Tag Archives: auctions

Italdesign Zerouno

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2018 Italdesign Zerouno

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Essen, Germany | April 12, 2019

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Italdesign is a design company based in Moncalieri, Italy, near Turin. Co-founded by legendary designer Giorgetto Giugiaro in 1968, the company was mostly acquired by Lamborghini in 2010. In 2017, an offshoot was formed called Italdesign Automobili Speciali. Their mission is to actually build low-run supercars, instead of just designing them.

Their first car is this, the Zerouno, and it was launched in 2017. We’ll just say it’s related to the Lamborghini Huracan, as it is powered by a 5.2-liter V10 that makes 610 horsepower and has all-wheel drive. Top speed is 205 mph.

Only five units of the Zerouno were constructed, with this being the final one (an additional five examples of the Zerouno Duerta drop-top will also be made). It’s basically brand new with delivery mileage. This could very well be the last time you ever see one of these for sale, and it should bring between $1,050,000-$1,700,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Bristol 403

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1953 Bristol 403

Offered by Bonhams | Chichester, U.K. | April 7, 2019

Photo – Bonhams

We are slowly filling in the gaps of the Bristol model history. We’ve previously covered models 400, 401, and 402. And here we have the 403. Largely an evolution of early cars, it was built between 1953 and 1955. Only 287 were made (or 281, depending on who you ask).

Like earlier cars, and a few following it, the 403’s powerplant is based on a pre-war BMW six-cylinder engine, specifically a 2.0-liter straight-six. Horsepower now cracked three figures for the first time, at 100. It could also do over 100 mph.

Other improvements included work on the suspension and brakes, to add some credibility to the “sport” part of the “sports saloon” they advertised it as being. This is a rare two-door post-war British sports sedan that should command between $62,000 and $66,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams.

Update: Not sold.

1907 Adams

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1907 Adams 10HP Two-Seater

Offered by Bonhams | Chichester, U.K. | April 7, 2019

Photo – Bonhams

The auction catalog for this car lists it as an American car, which it isn’t. Arthur Adams teamed up with Edward Hewitt to build the Adams-Hewitt in Bedford, England from 1905 through 1907 when Hewitt left the company. Cars built thereafter until 1914 were known as just “Adams.”

This small two-seater is powered by a 1.7-liter single-cylinder engine pushing out all of 10 horsepower. It was discovered in Turkey, of all places, and brought back to the UK and restored for museum duty. Only a handful of these cars remain.

Bizarrely, Mr. Adams died aboard the Lusitania (not the Titanic as mentioned in the catalog), much like the founder of the Trumbull cyclecar that is being sold from this same collection. It’s either a weird coincidence, or this collector has, um, very morbid tastes. Look for a price between $20,000-$26,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $22,547.

Monteverdi 375/4

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1970 Monteverdi 375/4 Sedan

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Essen, Germany | April 11-12, 2019

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Most boutique car companies focus on high-end sports cars. Not Peter Monteverdi’s Swiss shop. In addition to building superfast sports cars, he sold high-end SUVs and extremely lengthy sedans for the world’s elite.

The High Speed line of cars was produced between 1967 and 1976. Most of them were 2-door coupes. There is one surviving convertible. And then there are these, the sedans. Fewer than 30 were built, and after production ceased, the Qatari Royal Family wanted some, so Monteverdi built seven more in the late 1970s. I once saw one of those cars plow into the back of a McLaren MP4-12C. So that was fun.

This car is powered by a 7.2-liter Chrysler V8, which makes a great sound, and the chassis features a 20-inch stretch over the coupe. The wheelbase looks insane, but these are big cars. For royalty. And they never change hands. This one is expected to bring between $225,000-$275,000. Click here for more info and here for more from RM Sotheby’s in Essen.

Update: Sold $197,113.

Glide Scout

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1910 Glide Model 45 Scout Touring

Offered by Bonhams | Tupelo, Mississippi | April 26-27, 2019

Photo – Bonhams

Anyone with any degree of mechanical knowledge could’ve opened an automobile company before 1910. In this case, J.B. Bartholomew of Peoria, Illinois, made peanut and coffee roasters before building his first car in 1901. In 1903 the Glidemobile went into production, and the name was shortened the following year to just Glide.

The 1910 Glide model range consisted of the Model 45 which was powered by a 45 horsepower 5.8-liter inline-four. Three factory body styles were offered, a three-passenger roadster, the five-passenger Scout touring, and a seven-passenger Special touring. This is the middle car, which cost $2,500 when new.

It is a larger car than the photos would have you believe, and it is one of only a few Glides known to exist. Formerly a part of the Imperial Palace collection, it is the first car we are featuring from the now-closed Tupelo Automobile Museum. It should sell for between $38,000-$53,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $76,160.

Saurer M4

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1954 Saurer MH4 Mannschaftstranporter

Offered by Oldtimer Galerie | Toffen, Switzerland | March 30, 2019

Photo – Oldtimer Galerie

We haven’t featured a military vehicle in some time, so I thought this slightly Axis-esque troop transporter would be a good fit. It was built by the Swiss company Saurer, a truck and bus manufacturer that existed between 1903 and 1982.

The MH4, as it was known to Saurer, or M4, as it was known to the Swiss army, was a troop transporter used between 1945 and 1985. Quite a long time, but I guess the Swiss really aren’t fighting that many wars, now are they?

Power here is from a 5.8-liter inline-four that should make about 75 horsepower and a lot more torque. They topped out at a little over 40 mph. You aren’t likely to run into another one when you’re out at the hardware store or toting the entire soccer team around. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Two Microcars

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Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Ft. Lauderdale, Florida | March 29-30, 2019

1965 Goggomobil TS300 Cabriolet

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The Goggomobil was built by Hans Glas GmbH between 1955 and 1969. There were a number of different models offered, with the TS coupe model available in TS250 or TS300 form.

They are powered by a 15 horsepower, 293cc 2-stroke twin. The cabriolet is very rare, with only seven examples produced. This former museum car carries a pre-sale estimate of $35,000-$45,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $20,350.

1958 Biscuter 200-1 Furgoneta

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The Biscuter was a microcar built by Autonacional of Spain. It is a descendant of Gabriel Voisin‘s post-war Biscooter French microcar. Different models were available, including the Pegasin sports car and this Furgoneta commercial van.

Power here is from a 197cc 2-stroke single-cylinder making a whopping nine horsepower. It’s wearing a wrap, which is an interesting thing to do to a classic car. Not many examples remain, and this one sports some pretty awesome wood work. It should bring between $20,000-$30,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $4,675.

Biscuter Furgoneta

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1958 Biscuter 200-1 Furgoneta

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Ft. Lauderdale, Florida | March 29-30, 2019

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The Biscuter was a microcar built by Autonacional of Spain. It is a descendant of Gabriel Voisin‘s post-war Biscooter French microcar. Different models were available, including the Pegasin sports car and this Furgoneta commercial van.

Power here is from a 197cc 2-stroke single-cylinder making a whopping nine horsepower. It’s wearing a wrap, which is an interesting thing to do to a classic car. Not many examples remain, and this one sports some pretty awesome wood work. It should bring between $20,000-$30,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $4,675.

Trumbull Cyclecar

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1915 Trumbull 15B Cyclecar

Offered by Bonhams | Chichester, U.K. | April 7, 2019

Photo – Bonhams

The Trumbull Motor Car Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut, was founded by brothers Alexander and Isaac Trumbull. They bought the rights to a cyclecar designed by Harry J. Stoops and put it into production in Connecticut in 1914.

Power is from an inline-four engine making 14/18 horsepower. Cyclecars gained a bad reputation in the US, so Trumbull found success overseas, selling 3/4 of their cars in Europe and Australia.

Sadly, Isaac Trumbull was aboard the Lusitania when it was torpedoed in 1915 – along with 20 Trumbull cars. After his death, the company was closed. This rare example should bring between $26,000-$33,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Update: Not sold, Bonhams Beaulieu 2019.

1908 Columbia Electric

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1908 Columbia Mark LXX Victoria Phaeton

Offered by Bonhams | Chichester, U.K. | April 7, 2019

Photo – Bonhams

There were a few Columbia-branded automobiles in the early days of motoring, including this car made by the Columbia Automobile Company of Hartford, Connecticut. Columbia was actually founded by Albert Pope, who built a number of other cars. They offered electric and gasoline-powered cars from 1903 through 1911, with a smattering of both available from 1897 and gasonline-only cars until 1913.

This 1908 model was wildly outdated by 1908 standards, carrying a body more appropriate for something from 1901. The Mark LXX Victoria Phaeton body was one of at least four body styles offered on Columbia’s electric motor-powered chassis in 1908.

Costing $1,600 when new, this car currently carries a pre-sale estimate of $39,000-$65,000. It’s a pretty rare example – and it sports white tires, which is always a plus. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $76,661.