Tag Archives: maserati

HRG-Maserati

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1949 H.R.G.-Maserati Sports

Offered by Bonhams | Goodwood, U.K. | September 12, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

H.R.G. built light cars and racing specials between 1936 and 1956 in Tolworth, England. There were six factory models offered over the years, built in various amounts. This was not one of them. It is a one-off special commissioned by then-BBC presenter John Gilbert.

They took the chassis from their 1500 model and stretched it a little bit (this car looks very long and narrow). Gilbert also had a spare eight-cylinder Maserati engine lying around that came from one of their 1930s Brooklands racers that he wanted installed. The body was built to look like a Maserati racer, too.

Eventually, the Maserati engine was replaced – multiple times over the years so it could make more and more power. Right now it houses a 2.4-liter Jaguar straight-six. A six-cylinder Maserati cylinder block is included with this sale. The car was raced at Goodwood back in the day and is fresh off restoration in 2014. It should sell for between $94,000-$110,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $132,027.

Maserati Boomerang

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1972 Maserati Boomerang Concept by Italdesign

Offered by Bonhams | Chantilly, France | September 5, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

This wild – and iconic – 1970s Italian concept car was designed by the master himself, Giorgetto Giugiaro. This is a concept car in the classic sense of concept cars – out there ideas that really don’t have a shot at production. But unlike many, this thing is not only fully functional, but road registered.

It’s powered by a 4.7-liter V-8 from a Bora making 310 horsepower. The engine is mounted in the rear and the driver sits in a sort of glass greenhouse. The front of the sharp wedge has a giant, (and we mean giant) Maserati trident slapped on there so there’s no mistaking what company this car represents. Remember, this is from 1972 – cars that actually looked like this (wedges sharp lines and creases… think Lotus Esprit) were on sale for decades after.

The Boomerang premiered at the 1971 Turin Motor Show and made its rounds across Europe in 1972: Geneva, Paris, London, Barcelona. It was sold after the Barcelona show to a Spanish resident until a German took it home with him in 1980. It was restored and appeared at shows as early as 1990. A few other owners have had the pleasure to be this car’s caretaker and it had another slight restoration in 2003. It’s been welcomed at car shows all over the world and will continue to be. This is a rare chance to own a true concept car from one of the greatest automotive designers of all time. No pre-sale estimate is available, but if you have to ask, you can’t afford it. Click here for more info and here for more from Bonhams.

Update: Sold $3,714,522.

Maserati 200 SI

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1956 Maserati 200 SI

Offered by Gooding & Company | Amelia Island, Florida | March 13, 2015

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

This is a special Maserati. It was the first 200S chassis produced and was a factory race car for all of its early life. At the end of 1956, the car returned to the factory to be turned into a 200 SI – which meant it now met requirements for FIA sanctioned races due to slight mechanical changes.

The engine is a 195 horsepower 2.0-liter straight-four. Immediately after transformation in SI form, it was sold to a privateer in Venezuela. Some of the highlights of this car’s competition history includes:

  • 1955 Targa Florio – DNF (with Giovanni Bracco)
  • 1956 Mille Miglia – DNF (with Luigi Bellucci)
  • 1956 Gran Premio di Napoli – 1st (with Bellucci)
  • 1956 Gran Premio di Bari – 1st (with Jean Behra)
  • 1956 Rheinland-Pfalz Preis Nurburgring – 2nd (with Stirling Moss)

Look at some of those names. This car was driven by some of the world’s best. Luigi Villoresi drove this car in the final race of his career. In one race in Havana, Stirling Moss outran a more powerful, six-cylinder Maserati 300S. The car was once owned by Jim Hall, founder of Chaparral and has spent extensive time in a Japanese collection.

The car is completely operable and organizers of historic events would love to have this thing show up. Only 28 200S cars were built and the 200 SI was only built for 1957 (except for this factory development car) before being replaced by the 250S in 1958. This is an exceptional car and it won’t come cheap. Read more here and check out more from Gooding & Company in Amelia Island here.

Update: Not sold.

Maserati 6CM

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1937 Maserati Tipo 6CM

Offered by Bonhams | Goodwood, U.K. | September 13, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Grand Prix racing in the 1930s was a sport for men. These things were dangerous, powerful, and fast. The 6CM was Maserati’s single-seater built between 1936 and 1940. The 6CM was Maserati’s factory team car for 1938 and 1939, while it was used primarily by privateers upon its introduction in 1936.

The engine is a supercharged 1.5-liter straight-six making 155 horsepower, later bumped to 175. This car was sold to a British privateer who competed it in races around England in a few non-championship events. After the war, it ran in the 1948 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, qualifying as a reserve entry and not starting the race.

In 1950, it came stateside, becoming part of Bill Harrah’s massive collection. In 1985, when the collection was dispersed, the car went back to the U.K. and was restored. It has competed in a few historic events multiple times, including the Monaco Historic Grand Prix and Goodwood Revival. Only 27 Tipo 6CMs are thought to have been built and not many remain. This car should bring between $1,000,000-$1,500,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Bonhams’ lineup.

Update: Sold $984,190.

August 2014 Auction Recap

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August was a record-setting month for the classic car industry. The first sale of the month was Auctions America’s California sale where this 1960 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster topped the numbers at $1,155,000.

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

Our featured Chrysler Plainsman sold for an impressive $176,000. You can check out full results here.

We didn’t feature anything from Barrett-Jackson’s Reno sale, and frankly I don’t have the time to sift through their site looking for highlights as the process there is just too clunky. So we’ll move on.

Auctions in August of course means Monterey and Pebble Beach. We’ll start with the star of the weekend: Bonhams and their Ferrari 250 GTO which ended up bringing $38,115,000, an all-time record price for any car at auction. It’s an appropriate price for the car, and not the stratospheric number many predicted. It’s a good sign. We featured a number of cars from Bonhams, including this Kissel Kar, which sold for $140,800. The other Ferrari we featured, the 1978 321 T3 F1 car sold for $2,310,000. And the other F1 car, the Brabham-Cosworth, sold for $1,034,000.

Our featured Porsche 908/03 failed to sell. Our pick for the most interesting non-feature car that sold goes to this 1913 Pope-Hartford Model 31 Portola Roadster for $192,500.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Our other feature cars both sold: the Speedwell brought $869,000 and the 1908 Napier $1,034,000. Check out full results here. Next up, Mecum in Monterey, where this 1961 Ferrari 250 Series II Cabriolet was the top seller for $2,250,000.

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

None of our feature cars broke the million dollar mark, although the Kremer-Porsche was close at $930,000. A Duesenberg we featured a long time ago and failed to sell a couple of times before, finally sold here for $1,425,000. The Shelby Turbine car failed to sell, as did the Lester-MG.

Two cars we featured a long time ago that failed to sell also turned up at this sale and failed to sell again. They were the Delage Aerosport and a 1910 Locomobile. The Avia III race car we featured from a dealership was offered here, but it too failed to meet its reserve. The one-off Lazzarrino did sell, for $135,000. Check out full results here.

RM’s Monterey sale was just as impressive as Bonhams. The top seller was the #2 of the weekend, the 1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale, at $26,400,000. The Ferrari 250 GT N.A.R.T. Spider brought $1,017,500. The Ferrari F1-2000 sold for $1,804,000. But the Ferrari 333 failed to sell, as did the March-Cosworth. The AAR Eagle-Santa Ana sold for $104,500. What a choppy paragraph.

Cool, non-feature cars were topped by this 1962 Maserati 3500 GT Spyder by Vignale for $764,500. RM also sold the prototype of this model for considerably more, making this seem like a deal.

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

The Ford GT40 Roadster Prototype brought $6,930,000 and the Lancia PF200 C sold for $1,100,000. This 1965 Shelby Mustang GT350 Paxton Prototype was a car I wanted to feature but didn’t get a chance to. It sold for $572,000.

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

Our other three feature cars were all much older. The amazing 1926 Rickenbacker sold for $946,000. The Stevens-Duryea went for $302,500 and the 1911 Mercer Raceabout, $2,530,000. Check out full results here.

Next up, Gooding & Company: $15,180,000 took home this top-selling 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider.

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

Our top feature car was the Maserati 250F for $4,620,000 and the Alfa Tipo 256 was right behind it at an even $4,000,000. Our featured Duesenberg and Ferrari 330 GT Speciale both failed to meet their reserves. The AAR-Toyota Eagle GTP brought $1,045,000. Check out full results here.

Last but not least on the Monterey peninsula, Russo & Steele. Our only feature car was the Lola-Mazda from the 80s – it brought $132,000. The top sale was this 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL for $1,320,000. Check out full results here.

Photo - Russo & Steele

Photo – Russo & Steele

Maserati 250F

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1956 Maserati 250F

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

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

The 1950s was the “Golden Era” of Formula One. The glamour that we all know now was really taking shape, and the drivers were larger-than-life men who manhandled these cars around some of the most legendary and dangerous tracks the world has to offer. And the danger was certainly high – you never knew who was going to be alive for the next race.

Few names capture the glory of 1950s-era F1 like Maserati. The first 250F was built in 1954 as the new rules for Grand Prix racing dictated a 2.5-liter engine formula. Maserati installed their 2.5-liter straight-six in a nimble little chassis and the 250F was born. Power output is listed at 270 horsepower.

The 250F won races through 1957 and was campaigned in to the 1960 season by some privateers. This is one of two experimental “offset” cars built, which put the driveshaft next to the driver and allowed for a lower cockpit (and center of gravity). This car won the 1956 Italian Grand Prix at Monza with Stirling Moss at the wheel as a factory entry. Moss claims the 250F was the best front-engined F1 car he ever drove.

Shortly after its maiden victory, the car became a collectible. It has had seven keepers between Maserati and the current owner. Only 26 250Fs were built, and this is one of two “offset” cars. It is exquisite and can be yours for between $4,000,000-$6,000,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Gooding at Pebble Beach.

Update: Sold $4,620,000.

Maserati 450S Prototype

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1956 Maserati 450S Prototype by Fantuzzi

Offered by RM Auctions | Monaco | May 10, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

The Maserati 450S was an evolution of the Maserati 350S. The chassis was lengthened to house the new monster V-8. The car was a racing success in the latter half of the 50s and would give way to the legendary Birdcage Maseratis.

The engine is a 5.7-liter V-8 making a whopping 520 horsepower. Good Lord. This thing must fly. The car you see here is the prototype version of the 450S. It’s the first one – and it was originally a 350S. It’s competition history as a 350S includes:

  • 1956 Mille Miglia – DNF (with Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson)

The car was more or less totaled in that race when Moss lost his brakes and blasted through a barrier and into a tree. So Maserati turned this into a test mule for the forthcoming 450S. This car’s race history as a 450S, you’ll have to read on RM’s site. This car has had three owner’s since it left Maserati and has been meticulously restored. It will fetch between $5,500,000-$7,500,000. Click here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $4,816,350.

The Only A6G Spyder by Zagato

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1955 Maserati A6G/2000 Spyder by Zagato

Offered by RM Auctions | New York, New York | November 21, 2013

1955 Maserati A6G2000 Spyder by Zagato

This might be one of my favorite Maseratis. First of all, the color. Who would’ve thought that a race-bred Italian sports car would look so good in this brilliant shade of blueish-green? The next best thing (besides that sporty light uptick in the body right behind the door) is that grille. It looks deep and has that ridiculous Escalade-sized trident in the middle. Absolutely gorgeous.

The A6 was a series of six-cylinder cars from Maserati in the 1950s. The A6G/2000 was built between 1954 and 1957 and used a 2.0-liter straight-six making 150 horsepower. Only 60 were made and this was the only Spyder bodied by Zagato.

The famed design house displayed the car at the 1955 Geneva Auto Salon. The well-known South American dictator Juan Peron tried to buy the car and had some modifications made to it (which they still sport to this day). He never took delivery and instead the car was sold to an American serviceman in France who brought it home with him. His divorce saw the car sold in 1969. After 20 years in storage, it was restored between 1999-2003 and shown at the 2003 Pebble Beach Concours.

It’s being sold from a collection in the U.K. and it is a downright sexy car. It should bring between $3,500,000-$4,500,000. Click here for more info and here for more from RM in the Big Apple.

Update: Sold $4,455,000.

Update: Not sold, RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2022.

October 2012 Auction Roundup

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First up, we head to Paris for a sale from Osenat. I wasn’t able to feature anything from this sale, but wanted to feature this 1935 Hotchkiss 411 Cabourg. It sold for $17,800.

1935 Hotchkiss 411 Cabourg

The top sale was this 1937 Citroen Traction 11B Cabriolet for $117,800. Click here for full results.

1937 Citroen Traction 11B Cabriolet

Next up was H&H’s sale at the Imperial War Museum. The top sale there was this 1956 Bentley S1 Continental Fastback. It brought $498,900.

1956 Bentley S1 Continental Fastback

Cool cars were topped by our feature cars: the Argyll sold for $56,250 and the Briton failed to sell. Next up was this 1910 Renault AX Tourer for $36,000.

1910 Renault AX Tourer

And finally, a weird one: a 1965 A.K.S. Special. These kit cars were made by Auto Kraft Shells in England during the 1950s and 1960s and this one is based on a Triumph Spitfire. It sold for $5,080. Click here for full results.

1965 A.K.S. Special

Artcurial’s October sale had some big numbers. The top sale was this 1962 Maserati 3500 GTI Cabriolet by Vignale for $704,972.

1962 Maserati 3500 GTI Cabriolet by Vignale

Our featured Lamborghini LM002 brought $125,669. And the Matra Djet sold for $67,432. Interesting cars were topped by this 1972 Alfa Romeo Junior 1600 Zagato Coupe which went for $56,704 (no links to the individual catalog pages as Artcurial had taken them down).

1972 Alfa Romeo Junior 1600 Zagato Coupe

Then there was this 1968 Fiat 2300 S Ghia Coupe which sold for $26,053. Check out full results here.

1968 Fiat 2300 S Ghia Coupe

Moving on, H&H’s October 30th sale at Pavilion Gardens saw one of our featured cars (the Brough Superior road car) as the top sale. It brought $107,800. Our other feature car, the Mills Busy-Bee, sold for $15,100. The coolest other car was this 1924 Panhard et Levassor X46 Landaulette that sold for $32,000. Check out full results here.

1924 Panhard et Levassor Type X46 Landaulette

And finally, Bonhams’ London-to-Brighton sale. The top sale was our featured Clement-Talbot for $967,458. Second place went to this very interesting 1902 Panhard et Levassor Type B1 12HP Four-Cylinder Rear-Entrance Tonneau by Labourdette. It sold for an equally-impressive $931,714.

1902 Panhard et Levassor Type B1 12HP Four-Cylinder Rear-Entrance Tonneau by Labourdette

Our featured Warwick failed to sell. The Ariel tri-car/quadricycle sold for $73,401. There was another cool three-wheeler at this sale: a 1904 Cyklon 3.5HP Cyklonette. It brought $47,710.

1904 Cyklon 3.5HP Cyklonette

Our featured Georges Richard sold for $91,571. And the Lacoste et Battmann went for $123,920. One more cool car: a 1903 Winton 22HP Twin-Cylinder Two-Seat Runabout. That’s a decent amount of power for 1903 – yet another reason why Winton was awesome. This could’ve been yours for $172,173. Check out full results here.

1903 Winton 22HP Twin-Cylinder Two-Seat Runabout

Early October 2013 Auction Roundup

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I didn’t forget about Russo & Steele’s Las Vegas sale back in September. I just didn’t have time to squeeze their results into the last post (I write these as far in advance as possible). The top sale there was this 1974 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS for $321,750.

1974 Ferrari 246 Dino GTSInteresting cars were topped by this 1969 Ford Ranchero Rio Grande Special Edition which went for $18,700.

1969 Ford Ranchero Rio Grande Special Edition

Finally, there was this cool 1926 Cadillac Model 314 V-8 Four-Passenger Phaeton. It sold for $58,300. Our featured Ginetta failed to sell. Check out full sale results here.

1926 Cadillac Model 314 Four-Passenger Phaeton

Next up: Bonhams Zoute sale, held in Belgium. The top sale here was this nice 1957 Maserati A6C/54GT coupe by Allemano that sold for $686,439.

1957 Maserati A6C54GT

Our featured Austin Sheerline sold for $32,761. For interesting cars, I’m going to highlight two rare Porsches. First, a 1980 924 Carrera GT (one of 406 built). It sold for $49,922.

1980 Porsche 924 Carrera GT Coupe

And this 1994 Porsche 911 Carrera RS. It is one of only 55 built and is a pretty serious machine. It sold for an impressive $366,621. Our featured Cottin-Desgouttes sold for $70,204. Check out full results here.

1994 Porsche 911 Carrera RS

And finally (for this post, there will be at least one more October post), RM’s annual Hershey sale. I love this event because RM finds some really old cars and not necessarily the biggest money cars. Just interesting stuff. The top sale was this 1933 Chrysler CL Imperial Convertible Roadster by LeBaron. It sold for $704,000.

1933 Chrysler CL Imperial Convertible Roadster by LeBaron

The second-highest selling car was also one of the most interesting. It was this 1910 Pierce-Arrow 48-SS Seven-Passenger Touring from the golden era of Pierce-Arrows – when they were the greatest cars in the world. It brought $687,500. The picture does not do the size of this grand thing justice.

1910 Pierce-Arrow 48-SS Seven-Passenger Touring

I featured some of the most interesting cars of the sale. The Firestone-Columbus was apparently scratched from the catalog, as it didn’t even appear in the results. Both of the Schachts sold. The Model R went for a cheaper $19,800 while the earlier Model K sold for $41,250. The 1903 Stevens-Duryea brought $15,400. These two early GM cars were pretty cool: first a 1905 Cadillac Model E Runabout, which went for $71,500.

1905 Cadillac Model E Runabout

And second, this 1909 Buick Model G Roadster sold for $52,250.

1909 Buick Model G Roadster

Here’s a later Caddy. It’s one of two built and was originally owned by Bette Davis. It’s a 1940 Series 60 Special Town Car by Derham. It sold for $165,000.

1941 Cadillac Series 60 Special Town Car by Derham

While we’re on the coachbuilt theme, this 1933 Rolls-Royce 20/25 Enclosed Limousine Sedanca by Thrupp & Maberly is absolutely stunning. It sold for $159,500.

1933 Rolls-Royce 2025 Enclosed Limousine Sedanca by Thrupp & Maberly

The two “trucks” we featured both sold. The all-original Schmidt Prototype brought $18,700 and the International Harvester was hammered away right at the upper end of its estimate and sold for $44,000. This 1933 American Austin Station Wagon isn’t quite a truck, but it’s still cool for $30,800.

1933 American Austin Station Wagon

Our featured 1922 Liberty sold for $19,250. The Gardner Roadster brought $49,500. And finally, this 1912 Oakland Model 30 Touring. I love the look of this car from the big white wheels to the big whitewalls and low, folded-down windshield. It’s one I would absolutely love to own. It sold for $49,500. Check out full results here.

1912 Oakland Model 30 Touring

I lied. One more. This is from Mecum’s Chicago sale. The top sale (and far and away most interesting sale) was this 1963 Chevrolet Corvette. It was Harley Earl’s personal Corvette that was custom built for him. It is one of four Corvettes ever built with side exhaust like this. It’s one of a kind and sold for $1,500,000. Check out full results here.

1963 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible