Tag Archives: classic cars

Iso Grifo A3/C

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1965 Iso Grifo A3/C Stradale

Offered by RM Auctions | Paris, France | February 4, 2015

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

Does this look like a Bizzarrini to you? It is. Kind of. Let’s start at the beginning: Giotto Bizzarrini left Ferrari after designing cars like the 250 GTO. He teamed up with Renzo Rivolta to design a followup to the Iso Rivolta GT. The car he came up with was the Iso Grifo A3/C. But at the same time, Rivolta was working with Bertone, who came up with the Grifo A3/L – which would become the Iso Grifo road car.

But Bizzarrini was designing his Grifo as a race car. And when Mr. Rivolta was trying to sell Grifo road cars, Bizzarrini was trying to drum up support for the race cars, which didn’t sit well with Rivolta. So they split. And Bizzarrini took his design and sold some as the Bizzarrini 5300 GT.

The car you see here was actually sold as an Iso Grifo A3/C in 1965. A few years later, after the two Italian men had parted ways, this car returned to Bizzarrini for updates and it was rebuilt to look more like a Bizzarrini 5300 GT (and given Bizzarrini badging). The engine is a 5.4-liter V-8 from a Corvette making more than 350 horsepower. It is mounted behind the driver, making this one of the first mid-engined cars.

Bizzarrini managed the construction of A3/Cs at Piero Drogo’s Carrozzeria Sports Cars where the early cars had riveted bodies. This is one of 20 riveted-aluminium cars. Combined production of the Iso A3/C and the Bizzarrini 5300 GT totaled to something between 100 and 150 cars, with Bizzarrinis making up the majority of them. This car was restored in 2010 and should sell for between $1,250,000-$1,850,000. Click here for more info and here for more from RM in Paris.

Update: Sold $1,186,220.

International Scout II

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1979 International Scout II Rallye

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 23, 2015

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

Jeeps kind of had the market cornered with off-road utility vehicles after the war until International Harvester threw their hat into the ring in 1960 with the Scout. The original Scout model was the Scout 80 and there would be numerous other versions produced until the model range went away after 1980, which makes this Scout II a very late example.

The Scout II was a four-wheel drive SUV produced between 1971 and 1980. They were all two-doors and could be had as a wagon or pickup. These were the days when SUVs were somewhat crude and entirely functional – none of that front-wheel drive Honda CRV cute-ute business we have today.

The catalog description is bit vague here, saying that it as a V-8, but it doesn’t specify if it is a 4.4-liter or 5.0-liter. It does have the Rallye package and the hardtop is removable. These are really interesting, cool trucks and the forefathers of the modern SUV. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Mecum’s lineup.

Update: Sold $14,750.

’71 Hemi Charger

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1971 Dodge Charger R/T Hemi

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 23, 2015

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

This Charger is from the first year of production of the third generation body style, which would be built through 1974. It was the last “real” two-door Charger that wasn’t badge-engineered and that was a capable of anything resembling performance.

What makes this car even better is that it has a Hemi. 1971 was the final year for the 426 Hemi – the 425 horsepower 7.0-liter monster V-8. This is the highest-optioned Charger known to exist from this year – it is one of very few cars with a powered sunroof and is one of only 63 built in ’71 with a Hemi.

The original base price of a 1971 Charger was almost doubled when the finally option tally was finished. The High Impact Hemi Orange is set off by the R/T package of graphics. The car is correct and has 35,638 original miles on it. It has everything and Mecum actually has an estimate on it: $450,000-$550,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Mecum.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $375,000.

Lancia 037 Stradale

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1982 Lanica 037 Stradale

Offered by RM Auctions | Paris, France | February 4, 2015

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

Here’s another wonderful homologation special brought to you by the legendary Group B Rally regulations. Group B has been responsible for some pretty epic road cars from the 1980s. This is one of the coolest.

When Lancia threw its hat into the almost-anything-goes-as-long-as-you-build-a-road-version ring, they called in Dallara, Abarth, and Pininfarina for assitance. The body is made out of Kevlar reinforced fiberglass and it looks sort of like a badass version of the rust bucket Lancia Montecarlo.

The engine is a version of the one found in the Fiat-Abarth 131 – it’s a supercharged 2.0-liter straight-four making 205 horsepower. It is mid-engined and its on-track success was legitimate: Lancia won the 1983 World Rally Championship constructors’ title with the 037. It’s one of the last great RWD rally cars.

Only 207 road versions were built, with this one being #45. It’s being sold by its original owner with less than 14,000km on the clock. While the power output might not be extreme, this is one of the coolest, rarest cars from the 1980s that you can buy. Click here for more info and here for more from RM in Paris.

Update: Sold $384,720.

Cadillac Model B

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1904 Cadillac Model B Runabout

Offered by Coys |  Maastricht, Netherlands | January 10, 2015

Photo - Coys

Photo – Coys

This Lithuanian collection has a fairly impressive amount of old Cadillacs and Lincolns. And those two marques pretty much make up the entire collection. This is the earliest car in the sale and it’s a rare Cadillac Model B.

1904 was the second year of Cadillac production and two models were offered, the A and the B, both in a variety of body styles. The Model B was only available for 1904 and 1905 only. It uses a rear-mounted 1.6-liter single-cylinder making eight-ish horsepower. Prices were $900 – except for this Runabout, which came in at $800. The difference between the A and B was slight – this car’s slightly longer wheelbase is one giveaway.

Cadillac production for 1904 totaled 2,319 split between the A and B, making this very nice Model B quite rare. It should sell for between $75,000-$90,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Coys’ lineup.

Update: Sold $54,440.

GAZ-12

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1956 GAZ 12

Offered by Coys | Maastricht, Netherlands | January 10, 2015

Photo - Coys

Photo – Coys

Here’s another obscure Soviet sedan. This one was built by GAZ, one of the more well-known old, Russian automotive factories. The car is sometimes called the ZIM-12, which is the name under which it was originally built, but when the namesake for ZIM fell out of favor, the Russians changed the name of the car.

It is powered by a 3.5-liter straight-six making 95 horsepower. The styling is eerily reminiscent of a 1948 Cadillac and 1947 Buick. I guess GM would’ve been really popular in Russia back in the day had they the opportunity to market their cars.

What’s interesting about the GAZ-12 is that it is the only executive, full-size car available for purchase by regular citizens – but it was priced exorbitantly, leaving it out of reach for most. But they still managed to sell 21,527 between 1950 and 1960. This one looks pretty nice and is expected to bring between $25,000-$35,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Coys.

Update: Sold $107,890.

Cadillac LMP

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2000 Cadillac Northstar LMP

Offered by Barrett-Jackson | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 17, 2015

Photo - Barrett-Jackson

Photo – Barrett-Jackson

What you’re looking at is essentially General Motors’ only foray into the wild world of modern prototype racing. Between 2000 and 2002, under the guise of the Cadillac brand, GM took on the otherworldly Audi R8, among others.

The Northstar LMP (named for Caddy’s Northstar V8 engines) was built from the ground up by Riley & Scott. A version of the Northstar V8 was situated behind the driver – a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 making 650 horsepower. The competition history for this Cadillac factory team chassis includes:

  • 2000 24 Hours of Daytona – 14th (with Eric van de Poele, Wayne Taylor, and Max Angelelli)
  • 2000 12 Hours of Sebring – 6th (with van de Poele, Taylor, and Angelelli)
  • 2000 24 Hours of Le Mans – 21st (with Franck Lagorce, Butch Leitzinger, and Andy Wallace)
  • 2000 Petit Le Mans – 8th (with Lagorce, Leitzinger, and Wallace)

GM cancelled the program after 2002 to focus on their very successful Corvette racing program. These pop up for sale now and then, but only seven were built (two are in this sale). I remember hearing once that GM stripped most of the electronics out of these things before releasing them into the wild… so you can buy it, but it might be hard to use on a track day. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $104,500.

DKW Schnellaster Pickup

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1955 DKW Schnellaster Type 3 Tieflader

Offered by Gooding & Company | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 16-17, 2015

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

The DKW Schnellaster was produced by Auto Union after WWII. It was one of Germany’s first new automotive designs since the war ended. Introduced in 1949, the Schnellaster (or “Rapid Transporter”) is typically seen in van form but there were other variants available: such as this Tieflader pickup.

It is front wheel drive and uses an 896cc straight-three two-stroke engine making 36 horsepower. It was kind of the first minivan… but really mini. This is the Type 3 (or 3=6) model that was the final in the Schnellaster line. It was new for 1955 and would be built through 1962.

This particular example is the nicest one in the world. Really – it is the only known restored Tieflader in the world and the only Tieflader in the United States in any condition. The restoration is fresh and it should bring between $90,000-$120,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Gooding & Co. in Scottsdale.

Update: Sold $132,000.

Mazda Cosmo L10B

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1970 Mazda Cosmo L10B Coupe

Offered by Bonhams | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 15, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Race cars notwithstanding, you’re looking at the most collectible Mazda ever built and one of the most lusted after Japanese sports cars of all time. Mazda didn’t build its first cars until 1960 but only a few years later in 1967 they would introduce the Cosmo, a true sports car.

What’s even cooler is that this is the genesis of Mazda’s long history of rotary power. All of the RX-series cars can trace back to this, which was the result of Mazda acquiring the rights of NSU’s Wankel powerplant. It’s a 982cc twin-rotor Wankel making 128 horsepower.

The Cosmo was called the 110S for export and the cars were never officially sold in the U.S. They were built in two series, the L10A being the first and the L10B (offered here) being the second – horsepower was the big difference. The Series II L10B were sold in higher numbers between 1968 and 1972 with 1,176 built. This car spent its entire life in Japan and had its mechanical bits sorted in 2011. It is being offered for the first time outside of its home country and will likely cost the new owner between $140,000-$180,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $110,000.

Chrysler ST Special by Ghia

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1955 Chrysler ST Special by Ghia

Offered by Barrett-Jackson | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 10-18, 2015

Photo - Barrett-Jackson

Photo – Barrett-Jackson

Chrysler and Ghia teamed up quite a bit in the 1950s, developing concept car after concept car. They also collaborated on some production specials, like the ST seen here. Between 1952 and 1955, Ghia built a number of beautiful coupes on standard Chrysler frames. This one rests on a New Yorker chassis.

The engine is a 250 horsepower 5.4-liter V-8 and the car was sold new off of Ghia’s stand at the 1955 Turin Auto Show. I find differing production numbers everywhere I look, but the consistent thing is that the ST Special was the rarest of the Ghia Specials. As few as four may have been built (although that number could be as many as 40). This is, perhaps, the final one. And they’re all a bit different.

Finished in this nice copper color, this car was restored in 2012 from barn-find condition. Until then, it had spent most of its active life in France. And now it’s for sale publicly for the first time in a long time. Click here for more info and here for more from Barrett-Jackson.

S/N: N558768

Update: Not sold, high bid of $550,000.

Update: Not sold, Mecum Phoenix 2019, high bid of $450,000.