Tag Archives: auctions

Baldwin Motion Phase III Corvette

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1969 Chevrolet Corvette Baldwin Motion Phase III Coupe

Offered by Auctions America | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | March 22-24, 2013

1969 Chevrolet Corvette Baldwin Motion Phase III Coupe

Baldwin, Long Island-located Baldwin Chevrolet and Motion Performance joined forces in 1967 to build serious street machines. Baldwin Chevrolet sold the cars that they, and their partners, modified. All kind of Chevrolets could be had: Novas, Camaros, Chevelles and Corvettes.

They called their Phase III cars “supercars” and the term is apt. They guaranteed both an 11.5 second quarter mile time and a cruising speed of 120 mph. That’s some gearing! But then again, such gearing is made easy when the engine makes 600 horsepower. This car has a 7.9-liter (482-cid) V-8 “Elephant” motor making just such a number. It is the only engine like it known to exist.

This car is a 15,000 mile car from new and is well optioned. It is all original and is the only one like it. Rare, period one-off muscle cars like this used to bring ridiculous money about 10 years ago. The market has softened but this is still a very valuable car. Click here to read more and here for more from Auctions America in Ft. Lauderdale.

Update: Sold $136,400.

Austin (the American one) Touring Car

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1909 Austin Model 60 Touring

Offered by RM Auctions | Amelia Island, Florida | March 9, 2013

1909 Austin Model 60 Touring

There are a couple of old automobile manufacturers that went by the name “Austin.” There is the well-known British Austin – the one who built the Seven and the Mini and died slowly during the decades-long BMC/Leyland “let’s ruin the British auto industry” debacle. Then there was “American Austin” which became American Bantam in the 1930s. But before these, there was the Austin Automobile Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was founded in 1901 – five years before Austin of England.

The Model 60 was the flagship Austin model when it was introduced. It’s a very large, imposing car and the competitive set in the day included Packard and Pierce-Arrow. They were well-engineered and basically overbuilt. The engine is a massive 12.8-liter straight-six making a then very impressive 90 horsepower. This particular car was featured on the Austin stand at the 1909 Chicago Auto Show.

The first owner bought it off the auto show stand for $5,000 and kept it for 38 years. It was then sold to Barney Pollard who maintained the car throughout his ownership. It spent 30 years in a museum during this time before the current owner bought it in 1983. The car has been restored, but because it was cared for its entire life, it has many (if not most) of its original parts. This is the only Model 60 in existence and the finest Austin there is. It is expected to sell for between $500,000-$750,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of RM’s lineup at Amelia Island.

Update: Sold $379,500.

Fiat 8V Supersonic

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1953 Fiat 8V Supersonic

Offered by Gooding & Company | Amelia Island, Florida | March 8, 2013

1953 Fiat 8V Supersonic

This is one seriously cool car. The styling is both familiar and out-of-this-world. I say “familiar” because from certain angles (especially overhead) there is a distinct Mercedes-Benz 300SL look about it. I don’t think I need to explain the “out-of-this-world” part.

Let’s talk about this design. It was penned by Giovanni Savonuzzi, the technical director at Ghia at the time. He based it on a one-off 8V race car that was used in the Mille Miglia. This was the first (of 15) Supersonics built. The space-age name is certainly appropriate with these looks. Because it was the first of the series, this car has certain elements that differ from the cars that followed. The engine is the basic 8V engine – a 2.0-liter V-8 making 110 horsepower.

This car stayed in Europe for a little while after being constructed at Ghia’s factory in Turin, but it eventually ended up in the hands of its first owner in the U.S. In 1955 it changed hands – being bought by Paul Lazaros, who used the car briefly before putting it in storage where it remained for over 55 years. He sold it at a Gooding auction in 2011. The car is entirely original, winning the Post-War Preservation Class at the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours. This is not a car that has been shown extensively – in fact, it has rarely seen the light of day in the past 50 years. The current owner has had it for two years and it’s time to find it a new home. That home could be yours if you’re willing to part with between $1,300,000-$1,700,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Gooding in Florida.

Update: Sold $1,760,000.

Update: Sold, RM Sotheby’s Elkhart Collection, $2,040,000.

Short Chassis Volante

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1965 Aston Martin Short Chassis Volante

Offered by Gooding & Company | Amelia Island, Florida | March 8, 2013

1965 Aston Martin Short Chassis Volante

The Aston Martin Short Chassis Volante is one of the rarest factory-built Aston Martins of all time. It’s rarer than the ultra-exclusive One-77 supercar. It’s a mix of DB5 and DB6 and the first Aston to carry the now-legendary moniker “Volante” (which is Italian for “flying” and has adorned just about every factory Aston convertible since).

How this car came about was that in 1965, Aston Martin introduced the DB6 to replace the DB5. But they still had 37 DB5 chassis sitting around. So they built a run of convertibles using the DB5 chassis and engine with DB6 touches (some front panels and lights) and interior. The term “Volante” was applied to differentiate it from the DB5 convertibles. The engine was the DB5 carryover: a 282 horsepower 4.2-liter straight six. They were also very expensive.

This car was bought new in London where it remained for about five years until it found its way to South Africa where it disappeared until about 2000, when it was rescued and sent to California for a restoration. It has covered about 2,200 miles since and is in excellent shape. These cars don’t come up for sale often (as there were only 37 built), however, RM had one at a sale last year that failed to sell at a final bid around $900,000. This should bring a little more. You can click here to read more and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Duesenberg J-338

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1931 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Sedan by LeBaron

Offered by Gooding & Company | Amelia Island, Florida | March 8, 2013

1931 Duesenberg Model J-338 Convertible Sedan by LeBaron

This Model J is an affordable way to get into the Duesenberg club. The pre-sale estimate is a paltry $350,000-$425,000. I happen to really like this bodystyle, but it isn’t really the most sought after. Part of the reason is that this is not the original body that went with this chassis/engine. And the restoration is an old one.

The body was originally a Derham Sedan but this LeBaron Convertible Sedan survived better on the chassis it was on. After sitting outside for a long time, the two Duesenbergs were turned into one complete car and this body made the transition. Ownership is known from new and this car has been in some big collections since the late 1960s.

If you’re looking for an easy way to get your hands on a Model J, this is your ticket. It’s a nice, clean, drivable car recognized by the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg museum. You can read more about it here and check out more from Gooding & Company in Amelia Island here.

Update: Sold $462,000.

Update: Sold, RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2023, $1,050,000.

February Auction Round-Up

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There were some big sales this month that didn’t quite get their own recap (I’m not made of time, you know). First up is Bonhams’ sale in Boca Raton, Florida. Top sale went to our featured Duesenberg for $698,500. Cool cars were topped by this 1925 Stutz Series 695 Speedway Six Speedster that sold for $49,500. You can check out complete results here.

1925 Stutz Series 695 Speedway Six Speedster 1925StutzSeries695SpeedwaySixSpeedster_zpsd0bf3066.jpg

Top sale at Mecum’s auction of the Fran and Ron Green “Verde Classics Museum Collection” in Boynton Beach, Florida, went to this 1961 Chrysler 300G Convertible for $130,000.

1961 Chrysler 300G Convertible 1961Chrysler300GConvertible_zpsfd59ea50.jpg

Our feature car from this sale, the Tri-Power Catalina Convertible, sold for $58,000. Some of my favorite cars from this sale included a 1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Limited (possibly the best-looking SUV ever built). It sold for $17,500. These things have always been collectible and will only continue to go up in value.

1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Limited 1990JeepGrandWagoneerLimited_zps57c22462.jpg

Then there was this 1957 Dodge Custom Royale Convertible. Old Mopars can be hard to find and this one is beautiful. It sold for $47,000. You can find complete results from this sale here.

1957 Dodge Custom Royale Convertible 1957DodgeCustomRoyaleConvertible_zps119be44f.jpg

Next up was Silverstone Auctions’ Race Retro & Classic Car Sale held on February 23rd. The top sale was our featured Connaught Formula One car. It sold for $296,400. Our other featured car – er, bus – was a 1962 Leyland Routemaster. I’ve been corrected, it’s actually an AEC Routemaster. Anyway, it sold for $31,460. The coolest non-feature car was this 1973 BMW 3.0 CSL Batmobile FIA race car for $129,200. Check out full results here.

1973 BMW 3.0 CSL Batmobile FIA Racecar 1973BMW30CSLBatmobileFIARacecar_zpsc9d6a427.jpg

We move over to H&H’s Pavilion Gardens sale of February 26th. Top sale was this 1929 Lagonda 2-Litre Low-Chassis Speed Model Tourer for $152,000.

1929 Lagonda 2-Litre Low-Chassis Speed Model Tourer photo 1929Lagonda2LitreLowChassisSpeedModelTourer_zps35f5a5c5.jpg

Right behind it was this, more attractive (in my opinion), 1935 Alvis Speed 20 SC Lancefield Drophead Coupe. It sold for just slightly less – $151,500.

1935 Alvis Speed 20 SC Lancefield Drophead Coupe photo 1935AlvisSpeed20SCLancefieldDropheadCoupe_zpsde620657.jpg

And the last car from this sale – one I almost featured, but ran out of time because of the Amelia Island sales – is this 1920 Calthorpe 10hp Super Sports. It sold for $18,700. Click here for full results.

1920 Calthorpe 10hp Super Sports photo 1920Calthorpe10hpSuperSports_zps6c2f2ff6.jpg

And finally, the largest (in terms of cars featured) sale we’ve ever covered: the incredible Bruce Weiner Microcar Collection. There really weren’t highlights outside of the cars we featured (we featured 80 of them). Here’s a rundown of our feature cars and what they sold for, listed from the top seller down to the cheapest we featured (p.s. If you own a F.M.R. Tiger, Reyonnah, Inter 175 or Peel P50 – get it out, dust it off and sell it – apparently it’s worth way more than anyone guessed):

You can check out complete results from this sale here.

Charron Charronette

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1922 Charron Charronette

Offered by Bonhams | Oxford, U.K. | March 2, 2013

1922 Charron Charronette

European cars from the 1920s are tiny. Look how narrow the engine compartment is! Is there even anything in there? It’s an oddly proportioned machine, that’s for sure – but it’s a cyclecar and being a tiny little car was what it was all about.

Charron began life as C.G.V., but when the “G” left the company, they renamed it Charron (this happened in 1906). Charron, the namesake of the company, left in 1908 – but the company soldiered on without him until 1930. The Charronette cyclecar appeared in 1914 and lasted until 1930, although it grew a little bit over the years.

This is a post-WWI Charronette, so it uses a 1.1-liter straight-four. The Charronette was the most popular model from Charron although I’m unsure as to how many still exist or even how many were originally built. This one is largely original. It’s noted that the reverse gear is inoperable and it’s expected to sell for between $11,000-$14,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Bonhams’ lineup at this sale.

Update: Sold $12,150.

Unrestored Locomobile

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1923 Locomobile Model 48 Series VIII Sportif by Bridgeport Body Company

Offered by RM Auctions | Amelia Island, Florida | March 9, 2013

1923 Locomobile Model 48 Series VIII Sportif by Bridgeport Body Company

Locomobile started producing cars in 1899 with production focused on steam cars. They were one of the leading motorcar manufacturers in the early days but they switched to internal combustion power in 1903. Competition was fierce and in 1922 they were taken over by Durant Motors.

Prior to that, in 1911, they introduced the Model 48 – a benchmark model in their history. It lasted through to the end of the company in 1929. It was overbuilt and out of date by 1923 as the model never really had any major updates. But the motorcar was still in its relative infancy and modernity didn’t matter to all customers. The engine is a 95 horsepower 8.6-liter straight-six. The body is the “sports” body offered from Locomobile at the time, the four-door convertible Sportif.

This car cost $9,900 when new. All owners have been known from that time. And what is most amazing about this car is that it is a survivor. It has less than 25,000 original miles and won Best in Class at Pebble Beach in the Pre-War Preservation Class in 2002. Since that time it’s won other awards for its remarkable condition. It is expected to bring between $175,000-$225,000. Click here for more info and here for more from RM at Amelia Island.

Update: Sold $176,000.

Hispano-Suiza Torpedo

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1928 Hispano-Suiza H6C Transformable Torpedo by Hibbard & Darrin

Offered by RM Auctions | Amelia Island, Florida | March 9, 2013

1928 Hispano-Suiza H6C Transformable Torpedo by Hibbard & Darrin

Photo – RM Auctions

We featured a Hispano-Suiza H6C fairly recently and while that car was certainly cool, it really can’t match this one for looks. Check out the rounded fenders, swooping lines and the soft cream color scheme. It’s beautiful.

The body is by Hibbard & Darrin, a company comprised of two Americans living in Paris. Four-door convertibles really need to make a comeback (I’m looking at you, Cadillac) as the style is really elegant and imposing, something often not found on modern cars. The sweeping fenders on this car were actually added in the late-1930s after the car had seen a few owners. The engine is a 160 horsepower 8.0-liter straight-six.

This car was one of very few Hispano-Suizas delivered new to the U.S. And it’s also one of only a few H6Cs that are still around. Luckily, it happens to be one of the best looking as well. It can be yours for between $400,000-$500,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $495,000.

Update: Not sold, RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island 2018.

Update: Not sold, RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2019.

Benjamin Cyclecar

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1922 Benjamin Type B

Offered by Bonhams | Oxford, U.K. | March 2, 2013

1922 Benjamin Type B

Benjamin was a French marque, founded in 1921 by Maurice Jeanson. The company built light cars until 1926. After that they were known as Benova. Benova was gone after 1931. This car is from the second year of Benjamin manufacture.

It uses a 750cc straight-four. It has an interesting history – being driven in the 1922 Bol d’Or by Violette Morris – a renowned French athlete of the 1910s and 20s and Nazi collaborator who was killed by the French resistance during the war. This car didn’t leave France until the 1980s, when it was imported into the U.K. It hasn’t been restored as much as “refurbished” as needed.

This car has taken part in many classic car events in the U.K. and France and appeared in numerous articles. It was even owned by the V.P. of the Vintage Sports Car Club of the U.K. You don’t see Benjamin’s everyday – but you could see this one everyday for between $14,000-$22,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams in Oxford.

Update: Sold $29,500.