Tag Archives: convertible

Raindrop Caddy

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1958 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Raindrop Prototype

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Fort Worth, Texas | May 2, 2015

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

The third generation Cadillac Eldorado was new for 1957. Back in these days, car manufacturers were making styling changes for every model year. It’s when Detroit was king and the money was a-flowin’. This car is a very special Cadillac – not only is it an Eldorado Biarritz, it is a GM factory prototype.

It started life as a 1958 Eldorado Biarritz, the top trim of Cadillac’s halo model. GM updated it with many upcoming 1959 features, including the over-the-top tail fins that made the ’59 Caddy so iconic. The interior is one-of-a-kind but the engine is a standard Series 62 335 horsepower 6.0-liter V-8.

It’s a boat, for sure, but it has a very special feature, dubbed “Raindrop.” The system uses a humidity sensor that detects water in top-down driving. When a few drops trip the sensor, the top of the trunk separates and slides away, allowing the roof to fold up and close automatically. Even the windows roll themselves up. It’s a fascinating piece of engineering.

This car was given to Harley Earl when he retired and he used the car around Florida in his later years. It was subsequently restored and is being offered with a pre-sale estimate of $600,000-$800,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of this sale’s lineup.

Update: Sold $324,500.

Stutz Super Bearcat

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1932 Stutz DV32 Super Bearcat Convertible by Weymann

Offered by Bonhams | Amelia Island, Florida | March 12, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

We recently featured another Stutz DV32, but this one is a little sportier. The Stutz Bearcat is legendary in the world of cars – being one of the first sports cars, introduced prior to WWI. When it was introduced in 1932, the Fred Duesenberg-designed DV32 engine was a monster. And Stutz was out to recapture their sporting glory.

They stuffed a 5.3-liter straight-eight engine putting out 156 horsepower into the tiniest of chassis (at just 116 inches, which is just shy of two feet longer than an MG TD, but with double the cylinders). Look how short this car is – and how much of it is just cowl. It’s the 1932 equivalent of strapping yourself to a rocket.

The body on this car is by Weymann and it’s actually fabric (so it’s pretty light). In fact, this car still has its original skin! This is in part thanks to the meticulous care it has been given most of its life, spending long periods of time in important collections, including that of Dr. Fred Simeone. But not only is this a piece of history – it’s a usable one, having been exercised regularly by its current owner, a Stutz expert.

It can now be yours for somewhere in the neighborhood of $850,000-$1,200,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams.

Update: Sold $1,012,000.

Duesenberg J-395

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1931 Duesenberg Model J Disappearing Top Convertible Coupe by Murphy

Offered by RM Auctions | Fort Worth, Texas | May 2, 2015

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

Here is another Duesenberg from the Andrews Collection. This is also a highly desirable version. The Disappearing Top Convertible Coupe is a very attractive, very sporty body style and it was done by the Walter M. Murphy Company, the most prolific Duesenberg coachbuilder.

Unlike the car we featured a week ago, this is an un-supercharged Model J, meaning that the 6.9-liter straight-eight puts on “only” 265 horsepower. This car has an interesting history as, for a large portion of its life, it was in collection of Pacific Auto Rentals – who provided cars for movies. This car has a number of credits to its name, regularly showing up on screen between 1949 and the late 1970s.

In the 80s, it became part of the Imperial Palace Collection and was eventually acquired by Dean Kruse of Kruse Auctions. It has been in the Andrews Collection likely since 2008, when it sold at an RM sale for $2,640,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $3,520,000.

Update: Sold, RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island 2023, $4,295,000.

DB5 Convertible

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1964 Aston Martin DB5 Convertible

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

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Yes, this is an Aston Martin DB5 Convertible. “But aren’t Aston convertibles called ‘Volantes?'” Well yes, but not until 1965. So this is the last time they used “convertible.” The DB5 is, perhaps, the most iconic Aston Martin, as it was the Goldfinger car. So what happens when you take a beautiful, iconic car and cut the roof off? You make it even better.

They’re powered by a 282 horsepower 4.0-liter straight-six mated to the rear wheels with a five-speed manual. The gorgeous body is by Touring and this one spent most of its life in the U.K. until 2013 when it was imported into the U.S. The car was never restored but has been repainted (in 1995). It has 90,265 miles on it and shows very well.

Only 1,021 DB5s were built and of those, only 123 were convertibles, making this exceedingly rare. Everything is correct and it should sell for between $1,400,000-$1,700,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams in Arizona.

Update: Not sold.

Duesenberg J-173

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1929 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Sedan by Murphy

Offered by Gooding & Company | Pebble Beach, California | August 16-17, 2014

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

Yay! Finally a Duesenberg at auction – it’s been a while. In fact, this is the only Duesenberg being offered during the Pebble Beach-weekend sales. What is fantastic about this Model J is that it is all-original.

The 6.9-liter straight-eight puts out 265 horsepower at a low-revving 4,200 rpm. This thing is just a big, tall-geared locomotive. And it was about the most luxurious thing you could buy in 1929. This car was bodied by Murphy, Duesenberg’s most-popular coachbuilder. The convertible sedan is both elegant and sporty, and it was the most-popular style.

First used as a demonstrator, J-173 has bounced between owners recently after spending 60 years in the same family. It’s remarkably original and a natural shoo-in for any preservation class awards you would want to win. You can buy it for between $1,350,000-$1,750,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Gooding & Company.

Update: Did not sell.

Packard Super Eight

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1940 Packard Custom Super Eight One-Eighty Convertible Sedan by Darrin

Offered by RM Auctions | Plymouth, Michigan | July 26, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

The Packard 180, as it is sometimes known, is more correctly called a Custom Eight Super One-Eighty. The model was new for 1940 and was Packard’s top-of-the-line offering. The chassis and engine were the same as the One-Sixty, but the One-Eighty was more luxurious. It was essentially a replacement for the ultra-grand Twelve.

The engine is a 5.8-liter straight-eight making 160 horsepower (which was more than Cadillac’s V-8 in 1940). A number of different bodies were offered, but Howard “Dutch” Darrin’s are perhaps the nicest of all Packards produced immediately prior to WWII. This four-door Convertible Sedan is quite a bit rarer than any of its two-door counterparts. It is estimated that less than 20 Convertible Sedans like the one you see here were built and only nine remain.

This car was sold new in Illinois. The restoration was completed in 1994 and the car was soon acquired by Otis Chandler. It now comes from the Richard & Linda Kughn collection with a pre-sale estimate of $225,000-$300,000. It’s incredibly rare and one of the more gorgeous four-door sedans you will ever see. You can see more here and check our more from this sale here.

Update: Sold $236,500.

Frazer Manhattan Convertible

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1951 Frazer Manhattan Convertible

Offered by Auctions America | Auburn, Indiana | May 10, 2014

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

The Kaiser-Frazer Corporation built some cool and interesting cars after World War II. The Manhattan Convertible was among the coolest. 1951 would be the last year for Frazer automobiles, while Kaiser would continue making passenger cars through 1955.

The Manhattan was introduced for the 1947 model year and for 1951, it received all-new styling. 1951 Frazer production was over before 1951 even began (it ended in October 1950). The engine is standard Frazer 3.7-liter straight-six making 115 horsepower.

Production for the 1951 Manhattan totaled only 283 units – and only 131 of those were the large, four-door convertible version that you see here. No one makes four-door convertibles anymore, which is a shame as they are really cool. Wouldn’t a drop-top Accord or Taurus be awesome? The price for this car should be between $50,000-$70,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Auctions America on their home turf.

Update: Sold $27,500.

Duesenberg SJ-494

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1934 Duesenberg Model SJ Convertible Sedan by LeBaron

Offered by RM Auctions | Amelia Island, Florida | March 8, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

Another beautiful Duesenberg for sale at another top auction. This is a supercharged Model J (or “SJ”) and it is one done originally by Duesenberg – as many Model Js have been converted to this more desirable variant years later.

These cars would do speeds approaching 140 mph – which is insane considering it was 1934. Power was up to 320 with the supercharger attached to the 6.9-liter straight-eight engine. This car lost its supercharger at one point and has a dual-carb setup on it, good for almost 400 horsepower. Could you imagine doing 150 mph in this car!?

The car was owned by it’s first lady owner for about 10 years, appearing in a film during that time. It has had many owner since – including a former president of the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Club. The restoration is old but the car holds up incredibly well. This is the only LeBaron Convertible Sedan attached to an SJ – if you thought it wasn’t rare enough already.

Pre-sale estimate is $1,500,000-$1,750,000 and you can find out more here and see more form RM in Amelia Island here.

Update: Sold $1,567,500.

1970 Corvette ZR1 Convertible

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1970 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Convertible

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 25, 2014

1970 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Convertible

We featured an ultra-rare ZR2 Corvette a few weeks ago and here we have its cousin, the ZR1. The ZR1 name is common today as two more ZR1 models have been produced since (in the early 90s and late 2000s). The original ZR1 is the most valuable as very few were made.

The ZR1 option package was available for 1970, 1971, and 1972 only. It was essentially a small block version of the L88. The engine is a 5.7-liter V-8 rated at 370 horsepower (the most powerful small block Corvette you could buy in those years). It also came with heavy duty brakes, transmission, and suspension. Because the car was sold as “race ready,” you could not get air conditioning, power windows, power steering or a radio (among other things).

Restored in 2011, this ZR1 is one of those very rare muscle cars that bring so much money. Only 53 ZR1s were built in total, 25 of them in 1970. And only a mere handful were drop-tops. This is an easy $100,000-$125,000 car. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Mecum’s Kissimmee lineup.

Update: Sold $130,000.

Duesenbeg J-391

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1930 Duesenberg Model J Torpedo Berline Convertible by Murphy

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 24, 2014

1930 Duesenberg Model J Torpedo Berline Convertible by Murphy

Duesenbergs were cars for the rich – and famous. This is one of many Duesenbergs that had famous owners. It was sold new to the undersecretary of the Navy, Gene Markey (he isn’t the celebrity I was thinking of, however).

It passed through a number of owners in the 1940s and by the end of the decade it had been acquired by James Talmadge – son of Buster Keaton. In 1952, he traded the car straight up for an MG to famous actor Tyrone Power. Power owned it until his death, at which point it ended up in the hands of J.B. Nethercutt. From his collection it found its way into Bill Harrah’s.

The restoration was carried out in 1986 by a private owner in Indianapolis. He sold it to the Imperial Palace Collection in 1991. The engine is the standard Duesenberg straight-eight making 265 horsepower and 374 lb-ft of torque. The convertible sedan body is by Murphy. This car can be yours for over a million dollars. Click here for more info and here for more from Mecum in Kissimmee.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $1,400,000.

Update: Sold, Mecum Monterey 2014: $1,425,000.