Tag Archives: gooding & co

TVR 3000S

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1979 TVR 3000S

Offered by Gooding & Company | Amelia Island, Florida | March 9, 2012

TVR never sent many cars to the U.S. and they haven’t sent any (officially) for decades. Which is a shame because they were one of the last true volume builders of outrageous supercars.

The 3000S wasn’t quite a supercar. But back in the 1970s TVR was building British sports cars with solid performance. I don’t normally associate TVR with the likes of Triumph, MG and the like, mostly, I guess, because TVR was privately owned and managed to avoid the meltdown of the British automotive industry in the 1970s. Plus, they are rarer and command comparatively more cash.

This is actually a good looking car – just don’t dare mention the fact that it (or other British cars of similar vintage) could resemble a Datsun (trust me, I learned that the hard way). It has a 3.0 liter V-6 making 142 horsepower.

The 3000S was only in production in 1978 and 1979. Only 258 were built and of those, only  67 were left-hand drive models and only 49 of those were exported to North America. So, in a way, this car is one of 49. This car is the perfect car to buy if you want to show up at a British car show in something other than an MGB. It will definitely turn heads among those in the know. It is estimated between $40,000-$50,000. For more info click here and more on the sale here.

Update: Sold $24,200.

Gooding Scottsdale Highlights 2012

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Gooding & Company’s Scottsdale auction featured some major cars selling for some major cash – $39,833,900 all told. It was also one of the more successful auctions in recent memory, with only two cars going unsold for not meeting their reserves. Top sale at this auction was a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Alloy Gullwing. Mercedes-Benz built 29 aluminum-bodied 300SL coupes and this is number six. This is as desirable as Gullwings come and it exceeded it’s estimate by $1.5 million, selling for $4,620,000.

Also, somewhat shockingly, every car we featured here on this site from Gooding’s auction sold. The 1930 Duesenberg Model J Disappearing-Top Convertible Coupe sold for $2,640,000, which was the third highest at the sale. Second place went to the 1959 Ferrari 250GT California Spider – a car that Gooding seems to find one of for each of their sales. Where are these things coming from? It brought $3,905,000.

Other million dollar sales included the 1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV we featured a few weeks ago, selling for $1,100,000. There was also this matching-numbers 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 which sold for $1,200,000.

The final million dollar sale went to this awesome 1965 Ferrari 500 Superfast which was hammered away for $1,100,000. It’s one of only 36. It has 400 horsepower – more than just about every muscle car of its day – but the shape of it is so much sleeker than a GTO or Mustang. Super fast indeed.

Two cars that Gooding promoted heavily in the lead up to the auction also showed well. There was a brilliant green 1971 Maserati Ghibli 4.9 SS Spyder which split its pre-sale estimate, selling for $880,000.

Also, this 1969 Iso Grifo 7 Liter – one of only 66 Grifos built with the 7.0 liter V8 making more than 400 horsepower. A 1960s supercar in crazy purple paint? Yes, please. It satyed nearer its lower estimate at $352,000.

Another purple exotic was the 1927 Bugatti Type 38A Tourer by Figoni that we featured. It brought a hefty $495,000. Among our other featured cars, the 1967 Trident Clipper V8 was a steal, missing its estimate entirely and selling for $39,600. Our final feature car was an unbelievable 1937 BMW 328 which was well bought for $517,000. Another rare BMW sold there too, this 1958 507 Roadster. While not as good-looking as the car offered by RM across town, it still rang up a hefty $962,500.

Other interesting sales included a 1938 American Bantam Roadster which far exceeded its pre-sale estimate of $35,000-$55,000 and ended up selling for $90,200. Cute sells.

There was also an ultra-rare 1969 Chevrolet Corvette L88 Coupe. The car is a survivor – unrestored in Monaco Orange with less than 18,000 original miles. This was the king of Corvettes in 1969 – the L88 option got you more horsepower than a ZL1. This car was rated at 430 horsepower but likely put out more like 560. It doesn’t play around. And neither does its hammer price of $451,000.

And from the fun-file: this 1963 Volkswagen Beetle Sunroof Sedan – which sounds pretty normal from the name of it. Until you see it:

This car was featured in the film Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo. There are desirable, well-optioned Volkswagens, but people are going to recognize this one. And for $66,000 ($15,000 below it’s pre-sale estimate) it’s going to be a lot of fun. For full results click here.

Bugatti Type 38A

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1927 Bugatti Type 38A Tourer by J. Figoni

Offered by Gooding & Company | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 20-21, 2012

Photo – Gooding & Company

The Type 38 Bugatti was the second iteration of the eight-cylinder Bugatti. The first, the Type 30, was introduced in 1922. It wasn’t until 1926 that the Type 38 came about (the Type 40 was introduced that same year). There were 385 Type 38 Bugatti’s built with only 54 being the supercharged Type 38A, which featured the supercharger from the Type 37A race car.

The rather anemic supercharged 2.0 liter straight-8 engine made 60 horsepower. Only a few years later supercharged Duesenbergs would be putting out 320 horsepower – then again that was almost 7.0 liters. There’s no replacement for displacement.

This Bugatti features rather exceptional bodywork by Joseph (Giuseppe) Figoni of Figoni & Falaschi fame, although that partnership would not come to fruition for another eight years.  One thing I like about this car is that, even though it’s a 4-6 passenger (depending on size) touring car, it still has that awesome “Bugatti camber” that shows that this car means business:

Photo – Gooding & Company

These cars are rare but they aren’t quite as desirable as any Bugatti with, say, racing provenance or more sporting intentions (read: “more than 60 HP”). Gooding estimates this car at $500,000-$650,000. For more info, check out the car’s page on the auction website and more on the auction here.

Update: Sold $495,000.

1967 Trident Clipper

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1967 Trident Clipper V8

Offered by Gooding & Company | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 20-21, 2012

Photo – Gooding & Company

When TVR ran into some financial trouble in the late 60s, a dealer stepped up and took on a new prototype built on a TVR Grantura chassis with a body by Fissore. The dealer reworked the design a little bit – switching it to an Austin-Healey 3000 chassis and dropping in a 289 Ford V8.

And that is what makes a Trident Clipper. Only 29 were built with the V8 (there were about 100 built later with a V6). This car makes 271 horsepower and can hit 150 mph and 60 mph in about five seconds.

These cars have attractive styling and power to back up the somewhat menacing looks – check out how the headlights are set back into the front of the car, the outside edge wrapping around it a little bit. It’s kind of pointy and aggressive.

Trident Clippers don’t come up for sale everyday, although Hyman Ltd. in St. Louis had one for sale recently for $75,000 (it may be this same car). Fantasy Junction in Emeryville, California also had one, but that was likely more than a year ago. Gooding estimates a final sale price between $50,000 and $75,000 – which could end up being a lot cheaper than buying it off the showroom floor of a classic car dealer. For more info, click here and for more on the auction, here.

Update: Sold $39,600.

Lambo Miura P400 SV

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1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV

Offered by Gooding & Company | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 20-21, 2012

Photo – Gooding & Company

The Lamborghini Miura. There is so much to be said about this car – the way it looks, the way it performs, the legacy. This is the P400 SV model, of which 150 were built. It was the last series of Miuras built from 1971-1972.

The 4.0 liter V12 made 380 horsepower in SV form (although Gooding’s website says it makes “85” horsepower, which seems a little low). Performance was astounding for the day and quite capable for the present time. The 0-60 mph time was around 6.5 seconds, which could be bested by a handful of SUVs in today’s world but the top speed of 171 still blows most cars away (if you can keep the front wheels on the ground).

The styling, by Bertone, is like nothing else. The SV is differentiated by its lack of “eyelashes” above the front headlights. Other models featured little slits running toward the driver but the SV has a black, flat headlight enclosure. These cars are so low and swoopy that they beg to be driven – and fast. Look at those tires. They look like they came off a GT40 that just pitted at LeMans.

SV Miuras tend to be the ones you want. Prices have steadily risen over the years and now you’re going to pay $1,200,000-$1,400,000 if you want one (as this is the estimate for this car). It’s simply Italian brute and beauty combined into one awesome machine. Check out more about this car here and more about Gooding in Scottsdale here.

Update: Sold $1,100,000.

1937 BMW 328

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1937 BMW 328 Roadster

Offered by Gooding & Company | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 20-21, 2012

Photo – Gooding & Company

The BMW 328 is one of the best pre-war sports cars. It has racing pedigree, superb styling and enough power from its 2.0 liter 80 horsepower straight six to make it always entertaining. Constructed from 1936 until the war halted production in 1940, a total of 463 of these gorgeous machines were built. The 328 won its class in the 1938 Mille Miglia and won the race outright in 1940.

With less than 500 of them around, they don’t come up for sale all that often. But, it’s one of those cars that, if you’re a serious collector, you just have to have one. It is the pre-war BMW to own… in fact, it’s one of very few BMWs that are incredibly collectible (the 507 and M1 both come to mind as well).

It’s just such a wonderful design – those wheels like they came off a period truck. And white, I think, is the best color. The pre-sale estimate on this car is $500,000-$650,000. Worth it. More info here with more on the auction here.

Update: Sold $517,000.

Ferrari 250 California

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1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider

Offered by Gooding & Company | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 20-21, 2012

Photo – Gooding & Company

There are a handful of Ferrari models that stand above the rest. The 250 line contained a few of those, among them, this 250 GT California Spider. This is the long-wheelbase model that was produced from 1957 through 1959. Only 45 were built. It features a 3.0 liter V12 making 237 horsepower.

The original drop top 250 was the Pininfarina Cabriolet Series I, designed by Pininfarina (obviously). Closer to 200 of these were built, making the Scaglietti-designed California Spider much rarer.

In 1960, Scaglietti replaced the LWB California with the Short Wheelbase version and made about 55 of them (a replica SWB car was what Ferris Bueller kicked out of the window). The most expensive California to change hands was a SWB for almost $11 million back in 2008.

The pre-sale estimate on this car is $3,400,000-$3,800,000. More info on this car is available here with more on Gooding in Scottsdale, here.

Update: Sold $3,905,000.

Duesenberg J-284

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1930 Duesenberg Model J Disappearing-Top Convertible Coupe by Murphy

Offered by Gooding & Company | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 20-21, 2012

Photo – Gooding & Company

Hooray! Gooding & Co. has finally put up their catalog so we can all “ooh” and “aah” at some of the best cars money can buy. The first car we are going to feature from their 2012 Scottsdale lineup is this 1930 Duesenberg Disappearing Top Convertible.

This car is titled as a 1932 because it is titled by its engine number. J-284 was installed at some point and a supercharger was added. The Duesenberg SJ was the factory supercharged version but this is an aftermarket conversion. I’m picturing 1930s high-schoolers souping up their dad’s Duesenberg. Let’s be thankful there isn’t a giant wing on the back.

The supercharger (which actually was a transplant from an actual SJ engine owned the this car’s owner during the 1960s) ups horsepower from 265 to 320. So it moves. Ownership history is known from new.

The Disappearing Convertible Coupe bodywork is by Walter M. Murphy Co. of Pasadena. This body style is one of the most sought after and definitely commands a price premium over a four-door sedan variant of the Model J. There is something quite elegant – and sporty – about a car that appears to have no top. This would have been quite the car to be seen driving (or riding) in 1930.

Gooding & Co. estimates a $1,600,000-$2,200,000 selling price. For more info about the car, click here. To see the entire lot list from Gooding & Co., click here.

Update: Sold $2,640,000.