Porsche 911R

2016 Porsche 911R

Offered by Bonhams | Knokke-Heist, Belgium | October 7, 2016

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

We do not feature cars that are still in production… generally. The Porsche 911R is currently in production, but Porsche – a reputable company unlikely to go bankrupt in the next 18 months – has already stated that only 991 of these will be built. And we believe them. But why 991? Because this car is sort of the last hurrah for Porsche’s 991 model of the 911.

It’s basically a 911 GT3 RS without the garish wing and roll cage. It’s a little simpler, more streamlined and basic. It’s kind of a sleeper – a pure driver’s car. The engine is a 493 horsepower 4.0-liter flat-six – making the 911R also a last hurrah for the naturally-aspirated 911. Top speed is 201 mph because this thing has been lightened to the max. It also has a pure, three-pedal six-speed manual gearbox. No paddles here.

The color scheme here is fantastic – all 911Rs carry this scheme with different colors available. With Porsche prices rising wildly in the last two years, this is a car that will appreciate rapidly – it already has and they are still building them. This has to be one of the first on the open market and will sell for just a little over the as-new price of $185,950 with an auction estimate of $280,000-$390,000. This is about as cheap as one will ever cost. Happy bidding! Click here for more info and here for the rest of Bonhams’ Belgian lineup.

Update: Sold $538,062.

August 2016 Auction Highlights, Pt. II

We’re back with more from Monterey with Russo & Steele. The top sale was this 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL for $1,155,000.

Photo - Russo & Steele

Photo – Russo & Steele

Our featured Tojeiro California failed to sell and you can find complete results here.

While Monterey may have been the center of the car world in August, it wasn’t the only place where cars could be had. Historics at Brooklands held a sale during Monterey week. We weren’t able to feature anything from it, but the top seller was this 1934 Bentley 3½-Litre Roadster Special for about $187,000. More results can be found here.

Photo - Historics at Brooklands

Photo – Historics at Brooklands

Next up is Bonhams Beaulieu sale where this 1953 Mercedes-Benz 300 S Coupe was the top seller at $390,392.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Among our feature cars, the Brasier brought the most, at $79,679. The Chalmers was next with a price of $39,879 and then the Rochet-Schneider at $23,007. The Clyde, Briton, and Garrard all failed to sell. Complete results can be found here.

Silverstone’s Salon Prive sale was held in early September and we weren’t able to feature anything from it, but this 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0 brought the most money, by just a few hundred dollars, selling for $277,019. Click here for all the results.

Photo - Silverstone Auctions

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

And finally, we jump to Auburn, Indiana, where Worldwide Auctioneers held their annual sale there. The car we featured from this sale, the Townsend Typhoon, failed to meet its reserve and did not sell. The top sale was this 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 S Coupe for $572,000 – quite the premium over the car Bonhams sold above. Click here for full results.

Photo - Worldwide Auctioneers

Photo – Worldwide Auctioneers

July 2016 Auction Highlights

First up, from June, Auctions America’s Santa Monica sale. Our featured Clenet Series II sold for $28,000. The top sale was one of the 1990s best supercars, a 1995 Ferrari F50 that went for $1,952,500. Click here for complete results.

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

Next we move on to Mecum in Denver where this 1963 Ford Galaxie 500XL R-Code was the top sale at $155,000.

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

We featured an Oldsmobile Bravada from this sale and it failed to sell with a high bid of $11,000. Click here for complete results.

Artcurial’s Le Mans Classic sale was this month and because of poor time management on our part, we were only able to feature one car, a Delahaye 148L, that sold for $276,265. The top seller was this bewinged 1977 Porsche 935 Group 5 race car for $1,436,510. Full results can be found here.

Photo - Artcurial

Photo – Artcurial

H&H Classics were at Chateau Impney in July. We featured three cars from this sale and the top seller among them was the Costin-Nathan for $105,855, blowing its estimate out of the water. The top seller overall was this 1990 Ferrari Testarossa for $140,384.

Photo - H&H Classics

Photo – H&H Classics

Our other feature cars both sold, with the Connaught bringing $104,397 and the Saxon $14,953. Click here for more.

And finally, Brightwells’ July sale. This 1966 Citroen DS 21 Chapron Decapotable was the top seller at $73,886.

Photo - Brightwells

Photo – Brightwells

The one-off Silurian Tourer that we featured sold for $29,026 and the older of the two Albion trucks sold, bringing $27,707 (the other failed to meet its reserve). Click here for complete results.

Porsche 912 Prototype

1965 Porsche 356B/912 Coupe Prototype

Offered by Mecum | Monterey, California | August 18-20, 2016

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

Porsche really hasn’t produced that many different models over the years (by name, at least). So imagine trying to restore one and you go out and buy a parts car only to discover that it is one of six original factory prototypes for the car you are restoring. Guess what: you change the focus on the car you are restoring. That’s what happened to the discoverer of this car.

Anyway, the Porsche 911 was introduced to replace the 356 in 1963. Porsche 356 production continued through 1965 and to hedge its bet on the new six-cylinder 911, Porsche introduced the four-cylinder 912 as they phased out the 356. It was basically a 911 body with a 356 engine in it. This car carries an engine from a 1964 model year 356SC. That means it is a 1.6-liter flat-four making 95 horsepower.

The 912 isn’t nearly as collectible as the 911 (and never will be). They are still in the price realm of mere mortals, but they won’t be forever. But what will always be high-priced and collectible are numbers-matching factory prototypes of legendary sports cars. This fits that bill. Only two of these survive, so here’s your chance. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $600,000.

May 2016 Auction Highlights

Before we jump into May, we again go back to January for Coys’ Grandes Marques sale held in Maastricht, Netherlands. We didn’t feature anything from this sale, but the top seller was this 1994 Porsche 911 Speedster for about $215,000. Click here for full results.

Photo - Coys

Photo – Coys

Actually in May, we have Brightwells whose sale included this 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series I 3.8 Semi-Lightweight Coupe that was the top seller at $161,705.

Photo - Brightwells

Photo – Brightwells

Our featured Donnet-Zedel failed to sell but you can check out full results here.

May means Monaco and the first sale we’re covering from Monaco is that of Bonhams. The top sale there – far and away – was this all-original 1953 Jaguar C-Type with Le Mans history. It brought $8,221,626.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

A previously featured Benetton F1 car sold for $1,200,618 after it no-sold a year and a half ago for less than a third of this price, proving that sometimes it’s better to hold on to it and wait. Our featured Bugatti Type 35 brought the same amount. The Ferrari 330 America justifiably brought more than its estimate at $489,382. All three other feature cars failed to sell: the Aston One-77, De Tomaso Vallelunga, and the Talbot-Lago. Full results can be found here.

Onward in Monaco to RM Sotheby’s. The top sale was our featured Ferrari 340 America (as the 275 NART Spyder didn’t meet its reserve) at $8,233,680. Other feature cars that didn’t sell included the Peugeot 205, Alfa 1900C, Ferrari 330 GTS, and a previously-featured March 711. The two cars from the Quattroroute Collection that we featured both sold and both seemed like bargains: the SCAT Torpedo brought $48,135 and the Hispano-Suiza $120,340. For most interesting, we’ll pick another “car” from that collection, this 1903 De Dion-Bouton chassis & engine that brought $50,668.

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

The Ferrari 275 GTS did sell – it went for $2,026,750. Click here for full results.

And the final highlight for this rundown are that of Silverstone Auctions and their May Sale. Our featured Armstrong-Siddeley Sapphire sold for $7,834. The top sale was this 1983 Lamborghini Countach 5000 S for $408,065. Click here for full results.

Photo - Silverstone Auctions

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

March 2016 Auction Highlights

March 2016? Sort of. Let’s start with some leftovers from last month. First, Auctionata’s classic car sale from February where this 1960 Mercedes-Benz 190SL was the top sale for $113,150. Click here for more.

Photo - Auctionata

Photo – Auctionata

The next piece of coverage is also from the end of February: it’s Silverstone Auctions’ Race Retro sale – the road car half. The top sale was this 2004 Porsche Carrera GT for $595,500.

Photo - Silverstone Auctions

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

Our only feature car, the 1990 Mercedes-Benz 190 Evo II, sold for an outstanding $407,500 – more than the lightning-hot Countach that was also offered here. Click here for more results.

Onward to Brightwells’ first sale of the year. The featured Bedford CA sold for $5,975. Two cars tied for the top sale at $105,325. They were this 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series I 3.7 Coupe

Photo - Brightwells

Photo – Brightwells

…and this 1934 Bentley 3½-Litre Tourer.

Photo - Brightwells

Photo – Brightwells

The other feature car was the FSO Kombi that sold for $1,700. Click here for complete results. Now we are on to Amelia Island and the first sale held down there was that of Bonhams. The top sale was our featured Bugatti 57SC for $9,735,000. The Maserati Biposto was another big seller, bringing $1,001,000. The Thomas Flyer was close to the million dollar mark, bringing $825,000. Interesting cars include this beautiful 1939 Lagonda V12 Drophead Coupe for $458,700.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

A previously-featured pre-1900 Armstrong sold for $483,400. And the Sabra GT brought $93,500 while the Cunningham went to a new home for $275,000. Click here for complete results. And finally, Mecum’s Kansas City sale. We didn’t feature anything from it, but this 1968 Shelby GT500KR Fastback was the top sale at $210,000. Click here for the rest of their results.

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

Porsche 908 Coupe

1968 Porsche 908 Coupe

Offered by Gooding & Company | Amelia Island, Florida | March 11, 2016

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

The Porsche 908 was actually a series of race cars that the company produced between 1968 and 1971. We’ve already featured three variations: the 908/2 Longtail Spyder, the 908/03 Spyder, and a 908/03 Spyder Turbo. They all look different. For instance: this one has a top.

So the 907 was built in 1967 and to take advantage of a rule in the FIA book, Porsche adapted their flat-eight engine to 3.0-liters (in this car, putting out 350 horsepower) and the body was just sort of the natural next step from the 907. The first batch of cars were closed coupes to make outright speed. In total, 31 908s were built with five Coupes remaining. The factory competition history for this car (chassis no. 11) includes:

  • 1968 1000km Spa – 3rd (with Hans Herrmann and Rolf Stommelen)
  • 1968 6 Hours of Watkins Glen – 27th, DNF (with George Follmer and Joe Buzzetta)
  • 1968 500km Zeltweg – 13th, DQ (with Jochen Neerpasch and Rudi Lins)

After those three races, Porsche was quickly on to other styles of the 908 and its successive siblings. This car went to a privateer in Switzerland who used it in hillclimbs (which sounds like an awesome amount of overkill). It was wrecked slightly in 1974 and later repaired. In the last 10 years this car has seen use in historic racing and many shows. If you’ve been hunting for a true, usable factory Porsche racer, look no further. It should bring between $3,000,000-$3,300,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Carrera GT Prototype

2000 Porsche Carrera GT Prototype

Offered by Gooding & Company | Amelia Island, Florida | March 11, 2016

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

This Carrera GT is special. It’s the only one like it – it’s a true prototype. The production version of the Carrera GT lasted from 2004 through 2007 with 1,270 produced. This car was actually built in 2000 – four years before production started. Yes, it looks pretty similar to the production version, but if you look closely you’ll notice that it’s really not that similar. In fact, it is said that it shares almost zero pieces with the production version.

The engine is a 5.5-liter V-10 making 558 horsepower. That’s 200cc and 47 horsepower less than the road-going version. The engine is borrowed from a Porsche LMP car – as were many other parts. Two prototypes were built but this was the only one that was actually driveable.

This car comes from Jerry Seinfeld’s collection and, strangely, prior to his purchase (directly from Porsche in 2007), Porsche removed the ECU so the car can’t actually be used. In addition, any purchaser of this car has to agree to terms and conditions that allow Porsche the first right of refusal if they ever want to sell it. The new owner is also not allowed to drive it. Kind of strange, but it puts the new owner in more of a caretaker role than anything. The pre-sale estimate is between $1,500,000 and $2,250,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Gooding & Company.

Update: Not sold.

Porsche Hunting Car

1958 Porsche 597 Jagdwagen

Offered by Gooding & Company | Amelia Island, Florida | March 11, 2016

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

Jagdwagen is a German word that roughly means “hunting car” and it was a title applied to a handful of basic German machines built by the like of Isetta and Porsche, among others. After WWII, a couple of German companies vied for government contracts for military vehicles. Ultimately, DKW won out and the Porsche 597 was relegated to obscurity.

Powered by a 1.6-liter flat-four making 50 horsepower, it has four-wheel drive and is amphibious. While the car was intended to be used by the Army, most of the 597s built were for civilian use.

In fact, of the 71 total constructed, 49 were sold to the public, including this one that was bought new in California. The Prototype was built in 1953 and production lasted from 1955 through 1958, with this example being among the latter part of the production run. It is all-original – seat covers, top – everything. Jerry Seinfeld acquired it in 2010 and, thought to be one of 15 remaining, it should bring between $350,000-$425,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $330,000.

January 2016 Auction Results

January means Scottsdale and first up in this rundown is RM Sotheby’s sale. The top sale was the beautiful 540K Special Roadster we featured for $9,900,000. Other feature cars include the Apal-Porsche for $88,000. The Torpedo-bodied Duesenberg sold for $3,000,000 (the Town Car failed to sell). Other million dollar sales included the Porsche 918 for $1,595,000, the SS 100 for $1,402,500, and the Cadillac Ghia for $1,430,000.

Interesting cars included this striking 1931 Buick Series 90 Sport Roadster for $154,000.

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

A few previously-featured cars made an appearance here, including a 1913 Pathfinder that found a new home for $121,000. Others were a 1911 Lozier and a Dragonsnake Cobra that both brought $990,000 and a Roamer at a much-less $66,000. The Jensen-Ford went for $247,500 and Cadillac Town Car $79,750. The Phantom II failed to sell.

Moving across town, we have Barrett-Jackson’s gigantic sale where the top seller was a practically brand-new 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder for $1,760,000.

Photo - Barrett-Jackson

Photo – Barrett-Jackson

All four of our feature cars sold, with the Chevy El Morocco bringing $181,500. The Heine-Velox sold for $99,000, the Talbot-Lago $715,000, and the Saleen S7 $451,000. A previously-featured Renault failed to sell. Check out full results here.

The next big Scottsdale sale is that of Gooding & Company where a 1950 Ferrari 166 MM/195 S Berlinetta Le Mans was the top sale at $6,490,000.

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

Our featured Ferrari brought a little less, at $3,410,000 while our other feature car, the Fiat Mirafiori, brought $143,000. A previously-featured Duesenberg sold for $2,420,000. Full results can be found here.

The final Scottsdale sale we’ll be covering is that of Russo & Steele. The top sale here was a 1973 Ferrari 246 GTS Spyder for $374,000.

Photo - Russo & Steele

Photo – Russo & Steele

Our featured Dodge Charger brought $242,000. Click here for full results.

A week after all of the Arizona madness, Rétromobile in Paris rolls around. First up from there is Bonhams where a few of our feature cars failed to sell including the Adler, Veritas, and Newton-Ceirano. The top sale was this 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB for $2,319,642.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Other feature car sales were the Darmont for $20,619, the ASA for $146,910, and the Iso Rivolta for $103,095. Click here for full results. We’ll have more from Paris in a few weeks.