Stanguellini

1959 Stanguellini Formula Junior

Offered by Bring a Trailer Auctions | November 2023

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Automobili Stanguellini started producing Fiat based cars after WWII, including a handful of road cars. But the company’s most popular and famous product were their formula junior race cars.

Formula Junior was a precursor to Formula Two that existed between 1958 and 1964. Right place, right time, for Vittorio Stanguellini. This car is one of three originally purchased by Briggs Cunningham and was raced by Walt Hansgen for his team. Power is from a 1.1-liter Fiat inline-four.

This car was restored in the 2000s and has been used in historic and vintage racing events over the next 20 years. These are rare and sought-after old race cars. This one has a few days left, and you can read more about it here.

Gillet Vertigo

2002 Gillet Vertigo Race Car

Offered by Bring a Trailer | October 2023

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Gran Turismo fans know exactly what this is. The Vertigo is the product of Gillet Automobiles of Belgium. They’ve been making versions of it since the early 1990s, and some of them look quite different than others, but this is the most famous one.

The race car (there are apparently a few road cars) was aimed at the FIA GT Championship, and it won its class three years in a row in the late 2000s. Power is provided by tuned 3.0-liter Alfa Romeo V6, and the car features a carbon fiber monocoque and bodywork.

This particular car competed in the 2005 FIA GT series, winning its class at Zhuhai in China. It’s said to be one of three such race cars built. It was later restored by Tony Gillet himself and has about a week left to bid on. Click here for more info.

Porsche Twin-Grille Roadster

1962 Porsche 356B 1600S Twin-Grille Roadster

Offered by Bring a Trailer Auctions | October 2023

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The Porsche 356 Speedster is a sought after collector car. It was eventually replaced by the Porsche 356 Convertible D. The Convertible D, in turn, was replaced by the 356B Roadster in 1960.

In 1962, Porsche introduced the T6 body style, which brought two engine lid grilles, a widened front trunk lid, and a fuel door that shifted to the right-front fender. The Roadster’s final year was 1962, which means the twin-grille roadster was only available for one year. And only 248 were built, all with coachwork by D’Ieteren Freres.

This example is powered by a 1.6-liter Super flat-four that was rated at 75 horsepower. It was refreshed 15-20 years ago and is now available on Bring a Trailer for the second time. Click here for more info.

BMW 3.0 CSL

1974 BMW 3.0 CSL

Offered by Bring a Trailer | September 2023

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BMW’s E9 series of cars started with the 2800 CS but eventually grew in displacement to become the 3.0 CS. Regardless of engine, these pillarless coupes are cars that have aged extremely well. BMW wanted to take the 3.0 CS/CSi racing in the 1970s and therefore needed to homologate it for European touring car competition.

And thus the 3.0 CSL was born. Just 1,265 were built and were initially powered by a 3.0-liter inline-six that grew to 3.2 liters in 1973. Output was then rated at 203 horsepower. An aerodynamic kit was also offered that year and is known as the “Batmobile.” This car has said kit and is finished in Polaris Silver with BMW Motorsport stripes.

E9s are cars that you’d probably prefer to buy “already done” and not have to fight any of the issues they’ve developed over time. This appears to be one of those, plus it’s got all of the best bits of the entire line (big engine, big aero). With five days to go as of this writing, the bidding is already over $150,000, which marks this as one of the most collectible big-dollar BMWs. Click here to read more.

LCC Rocket

1996 Light Car Company Rocket

Offered by Bring a Trailer Auctions | September 2023

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The Light Car Company was founded by Gordon Murray and Chris Craft in England in 1991. They built one model, and it was an amazing one: the Rocket. Production started in 1991, and most had been built by the mid-1990s. This one was started in 1996 but ended up as one of 10 completed by the Craft’s between 2006 and 2009. So it’s titled as a 1996 but wasn’t actually completed until the 2000s.

If you’ve always wanted to drive an open-wheel race car on the street (and didn’t manage to snag this thing), then this is a pretty good alternative. It has tandem seating for two, and the 1.2-liter Yamaha inline-four is mounted out back. That engine also can rev to over 11,000 rpm! For the full F1 experience of course.

Jay Leno has one of these – and there aren’t that many in the U.S. The car was also featured in one of the Gran Turismo games, where it was a hoot to drive hard. Only 50 were built in total, and they’ve become much more expensive than they used to be. This one has plenty of time left to bid, which you can do so here.

La Dawri Sebring

1957 La Dawri Sebring

Offered by Bring a Trailer Auctions | July 2023

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Okay, so “1957” probably isn’t the year here. No year is listed on the auction page, but what it does tell you about years is surprising. Unlike many fiberglass specials of the 1950s, this one is rear-engined. And it is powered by the 1.3-liter flat-four of its donor 1957 Volkswagen Beetle.

Can we take a moment to really appreciate how great this wild paint scheme is? This is the automotive equivalent of a surfboard. The windshield frame is a real highlight. La Dawri was only around a short time: founded in Canada in 1956 before moving to California the following year. They offered fiberglass sports car bodies until 1963.

Still, in that time, they produced no less than seven or eight different models. This Sebring screams “1950s sports car” but looks completely unlike almost anything else you could get at the time. It’s like some sports car special you would’ve seen in the background of an Elvis movie. This is a car that would be a lot of fun at the right price – and draw a lot of attention wherever it goes. Check out the auction here.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $7,500.

1917 Rauch & Lang

1917 Rauch & Lang BX7 Brougham

Offered by Bring a Trailer Auctions | June 2023

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Rauch & Lang merged with Baker Electric in 1915, with the latter brand eventually phased out. Rauch & Lang would continue to solider on with electric cars for about another 10 years. In 1917, they still looked like this. Which was like a rolling billboard that said “this car is an electric car.” Nowadays, they try to make them look different from gasoline-powered cars while looking largely the same. Not so 100 years ago.

There’s the obvious lack of a grille and radiator. And the interior is really what gives it away. The driver sits on a bench seat at the back of the… well, room. While they face the front windshield, they are also staring at their passengers, who are seated on swiveling chairs. Imagine driving this around with your small kids. Nightmare.

The car features 12 six-volt batteries and an electric motor. Top speed is school-zone-esque, and stiller is via a tiller. This is the type of big old electric car that bounds across stages at places like Pebble Beach. You can read more about it here.

Update: Sold $165,000.

Porsche 910

1967 Porsche 910

Offered by Bring a Trailer Auctions | June 2023

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If only Porsche went in order with their model name/numbering scheme. That would make the 911 the follow up to this, the 910. Imagine what a street-legal follow up to this car would’ve looked like. Instead, they are entirely unrelated.

The 910 was an evolution of the earlier 906 and for some reason slotted in between the 906 and 907 in terms of P-car prototype racers. The 910 was produced in 1966 and 1967. Just 27 were built, and this one was never raced under the Porsche works factory banner. It was used as an R&D car before being sold into private hands and later raced, including at the:

  • 1973 24 Hours of Daytona – 38th, DNF (with Ed Abate and Bill Cuddy)

It is powered by a 2.0-liter flat-six that made around 200 horsepower. At one point during its life it had a 2.2-liter flat-eight installed that made closer to 300 horsepower. That engine, which is extremely rare and valuable on its own, is included in this sale. This car was recently repainted and was previously used on European tours (so there’s a hope of getting it road registered). You can read more about it here.

Update: Sold $2,500,000.

Ghibli SS

1972 Maserati Ghibli SS Coupe

Offered by Bring a Trailer Auctions | June 2023

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Simply, this car exemplifies great, classic, Italian styling. It is among the handsomest grand tourers of the era, with styling penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro at Ghia. The first Ghibli debuted at the 1966 Turin Motor Show with power from a 4.7-liter V8.

The SS variant arrived in 1969 with a 4.9-liter V8 rated at 330 horsepower. Convertibles also arrived in ’69. This coupe was originally a different color but was repainted blue in 2007. It also has a light beige interior and a modern stereo. It’s made to be used.

In all, 1,170 Ghibli coupes were produced through 1973. Just 425 of those were SS coupes powered by the 4.9-liter engine. This one has a few days left, and you can view more about it here.

Update: Sold $237,000.

Graber-Bodied Delahaye

1946 Delahaye 135M Cabriolet by Graber

Offered by Bring a Trailer Auctions | March 2023

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Delahaye’s 135 debuted in the mid 1930s and would remain in production for almost another two decades until Delahaye ceased to exist, and after, you know, taking a pause for the war. The slightly upgraded 135M was released in 1936.

It featured a higher-compression version of the 135’s 3.6-liter inline-six, which on this car is fitted with three Solex carburetors. Output was about 115 horsepower. This car was purchased new by a Swiss banker who had it bodied in his native country by Graber, perhaps Switzerland’s best-known coachbuilder.

This is a post-war body, and it’s a little more restrained than something you may have seen in the late 1930s. It’s still pretty and indicative of the type of coachbuilt classic that would likely be found in a European collection. But! It’s in St. Louis after having been restored in Florida. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $180,000.