Johnson Phantom

1990 Johnson Phantom

Offered by Mecum | Las Vegas, Nevada | November 9-11, 2023

Photo – Mecum

The Johnson Phantom is a lesser-known neo-classic from the 1990s. In the vein of Zimmers and Excaliburs, the Johnson is one of quite a few other such cars offered, like the Tiffany or the Spartan.

The Johnson Motor Car Company was based in Dania Beach, Florida. Why were so many of these companies based in Florida? The Phantom is based on the third-generation Camaro (think, IROC-Z), and this one is powered by a 5.0-liter V8.

If you look at the greenhouse on most of these neo-classics, you can usually see the base car from the A-pillar and door profile. This one sure looks Camaro-ish. About 60 of these were built, and this one will sell at no reserve. More can be found here.

Studebaker Silver Hawk

1957 Studebaker Silver Hawk

Offered by Mecum | Las Vegas, Nevada | November 9-11, 2023

Photo – Mecum

Studebaker‘s Hawk line of cars were a series of two-door hardtops/coupes that were born out of the company’s Starliner hardtop coupes of the mid-’50s. The first year for the cars was 1956, when there were four different Hawk models available.

The following year, 1957, shrunk the line to two: the carryover Golden Hawk and the new Silver Hawk, the latter of which would remain on sale through 1959. The Silver Hawk was a pillared coupe that, for the 1957 model year, was available with two engine options. This car has the larger 289ci, 4.7-liter, V8 that was rated at 210 horsepower.

Just 11,035 examples of the Silver Hawk V8 were built this year. This one has a wonderfully mid-century paint scheme and is selling at no reserve. Click here for more info.

Packard Twin Six Town Car

1920 Packard Twin Six 3-35 Town Car by Fleetwood

Offered by Mecum | Monterey, California | August 17-19, 2023

Photo – Mecum

The third series of Packard’s Twin Six was sold between 1917 and 1923. These were big, expensive cars. And they were grand enough for heads of state: Warren G. Harding was the first president to ride to their inauguration in an automobile. And it was in a Twin Six.

There were eight factory body styles for this model in 1920, but this example wears custom coachwork by Fleetwood. This is a Norma Desmond-style car, and the red disc wheels are perfection. Power is from a 6.9-liter V12 that made 90 horsepower.

The car was ordered new by the Atwater Kent family in Philadelphia and went into the Blackhawk Collection in the 1980s. It’s essentially remained there since and is now being sold out of the estate of Don Williams. Mecum published an estimate: $225,000-$275,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $80,000.

1996 Champ Car

1996 Reynard 96I

Offered by Mecum | Monterey, California | August 17-29, 2023

Photo – Mecum

This is what race cars are supposed to look like. Team Rahal Reynards. The main chassis producers for the 1996 Champ Car season were Reynard and Lola. Team Rahal ran Reynard 96Is for Bobby Rahal and Bryan Herta, the latter of whom drove the Shell-liveried car you see here.

Back in the day, these were powered by a Mercedes/Ilmor 2.7-liter V8. This one is currently engineless. Unfortunately no competition history is provided for this chassis, but the catalog insinuates (a bit disingenuously) that this was the car involved in “The Pass” by Alex Zanardi at Laguna Seca.

Anyway, even without an engine this remains a fine example of the glory days of Champ Car. It has an estimate of $50,000-$80,000, and you can find out more about it here.

1906 Tourist

1906 Tourist Model K Touring

Offered by Mecum | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | July 26-29, 2023

Photo – Mecum

Tourist is a rare example of a California-based car company and was a product of the generically named Auto Vehicle Company of Los Angeles. It existed from 1902 to 1910. When the funding ran out, the Auto Vehicle Company reverted to being a dealership for Firestone-Columbus, Warren-Detroit, and Columbus Electric cars, while their factory and tooling was sold off to make the Beardsley electric car.

A range of models were offered by Tourist, including trucks. In 1906, when the company was making about 500 cars a year, they offered the Model K and the four-cylinder Model M, both in five-passenger touring car form only. The Model K is powered by a 3.2-liter flat-twin making about 20 horsepower.

This restored example was part of a collection and is one of but a few of Tourist cars remaining. You can read more about it here.

Update: Sold $27,500.

Autozam AZ-1

1992 Autozam AZ-1

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | July 6-9, 2023

Photo – Mecum

Autozam was a marque produced by Mazda that offered a half-dozen or so cars over its brief lifespan of 1989 through 1998. The most famous of which, and the only one that wasn’t really a re-badged Mazda or Suzuki, was this, the AZ-1.

Sure, Suzuki would go on to sell their own version later, but the AZ-1 gets all the glory here. This is a small car. Like very small. It has a mid-engine layout, with the turbocharged 657cc inline-three located behind the passenger compartment, which is accessed via gullwing doors. Output was about 63 horsepower.

Just 4,392 examples of the AZ-1 were produced between late 1992 and late 1994. These were only sold in Japan, but have become popular imports now that they’re legal to bring into the U.S. Click here for more info about this one.

Update: Sold $18,700.

Giulietta SVZ

1957 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce Zagato

Offered by Mecum | Monterey, California | August 17-19, 2023

Photo – Mecum

The Tipo 750 and 101 Giulietta was produced by Alfa Romeo between 1954 and 1965. The Giulietta SZ was a Zagato-bodied competition car, and later Zagato rebodied a Sprint Veloce (while the SZ was just based on the Sprint). The Sprint Veloce Zagato (SVZ) appeared in late 1956.

Just 18 would end up being produced, all powered by a 1.3-liter inline-four that was rated at around 116 horsepower. This car was originally sold in Italy, and the first owner wanted a double-bubble Zagato body, which Zagato went ahead and built for him.

The aluminum coachwork on this car is said to be the only SVZ re-bodied in this fashion. It’s eligible for historic runs of the Mille Miglia and has an estimate of $150,000-$250,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $115,500.

’56 Lincoln Premiere

1956 Lincoln Premiere Coupe

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 12-20, 2023

Photo – Mecum

This is the best Lincoln of the 1950s. I mean, the Continental Mark II is pretty great, but it’s not technically a Lincoln. The ’56 Premiere, specifically a coupe in pink, is one of the ideal ’50s American cruisers.

The Premiere nameplate debuted for 1956, and a second generation would launch in 1958 before disappearing after 1960. Three body styles were offered this year, and this example is one of 19,619 coupes made.

Power is provided by 6.0-liter V8 rated at 285 horsepower. The want is strong, and it’s unclear if this one has been restored, but the interior doesn’t appear so (it’s two-tone white and pink just like the exterior). Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $40,700.

McLaren M81

1980 McLaren M81 Mustang

Offered by Mecum | Indianapolis, Indiana | May 12-20, 2023

Photo – Mecum

Is this a McLaren or a Ford? Well, kind of both. The Fox-Body Mustang debuted for 1979 to replace the much-unloved Mustang II. It was a return to the Mustang’s true self, and Ford wanted to prove they were serious, so they teamed up with McLaren Performance to build a special Mustang.

These started as a regular Mustang until they were sent to McLaren, where their turbocharged, 2.3-liter inline-fours were torn apart and rebuilt to a higher spec by McLaren. This bumped output from 132 horsepower to 175. They also received steel fender flares, a pretty crazy hood, functional brake ducts, and BBS wheels. This particular one is the only one with a four-speed manual gearbox (the rest had five-speeds).

The plan was to build about 250 of these with a price tag of $25,000. But Ford formed their Special Vehicle Operations team, and the SVO Mustang was soon on its way. Only 10 M81s ended up being built, and this was the original prototype that was also used as a dealer demonstrator. It is one of seven finished in Bittersweet Orange.

This is a pretty special car, and the most special Fox-Body Mustang there is. It’s also the missing link between the McLaren sports cars of the 1960s and the outrageous supercars of the 1990s and 2010s. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $82,500.

Thunderbird Sports Roadster

1962 Ford Thunderbird Sports Roadster

Offered by Mecum | Houston, Texas | April 14, 2023

Photo – Mecum

The Sports Roadster is the coolest of the Bullet Birds of 1961-1963. Actually, it’s probably the coolest Thunderbird they ever made. The Sports Roadster was introduced in 1962 and was a limited-production version of the standard Thunderbird convertible.

Changes included 48-spoke Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels and a fiberglass tonneau cover over the rear seats that made the car look like a two-seater. Just 1,427 were produced for 1962, and another 455 would be made in 1963

Power here is from a 6.4-liter (390ci) V8 that made 300 horsepower when new. Bullet Birds are among the best-looking of all Thunderbirds, and the Sports Roadster package just takes it up a notch. Black is a classy color for this car, especially over a red interior. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $44,000.