Tag Archives: auctions

AC Royal

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1926 AC Royal Tourer

Offered by Bonhams | Hendon, U.K. | April 29, 2013

1926 AC Royal Tourer

I hope you would agree that the car above looks pretty good – considering it was built in 1926 and has not been restored! That’s right, this is an all-original car. I suppose it’s possible that it has not been repainted, but it certainly looks so. The seller describes the body and interior as having a nice “patina” – which is seller code for “imperfections.”

But on an almost-90-year-old car, imperfections are character. Auto Carriers Ltd. began work on a new six-cylinder engine immediately following the First World War, but it wasn’t quite ready for production and AC still had to pay the bills. Enter the entry-level four-cylinder Royal you see here. It uses a 1.5-liter straight-four rated at 12 horsepower.

This car has had six owners from new and has been in the same family since 1954. The four-cylinder AC went out of production in 1928 once the six-cylinder really took off. This car is expected to bring between $20,000-$26,000. Click here for more and here for the rest of this sale.

Update: Sold $26,900.

Hudson Commodore 8 Convertible

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1950 Hudson Commodore 8 Convertible Brougham

Offered by Auctions America | Auburn, Indiana | May 9-11, 2013

1950 Hudson Commodore 8 Convertible Brougham

There is a fabulous collection of Hudsons at this year’s Auburn Spring Sale from Auctions America. There are two 1950 Commodore 8 Convertibles, and while the other one is in nicer, brand-new condition, I think the color combo on this one is more attractive. Plus the photos are better.

The third generation of the Hudson Commodore was introduced for the 1948 model year. This generation is one of my favorite American car designs of all time. Their final year was 1952. Engine options were a straight-six or a straight-eight, as found in this car. It is 4.2-liters and makes 128 horsepower.

The convertible was a nice style – as all two-door Commodores are super-sporty looking, sharing styling cues from the Hornet, which had been honing its skills on the NASCAR circuit. This is an all-original car with 71,000 miles and three-on-the-tree. The fender skirts are what sets it apart – to me at least. And the wire wheels are off a Chrysler (and I’m not sure why). This is a $30,000-$45,000 car. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $51,700.

Bugatti Type 30 Re-Body

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1930 Bugatti Type 30 Dual-Cowl Torpedo

Offered by RM Auctions | Lake Como, Italy | May 25, 2013

1924 Bugatti Type 30

The Bugatti Type 30 was Bugatti’s touring car model that first went on sale in 1922. It used the same chassis as the earlier Brescia. It was built through 1926 and spawned a series of Bugatti models that would run through 1934. The engines and components would change, but the Type 30 was the initial model in what is considered to be the “30 line.”

The engine in this car is a 2.0-liter straight-eight generating between 65 and 70 horsepower, realistically. The eight-cylinder engine was more powerful than that four-cylinder in the Brescia but also had similar lightness and even more appeal.

The story on this car is that it was taken to the U.K. after WWII in the hopes of turning it into a race car. All that ended up happening was that the body was removed (and subsequently disappeared). Someone else acquired it and decided to restore it in the early-1980s. He had a new body built – a Dual-Cowl Torpedo in the style of Lavocat et Marsaud. This car also has it’s original chassis plate and engine (although it has undergone serious work).

About 600 Type 30s were built and there are some with original and more desirable coachwork. This one is nice and has been repainted in Bugatti blue within the last five years. This failed to sell at a different auction in 2008 with an approximate estimate of $225,000-$265,000. RM hasn’t published an estimate yet, but I expect something close to that, if not a little less. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $407,680.

Ex-Le Mans Ferrari 340/375

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1953 Ferrari 340/375 MM Berlinetta Competizione by Pinin Farina

Offered by RM Auctions | Lake Como, Italy | May 25, 2013

1953 Ferrari 340 375 MM Berlinetta Competizione by Pinin Farina

This Ferrari 375 MM was one of the first 375 MMs built by Ferrari. It was constructed early in 1953 to be ready in time for the 1953 World Sportscar Championship. The 375 road car was an evolution of the 340 but for the race cars, a special 340/375MM was built – meaning it had the proven, competitive chassis of the 340 with the new, more powerful 375 engine.

That engine is a 340 horsepower 4.5-liter V12 that came straight from Ferraris Formula One car (this car was originally fitted with a 4.1-liter V12 but had the engine switched by the factory prior to the 1953 Spa 24 Hours). The body was designed and built by Pinin Farina. Three of these such cars were built and the one you are looking at was driven and raced by legends. It’s competition history includes:

  • 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans – 56th, disqualified even though it ran well (with Giuseppe Farina and Mike Hawthorn)
  • 1953 Spa 24 Hours – 4th, not running at finish (with Alberto Ascari and Luigi Villoresi)
  • 1953 Pescara 12 Hours – 1st (with Hawthorn and Umberto Maglioli)
  • 1953 Carrera Panamericana – 6th (with Maglioli, Forese Salviati and Mario Ricci)

The car passed between owners, spending time in American and British collections before the current owner acquired it in 2004. It has been professionally restored to its 1953 Le Mans livery. No estimate was available as I wrote this as the lot description had yet to be published. The last one of these (of the three made) that came up for sale failed to meet its reserve in 2005 at $3.5 million. Expect more. Click here for more info and here for more from RM at Villa Erba.

Update: Sold $12,812,800.

Bugatti Superprofile

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1930 Bugatti Type 46 Superprofile Coupe

Offered by RM Auctions | Lake Como, Italy | May 25, 2013

1930 Bugatti Type 46 Superprofile Coupe

Photo – RM Auctions

I’ll start this off by saying that this is not an original Bugatti Superprofile Coupe. It is an original Bugatti Type 46, but the body has been redone in the style of Jean Bugatti’s famous Superprofile car.

The Type 46 uses a 5.4-liter straight-eight making 140 horsepower. The car originally had a four-door sedan body on it and sometime in the past 15 years, this stunning new body was constructed by Mr. Ken Haywood in Australia. The Coupe Profilée (as Jean’s original drawings were officially referred to) bodystyle was never applied by the factory to a Type 46. One acquired an original Profilée body in the 1960s and that car is in the Schlumpf Collection, never to see the light of day again. The first factory Profilée was on a 1935 Type 50, which was once owned by Bill Harrah. It is valued at about $2 million.

This car sold in March of 2012 for $1,017,500, which was perhaps a little high, considering that, while beautiful and probably better done than any original Bugatti body, it will never be a contender at places like Pebble Beach because it isn’t a period body. And owning a Bugatti like this is all about garnering awards and patting yourself on the back for being able to afford something beautiful that somebody else made.

In all, 450 Type 46s were built between 1929 through 1933. One has a real Profilée body on it from back in the day. This one has a new Profilée body. It’s definitely more valuable than some other Type 46s, but I kind of doubt it will bring the same kind of money it brought last year. But who knows. Click here for more and here for more from what’s shaping up to be a monster sale from RM in Italy.

Update: Sold $873,600.

Draz-bodied 356A

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1959 Porsche 356A 1600 Super Convertible D by Drauz

Offered by RM Auctions | Fort Worth, Texas | April 27, 2013

1959 Porsche 356A 1600 Super Convertible D by Drauz

The Porsche 356 is an extremely important car as it was Porsche’s first production car. It was in production from 1948 through 1965 – an eternity in sports car terms. The 356A was the second iteration of the model and it bowed in 1955, with production lasting through 1959.

The Convertible D was produced in 1958 and 1959 only, with the “D” standing for Drauz – that’s Drauz Karrosseriewerke, a German coachbuilder that had been around since 1900. The trim level was very similar to the much-loved Speedster, with the exception that the D had roll-up windows, a taller windshield and a nicer interior.

The car was sold new to Cincinnati, where it had spent much of its life until being acquired by Don Davis (presumably sometime after 2006). It was restored in 1988 and 2003. This car has the 1600 Super motor in it – a 1.6-liter flat-four making 75 horsepower. This particular car has covered over 200,000 miles in its life. Incredible.

Only 1,330 Convertible Ds were built by Porsche and bodied by Drauz. They are highly sought after. This one is expected to bring between $125,000-$150,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of the cars coming from the Don Davis collection.

Update: Sold $137,500.

1937 Mercedes 230 Roadster

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1937 Mercedes-Benz 230 Cabriolet B

Offered by Coys | Essen, Germany | April 13, 2013

1937 Mercedes-Benz 230 Roadster

If you linked here from Twitter, first, thank you for the follow. Second, yes, this car is actually rarer than a Mercedes-Benz 540K – which costs at least 10 times as much as this car is expected to go for. You’re welcome for finding you the best deals on 1930s Mercedes’!

The 230 – which, in MB code is “W143” – was introduced as the 230n in 1937. It was a short-wheelbase car using a a 2.3-liter straight-six making 55 horsepower. Later that year, Mercedes switched to a long-wheelbase chassis and called the car the 230. Production lasted through 1941 and the engine continued on unchanged.

The body on this car is by Sindelfingen. It is a Cabriolet B (a four-seater with two doors). There were other convertible models available as well. Only 38 of these were built, making it far rarer than any of the 500K/540K Cabriolets. Only a handful of these are still around. This one has never been restored and shows fantastic. The pre-sale estimate is $125,000-$165,000 – a mere fraction of what you would pay for an, albeit grander, 540K. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Coys Essen lineup.

Update: Sold $158,500.

One of 12 Cisitalia 303s

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1952 Cisitalia 303 F

Offered by Coys | Essen, Germany | April 13, 2013

1952 Cisitalia 303 F

The Cisitalia 202 is a well-known, sought after Italian sports car from the 1950s. Cisitalia only built cars from 1946 into the 1950s. They also built single seat race cars for use in a one-make series as well as various Formula series around Europe.

In the early 1950s, Cisitalia was losing money faster than they could make it back. The 202, while beautiful and renowned, was very costly to produce and company founder Piero Dusio was trying to field a mid-engined Formula One car at the same time – which has always been an inherent money loser. Cisitalia wanted to keep the 202 around, but they had to make some concessions. They moved the chassis to that of a Fiat 1100 and renamed it the 303 F (with the F standing for “Fiat”).

The bodies weren’t as fantastic as the 202 and the engine was the 1.1-liter straight-four making about 51 horsepower. These were the last of the Cisitalias (Dusio had to flee Italy due to tax issues) and only 12 were built with only eight or nine still around. This one has had three owners from new. Good luck finding another one – either for sale or at auction. It should bring between $95,000-$110,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Aston Martin Mk II

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1935 Aston Martin 1.5-Litre Mk II

Offered by Coys | Essen, Germany | April 13, 2013

1935 Aston Martin 1.5-Litre Mk II

Aston Martin built their first car in 1915 but production didn’t start until the 1920s. Early Astons are very rare and you don’t see many from prior to WWII. As far as what early Astons looked like – they all sort of resembled the car you see here.

The Mk II was introduced in 1934 and built through 1936 (yeah, they’re rare: only 148 were built). The company didn’t take off until the David Brown era, but it was models like this that allowed it to survive until Brown came along. Aston’s 1.5-liter engine was first bolted to a car in 1926 and lasted through 1935, with this being among the final Astons to use the 73 horsepower straight-four.

The body is a four-seat tourer by A. C. Bertelli and it’s very sporty, even with its long-ish looking wheelbase – they handled well and could do 80 mph. While the lot description doesn’t explicitly say so, it makes it sound like this car is in original condition – which would be incredible because this car looks like it was just restored. But it does come from long-term (50+ years) ownership where it was in a private museum (read: “collection”). It should bring a strong $150,000-$195,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Coys.

Update: Sold $158,100.

Chrysler GS-1

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1954 Chrysler GS-1 Special by Ghia

Offered by RM Auctions | Fort Worth, Texas | April 27, 2013

1954 Chrysler GS-1 Special by Ghia

In the 1950s, Italian style caused quite a stir among American automotive executives. There were a number of “Italian-bodied” cars that sold on American shores with Detroit power. Quite a few Chryslers actually (unfortunately, they’d try this again in the early 1990s, to terrible results).

Those Detroit powerplants were impressive, too. This one has a 5.4-liter Hemi V-8 making 235 horsepower. What started all of this Italian body-building was a one-off show car built by Ghia for Chrysler export executive C.B. Thomas. The car was very well received on the European auto show circuit and Ghia ended up building about 40 specials based on Chryslers.

Only two of them were GS-1 Specials. The cars were based on the New Yorker Deluxe chassis and engine. How they differed from the rest of the Specials is what sets them apart. They were four-passenger cars with flat exhaust tips and special bits of Chrysler trim. They were to be used on the European auto show tour – including the 1954 Turin Auto Show. But this one was apparently never shown.

When Chrysler was “done with it” (they never actually did anything with it), they sold it into private hands. It passed to the daughter of the man who bought it directly from Chrysler and she used it for a few years until it was parked in the 1960s. It remained parked until 1999, when it was restored and sold to the current owner. It should sell for between $700,000-$800,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $616,000.