Tag Archives: Bonhams

Bonhams’ Shepton Mallet Motorcycle Highlights

Posted on by
Reply

Bonhams recent (okay it was the 18th of February) motorcycle sale in Shepton Mallet, England featured a number of affordable bikes – a majority of all sales were of the sub-$7,000 type. The top sale was this 1932 Brough Superior Black Alpine 680:

It’s a good bet that when a Brough Superior shows up in an auction catalog that it will be the top seller of the sale. This time that was certainly true, selling for about $100,500 – more than double the price of second-highest seller. This is a time-capsule version that has never been restored and is not running. And the second-highest selling bike was a 1955 Vincent Rapide Series D for about $43,000.

The 1938 Ariel Square Four that we featured last month sold for a couple dollars under $19,000, which, I think, makes it the first motorcycle featured on this site to actually sell.

There were a ton of scooter or scooter-type… things (there was a Honda trike that looked like a toy) selling at this auction. Our picks for the coolest bikes sold were a pair of green ones. First, this 1957 Douglas 348cc Dragonfly:

It brought about $5,800 (I say “about” because the auction was in GBP and I have to do my own currency conversion). I just like the way it looks. Same with this 1978 Benelli 125 Turismo. There isn’t anything spectacular about it. I guess it’s because the paint is so nice.

Anyway, I wish I would’ve been there to buy it for its $1,082 selling price. For complete results, click here.

Pre-war Morris Isis

Posted on by
1

1933 Morris Isis 17.7hp Coupe

Offered by Bonhams, Oxford, England, March 3, 2012

Photo – Bonhams

The first generation of the Morris Isis was produced between 1929 and 1935 and was the only pre-war iteration of the model. The Isis received a facelift for 1932 to resemble the model offered here. It’s one of the more attractive Morris’ I’ve ever seen.

The Isis was the six-cylinder Morris with a 2.5 liter engine making 17.7 horsepower – enough to propel the car to 65 mph. It has a steel body over an ash frame – very British. 3,467 facelifted Isis models were made, including the deluxe Twenty-Five version with the larger 3.5 liter engine.

The car offered here shows very well with it’s attractive red coachwork. Mechanicals were “freshened” in 2006 and the interior is quite nice as well. Bonhams estimates this car between $15,000-$24,000, which sounds quite reasonable for something that looks this nice. For more on this car, click here and for more on Bonhams in Oxford, click here.

Update: Sold $21,000.

Bonhams Paris Highlights

Posted on by
Reply

Bonhams’ recent sale at Rétromobile in Paris featured some very interesting old cars – some of the most interesting of which did not sell. Unfortunately, due to the flood of Arizona auction results we’ve been posting, we were only able to feature one of the many awesome rides available at this sale. It was the 1928 Amilcar C6, which, coincidentally, did not sell.

Top sale of the auction went to this 1961 Aston Martin DB4GT:

A DB4GT is the perfect package of styling and performance from the early 1960s. It’s stunning design is brought to you by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan and it packs 302 horsepower underneath the hood. Only 75 were built and it brought the highest price I’ve ever seen for a DB4 (or any later Aston Martin) at $1,330,000.

A stunning 1935 Delage D8-105 Sport Coupe by Autobineau that looks ready to trounce all comers on the manicured fairway at Pebble Beach sold for $423,000.

There was also a Delahaye, a Talbot-Lago, a 1921 Bugatti Type 23 Brescia and a few custom Bentleys – all to suit your appetite fro pre-war beauties. But there were also things to be had that could be driven, not to mention afforded. Take this 1978 Porsche 911SC Targa that sold for about $16,600.

There was a collection of seven Morgans spanning the 1930s through the 1960s that crossed the block. Only one (the newest, a ’67 Plus Four) sold.

Of the more obscure (or just plain rare) cars sold, this 1905 Darracq Flying Fifteen was a knockout at about $235,000.

There was also a 1963 Apal-Porsche 1600, which was a fiberglass re-body of a Volkswagen Beetle with Porsche 356 running gear (only 30 of the 150 built had the Porsche powertrain). It sold for $36,000.

Now for something that isn’t red, a 1964 Renault Dauphine Gordini.

This was a car popular on racetracks back in the 60s, dominating 1.0 liter classes, winning its class at the Mille Miglia and the 12 Hours of Sebring. This is a road model with a 25-year-old restoration that can be enjoyed for $12,000.

Alvis built cars through the late 1960s but some of their large saloons and drophead coupes from the 1930s are quite striking – especially those with a two-tone color scheme, like this 1937 4.3-Litre Long-Bonnet Sports Saloon by Mayfair Carriage Co.

This is one of two Alvis 4.3s built by Mayfair and the only survivor. It’s pretty amazing. And for $119,000, well bought.

Another British car was this somewhat snub-nosed (and, dare I say, dorky?) looking Daimler:

It’s not a car you see too often, a 1956 Conquest Century Drophead Coupe. It has a 2.4 liter six making about 100 horsepower. It’s a fairly diminutive Daimler (check out our Barrett-Jackson feature car, the largest British car ever made) but it’ll do 90 mph and for $25,700, I wouldn’t complain.

This 1966 Jaguar FT Coupe is one of the rarest Jaguars you’ll find this side of a XJ13. It was a specially ordered four-seat coupe built by Bertone for the Italian Jaguar importer. Only two were made and it is quite striking. I don’t envision getting another opportunity at owning one for quite some time. It sold for $117,900.

Like low-volume cottage industry British sports cars? Then try this 1964 Diva GT D-Type.

Diva GTs were built from 1962-1966 and this one has known competition history from new. It is eligible for vintage racing events and looks like fun. It sold for $83,000.

Finally, from the “look how good-looking that car is” file, we have this 1964 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint. Alfas have always been gorgeous, but I love this car more than most. And in blue it just pops. For $62,000, I wish I would have grabbed it.

For complete results, check out Bonhams website here.

995cc “Squariel”

Posted on by
1

1938 Ariel 995cc Model 4G “Square Four”

Offered by Bonhams, Shepton Mallet, U.K., February 18, 2012

The Ariel Square Four was a four-cylinder motorcycle introduced in 1930 as a 500cc motorcycle. In 1937 the model was updated to the “4G” with a 955cc OHV engine. It’s a powerful 1930s motorcycle with similar displacement to a 1960s-era Mini (which weighed a lot more). This isn’t a Vincent and doesn’t pretend to be but, on the plus side, it’s way more affordable.

Ariel was absorbed by BSA in 1944 and continued production until 1970. But their heyday was the 1930s when models like the Square Four and Red Hunter were serious bikes.

This particular bike was acquired in 1947 by the most recent owner (who is deceased). It also comes with a sidecar, but from the pictures it would appear that the sidecar needs some serious work. This one hasn’t been ridden in 40 years and hasn’t been started in 10. It is in original condition – and it doesn’t look too bad. It’s a restoration project and for the estimate of $11,000-$16,000, it’s a lot cheaper than some of the other restoration projects that we’ve seen at auction recently. Then again, it’s priced higher than many of the running bikes in this sale, which makes me feel better about talking this up as a desirable model.

For the complete catalog description, click here.

Update: Sold $19,000.

Bonhams Scottsdale Highlights

Posted on by
Reply

We featured a few cars from the January 19, 2012 Bonhams auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. One of them, this 1967 Fiat Abarth TC Berlina Corsa, sold for just under it’s auction estimate at $46,800. One of the big sales of the auction was this 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Transformal Phaeton by Hibbard & Darrin.

Once owned by actress Marlene Dietrich, it sold for $524,000. The car was given to her as a gift from director Josef Von Sternberg. The coachwork is slightly unusual with the convertible top that comes down between the windows. Interesting and pretty cool.

Another top sale was the 1924 Isotta-Fraschini Tipo 8 Torpedo Phaeton that we featured last two weeks ago. Estimated between $425,000-$525,000, it ended up in the middle at $447,000. Two more of our feature cars did not sell: the 1967 Porsche 906 factory race car and the 1929 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Convertible Sedan. So if you missed them, there’s still time!

However, the interesting 1954 Cramer Comet that we did feature fell right in the middle of it’s pre-sale estimate of $100,000-$150,000 at $122,500. It has a 1350 horsepower Allison aircraft V12. Somebody’s going to have some tire-melting fun.

The top sale of the auction goes to this 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Cabriolet C. This 180 horsepower German beauty is a very desirable car. RM Auctions sold a few pre-war Mercedes “K” cars back in Monterey for millions and millions of dollars. Comparatively, this was a steal at $667,000.

And look at the detail of the dashboard. These cars are magnificent.

And finally, the final car we featured from this auction was a 1947 Delahaye 135M Three-Position Drophead Coupe by Figoni et Falaschi. It blew the doors off its estimate of $250,000-$350,000 and sold for $474,500. Looking back, that estimate was pretty conservative given the ravenous appetite for pre-war French classics (not to mention anything containing the name “Figoni et Falaschi”) that existed only a few years ago. Times and tastes change and auction houses have to be aware of that. But in this case it seems that good taste prevailed.

For complete results, please check out Bonhams website here.

Bonhams’ Vegas Motorcycle Sale Highlights

Posted on by
Reply

I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the show on The History Channel called American Pickers, but every once in a while they come across an old Harley-Davidson or Indian that is basically a pile of rusty parts held together by some invisible force. Then they’ll offer the owner of said motorcycle (sometimes sans motor) a bundle of cash. Sometimes as much as $10,000. It seems insane. Then you see this:

That’s a 1915 Indian 61ci Board-track Racing Motorcycle. In original condition – pulled from a barn or a basement somewhere. It’s a first-year model of the 61ci Big-Twin. It sold for $67,860. Which is quite a sum for something you can’t really ride. And there were at least a dozen unrestored barn-find motorcycles that brought more than $10,000. I don’t find it absurd that people are buying them – I understand wanting something rare and original and wonderful. What I don’t understand is where are people finding these? How many treasures are still out there to be found? It’s fascinating.

Here’s my other favorite barn-find:

It’s another Indian, specifically a 1906 Indian Camelback. Everything is there and supposedly it was ridden as recently as the 1970s, although it doesn’t look it. More interestingly, it was the personal bike of Paul du Pont of the famous du Pont family and founder of Du Pont Motors and, later on, owner of Indian motorcycles. This brought $72,540.

Other highlights included these two Vincents:

The first is a 1953 Vincent Black Shadow Series C. If you’re going to buy a classic motorcycle and money is no object, I recommend a Black Shadow. The second is a 1955 Black Prince that has appeared at auction after auction waiting for the right person to come along and finally bid over that reserve price. It finally happened. The Vincents brought $122,500 – each.

There was also this beautiful 1928 Henderson De Luxe Four:

This beautiful blue bike could’ve been yours for $70,200. Finally, we have two interesting motorcycles that are both “feet-forward.” And they were built almost 100 years apart. The first is the 1921 Ner-a-Car, of which a fair number were built. You just don’t see them that often anymore.

It sold for $9,360 and was stated as having been restored at the Indian factory in the 1940s although it is currently missing its exhaust. The other interesting motorcycles is this:

It’s a 2002 Gurney Alligator. I remember reading about this when it was first built. It looks really strange and it’s feet-forward design lends itself more toward a luge feeling than riding a motorcycle. Only 36 were built and they’re pretty quick with 70 horsepower and a top speed of about 140 mph. It sold for $15,210 – slightly more than your average cheap new motorcycle – but this will start conversations much more easily.

Although the Coventry-Eagle we featured a few weeks ago did not sell, some of these results show that there is real passion alive in the collector motorcycle hobby. For complete results, click here.

1928 Amilcar C6

Posted on by
1

1928 Amilcar C6 Voiturette

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 2, 2012

“Voiturette” is basically French for “small car” or “light car” (no, that’s not a direct translation). The term was used widely and applied to many pre-war automobiles coming from France. Amilcar started producing cyclecars in 1921 and before long that had sturdier equipment tearing it up on racetracks in Europe.

The C6 was introduced at the Paris Auto Salon in October of 1926. It featured a twin-cam straight six with a Roots-type supercharger that made over 60 horsepower. Because Amilcar was not a giant operation like some of their competitors (like Salmson), their cars were somewhat more expensive (economies of scale, anyone?).

This led to a price for the C6 of about 40,000 francs – which is about what you could’ve bought a Bugatti Type 37 for back in the day. The Amilcar shares the pre-war open-wheel race car look (and the striking blue paint) with Bugatti and, while the Bugatti might win the sexiness competition, one could argue that an Amilcar is more interesting (and rarer).

This car did not sell at a previous Bonhams auction within the past 12 months. It is being offered again with an pre-sale estimate of about $580,000-$680,000. For a more thorough history on this particular care, click here and for more on Bonhams in Paris, click here.

Update: Not Sold.

1954 Cramer Comet

Posted on by
1

1954 Cramer Comet

Offered by Bonhams | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 19, 2012

Photo – Bonhams

If this car looks massive it’s because it is – in every way. At 5200 pounds it’s not exactly a Lotus. But under the hood there’s a whole lot of power: 1350 horses.

Conceived, designed and built by Omaha native Tom Cramer in the early 1950s, the Cramer Comet features a number of weird innovative design aspects. First is the chassis which is built out of nickel-steel refrigerator tubing. Then he popped in a 1350hp Allison V12 aircraft engine.

The body is styled after a number of standard 1950s designs. Oldsmobile, Buick, Lincoln, and Studebaker design cues can be seen in this car. What I found most interesting is that the windshield is actually the rear window from a DeSoto.

The interior of the car isn’t exactly glamorous but it’s certainly intriguing with the aero-theme continuing onto the dash.

Photo – Bonhams

It looks to have come straight out of a WWII-era aircraft with function trumping form. The dials on flat, plain-looking black metal. I wonder if it has an attitude-indicator. The car is one-of-a-kind and is being offered for sale from a private collection – the only other owner save for the Cramer family.

Pre-sale estimates range from $100,000-$150,000. Here’s your chance to own something completely unique that will blow a Bugatti Veyron away on a dyno. More info can be found here and the rest of Bonhams’ catalog here.

Update: Sold $122,500.

Three Isottas in One Week!

Posted on by
1

1924 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8 Torpedo Phaeton by Cesare Sala

Offered by Bonhams | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 19, 2012

Photo – Bonhams

I can’t recall the last time an Isotta Fraschini crossed the block at auction, and here we have three of them the same week in the same town (and as of this writing, Gooding doesn’t have their catalog online and who knows what surprises it will hold). The other two we’ve featured have been the Tipo 8A models and this is an earlier Tipo 8. Instead of the 135 horsepower 7.4-liter straight eight of the Tipo 8A, this car features a 5.9-liter straight eight making 100 horsepower that would take it to 85 mph.

The styling isn’t quite as wild as the other two cars either but it still cost a cool $20,000 when new. Actually, this is the second Cesare Sala-bodied car for sale this week (Cesare Sala was an “official” coachbuilder of Isotta). This was the final year for the Tipo 8 before they switched to the 8A and only 10 of the 500 or so cars built still survive. This car was once owned by the Blackhawk Collection and by collector John O’Quinn.

Bonhams’ pre-sale estimate for this car is $425,000-$525,000. Read more about it here and check out the rest of their lineup here.

Update: Sold $447,000.

Ex-Works Porsche 906

Posted on by
2

1967 Porsche 906E

Offered by Bonhams | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 19, 2012

Photo – Bonhams

The long version of this car’s name is 1967 Porsche 906E Long-Nose, Short-Tail Endurance Racing Coupe. But to put that in metal badging on the car’s fender would weigh it down to the point where it would be uncompetitive.

This is the last street-legal race car Porsche built. It has a 220 horsepower 2.0 liter flat-6 and only 50 were built. This car was one of the last built and was retained as a Porsche-factory race car. It debuted at the 1967 12 Hours of Sebring with Joe Buzzetta and Peter Gregg, finishing 7th. Shortly after that, the car was sold into private hands where it continued racing.

Rare 1960s prototype race cars don’t come up for sale everyday. There have been a few Porsche 904s (the car preceding this) that have come up for sale recently and only one 906. The 906 sold for about $950,000 at this auction last year. Expect similar results this time around – if it sells. Read the full catalog description here and check out the full lot list here.

Update: Not Sold.

Update II: Sold at Gooding & Co. Amelia Island 2012 Auction, $1,001,000.