Offered by Bonhams | Goodwood, U.K. | March 29, 2020
Photo – Bonhams
Just a few weeks ago we featured another model from the Marcos GT line of cars: the Marcos 1500GT. So what’s the difference? Well, for starters, the 1800GT was the first of the company’s GT cars. It was introduced in 1964 and was built for two years until the 1500GT took over.
The 1800GT was introduced with a plywood chassis and a 1.8-liter Volvo inline-four that originally made 96 horsepower. This car, converted to competition spec, has a rebuilt engine that is said to make 157 horsepower.
This car is historic racing eligible and is one of only 100 built. The pre-sale estimate here is $45,000-$58,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.
Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Essen, Germany | March 26-27, 2020
Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
Hans Glas GmbH was an independent automobile manufacturer based in Dingolfing, Germany. The company was about a century old when it built the Goggomobil before releasing its first Glas-branded car in the late 1950s. The Glas “04” was built between 1962 and 1968, and Glas was purchased by BMW in 1966.
Three different engine levels were offered, with this car carrying the smallest available: a 992cc inline-four making 41 horsepower. The S 104 featured a steel monocoque and was offered as a two-door coupe, cabriolet, and four-door sedan.
This coupe has been restored and is one of 40,703 produced across all engine sizes. It will sell at no reserve. Click here for more info and here for more from RM in Germany.
Offered by Aguttes | Paris, France | March 15, 2020
Photo – Aguttes
Facel S.A. was a French company that got its start building aircraft components. From there they turned to furniture and then automobile bodies. Finally, in 1954, Facel Vega was founded to build complete automobiles. They were like a small, independent, French version of Alfa Romeo. Their cars were luxurious, expensive, and exclusive.
The Facellia first appeared in 1960. It was like a French alternative to the Mercedes-Benz 190SL. A small, sporty car. A new one would’ve fun about $4,000 in the U.S. at the time. The Facellia was produced from 1960 through 1963.
Coupes and cabriolets were offered, with the convertibles coming first. Power was from a 1.6-liter inline-four good for 115 horsepower, but the engines were built in-house by Facel, instead of earlier cars that used Chrysler V8s. This was the car’s undoing.
Pretty much every car had to have its engine replaced under warranty, which ruined Facel’s reputation and ate most of their cash. By mid-1961, a fix was in place for the F2 series of cars, but the company was gone by 1964. In all, 1,045 examples of the Facellia were produced. This one should bring between $43,000-$54,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.
Offered by Historics Auctioneers | Ascot Racecourse, U.K. | March 7, 2020
Photo – Historics Auctioneers
Méan Motor Engineering was a Belgian company that produced some race cars and some road cars. It was founded by Jacques D’Heur in Liege in 1966. The company’s name changed in 1971, and it closed up in 1974.
This race car was built in 1967 and is powered by a 1.2-liter NSU inline-four. It’s called a “Can-Am” but there is no evidence that the car actually competed in the Can-Am series in North America. It does have FIA papers and is eligible for historic events.
Méan road cars are exceptionally rare, and their racers even more so. This fiberglass road race car should bring between $36,000-$44,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.
Offered by Gooding & Company | Amelia Island, Florida | March 6, 2020
Photo – Gooding & Company
The 356B was built by Porsche between 1960 and 1963 and featured styling and technical advances compared to earlier cars. This particular example is one of five constructed by Beutler of Switzerland. It’s… bookish.
Power is from a 1.6-liter flat-four good for 75 horsepower. Design cues for this four-seat coupe include a larger greenhouse and a flat rear deck, both striking features when compared to the standard, quite round, 356. The two-tone paint is also a win.
This is believed to be the one that Beutler showed at the 1960 Geneva Motor Show. The rare coachbuilt bodywork really runs the price up, though. You’re looking at a pre-sale estimate of $400,000-$600,000 to take this home. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.
Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Amelia Island, Florida | March 6-7, 2020
Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
This car is listed in the auction catalog as a “Silnes-Offenhauser Tomshe.” It was apparently built by Fred Tomshe, but was entered in various races as a Silnes-Offenhauser with Tomshe/Bardahl listed as the entrant. The car was commissioned by gangster George “Babe” Tuffanelli, who was part of the Chicago Outfit.
Power is from a fuel-injected 4.4-liter Offenhauser inline-four. It was entered in the 1951 Indy 500 with driver Ray Knepper, who failed to qualify. It did compete at Milwaukee and Langhorne later that year.
It’s been used at historic events since 2010, including the Monterey Historics. The constructor confusion here could be easily explained by that the possibility that the Tomshe build was based on a Silnes car. Who knows… the people who were there are no longer here. The pre-sale estimate is $125,000-$150,000. Click here for more info and here for more from RM at Amelia.
Offered by Historics Auctioneers | Ascot Racecourse, U.K. | March 7, 2020
Photo – Historics Auctioneers
Panhard et Levassor was one of the world’s earliest major automotive manufacturers. Their contributions to the design of the modern automobile were massive, but by the 1960s, time had taken its toll. Panhard, having dropped “et Levassor,” stopped car production in 1967. They continued to build military vehicles until the brand was merged into Arquus in 2018.
The final Panhard model was the 24. Built between 1964 and 1967, the 24 was offered as a two-door coupe or sedan. This coupe is powered by a front-mounted 848cc flat-twin that made 50 horsepower in its more aggressive form.
This car looks great in two-tone maroon and white. It’s a rare car today, especially in this shape, and it should sell for between $15,000-$19,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.
Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Palm Beach, Florida | March 20-21, 2020
Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
What we have here is the obvious love child of a Lamborghini Espada and a Reliant Scimitar. Between 1967 and 1969, Intermeccanica (who was then still building cars in Italy before a move to the US and then Canada) built 11 of these two-door shooting brake wagons.
They were powered by 7.0-liter Ford V8s and seat four. They’re very rare and very cool. Intermeccanica built some sleek sports cars around this time before moving into the replica business, where they remain today.
This example is selling at no reserve from the collection of a disgraced yoga master who fled the U.S. to avoid prosecution. The funds go to the people that were owed money by this piece of trash. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.
Offered by Bonhams | Amelia Island, Florida | March 5, 2020
Photo – Bonhams
Let’s start with the fact that this car is listed as a “circa 1897” in the catalog, which is interesting because it is powered by a 2.7-liter flat-twin. This 10 horsepower engine was first found in the Benz Dos-a-Dos of 1899. Earlier in this car’s life, before its late-1980s restoration, it was registered as an 1895. So who knows.
This Mylord-Coupe is one of three known examples. These early twin “contra-motor”Benzes are highly sought after for their increased power. The Dos-a-Dos was gone by 1902, giving way to more modern vehicles. This incredibly rare early car is expected to fetch between $500,000-$750,000. Click here for more info.
Update: Not sold.
1911 Benz 50HP Victoria by Demarest
Offered by Bonhams | Amelia Island, Florida | March 5, 2020
Photo – Bonhams
And here we have a larger, “modern” Benz. The 50HP model was introduced in 1906 and was only available to American customers here and there. According to the auction catalog, it was almost a special-order occasion in order to get one stateside.
This particular car was sold new in the US and wears American coachwork from Demarest. Power is from a 7.4-liter inline-four good for, you guessed it, 50 horsepower. It was near the upper reaches of the Benz model line, but by 1911 it had effectively been replaced. This is likely one of the last 50HP models produced, and it cost $10,000 when new.
And it’s the only known survivor of the model. Its first owner perished on the Titanic, and the car was restored in 2014. The pre-sale estimate is $400,000-$500,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams.
Offered by Bonhams | Amelia Island, Florida | March 5, 2020
Photo – Bonhams
And here we have a larger, “modern” Benz. The 50HP model was introduced in 1906 and was only available to American customers here and there. According to the auction catalog, it was almost a special-order occasion in order to get one stateside.
This particular car was sold new in the US and wears American coachwork from Demarest. Power is from a 7.4-liter inline-four good for, you guessed it, 50 horsepower. It was near the upper reaches of the Benz model line, but by 1911 it had effectively been replaced. This is likely one of the last 50HP models produced, and it cost $10,000 when new.
And it’s the only known survivor of the model. Its first owner perished on the Titanic, and the car was restored in 2014. The pre-sale estimate is $400,000-$500,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams.
