeble brought $125,550, the Isotta Fraschini $547,929, and the Williams $160,748. Complete results can be found here.

Motostalgia held a sale in early June and our featured Lola-Cosworth sold for $93,500. The AAR Eagle failed to sell. The top sale was this 1932 Cadillac V12 Victoria Convertible barn find for $308,000. Click here for complete results.

Photo - Motostalgia

Photo – Motostalgia

Finally, Mecum’s Denver sale. We weren’t able to feature anything from this sale, but the top seller was this 2012 Lamborghini Aventador for $285,000. Click here for full results.

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

The Aston They Should’ve Built

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2013 Aston Martin DB9 Centennial Spyder Concept by Zagato

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Monterey, California | August 15, 2015

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

The title says it all. Aston Martins are some of the prettiest cars on the planet, the DB9 among them, but this is a beautiful take on an already gorgeous car. Sure, it might seem a little droopy-eyed if you look at it too long, but its lines are crisp and it’s sporty and forward-looking. And the current DB9 is a little long in the tooth (it’s been on sale for over 10 years).

It was built by legendary Aston Martin design partner Zagato to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Aston Martin. This car started life as a U.S.-spec ’13 DB9 Volante that was bought off the lot and sent to Zagato by its owner to receive this body work.

The engine is the standard 510 horsepower 5.9-liter V-12. It’s called a Concept because that’s what Zagato chose to call it (plus, it got it on the concept lawn at the Pebble Beach Concours). It’s completely street-able and has about 2,300 miles on it and is a one-owner car. There aren’t too many coachbuilt cars these days and this one is about perfect. Buy it. It will only ever appreciate in value. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $693,000.

Aston Martin 15/98

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1937 Aston Martin 15/98 Tourer

Offered by Bonhams | Goodwood, England | June 26, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Every year Bonhams holds an all-Aston Martin sale yet this Goodwood Festival of Speed sale features some incredible pre-war Astons, including this beautiful 15/98 Tourer. I’m severely struck by this awesome color combination, as simple as it is.

The 15/98 was the final Aston Martin model introduced before WWII. It was built between 1937 and 1939 only. It has a 2.0-liter straight-four under the hood which is good for 98 horsepower and 85 mph.

This car has known ownership history from new and a flawless restoration undertaken in 2003. Pre-war 2.0-liter Aston Martins are exceedingly rare, with only 176 having been built between a few different models. The 15/98 Tourer you see here is one of only 24 four-seat versions of this model ever made. It’s pretty and could bring between $180,000-$230,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

May 2015 Auction Highlights, Pt I

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First up in the month of May, Bonhams’ all-Aston Martin sale where a previously featured DB7 V12 Prototype sold here again, this time for $35,612. The top sale was this 1966 Aston Martin DB5 Convertible restored to Vantage specification that sold for $2,360,784.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Our featured DB4 Vantage Convertible was right behind it at $2,332,827. The DB6 Volante failed to sell. Check out complete results here.

Auctions America’s Auburn Spring sale had our featured Ford GTX1 atop the sales leader board, selling for $330,000. Interesting sales were definitely topped by this 1939 Diamond T truck with a really cool beverage trailer.

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

This sale had some bargains, too – check them out here. Brightwells held a sale in May, as well. Our featured Frazer Nash was easily the top seller at $337,550. Interesting sales included this 2000 Daewoo Musiro Concept car. It doesn’t have an engine, but it did sell for $1,250.

Photo - Brightwells

Photo – Brightwells

One of our feature cars didn’t sell, the H.E. Tourer, but the Dare DZ brought $15,385. Click here for full results.

Mecum’s annual Indianapolis sale always features some big time muscle cars. Unfortunately, our featured low-mileage Hemi Cuda failed to sell. The top sale was a different muscle car: a ’67 Shelby 427 Cobra for a cool $1,000,000.

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

Our featured Lightweight Mustang Prototype brought $130,000. Click here for full results. The Veritas from Coys’ Ascot sale brought $263,700 while the Fiat sold for $63,500. Full results can be found here.