Tag Archives: classic cars

Bugatti Type 57 Galibier

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1939 Bugatti Type 57 Galibier Sedan

Offered by Osenat | Strasboug, France | May 1, 2018

Photo – Osenat

The Type 57 was the last hurrah for the original Bugatti company. Designed by Ettore’s son Jean, they first went on sale in 1934 and were built up through the outbreak of WWII. There were many variants, including the much sought-after 57S and 57SC.

This is a standard Type 57, meaning it uses a 3.3-liter straight-eight engine borrowed from the Type 59 Grand Prix cars. Power is a healthy 135 horsepower. The aluminium body is the factory-offered Galibier four-door sedan – the only factory four-door for the Type 57.

This particular chassis was built near the end of the production run and was the second-to-last sedan assembled (this was June of 1939). Originally black, it was delivered new to Nantes, France. It has a known chain of owners and events since then.

Bugatti built 710 examples of the Type 57 (including all sub models). This restored “base model” sedan should bring between $430,000-$675,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $516,615.

Ferrari 625 TF

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1953 Ferrari 625 TF by Vignale

Offered by Bonhams | Monaco | May 11, 2018

Photo – Bonhams

If you like ultra-rare early Ferrari factory race cars, then Bonhams has the car for you. This is a Ferrari 625 TF (for Targa Florio). Built in 1953 only, it was the first closed-wheel, four-cylinder race car from Ferrari.

A four-cylinder Ferrari? Of course! It’s the legendary 2.5-liter Lampredi straight-four and that Lampredi engine would go on to power Ferrari’s Monza line of racing cars. In this guise, it’s good for 220 horsepower… not a far cry from the 237 horsepower produced by the 250 MM’s V-12.

Only three examples of the 625 TF were built and each of them are markedly different, showing signs of evolution from chassis to chassis. This car features open body work from Vignale but in its earliest form carried a different body. Enzo didn’t like the original and so here we are.

This chassis spent its competitive days racing around Italy with the likes of Mike Hawthorn and Umberto Maglioli behind the wheel before being exported to a new owner in Argentina toward the end of 1953. It raced in Argentina and Brazil thereafter, competing into the early 1960s. In the mid-1970s it was discovered in a scrapyard in Naples, Italy, with a Lincoln V-12 stuffed under the hood. It was restored in the 1980s and again by its current owner in the 2000s.

Ferrari road racers from the golden era of sports car racing – and those that Enzo had a hand in – are just wonderful things. This sheer exclusivity of this the 625 TF makes it a great opportunity. It’ll be expensive though: this car carries an estimate of $5,500,000-$8,000,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Bedford JO Pickup

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1961 Bedford JO Pickup

Offered by Historics at Brooklands | May 19, 2018

Photo – Historics at Brooklands

Bedford was, from its inception, a division of General Motors. The commercial companion to Vauxhall, Bedford’s light commercial vehicles were available from 1930 through 1991.

The Bedford TJ was a model sold as both a van and pickup truck from 1958 through 1967 (and through 1975 in other markets around the world). It was an updated version of the earlier TD. The JO (or J0), which was the ½-ton model, was the lightest of seven different TJs offered.

Based on the lot description, it appears this truck uses a 2.6-liter straight-six. The styling on this thing is kind of wild, with a lot going on up front and a very plan looking box out back. It’s like the automotive equivalent of the reverse mullet. About 5,000 JOs were manufactured and only 20 are known to exist in the U.K. This one has been restored to what appears to be better-than-new condition. It was the 10th JO built and should bring between $60,000-$65,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Update: Sold, Historics Auctioneers, Ascot, April 2021, $40,693.

Porsche 914/6 Murene Prototype

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1969 Porsche 914/6 Murene by Heuliez

Offered by Osenat | Strasbourg, France | May 1, 2018

Photo – Osenat

The Porsche 914 was a sports car designed in collaboration with Volkswagen. It went on sale in 1969 and was built through 1976. It’s mid-engined and came with a flat-four or a flat-six in 914/6 configuration.

This car is unlike any other 914. First of all, it’s a closed coupe and not a targa, as the 914 was from the factory. It was designed by Jacques Cooper (who also designed the original French TGV high-speed train) and he took the design to Heuliez who had a car mocked up and then built.

It debuted at the 1970 Paris Motor Show and still used a 2.0-liter flat-six that makes 109 horsepower. Porsche was working with Karmann to build the cars and didn’t want to split the duties between two coachbuilders. Heuliez bought the car from the firm that Cooper was working for when he designed it and kept it until 2012 when they liquidated most of their collection. Since its recent acquisition, the new owner went through the car mechanically and made it fit to drive. It’s a one-off, coachbuilt Porsche Prototype and it should bring between $225,000-$275,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Bugatti Petit Royale

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1930 Bugatti Type 46 Coupe de Ville

Offered by Osenat | Strasbourg, France | May 1, 2018

Photo – Osenat

This car might look like one of the ultra-rare, ultra-pricey, ultra-huge Bugatti Type 41 Royales – but it isn’t. But it is supposed to look like one. There are only six Royales around but there were about 400 Type 46s built. And this one was constructed to look just like it’s much larger brother.

The Type 46 was built between 1929 and 1936 (which includes the supercharged Type 46S variant). The engine is a 5.4-liter straight-eight good for 140 horsepower in naturally-aspirated form. This particular car was discovered in France in the 1970s and all that was salvageable was the engine and some parts. Replica isn’t quite the right word, but the owners decided to take what they’d found and build to-scale version of their favorite Royale.

Built to exacting 0.87 scale, the new body is fantastic. The project was completed in 1986 but records have been identified that trace the history of at least the engine back to new. You’re never going to get the opportunity to acquire a true Royale, so you might as well buy a car that looks just like it from the same manufacturer. It is expected that $430,000-$550,000 will be needed to take this home. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $459,937.

Peugeot Quadrilette

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1922 Peugeot Quadrilette Type 161

Offered by Oldtimer Galerie | Toffen, Switzerland | April 21, 2018

Photo – Oldtimer Galerie

Peugeot has been producing cars for a long time – longer than just about anyone else. Their cars have progressed through the years from early, simple cars to the most modern and sophisticated on the planet. The Quadrilette was a light car introduced after WWI as a small economy car.

This was an important step because Peugeot needed a success. This car was cheap and easy to produce at a time when people needed new cars. Two different models were offered, with the first, the Type 161, built in 1921 and 1922 only. The later Type 172 would be offered in 1923 and 1924.

The auction catalog lists this as a 1922 Type 172. But, there are some differences (aside from the listed model year) that clearly identify this as a Type 161. First, it features a 667cc straight-four that makes 9.5 horsepower (later cars had larger engines). This car also has offset seating – the Type 172 had two seats side-by-side up front.

The Type 161 is the rarer of the two, with only about 3,500 produced. This should bring between $10,000-$15,500. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Pontiac El Catalina Prototype

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1959 Pontiac El Catalina Prototype

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 15-19, 2018

Photo – Mecum

The Pontiac Catalina was Pontiac’s entry-level full-sized car in 1959. It was a big car and the convertible was certainly a looker. It was offered as a two-door coupe or convertible or a four-door sedan or wagon. It was not offered as a pickup truck. Or car-based pickup truck.

Chevrolet had that market cornered within GM with their El Camino (there was a GMC version for a short while as well). Pontiac, throughout their 84 year history, never sold a pickup truck. This El Catalina Prototype was built to tease the possibility for a 1960 model that never came to be.

It’s powered by a 6.4-liter V-8 good for 300 horsepower. It’s well-equipped and has been well-shown, winning awards nearly everywhere it went. If you want a one-off factory Pontiac or a genuine GM concept car, here’s your chance. Click here for more info and here for more from Mecum in Indy.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $340,000.

Update: Not sold, Mecum Kissimmee 2019, high bid of $240,000.

Senna’s Toleman TG184

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1984 Toleman-Hart TG184

Offered by Bonhams | Monaco | May 11, 2018

Photo – Bonhams

Toleman Motorsport was a short-lived Formula One team based in Witney, U.K. While they might be a somewhat forgotten team from 30+ years ago, they did give a certain Brazilian (um, Ayrton Senna) his first F1 ride. And this very car was raced by Senna himself.

The TG184 was the second-to-last F1 car used by the Toleman team. It debuted at the fifth round of the 1984 World Championship and, under Senna, it was the team’s most successful car. The race history for this chassis includes:

  • 1984 Monaco Grand Prix – 2nd (with Senna)
  • 1984 Canadian Grand Prix – 7th (with Senna)
  • 1984 British Grand Prix – 3rd (with Senna)

This car was designed by Rory Byrne and Pat Symonds and it looks like a 1980s F1 car. But that sort of dual rear wing is pretty interesting. The Hart engine is a turbocharged 1.5-liter straight-four that could produce 600 horsepower. 1985 was a rough year for Toleman and they gave this chassis to driver Stefan Johansson in lieu of salary. He kept the car until 1994 when the next owner acquired it.

This car failed to sell at a 2012 Silverstone Auctions sale and at that point in time it was unrestored and all-original. Anything Senna-related has become increasingly valuable since his death and it seems like lately that things have really started taking off. A 1985 Toleman (though without engine) sold for $48,000. This Senna-raced (and non-winning) car is expected to bring between $920,000-$1,200,000. That’s a pretty big Senna-factor! Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $1,921,374.

March 2018 Auction Results, Pt. III

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Yet more sales from March, beginning with H&H Classics at the Imperial War Museum. Interestingly, there was a collection of Nash-related motorcars sold at this sale. These included the one-off Nash Pickup that sold for $30,216 and the LaFayette that brought $63,614. The overall top sale was this 1966 Aston Martin DB6 that went for $326,023.

Photo – H&H Classics

The White half-track we featured failed to sell and you can find more results here.

Osenat’s March sale saw this 1928 Bugatti Type 44 Cabriolet by Vanvooren bring some big money: $446,583.

Photo – Osenat

The La Buire Coupe we featured brought $64,754 and the Venturi Coupe $52,101. Click here for more results.

Leclere MDV held a sale the same weekend as Osenat and both of our feature cars failed to sell (the Léon Bollée and the Aston Martin Cygnet). The top sale was $518,607 paid for this 1953 Mercedes-Benz 300 S Coupe. Full results can be found here.

Photo – Leclere MDV

Next we have Mecum during the first full weekend in April. They were in Houston and the Continental Mk II we featured failed to sell. The top sale was this 2006 Ford GT for $286,000. Click here for complete results.

Photo – Mecum

Finally, RM Sotheby’s in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This is the first sale from RM Sotheby’s that would’ve been under the Auctions America banner last year (we miss you Auctions America!). The top sale was a 1962 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster for $1,540,000.

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The Acura NSX we featured brought $71,500 and the Buick Roadmaster Sport Phaeton sold for $56,100. The Laforza was a relative bargain at $4,125. And a previously-featured Michigan Touring car failed to sell at this auction. Click here for more results. from this sale.

Bond Equipe

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1970 Bond Equipe 2-Litre GT Mk II

Offered by Oldtimer Galerie | Toffen, Switzerland | April 21, 2018

Photo – Oldtimer Galerie

Bond Cars Ltd was a British manufacturer primarily known for their three-wheeled vehicles, namely the Bond Minicar and the Bond Bug. The Equipe, which was introduced in 1963, was their first foray into the world of four-wheeled vehicles.

The Equipe was built through 1970 when Reliant, who had acquired Bond, shuttered Bond’s Preston, England, factory. There were five different Equipe models with this, the 2-Litre being available from 1967 through the end of production in 1970. A two-door Saloon and Convertible were offered. This is obviously the saloon. It’s powered by a 2.0-liter Triumph straight-four that made 95 horsepower (or 105 as the catalog states).

Styling on the 2-Litre differed rather dramatically from earlier cars and it was the final iteration of the model. In all, 591 examples of the two-door saloon were built, which makes it rarer than its convertible counterpart. This 48,000km example looks nice and will go under the hammer in Switzerland later this month. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.