Tag Archives: convertible

1952 Kleinschnittger F125

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1952 Kleinschnittger F125 Convertible

Offered by Auctions America, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, March 16-18, 2012

This Kleinschnittger (we recommend not trying to say that three times fast as you might actually injure yourself) is one of a handful of rare, interesting post-war European microcars that will cross the block at Auctions America’s Ft. Lauderdale event in March of 2012.

The model is an F125, the 125 standing for the 125cc single-cylinder engine (two-stroke) outputting a sporty 5.4 horsepower (that decimal is very important). A three-speed transmission will propel this 367 pound roadster to a blistering 43 mph.

In all seriousness, this car is quite interesting because not very many survive of the less than 3,000 that were built. There was an F250 follow-up model with a 250cc engine.

Kleinschnittger only existed between 1950 and 1957 in Germany so their cars never really had the chance to make a huge impact on the world. This car is small and cute – two characteristics that have proven to sell strongly at recent auctions. Christie’s sold one (back when they were still selling cars in 1997) for about $22,000. My guess is somewhere between $20,000 and $30,000. It’s in really nice shape and, well, apparently they don’t come up for auction but every 15 years.

Find out more about it here and more about Auctions America in Ft. Lauderdale, here.

Update: Sold $44,000.

1913 AC Sociable

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1913 AC Sociable Runabout

Offered by Coys | “True Greats,” London, U.K. | December 7, 2011

Autocars and Accessories Ltd. was founded by the Weller Brothers who initially produced a three-wheeled delivery vehicle called the Autocarrier. When they decided to sell it to the emerging motoring public as a passenger vehicle, the replaced the cargo box with a front seat and the AC Sociable was born.

AC produced approximately 1800 Sociables from 1907 through 1914. It is powered by a single-cylinder engine of about 630cc that sits below the driver who sits in the lone seat at the car’s rear. This car has a somewhat perplexing convertible top that can be raised over the passenger compartment. It’s purpose, one could suppose, would be to block the sun – as it does not reach the small half-windshield, therefore not really protecting anyone from the elements.

Curiously, it also obscures the vision of the driver. This picture:

shows that, perhaps if the correct height, the operator could see through the porthole window to drive (assuming the passengers aren’t large enough to cover it up), but their vision is still quite limited. It’s an interesting car, no doubt. But it also showcases that we’ve come a long way so far as ergonomics are concerned.

Coys estimates the price to be between £18,000 and £22,000 ($28,000-$34,000 USD). More info on the car can be found here. And more info on the auction here.

Update: Sold £25,370, or about $40,300.

1967 Jaguar E-Type

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1967 Jaguar E-Type Series I 4.2-Liter Roadster

Offered by RM Auctions, Phoenix, Arizona, January 19-20, 2012

One of the most iconic automotive designs of all time, the Jaguar E-Tpye recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. This Series 1 Roadster is equipped with the 4.2-liter straight six that was introduced to the line in October of 1964. The engine produced 265 horsepower, making this car a serious performer in its day.

1967 was the final year for the Series 1 before it became the series 1.5, which carried the same body style with slight modifications. This transitional model was built until the introduction of the Series 2 in 1969. Total production for Series 1 convertibles was 6,749.

Enzo Ferrari called the E-Type “the most beautiful car ever made” and he is not the only person to think so. E-Types come up for auction regularly. Look for this to catch a price right around $90,000-$100,000, the average for a Series I at auction over the past few years.

More info on this car is available here and more on RM in Arizona here.

Update: Not Sold.

Bristol Beaufighter

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1988 Bristol Beaufighter Convertible

Offered by Bonhams | Harrogate, U.K. | November 16, 2011

Again, as this is a Bonhams lot, not the actual picture. This is a random Beaufighter that looks to be in better condition than the one coming up for auction, which is a sort of sea green.

Bristol is as English as English car firms come. They haven’t published production figures since the early 80s and even then it was a tick over 100 cars per year. Production as been suspended as of early 2011 – but there was a time when people were buying these cars – and that’s when they would be built.

The Beaufighter was a slightly re-styled 412, a model introduced in 1975. It featured an updated engine, in this case a turbocharged 5.9 liter Chrysler V8 making the car capable of 150 mph. The body was by Zagato, as was the 412, the main difference being the four headlights on the Beaufighter versus two headlights on the 412. Production ceased in 1993 after 11 years.

The original price of this car was £40,000 in 1988, a far cry from the pre-sale estimate of £6,000-£8,000. The fact that this car has been in storage for 10 years is not helping its value. Bristol cars are rare enough as it is, so they don’t come up for auction that often. Bonhams sold a red Beaufighter similar to the one pictured above for £12,000 back in 2009 and that car was in much better condition. Then again, there are Beaufighter for sale in private hands that are asking almost as much as their price when new. Compared to that, this car is a bargain, but who knows what sort of maintenance and repair costs lay in wait.

Check out the auction lot here. And more about the auction here.

Update: Not Sold.