Marion Roadster

1911 Marion Model 30 A Roadster

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | November 25, 2015

Photo - Brightwells

Photo – Brightwells

Marion was a marque produced by a few different companies in the early days of the automobile. The company that produced this car in 1911 was the most prolific. Based in Indianapolis, Marion was one of the first companies to build a sports car: the Bobcat.

But their bread and butter were more standard cars in an array of body styles. The 1911 range included the Model 30 and 40. The 30 (seen here) uses a 30 horsepower, 3.7-liter straight-four. It was offered in four styles, with this Model A Roadster being the least expensive and smallest.

This car spent most of its life in the American Northeast before being exported to the U.K. in 1991. It was restored in the mid-1990s and has been used steadily since. It should sell for between $30,000-$46,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Brightwells’ lineup.

Update: Sold $30,211.

Albany Convertible

1974 Albany Convertible

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | November 25, 2015

Photo - Brightwells

Photo – Brightwells

Well what do we have here? This certainly doesn’t resemble your average automobile from 1974. It’s always interesting to see what cars people decide to build replicas of… but this car isn’t even a replica. It’s doesn’t look like any singular early 1900s car. It’s just a “modern” version of an old car.

Albany was founded by Bryan and David Shepherd and their little convertibles were available from 1971 through 1997. Over 110 were built by the end of the 1970s. This car is based on Triumph mechanicals and uses a donor 1.5-liter straight-four. It’s Edwardian motoring with modern convenience (well a 1970s Triumph is probably just as reliable as a car from the 1900s).

This car represents a very affordable way to get into old cars, with a pre-sale estimate of $10,500-$13,750. It’s simple to use and you’ll be the only one at your local show in one. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

September 2015 Auction Highlights

Classic car auctions are multiplying like gremlins. September is full of sales, so let’s get right to it, starting with Worldwide Auctioneers Auburn, Indiana sale where this 1965 Shelby Cobra 289 Dragonsnake was the top sale at $1,300,000.

Photo - Worldwide Auctioneers

Photo – Worldwide Auctioneers

Our featured Jewell sold for $29,700 and complete results can be found here. Auctions America also held a sale in Auburn this month. Their top sale was our featured Duesenberg Murphy Convertible Coupe for $1,402,500. The other Duesenberg failed to sell. We’ll call this 1930 Cord L-29 Convertible Phaeton Sedan most interesting (or at least “prettiest”) for $137,500.

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

Our featured Intermeccanica sold for $159,500 and a previously-featured Buddy Stewart Pickup sold for $20,350. Click here for full results.

RM’s London sale featured this 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Competizione ‘Tour de France’ which sold for $7,330,400.

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

Our feature cars all sold, with the Bugatti EB110 leading the way at $965,888. The Cisitalia was no slouch either, selling for $224,224. And the Ferves Ranger was apparently worth its weight in gold at $44,845. Click here for full results.

Bonhams Goodwood Revival sale was this month, and this 1965 Aston Martin DB5 Convertible was the top seller at $1,702,210. Our featured Porsche 908 failed to sell.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Our other two feature cars both sold. The HRG-Maserati exceeded its estimate, bringing $132,027 and the Scarab F1 car went for $1,053,808. Full results can be found here. And finally, we’ll cover Brightwells’ September sale. We didn’t feature anything from here, but the top seller was this beautiful 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series I 3.8 Coupe for $164,505. Click here for full results.

Photo - Brightwells

Photo – Brightwells

July 2015 Auction Highlights, Pt. I

First up in July is H&H Classics and their Chateau Impney sale. We featured three cars from this sale and two failed to sell: the Chevron B8 and the New Carden. The top sale was this 1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster for $164,920.

1951 Jaguar XK120 Roadster

Our featured Allard Palm Beach sold for $138,880. Click here for complete results.

The Nautilus from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen sold for $49,411 at Coys’ Blenheim Palace sale. Complete results can be found here. Brightwells July sale had this 1935 Alvis 3.5-Litre Drophead Coupe by Charlesworth as the top sale for $114,700.

Photo - Brightwells

Photo – Brightwells

Our featured Gilbern Genie sold for $7,285 and the Marlin 1800 brought $2,635. Full results are here.

Auctions America’s California sale is up next. The top sale was actually a tie between this 2004 Ferrari Enzo and the following 1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster by Nawrocki for $1,870,000 each.

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

Of our four feature cars from this sale, the top seller was the Pope-Hartford Portola Roadster for $181,500. The Crofton Bug brought a more affordable $22,000. More affordable still was the 1906 Franklin for $19,800. The Sorrell-Manning Special failed to sell. Full results can be found here.

And finally, Artcurial held a small sale in Monaco in July. We featured one car: a 1908 Cadillac. It sold for $23,816. The top sale was this 1989 Aston Martin Lagonda for $174,652. Click here for complete results.

Photo - Artcurial

Photo – Artcurial

Marlin Roadster

1990 Marlin 1800 Roadster

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | July 15, 2015

Photo - Brightwells

Photo – Brightwells

Marlin Sportscars Ltd has been around since 1979 when it was founded in the U.K. by Paul Moorhouse. All six models that the company has produced have been based around other cars. They’re kit cars (even though you can technically buy one already built).

The Roadster was Marlin”s first model, first introduced in 1979. Kits were sold up through about 1990 when a new model took its place. Original cars were based on the Triumph Herald while later cars (like this one) were based on the Morris Marina. The engine is a 1.8-liter straight-four.

Marlin is still in business, building sports cars as they have been for decades. It you want a throwback roadster with pre-war or immediate post-war looks, and you’re on a budget: look no further. This is expected to bring between $2,300-$3,100. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $2,635.

Gilbern Genie

1969 Gilbern Genie

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | July 15, 2015

Photo - Brightwells

Photo – Brightwells

We’ll start by stating what should be the obvious: Gilbern Sports Cars (Components) Ltd built some great looking sports cars between 1959 and 1973. They built three different models and the Genie was the second.

Built between 1966 and 1969, the Genie was available as a kit based around MG and Ford parts. The engine is a 3.0-liter Ford V-6 making 141 horsepower. Gilbern cars were expensive for what they were and in 1969, this car cost around £2,000.

The Genie was the least most-produced of the three Gilbern production models with only 197 completed. This one looks very nice, having covered 92,000 miles. It is expected to bring between $7,800-$8,600 – which sounds like a steal for a car this good looking. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $7,285.

June 2015 Auction Highlights, Pt. I

First up in June is Mecum’s Seattle sale. Our featured Datsun 1600 Roadster failed to sell. The top sale was this 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T SE Hemi in the best MOPAR shade available. It brought $185,000. Full results can be found here.

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

Russo & Steele held their Newport Beach sale in May and the top sale was a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT for $840,000.

Photo - Russo & Steele

Photo – Russo & Steele

Our featured Peerless GT failed to sell. Click here for complete results.

Brightwells liquidated the Stondon Museum in the U.K. in May. There were some really interesting oddballs at this sale that went to a new owner for next to nothing. The top sale was this 1950 Ford V8 Pilot Woodie for $33,390.

Photo - Brightwells

Photo – Brightwells

Both of our feature cars sold, as this was a no reserve auction. The Enfield 8000 brought $5,400 and the Replicar Cursor just shy of $3,500. Click here for full results.

Next up is Osenat’s June sale where our three 100+ years old cars all sold. The Phebus sold for $59,280, the Bruneau $45,600, and the Clement $39,900. The top sale was this 1927 Bugatti Type 37 for $900,600.

Photo - Osenat

Photo – Osenat

The Delaney Delta failed to sell. Check out full results here. The final sale in this countdown is Bonhams’ Oxford sale. The top seller was this 1934 Talbot AV105 “Alpine Replica” Tourer for $206,372.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Our featured Hotchkiss was also a big seller, bringing $144,286, while the Durant also sold, but for a much less $25,499. Click here for full results.

Enfield Electric

1974 Enfield 8000

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | June 10, 2015

Photo - Brightwells

Photo – Brightwells

We’ve featured a lot of microcars on this site – but not this one. Enfield is a name that goes back a long way in British automobiledom. Royal Enfield built fantastic motorcycles prior to WWII. But this brand is not related to that one at all.

This company, Enfield Automotive, was founded in the 1960s in the U.K. It moved to Greece in 1973, but the cars were still built on the Isle of Wight. Many of this cars’ parts were from or based on readily available cars of the time, such as the Mini and Hillman Imp. The body is aluminium and it is powered by an eight horsepower electric motor.

There are two seats and this one looks to need a little work (it’s probably not a driver). It had a top speed of between 48 mph and a range of around 40  miles. Only 120 of these were built between 1973 and 1977. It’s tiny – but if you want an electric car project, here you go. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $5,400.

Replicar Cursor

1985 Replicar Cursor

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | June 10, 2015

Photo - Brightwells

Photo – Brightwells

First off, I’d like to point out that this car is called the Cursor, which is funny because it kind of looks like a computer mouse… with eyes. And three wheels. Yes, this is a three-wheeler and it was built by Replicar Limited of Kent.

It has a fiberglass body and a tubular steel chassis. The engine is a 49cc single-cylinder from a Suzuki moped that drives the lone rear wheel. Top speed is about 26 mph. Most of the cars were single-seaters, although there were less than 10 two-seaters built as well. I’m pretty sure you can technically register this as a moped in the U.K.

Production lasted from 1985 through 1987 with just over 100 built. It’s perfect for today, getting 90 mpg. There are actually two of these in this sale and they both with likely come cheap. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $3,500.

May 2015 Auction Highlights, Pt I

First up in the month of May, Bonhams’ all-Aston Martin sale where a previously featured DB7 V12 Prototype sold here again, this time for $35,612. The top sale was this 1966 Aston Martin DB5 Convertible restored to Vantage specification that sold for $2,360,784.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Our featured DB4 Vantage Convertible was right behind it at $2,332,827. The DB6 Volante failed to sell. Check out complete results here.

Auctions America’s Auburn Spring sale had our featured Ford GTX1 atop the sales leader board, selling for $330,000. Interesting sales were definitely topped by this 1939 Diamond T truck with a really cool beverage trailer.

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

This sale had some bargains, too – check them out here. Brightwells held a sale in May, as well. Our featured Frazer Nash was easily the top seller at $337,550. Interesting sales included this 2000 Daewoo Musiro Concept car. It doesn’t have an engine, but it did sell for $1,250.

Photo - Brightwells

Photo – Brightwells

One of our feature cars didn’t sell, the H.E. Tourer, but the Dare DZ brought $15,385. Click here for full results.

Mecum’s annual Indianapolis sale always features some big time muscle cars. Unfortunately, our featured low-mileage Hemi Cuda failed to sell. The top sale was a different muscle car: a ’67 Shelby 427 Cobra for a cool $1,000,000.

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

Our featured Lightweight Mustang Prototype brought $130,000. Click here for full results. The Veritas from Coys’ Ascot sale brought $263,700 while the Fiat sold for $63,500. Full results can be found here.