Tag Archives: auctions

Invicta Bluebird

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1931 Invicta 4½-Litre S-Type Low-Chassis Tourer

Offered by Bonhams | Goodwood, England | September 15, 2012

Invictas – especially the low-chassis models – are some of the sportiest cars of the era. They are aggressive looking with a low center of gravity, meaning handling and road holding were areas were Invicta cars excelled over their competitors – which included Bentley and Lagonda, among others. The cars were expensive and only about 1,000 Invicta cars of all models were built.

This is a 4.5-liter S-Type meaning the engine is a 4.5-liter straight-six that has been supercharged to produce speeds capable of 100 mph. All Invictas used Meadows engines built by Henry Meadows (except the first three prototypes). The supercharged Meadows six was a torquey monster – you can drive this car in top gear down to 6 mph!

Invictas never saw the racing success of Bentley. They went after a different niche – cars that could be throttled by their owners – just wrung out. High speeds for extensive distances with no wear or tear. The cars were so solidly built that 68 of the 77 S-Types built still survive.

This car, nicknamed “Bluebird,” has known ownership history since the 1960s and a three-year restoration was completed in 2011. It’s kind of weird, but pre-war cars were available in many different guises: big tourers, racing cars, etc. But this is a sports car. It’s made to go fast – but it’s not a competition car. There aren’t a lot of pre-war cars that are worthy of this designation. And this is among the best of them. The pre-sale estimate is $870,000-$1,100,000. For more information, click here. And for more from Bonhams at Goodwood, click here.

Update: Not Sold.

Maserati Tipo 26 Four-Seater

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1930-31 Maserati Tipo 26 Sport

Offered by Bonhams | Goodwood, England | September 15, 2012

If you can believe it, there are actually two 1930 Maserati Tipo 26s up for auction at this sale. One is a two-seater, and the one seen here is a four-seater – you know, the more useful of the two when hauling the kids to soccer practice. Both cars come out of the same collection and having similar histories, as they were both imported into the U.K. for racing purposes in 1930. We’ll focus on the four-seater from here on.

The car is powered by a supercharged 2.5-liter straight-8, taking direct aim at Alfa Romeo’s 8C competition cars. This car competed against Alfa 8Cs, driven by the likes of Henry “Tim” Birkin, in the 1931 Eireann Cup in Dublin, Ireland. This car finished second to Birkin in an 8C. It was driven by Giuseppe Campari, who mid-race, was temporarily blinded when mud and debris from another car came off the track and shattered his goggles, sending glass into one of his eyes. Giulio Ramponi, a sometimes riding mechanic who was working in the pits, took over the car while Campari had his eye tended to. Before long, Campari ran back onto the track, flagged Ramponi down, and resumed his race.

The car was entered at Brooklands earlier that year, but only one of the two cars offered here actually competed (chassis unknown, based on price, I’d say likely this one). This car did compete at Brooklands in 1933 and a few other races over the next few years. It passed through numerous hands – and numerous drivetrain configurations – before being acquired by its current owner in 1952. All of its original pieces were located and reinstalled, making this a highly original example of an already extremely rare car.

It is very impressive, in both history, rarity and condition. It is an exquisite alternative to the comparatively common Alfa Romeo 8C. The pre-sale estimate is $2,900,000-$3,500,000. For the complete lot description, click here. And from more from Bonhams at Goodwood, click here.

Update: Sold $2,727,000.

Duesenberg J-139

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1929 Duesenberg Model J Sport Sedan by Murphy

Offered by RM Auctions | Hershey, Pennsylvania | October 11-12, 2012

Photo – RM Auctions

Yay, another Murphy-bodied Model J Sport Sedan. I’m going to be honest, I’m running out of things to say about this bodystyle of car from this specific coachbuilder. So instead, I’ll leave you to look at the car and marvel in awe of how the performance and glamour of this thing must have felt in 1929. Incredible, I’m assuming.

RM hasn’t published a lot description yet (which can be read here), but unless this car has some fantastic ownership history or some really cool story, I would expect it to sell for between $400,000-$700,000. You can see more from RM in Hershey here.

Update: Sold $792,000.

Update: Sold, Auctions America Auburn Fall 2013, $962,500.

All-Original Mercedes-Benz S-Type

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1928 Mercedes-Benz 680 S-Type Four-Seat Open Tourer

Offered by Bonhams | Goodwood, England | September 15, 2012

Well check this out. This 1928 Mercedes-Benz S-Type Tourer has been in the same family for the last 84 years. That’s single-family ownership from new. And it has never been restored and has covered only 8,375 miles. This is an incredible car and an example of one of those cars that proves there is always something out there that will surprise you when it surfaces.

Mercedes-Benz introduced the S-Type in 1927. It featured a 6.8-liter straight-six with supercharger that was designed by Ferdinand Porsche. Power was around 180 and the top speed was in excess of 100 mph. The big brothers of this car, the SS, SSK and SSKL are legendary for their performance.

This car was ordered by an Army Captain in early 1928. It was delivered to England as a bare chassis and bodied by Cadogan Motors Ltd. of London with this lightweight, four-seat, fabric open tourer-style body. It was road-registered up through 1937 and by the 1950s it was set on blocks in the custom-made garage built specifically for this car.

The original owner’s grandson acquired the car in 2012 and brought it back to life. It runs and drives and has been inspected by a Daimler-Benz Classic engineer. This was the first great car produced by Mercedes-Benz and everything is just as it was in 1928 (well, the tires are new and the transmission was replaced by the owner in the 1930s). You won’t find a car this rare and interesting that hasn’t been seen in 60 years anytime soon. Then again, who knows what else will drive out of the woodwork tomorrow.

The pre-sale estimate is $2,400,000-$3,200,000. For the complete lot description, click here. And for more from Bonhams at Goodwood, click here.

Update: Sold $4,544,000.

August Auction Catch-Up

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There were quite a number of high-profile sales during August during Pebble Beach and whatnot. I think it’s important not to overlook any other sales that went down around the time that more or less got lost in the shuffle. Yeah, they were much smaller in nature, but here’s a rundown of three from our calendar. First, the most recent, H&H’s sale at Stoneleigh Park on August 28th didn’t yield any significant highlights, but you can check out full results here. H&H’s August 8th sale at Donnington Priory had a few highlights, among them, the top sale, $258,000 for a 1967 Aston Martin DB6.

1967 Aston Martin DB6

The other sale we are looking at is Silverstone’s August 25-26 “CarFest South/Pride & Joy” sale. Among the highlights was this 1976 Alpine A310 for $23,470.

Then there was this 1969 Lancia Fulvia Zagato for $18,800.

A couple of older cars included, from H&H, this 1949 Riley RMC 2.5-Litre Drophead Coupe, one of only 507 produced. It needs a little work but still managed $25,500.

1949 Riley RMC 2.5-Litre

And from Silverstone, this 1938 Morgan 4/4 looks awfully good but it is consigned as “may need some mechanical freshening.” It sold for $28,500.

1938 Morgan 4/4

The final car from H&H’s sale was this 1982/97 Mark Phillips Cobra. I think I might try and squeeze in every obscure Cobra replica marque that I can when I do an auction recap. This one brought $23,300.

1982/97 Mark Phillips Cobra Replica

Some newer cars, from the Silverstone sale, included the top seller, a 2006 Ultima GTR (below) for $63,000. And then a 1994 Marcos Mantara 400 (second below) for $16,700.

And finally, one of my all time favorites, a 1972 Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV. This one looks near-immaculate in red. The price of $24,700 doesn’t really scare me as much as my bank account hopes it would.

1972 Alfa Romeo 2000 GTV

For complete results from Silverstone, click here. And from H&H’s Donnington sale, here.

 

 

 

Callaway C12

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1997 Callaway C12

Offered by Mecum | Dallas, Texas | September 8, 2012

If you don’t know, or can’t tell, this car is based around a Chevrolet Corvette. 1997 was the first year for the C5 and the first year for the Callaway C12 – and this is the very first C12 built.

Callaway was founded in Connecticut in 1977 by Reeves Callaway. They began tuning Corvettes in 1987 and have dabbled in aftermarket tuning of other cars over the years, including Range Rovers and Alfa Romeos. But it’s mostly been Corvettes with the occasional Camaro thrown in for good measure. And it was mostly engine and performance modifications. That is, until 1993 when they introduced the Callaway C7, a GT1 racecar produced for the 24 Hours of Daytona.

The C12 was a continuation of that ultimately doomed attempt at building a successful racing car. Reeves Callaway wanted his cars to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. And he got his wish – they scored a pole in the GT2 class in 2001, the final year for C12 production. In order to compete, the company needed to homologate the car for the road and 20 examples were built.

Callaway reworked every part of the Corvette except the roof and greenhouse. Everything else was modified, so it’s essentially its own car. The 5.7-liter V-8 underhood makes 440 horsepower, allowing the car to sprint to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds on its way to a top speed in excess of 190 mph. Originally, these cars were supposed to cost $140,000 – but they were built to an exacting standard for high-profile customers who would have likely paid more if asked. The cars were also built under license in Germany as the IVM C12 from 1998 through 2003 and these were available as a coupe, hardtop or cabriolet.

With only 20 built, getting your hands on one won’t be easy. Here’s a good opportunity. For more information, click here. And for the rest of Mecum’s Dallas lineup, click here.

Update: Not sold.

Wolseley Seven

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1922 Wolseley Seven Tourer

Offered by Bonhams | Beaulieu, U.K. | September 8, 2012

Here’s another small British convertible. The name Wolseley is probably familiar to you, as they produced cars in Birmingham from 1901 until 1975. The Seven name might also be familiar to you, as the Austin Seven (or 7, as it is usually seen) was one of the most popular British cars during the years of its production of 1922 through 1939. I kind of think of the Austin 7 as the British Ford Model T. Sure, the Model T came first and the British had them too, but the Austin 7 had the same kind of effect on the British automotive market as the Model T did in the U.S.

Wolseley and Austin were independent manufacturers in the 1920s, although Austin tried to buy Wolseley in 1927, but were outbid by Morris. But Austin and Morris merged in 1952 anyway as British automotive firms began to consolidate time and again. For a while  thereafter, Austin and Wolseley produced badge-engineered versions of the same cars.

But this was not the case in 1922 when the Wolseley Seven was introduced. The car was high in quality but it was at the bottom end of the market with its flat-twin engine of 986cc making just 8.5 horsepower. The Austin 7, introduced the same year, used a 747cc straight-four making 10.5 horsepower. And, to make matters worse, the Wolseley was considerably more expensive. This led to only about 1,000 being made before production halted at the end of 1923.

Only about 10 of these very rare cars survive today – and this one is in drop-top form. It’s a former museum car in good shape. The pre-sale estimate is between $13,000-$19,000. For more information, click here. And for the rest of Bonhams’ lineup for this sale, click here.

Update: Sold $18,773.

1913 Humberette

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1913 Humber Humberette 8HP Two-Seater

Offered by Bonhams | Beaulieu, U.K. | September 8, 2012

Like many automotive manufacturers, Humber began as a bicycle company. Founded as such in 1868 by Thomas Humber, their first car didn’t appear until 1898, a three-wheeler. Four-wheelers appeared in 1901. “Humberette” was applied to light (single-cylinder) Humbers in 1903 and 1904 and then it went missing until after 1910.

The cyclecar fad was sweeping the U.K. in the early teens and Humber eagerly opted in, bringing the Humberette name back from the great beyond for their v-twin powered cyclecars, like the one you see here. This has a 996cc V-Twin making eight horsepower. Unlike most of its competition, this cyclecar has shaft drive, as Humber was not a fan of the much more common chain drive.

Humberette was not technically its own marque but the cars are often referred to as if they were. The Humberette name disappeared again at the start of WWI. The Humber name lasted until 1976, being killed during the Chrysler Europe fiasco. This car was restored at some point and has seen little use over the last quarter century in the hands of its current owner. The pre-sale estimate is $17,000-$22,000. For the complete description, click here and for more from Bonhams at the National Motor Museum, click here.

Update: Sold $36,809.

Viper GTS-R GT2

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1998 Dodge Viper GTS-R

Offered by Mecum Auctions | Dallas, Texas | September 6, 2012

The second-generation Dodge Viper was introduced in 1996. It was the first time the car could be had in two-door hardtop coupe form. Generation one cars were only available as a roadster. Stylistically, the cars were unlike anything else on the road – especially at their price point.

Chrysler took the Viper racing in 1997. It competed in the FIA Championship in GT2 guise. The Viper won the GT2 Championship in 1997 with the French Oreca team. The team’s colors were white with blue stripes (they would adopt the famous red with white stripes for 2000). Vipers would also win their class at Le Mans in 1998 and a few more GT Championships over the years.

To celebrate and commemorate their 1997 FIA GT2 Championship, Chrysler released a special edition of the Viper road car for 1998. It was called the GTS-R (sometimes referred to as the GT2). They came only in Stone White with twin Viper Blue stripes. The cars had the racing aerodynamic package with the big spoiler out back, BBS-style wheels and some small giveaway graphics. Power was increased by 10 horsepower to 460 over stock in the 8.0-liter V10.

This one has had one owner its whole life and has covered only 3,600 miles. There aren’t too terribly many special edition Vipers that have been built and this is the coolest, most well-known of the handful. And it’s legitimately rare – although there are some imitations out there. If I were to own a Viper, it would be this one (or a Ketchup and Mustard Roadster).

For the complete lot description, click here. And for more from Mecum in Dallas, click here.

Update: Sold $83,000.

Waldron Wayfarer

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1928 Waldron Wayfarer

Offered by Bonhams | Beaulieu, U.K. | September 8, 2012

The Waldron Wayfarer – that’s right the, there was only one made, was built over a period of years ranging from 1928 until 1931 by Frederick Barnes Waldron in Lancashire, England. Waldron was a mechanical engineer by trade and designed the car from the ground up – designing and building his own engine during a time when many automobile manufacturers used engines from other, larger companies. His was a 1.3-liter straight-four.

The body was designed and built by St. Helen’s Carriage Works, a firm that specialized in commercial vehicles. Waldron drove the car approximately 20,000 miles by the end of the 1930s, when he dismantled the car.

In 1976, the car was acquired and re-assembled using Waldron’s original drawings and all of the original parts, including the body panels. In 2005 it was purchased at auction and used as reliable summer transportation in the English countryside. It has had another owner since and is being offered with an estimate between $13,000-$16,000 – not too steep considering it’s one of a kind. For the complete description, click here. And for more from Bonhams at the National Motor Museum, click here.

Update: Withdrawn.