1959 DB Panhard HBR5 Coupe

Offered by Artcurial | Le Mans, France | July 5, 2014

Photo – Artcurial

Charles Deutsch and Rene Bonnet began building cars together in 1938. Based near Paris, the 24 Hours of Le Mans became their goal, and in the 1950s, their cars competed there numerous times. This very car raced there three different years.

Their HBR series of cars were produced between 1954 and 1959 and they built several hundred of them with different engines available. This car has a very unique – almost aircraft-like – two-panel windscreen. It had a few engines over the years (depending on which class it was competing in at Le Mans) and was last raced with an 848cc flat-twin. It’s competition history includes:

1959 24 Hours of Le Mans – 31st, DNF (with Alejandro de Tomaso and Colin Davis)

1960 24 Hours of Le Mans – 19th (with Robert Bourharde and Jean-Francois Jaeger)

1961 24 Hours of Le Mans – 21st (with Edgar Rollin and Rene Bartholoni)

This is a three-time factory entry at the 24 Hours. It was active in hillclimbs until 1970 and has been restored to its distinctive “Vitrine” two-windshield configuration. It should sell for between $165,000-$215,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $160,860.

1945 Deutsch-Bonnet Type DB Sport

Offered by Osenat | Fontainebleau, France | June 23, 2013

Deutsch-Bonnet (which would later become known simply as “D.B.”) began building racing cars in the late-1930s, just prior to war breaking out. They picked up right where they left off immediately after the conclusion of World War II.

This car competed in the first race held in France after the war and it was one of only two cars entered that had actually been built after the war (both were Type DBs) – and they had front-wheel drive and four-wheel independent suspension. This car uses a 2.0-liter straight-four engine.

I’ll attempt to break down this car’s complete racing record:

1945 Coupe de Paris – 6th (with René Bonnet)
1946 Grand Prix of Nice – DNF (with Bonnet)
1946 Grand Prix of Marseille – 3rd (with Bonnet)
1946 Coupe de la Ville de Saint Etienne – 2nd (with Bonnet)
1946 120km Cup – 2nd (with Bonnet)
1946 Belgian Grand Prix – DNF (with Bonnet)
1946 Grand Prix de Bourgogne – DNF (with Bonnet)
1946 Cup of Nantes – DNF (with Bonnet)
1947 Coupe de Paris – DNF (with Bonnet)
1948 Coupe de Pairs – 5th (with Bonnet)
1948 12 Hours of Paris – 14th (with Bonnet)
1949 Grand Prix d’Aix-les-Bains – 3rd (with René Abbo)
1949 24 Hours of Le Mans – 24th, DNF (with Bonnet and Charles Deutsch)
1949 Grand Prix de l’ACF du Comminges – DNF (with René Simone)
1949 Côte de Bellevue – 2nd (with Simone)
1949 Coupes du Salon – 7th (with Simone)
1950 Coupe de Marseille – 2nd (with Simone)
1950 Coupes de Vitesse – 5th in class (with Simone)
1950 Mille Miglia – DNF (with Simone and Bruno Marchio)
1950 24 Hours of Le Mans – 50th, DNF (with Simone and Michel Arnaud)
1950 Grand Prix de Rouen – 2nd (with Simone)
1950 German Grand Prix (at Nurburgring) – 8th in Class (with Simone)
1950 Grand Prix of Cadours – 1st (with Simone)

It competed here and there from 1951 through 1958, but it had quite the important race history up to then. It spent the next 25 years being driven around Nice on the French Riviera. In 1974 it was purchased by the current owner who dug into the history of the car to find out what he had. Yes, he had scored big.

The chassis (chassis no. 5) is original and it is stated that so is 80% of the bodywork. The car has competed in a number of historic races including five appearances in the Le Mans Classic. It is eligible for almost every historic event and is road legal. This is one of the first race cars (actually the second) built in France (and maybe Europe) after the conclusion of the Second World War. No estimate is given so that should be a sign that it could be rather pricey. Click here for more info and for a ton of old photos. And here for the rest of Osenat’s auction lineup.

Update: Not sold.