Offered by Bonhams | Greenwich, Connecticut | June 2, 2019
Photo – Bonhams
Between 1917 and 1922, Stutz offered a single model every year and they were all based on the same stuff: a 130-inch wheelbase and an 80 horsepower, 5.9-liter inline-four. But they all had different names.
For 1919, it was called the Model G. Four different bodies were offered. The two-passenger Roadster would’ve set you back $2,750 – the same price as a Bearcat from the same year. The only difference was that the Bearcat had 10 inches cut out of the wheelbase. They are in completely different arenas today, price-wise.
This example was modified to look like a Bearcat, though it most certainly isn’t one. It’s been in the same family since 1960 and should sell for between $60,000-$80,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.
Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Monterey, California | August 15-17, 2019
Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
Ferdinand Porsche’s fingerprints are all over the German automobile industry. He helped engineer the original VW Beetle in the 1930s as well as cars for Wanderer, Auto Union, and Zundapp. In 1937 he designed the Type 64 and it wore his name – and his alone – for the first time.
Three examples were built between 1939 and 1940 – all race cars. They have a speed record car kind of look to them and that’s because they were commissioned by the German government to compete in a race from Berlin to Rome. And partially to celebrate the launch of the Volkswagen.
They shared the VW Type 1’s running gear: a rear-mounted 32 horsepower flat-four. The body was construed by Reutter, who would go on to help build Porsche’s post-war 356. Only one example was built before the war began, and the German government took possession of that car.
The race being canceled due to hostilities didn’t deter Ferry Porsche from building two more cars, the third of which used the same chassis as the first, after it was damaged in an accident. The second car didn’t survive the war, supposedly thanks to some joy-riding American GIs, but that third car was retained by the Porsche family until 1949 when it was purchased by racing driver Otto Mathe, who kept the car until his death in 1995.
This car, which is nicely described in the catalog as the missing link between the VW Beetle and the Porsche 356, is the oldest Porsche automobile in existence and was the third car ever built by Porsche. With Porsches as hot as ever, it is likely to break the bank in Monterey. Stay tuned! Click here for more info and here for more from RM.
1918 Dodge Brothers Model 30 Five-Passenger Touring
Offered by Bonhams | Greenwich, Connecticut | June 2, 2019
Photo – Bonhams
John and Horace Dodge were very important figures in the rapid expansion of the US motorcar industry. They got their start supplying engines to Oldsmobile and then became Henry Ford’s secret weapon until they cashed out and opened their own operation in 1914.
The firm remained “Dodge Brothers” until 1930 when it was shortened to just Dodge. But by that point, both brothers had passed and the company was under the control of Chrysler. The 1918 Model 30 was powered by a 30 horsepower, 3.5-liter inline-four.
It was essentially aimed at the Model T but was more expensive (Bonhams’ catalog very factly states that they are “way cooler than the T”). These really are great cars and this example is one I would love to own. Dodge built 90,000 cars in 1917 across six body styles. This tourer should sell for between $10,000-$15,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams.
Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Auburn, Indiana | May 29-June 1, 2019
Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
A very small percentage of American automobile manufacturers made it to the outbreak of WWII. Two such struggling companies were Hupmobile and Graham-Paige. Hupmobile had acquired the rights to the “coffin-nose” Cord 810/812 design but didn’t have any money to start building them. So they teamed up with Graham-Paige and offered them a deal: build us a slightly-altered version of the Cord, and we’ll let you use the design too.
So that’s what happened. The Graham Hollywood and Hupmobile Skylark debuted in 1940. The Skylark received a 101 horsepower, 4.0-liter straight-six. Changes from the Cord included a shift to rear-wheel drive, conventional headlights, and a less coffin-like hood.
Production lasted into 1941, but production delays meant canceled orders. Only 319 examples of the Skylark were sold before the company went out of business. Graham had only slightly better luck. Very rare today, this is the ultimate iteration of Gordon Buehrig‘s design. It should sell for between $30,000-$35,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.
Offered by Bonhams | Greenwich, Connecticut | June 2, 2019
Photo – Bonhams
Stanley Arnolt began importing cars into the US from Europe in the 1950s and was later a manufacturer in his own right, based out of Chicago. When he was on a business trip in 1952 he ran into the folks from Bertone at an auto show and struck up a deal.
The deal was that Bertone would design bodies for Arnolt to fit on the chassis of other European cars. The first collaboration was the Arnolt-MG, which was offered as a coupe and convertible. Power is from a 54 horsepower, 1.3-liter inline-four. The mechanicals and chassis were from an MG TD.
Only 65 coupes were built before MG moved on to the TF, leaving Arnolt to find a new base car, which he did from the likes of Bristol, Jaguar, and Aston Martin. This car has been restored and looks as if it came from an entirely different decade than the MG TD on which it is based. It should sell for between $75,000-$125,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.
Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Auburn, Indiana | May 29-June 1, 2019
Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
Haynes, which got its start as Haynes-Apperson, was actually around for quite a long time, considering their rarity today. Haynes-Apperson sold their first car in 1898 but parted ways in 1904. Haynes soldiered on alone for another 21 years until they went bankrupt in 1924 and were liquidated in 1925 – the same year company founder Elwood Haynes died.
The Model 60 five-passenger touring car was actually the most inexpensive car the company ever built. And look at it – it’s a big, imposing thing. Power is from a 50 horsepower straight-six. Five body styles were offered, and this one cost $1,295 when new. A 1925 Model T would’ve run you $290, for comparison.
This car is an AACA award-winner (1993) and exists as a rare example of one of America’s pioneering automobile marques. It should sell for between $25,000-$35,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.
Offered by Aste Bolaffi | Milan, Italy | May 24, 2019
Photo – Aste Bolaffi
Siata was founded in 1926 and spent their first few decades tuning Fiats. Their first original model debuted in 1948, but it was still Fiat-based. That trend continued into the 1960s, when they introduced the 1500 TS.
Based on Fiat’s 1500, the TS was styled by Giovanni Michelotti and was powered by a Siata-tuned 1.5-liter inline-four producing 94 horsepower. They are attractive, small, and all but forgotten. This is probably the last Siata you would picture if trying to recall all of their models.
Very few were built – and some were even built by Neckar Automobile in Germany. Even fewer survive today. This one should bring between $28,000-$34,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.
Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Villa Erba, Italy | May 25, 2019
Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
The Delahaye 135M was introduced in 1936 and featured a larger engine than earlier 135 and 138 models. It was popular enough that Delahaye continued to produce the model until they went out of business in 1954.
It was also a sporty car, powered by a 3.6-liter straight-six making 115 horsepower when equipped with three carburetors, as this one is. This example also has an interesting backstory: the body was originally constructed after the war as a replacement body for a pre-war 135 S Competition Court car.
In 2011, the body was removed from the competition chassis and put into storage, only to be restored in 2017 and fitted to a restored 1948 135M chassis. And there we have it. The styling is very unlike most other Delahayes and kind of appears to be somewhat German, which it is. Anyway, you can read more about it here and see more from this sale here.
We start off this highlight reel with H&H Classics’ Pavilion Gardens sale. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to feature anything, but this 1963 Jaguar E-Type Series I 3.8 Roadster was the top seller at $155,278. Click here for more results.
Photo – H&H Classics
Next up is Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach sale, and we didn’t get to feature anything from this sale either. The top sale was kind of a surprise – $412,500 paid for this 1947 Buick Super 8 Custom Convertible. Complete results can be found here.
Photo – Barrett-Jackson
Next up are two liquidation sales of entire collections, the first of which is the Tupelo Automobile Museum in Tupelo, Mississippi. The 1948 Tucker was far and away the top sale, bringing $1,985,000.
Photo – Bonhams
This sale was a great entry point to Duesenberg ownership, with the Model J sedan we featured selling for an “affordable” $450,500. The only other six-figure car was the Owen Magnetic at $128,800.
Here’s a rundown of all of the other cars we featured:
The sale of the Guyton Collection by RM Sotheby’s included some fascinating cars, foremost among them was the Duesenberg Model X, which ended up selling for $527,500. Meanwhile, this Model J sold for $1,105,000. And the overall top sale was $1,325,000 for this 1909 Rolls-Royce 40/50HP Silver Ghost Roi-des-Belges touring car.
Finally, we have half of a Silverstone Auctions doubleheader: the Heythrop Classic Car Sale. No feature cars here, but the top sale was this 1988 Porsche 911 Turbo Targa for $102,343. Click here for the rest of their results.
Offered by Bonhams | Wormsley, U.K. | May 19, 2019
Photo – Bonhams
In 1989, Aston Martin was barely an automotive manufacturer. Their production had dwindled dramatically, and they debuted a new model that year: the Virage. And they managed to build just over 400 of those in 12 years.
The Virage Volante – Aston-speak for convertible – debuted in 1992. Featuring 2+2 seating, the car is powered by a 5.3-liter V8 making 330 horsepower. This variation of the convertible was only produced through 1996, and 233 of them were made. A longer-wheelbase V8 Volante supplanted the model and was produced in limited numbers through 2000.
This quite rare, 150-mph luxury droptop is from an exclusive era of Aston production and those classic lines. It can now be yours for between $91,000-$100,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams’ all-Aston sale.
