Tag Archives: cars

Rolux Baby

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1950 Rolux Baby

Offered by RM Auctions | Madison, Georgia | February 15-16, 2013

1950 Rolux Baby

Photo – RM Auctions

The Rolux Baby was identical to the New-Map Baby. New-Map reintroduced their pre-war “Baby” design in 1946 but the following year the company relocated and was renamed Société Rolux. The model remained unchanged from the pre-war design. It uses a rear-mounted 125cc single-cylinder engine. Rolux lasted until 1952 and about 300 cars were made. Three of them are offered in this sale. This is the nicest one and it should bring between $35,000-$45,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $48,875.

Champion 400H

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1953 Champion 400H

Offered by RM Auctions | Madison, Georgia | February 15-16, 2013

1953 Champion 400H

Photo – RM Auctions

If this looks like the Maico MC 400 we featured a month or two ago, that’s because it is pretty much the same car. Champion Automobil presented the 400 in 1951. It was a two-door saloon with a folding canvas roof – not a complete convertible, but more like a giant cloth sunroof. In 1953, the 400 became the 400H. The engine was a two-cylinder of about 400cc making 16 horsepower, an increase of two horses over the 400. Only 1,941 were built in 1953 before the company collapsed and was purchased by Maico. This one should sell for between $40,000-$50,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $57,500.

Paul Vallée Chantecler

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1956 Paul Vallée Chantecler

Offered by RM Auctions | Madison, Georgia | February 15-16, 2013

1956 Paul Vallée Chantecler

Photo – RM Auctions

SICRAF (Société Industrielle de Construction et de Racherches Automobiles de France) – yeah, that’s one hell of an acronym – produced scooters in Aubervillers, France, from 1947 through 1953. In 1955, Paul Vallée, the head of SICRAF, introduced a three-wheeled micro-bubble of a car using a frame from one of his scooters as a base. Engines were either 125cc or 175cc. Not many were made. This one should sell for between $45,000-$55,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $98,900.

Messerschmitt KR 175

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1953 Messerschmitt KR 175

Offered by RM Auctions | Madison, Georgia | February 15-16, 2013

Messerschmitt KR 175

Photo – RM Auctions

We already featured a Messerschmitt KR 200, which was the successor to this car, the original Kabinenroller, the KR 175. Introduced for 1953, the Fend Flitzer offshoot used a rear-mounted 174cc single-cylinder making nine horsepower. Top speed was 50 mph and the bubble canopy was used instead of a door. As production only lasted through 1955, total output was much smaller than the KR 200, with about 15,000 KR 175s built. They cost 2,100 DM back in 1953 but today should sell for $35,000-$45,000 USD. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $23,000.

Bond Minicar Mk A

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1950 Bond Minicar Mk A

Offered by RM Auctions | Madison, Georgia | February 15-16, 2013

1950 Bond Minicar Mk A

The Bond Minicar (retroactively given the “Mk A” identifier) was introduced in 1949 and was sold through 1951. The body, as you can see in this unpainted example, is aluminium and the whole car weighed in at 308 pounds. This non-Deluxe model uses a 122cc single-cylinder making five horsepower. In total, 1,973 were made and it was deemed successful enough to spawn six successors with a total combined production of over 20,000 cars. This was the one that started it all for Bond. It should sell for between $10,000-$15,000, much more than the about £260 it originally cost. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $10,350.

Inter 175A

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1955 Inter 175A Berline

Offered by RM Auctions | Madison, Georgia | February 15-16, 2013

1955 Inter 175A Berline

The Inter was built by S.N.C.A.N. of Lyons, France from 1953 to 1956. As its name suggests, it uses a 175cc engine. Only about 300 were built. What I like about it is the boat-ness of it (don’t be fooled, it is not amphibious!). It has that one headlight poking out the front and that lone windshield wiper that comes down from the roof of the car. That and how the body is narrow with a chrome belt line (or water line) and the wheels are located outboard – it kind of looks like the Reyonnah we featured a few weeks ago. It should sell for between $40,000-$50,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $161,000.

 

Bonhams’ Scottsdale Highlights 2013

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Bonham’s sale in Scottsdale, Arizona was two days ago (look at this turnaround time!). They were also super-quick in posting their results (thank you). Top sale went to this 1972 Lamborghini Miura SV for $1,215,000.

1972 Lamborghini Miura SV

The top sale would have been our featured Mercedes-Benz 540K Cabriolet A, but it failed to sell (actually it sold late, or Bonhams didn’t publish the result at the same time they published the rest of them: it sold for $1,312,500). As did our featured Minerva Convertible Sedan. Another interesting car at this sale was the how-did-I-fail-to-feature-it 1964 Morgan +4+. It’s not a Morgan Plus Four, but a “Plus Four Plus.” These are extremely rare – only 26 were made. This one sold for $230,500.

Two of feature cars did sell. The 1928 Stearns-Knight Roadster sold for $126,000. And the one-off Ferrari 365 GTC Speciale doubled the lower end of its estimate and sold for $885,000 with buyer’s premium. Another interesting car was this 1930 Bugatti Type 46 Faux Cabriolet by Veth & Zoon (one of the more fun among coachbuilder names). It sold for a serious $951,000.

Click here for complete results.

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.

Delahaye 135 MS by Figoni et Falaschi

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1938 Delahaye 135 MS Coupe by Figoni et Falaschi

Offered by RM Auctions | Phoenix, Arizona | January 18, 2013

1938 Delahaye 135 MS Coupe by Figoni et Falaschi

Guess what my favorite feature of this car is. It isn’t the beautiful Figoni & Falaschi-styled body. It’s that French flag on the grille. How cool. I almost didn’t feature this car, but that colorful grille alone sold me on it – that and I’ve yet to feature a Delahaye 135 MS – however I have done a 135 M.

So what’s the difference? More horsepower, of course. While the M lumbered around with up to 115 horsepower, the 3.6-liter straight six in the MS offered 160 horsepower. The “Teardrop” bodystyle is the most famous style from French coachbuilders Figoni & Falaschi. It’s also the one that it usually shown as the “typical” French coachbuilt body of the period. It is certainly nice.

This car was on the Figoni et Falaschi stand at the 1938 Paris Salon and disappeared shortly thereafter, being rediscovered in 1964. It was restored in the late 1980s and was acquired by John O’Quinn in 2006, who had it restored again. It is being offered with an invitation to the 2013 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, which it could win. It should sell for between $1,000,000-$1,400,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of RM’s Arizona lineup.

Update: Sold $1,540,000.

Ferrari F50

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1995 Ferrari F50

Offered by Gooding & Company | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 18, 2013

1995 Ferrari F50

Photo – Gooding & Company

You’re looking at my favorite supercar of all time. Well, at least my favorite Ferrari halo car of all time. While its predecessor, the F40, was a hard-nosed race car for the road – and its successor, the Enzo, was all business and not much style – the F50 was less about track times and more about celebrating 50 years of Ferrari and being outrageous in the 1990s. Mission accomplished.

This F50, #71 of 349, was delivered new to Roger Penske. It has only covered 655 miles in its life, making it almost brand new. Built from 1995 through 1997, the F50 used a 4.7-liter V12 making 513 horsepower. It could hit 202 mph and 60 in 3.7 seconds. The performance was astonishing for the mid-90s and the eccentric looks were like nothing else on the road. But you can still see hints of the F40 in there, which is quite an accomplishment for something so unlike most other Ferraris.

This like-new example comes with its factory hard top and is one of 302 Rosso Corsa F50s built and one of only 56 U.S.-spec cars delivered. The suggested retail price for an F50 in 1995 was right round $500,000 and they have appreciated since day one. This one should sell for between $800,000-$1,000,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of the Gooding auction lineup.

Update: Sold $1,375,000.