April 2013 Auction Round-Up

We’ll start with Mecum’s Houston sale which included our featured, all-original Mercury Voyager wagon, which failed to sell. Our featured pair of NASCAR-themed Mercury Cyclone Spoiler IIs both sold – the Yarborough Special bringing $26,000, while the Gurney special only brought $22,000. Top sale went to this 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429 Fastback for $220,000.

1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429 Fastback photo 1970FordMustangBoss429Fastback_zps5e9a2272.jpg

And from the “anything can show up at one of these sales” file, this 1972 Toyota Corona Mark II Wagon, which sold for $8,500. For full results, click here.

1972 Toyota Corona Mark II Wagon photo 1972ToyotaCoronaMarkIIWagon_zpsa6099b8d.jpg

On to Barrett-Jackson’s annual Palm Beach sale. Our featured Opel GT sold for $6,050. I was right on with my “how to buy a foreign sports coupe on the cheap” comment. Our featured Dodge D-100 Sweptside pickup brought $73,700. The top (real) sale was this 1968 Shelby GT500 Convertible for $330,000. (I say “real” because cars sold for charity always bring inflated results. There are no brand-new Corvette convertibles worth $1 million. Not even serial #001. Rich people pay big money for these cars to get a tax write off… I mean “to donate to a good cause”).

1968 Shelby GT500 Convertible photo 1968ShelbyGT500Convertible_zps67206b45.jpg

If I had to pick an “interesting sale” I would go with this gorgeous 1956 DeSoto Fireflite Sportsman that sold for $40,150 – which is a good price for a car that looks this good. Check out complete results here.

1956 DeSoto Fireflite Sportsman photo 1956DeSotoFirefliteSportsman_zpse7f0f12b.jpg

Next up was H&H’s sale at the Imperial War Museum in England. Top sale went to this 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing for $1,021,000.

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL photo 1955Mercedes-Benz300SL_zps44f99fcd.jpg

Our featured Jaguar XJ220 Prototype failed to sell. “Interesting results” honors are split between two cars. First this 1969 Mazda Luce R130 Coupe sold for $25,500.

1969 Mazda Luce R130 Coupe photo 1969MazdaLuceR130Coupe_zpsd53e65b9.jpg

And finally, this 1989 Eltrans Mini-El sold for $2,200. Check out full results here.

1989 Eltrans Mini-El photo 1989EltransMini-El_zpsca2f5df3.jpg

Next up is Mecum’s Kansas City sale. Our featured Mitsubishi 3000GT Convertible conversion sold for $14,500. Interesting sales were led by this affordable and attractive 1969 Mercury Cyclone Fastback for $12,250.

1969 Mercury Cyclone Fastback photo 1969MercuryCycloneFastback_zps5135ffa8.jpg

Top sale went to this 1936 Ahrens-Fox BT Fire Truck. Early Ahrens-Fox fire engines are some of the most collectible fire trucks out there. This one sold for $125,000 (yes, I realize the photo shows it crossing the block for $135,000). Check out full results here.

1936 Ahrens-Fox BT Fire Truck photo 1936Ahrens-FoxBTFireTruck_zps65010ff9.jpg

Next up is the Don Davis Collection, which was offered at no reserve by RM Auctions on April 27. The top sale went to this 1967 Ferrari 330 GTS for $1,936,000. Pictured below that was a million-dollar car (just barely): a 1965 Shelby Cobra 289 which brought $1,001,000.

1967 Ferrari 330 GTS photo ScreenHunter_04_zpsea32638e.jpg

1965 Shelby Cobra 289 photo ScreenHunter_05_zpsf4ab5723.jpg

Our featured Toyota 2000GT brought an eye-popping $1,155,000 – surely a world record for a Japanese car at auction. Anther feature car, the Porsche 356 by Drauz, sold for $137,500. This 1955 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing sold for $1,237,500.

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL photo 1955Mercedes-Benz300SL_zps9f2627c4.jpg

Other feature cars that sold included a pair of Chryslers. First, the Newport Dual-Cowl Indy 500 Pace Car sold for $880,000. Then the GS-1 Special by Ghia brought $616,000. This 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spider sold for $1,650,000.

1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spider photo 1973Ferrari365GTB4DaytonaSpider_zps73f93d7f.jpg

Our final two feature cars are the F-Code Ford Thunderbird which sold for $198,000. And the BMW M1 went for $ 242,000. Check out complete results here.

Now we move on to Auctions America’s 2013 Spring Carlisle sale. The top sale (by a recent margin) went to this 1959 Chevrolet Corvette Big Brake Fuelie for $148,500.

1959 Chevrolet Corvette Big Brake Fuelie photo 1959ChevroletCorvetteBigBrakeFuelie_zpsa16ae50f.jpg

Finally, Bonhams sale at the RAF Museum in Hendon, U.K. The top sale there was a 1955 Jaguar XK140 Drophead Coupe for $194,500.

1955 Jaguar XK140 Drophead Coupe photo 1955JaguarXK140DropheadCoupe_zps0da2f79b.jpg

The most interesting car at this sale was this 1917 Fiat 15/20hp Tipo 2B Wagonette. I love the dually rear wheels. It sold for $34,000. Our featured AC Royal brought $26,900. Click here for full results.

1917 Fiat 15/20hp Tipo 2B Wagonette photo 1917Fiat15-20hpTipo2BWagonette_zps84cbc668.jpg

Ex-Le Mans Ferrari 340/375

1953 Ferrari 340/375 MM Berlinetta Competizione by Pinin Farina

Offered by RM Auctions | Lake Como, Italy | May 25, 2013

1953 Ferrari 340 375 MM Berlinetta Competizione by Pinin Farina

This Ferrari 375 MM was one of the first 375 MMs built by Ferrari. It was constructed early in 1953 to be ready in time for the 1953 World Sportscar Championship. The 375 road car was an evolution of the 340 but for the race cars, a special 340/375MM was built – meaning it had the proven, competitive chassis of the 340 with the new, more powerful 375 engine.

That engine is a 340 horsepower 4.5-liter V12 that came straight from Ferraris Formula One car (this car was originally fitted with a 4.1-liter V12 but had the engine switched by the factory prior to the 1953 Spa 24 Hours). The body was designed and built by Pinin Farina. Three of these such cars were built and the one you are looking at was driven and raced by legends. It’s competition history includes:

  • 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans – 56th, disqualified even though it ran well (with Giuseppe Farina and Mike Hawthorn)
  • 1953 Spa 24 Hours – 4th, not running at finish (with Alberto Ascari and Luigi Villoresi)
  • 1953 Pescara 12 Hours – 1st (with Hawthorn and Umberto Maglioli)
  • 1953 Carrera Panamericana – 6th (with Maglioli, Forese Salviati and Mario Ricci)

The car passed between owners, spending time in American and British collections before the current owner acquired it in 2004. It has been professionally restored to its 1953 Le Mans livery. No estimate was available as I wrote this as the lot description had yet to be published. The last one of these (of the three made) that came up for sale failed to meet its reserve in 2005 at $3.5 million. Expect more. Click here for more info and here for more from RM at Villa Erba.

Update: Sold $12,812,800.

March 2013 Auction Round-Up

The first auction that happened in March was Bonham’s Oxford sale. Top sale went to this 1968 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Re-Creation that was converted from an original 1968 Ferrari 365GT. It sold for $382,700. A real 250 GT would’ve brought much more.

Other interesting cars included this 1975 Lotus Elan +2S 103/5 Coupe, which for $15,600, seems like a bargain for a Lotus Elan.

Our feature cars both sold. First, the 1922 Benjamin cyclecar brought $29,500. And the Charron Charronette sold for $12,150. Other cool cars included this 1927 McLaughlin-Buick Model 28.496 Master Six Tourer. It sold for $90,200.

This 1989 Royale Sabre Roadster was a throwback car built in the U.K. in the early 1990s based around a late 1980s Ford. It’s definitely interesting for $5,200.

And finally, this 1918 De Dion-Bouton Model HD 15CV 2.9-Litre Charabanc may not have been too expensive. It also wasn’t the cheapest car at the sale. But for the sheer number of doors on this thing, it qualifies as interesting. It could’ve been yours for $13,800. Click here for full results.

Next up was Gooding’s sale at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. The top sale there was this 1928 Bentley 4.25-Litre Semi-Le Mans Tourer for $2,750,000.

Among our four feature cars, only the Aston Martin Short Chassis Volante failed to sell. Of the two Duesenbergs, the Model JN brought $594,000 and the Model J brought $462,000. One interesting car was this 1938 H.R.G. Airline Coupe with coachwork by A. Crofts. It sold for $253,000.

The rest of our highlights are all million-dollar cars, most of them Ferraris. At the low end, a 1969 365 GTC brought $1,072,500.

Then there was the 1966 275 GTS for $1,127,500 followed by a 1995 F50 for $1,375,000 (second below).

Two similar million dollar Ferraris – see if you can tell the difference (for $750,000). First, a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 for $1,650,000 (first below). Then, a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Long Nose Alloy for $2,365,000. They look identical but aren’t (obviously).

Our featured Fiat 8V Supersonic brought $1,760,000. The final million dollar car was this 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Derby Speedster with coachwork by Brewster. It brought $1,980,000. Full results can be found here.

Then we move on to RM Auctions’ sale also held at Amelia Island. The top sale was out featured Duesenberg SJ by Walker-LaGrande for $4,510,000. Our featured Pegaso was the only one of our feature cars that failed to sell. As is normally the case, the million-dollar club featured a few Ferraris including a 1965 275 GTB (below) for $1,375,000 and a 1952 225 Sport Tuboscocca by Vignale for $1,237,500.

The only other million dollar cars were our featured Lozier, which more than doubled the lower end of its estimate and sold for $1,100,000. The other was this 1933 Stutz DV32 Convertible Victoria by Rollston which sold for $1,512,500.

Interesting sales were highlighted by this gorgeous 1947 Delahaye 135 MS Coupe by Langenthal that I so desperately wanted to feature but ran out of time. It sold for $330,000.

A couple of our older feature cars were the Derham Tourster Duesenberg for $825,000. And the beautiful Hispano-Suiza Transformable Torpedo brought $495,000. This 1929 Isotta-Fraschini Tipo 8A Convertible Sedan by Floyd-Derham sold for $473,000.

The three oldest cars we featured all sold. First, the Tribelhorn Electric brought $77,000. The unrestored Locomobile sold for $176,000. And the big, brilliant Austin Touring car sold for $379,500 – shy of its estimate. There were a trio of rare Cord L-29s at this sale and these two were very interesting. First, this 1930 L-29 Sport Cabriolet by Voll & Ruhrbeck sold for $990,000.

Then there was this 1929 L-29 Town Car by d’Ieteren Freres that sold for $154,000. Our featured Marmon Two-Door Prototype sold for $407,000. Check out full results here.

Now on to Osenat’s auction, where the top sale was a 1936 Cord 810 Sportsman convertible, of which there was no reasonably good picture I could snag. It sold for $129,000. Both of our feature cars sold. The Darracq-Italiana brought $32,985 while the the Voisin Flatbed Prototype sold for $23,220. The other most interesting car was another Voisin prototype, a 1956 Biscooter C31 Prototype with bodywork I haven’t seen before. It brought $25,800. Check out full results here.

And finally, Auctions America’s Ft. Lauderdale sale. Our featured Ron Fellows Edition Corvette sold for $52,800. Our featured Baldwin Motion Phase III Corvette brought $136,400. The 1977 Panther DeVille did not sell. Top sale went to a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL that sold for $880,000, which sounds like a new high sale for Auctions America.

Our other feature car, the Lexus LFA, sold for $319,000. Other cool cars included this 1960 Chevrolet Nomad for $26,400.

And finally, this 1963 Ford Galaxie 500 Factory Lightweight sold for $106,700. Check out full results here.

Artcurial Retromobile 2013 Highlights

Artcurial’s sale at Retromobile in Paris had way too many interesting cars to be able to feature them all here on this site. We covered some of them – the Talbot-Lago T150C we featured was the stop sale at $1,861,738. The second-highest selling car was the Duesenberg we featured from this sale at $1,319,888. The oldest car in the sale, our featured 1898 Fisson, sold for $311,050. The second-oldest car in the sale was this 1908 Hispano-Suiza 12/15HP Double Phaeton for $72,831.

The other Hispano-Suiza in the sale, our featured H6C by Saoutchik, sold for $424,849. The only other million-dollar car was this 1962 Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet for $1,077,481.

One exceptionally rare car was this 1975 Bentley Corniche Convertible. While the Rolls-Royce Corniche is well-known, the sister Bentley version is very rare, with only 77 convertibles built. It sold for $133,524.

Other interesting cars included two wonderful French cars from the 1940s. First, a 1949 Citroen 15-Six Traction Avant Cabriolet by Worblaufen (below). It sold for $242,771. Then there was the 1946 Talbot-Lago T26 Record Cabriolet (second below) for $455,195.

The coolest American car in this sale (of the few that were offered) was a 1955 Chrysler ST Special Coupe by Ghia. It sold for $273,117.

The rest of our highlights are French cars (French auction house + French auction location = lots of French rarity). Our feature C.G. 548 failed to sell. This 1928 Voisin  C11 (below) did sell – for $103,177. And finally, this 1935 Bugatti Type 57 Cabriolet by Vanvooren (second below) brought $746,472. Check out complete results here.

Gooding & Company Scottsdale 2013 Highlights

Auctions held by Gooding & Company are usually packed with the highest quality examples available of a wide variety of cars. Yes, some are even affordable. They only hold three sales a year but they are always mind-blowing in their scope and quality. This was no exception. The top sale was a 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider for $8,250,000.

1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider

The second, third, fourth, and fifth top sellers were all feature cars here on the site. The Porsche RSK went for $3,135,000. The one-off Maserati 150 GT Spider sold for $3,080,000. That downright gothic Mercedes 500K Cabriolet A was sold for $2,750,000. And the Duesenberg from this sale sold for $2,695,000. Next up was a 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe Speciale by Pinin Farina for $2,365,000.

1958 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe Speciale by Pinin Farina

Our featured Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux sold for $451,000 and this 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Atalante went for $2,035,000.

1938 Bugatti Type 57C Atalante

The next two cars on the million-dollar list were a 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster for $1,540,000 and a 2003 Ferrari Enzo for $1,485,000.

1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster

2003 Ferrari Enzo

Then there was a wonderful 1932 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Series V Gran Sport by Zagato that sold for $1,375,000. Our featured Ferrari F50 sold for the same price.

1932 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Series V GS

The final million-dollar car was a 1965 Shelby Cobra 289 Roadster that brought $1,320,000.

1965 Shelby Cobra 289

Our featured White Yellowstone Park Bus was withdrawn from the auction. And the Cisitalia 202 we featured sold for $650,000. The interesting cars front included this 1960 Abarth 850 Record Monza for $89,100.

1960 Abarth 850 Record Monza

And, last but not least, this 1926 Hispano-Suiza H6B Tourer sold for $363,000 – well above it’s high estimate of $200,000. Check out complete results here.

1926 Hispano-Suiza H6B Tourer

RM in Arizona Highlights

RM’s 2013 sale in Phoenix, Arizona had some impressive results: the top sale was our featured Ferrari 250 GT Competizione for $8,140,000. Second place went to my favorite type of Shelby Cobra, a 1967 427 S/C. It brought $2,007,500.

1967 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C

There were a handful of other million dollar cars. Two of them were Ferrari 275s. First (first below) was a 1967 275 GTB/4 for $1,842,500. The other (second below) is a 1966 275 GTB, which sold for $1,320,000.

1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/r

Our featured Delahaye 135 MS by Figoni et Falaschi sold for $1,540,000 while our featured Lamborghini 350GT failed to sell. Another of our feature cars, the Duesenberg Model J Derham Tourster, sold for $1,320,000. Two more Ferraris rounded out the million dollar club. First, a 2004 Enzo brought $1,320,000. Then there was this 1954 250 Europa for $1,017,500.

2003 Ferrari Enzo

1954 Ferrari 250 Europa

Other interesting results included this 1953 Allard JR “Le Mans” Roadster which sold for $605,000.

1953 Allard JR 'Le Mans' Roadster

And finally, this kind of lumpy-looking 1959 Lister-Chevrolet. It sold for $528,000.

Our featured Pierce-Arrow Touring sold for $181,500. Check out complete results here.

Ferrari F50

1995 Ferrari F50

Offered by Gooding & Company | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 18, 2013

1995 Ferrari F50

Photo – Gooding & Company

You’re looking at my favorite supercar of all time. Well, at least my favorite Ferrari halo car of all time. While its predecessor, the F40, was a hard-nosed race car for the road – and its successor, the Enzo, was all business and not much style – the F50 was less about track times and more about celebrating 50 years of Ferrari and being outrageous in the 1990s. Mission accomplished.

This F50, #71 of 349, was delivered new to Roger Penske. It has only covered 655 miles in its life, making it almost brand new. Built from 1995 through 1997, the F50 used a 4.7-liter V12 making 513 horsepower. It could hit 202 mph and 60 in 3.7 seconds. The performance was astonishing for the mid-90s and the eccentric looks were like nothing else on the road. But you can still see hints of the F40 in there, which is quite an accomplishment for something so unlike most other Ferraris.

This like-new example comes with its factory hard top and is one of 302 Rosso Corsa F50s built and one of only 56 U.S.-spec cars delivered. The suggested retail price for an F50 in 1995 was right round $500,000 and they have appreciated since day one. This one should sell for between $800,000-$1,000,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of the Gooding auction lineup.

Update: Sold $1,375,000.

Ferrari 250 Competizione

1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione by Scaglietti

Offered by RM Auctions | Phoenix, Arizona | January 18, 2013

1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione by Scaglietti

This Ferrari 250 GT is a short-wheelbase competition model that was meant to tear up racetracks all over the world. Except this one never did. The original owner just wanted one hell of a daily driver – and that’s what makes the 250 GT SWB Berlinetta so great: it’s balance of race-bred speed and agility and exceptional road manners.

As a “Competizione” model, this car was outfitted with aluminium bodywork from Scaglietti and a race-tuned 3.0-liter Colombo V12 engine pushing out 280 horsepower. This model is one of the best proportioned 250 coupes you can buy.

At one point in its life, this car had a Ferrari Testa Rossa V12 implanted in it, but when it was restored, the original engine was re-installed. The restoration was on-going for years, finishing up in 2010. Ownership history is known from new (it’s a four owner car). Only 72 aluminium-bodied SWB Competizione cars were built, this is #17. RM didn’t publish an auction estimate but prices should be in the $5 million range. Click here for more info and here for more from RM in Arizona.

Update: Sold $8,140,000.

One-Off Ferrari 365 GTC

1967 Ferrari 365 GTC Speciale

Offered by Bonhams | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 17, 2013

1967 Ferrari 365 GTC Speciale

This is an interesting car. It is a one-off Ferrari built specifically for the head of Pirelli. On the rear of the car, it says “330 GTC” but the chassis lists it as a “365 GTC,” which didn’t technically go on sale until 1968.

Here’s what happened: Leopoldo Pirelli, President of the tire company the bears his name,  wanted a 330 GTC – but he knew the model was at the end of its road. So he asked Enzo Ferrari to fit it with the engine from the forthcoming 365 GTC and custom made five-spoke Campagnolo magnesium alloy wheels – the first Ferrari ever built with this style wheel (they showed up on a lot of cars after this). So what Pirelli got was basically a prototype vehicle – a 330 GTC fitted with next year’s engine. Ferrari would have called it a “Speciale.”

The engine is a 4.4-liter 320 horsepower V12. The car has been mechanically restored and has been shown at a variety of museums. Only 150 365 GTCs were built and this is the first one – and the only one like it. It can be yours for $400,000-$500,000. Click here for more info. And here for more from Bonhams in Scottsdale.

Update: Sold $885,000.

November Auction Round-Up

Of the auctions held in November 2012, the first – Bonhams’ Veteran Motor Cars Sale on November 2nd – was by far the most interesting. The top sale was our featured 1904 Delaugère & Clayette for $361,000. The second and third highest selling cars were also feature cars here on the site: the 1904 Richard-Brasier for $358,000 and the 1904 Wilson-Pilcher for $325,000. Other interesting sales included this 1903 Gladiator 10hp Twin-Cylinder Side-Entrance Tonneau for $298,000.

Then there was this 1903 Vauxhall 5hp Two-Seater. It is the oldest known Vauxhall in existence. It sold for $151,000.

This 1900 Darracq 6.5hp Four-Seat Voiturette sold for $137,000.

Our other feature car was the 1903 Barré Tonneau. It sold for $214,000. We also featured the 1895 Buffum Stanhope – the world’s first four-cylinder car. It didn’t sell at its original auction, but sold here for $182,000. For complete results, click here.

Artcurial’s November 11th sale in Paris included our featured Siata Spring that sold for $15,900. The top sale was a 1974 Lancia Stratos Group 4 Rally Car in Alitalia livery. It sold for $458,000. Complete results are here.

Back to Bonhams for their November 14th sale at Harrogate, Great Yorkshire Showground. The top sale was this 1965 Ferrari 330GT 2+2 that was in, uh, “driver condition.” Apparently it had been restored about 30 years ago but it needs a little work to be perfect. Looks pretty cool as is though. It sold for $108,000.

Interesting cars included our featured Panther J72 that sold for $35,500. And this 1933 MG J2/J4 sold for $71,100.

Also interesting: this 1925 AC Royal 11.9hp that brought $20,900.

And for something really different, this 1951 Guy Otter Pantechnicon moving van. I’m not sure what you’d do with it, other than help your buddies move, but it’s old and pretty cool. It sold for $19,100.

Our featured Metz Model 25 Tourer sold for $13,600. You can find complete results here. Our next stop is Anaheim, California and Mecum’s November 15-17 sale. Our featured Factory Five GTM failed to sell. Top sale went to this 1932 Ford “McMullen” Roadster. It’s a fairly iconic hot rod built by Tom McMullen beginning in 1958. The flame design is by Ed “Big Daddy” Roth. The car has popped up everywhere and sold for a serious $700,000.

A car we featured for Mecum’s Monterey Sale (that failed to sell) was brought back for this west coast auction and sold. It was the Duesenberg J-306 Willoughby Limousine and it sold for $370,000. Other interesting cars included this 1982 Jaguar XJS Koenig Special – a car tuned in 1986 new by Koenig for over $100,000. Only 14 were built. This one cost $13,500 today.

This super-gorgeous 2003 Aston Martin DB AR1 is a DB7-based production car from Aston that was designed by Zagato. Only 99 were built and it sold for $125,000 – about $100,000 less than when it was new.

And the final car from this sale, a 1942 Dodge W56 Command Car – a U.S. military vehicle from WWII. It sold for $28,000. Complete results for this sale can be found here.

And finally, Silverstone Auctions’ NEC Classic Motor Show Sale was held on November 17th as well. The top sale went to this 1960 Aston Martin DB4 Series II for $356,000.

Our featured Ferrari 512TR sold for $83,700. And one of the more interesting cars at the auction was this 1986 Ford RS200. It was the second-highest selling car at $164,000. Complete results can be found here.