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Plymouth Belmont Concept

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1954 Plymouth Belmont Concept

Offered by Barrett-Jackson | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 18, 2013

1954 Plymouth Belmont Concept

Photo – Barrett-Jackson

In 1953, Chevrolet introduced the Corvette. Ford was working furiously trying to get the Thunderbird launched and Chrysler was wondering what they were supposed to be doing. There were a number of fabulous concept cars from Chrysler in the 1950s, but just about zero of them ever made it to production.

The Belmont was a one-off concept introduced at the 1954 Chicago Auto Show. Styling was by Virgil Exner and the body was made out of fiberglass – a first for Chrysler. The engine is a 3.9-liter V-8 making 150 horsepower. With only two seats, this would have been a perfect car to battle the Corvette and Thunderbird. But perhaps as a DeSoto and not necessarily a Plymouth. But it was not to be and this was the only one built.

It was originally a very nice light blue color but whenever it was restored, it was repainted red. It recently made appearances at Amelia Island and Pebble Beach and is currently looking for a good home – which, with a car of this caliber, shouldn’t be too hard to find. Look for it to bring between $750,000-$1,250,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Barrett-Jackson.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $1,200,000.

Update II: Not sold, Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2018.

September 2013 Auction Roundup

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Barrett-Jackson held a pretty big sale in Las Vegas the weekend of September 26-28, 2013. The top sale (not counting charity cars) was this 1931 Lincoln Model K Convertible. It’s actually pretty exciting to see the top sale at a Barrett-Jackson auction a true classic again after years of muscle cars dominating the headlines. It sold for $352,000.

1931 Lincoln Model K Convertible

Our featured Maharaja Rolls-Royce failed to meet its reserve and thus did not sell. My picks for most interesting are topped by this 1915 White Town Car which sold for $66,000.

1915 White Town Car

Then there was this 1974 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Super Duty for $110,000.

1974 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Super Duty

And finally, this 1971 Dodge Demon 340 GSS which sold for $39,600. You can check out full results here.

1971 Dodge Demon 340 GSS

We featured a few tractors over a month ago from Mecum’s August Gone Farmin’ sale. The top sale there was this 1958 John Deere 620 H for $61,000. You can see the results of our highlighted tractors here.

1958 John Deere 620 H

The next sale (based on when I found the results posted) was Bonhams awesome “Preserving the Automobile” sale held in Philly at the Simeone Foundation. The top sale was this 1934 Aston Martin 1.5-Litre Sports 2/4-Seater for $264,000.

1934 Aston Martin 1.5-Litre Sports 24-Seater

A previously-featured Peerless sold for the second time this year, this time for $231,000 (and more than last time). The two Sears motorcars were featured both sold. The Model P brought $38,500 and the Model G Runabout brought a mega-cheap $3,850! Interesting cars were topped by this all-original 1931 Hanomag 3/16 Coupe for $21,450.

1931 Hanomag 316 Coupe

Our featured Stoddard-Dayton sold for $148,500. The related Courier sold for $20,900. Another cool car was this 1904 Knox 16/18hp “Touraine” 4-Passenger Stanhope. It brought an impressive $143,000.

1904 Knox 1618hp Touraine 4-Passenger Stanhope

There was also this really early Auburn. It’s a 1912 Model 30L Speedster and it sold for $49,500. Our final feature car was the Jewel Runabout which went for $25,300. Check out full results here.

1912 Auburn Model 30L Speedster

Next up is Auctions America’s Fall Carlisle sale. The top sale was this 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Convertible for $181,500.

1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Convertible

The most interesting car was this 1928 Plymouth Model Q Four-Door Sedan. It brought $17,325. Check out full results here.

1928 Plymouth Model Q Four-Door Sedan

Rolls-Royce Hunting Car

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1925 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Torpedo Sports Tourer by Barker & Co.

Offered by Barrett-Jackson | Las Vegas, Nevada | September 28, 2013

1925 Rolls-Royce Phantom I by Barker

The Rolls-Royce Phantom I was the successor to the Silver Ghost. The first Phantom was introduced in 1925 – making this a launch-year model. It was available from either Rolls-Royce or Rolls-Royce of America. This is from the British arm of the company.

This is actually a really interesting car and I’ve been monitoring it as it sat at the Auto Collections in Las Vegas, where it’s been for sale for a little while. This car was ordered new by Umed Singh II – the Maharaja of Kotah in India. Rolls-Royces were popular among Maharajas (India was under British rule at the time) and a Maharaja Rolls is a thing that pops up every now and then.

The Maharaja had this Torpedo Sports Tourer body put on the car by Barker & Co. of London – the supplier for many of the bodies on early Silver Ghosts. Barker & Co. would be acquired by Hooper (another popular Bentley/Rolls coachbuilder) in 1938. The engine in this car is a 50 horsepower (or “sufficient,” in Rolls-speak) 7.7-liter straight-six.

India is a land of exotic game and many kings of the day liked to go hunting. This car was well-equipped with enough firepower (including a tow-behind machine gun!) to go hunting on his family’s private estate. This has been referred to as the “Tiger Car” as it packs enough punch to take down a Bengal Tiger.

1925 Rolls with Gun

It’s a really awesome car that has the potential to bring a lot of money. You just don’t see outrageous Rolls-Royces like this – especially one armed like a tank. Only 2,269 British-built Phantom Is were built – and there’s only one like this. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Barrett-Jackson’s Vegas lineup.

S/N: 23RC

Update: Not sold, high bid of $450,000.

Late August 2013 Auction Highlights

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I may end up splitting this up into two posts because it’s bound to be insane. We’ll start with Barrett-Jackson’s inaugural Reno, Nevada, sale. Our featured Studebaker Champ pickup sold for $30,800. Top sale (not counting charity cars, which I don’t count) was this 1963 Chevrolet Corvette 327/360 Convertible for $192,500.

1963 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible 327-360

Of all the other cars, the coolest was this truck. It’s a 1955 Dodge C-3B and it sold for a really strong $90,750. Check out complete results here.

1955 Dodge C-3B

Moving forward to Monterey weekend. First up, Bonhams’ sale in Carmel. The top sale here was this 1931 Bentley 4.25-Liter Supercharged Le Mans. It’s a factory blower Bentley and it sold for $4,647,500.

1931 Bentley 4.25-Liter Supercharged Le Mans

Next up was our featured one-off Ferrari 250 Europa which went for $2,805,000. The most interesting car I didn’t get to feature was this 1902 Knox Model C Runabout. It was the first lot and it sold for $56,100.

1902 Knox Model C Runabout

Now on to the million dollar sales (in no particular order)! How about a pair of Mercedes-Benz 300SLs? First a 1955 300SL coupe ($1,100,000) and then a 1963 300SL Roadster ($1,430,000).

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL 1963 Mecedes-Benz 300SL Roadster

What would you think about an un-restored, barn-find condition 1963 Shelby Cobra 260 that was used as Car and Driver‘s test car back in the day? The 260 cubic inch engine makes it a very early Cobra. It was sold as-is for $2,068,000.

1963 Shelby Cobra 260

And now a pair of Ferraris. First, a 1960 250 GT Cabriolet Series II by Pinin Farina. It sold for $1,375,000.

1960 Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series II by Pinin Farina

Then there was the Brussels Motor Show 1965 275 GTS for $1,045,000.

1965 Ferrari 275 GTS

My favorite of our feature cars, the unbelievable American Underslung Tourer sold for $748,000. Speaking of early cars, how about another million-dollar Mercedes? This one is from the pre-Benz era. It is a 1910 Mercedes 45hp 4-Seat Tourabout. It sold for $1,100,000.

1910 Mercedes 45hp 4-Seat Tourabout

Like the Cobra above, this 1958 Lister-Chevrolet “Knobbly” is in completely original condition. It sold for $1,430,000.

1958 Lister-Chevrolet 'Knobbly'

Another one of our feature cars was this 1906 Autocar. It sold for $42,600. The final million dollar sale was this also-unrestored and all-original 1952 Frazer-Nash Le Mans Replica Mk II Competition – and just barely: it sold for $1,001,000. It has Sebring race history and was used at the 1952 Earls Court Motor Show.

1952 Frazer-Nash Le Mans Replica Mk II Competition

Our final feature car was the 1910 Peerless Victoria. It brought $176,000. One final cool car is this 1961 Mercedes-Benz Type O321H Bus that was used by the Swiss national hockey team. It sold for $126,500. Check out full results here.

1961 Mercedes-Benz Type O321H Bus

Next up, Mecum’s Monterey sale. The top sale there was a 1955 Porsche 550/1500 RS Spyder for $3,750,000.

1955 Porsche 550-1500 RS Spyder

Our featured Delage would’ve been next, but it failed to sell. The only other million dollar car that actually sold was this 1990 Ferrari F40 for a very strong $1,325,000.

1990 Ferrari F40

To run down some more feature cars… these feature cars failed to sell: a previously featured Duesenberg, a Ferrari 750 Monza, the JPS Lotus F1 car, and the Jaguar XJR-5. Our feature Isotta-Fraschini did sell: for $145,000. Among cool cars, I like this 1954 International R140 that went for $140,000.

1954 International R140

And finally this super-cool 1948 Allard L-Type Roadster. It sold for $44,000. Click here for full results.

1948 Allard L-Type Roadster

A Studebaker Truck That Couldn’t Save The Company

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1961 Studebaker Champ

Offered by Barrett-Jackson | Reno, Nevada | August, 8, 2013

1961 Studebaker Champ

By the mid-1950s, Studebaker’s outlook was dim. Ford and GM were pulling away fast and labor costs and quality issues were dragging Studebaker toward the grave. They merged with Packard (technically, Packard acquired Studebaker) but all that did was kill Packard off.

Cash-strapped but pushing forward, Studebaker invested what it could into redesigning their light truck line (which had gone unchanged for more than 10 years). Working within limits, they took their compact car, the Lark, cut it in half and designed a truck bed behind the passenger compartment and mounted it on a truck chassis. You can tell that’s what happened, because the truck bed doesn’t really flow into the body at all. Regardless, it’s not a bad truck.

A 2.8-liter straight-six was the base engine. It made 90 horsepower. Even though this particular truck is a “Champ Deluxe”, it carries the base engine. It’s described as a “rust-fee Arizona truck” (rust-free and post-war Studebakers being a rare combo) but it has to have been restored. The Champ was the first truck with a sliding rear window – but this novel new idea would not save Studebaker. In December of 1963, their South Bend, Indiana plant was closed and the Champ was no more. Studebaker soldiered on until the end of 1966, but it was all over after that. This is a $15,000-$30,000 truck. Click here for more and here for the rest of the inaugural lineup of Barrett-Jackson’s Reno sale.

Update: Sold $30,800.

April 2013 Auction Round-Up

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We’ll start with Mecum’s Houston sale which included our featured, all-original Mercury Voyager wagon, which failed to sell. Our featured pair of NASCAR-themed Mercury Cyclone Spoiler IIs both sold – the Yarborough Special bringing $26,000, while the Gurney special only brought $22,000. Top sale went to this 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429 Fastback for $220,000.

1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429 Fastback photo 1970FordMustangBoss429Fastback_zps5e9a2272.jpg

And from the “anything can show up at one of these sales” file, this 1972 Toyota Corona Mark II Wagon, which sold for $8,500. For full results, click here.

1972 Toyota Corona Mark II Wagon photo 1972ToyotaCoronaMarkIIWagon_zpsa6099b8d.jpg

On to Barrett-Jackson’s annual Palm Beach sale. Our featured Opel GT sold for $6,050. I was right on with my “how to buy a foreign sports coupe on the cheap” comment. Our featured Dodge D-100 Sweptside pickup brought $73,700. The top (real) sale was this 1968 Shelby GT500 Convertible for $330,000. (I say “real” because cars sold for charity always bring inflated results. There are no brand-new Corvette convertibles worth $1 million. Not even serial #001. Rich people pay big money for these cars to get a tax write off… I mean “to donate to a good cause”).

1968 Shelby GT500 Convertible photo 1968ShelbyGT500Convertible_zps67206b45.jpg

If I had to pick an “interesting sale” I would go with this gorgeous 1956 DeSoto Fireflite Sportsman that sold for $40,150 – which is a good price for a car that looks this good. Check out complete results here.

1956 DeSoto Fireflite Sportsman photo 1956DeSotoFirefliteSportsman_zpse7f0f12b.jpg

Next up was H&H’s sale at the Imperial War Museum in England. Top sale went to this 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing for $1,021,000.

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL photo 1955Mercedes-Benz300SL_zps44f99fcd.jpg

Our featured Jaguar XJ220 Prototype failed to sell. “Interesting results” honors are split between two cars. First this 1969 Mazda Luce R130 Coupe sold for $25,500.

1969 Mazda Luce R130 Coupe photo 1969MazdaLuceR130Coupe_zpsd53e65b9.jpg

And finally, this 1989 Eltrans Mini-El sold for $2,200. Check out full results here.

1989 Eltrans Mini-El photo 1989EltransMini-El_zpsca2f5df3.jpg

Next up is Mecum’s Kansas City sale. Our featured Mitsubishi 3000GT Convertible conversion sold for $14,500. Interesting sales were led by this affordable and attractive 1969 Mercury Cyclone Fastback for $12,250.

1969 Mercury Cyclone Fastback photo 1969MercuryCycloneFastback_zps5135ffa8.jpg

Top sale went to this 1936 Ahrens-Fox BT Fire Truck. Early Ahrens-Fox fire engines are some of the most collectible fire trucks out there. This one sold for $125,000 (yes, I realize the photo shows it crossing the block for $135,000). Check out full results here.

1936 Ahrens-Fox BT Fire Truck photo 1936Ahrens-FoxBTFireTruck_zps65010ff9.jpg

Next up is the Don Davis Collection, which was offered at no reserve by RM Auctions on April 27. The top sale went to this 1967 Ferrari 330 GTS for $1,936,000. Pictured below that was a million-dollar car (just barely): a 1965 Shelby Cobra 289 which brought $1,001,000.

1967 Ferrari 330 GTS photo ScreenHunter_04_zpsea32638e.jpg

1965 Shelby Cobra 289 photo ScreenHunter_05_zpsf4ab5723.jpg

Our featured Toyota 2000GT brought an eye-popping $1,155,000 – surely a world record for a Japanese car at auction. Anther feature car, the Porsche 356 by Drauz, sold for $137,500. This 1955 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing sold for $1,237,500.

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL photo 1955Mercedes-Benz300SL_zps9f2627c4.jpg

Other feature cars that sold included a pair of Chryslers. First, the Newport Dual-Cowl Indy 500 Pace Car sold for $880,000. Then the GS-1 Special by Ghia brought $616,000. This 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spider sold for $1,650,000.

1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spider photo 1973Ferrari365GTB4DaytonaSpider_zps73f93d7f.jpg

Our final two feature cars are the F-Code Ford Thunderbird which sold for $198,000. And the BMW M1 went for $ 242,000. Check out complete results here.

Now we move on to Auctions America’s 2013 Spring Carlisle sale. The top sale (by a recent margin) went to this 1959 Chevrolet Corvette Big Brake Fuelie for $148,500.

1959 Chevrolet Corvette Big Brake Fuelie photo 1959ChevroletCorvetteBigBrakeFuelie_zpsa16ae50f.jpg

Finally, Bonhams sale at the RAF Museum in Hendon, U.K. The top sale there was a 1955 Jaguar XK140 Drophead Coupe for $194,500.

1955 Jaguar XK140 Drophead Coupe photo 1955JaguarXK140DropheadCoupe_zps0da2f79b.jpg

The most interesting car at this sale was this 1917 Fiat 15/20hp Tipo 2B Wagonette. I love the dually rear wheels. It sold for $34,000. Our featured AC Royal brought $26,900. Click here for full results.

1917 Fiat 15/20hp Tipo 2B Wagonette photo 1917Fiat15-20hpTipo2BWagonette_zps84cbc668.jpg

D-100 Sweptside Pickup

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1957 Dodge D-100 Sweptside Pickup

Offered by Barrett-Jackson | Palm Beach, Florida | April 6, 2013

1957 Dodge D-100 Sweptside

Okay, try and keep this straight: Dodge was producing pickup trucks since before the war. In 1948, they introduced the B-Series range of trucks. In 1954 came the C-Series. The D-Series didn’t come until 1961. But during the C-Series years, Dodge took a page from Ford’s naming conventions book and introduced the D100 as their 1/2 ton model. The C-Series was the name for the range, but the D100 was the name for the model.

So, with that, we look to the fancy, late-1950s finned pickup bed. It’s kind of cool but it also looks like they hacked the trunk of a DeSoto and glued it to the back of a pickup cab. Glad to see Chrysler was utilizing the parts bin as far back as 1957, when the limited-edition Sweptside model was introduced.

The truck was aimed at the Chevrolet Cameo – the star of the “I’m probably not gonna be hauling hogs in this truck” trim line at the time (yes, luxury, limited-edition style trucks have been around for a long time). It uses a 5.2-liter V-8 making 204 horsepower. It’s a pretty truck – which is likely the last thing a pickup driver wants to hear. Only 1,050 were built (presumably for 1957). It’s a “National First Place Winner” according to the lot description – no mention winner of what – but it’s certainly well done.

Looking at auction history, look for it to bring between $60,000-$70,000 – but trucks have been hot lately so it could be a little more. Click here to read more and here for the rest of Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach lineup.

Update: Sold $73,700.

Opel GT

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1972 Opel GT

Offered by Barrett-Jackson | Palm Beach, Florida | April 4, 2013

1972 Opel GT

The Opel GT was one of three Opels that have ever been sold in the United States under the Opel marque. It was sold in Europe as well, of course. It was a sports car – new territory for Opel when it went on sale in 1968. The body has been compared to that of the 1968 Corvette – but smaller.

There were a number of differences between the limited years that these cars were built. The first year, a number of them were hand-built. The next set of cars had a smaller 1.1-liter engine and only about 3,500 of those were built. Then production ramped up and a total of about 103,000 were built by the end of production in 1973. The car you see here uses a 1.9-liter straight four that makes 102 horsepower.

These were sold in the U.S. so they are out there – but they aren’t all that common. This car was never completely restored, but just restored-as-needed and it looks great. The paint is new, as are some trim bits and pieces. It sold new for $3,400 and today it sits as a $7,000-$14,000 car. Click here for more info and here for more from Barrett-Jackson in Palm Beach.

Update: Sold $6,050.

Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale 2013 Highlights

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Barrett-Jackson’s auction is so big in Scottsdale, Arizona in January – and it’s so well publicized (not to mention live results) that it makes it easy to catch all the action. And last year we found it necessary to split up the highlights over two posts (and weekends). This year, the first three days were kind of lackluster with regards to interesting cars (plus I don’t have the time), so I’m combining them into a single post.

The top sale for the first three days (charity cars notwithstanding) was a pitifully photographed 1968 Shelby GT500 KR that sold for $108,900. We only featured one car from these three days, a 1906 Success Highwheeler, which sold for $33,000.

Overall, the top sale was the first Batmobile ever made. Built by George Barris around the 1955 Lincoln Futura Concept car, this Batmobile has been in his possession since the end of filming when he bought it for $1. There are a lot of replicas out there, but this is the first one. It sold for $4,620,000. I would describe this price as bat$&!t crazy. Those replicas don’t sound so bad now.

1966 Lincoln Batmobile #1

One of the other most eye-popping results that will be making people rethink whether or not they will be keeping theirs was this 1970 Oldsmobile 442 W30 Convertible for $357,500.

There were a few other million dollar cars, starting with this 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL that was purchased new by Clark Gable. It originally didn’t meet its reserve on the block but was sold shortly after for a slightly lower price. It sold for $2,035,000.

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL

The next million-dollar car was one of our feature cars. The 1934 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Beverly Sedan sold for $1,430,000. There was another Duesenberg at this sale, that we featured a while back, that failed to meet its reserve. Another feature car that failed to sell was the Shelby EXP 500. The other car that came from Craig Jackson’s personal collection was the 1971 Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda Convertible that sold for $1,320,000. Another top sale was this 1929 Isotta-Fraschini Tipo 8A SS Castagna Roadster for $1,320,000.

1929 Isotta-Fraschini Tippo 8A SS Castagna Roadster

Our featured Chrysler Diablo Concept car sold for $1,375,000. Another concept car was this 1954 Packard Panther Convertible that sold for $825,000.

1954 Packard Panther Convertible

More million-dollar cars: this 1968 Chevrolet Corvette L-88 Owens/Corning race car sold for $1,100,000.

1968 Chevrolet Corvette L-88 Owens/Corning Racecar

There was also a pair of 1940s French beauties that crossed the million-dollar mark. First, this 1949 Delahaye Type 175 Saoutchik Coupe de Ville sold for $1,210,000.

1949 Delahaye Type 175 Saoutchik Coupe de Ville

Then there was this 1947 Talbot-Lago T-26 Gran Sport by Franay that brought $2,035,000.

Of our three other feature cars, Fatty Arbuckle’s Pierce-Arrow failed to sell. The incredible Ruxton Sedan was stolen for $275,000. And the Hudson Italia sold for $396,000. There was another Isotta-Fraschini at this sale, a 1925 Tipo 8A S Boattail Roadster by Corsica. It sold for $935,000.

1925 Isotta-Fraschini Tipo 8A S Boattail Roadster by Corsica

There was also this 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Dick Harrell 427 that sold for $253,000.

1969 Chevrolet Camaro Dick Harrell 427

This 1927 Bugatti Type 38 with Four-Seat Open Tourer coachwork by Lavocat et Marsaud sold for $715,000.

1927 Bugatti Type 38 Four-Seat Open Tourer by Lavocat et Marsaud

And finally, one of my favorite cars from this sale was this 1913 Fiat Tipo 55 Speed Car that brought $198,000. Which is less than it would have had it been sold elsewhere, I would bet. You can check out full results here (the final day of the auction is still on-going as I write this).

1913 Fiat Tipo 55 Speed Car

Chrysler Diablo Concept

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1956 Chrysler Diablo Concept by Ghia

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

1956 Chrysler Diablo Concept

Barrett-Jackson always seems to get some old concept cars to cross the block at their Scottsdale sale. This year is no exception. This Chrysler Diablo Concept was offered at RM’s 2008 Monterey sale, where it reached a high bid of $1.2 million and failed to sell. It was also listed as a 1958 for that sale. Barrett-Jackson lists it as a 1956 and I’ve seen it listed elsewhere as a 1957.

When Virgil Exner arrived at Chrysler, he was tasked with creating their concept cars from 1954. As many of the classic American coachbuilders had gone by the wayside, Exner turned to Italy and Ghia, one of the most respected Italian coachbuilders to construct the body for this car, which was designed by Exner with the use of a wind tunnel, hence its streamlined, aerodynamic look. The car is giant – based on the Chrysler 300 platform, it is one of the largest convertibles ever built by Ghia. The engine is a modified 6.4-liter V8.

This car is one of one and is in perfect condition. The details are fantastic – to emblem-ize the Diablo name, Exner used a pitchfork, which can be found on the rear fins. This car has been in a private collection for the past 25 years. Like I said before, this car failed to sell four and a half years ago for $1.2 million, but that’s about the price it should bring here. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Barrett-Jackson’s auction lineup.

Update: Sold $1,375,000.