Tag Archives: chevrolet

2013 Ault Park Concours d’Elegance

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Okay, so it’s been about a month since the 2013 Ault Park Concours d’Elegance (I’ve been busy!) was held in Cincinnati’s beautiful Ault Park. I was at the show bright and early and it was great. The weather was perfect and the rain held off until just after the show had completed (by literally minutes). While I managed to photograph every car on the show grounds, I’ll only show you some of the highlights here. I even managed to capture some of them on video.

Best in Show went to this 1938 Steyr 220 Special Roadster. I think most people knew going into the show that this was going to be the major award winner.

If this website were to give out an award for something – it would undoubtedly have gone to this 1911 Thomas Flyer K6-70 Flyabout. I don’t know if you’ve ever had the chance to hear a starter on a 1911 Thomas Flyer, but I highly recommend trying to get the opportunity. It is a noise. Watching this thing being driven was one of my favorite points of the show. I’ll post video below!

Hands down the most popular car at this year’s show was the Goldfinger Aston Martin. This was the DB5 that was actually used in two James Bond films: Thunderball and Goldfinger. The best part? It was just sitting there so you could get up close and personal with it AND the owner was driving it around. You can see video of it here.

One of my other favorite cars was perhaps the most infamous of the show. It is a 1978 Monteverdi 375/4 High Speed Sedan. The High Speed 375/4 was built for a few years in very limited numbers. After production wrapped, the Royal Family of Qatar wanted a sedan version, so Peter Monteverdi built seven of them. This is one of those cars. It was exquisite and I took more photos of it than any other car there. Then, while lining up for awards, the owner (who brought the car here from Germany) was trying to keep the car running by revving the throttle. His foot slipped off the brake (or something) and he peeled out and smashed into the back of a McLaren MP4-12C Spider. Luckily no one was hurt and the McLaren will be fine. This thing will need slightly more repairs.

Some other cool cars included this 1908 Locomobile Model I 7-Passenger Touring, the restoration of which, concluded at something like 4 a.m. of show day.

This 1955 Cadillac Custom Viewmaster was one of seven built locally by Hess & Eisenhardt and was really cool as you rarely ever see a Cadillac wagon.

From the “you’ve got to be kidding” category: a 1996 Vector M12. This was the auto show car first displayed by the company and is painted in some hideously patriotic paint scheme. I couldn’t believe where the car was from – a small town not far from where I live and a place you definitely would not associate with supercars (more like beat-up pickup trucks and Ford Aerostars).

Two of the featured marques this year were Corvette and Porsche. There were some awesome Corvette race cars on the field but the most valuable has to be this 1957 Corvette SS Concept Car. I believe it resides at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway museum.

There were two Porsches that stood out (to me) above all others. First, this 1964 904 Carrera GTS:

And second, this 1955 550 1500RS Spyder. This car is so small but it’s worth about $3 million. And the sound! The engine is about the size of a lunchbox but it packs a punch. I couldn’t believe how loud and how enthralling the noise actually was.

Finally, I have to give a shout-out to this car. It is the best-looking MGA (it’s a 1959) I have ever seen and this color is amazing in person. I talked to the owner and he said that something like 1% (or less) of MGAs were painted this color back in the day but no one wanted them so dealers sprayed them red and they drove off the lot. Only a fraction of the cars were sold without the repaint and those who bought them must be quite proud today because the combination of this soft teal and whitewall tires is outstanding.

Be sure to check out some of our videos from the show at our YouTube channel! These cars are ever better then they are in-motion and making noise. Sorry I couldn’t capture the smells for you too! And check the show’s website here for more winners.

June Auction Roundup

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Okay, so June was a busy auction month and this is our final rundown of sales for it. First up was Osenat’s Fontainebleau sale where the highest amount paid for any vehicle (there were some pricey boats) was this 1928 Bugatti Type 37 for $720,500.

1928 Bugatti Type 37

Of our feature cars, the Deutsch-Bonnet race car failed to sell. So did the Fournier-Marcadier Barzoi 2. But the Fournier-Marcadier Barquette did sell – for $32,750. And the B.N.C. Type 53 sold for $104,800. The two most interesting cars also sold were a pair of prototypes. First, this 1986 Citroen Triaxe Prototype sold for $12,445.

1986 Citroen Triaxe Prototype

The other prototype was this 1951 Renault 4CV “Pie” Prototype. It sold for $13,100.

1951 Renault 4CV Pie Prototype

And finally, this attractive 1965 Panhard CT 24 Convertible brought $14,410. Check out full results here.

1965 Panhard CT 24 Convertible

Next up was Russo & Steele’s Newport Beach, California sale. Top sale honors there went to this 2008 Bugatti Veyron for $1,078,000.

2008 Bugatti Veyron

Our featured Tojeiro Barchetta sold for $159,500. Other cool rides that sold included this 1958 Chevrolet Cameo NAPCO 4×4 pickup. It sold for $67,100. Check here for full results.

1958 Chevrolet Cameo NAPCO 4x4

And finally, Mecum’s annual Bloomington Gold sale. It was a small-ish sale this year and the top sale went to this 1967 Chevrolet Corvette 327/350 Coupe for $100,000.

1967 Chevrolet Corvette 327-350 Coupe

Interesting sale were topped by this 1996 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Convertible – one of 190 built. It sold for $23,500. Our “Entombed Corvette” failed to sell. Check out full results here.

1996 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Convertible

Oldest, Lowest-Mileage, Unrestored Corvette

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1954 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster

Offered by Mecum | Champaign, Illinois | June 29, 2013

1954 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster

The Chevrolet Corvette was introduced for 1953 and it was powered by a 150 horsepower “Blue Flame” six (3.9-liter straight-six). It was a sports car but performance really wasn’t mind-blowing. A V-8 would come in 1955 to match Ford’s Thunderbird.

The Blue Flame engine was the only engine available in 1953 and 1954. This is one of 3,640 cars built in 1954 (’53s and ’55s are much rarer). On the plus side, ’54 Corvettes were available in more than just white, although this car still sports its original Polo White paint.

There is something extremely special about this ride: it is known as the oldest, lowest-mileage, unrestored Corvette in existence. It’s covered just 2,331 miles in its life – and there’s a reason for that. The original owner drove it until 1959, when he ordered it buried under one of this stores until 2000. It has been coined the “entombed Corvette.” It was exhumed in the 1980s and preserved since. If you want to see what a 1954 Corvette looked like when it left the factory, this is the car you want to see.

A perfect ’54 Vette will bring about $100,000 at auction. With “survivors” being very much in right now, we’ll see what kind of premium this car brings. Click here for more and here for the rest of the lineup from Mecum’s Bloomington Gold sale.

Update: Not sold.

ZL1 Camaro

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1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 18, 2013

1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

You’re looking at a very rare, very desirable car. In fact, this is about as desirable as Chevy Camaros come. The lot description here even describes it as having the “most exotic American-built production powerplant of the 1960s.”

What sets the ZL1 apart from any other Camaro – and any other COPO Camaro – is its all-aluminium 427 (7.0-liter) V8 rated at 430 horsepower, but in fact delivering far, far more (some estimates push that number to about 550). Let’s back up a little: COPO is GM-speak for Central Office Production Order. At the time, GM was not allowing themselves to use engines larger than 6.6 liters. To get around that, customers could use a special order process – usually reserved for fleet sales – to spec out their cars with options not available to the general public.

The ZL1 engine was developed in part with the Chaparral Can-Am race team. It was developed for drag racing but ended up being a terror on the streets. The engine reportedly cost $4,000 alone – about twice the cost of a base V8 Camaro.

Only 69 ZL1 Camaros were built (this is #23), making it exceedingly rare. Prices have come down from their ridiculous levels back in the 2006/2007 era where these were pushing a million bucks. A more realistic estimate would be about $400,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Mecum’s Indianapolis lineup.

Update: Failed to sell.

April 2013 Auction Round-Up

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We’ll start with Mecum’s Houston sale which included our featured, all-original Mercury Voyager wagon, which failed to sell. Our featured pair of NASCAR-themed Mercury Cyclone Spoiler IIs both sold – the Yarborough Special bringing $26,000, while the Gurney special only brought $22,000. Top sale went to this 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429 Fastback for $220,000.

1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429 Fastback photo 1970FordMustangBoss429Fastback_zps5e9a2272.jpg

And from the “anything can show up at one of these sales” file, this 1972 Toyota Corona Mark II Wagon, which sold for $8,500. For full results, click here.

1972 Toyota Corona Mark II Wagon photo 1972ToyotaCoronaMarkIIWagon_zpsa6099b8d.jpg

On to Barrett-Jackson’s annual Palm Beach sale. Our featured Opel GT sold for $6,050. I was right on with my “how to buy a foreign sports coupe on the cheap” comment. Our featured Dodge D-100 Sweptside pickup brought $73,700. The top (real) sale was this 1968 Shelby GT500 Convertible for $330,000. (I say “real” because cars sold for charity always bring inflated results. There are no brand-new Corvette convertibles worth $1 million. Not even serial #001. Rich people pay big money for these cars to get a tax write off… I mean “to donate to a good cause”).

1968 Shelby GT500 Convertible photo 1968ShelbyGT500Convertible_zps67206b45.jpg

If I had to pick an “interesting sale” I would go with this gorgeous 1956 DeSoto Fireflite Sportsman that sold for $40,150 – which is a good price for a car that looks this good. Check out complete results here.

1956 DeSoto Fireflite Sportsman photo 1956DeSotoFirefliteSportsman_zpse7f0f12b.jpg

Next up was H&H’s sale at the Imperial War Museum in England. Top sale went to this 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing for $1,021,000.

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL photo 1955Mercedes-Benz300SL_zps44f99fcd.jpg

Our featured Jaguar XJ220 Prototype failed to sell. “Interesting results” honors are split between two cars. First this 1969 Mazda Luce R130 Coupe sold for $25,500.

1969 Mazda Luce R130 Coupe photo 1969MazdaLuceR130Coupe_zpsd53e65b9.jpg

And finally, this 1989 Eltrans Mini-El sold for $2,200. Check out full results here.

1989 Eltrans Mini-El photo 1989EltransMini-El_zpsca2f5df3.jpg

Next up is Mecum’s Kansas City sale. Our featured Mitsubishi 3000GT Convertible conversion sold for $14,500. Interesting sales were led by this affordable and attractive 1969 Mercury Cyclone Fastback for $12,250.

1969 Mercury Cyclone Fastback photo 1969MercuryCycloneFastback_zps5135ffa8.jpg

Top sale went to this 1936 Ahrens-Fox BT Fire Truck. Early Ahrens-Fox fire engines are some of the most collectible fire trucks out there. This one sold for $125,000 (yes, I realize the photo shows it crossing the block for $135,000). Check out full results here.

1936 Ahrens-Fox BT Fire Truck photo 1936Ahrens-FoxBTFireTruck_zps65010ff9.jpg

Next up is the Don Davis Collection, which was offered at no reserve by RM Auctions on April 27. The top sale went to this 1967 Ferrari 330 GTS for $1,936,000. Pictured below that was a million-dollar car (just barely): a 1965 Shelby Cobra 289 which brought $1,001,000.

1967 Ferrari 330 GTS photo ScreenHunter_04_zpsea32638e.jpg

1965 Shelby Cobra 289 photo ScreenHunter_05_zpsf4ab5723.jpg

Our featured Toyota 2000GT brought an eye-popping $1,155,000 – surely a world record for a Japanese car at auction. Anther feature car, the Porsche 356 by Drauz, sold for $137,500. This 1955 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing sold for $1,237,500.

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL photo 1955Mercedes-Benz300SL_zps9f2627c4.jpg

Other feature cars that sold included a pair of Chryslers. First, the Newport Dual-Cowl Indy 500 Pace Car sold for $880,000. Then the GS-1 Special by Ghia brought $616,000. This 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spider sold for $1,650,000.

1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spider photo 1973Ferrari365GTB4DaytonaSpider_zps73f93d7f.jpg

Our final two feature cars are the F-Code Ford Thunderbird which sold for $198,000. And the BMW M1 went for $ 242,000. Check out complete results here.

Now we move on to Auctions America’s 2013 Spring Carlisle sale. The top sale (by a recent margin) went to this 1959 Chevrolet Corvette Big Brake Fuelie for $148,500.

1959 Chevrolet Corvette Big Brake Fuelie photo 1959ChevroletCorvetteBigBrakeFuelie_zpsa16ae50f.jpg

Finally, Bonhams sale at the RAF Museum in Hendon, U.K. The top sale there was a 1955 Jaguar XK140 Drophead Coupe for $194,500.

1955 Jaguar XK140 Drophead Coupe photo 1955JaguarXK140DropheadCoupe_zps0da2f79b.jpg

The most interesting car at this sale was this 1917 Fiat 15/20hp Tipo 2B Wagonette. I love the dually rear wheels. It sold for $34,000. Our featured AC Royal brought $26,900. Click here for full results.

1917 Fiat 15/20hp Tipo 2B Wagonette photo 1917Fiat15-20hpTipo2BWagonette_zps84cbc668.jpg

427 Biscayne

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1968 Chevrolet Biscayne L72 2-Door Sedan

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 18, 2013

1968 Chevrolet Biscayne L72

The Chevrolet Biscayne was the entry-level full-size model for the Chevrolet line. It was positioned below the Bel Air and Impala throughout its life, which lasted four generations from 1958 through 1975. This is a generation three car – the last generation you could get a two-door hardtop (which was only offered through 1969).

It’s a sleeper, really. Biscaynes were intended for the fleet market – just like the Ford Crown Vic was for the last 15+ years. They were mundane and didn’t really stand out. But you could get them with the L72 option – a Turbo-Jet 427 – a 6.7-liter V8 making 425 horsepower. It also had a Muncie 4-speed with a Hurst shifter. No one would see this car coming at a stoplight in 1968.

Apparently, this car was sold new to a Georgia bootlegger. I’m sure the original purpose was to blend in and to be able to get away when need be. It’s the perfect car for that, offering both anonymity and tire-screeching performance. But the owner ended up in jail before he could use it and the car was hidden before it could be seized. It’s all original in preservation condition. It has just 720 miles on it from new! And it is the only black L72 Biscayne know to exist in the world. What an awesome car. This car could bring anywhere from $30,000-$80,000 – there really isn’t a precedent for an original L72 car like this. Click here for more info and here for more from Mecum in Indy.

Update: Sold $165,000.

March 2013 Auction Round-Up

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The first auction that happened in March was Bonham’s Oxford sale. Top sale went to this 1968 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Re-Creation that was converted from an original 1968 Ferrari 365GT. It sold for $382,700. A real 250 GT would’ve brought much more.

Other interesting cars included this 1975 Lotus Elan +2S 103/5 Coupe, which for $15,600, seems like a bargain for a Lotus Elan.

Our feature cars both sold. First, the 1922 Benjamin cyclecar brought $29,500. And the Charron Charronette sold for $12,150. Other cool cars included this 1927 McLaughlin-Buick Model 28.496 Master Six Tourer. It sold for $90,200.

This 1989 Royale Sabre Roadster was a throwback car built in the U.K. in the early 1990s based around a late 1980s Ford. It’s definitely interesting for $5,200.

And finally, this 1918 De Dion-Bouton Model HD 15CV 2.9-Litre Charabanc may not have been too expensive. It also wasn’t the cheapest car at the sale. But for the sheer number of doors on this thing, it qualifies as interesting. It could’ve been yours for $13,800. Click here for full results.

Next up was Gooding’s sale at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. The top sale there was this 1928 Bentley 4.25-Litre Semi-Le Mans Tourer for $2,750,000.

Among our four feature cars, only the Aston Martin Short Chassis Volante failed to sell. Of the two Duesenbergs, the Model JN brought $594,000 and the Model J brought $462,000. One interesting car was this 1938 H.R.G. Airline Coupe with coachwork by A. Crofts. It sold for $253,000.

The rest of our highlights are all million-dollar cars, most of them Ferraris. At the low end, a 1969 365 GTC brought $1,072,500.

Then there was the 1966 275 GTS for $1,127,500 followed by a 1995 F50 for $1,375,000 (second below).

Two similar million dollar Ferraris – see if you can tell the difference (for $750,000). First, a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 for $1,650,000 (first below). Then, a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Long Nose Alloy for $2,365,000. They look identical but aren’t (obviously).

Our featured Fiat 8V Supersonic brought $1,760,000. The final million dollar car was this 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Derby Speedster with coachwork by Brewster. It brought $1,980,000. Full results can be found here.

Then we move on to RM Auctions’ sale also held at Amelia Island. The top sale was out featured Duesenberg SJ by Walker-LaGrande for $4,510,000. Our featured Pegaso was the only one of our feature cars that failed to sell. As is normally the case, the million-dollar club featured a few Ferraris including a 1965 275 GTB (below) for $1,375,000 and a 1952 225 Sport Tuboscocca by Vignale for $1,237,500.

The only other million dollar cars were our featured Lozier, which more than doubled the lower end of its estimate and sold for $1,100,000. The other was this 1933 Stutz DV32 Convertible Victoria by Rollston which sold for $1,512,500.

Interesting sales were highlighted by this gorgeous 1947 Delahaye 135 MS Coupe by Langenthal that I so desperately wanted to feature but ran out of time. It sold for $330,000.

A couple of our older feature cars were the Derham Tourster Duesenberg for $825,000. And the beautiful Hispano-Suiza Transformable Torpedo brought $495,000. This 1929 Isotta-Fraschini Tipo 8A Convertible Sedan by Floyd-Derham sold for $473,000.

The three oldest cars we featured all sold. First, the Tribelhorn Electric brought $77,000. The unrestored Locomobile sold for $176,000. And the big, brilliant Austin Touring car sold for $379,500 – shy of its estimate. There were a trio of rare Cord L-29s at this sale and these two were very interesting. First, this 1930 L-29 Sport Cabriolet by Voll & Ruhrbeck sold for $990,000.

Then there was this 1929 L-29 Town Car by d’Ieteren Freres that sold for $154,000. Our featured Marmon Two-Door Prototype sold for $407,000. Check out full results here.

Now on to Osenat’s auction, where the top sale was a 1936 Cord 810 Sportsman convertible, of which there was no reasonably good picture I could snag. It sold for $129,000. Both of our feature cars sold. The Darracq-Italiana brought $32,985 while the the Voisin Flatbed Prototype sold for $23,220. The other most interesting car was another Voisin prototype, a 1956 Biscooter C31 Prototype with bodywork I haven’t seen before. It brought $25,800. Check out full results here.

And finally, Auctions America’s Ft. Lauderdale sale. Our featured Ron Fellows Edition Corvette sold for $52,800. Our featured Baldwin Motion Phase III Corvette brought $136,400. The 1977 Panther DeVille did not sell. Top sale went to a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL that sold for $880,000, which sounds like a new high sale for Auctions America.

Our other feature car, the Lexus LFA, sold for $319,000. Other cool cars included this 1960 Chevrolet Nomad for $26,400.

And finally, this 1963 Ford Galaxie 500 Factory Lightweight sold for $106,700. Check out full results here.

Ron Fellows Edition Z06

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2007 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Ron Fellows Special Edition

Offered by Auctions America | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | March 22-24, 2013

2007 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Ron Fellows Special Edition

The C6 Corvette just went out of production and along the way there were a number of special editions and different models. This particular one celebrates the career of Canadian race car driver Ron Fellows.

Fellows joined the Pratt & Miller Corvette race team at its inception in 1998/9. He won the 24 Hours of Daytona in a C5-R in 2001. He has two class victories and seven podiums in C5-Rs and C6.Rs at the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 2000 and 2008. He was the most solid, reliable, and winning Corvette team driver of all time. He was also (perhaps never officially), the team leader. In 2007, he stepped into a supporting role at team Corvette, retiring for good in 2009. He still competes in the occasional NASCAR road-course race.

So Chevrolet honored his loyalty and passion with a limited-edition run of 399 Corvette Z06s. All came in Arctic White with a red fender stripe and Fellows’ autograph. This one, car #399 of 399, is actually signed by Ron inside. It uses the same 505 horsepower 7.0-liter V-8 as every other Z06. This one has less than 150 miles on it. It’s a $60,000-$75,000 car. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Auctions America’s Ft. Lauderdale auction lineup.

Update: Sold $52,800.

Baldwin Motion Phase III Corvette

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1969 Chevrolet Corvette Baldwin Motion Phase III Coupe

Offered by Auctions America | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | March 22-24, 2013

1969 Chevrolet Corvette Baldwin Motion Phase III Coupe

Baldwin, Long Island-located Baldwin Chevrolet and Motion Performance joined forces in 1967 to build serious street machines. Baldwin Chevrolet sold the cars that they, and their partners, modified. All kind of Chevrolets could be had: Novas, Camaros, Chevelles and Corvettes.

They called their Phase III cars “supercars” and the term is apt. They guaranteed both an 11.5 second quarter mile time and a cruising speed of 120 mph. That’s some gearing! But then again, such gearing is made easy when the engine makes 600 horsepower. This car has a 7.9-liter (482-cid) V-8 “Elephant” motor making just such a number. It is the only engine like it known to exist.

This car is a 15,000 mile car from new and is well optioned. It is all original and is the only one like it. Rare, period one-off muscle cars like this used to bring ridiculous money about 10 years ago. The market has softened but this is still a very valuable car. Click here to read more and here for more from Auctions America in Ft. Lauderdale.

Update: Sold $136,400.

RM in Arizona Highlights

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RM’s 2013 sale in Phoenix, Arizona had some impressive results: the top sale was our featured Ferrari 250 GT Competizione for $8,140,000. Second place went to my favorite type of Shelby Cobra, a 1967 427 S/C. It brought $2,007,500.

1967 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C

There were a handful of other million dollar cars. Two of them were Ferrari 275s. First (first below) was a 1967 275 GTB/4 for $1,842,500. The other (second below) is a 1966 275 GTB, which sold for $1,320,000.

1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/r

Our featured Delahaye 135 MS by Figoni et Falaschi sold for $1,540,000 while our featured Lamborghini 350GT failed to sell. Another of our feature cars, the Duesenberg Model J Derham Tourster, sold for $1,320,000. Two more Ferraris rounded out the million dollar club. First, a 2004 Enzo brought $1,320,000. Then there was this 1954 250 Europa for $1,017,500.

2003 Ferrari Enzo

1954 Ferrari 250 Europa

Other interesting results included this 1953 Allard JR “Le Mans” Roadster which sold for $605,000.

1953 Allard JR 'Le Mans' Roadster

And finally, this kind of lumpy-looking 1959 Lister-Chevrolet. It sold for $528,000.

Our featured Pierce-Arrow Touring sold for $181,500. Check out complete results here.