Tag Archives: classic cars

Jowett Sports

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1928 Jowett 7/17 Sports

Offered by Bonhams | Greenwich, Connecticut | June 5, 2016

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Benjamin and William Jowett (along with a man named Arthur Lamb) founded Jowett in 1901 as a cycle manufacturer. Automobiles went on sale in 1906 and Jowett, unlike most British manufacturers, stayed independent their entire life before going out of business in 1955. Among their most famous products was the sporty Jupiter from the 1950s.

What we have here is a very rare, early car. You don’t see many pre-1930 Jowetts. The 7/17 is powered by a 907cc flat-twin making 17 horsepower. It’s a light, small car with very sporty bodywork that was applied in the 1970s (the car was originally a Tourer). Although the body is not original, it is said that it was constructed with “mostly Jowett parts.”

This model went on sale in 1919 and lasted through 1936, albeit with changes over the years. This is the second time this car has come up for sale in the last two years: it sold for $38,500 in 2014 and is now estimated to bring between $28,000-$31,000. It is thought that this is the only pre-war Jowett in the U.S. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $34,100.

Benz Velo

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1896 Benz Velo

Offered by Dragone Auctions | Westport, Connecticut | June 4, 2016

Photo - Dragone Auctions

Photo – Dragone Auctions

This is one of the most important cars of all time. The Benz Patent-Motorwagen is the first automobile. Karl Benz built about 25 of them before altering the design and changing the name. The Benz Velo was the second car he built. Along with the Duryea Motor Wagon, the Velo is regarded as the first production car.

It is powered by a 1.0-liter single-cylinder engine making 1.5 horsepower. Top speed is 15 mph, which would probably be slightly terrifying for modern drivers. This car is listed as well “preserved” with its original body and lamps. That’s remarkable. It’s 120 years old. To put that in perspective… 9/11 was as far in the past when compared to today as the Gunfight at the O.K Corral is to the time when this car was built.

The Velo (which is short for “Velocipede, by the way) was built between 1894-1901. Only 67 were built in 1894, but that jumped up to 134 in 1895. In all, slightly more than 1,200 were built. That’s a low number, but that number stopped growing over 100 years ago. These are historical artifacts – that you can use. This one had one owner from 1922 to 1972, which is kind of crazy. It’s just incredible, all around. No estimate is available, but get ready to outbid museums. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Lea-Francis 2.5-Litre Sports

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1950 Lea-Francis 2½-Litre Westland Sports

Offered by Historics at Brooklands | June 11, 2016

Photo - Historics at Brooklands

Photo – Historics at Brooklands

Lea-Francis was founded by Richard Lea and Graham Francis in 1895. As did many, the pair began by building bicycles and cars came in 1903. Strangely for a company that began by building bicycles, motorcycle production started after cars did. An independent their entire existence, the company folded in 1960.

The 2½-Litre was introduced in 1949 and was built in very small quantities through 1953. In fact, only 77 were built in total. The engine is a 2.5-liter straight-four rated at 120 horsepower. This is the sportiest car Lea-Francis built after the war.

Kind of resembling a Jaguar XK120, this Westland-bodied Lea-Francis is among the most collectible cars that the company built. Coupling with the decent looks and low production numbers, this example with a six-year-old restoration is expected to bring between $50,000-$60,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $47,775.

Car-Nation

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1913 Car-Nation Model C Roadster

Offered by Bonhams | Greenwich, Connecticut | June 5, 2016

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Car-Nation. Get it? Carnation. Forrest Keeton found success with his Keeton automobile and so he launched a second brand: the Car-Nation Motorette Company. Both companies were purchased by Charles Schaeffer and merged into the American Voiturette Company. The Car-Nation marque only existed between 1912 and 1915.

It’s a cyclecar, and is powered by an 18 horsepower 2.2-liter straight-four. Three models were ever offered by the company and this is the Roadster. It was the least expensive at $495 – which was cheaper than a Model T.

This car was discovered in Maine in 1954 and restored. It spent a long time in a museum but is being offered from a private owner. Only two Car-Nation Model C Roadsters are known to exist and there can’t be that many Car-Nations out there in general. It should sell for between $35,000-$40,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $24,200.

Stanga Barchetta

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1951 Stanga Barchetta

Offered by Dragone Auctions | Westport, Connecticut | June 4, 2016

Photo - Dragone Auctions

Photo – Dragone Auctions

“Etceterini” is a term to describe light Italian racing cars built between the immediate postwar period up through the early-to-mid-1960s. The Stanga brothers’ little company falls neatly into that category. Gianfranco, Sandro, and Camillo Stanga set up shop in 1949.

Stanga Barchettas began life as a Fiat 500 chassis (the Topolino, not the original Cinquecento). The engine is a Giannini-tuned Topolino engine, the straight-four now buffed up to 600cc. For the bodies, the brothers turned to Motto.

This car does have Mille Miglia history (all Stangas competed there) but the exact race history of this car is unknown. Only seven Stanga Barchettas were built and only two carry bodywork by Motto. This car should bring between $175,000-$185,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

K-R-I-T Roadster

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1912 K-R-I-T Model A Roadster

Offered by Bonhams | Greenwich, Connecticut | June 5, 2016

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

If you’ve even ever heard of the K-R-I-T Motor Car Company of Detroit, the one thing you probably know about them is that their emblem was a swastika. Fun fact. Fortunately, K-R-I-T, which was founded in 1909, went out of business in 1916 – well enough in advance of the downfall of the original meaning of the swastika, which means lucky or auspicious.

Krit (as the marque was spelled from 1913 onward) offered four different models of its four-cylinder model in 1912. The Model A was the short wheelbase version and the least expensive. It was the Roadster form and cost $800 new. It’s powered by a 22.5 horsepower 2.9-liter straight-four.

It’s an attractive and sporty early American car from a little-known, short-lived manufacturer. This example was actually used in Boardwalk Empire, which is pretty cool. It should sell for between $20,000-$25,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $24,200.

Chandler Six

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1928 Chandler Special Six Sedan

Offered by Mecum | Portland, Oregon | June 17-18, 2016

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

The Chandler Motor Company of Cleveland, Ohio, was founded in 1913 by Frederick Chandler after he and some other executives left Lozier. The company built quality cars priced in the middle of the market. If the company were still around, I would guess they’d be a competitor to Buick (they were just slightly less expensive than Buick in ’28).

In 1929, Chandler was bought out by Hupmobile and the marque was retired. This car is powered by a straight-six and is listed in the catalog as a Chandler Six. But in 1928, they offered both the Special Six and the Big Six. I’m sort of just assuming this was the entry-level Special Six, which could be had in a bunch of body styles and the five-passenger Sedan cost $995 when new.

Chandlers used wood frames, which is one reason the cars didn’t survive quite as well as some of their competitors. They are much rarer than they should be, considering they sold over 20,000 cars in 1927 alone. The engine was redone in 2012 and this would be a nice, affordable classic. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $13,000.

1957 Frick Special

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1957 Frick Special GT Coupe

Offered by Bonhams | Greenwich, Connecticut | June 5, 2016

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Bill Frick found his automotive niche prepping and modifying race cars in the 1950s and 60s. He worked in NASCAR and had his own shop in New York. Before the War, Frick got his start swapping engines and he returned to his origins in the 50s when Cadillac introduced a new V-8.

In 1953 Frick created a car called the “Studillac” which had a Cadillac V-8 stuffed into a 1953 Studebaker. He got the car bodied by Vignale and set up shop to offer them for sale. But ultimately only three were built – the original “Studillac” prototype, a convertible and this coupe.

The engine is a 5.4-liter Cadillac V-8 making a very solid 270 horsepower. The body, designed by Michelotti and built by Vignale, resembles other Vignale cars of the era, specifically those from Ferrari. This car cost $9,000 when new and was first sold in Michigan.

The current owner acquired it in 1989 and the car is all original (though, it has been repainted). It has a tick over 40,000 miles and known ownership history from new. It’s the only one like it and should bring between $180,000-$220,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

REO Royale

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1931 REO Royale Sport Victoria Coupe

Offered by Silverstone Auctions | Aarhus, Denmark | May 28-29, 2016

Photo - Silverstone Auctions

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

Ransom E. Olds left Oldsmobile in 1905 after only eight years at the helm. He immediately founded REO which would actually last until 1975, producing only trucks after WWII. In the 1930s, many high-end American car companies were producing big, beautiful cars. REO wasn’t really known as a high-end company, but they jumped into that market with the Royale in 1931.

The model would last through 1934 and was offered in different body styles. The 1931 Model 35 range could be had as a Sedan, Victoria or four-passenger Coupe. It is powered by a 5.9-liter straight-eight making 125 horsepower. It’s no slouch when compared to its rivals. In fact, its styling is on par or better than some of its rivals.

This car was actually sold new in Denmark and was at one point actually used by the King (though it was never owned by the Royal Family). The current owner acquired it in 1981 and set about on a five year restoration. It is said that this is one of four such cars in Europe and it should sell for between $90,000-$105,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold, listed for $92,500.

Lagonda Wagon

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1986 Aston Martin Lagonda Series 3 Shooting Brake

Offered by Bonhams | Newport Pagnell, U.K. | May 21, 2016

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Lagonda was (and is again) a marque of automobile that has long been associated with Aston Martin since it acquired the brand in 1947. But in the mid-1970s, Aston Martin introduced a sedan model named Lagonda. This famously-boxy body style was launched in 1976 as the Series 2 Lagonda.

The Series 2 was built between 1976 and 1985, the Series 3 was for 1986 and 1987 only, and the Series 4 lasted from 1987 through 1990. All three of the final series look essentially the same. The Series 3 different from the Series 2 mostly in that it had fuel injection. Only 75 Series 3 cars were built.

It is powered by a 280 horsepower 5.3-liter V-8. All Lagondas were produced as sedans, but there was an aftermarket “Shooting Brake” wagon built by Roos Engineering of Frauenkappelen, Switzerland. The conversion actually took place in the mid-1990s and was very expensive. This is a unique and highly identifiable car. It should bring between $290,000-$360,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.