Ruf CTR2

1997 Ruf CTR2

Offered by Mecum | Monterey, California | August 13-15, 2015

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

Players of Gran Turismo will no doubt recognize this as one of the “Porsches” that they get to drive, albeit virtually, due to Porsche’s asinine exclusivity contract with EA. Instead, the video gaming generation became quite familiar with the outrageous products of Germany’s Ruf Automobile.

Founded by Alois Ruf, the company began modifying Porsches in the 1970s and the company is recognized as an actual automobile manufacturer in its own right by the German government (as their cars are built from Porsche chassis and modified before being sold).

At any rate the CTR2 was the followup to the legendary CTR “Yellowbird.” The CTR2 was built between 1995 and 1997 and based on the 993-generation 911 Turbo. It is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter flat-six making 520 horsepower. Geared to the moon, this car is good for over 215 mph.

Only 16 CTR2s were built (with an additional 15 “Sport” models). You rarely see them, especially in the U.S. Supercar collectors, you need this. Click here for more info and here for more from Mecum in Monterey.

Update: Sold $300,000.

June 2015 Auction Highlights, Pt. I

First up in June is Mecum’s Seattle sale. Our featured Datsun 1600 Roadster failed to sell. The top sale was this 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T SE Hemi in the best MOPAR shade available. It brought $185,000. Full results can be found here.

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

Russo & Steele held their Newport Beach sale in May and the top sale was a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT for $840,000.

Photo - Russo & Steele

Photo – Russo & Steele

Our featured Peerless GT failed to sell. Click here for complete results.

Brightwells liquidated the Stondon Museum in the U.K. in May. There were some really interesting oddballs at this sale that went to a new owner for next to nothing. The top sale was this 1950 Ford V8 Pilot Woodie for $33,390.

Photo - Brightwells

Photo – Brightwells

Both of our feature cars sold, as this was a no reserve auction. The Enfield 8000 brought $5,400 and the Replicar Cursor just shy of $3,500. Click here for full results.

Next up is Osenat’s June sale where our three 100+ years old cars all sold. The Phebus sold for $59,280, the Bruneau $45,600, and the Clement $39,900. The top sale was this 1927 Bugatti Type 37 for $900,600.

Photo - Osenat

Photo – Osenat

The Delaney Delta failed to sell. Check out full results here. The final sale in this countdown is Bonhams’ Oxford sale. The top seller was this 1934 Talbot AV105 “Alpine Replica” Tourer for $206,372.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Our featured Hotchkiss was also a big seller, bringing $144,286, while the Durant also sold, but for a much less $25,499. Click here for full results.

May 2015 Auction Highlights, Pt II

Here we go again, jumping right into it we have Silverstone Auctions’ May sale where our featured Lancia Delta Integrale 16v sold for $27,540. The top sale was this 2010 Porsche 911 GT2 RS for $430,300. Click here for full results.

Photo - Silverstone Auctions

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

Next up is Bonham’s Spa sale where a magnificent 1990 Porsche 962C was the top sale at $1,628,951.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Only one of our feature cars, the Lechner Prototype, managed to sell (the McLaren and Maurer didn’t). It brought $119,038. Click here for full results.

Next up is RM Sotheby’s Villa Erba sale in beautiful Lake Como. Two of our feature cars failed to sell, the BMW-Glas and the Ferrari 195 Inter, while our other feature car (the Ferrari 212 Export) was the top sale at $7,593,600. Interesting cars included this 1949 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS Villa d’Este Coupe by Touring for $885,920. Complete results can be found here.

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

The first of two auctions held in Greenwich, Connecticut is where we go next: Bonhams. The top sale was this 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Stelvio Convertible by Gangloff for $1,595,000.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

A previously-featured Duesenberg failed to meet its reserve at this sale and did not sell. Our other three feature cars all sold with the Chalmers-Detroit bringing $69,300. The Falcon-Knight sold for $28,600 and the Elgin Touring brought $17,600. Click here for complete results.

And finally, Dragone Auctions, the other sale in Greenwich. Two of our feature cars failed to sell: the Pontiac Banshee and the Mercer Type 35. The Smith Flyer sold for $7,150. The top sale was this 1913 Stutz Bearcat Series B for $577,500. Click here for full results.

Photo - Dragone Auctions

Photo – Dragone Auctions

April 2015 Auction Highlights, Pt I

Well this might be titled April 2015 auction highlights, but the first few auctions are actually from March, starting with Bonhams’ all-Mercedes auction in Stuttgart. The top sale was this 1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K Cabriolet A that sold for $2,993,220.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Our featured 770K was close behind, selling for $2,506,821. Check out full results here.

Next up is Silverstone Auctions’ Restoration Show Sale where there were a few cars on offer in need of a restoration. But the top sale was the newest car in the sale, a 2010 Porsche 911 GT2 RS which brought $349,650.

Photo - Silverstone Auctions

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

We featured a Renault Sport Spider from this sale and it sold for $33,300. Check out full results here.

The third sale of this rundown is Auctions America’s large Ft. Lauderdale sale. We featured a number of cars and the top seller of those feature cars was the “Shorty” Mustang Prototype. It went for $511,500. The overall top seller was this 1959 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe for $715,000.

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

All of our five featured Shelbys sold, with the Dakota being the only one to meet the lower end of its estimate, selling for $24,200. The Lancer sold for $16,500 while the CSX brought $17,600. The Omni was next at $15,400 and the cheapest of the bunch was the Charger at $11,000.

The Renault Camionette sold for $39,600 and the Cupelle brought $45,100. The Westland Prototype failed to sell and the D.F.P. was apparently withdrawn from the sale.

Next we move to Mecum’s Houston sale where our featured Duesenberg was the top sale at $500,000 – which was an excellent buy. The Buddy Stewart pickup failed to sell but the other pickup, the Rugby, sold for $35,000. An interesting sale was this 1910 Peerless Model 27 for $275,000.

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

Another similar car that we featured, a 1910 Parry Model 40 was an good buy at $50,000. The 1906 Packard was a little more expensive at $300,000. Check out full results here.

And finally, H&H Auctions’ sale held at the Imperial War Museum, where this 1969 Aston Martin DB6 Mk II was far and away the top seller at $417,200.

Photo - H&H Auctions

Photo – H&H Auctions

We featured two cars from this sale and they both sold. The super interesting Vinot et Deguingand brought $42,554. And the Riley Gamecock sold for a similar $47,144. Check out full results here.

November Auction Highlights

First up for November is one of our favorite annual sales, Bonhams London-to-Brighton sale where our featured Gardner-Serpollet was the top sale at $592,624. Quite a number of cars failed to sell including the Laperelle, the Panhard roadster, the Autocar, the Daimler, the CGV, and the Rochet. Our featured Malicet et Blin exceeded its estimate, selling for $163,366. The 1899 Peugeot sold for $115,075. Interesting non-feature cars (there weren’t many, non-feature cars, that is) were topped by this 1904 De Dion-Bouton 8HP Model V Coupe by Leon Molon. It sold for $141,904.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The Phoenix Tricar sold for $36,729. The Cleveland Sperry Electric brought $88,151. And the Panhard Tonneau sold for $413,767. Click here for full results.

 Artcurial’s November sale featured this 1989 Ferrari F40 as the top sale for $1,151,285.

Photo - Artcurial

Photo – Artcurial

Our featured EJS Special failed to sell, but the Porsche 911 RS sold for $341,024. Check out full results here. Next up is Bonhams’ Harrogate sale where this 2001 Bentley Continental R Le Mans Coupe topped the sales at $160,146.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Our featured Delahaye Estate Car failed to sell. Check out full results here. Now we’ll jump back to October for Osenat’s Fontainebleau sale. The top sale was this 1970 Porsche 911 T Targa for $41,250. Check out full results here.

Photo - Osenat

Photo – Osenat

And finally, H&H Auctions’ Pavilion Gardens sale. Our featured Foers Ibex failed to sell. The top sale was this 1966 Jaguar E-Type Series I 4.2 Coupe for $109,000. Click here for full results.

Photo - H&H Auctions

Photo – H&H Auctions

Porsche 908/2

1969 Porsche 908/2 Longtail Spyder

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | November 30, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The Porsche 908 was the successor to the 907 and it was introduced by Porsche to fight in the Group 6 category, which had just undergone rule changes for 1968. First came the 908/1. The 908/2 was a topless spyder, unlike the closed coupe 908/1.

The Langheck Coupe was a long tail version for high-speed tracks. But when Porsche chopped the top for 1969, the Longheck (long tail) Spyder was born. The engine is a 3.0-liter flat-8 making 350 horsepower. The light fiberglass body allowed this car to achieve high speeds on the straight at Le Mans.

This was a factory team race car before going into privateer hands, and its competition history includes:

  • 1969 12 Hours of Sebring – 7th (with Vic Elford and Richard Attwood)
  • 1970 12 Hours of Sebring – 7th (with Attwood, Gerhard Koch, and Gerard Larrousse)
  • 1970 1000km Brands Hatch – 6th (with Koch and Larrousse)
  • 1970 1000km Monza – 14th (with Larrousse and Rudi Lins)
  • 1970 Targa Florio – 13th (with Larrousse and Lins)
  • 1970 1000km Spa – 9th (with Larrousse and Lins)
  • 1970 1000km Nurburgring – 6th (with Larrousse and Lins)
  • 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans – 3rd (with Lins and Helmut Marko)
  • 1971 24 Hours of Le Mans – 43rd, DNF (with Hans-Dieter Weigel and Claude Haldi)

This car was later owned by Jo Siffert and appears in the Steve McQueen movie Le Mans. Later in 1971, it ended up in a private collection before being acquired by Peter Monteverdi. It has had a recent restoration and a handful of other owners. It’s an awesome machine with a fantastic history. There is no pre-sale estimate, but it’ll go big. Read more here and see more from this sale here.

Chassis # 908.02-05

Update: Sold $3,437,744.

1992 Porsche 911 RS

1992 Porsche 911 Carrera RS

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | November 2, 2014

Photo - Artcurial

Photo – Artcurial

This generation of Porsche’s 911 was dubbed the 964. Introduced in 1989, it was a big step forward for the 911 line. It was replaced after 1994. Recently, special variants of the 911 have skyrocketed in price.

The Carrera RS was built for 1992. It was the first time the RS name had been used since the legendary 2.7 RS of the early 1970s. This new special edition was a homologation model so Porsche could go racing. It was a factory lightweight and was fitted with a special 3.6-liter flat-six making 260 horsepower. It was only sold in Europe.

Only 290 were built and this one has had only two owners since 1992 and has only covered about 31,000  miles. It’s been a French car all its life and is being sold in France. It should bring between $290,000-$350,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Artcurial’s lineup.

Update: Sold $341,024.

Prototype Race Cars in Monterey

Prototype Race Car Rundown

Offered during the Pebble Beach auction weekend | August 15-17, 2014


1995 Kremer-Porsche 962 K8 Spyder

Offered by Mecum

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

The K8 was an evolution of the Porsche 962. Porsche withdrew from the 1995 24 Hours of Daytona due to last minute rule changes. The Kremer brothers of Germany had been producing Porsche race cars since 1962 and they entered this “K8 Spyder” – which had been a Porsche 962 in a previous life. It uses a twin turbo 3.0-liter flat-six and only four were built. This car won the 1995 24 Hours of Daytona with drivers Jurgen Lassig, Christophe Bouchut, Giovanni Lavaggi, and Marco Werner. It also raced at Sebring and Le Mans that year without victory. It maintains its race-winning livery today. It should sell for between $900,000-$1,500,000. Click here for more.

Update: Sold $930,000.


1992 AAR-Toyota Eagle Mk III GTP

Offered by Gooding & Company

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

We’ve featured some of Dan Gurney’s Eagles – mostly open-wheel cars. Well here is a GTP prototype AAR Eagle. It’s powered by a turbocharged Toyota 2.1-liter straight-four making 700-750 horsepower, depending on configuration. AAR and Toyota teamed up in the 80s for sports car racing and the Eagle Mk III dominated the 1992 IMSA GTP season. Between 1991 and 1993, they won 21 of 27 races. This is chassis #004 and its major wins are:

  • 1992 12 Hours of Sebring – 1st (with Juan Manuel Fangio II and Andy Wallace)
  • 1993 12 Hours of Sebring – 1st (with Fangio II and Wallace)

It also had 12 other victories and has been owned by Fangio II since it stopped racing. It is being offered for sale for the first time and should sell for between $700,000-$1,000,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $1,045,000.


1984 Lola-Mazda T616

Offered by Russo & Steele

Photo - Russo & Steele

Photo – Russo & Steele

The Lola T600 was new for the Group C category in 1981. For 1984, it was updated to the T616. They teamed with BF Goodrich racing and Mazda to run these cars for the 1984 season. Russo & Steele is also offering the sister car for sale, too. The engine is a 300 horsepower 1.3-liter twin-rotor Wankel. Here’s a brief rundown of its competition highlights:

  • 1984 24 Hours of Daytona – 31st (with Jim Busby, Rick Knoop and Boy Hayje)
  • 1984 1000km Monza – 1st in class (with Busby and Knoop)
  • 1984 24 Hours of Le Mans – 12th, 1st in class (with Busby, Knoop and Hayje)
  • 1984 1000km Nurburgring – 2nd in class (with Busby and Peter Halsmer)
  • 1984 1000km Fuji – 3rd in class (with Busby and Halsmer)

The pair of cars were stored after 1984 until original drivers Knoop and Busby found them and restored them. You can buy them now and read more here (and check out the rest of Russo & Steele’s lineup here).

Update: Sold $132,000.


1998 Ferrari 333 SP

Offered by RM Auctions

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

The 333 SP is an interesting Ferrari. The Scuderia hadn’t gone sports prototype racing in a long time and with this car, they kind of still didn’t. Dallara designed the chassis (and built nine of the cars) and Ferrari never fielded a factory effort with the cars, instead selling them to privateers so they could campaign them.

The engine is a 4.0-liter V-12 making 650 horsepower. This is the most-successful 333 SP built, with the following achievements:

  • 1998 24 Hours of Daytona – 1st (with Arie Luyendyk, Mauro Baldi, Giampiero Moretti and Didier Theys)
  • 1998 12 Hours of Sebring – 1st (with Theys, Moretti and Baldi)
  • 1998 24 Hours of Le Mans – 14th (with Theys, Moretti and Baldi)

The car still has its MOMO livery (MOMO being the company Daytona winner Giampiero Moretti founded). It is one of 40 ultimately built (Ferrari built five in addition to Dallara’s nine. Michelotto built the rest). RM didn’t publish an estimate, but you can read more here.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $3,400,000.


 1970 Porsche 908/03 Spyder

Offered by Bonhams

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The Porsche 908 was their prototype racer from 1968 through 1971. It replaced the 907 and preceded the 936. It’s basically a little wedge with two Batmobile-like fins out back. The engine is a 3.0-liter flat-eight making about 370 horsepower. It could top out around 180 mph. The /03 was the third evolution of the 908 and was made for 1970 and 1971 only. This car was never raced, instead used for extensive testing by the Porsche factory team. It is one of 13 908/03s built. This car, chassis #002, should sell for between $1,800,000-$2,300,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.

Kremer-Porsche

1995 Kremer-Porsche 962 K8 Spyder

Offered by Mecum during the Pebble Beach auction weekend | August 15-17, 2014

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

The K8 was an evolution of the Porsche 962. Porsche withdrew from the 1995 24 Hours of Daytona due to last minute rule changes. The Kremer brothers of Germany had been producing Porsche race cars since 1962 and they entered this “K8 Spyder” – which had been a Porsche 962 in a previous life. It uses a twin turbo 3.0-liter flat-six and only four were built. This car won the 1995 24 Hours of Daytona with drivers Jurgen Lassig, Christophe Bouchut, Giovanni Lavaggi, and Marco Werner. It also raced at Sebring and Le Mans that year without victory. It maintains its race-winning livery today. It should sell for between $900,000-$1,500,000. Click here for more.

Update: Sold $930,000.

Porsche 908/03 Spyder

 1970 Porsche 908/03 Spyder

Offered by Bonhams | Carmel, California | August 15-17, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The Porsche 908 was their prototype racer from 1968 through 1971. It replaced the 907 and preceded the 936. It’s basically a little wedge with two Batmobile-like fins out back. The engine is a 3.0-liter flat-eight making about 370 horsepower. It could top out around 180 mph. The /03 was the third evolution of the 908 and was made for 1970 and 1971 only. This car was never raced, instead used for extensive testing by the Porsche factory team. It is one of 13 908/03s built. This car, chassis #002, should sell for between $1,800,000-$2,300,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.