Tag Archives: classic cars

The Cobras Rs

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The Ford Mustang Cobra Rs

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 6-15, 2017

1993 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

The first Mustang Cobra was produced by Ford’s Special Vehicle Team (SVT) in 1993. It was mostly a power upgrade and other mechanical bits that made the car faster. The early Cobras looked similar to the GT, and in 1993 they also built a very limited edition Cobra R, the “R” standing for “race.”

The engine was a 5.0-liter V-8 making 235 horsepower, same as in the standard Cobra. Top speed was 140 mph. But this had a laundry list of other items that made the car lighter, faster, and more robust. Only 107 of these were built, making it quite rare in Mustangland. This one has 1,400 original miles and the original window sticker. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $60,000.

1995 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

The fourth generation Mustang went on sale for the 1994 model year. The second-generation Cobra was built for 1994 and 1995 and they looked meaner than the standard GT. The Cobra R was again produced, this time for 1995 only and 250 would be made (and you had to have a valid racing license to buy one).

The engine is a 5.8-liter V-8 making an even 300 horsepower. The idea here was to essentially homologate the car for use in endurance racing. But with that bulging hood and lowered stance, this thing looks destined for the drag strip. The as-new price was $37,599 in 1995 making it, easily, the most expensive Mustang built to that point. This example has 1,900 original miles and you can find out more about it here.

Update: Sold $35,000.

2000 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra R

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

Unlike the previous Cobra Rs, the 2000 (and most recent example) was more of a departure, styling-wise, from the standard Mustang. This version had an aggressive body kit featuring a lip spoiler and a borderline-ridiculous rear wing. It even has side exhaust – when’s the last time you saw that on a production car costing less than 60 grand?

The powerplant beneath the hood here is a 385 horsepower, 5.4-liter V-8. Top speed was an impressive 177 mph and it was meant to be more of a track car than it was probably ever used for. Only 300 were made and when they came out, sporting something like an $55,000 MSRP, there was a dealership here in town that had three of them. I seem to recall them going for about $85,000 a pop. You can find out more about this 1,600 mile example here and see more from Mecum here.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $50,000.

Delahaye Charabanc

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1911 Delahaye Type 413a Charabanc

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | December 7, 2016

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Émile Delahaye’s automotive concern was founded in 1894 in Tours, France. The company is primarily known for their beautiful, windswept, coachbuilt beauties of the 1930s. But the company built more than just luxury cars, in fact in the early 1900s they began building heavy commercial vehicles and fire trucks.

This, the Type 413a, was originally built as a fire truck and and was used in southeast France. It didn’t last long, as newer, better equipment quickly came along. So the fire truck made its way to a museum where it stayed until 1973. It was purchased out of the museum by collector Michael Banfield, the liquidation of whose collection we featured prominently here on the site.

The present owner acquired it at that sale and replaced the fire engine with this 12-seat Charabanc body. The engine is a 3.0-liter straight-four and the restoration is fresh, having been completed earlier this year. While the loss of an original 100-year-old fire engine isn’t great news, the new body this car carries makes it more functional and likely to survive another 100 years. It’s very cool and reminiscent of those Stanley Mountain Wagons. It should bring between $75,000-$99,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $78,276.

Update: Not sold, RM Sotheby’s, Hershey 2018.

Update: Sold, Bonhams Quail 2019, $86,800.

1924 Stanley

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1924 Stanley 750B 20HP Tourer

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | December 7, 2016

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The Stanley Steamer is one of the legendary early American automobiles. Twin brothers Francis and Freeland Stanley started building steam cars in the late 1800s. In those days, it was steam vs. gasoline vs. electrics. Gasoline-powered cars won out and by the end of WWI, steam cars were antiquated and just not as user-friendly as their internal combustion counterparts.

But Stanley soldiered on for as long as they could, with their final cars being sold during the 1927 model year. This car is powered by a 20 horsepower, twin-cylinder steam engine. The restoration you see above was actually carried out in the 1960s and it was exported to the U.K. only in 2012.

A couple of things about this car, first: my records indicate that the 1924 Stanley was actually the Series 740, not 750. Second, it is stated in the lot description that, according to the vendor, only four Stanleys were produced after this car but their whereabouts are unknown, which isn’t exactly true as we featured one right here. But this car is definitely one of the final Stanleys, as the company may have not built any cars in 1926 or 1927. And regardless, the car is wonderful and the last of its kind – something you’d expect to see in the 20s, but not today. It should bring between $62,000-$75,000 – and at either price it is a bargain. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Bristol 407

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1962 Bristol 407

Offered by H&H Classics | Chateau Impney, U.K. | December 7, 2016

Photo - H&H Classics

Photo – H&H Classics

Bristol Cars – which is back with new models after a five year hiatus spent restoring and selling their old cars – was founded in 1945 as an offshoot of the Bristol Aeroplane Company. They weren’t exactly super creative when it came to model names, but I guess that’s just the way it was with some British sports car makers after WWII. The 407 followed in a line of models that began with the 400.

The 407 was the first Bristol built after the automotive arm officially split from the airplane company. It was also the first model for which Bristol looked to an outside company for an engine. In this case, it was Chrysler (and it would remain Chrysler through 2011). The 407 is powered by a 250 horsepower 5.1-liter V-8 capable of propelling the car to speeds over 125 mph. Sixty arrived in 9.2 seconds.

While never completely restored, the engine has been replaced for a correct (but not original) unit, the interior was redone in 2010, and the paint is relatively fresh. Showing 63,000 miles, this 407 is one of just 88 built between 1961 and 1963 and one of about 20 that remain on the roads today. When new it cost a not-cheap £5,141 and it should sell at this auction for between $41,000-$47,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of H&H’s lineup.

Update: Sold $38,047

1905 Daimler Tourer

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1905 Daimler 30/40HP Tourer

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | December 7, 2016

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

This Daimler is one of the British Daimlers – you can tell that because the original Daimler Company (the German one) stopped building passenger cars under the Daimler marque by 1905 as the Mercedes had already been introduced. This car was delivered new to an British Countess in 1905.

Luckily for the Countess, just introduced by Daimler was this 30/40HP model that sported a 7.2-liter straight-four. These were powerful, fast cars that were popular among early hill climbers and time trialers. Originally bodied by Rothschild et Fils of Paris as a landaulette, the body you see here was fitted in the 1970s.

Unfortunately the original body was lost after the car was left to sit unprotected in the elements for about five years during WWII. Luckily, the lamps and wooden wheels were preserved. Ownership of this car has bounced all over the world, from the U.K. to Hawaii to Japan and back. It’s a good driver with good power and would make a usable Edwardian tourer. It should bring between $68,000-$80,000 at auction. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $72,618.

Métallurgique Cabriolet

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1912 Métallurgique 12HP Cabriolet by Vanden Plas

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | December 7, 2016

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Existing companies who decided to get into the burgeoning automobile business around 1900 came from all lines of work: there were a lot of bicycle manufacturers, some buggy companies, and, in the case of SA L’Auto Métallurgique, manufacturers of railway locomotives. Métallurgique built cars in Marchienne-au-Port, Belgium between 1898 and 1928, when they were acquired by Imperia and shut down.

This rare model is powered by a 1.7-liter straight-four engine that drives the rear wheels via a four-speed transmission – the standard for all Métallurgique cars beginning in 1911. The French-looking but Belgian-built body is by Vanden Plas, an offshoot of which would later become part of the Austin Motor Company in the U.K.

Métallurgique sold cars in the U.K. when new, and this vehicle was likely bought new there as it was first registered in England in 1913. It is said that it runs and drives well and is a mix of original and redone parts (for instance, the hood was replaced at some point). It should bring between $27,000-$35,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $46,475.

Phillips Berlina

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1982 Phillips Berlina

Offered by Mecum | Kansas City, Missouri | December 1-3, 2016

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

Hello neo-classic fans! The 1980s were a weird time: people rolled up the sleeves on their white sport coats, wore huge glasses with big hair, and wanted to drive modern cars that looked like they were built in the 1930s. These weren’t replicas, but luxury cars with classic looks.

Charles W. Phillips decided to build just such a car. From 1980 through 1983, the Phillips Motor Car Corporation of Pompano Beach, Florida, built the Berlina Coupe in limited numbers. It’s not a kit car, but was sold as a fully-built automobile, even though it is based on a stretched C3 Corvette chassis. The body is fiberglass and made to evoke the pre-war Mercedes-Benz 540K.

This car is powered by a 5.7-liter Chevrolet V-8 making 200 horsepower (Corvettes weren’t all that sporty in 1980). Top speed was about 110 mph. It has leather interior and is decked out with about all the features you could hope for in 1982. They’re certainly striking and less than 90 were ever made. The cost when new was about $85,000 – but it will bring less than that at auction. Read more about it here and see more from this sale here.

Update: Sold $17,500.

Zagato Zele

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1974 Zagato Zele 1000

Offered by Historics at Brooklands | November 26, 2016

Photo - Historics at Brooklands

Photo – Historics at Brooklands

It seems like every design house has tried their hand at producing a car of their own. Bertone did it a couple of times, Ghia did it for most of the 1960s, and even Pininfarina got in the game in the 1980s. But nobody did it smaller than Zagato with their Zele electric car.

Built between 1974 and 1976, the rear-engined, rear-drive Zele was available in three models, the 1000, 1500, and 2000 – all so-named for their motor wattage. In all, about 500 were made. This is an early 1000 watt model and these all sported a 50 mile range. This model has only covered 99 km in its life. That’s just over a single charge!

This two-seater – in correct original orange paint with black stripe (one of seven original colors available) – was originally owned by another Italian company that worked in the electric car field. It should sell for between $14,500-$17,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $16,687.

Italian Mini

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1974 Innocenti Mini Cooper

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Milan, Italy | November 25-27, 2016

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby's

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The ubiquitous Mini. Produced nearly unchanged from 1959 through 2000 (!), Sir Alec Issigonis’  little two door car of the people is an absolute icon. It is the basis for countless kit cars, and was produced under the banner of quite a number of marques, including: Austin, Rover, Authi, Leyland, Mini (as a brand itself), and Innocenti.

Italian Innocenti built their version of the Mini between 1965 and 1975. They would build another car called the Mini which was based on this car, but carried Bertone bodywork that made it unrecognizable as such. It’s not listed, but we’d guess this car features a 1.3-liter straight-four.

This example is very nice and is ready for the road. The interior looks brand new and although Minis are relatively easy to find, their Italian cousin isn’t seen nearly as often. At any rate, this one should bring between $7,500-$11,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $15,579.

Bitter SC

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1985 Bitter SC 3.0 Coupe

Offered by Oldtimer Galerie | Toffen, Switzerland | November 26, 2016

Photo - Oldtimer Galerie

Photo – Oldtimer Galerie

Erich Bitter – and his Schwelm, Germany, based Erich Bitter Automobil GmbH – started building cars in 1973 when Opel decided against putting a prototype coupe into production. Bitter got the rights, outsourced production, and boom, Bitter is a legitimate manufacturer or sports cars.

The company’s followup model was the 1979-1985 SC. It was available in Coupe, Convertible, or Sedan form (you could even buy the sedan in the U.S.). The Coupe was the most popular variant, with 461 of them built and this example being among the last completed. Of course, Bitter was still outsourcing the construction of their cars, and the SC was assembled by Steyr-Daimler-Puch in Graz, Austria.

Two engines were available, with this car carrying the smaller 3.0-liter straight-six making 177 horsepower. With styling reminiscent of the Ferrari 365 GT4 and 400 series, it is rather unique, even if it might not boast the most power for a sports coupe. This one is listed as being in very good condition and it should bring between $26,000-$28,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.