Tag Archives: classic cars

Ferrari 312T

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1975 Ferrari 312T

Offered by Gooding & Company | Pebble Beach, California | August 16, 2019

Photo – Gooding & Company

Well, there are few race cars more desirable than a Ferrari Formula One car. And one that won the driver’s and constructor’s championship is more or less holy grail territory. The 312T was the replacement for the 312B3 and debuted at the third race of the 1975 season.

The 3.0-liter flat-12 pumps out 500 horsepower, and five examples were built. Two of which were used by Niki Lauda during the season, while teammate Clay Regazzoni also took the helm of this chassis throughout the season. The competition history of this car consists of:

  • 1975 Spanish Grand Prix – 25th, DNF (with Lauda)
  • 1975 Belgian Grand Prix – 5th (with Regazzoni)
  • 1975 Dutch Grand Prix – 2nd (with Lauda)
  • 1975 French Grand Prix – 1st (with Lauda)
  • 1975 German Grand Prix – 3rd (with Lauda)
  • 1975 Austrian Grand Prix – 6th (with Lauda)
  • 1976 South African Grand Prix – 18th, DNF (with Regazzoni)

It was purchased by its first private owner out of Ferrari storage in 1979. It was restored by its present owner and won its class at Pebble Beach in 2017. It now should bring between $6,000,000-$8,000,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $6,000,000.

Lamborghini Jarama

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1971 Lamborghini Jarama GT

For Sale by Girardo & Co. | London, U.K.

Photo – Girardo & Co.

The Lamborghini Jarama was a two-door 2+2 produced between 1970 and 1976. With its front-engine, rear-wheel drive, and four-seat layout, it is not the type of car Lambo builds today. Which is a shame. But in the 1970s, this sort of expensive continent-crosser was a popular sell. It competed against cars like the similarly-styled Iso Lele. What an interesting time that would’ve been, getting to cross-shop those two now-obscure models.

This is a 400 GT model, meaning it is powered by a 350 horsepower, 3.9-liter V12, which was shared with the Espada. A hotter “S” model was also produced and brought a modest horsepower gain, among other options.

Originally silver, this car is (obviously) now finished in white – which is a really nice, underrated color for something so exotic. It reigns it back in a bit. This, #18 of the 177 GT models produced, is offered by Girardo & Co. You can find out more about it on their website, here.

Duesenberg J-555

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1934 Duesenberg Model J Torpedo Phaeton

Offered by Bonhams | Carmel, California | August 16, 2019

Photo – Bonhams

Duesenbergs have a fairly high survival rate when compared to other cars of a certain age. That’s thanks in large part to pioneering collectors who realized the importance of cars like this and saved them. But not every part of every car can be saved.

This car retains its 6.9-liter, 265 horsepower straight-eight engine and its factory chassis. The body, however, is not original. Initially equipped with a Willoughby sedan body – not the most desirable look – the car was re-bodied before WWII as a convertible sedan.

This Brunn-style dual-cowl torpedo phaeton body was built by Fran Roxas in Chicago sometime in the late-1980s. The car bounced around the auction circuit in the 1990s before being purchased by its late owner in 2006. It’s been in Britain for over 10 years and should bring between $600,000-$800,000 in California in a few weeks. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $478,000.

Rigling-Studebaker

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1931 Rigling-Studebaker

Offered by Gooding & Company | Pebble Beach, California | August 17, 2019

Photo – Gooding & Company

WWI ace Eddie Rickenbacker became the owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1927. For 1930 he introduced a new set of rules that required a riding mechanic and also increased the allowable engine displacement. The result was an influx of off-the-shelf parts used on cars, many of which were just heavily modified versions of street cars.

This car was built by Studebaker’s head of testing, George Hunt, in collaboration with land speed racer Ab Jenkins. The chassis was purchased from fabricator Rigling and Henning, and a Studebaker President 336ci straight-eight was stuffed under the custom aluminum bodywork. It features four Winfield carburetors and produces 205 horsepower. It’s competition history includes:

  • 1931 Indianapolis 500 – 18th, DNF (with Tony Gulotta)
  • 1931 Pikes Peak Hill Climb – 1st (with Chuck Myers)
  • 1932 Indianapolis 500 – 6th (with Zeke Meyer)
  • 1933 Indianapolis 500 – 12th (with L.L. Corum)

After 1933, the car was run by Jenkins on the Bonneville Salt Flats and was later used by his son as a road car. The restoration was completed in the early 1980s, and it is now expected to bring between $500,000-$750,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Gooding & Company.

Update: Sold $1,105,000.

Alfa 256 Touring Coupe

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1939 Alfa Romeo Tipo 256 Coupe by Touring

Offered by Gooding & Company | Pebble Beach, California | August 16-17, 2019

Photo – Gooding & Company

The Tipo 256 is a very rare pre-war Alfa based on the 6C 2500. It was a racing car that was introduced in 1939. A few things differentiate the 256 from other racing variants of the 6C, one of them being that the Tipo 256 was actually prepared by Scuderia Ferrari in Modena, and not by Alfa themselves.

Power is from a 125 horsepower, 2.5-liter inline-six. Other features include a shortened frame, larger fuel tank, lowered radiator, three Weber carburetors, and a stiffer suspension. This car was originally built as a Spider Siluro and it’s competition history includes:

  • 1940 Mille Miglia – 36th, 7th in class (with Giovanni Maria Cornaggia Medici and B. Gavazzoni)

It competed in a number of other Italian road races in 1939 and 1940, when production of the 256 ceased. In all, it is believed that 20 examples were built. This one, like at least a few others, was re-bodied after its racing career ended. This Touring body you see above was fitted in 1941.

It remained in Italian hands until coming to Washington state in 2012. This marks the first time this chassis has ever been offered for public sale, and it is expected to fetch between $2,750,000-$3,500,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $2,755,000.

Pantera Si

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1990 De Tomaso Pantera Si

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Monterey, California | August 15-17, 2019

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The Pantera was in production by De Tomaso for what seemed like a lifetime. Introduced in 1971, the cars carried wedge-shaped styling by Tom Tjaarda at Ghia. Ford powerplants were standard, and the styling was updated in the 1980s to make it boxier and, well, more “80s.”

By the time 1990 rolled around, the car was extremely long in the tooth. Marcello Gandini was brought in to freshen the design up, and here is what he came up with. The car also received a partial chassis redesign and a new suspension setup. The old Ford 351 was replaced by a 302ci, 5.0-liter V8.

Only 41 were built – 38 of which were sold to the public – before De Tomaso shifted gears and moved on to the Guara after 1992. I’ve never seen one of these offered for public sale – not in the last 10 years anyway. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $240,800.

Ferrari 196 SP

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1962 Ferrari 196 SP by Fantuzzi

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Monterey, California | August 15-17, 2019

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

In any era of racing, manufacturers aren’t all that concerned with maintaining a chassis as “factory correct” as the intent is to win races. So race cars – be it in 1959 or 2019 – often go through rounds of development, which can include bodywork modifications and engine changes. By the time they retire from racing, they can be completely different from when they started.

And that’s what we have here. This chassis started life in 1962 as a 248 SP and later became a 268 SP after an engine change. At the end of 1962, the engine was swapped again to the current 2.0-liter V6 capable of 210 horsepower. The body is by Fantuzzi, and the competition history for this chassis (0806) includes:

  • 1962 12 Hours of Sebring – 13th, 3rd in class (as 248 SP with Buck Fulp and Peter Ryan)
  • 1962 1000km of Nurburgring – DNF (as 268 SP with Pedro and Ricardo Rodriguez)
  • 1963 Nassau Speed Week – various results (as 196 SP with Bob Grossman)

In 1972, the car was sold by Luigi Chinetti to French collector Pierre Bardinon, who sent the car to Fantuzzi for revised rear bodywork. It later spent time in the Maranello Rosso collection before being restored by its American owners in the early 2000s. It’s a pretty fantastic 1960s Ferrari sports prototype that should break the bank. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Jaguar XJR-10

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1989 Jaguar XJR-10

Offered by Gooding & Company | Pebble Beach, California | August 16-17, 2019

Photo – Gooding & Company

We’ve featured quite a few of Jaguar’s XJR prototype sportscar racers over the years, and this one fills in the nice gap we had between the XJR-9 and XJR-11. It was used by Jaguar in the IMSA GTP series between 1989 and 1991.

The design is attributed to Tom Walkinshaw and Tony Southgate, and power is provided by a 650 horsepower, twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6. Only three examples were built, and the competition history for this chassis (389) includes:

  • 1989 IMSA Portland – 1st (with Jan Lammers and Price Cobb)
  • 1989 IMSA Del Mar – 1st (with Lammers)
  • 1990 IMSA Lime Rock – 1st (with Cobb and John Nielsen)
  • 1991 IMSA Miami – 1st (with Raul Boesel)

Jaguar won the 1989 IMSA GTP championship, and this car competed in quite a few other races with just the wins highlighted above. Tom Walkinshaw Racing (Jaguar’s partner in this endeavor) retained the car until 1999, and it has since been campaigned in historic Group C events. It has also been restored. The pre-sale estimate is $1,500,000-$2,000,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Citroen DS Coupe

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1965 Citroen DS19 Coupe Concorde by Chapron

Offered by Aguttes | La Ferte-Vidame, France | July 21, 2019

Photo – Aguttes

The DS is one of a few extremely iconic models produced by Citroen since their founding in 1919. It was produced for 20 years – from 1955 through 1975. Many different models were available, including four-door sedans, Safari wagons, and a much rarer two-door convertible.

What the factory never produced was a two-door coupe. Henri Chapron was a French coachbuilder who was also responsible (and built for Citroen) the “factory” convertible variant of the DS. He also experimented with a few two-doors with fixed roofs for special customers and offered a couple of different variations. This is the “Concorde” coupe – one of just six built.

Based on the DS19, it is powered by an 83 horsepower, 1.9-liter inline-four. When new, this car cost almost three times the base price for a four-door DS19, which probably helps explain why only six were built. It should bring between $115,000-$170,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

375 MM Speciale by Ghia

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1955 Ferrari 375 MM Coupe Speciale by Ghia

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Monterey, California | August 15-17, 2019

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The Ferrari 375 MM was a race car. The MM stood for Mille Miglia, the famed Italian road race. That’s what the 26 examples of the 375 MM were destined for, along with the Carrera Panamericana and other similar events.

But sometimes exclusive Ferrari clientele convinced Enzo that his latest race car would make their perfect road car. Such was the case with this car, which was purchased by early Ferrari fan Bob Wilke. It’s powered by a 340 horsepower, 4.5-liter V12 and was the second-to-last 375 MM built.

It carries a striking body by Ghia and was the final Ferrari bodied by that particular carrozzeria. The paint scheme is spot on and compliments the Borrani wire wheels and the overall stance of the car exceptionally well. Debuting at the 1955 Turin Motor Show, the car was retained by Wilke’s family until 1974. It was never restored but has been repainted. It’s one of RM’s “big money Ferraris” and you can read more about it here. Check out more from this sale here.

Update: Not sold.