Tag Archives: auctions

Siata Spring

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1968 Siata Spring

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | November 11, 2012

In the 1950s, Siata was known for their little two-seat sports cars, namely the highly desirable 208S. Steve McQueen had one and he called it the “Little Ferrari.” They have that classic 1950s Italian sports car look. As you can see from the photo above, something changed.

The marque was relatively dormant from about 1958 until 1967 when Siata introduced the Spring, a car whose design and introduction was dictated by market research. It might look like an MG in kit-car form, but it isn’t. There were other cars at the time going for the retro-look, as cheap as it looks today.

The Spring is based around a Fiat 850 – so it is rear-engined. It’s a straight-four of 843cc making 46 horsepower. This unusual (and maybe a little under-powered for a “sports car”) rarity was restored in the 1990s, turning very few miles since. Spring’s were produced by Siata through 1970 when production was taken over by ORSA, who built them for another five years. Only a few thousand were built. It is expected to sell for between $10,500-$18,000. For more information, click here. And for more from Artcurial’s sale, click here.

Update: Sold $15,900.

October Auction Roundup

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Well there were a number of auctions in October and we’ve recapped only a couple of them. So here are the highlights from some of the others. First, we forgot to include Mecum’s Dallas sale from September in our September roundup. Top sale there went to this 1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427/435 Convertible for $285,000. Complete results from that sale can be found here.

1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427/435 Convertible

From there we move on to Auctions America’s Fall Carlisle sale. Our featured Dodge Phoenix failed to sell. Top sale went to this 1958 Chrysler 300D Convertible for $90,750.

1958 Chrysler 300D Convertible

Another interesting Mopar was this 1960 Dodge Polara 9-Passenger Wagon. I think wagons with tail fins are really weird but really cool looking. This one sold for $42,900.

1960 Dodge Polara 9-Passenger Wagon

But by far, the most interesting car from this sale goes to this 1920 Pan Touring. Pan was only around from 1918 until 1922 and they managed to build only 737 cars. Only a few are still around. It brought $23,100. Complete results from this sale are here.

1920 Pan Touring

French auction house Osenat held a sale during October as well – in Paris. We didn’t get to feature anything from this sale, but this 1982 Matra Murena is kind of interesting. It sold for $4,570.

1982 Matra Murena

Also cool was this 1953 Hotchkiss Gregoire sedan for $29,400.

1953 Hotchkiss Gregoire

The top sale from this auction was this 1969 Ferrari 365 GT 2+2 for $104,500. Complete results can be found here.

1969 Ferrari 365 GT 2+2

Next up was RM Auctions’ sale of the Charlie Thomas Collection. We featured a 1953 Mercury Monterey Wagon that sold for $44,000. The top sale was a 1946 Chrysler Town & Country Roadster for $143,000.

1946 Chrysler Town & Country Roadster

One car I liked was this 1941 Chevrolet Special DeLuxe Business Coupe with all its chrome and pre-war style. It sold for a modest $21,450.

1941 Chevrolet Special DeLuxe Business Coupe

Another interesting car was this 1925 Star Model F-25 Five-Passenger Sedan. It sold for $19,800. Complete results can be found here.

1925 Star Model F-25 Five-Passenger Sedan

H&H Auctions held a sale in Duxford, England on October 23rd and we weren’t able to feature anything from this sale either. The top sale went to this 1961 Bentley S2 Continental Saloon by H.J. Mulliner. It sold for $310,600.

1961 Bentley S2 Continental H.J. Mulliner Saloon

The second-highest seller was this 1998 Proteus Jaguar C-Type Replica that brought $120,900. Not C-Type money, for sure, but a bargain for something that was factory built and looks quite like the real thing.

1998 Proteus Jaguar C-Type Replica

This awesome 1965 Jensen CV8 Mk II sold for $46,900. Complete results can be found here.

1965 Jensen CV8 MKII

Mecum held a sale in St. Charles, Illinois toward the end of October. We featured a really rare All-Cars Charly that sold for $5,250. The top sale at this auction was actually a 2000 Prevost Country Coach Motorhome – exciting, right? Either way, to comprehend that a 12-year-old bus/RV is still worth $160,000 is pretty crazy. Then again, they’re expensive to begin with.

2000 Prevost Country Coach Motorhome

And from the interesting file from this sale was this 1942 Crosley Victory Sedan Convertible. Crosley was one of very few car companies building passenger cars in 1942. This was one of a handful of Crosleys at this sale and by far the most interesting/rare. It sold for $9,750. Complete results can be found here.

1942 Crosley Victory Sedan Convertible

And finally, H&H’s October 31st sale at the Pavilion Gardens in Buxton, England. The top sale was this 1955 Lagonda 3-Litre Drophead Coupe for $62,300.

1955 Lagonda 3-Litre Drophead Coupe

The interesting sales portion of this sale more or less consisted of this pretty 1937 Humber 12 Foursome Drophead Coupe. It sold for $23,400. You can find complete results here.

1937 Humber 12 Foursome Drophead Coupe

A Real Hemi ‘Cuda Convertible

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1971 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda Convertible

Offered by Barrett-Jackson | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 19, 2013

There are muscle cars that are desirable and then there are desirable cars that happen to be muscle cars. This is as close to the latter half of that sentence as you can get. This is the most desirable muscle car there is. It’s also just about the rarest – with only 11 built.

When people make “re-creation” or “clone” or “tribute” cars, they usually start with a run-of-the-mill car – a V6 or a base V8 engine and base or mid-level trim. Then they go to the Mopar catalog and order a Hemi crate engine and stuff it under the hood. It’s not desirable. It might be fun to drive or show your friends, but it just cheapens the real thing.

But this is the real thing and boy is it pretty. It’s the only Plum Crazy Hemi ‘Cuda Convertible (it is the original factory color and, in my opinion, the best). This is one of two  that were built for Canadian export. And it’s got that magical 7.0-liter 427 Hemi under the shaker hood.

These don’t come up for sale very often – obviously, there’s only 11 of them. One sold for $2 million a few years ago and, while a little extreme, that was the going rate – a few years ago. This is not a $2 million car today – even though any Barrett-Jackson employee near a microphone during the car’s sale will surely be telling you otherwise. This will undoubtedly be one of the top sellers of the auction. Read more here and check out more from Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale, here.

Update: Sold $1,320,000.

A Wonderful 1904 Delaugère & Clayette

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1904 Delaugère & Clayette Type 4A Side-Entrance Tonneau

Offered by Bonhams | London, England | November 2, 2012

Isn’t that a beautiful machine? Delaugère & Clayette is one of, what I refer to, as the “French De’s” – a list of French automotive manufacturers including: De Dietrich, Decauville, De Dion-Bouton, Delahaye, Delage, Delaunay-Belleville and, of course, Delaugère & Clayette. Such an exotic-sounding list, isn’t it?

Delaugère began as a carriage maker in the mid-1800s. Around 1898, they built their first powered three-wheeler and come 1901 they were an established automotive manufacturer. In 1904, Maurice Clayette joined the company named after Jean-Pierre Delaugère, the original founder, and the automotive concern was renamed Delaugère & Clayette. The 1920s were a struggle for the company and their factory was purchased by Panhard, with production ceasing in 1926.

This is a model 4A. It uses a 6.3-liter four-cylinder F-head engine making 24 horsepower (Delaugère & Clayette produced another model using a 15.0-liter four-cylinder!). Double chains drive the rear wheels through a four-speed transmission. This car was completely restored about a year ago and it is stunning. The body is not original – it’s a period-correct replacement that replaced another non-original body that was on the car previously. This one looks better in black with brass trim. Look at where the engine resides – underneath that big, square black box with those big radiators out front held on with brass bars. It’s amazing to look at.

This car is expected to sell for between $350,000-$420,000. For more information, click here. And for the rest of Bonhams’ Veteran Car Sale lineup, click here.

Update: Sold $360,500.

1903 Barré Tonneau

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1903 Barré Twin-Cylinder Fout-Seat Tonneau by Labourdette

Offered by Bonhams | London, England | November 2, 2012

Gaston Barré, like many early automobile producers, started with a bicycle shop. He opened his in 1894 but by 1899 realized what the new wave was going to be and started constructing quadricycles. Later that year he received some backing from a wealthy local in Niort and moved to a larger facility. Automobile production started in 1900 and Barré quickly became one of the many French automobile companies that rallied a strong following and had a steady output of cars for a number of years.

What helped Barré become a fairly large regional manufacturer was that he came up with the idea of post-sale service. Barré would support his cars in private hands when they entered them in events. He expanded with a Parisian office and during the first World War he built military vehicles. After the war, the pre-war models remained with little changes and the company had to be reorganized in 1927 but it could never get past its out-of-date designs. Production stopped in 1930 and the firm was liquidated in 1933. About 2,500-3,000 Barré’s were produced over the years.

This twin-cylinder Barré has four-seat tonneau coachwork from Henri Labourdette of Paris. Barré’s are known for their dependability and build-quality and this car, at almost 110 years old, is no exception. It is expected to sell for between $190,000-$240,000. For more information click here. And for more from Bonhams in London, click here.

Update: Sold $214,000.

DB6 Shooting Brake

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1967 Aston Martin DB6 Shooting Brake by FLM Panelcraft

Offered by RM Auctions | London, England | October 31, 2012

I suppose this is what James Bond drove to the supermarket. Or the hardware store. Or when he wanted to take his dogs out to the countryside… you get the idea. It’s what happens when you take one of the great GT cars of all time and make it super-functional.

This car was purchased new by famed racing driver Innes Ireland in 1967. Two years later, he took the car to FLM Panelcraft in London to have it converted to a shooting brake – aka: a two-door wagon. FLM Panelcraft also did the conversion on the other Aston Martin estate we’ve featured, the ’71 DBS Wagon. This is one of two (according to RM) DB6 Shooting Brakes built by FLM.

Everything under hood is the same, the 4.0-liter straight-six making 282 horsepower is unchanged. And it’s still a quick car – there is a quote from Ireland in the lot description (here) that says he had the car humming along at 120 mph with three passengers and their luggage. Functional indeed!

The car was restored by Aston Martin Works Service and this is the first time it has been seen since 1995. The sale price should range between $525,000-$600,000. For the rest of RM’s London lineup, click here.

Update: Not sold.

1904 Wilson-Pilcher

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1904 Wilson-Pilcher 12/16hp Four-Cylinder Four-Seat Phaeton

Offered by Bonhams | London, England | November 2, 2012

In 1898, Walter Wilson and his partner, Percy Pilcher, attempted to make an aero-engine and beat the Wright Brothers to powered flight. Unfortunately, Pilcher was killed in a gilding accident in 1899. So, in 1900, Wilson set up shop in Westminster, London to build automobiles bearing both his name and that of his late friend.

The car seen here is powered by a 2.7-liter four-cylinder making 12/16 horsepower. Wilson was a brilliant engineer who designed and built everything himself, inventing numerous things along the way. In 1903, the company was bought by Armstrong-Whitworth and moved to Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Production continued until 1907.

When the First World War broke out, Wilson joined the Royal Navy but eventually found himself working alongside William Tritton and developing the world’s first tank, receiving a sizable reward for doing so. In the late 1920s, he would invent the pre-selector gearbox which would be used on various vehicles from Armstrong-Siddeley cars to buses and railcars.

This particular car is the 52nd Wilson-Pilcher built after they moved to Newcastle. It is believed about 100-200 cars were built in total and this is thought to be the only survivor. It was retained by the factory from new and given to Walter Wilson’s son as a gift. He eventually passed it on to his son who loaned it out to museums – including The Tank Museum in Bovington. In 2006, the Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust volunteered to restore the car and now it is being offered for sale for the first time in history.

It is expected to sell for between $290,000-$350,000. For more information, click here. And for more from Bonhams in London, click here.

Update: Sold $325,000.

All-Cars Charly

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1978 All-Cars Charly

Offered by Mecum | St. Charles, Illinois | October 26, 2012

I am ecstatic that this car exists in this condition and is being offered for sale. So many cars have been built over the years and their collectibility can fluctuate wildly from the time they are built. For some cars, people think they will never be collectible and they disappear from the earth. Other are used – as they should be – and then neglected. This one is all-original, complete, and unrestored. It looks as if it were vacuum-sealed off the end of the production line. It’s unusual – but it isn’t exotic and someone had to really love it to keep it this nice for this long. Thank you, whoever you are.

Autozodiaco was an Italian company that built dune buggies based on VW Beetles in the 1970s. At some point, they designed this strange-looking three-wheeled microcar and then sold the rights to All-Cars Srl of Pianoro, Italy. In production from 1974 through 1985, the Charly used a 49cc single-cylinder engine from Moto Morini. I’m not sure what the power rating was, but the transmission has 4-speeds so it may have a decent top end.

All-Cars built variations of the Charly for a number of years and it was sold as the “Snuggy” in some countries. The body is fiberglass and you don’t see them often – especially not in this incredible condition. The price won’t be extreme, but it should be a high-water mark for the model. I hope you like microcars, because the world’s foremost museum of microcars is going to be auctioned off by RM Auctions in February and we’ll be featuring as many as possible. You can read more about this car here and check out the rest of Mecum’s St. Charles lineup here.

Update: Sold $5,250.

Ogle SX1000

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1963 Ogle SX1000 GT

Offered by RM Auctions | London, England | October 31, 2012

David Ogle formed Ogle Design in 1954, coming in contact with the automotive industry in 1959, where they designed cars like the Reliant Scimitar GTE, the Reliant Robin, and and the Bond Bug as well as a few motorcycles for BSA/Triumph. Of course, these things happened later in the company’s life. In the late 1950s, David Ogle decided to build a few cars himself, the most popular was this, the SX1000 GT.

Based on Mini mechanicals, the SX1000 GT used the Mini Van chassis and the 997cc four  – although this particular car (as did others) uses the 1275cc straight-four from the Mini Cooper S. Top speed is supposedly around 110 mph. Only 66 of these fiberglass cars were built before David Ogle was killed in a car crash in one of the cars in 1962. Production wound down until they ran out of parts to make more. This is car #63 of 66 and was personally registered to Ogle himself.

Restored eight years ago, this is thought to be the best of the 26 surviving SX1000s. Ogle Design still exists as Ogle Noor and these cars have a small but loyal following. It’s very rare and very cool. You can expect for it to sell for between $29,000-$35,000. For more information, click here. And for more from RM in London, click here.

Update: Sold $23,400.

1904 Richard-Brasier

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1904 Richard-Brasier Four-Cylinder 16HP Side-Entrance Tonneau

Offered by Bonhams | London, England | November 2, 2012

No, the guy who started this company was not that full of himself that he thought his first and last names needed to be on the company letterhead. Richard Brasier was not a person – in fact, Richard-Brasier (that hyphen is important!) was actually founded by two people: Henri Brasier and Georges Richard. (Ironically, Georges Richard sold cars under the name “Georges Richard” before Brasier joined him, so yeah, maybe he was a little full of himself).

Henri Brasier left Mors in 1901 and cars were offered as Richard-Brasiers beginning in 1902. It was short-lived, however, as Georges Richard left the company in 1905 to found Unic. Beginning in 1905 the cars were known simply as “Brasier.” And here is an rare example of this very fleeting marque.

This model, from the last year of production before switching names, uses a 2.3-liter straight-four making 16 horsepower (rated by the factory at the time it was built). It’s a large car for such a small power rating, as the company offered models up to 40 horsepower as well. The history of this car is known from 1975, when it entered display at a Dutch museum. It is definitely a driver, having run London-to-Brighton every year since 2000 (with one exception).

This is a truly glorious automobile from the pioneering days of motoring and it would be worth any serious collector’s time to think carefully about acquiring it. It is expected to sell for between $350,000-$480,000. For more information, click here. And for more from Bonhams’ Veteran car sale, click here.

Update: Sold $358,000.

Update: Sold, Bonhams London-to-Brighton 2023, $424,222.