Tag Archives: classic cars

Ferrari 250 GT Lusso

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1963 Ferrari 250 GT/L Lusso

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Milan, Italy | June 15, 2021

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

I’ve been wanting to feature one of these for years, but I’ve been holding out for the perfect color. I’m still looking for that last bit, but I thought it was time, regardless. Silver looks good here. At least it’s not red. The 250 GT/L (or Lusso, for “luxury”) was the last hurrah for Ferrari’s 250 line, which dated back to 1952. The Lusso was sold between 1962 and 1964.

The body is by Scaglietti, and it’s aggressive, beautiful, and really just the best classic Ferrari shape. It’s the best “classic” Ferrari coupe there is, period. Power is from a 3.0-liter Colombo V12 making approximately 240 horsepower. Top speed was 150 mph.

This is the 65th of 350 produced, and it’s got Ferrari Classiche certification. The restoration was completed 11 years ago. I was once walking through London near Lord’s Cricket Ground and I heard a distant rumble. I stopped. I turned. And a marron Lusso buzzed past. It was amazing. These are incredible cars, and the price reflects it: the estimate here is $1,985,000-$2,550,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Reliant Scimitar 4×4

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1972 Reliant Scimitar GTE Ferguson 4×4 Prototype

Offered by Brightwells | Leominster, U.K. | June 23, 2021

Photo – Brightwells

The Reliant (and later, Middlebridge) Scimitar GTE was a two-door shooting brake wagon/sports car. Initially – in 1964 – there was a two-door Scimitar coupe, but that evolved into the GTE wagon-ish sort of thing in 1968. Production of various models continued through 1990. They were all front-engine and rear-wheel drive.

Except for this one. It still has the same fiberglass body as other Scimitars, but it also has a four-wheel-drive system from FF Developments, a company that worked with developing such systems, including for a Formula One car (via its predecessor company, Ferguson Research).

Power is from a 3.0-liter Ford V6. This car remained with FF Developments until one of the engineers working on it managed to buy it. From there it passed to another owner, eventually ending up in the Jaguar Land Rover collection, cars from which were sold a few years ago (including this one). The current owner bought it then and has brought the thing back to life. It’s now selling at no reserve. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $23,498.

Dino 246 GTS

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1974 Dino 246 GTS

Offered by Silverstone Auctions | Sywell Park, U.K. | June 5, 2021

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

So, technically, Dino was a separate marque from Ferrari. This car does not have any Ferrari badging. Instead, that little yellow rectangle up front says “Dino” – which was the name of Enzo Ferrari‘s son who died in 1956. Three road cars were produced under the Dino marque, including the 206 GT/S, the 246 GT/S, and the 308 GT4. Even still, they are still generally referred to as “Ferrari Dino”s.

The 246 looked very similar to the 206 it replaced when it launched in 1969. It was the first “Ferrari” produced in massive numbers – 3,761 were made between the GT coupe and the GTS targa. Power is from a mid-mounted 2.4-liter V6 rated at 192 horsepower when new (in Europe… U.S.-spec cars had less power).

The GTS was sold between 1971 and 1974, and 1,274 were made. This right-hand-drive example is one of 72 finished from the factory in Nocciola Metallizzato. Two rare, sought-after options included Daytona-style seats (“chairs”) and Group 4-style fender flares (“flares”). This one has the standard seats, but it does have the flares. The pre-sale estimate (or “guide price” in Silverstone-speak) is $530,000-$600,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $536,485.

DAF 44

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1975 DAF 44

Offered by Barons | Sandown Park, U.K. | June 8, 2021

Photo – Barons

DAF still exists as a heavy truck manufacturer, but passenger car production, which started in 1958, wrapped for good in 1976. The 44 was a small family car styled by Giovanni Michelotti. It went on sale in 1966 and lasted through 1974. This one is titled as a ’75, which may have been the year it was first sold.

DAF models were usually technically interesting. This car has a front-engine/rear-wheel-drive layout and is powered by an 844cc flat-twin rated at 34 horsepower. It used DAF’s “Variomatic” transmission, which was essentially the first successful CVT gearbox.

The 44 was replaced by the short-lived 46 in late 1974 after nearly 168,000 had been built. This example is actually quite nice, and it should bring between $1,200-$2,100. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $4,409.

1947 Kaiser

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1947 Kaiser Custom

Offered by Mecum | Tulsa, Oklahoma | June 11-12, 2021

Photo – Mecum

Henry J. Kaiser had many successful businesses before getting into automobiles, including a construction company that built the Hoover Dam along with Kaiser Shipyards, Kaiser Aluminum, and Kaiser Permanente. Kaiser-Frazer Motors’ first year of production was 1947, and two models were offered on the Kaiser side of things: the Special and Custom.

These models were some of the first fresh post-war designs, and the higher-spec Custom retailed for $2,301. It’s powered by a 3.7-liter inline-six rated at 100 horsepower when new. The Custom was much rarer than the Special, with only 5,412 produced (compared to over 65,000 Specials).

This one is said to be largely original. Kaiser ran into financial problems in 1949 and everything declined thereafter, although some of their designs were still quite solid. This launch-year Kaiser looked pretty sharp when it was new (they were styled by Howard “Dutch” Darrin, after all). And they are still pretty interesting. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $10,450.

Ferrari 512 BB

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1979 Ferrari 512 BB

Offered by Silverstone Auctions | Sywell, U.K. | June 5, 2021

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

Ferrari’s Berlinetta Boxer debuted as the 365 GT/4 in 1973. It looked pretty much like this, but it shared its numerical designation with the car it replaced, the 365 GTB/4. It was the first mid-engined Ferrari road car and began the line of flat-12 powered sports cars from the company that would last into the mid-1990s.

The 512 replaced the 365 GT/4 in 1976. It is powered by a carbureted 4.9-liter flat-12 rated at 355 horsepower. It would remain in production until being replaced by the fuel-injected version (the 512 BBi) in 1981. Just 929 carbureted examples were built, which makes it slightly rarer than the injected version.

This car is one of 101 right-hand-drive carbureted models and was restored in 2015. No pre-sale estimate is available, but you can read more about it here and see more from Silverstone Auctions all-Ferrari sale here.

Update: Not sold.

Maserati Mexico

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1972 Maserati Mexico 4.7

Offered by Silverstone Auctions | Stoneleigh Park, U.K. | May 22, 2021

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

With the Mexico, Maserati entered a new arena: the four-seat coupe. It’s not a 2+2; you can put actual humans back there. The model was launched in 1966 with styling by Vignale, and 485 were built through 1972.

Two differed engine choices were available, and this car has the larger 4.7-liter V8 (there was also a 4.2 offered beginning in 1969). The 4.7 was rated at 290 horsepower and could push the car to 155 mph.

This car is one of six right-hand-drive 4.7-liter examples (of the 175 fitted with that engine in total). It was to be delivered new to Australia, but the order was canceled and it was actually kept in Italy as a RHD car until 2006. It was restored later in the 2000s and is now expected to bring between $123,000-$137,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

1911 Winton Touring

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1911 Winton Model 17-B Five-Passenger Touring

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Amelia Island, Florida | May 22, 2021

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Alexander Winton’s company is one of my favorites. Winton was one of America’s first automobile manufacturers, and by the 1910s, they were a producer of some of America’s finest cars. Six-cylinder Wintons arrived in 1908 and became the mainstay of their lineup until the end of the company in 1924.

The Model 17-B was Winton’s sole 1911 offering. It was powered the same 7.5-liter inline-six that stuck around for 1912’s 17-C. Horsepower was rated at 48. Seven body styles were offered from the factory, including this $3,408 five-passenger touring that was delivered new in Pittsburgh.

Restored a while back, this car has been used in historic tours since the 1950s. It’s a pretty grand piece of pre-WWI American automotive art. It should sell for between $200,000-$250,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $318,500.

Rolls Phantom II Special Brougham

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1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Special Brougham by Brewster

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Eschen, Liechtenstein | June 19, 2021

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The Phantom II was Rolls-Royce’s follow-up to the, wait for it, Phantom I. It was the “big” Roller, more powerful and greater in stature than the smaller 20/25 and 25/30 models offered during the 1930s. The Phantom II was sold between 1929 and 1936. Only 1,680 were made.

It is powered by a 7.7-liter inline-six that made approximately 120 horsepower. This particular car carries a one-off body by Brewster featuring an open driver’s compartment with a raked, vee’d windshield as well as a closed passenger’s compartment. A removable roof panel over the driver continues the rake of the windshield for a very aerodynamic front end. Well, a very aerodynamic middle section of the car, because that hood is long.

The rear of the body featured caning on the exterior as well as a sunken floor, gold-plated hardware, and wood trim. It was ordered new by the wife of a wealthy architect and spent time between their Washington D.C. and Newport, Rhode Island, homes. Quite the life.

This magnificent Rolls is estimated to sell for between $1,450,000-$1,950,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $1,715,671.

Hudson Mile-A-Minute Roadster

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1912 Hudson Model 33 Mile-A-Minute Roadster

Offered by Bonhams | Amelia Island, Florida | May 20, 2021

Photo – Bonhams

The Speedster body style is a popular one that people slapped on old car chassis during restorations that have occurred pretty much since the 1940s. Everyone wanted a Mercer Raceabout, a Stutz Bearcat, or a Marion Bobcat. It’s rare to see such a car that is as it was from the factory.

Hudson’s Model 33 was produced in 1911 and 1912, Hudson’s second and third year of existence. The Mile-A-Minute Roadster was a factory model offered in 1912. The name denotes the car’s ability to reach 60 mph, which was no small feat in 1912. The 3.7-liter inline-four made 33 horsepower.

Only 5,708 Model 33s were built this year, very few of which were in this style. Even fewer survive. This one should sell for between $80,000-$120,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $89,600.