Tag Archives: cars

1915 Crane-Simplex

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1915 Crane-Simplex Model 5 Sport Berline by Brewster

Offered by Bonhams | Greenwich, Connecticut | June 3, 2012

Tell me that isn’t a beautiful car. Quite a number of cars of this vintage have upright grilles that lead the cowl straight back to the firewall and passenger compartment. It’s like somebody fitted two rectangles together and called it a day. But look at the flow of the front of this car – how the cowl sweeps right into the windshield. It’s one of my favorite early automotive design touches. The roof rack completes the picture of this car, full of a wealthy family, their belongings strapped to the roof, travelling on to some Gilded Age vacation home on the New England coast.

Crane-Simplex is one of those marques that went through quite a few different names and owners over the years. A brief history: The Smith & Mabley Manufacturing Company began building the S&M Simplex in 1904. Two years later the company was broke and it was absorbed by the Simplex Automobile Company, the badging was shortened to “Simplex.” In 1915, the Crane Motor Car Company purchased Simplex and Crane-Simplex was born. In 1920, Mercer (and the ill-fated Hare’s Motors corporation) acquired Crane-Simplex for two years before Henry Crane (who founded the Crane Motor Car Company) bought it back after Hare’s Motors went bust. He tried to revive the company but it was gone from the marketplace by 1924.

The car featured here has a six-cylinder engine displacing 9.24-liters and it is from the first year of production. The body is by Brewster and, because the engine puts out significant power, it’s big. Crane-Simplex cars were for the very wealthy – John D. Rockefeller had one. They were well built and expensive. The one seen here sold for $13,800 in 1915. Only 121 Crane-Simplex cars were made in total.

The car is presented as “original” while having been “worked over” (which I take to mean “restored as needed”) so it can be driven long distances. Original or not, this would be one hell of a car to drive on a classic car tour. It’s one of the most exclusive pre-war American automobiles. It is exceptional.

The pre-sale estimate is $100,000-$140,000, and after looking at it, this sounds remarkably fair. To read the complete lot description, click here. And for more from Bonhams in Connecticut, click here.

Update: Not sold.

Mercury Marauder Convertible

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2002 Mercury Marauder Concept Convertible

Offered by Auctions America | Auburn, Indiana | June 1-3, 2012

The Mercury Marauder (a hot-rod nameplate that traces its roots back to the early 1960s) was re-introduced in 2003 based on the Ford Panther platform – basically a re-worked Ford Crown Victoria/Mercury Grand Marquis. By re-worked, I mean it had a 4.6-liter DOHC V8 making 302 horsepower. By contrast, the standard Grand Marquis had a 239 horsepower 4.6-liter SOHC V8. Only 11,052 Marauders were produced between 2003 and 2004. It is a car I continue to lust after.

So what’s better than a big, black sleeper sedan? Not much, but I really dig this 2002 Marauder Concept Convertible built by Roush. The engine was supercharged to 335 horsepower, the roof was cut off and two doors removed. What an idea! Too bad Ford didn’t take the bait and build a run of them.

This is, presumably, one-of-one and had a build cost approaching half a million dollars. I don’t know what it will bring at auction, but it won’t be half a million dollars. A tenth of that would should be considered “well sold.” The car has 155 miles on it and is listed as “fully roadworthy” – which I’m sure it is. I’m also sure it would be a hoot to drive. It is also noted that this car is sold on bill of sale only. So it’s up to the buyer to get it registered.

To read the complete lot description and for more pictures, click here. For more from Auctions America’s Auburn Spring sale, click here.

Update: Sold $51,700.

Moretti 2500 SS

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1962 Moretti 2500 SS Coupe

Offered by Bonhams | Greenwich, Connecticut | June 3, 2012

Moretti is one of those Italian auto companies with a somewhat hazy history of manufacture (yes, there are others, all to various extents: Abarth, Siata, Cisitalia and various other Etceterini). They began as a motorcycle constructor and then turned to microcars. They are also well known for building specially-bodied Fiats. But they did also build cars of their own – but they were mostly Fiat-based. The line between what is a Moretti and what is a Moretti-bodied Fiat can be a little confusing.

In this case, Moretti took a Fiat 2300 and reworked the straight-six engine to 2.5-liters and 170 horsepower. They also strapped this stunning body, designed in-house, to the chassis. It’s thought that only about 20 of these were built.

The car was recently serviced to the tune of about $18,000. Another interesting tidbit – this car was formerly owned by J. Geils of “Freeze-Frame” fame. The pre-sale estimate is between $65,000-$75,000. For the complete catalog description, click here. For more from Bonhams in Connecticut, click here.

Update: Did not sell.

Ford Model N

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1906 Ford Model N

Offered by RM Auctions | Nysted, Denmark | August 12, 2012

The Ford Motor Company was founded in 1903 and the Model N was introduced in 1906, making it one of the first handful of models built by the company. It features a 15 horsepower straight-four engine mounted at the front, driving the rear wheels to speeds up to 40 mph. It was Ford’s entry level offering until the introduction of the Model T in 1908. This was also Ford’s final right-hand drive automobile built in America.

The Model N retailed for $500, about $150 less than its competition – a curved-dash Oldsmobile. Listed equipment consisted of twin side oil lamps and a horn. A leather top was a $50 option. The 10 gallon fuel tank was good for a 200 mile range on rough, early roads.

There were upgraded versions of the Model N called the Model R and Model S ($600 and $700, respectively). With 7,000 Model Ns built over a three year span, the model was quite successful – although it was dwarfed immensely by its successor, the Model T. The car seen here is listed as a Model N (the catalog description has yet to be written) but it seems to have a few of the Model S extras on it, including full running boards and the mother-in-law seat behind the front bench. The Model S was rarer than a Model N (only 3,750 Model Ss were built) and the Model R was the rarest of the bunch with only 2,500 sold.

These are very rare, very early Fords and they don’t sell often – especially ones that are coming straight out of a museum as is the case here. Look for it to bring somewhere between $20,000 and $40,000. The Aalholm Automobile Collection in Denmark is being liquidated at this sale and there is an immense amount of fascinating early cars coming up for sale. We’re going to feature as many as possible, but will likely fall short of what we want to feature. But we’re sure going to try.

For the complete catalog description, click here and to see more of the cars from this sale, click here.

Update: Sold $37,000.

Avelate Corvette

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2002 Chevrolet Corvette Avelate

Offered by Auctions America | Auburn, Indiana | June 1-3, 2012

I guess it’s been more than a month, but a while ago we featured an aftermarket Corvette re-body from AAT. Well, this is another aftermarket re-body, but this time it’s from a company called Avelate Automotive.

The styling is tasteful, I think, and not school-boy garish – as the words “aftermarket re-body” generally lead me to think. Some people might ask “why? What’s the purpose of modifying the styling?” That’s a fair question – especially if it’s done by some random individual. The Avelate was penned by two men: one an automotive designer and the other a customiser.

There are Corvette touches on the redesign – among them a split rear window, reminiscent of the 1963 Coupe. This is one of 11 with the split window. A convertible and speedster were also offered. Only 27 were built in total at a cost of about $100,000 each. It has an 5.7-liter V8 (LS1) under the hood and, mechanically, it’s identical to a 2002 Corvette.

Estimated to sell for between $60,000-$75,000, this shows that there is a market for these late model “coachbuilt Corvettes.” With time, I dare to predict, these will become more and more collectible. Think of the limited edition aftermarket muscle cars of the 1960s. They’re now worth a pretty penny. You might think that, because it’s a 10-year-old Corvette, it will never be worth anything. But back in the late 60s a Yenko was just another car you could abuse at the drag strip. You never know what the future holds.

For the complete catalog description, click here. And for more from Auctions America on their home turf in Auburn, Indiana, click here.

Update: Not sold.

Update II: Not sold at Auctions America’s 2012 Auburn Fall Sale.

Cunningham V-4

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1922 Cunningham Series V-4 Model 82-A Town Limousine

Offered by Bonhams | Greenwich, Connecticut | June 3, 2012

Long before Briggs Cunningham started building his sports cars in Florida in the 1950s, James Cunningham, Son & Company (unrelated) of Rochester, New York, were building Cunningham-based cars. But these were not sporty little racers – they were high-end luxury automobiles for very exclusive clientele. Their first car was sold in 1908 and in 1916 they introduced their first V-8 engine in the Series V-1.

This is a 1922 Series V-4, which has the same 442 c.i. V-8 introduced in 1916. It is a Model 82-A (translation: long wheelbase). It was rated at 45 horsepower – a figure that would double for the 1923 model. The body style is called a “Town Limousine,” with an open area for the driver and a closed passenger compartment.

Ownership history is known from the 1970s and the restoration is over 25 years old. I’ve seen more stately Cunningham cars but I haven’t seen many Cunninghams of any type. They are very rare cars. While it’s unknown who purchased the car originally, you can bet it was someone pretty well off, as Cunningham’s could cost over $8,000 in the early 1920s. Quite a sum.

The pre-sale estimate on this car is $120,000-$160,000 which seems fair for a car with an older restoration that is rarely seen. For the complete catalog description, click here. And for more on Bonhams in Connecticut, click here.

Update: Sold $128,000.

RM Auctions Monaco 2012 Highlights

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If you like auctions where there are a lot of million dollar cars, then RM Auctions’ May 11-12, 2012 sale in Monaco should bring a smile to your face as a stunning 13 cars sold for more than $1 million. The top sale was one of our feature cars – the 1957 Ferrari 625 TRC Spider that sold for $6,526,800. The next two top selling cars were also feature cars here on the site: the 1952 Ferrari 225 Sport Spyder Tuboscocca sold for $3,263,400 – which was the same price brought by the 1966 Ferrari 206 S Dino Spyder. The next highest-selling car was a 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K Cabriolet A that brought $3,009,590.

After that, another of our feature cars, the amazing 2007 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Le Mans race car sold for $2,175,600. Then another amazing performance car: a 2006 Ferrari FXX Evoluzione, which is basically a track-only Enzo on steroids, sold for $1,733,288.

Continuing down the list, we come across a few more feature cars. First, the 1969 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/3 which sold for $1,595,440. Then the 9th Ferrari built, the 1948 166 Inter Spyder Corsa – hammered away for $1,307,950. Then we have the other Alfa Romeo prototype race car, the 1968 Tipo 33/2 Daytona selling for $1,305,360. Also selling for $1,305,360 was yet another Ferrari, a 1971 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spyder.

The next top-selling car – er, thing – was also the top selling boat of the sale (there’s a sentence I’ve never written). It’s also a Ferrari – or, at least, Ferrari-powered. It’s called a 1953 Timossi-Ferrari “Arno XI” Racing Hydroplane. It’s actually pretty amazing, looking like a WWII fighter plane with a hull instead of wings. And it’s powered by a 4.5-liter Ferrari Formula One V-12 engine making over 600 horsepower. It’s insane and sold for $1,124,060.

The other two million dollar cars were also Ferraris. The 1968 330 GTS sold for $1,102,304 and the 2000 F1-2000 ex-Michael Schumacher Formula One car brought a paltry $1,044,288. See if you can figure out which picture is which.

Other interesting sales include this 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II by Brockman. The body is solid copper – therefore you should not park it in a bad neighborhood. It sold for $203,506.

Some of our other feature cars were the 1953 Ferrari 375 MM Spider – which did not sell. The record-holding 1978 Rondeau-Cosworth sold for $464,128. This rare 1976 Lancia Stratos Stradale sold for $387,982.

We featured a pair of other Lancias: the 1995 Hyena, which sold for $116,032; and the 1964 Sport Prototipo Zagato, which brought $246,568.

The first day of this sale included a giant collection of Ducati motorcycles. The highest price realized for any of them was $325,757 for this race-winning 2010 Desmosedici GP10 CS1 with MotoGP rider Casey Stoner.

Another interesting sale was this 1953 Siata Daina Sport 1800 that sold for $224,812.

For things more affordable, you could have had this tongue-twister of a Mercedes – a 1934 Mercedes-Benz 200 W21 Sonnenscheinlimousine – for $36,260.

Our other two feature cars, the 1994 Bugatti EB110 GT and the ex-Fangio 1950 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport failed to meet reserve and did not sell. Finally, the true odd-ball of the auction, the 1951 Piero Taruffi “Italcorsa/Tarf II” Speed-Record car sold for $116,032. You can read about its unique history via that link.

For complete results, click here.

Bonhams Monaco 2012 Highlights

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Bonham’s May 11, 2012 auction held in Monaco saw some of their premier cars fail to sell. However, there were still a number of nice cars that went across the block that did sell. The top seller among them was this 1965 Ferrari 330GT/250 GTO Re-creation.

It’s not a true GTO (as evidenced by the sale price of “only” $364,000 – a true GTO could bring in excess of $20 million). This is a 330GT with a re-body made to look the part. It’s a true Ferrari – and a gorgeous one at that – that you can enjoy as if it were the real thing, without the, relatively, hefty price tag.

The second biggest sale was a 1962 Facel Vega II. This is the perfect car in which to cruise around Monte Carlo. It sold for $326,000.

Among our feature cars, the ex-Scuderia Ferrari 1930 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS did not sell. Nor did the 1980 Ferrari sedan. Nor did the 1938 Bugatti 57C. And to round out our feature cars, the Citroen SM Prototype also failed to sell. Not a good day for our feature cars.

But, other interesting cars that did sell include this 1935 Audi UW 220 Cabriolet.

You don’t see pre-war Audis all that often – especially not in similar numbers to cars from other German marques like, say, Mercedes-Benz. But this cabriolet, with coachwork by Gläser, is one of about 1,800 made and one of much fewer that survive. It sold for about $110,000.

Iso Rivolta built some awesome cars in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Most of them were sporty coupes – but they also built a sedan. The Iso Fidia, the one seen here a 1973 model, was produced in limited numbers from 1967 until 1975. Only 192 were made. This one has a 5.8-liter Ford V8 and it’s good-lookin’ too. It sold for about $67,000.

And finally, this 1957 Fiat-OSCA 1500 S Coupe by Viotti sold for about $44,500. It’s a solid looking car built by Fiat with a body by Carrozzeria Viotti and powered by an OSCA four-cylinder engine.

For complete results, click here.

Aston Martin DBS Wagon

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1971 Aston Martin DBS Estate by FLM Panelcraft

Offered by Bonhams | Newport Pagnell, U.K. | May 19, 2012

I guess the first thing I should say is that I am a big fan of wagons. So I find great joy in a one-of-a-kind sports wagon coming up for sale. That’s right, while there were a number of DB5 and DB6 Astons converted into estate cars – or shooting brakes – there was only one DBS that was blessed with such a fate. The operation was performed by FLM Panelcraft of Battersea, South London. They also built three of the DB6 wagons.

It was built at the behest of a Scottish laird who wanted something he could take on fishing trips. Only in Great Britain would someone want to take an Aston Martin on a fishing trip – it’s wonderful. Anyway, the car passed to its current owner in 1975. He repainted the then-red car to its current blue.

It was restored in the 1990s and repainted in 2004. It’s beautiful – look at all that glass. If you value utility in your sports cars, then they don’t come much more useful and fun than this. The DBS was relatively sporty in its day, with a 282 horsepower 4.0-liter straight-six. Only 787 were produced from 1967 through 1972 and this is the only one converted into wagon form. If you want to get to Newport Pagnell and bid, it’s estimated to cost you somewhere between $81,000-$110,000. For the complete description, click here. And to see the rest of the almost all-Aston auction lineup, click here.

Update: sold $533,000.

St. Louis Four-Cylinder

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1904 St. Louis Four-Cylinder Side Entrance Tonneau

For Sale at Hyman Ltd | St. Louis, Missouri

The St. Louis Motor Carriage Company was founded in 1898 in – where else – St. Louis, Missouri. The company was the first American company to ditch tiller steering in favor of a right-hand drive steering wheel. In 1902 the introduced a four-cylinder engine. In 1905, the company moved to Peoria, Illinois, but retained the name “St. Louis.”

The beautiful car you see here is the only surviving four-cylinder St. Louis in existence and one of about ten St. Louis cars (of any model) that survive. The ten-year-old restoration still looks brand new and the car is festooned with period accessories. Putting the top down (at least in photographs) makes the car look a lot bigger than it does when up.

The St. Louis car company ceased automobile production in 1907 and the company is not well known today. There were so many early car companies that churned out automobiles for about ten years or less. This car is from one of them. It’s quite nice and quite rare and if your a collector of rare makes of cars, this one’s for you. The price? $175,000. Check out the full description at Hyman Ltd’s website where it is for sale, guess where – in St. Louis.