Tag Archives: auctions

540K Cabriolet B

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1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K Cabriolet B by Sindelfingen

Offered by Worldwide Auctioneers | Houston, Texas | April 23, 2016

Photo - Worldwide Auctioneers

Photo – Worldwide Auctioneers

I feel like we’ve been featuring a lot of Mercedes-Benz 500K/540Ks recently – and we have – but the reason is that these are some of Mercedes’ finest cars and, while we tend not to feature the same car twice, there were a lot of different styles offered. This is the Cabriolet B. There was also an A and a C, among others.

Powered by a 5.4-liter straight-eight, the 540K makes 115 horsepower and, when the supercharger is engaged (i.e. the gas pedal is pushed to the floor), 180. The Cabriolet B was the most popular body style of all 500K/540K production with 296 built (there were 419 540Ks built in total).

The restoration on this car was completed in 1981 but it has aged so well that it has continued to win awards up through the 2000s. It was even shown at Pebble Beach in 2013. It is expected to bring between $900,000-$1,300,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $836,000.

The Original Z06

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1963 Chevrolet Corvette Z06

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 20, 2016

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

This car has a lot going for it. First of all, it’s a ’63 Corvette Coupe, meaning it carries the signature “split window” rear glass –  a one-year-only feature. Then we have the fact that it is a Z06. The modern Z06 was introduced in 2001 and is the Track Attack variant of the ‘Vette. But this was the first model to carry that letter and number combo.

In 1962, Zora Arkus-Duntov wanted to build a performance Corvette for sale after the factory ban on racing went into effect. So they created “RPO Z06” – a high-performance package that could be ordered. It included beefier brakes and suspension and could only be had with the 5.4-liter V-8 making 360 horsepower. It wasn’t cheap, adding over 40% of the base price onto the cost of the car.

Only 199 of them were built in 1963. This one features a nut and bolt restoration and is an award winner. It’s about a $250,000 car. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $210,000.

Ghia 1500 GT

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1965 Ghia 1500 GT

Offered by Coys | Essen, Germany | April 9, 2016

Photo - Coys

Photo – Coys

Carrozzeria Ghia is primarily known for their custom bodies that they apply to other people’s cars. There’s a little more history about that coming in a future post, but I’ll keep it short and say that Ghia built a few models of their own in the 1960s. This, the 1500 GT, is one of them.

This 1500 GT is powered by a Fiat 1.5-liter straight-four with power ratings varying based on whom you ask, but it was probably somewhere around 73 horsepower. Top speed was over 100 mph and it is said that this is a fantastic sounding car for having such a tiny motor.

The cars were only built between 1963 and 1966 and about 300 were made. It was bought by an American soldier in 1967 and it returned stateside with him in 1970. It went to Canada in 1987 but just sat there. The current owner, who acquired it much more recently, restored it. It should bring between $72,500 and $106,000. Click here for more info and here for more info.

Update: Sold $71,900.

1983 GAZ Chaika

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1983 GAZ Chaika M14

Offered by Coys | Essen, Germany | April 9, 2016

Photo - Coys

Photo – Coys

The GAZ Chaika was a Soviet luxury car built in two series between 1959 and 1988. The first series somewhat resembled an American sedan from the 1950s. This, the second series (which was built between 1977 and 1988) doesn’t really resemble anything sold in America. This wasn’t the top of the line Russian car of the day – for that, you had to step up to the ZIL Limousine.

This car is powered by a 5.5-liter V-8 making 220 horsepower. It’s a limousine and should seat six. They were generally only available to government officials, and this particular car was purchased straight from the Lithuanian government.

They only built about 100 of these per year with final production output reaching 1,114. There’s a number of them still around, but Mikhail Gorbachev had the blueprints and tooling destroyed, which is nice. This is being sold without reserve. You can read more here and see more from this sale here.

Update: Sold $18,380.

Grosser Werkmeister

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1952 Grosser Werkmeister

Offered by Coys | Essen, Germany | April 9, 2016

Photo - Coys

Photo – Coys

The car you see here (quite possibly for the first time) is an East German race car that was built by Georg Werkmeister. East Germany really isn’t known for their automobiles (other than say, the Trabant), but there were a number of pop up race car builders in the 1950s that came from the far side of the wall.

Like most of these cars, they were based on the pre-war BMW 328. So the engine here is a 328-donated 2.0-liter straight-four making about 135 horsepower. The low, streamlined body was designed by an ex-Auto Union aerodynamicist. It was raced, semi-successfully, in 1952 and 1953.

But in ’53, Werkmeister left for West Germany and his car was seized by the East German government. It continued to race into 1954 before suffering some engine damage. Over the following decades, the car was used as a road car under the care of many owners. It was expertly restored in 2004 and is ready for historic races and tours. Click here for more info and here for more from Coys.

Update: Not sold.

The Speed Camel

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1980 Citroen Méhari

Offered by Coys | Essen, Germany | April 9, 2016

Photo - Coys

Photo – Coys

I feel like trying to explain the Citroen Méhari to someone who has never seen one would be a very amusing conversation:

So is it a car or an SUV? Yes. It’s low like a car, but it has stamped lines down the side of it to make it look rugged and to imply off-roadiness.
Does it have four wheel drive? Three years worth of them do. It’s made of plastic.
Well at least it’s light. Is it powerful? No, it has a two-cylinder engine. But it is implied that it is fast because it is named after a fast camel.
That’s weird. Does it look cool? Is it functional? Well, uh, sorta? It only has two seats and a kind of flat space behind them. And it has kind of a tarp for a roof, and windows. So it’s technically a convertible, so that’s cool, right?
I guess. Who made it? The French.
Oh, now I get it. Yep.

The Méhari could have only come from a French factory. Featuring a 602cc flat-twin, the car was introduced in 1968 and stayed in production for the next 20 years. 4WD cars were only built between 1980 and 1983, with about 13,000 of them made. In total, 144,953 Méharis were built.

This one has been well restored and I can’t tell from the information provided whether or not this is a front or four driver. I’d guess the former as the expected price is listed between $16,860-$22,500. Click here for more info and here for more from Coys.

Update: Sold $26,250.

March 2016 Auction Highlights, Pt. II

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We’re back with more auction highlights from March, starting with Silverstone Auctions’ third sale of the month. This, the Restoration Show Sale, didn’t have any feature cars here on our site, but the top sale was this 1999 Lamborghini Diablo SV for $248,550. Click here for full results.

Photo - Silverstone Auctions

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

Next up, more Amelia Island sales. Motostalgia held a sale during the Concours weekend and, while we didn’t get to feature anything, the top seller was this 2011 Ferrari 599 SA Aperta for $1,250,000 Click here for complete results.

Photo - Motostalgia

Photo – Motostalgia

Also at Amelia Island was Gooding & Company where the top seller was the insane $17,160,000 paid for this 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider. Long one of the most sought-after road-going Ferraris, their prices have seemingly doubled in the past five years. We aren’t surprised.

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

Of our feature cars, a number brought big money, including a previously-featured Duesenberg for $2,640,000. The Ford GT40 went for $3,300,000 and, from the Seinfeld collection, the Porsche Jagdwagen went for a tenth of that at $330,000 (Seinfeld appears to have taken a million dollar loss on the 917/30). Three of our feature cars failed to sell including the Jerry Seinfeld Carrera GT, the Porsche 908, and the O.S.C.A. Click here for complete results.

And the final Amelia Island highlight is that of RM Sotheby’s. Another classic Ferrari road car topped the results, this time being a 1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica LWB Coupe Aerodinamico for $4,400,000.

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

Our top-selling feature car was the Edsel Ford Speedster ($770,000) while the other featured Ford, the RS200 Evo brought $522,500. Falling between those two was the Stutz Monte Carlo at $550,000. The Mercedes 540K failed to sell.

The other three feature cars all sold: the Kurtis Aguila brought $423,500, the Packard Limousine $137,500, and the Siata $198,000. Click here for complete results. And finally we have Bonhams’ Mercedes-Benz sale in Stuttgart. All three of our feature cars failed to sell, including the 540K and both 500Ks. The top sale was this 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLR Stirling Moss for $2,594,170. Click here for complete results.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Bianco Coupe

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1979 Bianco S Coupe

Offered by Auctions America | Ft. Lauderdale, Florida | April 2, 2016

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

Here’s another Volkswagen-based car from Brazil. The Bianco was designed by Ottorino Bianco (who designed Formula 3 cars first). It debuted at the 1976 São Paolo Motor Show but would only last through 1979 when the company closed.

It’s powered by a rear-mounted 1.6-liter Volkswagen flat-four. The body is plastic and fiberglass. It certainly looks like a kit car but they were actually built at a factory – by hand. About 20 per month were churned out.

If you’ve never seen one these don’t worry – most people haven’t. This car comes out of a Brazilian collection and has to be one of very few in the U.S. It should bring between $10,000-$20,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $24,750.

Stoddard-Dayton Runabout

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1907 Stoddard-Dayton Model K Runabout

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 21, 2016

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

I’m trying to think of a good comparison… what company from today is the modern equivalent of Stoddard-Dayton? They were sporty, luxurious cars but not extraordinarily extravagant. If they were still around they would probably compete against the likes of Maserati or Cadillac. Somewhere in there.

In 1908, Stoddard-Dayton would move to a number/letter model name combination (think the last number of the year in front of the model letter, like Model 8-H, for a 1908 Model H). But in 1907, the models were standalone, and the Model K was the top of the range. It was only offered in this three-passenger Runabout form.

The engine is a 30 horsepower 5.5-liter straight-four. The Model K, new for 1907, would continue on through 1911 (albeit, with a numerical prefix). This example was discovered in a barn in South Dakota and the engine was overhauled in 2015. It’s a quick, rare early sporting machine (with white tires!) and is one of three known to exist. Click here for more info and here for more from Mecum.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $200,000.

Update: Sold, Worldwide Auctioneers, Auburn 2017, $118,800.

Update: Sold, RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island 2017, $190,400.

SSC Aero

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2005 SSC Aero SC/8T

Offered by Barrett-Jackson | Palm Beach, Florida | April 8-10, 2016

Photo - Barrett-Jackson

Photo – Barrett-Jackson

As we always say: we love our supercars. And in the spirit of not featuring any cars that are still in production, we have this: the SSC Aero. Produced between 2006 and 2013, the Aero is, so far, the only automobile produced by Shelby SuperCars Inc. (now known as SSC North America). The “Shelby” refers to Jarod Shelby, not Carroll (no relation and thus why they had to change the name of their company).

Specifications of the Aero changed on a near-annual basis. This, the SC/8T (2005 edition) is powered by a 6.3-liter supercharged Corvette racing engine making 787 horsepower. A later version of the car would take the title of “World’s Fastest Car” but this model had to settle for 236 mph.

The company’s followup car, the Tuatara, was shown as a concept in 2012 but production has yet to start. With that, you’re looking at a true home-grown American supercar. No one is really sure how many were actually made but this is car #2 and it has 2,178 miles on it. The original price of this car was over $600,000 but it will be much cheaper at auction. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Withdrawn from sale.