Tag Archives: classic cars

BMW 319 Sport Cabriolet

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1936 BMW 319 Sport Cabriolet

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Munich, Germany | November 25, 2023

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

BMW’s 303 line of cars was their first with a six-cylinder engine, and they helped cement the kidney grille design language that persists today. The original 303 launched in 1933, and a slew of spin-off models followed. The 319 was sold from 1935 to 1937.

The big difference here was the engine. The 319 is powered by a 1.9-liter inline-six rated at 45 horsepower. It was BMW’s largest car until the 326 debuted a year later. Various body styles were offered, and of the 6,646 built, just 238 were two-seat sport cabriolets.

This car was sold new in Mainz, Germany. The current owner bought it as a project in 2018 and turned it into the concours class winner it is today. The estimate is $130,000-$170,000. More info can be found here.

Update: Sold ~$80,910.

Francon Cyclecar

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1923 Francon Type F1

Offered by Osenat | Lyon, France | November 12, 2023

Photo – Osenat

The Francon was produced by Truelle et Compagnie in France between 1922 and 1926. They were cyclecars – light runabouts. Beginning in 1923, they upgraded a bit with a larger, more modern engine. But modern wasn’t necessarily the company’s strong point. The earliest cars had wooden chassis!

This 1923 model has a two-stroke inline-twin of 664cc capacity. The water-cooled engine featured both cylinders cast in as a pair with aluminum pistons and a rated output of 14 horsepower. Top speed was 40 mph. The pictures are lacking, but apparently these had some kind of friction disc transmission?

This car was previously owned by a museum and was restored prior to 1994, when it was purchased by the current owner. Subsequent work was never completed, so the car has been a parked project for some time. This car has an estimate of $5,000-$7,500. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold ~$8,820.

Alvis Firefly

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1933 Alvis Firefly Drophead Coupe

Offered by H&H Classics | Buxton, U.K. | November 29, 2032

Photo – H&H Classics

The Firefly was the replacement for Alvis‘ earlier 12/50 model and the predecessor to the later Firebird. Produced between 1932 and 1934, the Firefly was offered as a roadster, touring car, sedan, and convertible, with some of those bodies being coachbuilt, like this one.

Power is provided by a 1.5-liter overhead-valve inline-four with a single SU carburetor for a rating of 50 horsepower. It was a carryover engine from earlier models fitted in a stylish new design. Only 871 Fireflys were built, with 133 of them being drophead coupes.

The Cross & Ellis body on this example was restored between 1985 and 1993. In the early 1960s it was purchased by a dental student who used it for two years before it broke. It then changed hands a few times and was restored before being reacquired by that same, former, student in 2012. It now has an estimate of $30,000-$35,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.

Brouhot D1

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1904 Brouhot D1 Roadster

Offered by Osenat | Lyon, France | November 12, 2023

Photo – Osenat

Many early car companies sprouted up out of existing mechanical business, and Charles Brouhot was in the agricultural business in the late 1800s, making threshing machines and station engines. He started building automobiles in 1898.

The company would continue in both sectors until 1911, when they returned to focusing on farm equipment. This D1 from 1904 is powered by an inline-twin. It has known history back to 1921.

By the 1960s this car was on the London-to-Brighton run and has been in its current collection since 2008. It has not really moved in the last five years, so it’s going to need some service. The estimate is now $21,000-$31,000. More info can be found here.

Update: Sold ~$47,884.

C124 Gullwing

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1989 Boschert B300

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Munich, Germany | November 25, 2023

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The Mercedes-Benz W124 was the first generation of Merc marketed as the E-Class. The C124 was the coupe version, and that’s what this car here is based on. Hartmut Boschert founded his tuning company in the 1980s and began modifying Benzes thereafter.

In 1989, he took a 300CE coupe and grafted an R129 SL-Class front end onto it. He also added gullwing doors – a Mercedes legacy. R129 seats also came along, and the standard 300CE 3.0-liter inline-six was fitted with two turbochargers to make 283 horsepower.

The plan was to make 300 of these after it debuted at the 1989 Frankfurt International Motor Show. But that never happened, and this was the only one built. It’s been with it’s current owner for almost 20 years and now has an estimate of $265,000-$320,000. More info can be found here.

Update: Sold ~$477,795.

1904 Gladiator

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1904 Gladiator 14HP Demi-Limousine

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | November 3, 2023

Photo – Bonhams

The history of Gladiator is interwoven with some of the great early French names: Clement, Darracq, and all of the companies that they begat. Gladiator was founded by Alexandre Darracq and Paul Aucoq in 1891 as a bicycle company. Motorcars followed in 1901 after Gladiator was taken over by Clement (in 1896).

Beginning in 1903, they split the branding for their cars, with shaft-driven cars being sold as Clement-Gladiator and chain-driven cars being offered as Gladiators. This chain-driven car is powered by a 3.2-liter inline-four rated at 14 horsepower.

The car wears demi-limousine bodywork by Leon Molon. It was brought to the U.S. from Argentina in the 1970s and then went to the U.K. in 1982. It has participated in over 35 London-to-Brighton runs and now has an estimate of $360,000-$485,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.

Singer Gazelle

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1964 Singer Gazelle

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | October 25, 2023

Photo – Brightwells

The Gazelle was one of those Rootes Group sedans of the 1950s and ’60s, and this one is somehow the first Singer product we’ve featured here. The Singer was positioned between the Hillman and Sunbeam cars that looked fairly similar.

Six or seven different generations of Gazelle were offered, with this, the Gazelle V, produced between 1963 and 1965. Output totaled 20,022 in that time. Power is from a 1.6-liter inline-four. Changes for the V included disc brakes starting in 1964, at which time the gearbox became fully synchronized.

This car was purchased by its current owner in 2019 and then received a freshening of the suspension and hydraulic system. It has an estimate of $3,000-$5,000. More info can be found here.

1912 Lanchester

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1912 Lanchester Model 25 Tourer

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | November 3, 2023

Photo – Bonhams

Lanchesters, especially early cars, bore some unconventional designs. Like someone smashed the front end in and pushed it back a couple of feet. The Lanchester 25 was produced between 1912 and 1914 and is one of those designs. Where is the engine at!?

Well, it’s in the cockpit, that’s where, stationed between the driver and passenger seat. It’s a front-mid-engined design, like a first-gen Ford Econoline. The engine is a 3.1-liter inline-four. It’s water cooled, with the radiator out front… but behind the front axle.

This is the only known example of this model that still exists. Restored in the 1980s and ’90s, the car has been in the same family for the last 40+ years. It’s a old car rally veteran and has an estimate of $175,000-$195,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $200,947.

Maserati 3500 GT Coupe

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1960 Maserati 3500 GT Coupe by Touring

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | October 22, 2023

Photo – Artcurial

The 3500 GT debuted at the 1957 Geneva Motor Show, with production of a Touring-penned coupe starting later that year. Spyders followed, as did some coachbuilt examples. Eventually a limited-run 5000 GT also joined the Maserati lineup before both cars were supplanted by cars like the Sebring and Mistral.

This car was sold new in January 1960 to a Swiss-born racing driver in California. It returned to Italy in 2007 and was later restored in Austria. It’s finished in white with a contrasting burgundy roof over a tan leather interior.

Power is provided by a 3.5-liter inline-six that was rated at 217 horsepower. Not overpowered for sure. Fuel injection would come along later and increase output by some degree. But this was a grand tourer, not a race car. If you’re in the market, this one will likely set you back $150,000-$190,000. More info can be found here.

Update: Sold $157,439.

Auge Phaeton

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1900 Auge 8-9HP Dos-a-Dos Phaeton

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | November 3, 2023

Photo – Bonhams

Daniel Augé et Cie was a short-lived early French automobile manufacturer based in Levallois-Perret. In business from 1899 to just 1901, the company did not build many cars, and this is the only known survivor.

Power is from water-cooled flat-twin originally rated at five horsepower (though Bonhams lists this as 8-9 horsepower). The engine was dubbed “cyclops” and featured electric ignition. The engine is up front and is paired with a two-speed transmission and chain drive.

The car has known ownership back to 1910 and was restored in the 1980s. It’s a London-to-Brighton finisher and has an estimate of $170,000-$190,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $205,413.