Tag Archives: classic cars

Siata Daina Coupe

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1950 Siata Daina Berlinetta

Offered by Oldtimer Galerie | Gstaad, Switzerland | December 29, 2021

Photo – Oldtimer Galerie

Siata’s Daina model was introduced in 1950 and remained available through 1958, although most of them were produced before 1953 was out. Body styles were essentially limited to a coupe and convertible, with the “factory” styles being produced by Stabilimenti Farina. When Farina went out of business, Bertone took over. Other coachbuilders also bodied some cars.

This car carries Farina coachwork and is powered by a 1.4-liter Fiat inline-four. A more desirable version called the Gran Sport was also available, and information regarding production numbers is often contradictory. Somewhere between 50 and 200 Dainas were built.

This one was sold new in Italy, spending time with a few owners around Lake Como. A many-year restoration started in the 1980s, and the car was sold out of Italy (to Germany) for the first time around 2014. It relocated to Switzerland later on, and it now carries a pre-sale estimate of $195,000-$240,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Durkopp Touring

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1910 Durkopp 8/18PS Touring

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 3, 2022

Photo – Bonhams

Durkopp, now known as Durkopp Adler, is a Germany company specializing in sewing machines, which is actually where the company got its start. They later expanded to bicycles before ending up producing automobiles. Production cars appeared in 1906, and commercial vehicles were also sold. Passenger cars were phased out in 1927, and trucks in 1929. After that they retreated to sewing machines.

This car is powered by a 2.0-liter inline-four that made about 18 horsepower. The car is said to be original, and it is thought that the body was an early one produced by Karmann. It was sold new in Sweden and was placed into storage in the mid-1920s, remaining there for about 80 years.

The car was acquired by the current owner in 2013 and has spent time in a museum. It now carries a pre-sale estimate of $120,000-$150,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Sauber C5

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1976 Sauber C5

Offered by Oldtimer Galerie | Gstaad, Swizterland | December 29, 2021

Photo – Oldtimer Galerie

Peter Sauber founded his motorsports company in 1970. Everything started with sports cars and prototypes, like this. Things would eventually progress to the top of the sportscar mountain before the team entered Formula One in 1993.

This C5 was campaigned by the Francy Racing Team, which was apparently some kind of back door Sauber works team. It ran a few seasons in the European Interserie Championshop. Race highlights include:

  • 1977 24 Hours of Le Mans – 29th, DNF (with Eugen Strahl and Peter Bernhard)

The car had a few owners over the years and was used in the Le Mans Classic in the 2000s before being restored in 2020. It appears to have a 2.0-liter BMW inline-four under the rear bodywork and is most probably turbocharged. It now carries a pre-sale estimate of $210,000-$255,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Rauch & Lang Electric

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1918 Rauch & Lang B26 Brougham

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 6-16, 2022

Photo – Mecum

Mystery. Mecum’s catalog lists this as a 1918 Baker. But I don’t believe it. And here’s why: Baker Electric of Cleveland, Ohio, began producing electric vehicles in 1899, and in 1915 they merged with Rauch & Lang, one of their fiercest electric-car-making competitors. The Baker brand was phased out on passenger cars after 1916 (trucks soldiered on for a little bit afterward).

The Rauch & Lang brand continued on, selling nearly identical cars to the Baker through the late 1920s. The Baker-Raulang name (as the post-merger company was called) soldiered on in various fields and continues to exist as Linde Material Handling, a manufacturer of forklifts, among other things. This car is apparently being sold from that company, having never been titled.

I called it a Rauch & Lang because Baker didn’t exist in 1918, and the model name follows the same structure as other R&L cars. This is about as low-mile (3,211) of a 100-year-old electric car you are likely to find. You can see more about it here and see more from Mecum here.

Update: Sold $55,000.

Duesenberg J-269

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1930 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Sedan by Murphy

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Amelia Island, Florida | March 5, 2022

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Another great Duesenberg. RM calls this “one of the finest restored examples.” We recently featured another Murphy Convertible Sedan, and this one is finished in classic black. Approximately 45 such cars were bodied by Murphy.

This one was delivered new in New York City, and RM traces the ownership through quite a few owners of the years. Work is also noted, including a mechanical overhaul in 1957 and a 20-year restoration that started in 1985. Power is from a 6.9-liter inline-eight capable of 265 horsepower.

It won its class at Pebble Beach and is offered with a second set of wire wheels mounted with whitewall tires. The catalog does not yet list a pre-sale estimate, but this is quite a good car, so it should bring quite the sum. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $3,525,000.

Mercedes 260 Stuttgart

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1930 Mercedes-Benz 260 Stuttgart Cabriolet C

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 6-16, 2022

Photo – Mecum

So, no, this is not a Ford Model A. It’s a Mercedes-Benz. Mercedes’ W11 was produced as a few different model names between 1929 and 1934. The Stuttgart was offered in a variety of factory bodies as well as a bare chassis for coachbuilders.

This car features “factory” Cabriolet C coachwork that was actually built by Reutter. The 2.6-liter inline-six made about 49 horsepower when new. Top speed was 56 mph.

During production, the factory churned out 6,757 standard-wheelbase units. This one was brought to the U.S. by a servicemember in the 1950s. It’s being offered from 70 years of family ownership. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $90,000.

S.P.A. Torpedo

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1913 S.P.A. 25HP Sport Torpedo

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 3, 2022

Photo – Bonhams

Societa Piemontese Automobili was founded in Italy by Matteo Ceirano and Michele Ansaldi in 1906. The Ceirano family was involved in various early Italian marques, including Itala, SCAT, Ceirano, and others. S.P.A. was taken over in 1925 by Fiat, who phased the marque out.

S.P.A. had some sporting credentials, winning the Targa Florio in 1909. This 25HP model is powered by a 4.4-liter inline-four. The bodywork, while sporty, is described in the auction catalog as a passenger car with a speedster-style body. The coachbuilder is unknown.

This car was delivered new in France and later spent time in the Le Mans Museum before being purchased by its current owner in the 1990s. Not many S.P.A. cars still exist, and this one appears rather nice. It is expected to sell for between $230,000-$270,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $450,469.

Corvette Super Sport

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1957 Chevrolet Corvette Super Sport

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 6-16, 2022

Photo – Mecum

Super Sport isn’t a name typically associated with Corvettes. But this Corvette was actually the first Chevy to wear that moniker. It’s a one-off show car that GM commissioned to showcase their new Rochester Ramjet fuel injection. It debuted in New York in January 1957 and was sold into private ownership after its tour of the show circuit was completed. The current owner acquired it in 1997.

The fuel-injected 283ci V8 was rated at 283 horsepower when new, and the car is claimed to have covered less than 5,000 miles since new. Styling alterations are obvious, including the dual concept-car-style windscreens, brushed aluminum coves, and a lot more bright interior trim.

This is one of those big-boy Corvettes that gets a lot of attention. It hasn’t traded hands in 25 years, so what to expect, price-wise, when it crosses the block next month is kind of a question mark. You can read more about it here and see more from Mecum here.

Update: Withdrawn from auction

BMW 3/15 Sports

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1931 BMW 3/15 Ihle Sports

Offered by Bonhams | Bicester, U.K. | December 11, 2021

Photo – Bonhams

So we’ve talked about Dixi before and how it was an Austin Seven built under license in Germany. BMW purchased Dixi in late 1928, and Dixis were re-branded as BMWs the following year. They still called them BMW Dixi, although they’d drop the Dixi name sometime around 1930.

This post-Dixi 3/15 was produced in 1931 and was actually coach-built by Gebruder Ihle Karrosseriebau of Bruschal, Germany. It’s a sporty, light two-seater with BMW’s signature twin (not-quite-kidney) grilles.

Power is from a 747cc inline-four, but the power rating is uncertain, as it is not clear if this coachbuilt example was based on a DA-2/4 chassis (15 horsepower) or DA-3 Wartburg chassis (17 horsepower). The DA-3 was the sports version of the 3/15, but a coachbuilt example could’ve come from any model. At any rate, this is a great little early BMW, and for $13,000-$20,000, it seems like a historic bargain. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $37,726.

Alfa 2600 SZ

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1966 Alfa Romeo 2600 SZ

Offered by Aguttes | Neuilly, France | December 12, 2021

Photo – Aguttes

Alfa Romeo’s 2600 is one of their best-looking cars, especially the Touring-bodied Spider and Bertone-styled Sprint. The 2600 was sold between 1962 and 1968, with body styles including coupes, convertibles, and sedans.

What we have here is the very rare Sprint Zagato. It honestly looks like someone grafted the front end of an alternate-reality 1990s Alfa Romeo onto a 1960s coupe body. But it’s not, it’s an original period Zagato creation. The engine is the same as other 2600s: a 2.6-liter twin-cam inline-six that was rated at 165 horsepower in SZ form with triple Solex carburetors. Top speed was 134 mph, thanks in part to the increased aerodynamics of that redesigned front end.

Only 105 examples of the SZ were ever produced, and this one has known ownership history since new. It was restored in 1992, and it is expected to fetch between $115,000-$170,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $125,846.