Tag Archives: racecars

C.G. 548

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1971 C.G. 548 Prototype

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | February 18, 2013

1971 C.G. 548 Prototype

The cars badged as C.G. were built by Carrosserie Chappe Freres et Gessalin in France. They were based on Simca 1000s. C.G. was to Simca like Alpine were to Renault (sorry for the SAT flashback). Production began in 1967 and lasted through 1974. A coupe and roadster were offered.

The name refers to the weight of the car – a featherweight 548kg. In 2006 this car was acquired by an aspiring historic race car driver. He wanted something weird – mission accomplished. He had it completely restored, and in the process, converted to race specification. A roll bar was installed and the engine was upgraded. It’s a 1.3-liter Simca straight-four, supercharged, making 160 horsepower. The transmission and suspension were also modified making this a competent competition machine.

It was a $350,000 investment turning this car into a racer. The fun all the upgrades bring overshadows how rare this car is. The estimate at this sale is between $155,000-$185,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

The Final Ferrari 340 MM

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1953 Ferrari 340 MM Spider

Offered by Gooding & Company | Monterey, California | August 18, 2012

There are a few variants of the Ferrari 340 – the 340 America, the 340 Mexico, and the final version, the king-of-the-hill 340 MM. It had a 300 horsepower 4.1-liter V12. Only 10 were made and five of them were bodied by Vignale. This car was the last one made and it cost its American buyer an eye-watering $18,000 in 1953.

The car was bought new by Californian Sterling Edwards, who was, at about the same time he purchased this car, building cars under his own name. He picked this car up in Italy on his honeymoon, before shipping it home to San Francisco. He campaigned the car in SCCA events on the west coast, winning races and beating drivers like Masten Gregory in the process. Edwards sold the car in 1955 for $8,000.

The car passed through many hands and at one point someone repainted it red. Thankfully it has been restored to its original condition and color. This car competed in the Mille Miglia a number of times in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The current owner has owned the car for nearly 30 years and is being sold along with a number of his other significant Ferraris.

Ferrari 340 MMs are very rare – only 10 were made – so you don’t see them for sale too often. Expect this one to command a price between $4,500,000-$6,500,000. For more information, click here. And for the rest of Gooding’s Monterey lineup, click here.

Update: Sold $4,730,000.

Bentley EXP Speed 8

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2001 Bentley EXP Speed 8

Offered by RM Auctions | Monterey, California | August 18, 2012

Volkswagen acquired Bentley in 1998, the same year Audi (a VW subsidiary since 1969) announced its intention to compete in the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans. Audi was brand new to prototype racing and its closed-roof R8C (as well as the open-top R8R) both raced at the 24 Hours in 1999. An R8R finished on the podium in 3rd and one came home 4th, but they didn’t win. So, for 2000, both cars were replaced by the legendary Audi R8, which won the race five times.

Bentley had, up until 2000, also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans five times, the latest of which came in 1930. A Bentley hadn’t even appeared at the track since 1933. So Ferdinand Piech, head of the VW Group (and grandson of Ferdinand Porsche), declared Bentley would return to the track. And when Dr. Piech declares something, it happens: like the Bugatti Veyron. I imagine the green-light meeting for the Veyron going down as follows:

  • Accountant: “But, Dr. Piech, we stand to lose millions from this project.”
  • Piech: “Ja, but ve vill be zee fastest!”

The plan was for Bentley to show up at the 2001 24 Hours of Le Mans. But instead of just straight copying the Audi R8, the crew at Racing Technology Norfolk (who were responsible for developing the car) based their design on the closed-coupe Audi R8C that was no longer competing. And they managed to turn that odd duck race car into this beautiful monster.

The car used the same engine from the Audi, the 670 horsepower 3.6-liter twin-turbocharged V8. Two cars were prepared for the 2001 race, including this one. Only one competed in 2002. In neither year was Bentley triumphant – but Audi was, both times. So in 2003, the Audi factory team (Audi Sport Team Joest) “took the year off” – and all of the normal factory Audi drivers drove Bentleys and came home 1-2. Piech was satisfied and the program ended then and there. It’s really an incredible thing when you think about it: an eccentric German auto executive buys an automobile company with a historic racing pedigree then decrees they will return to their former glory. And all in a few years time. And then they do it. Then they walk away immediately after having proven their point.

The Bentleys were never even entered at any race but Le Mans. Which, too, is awesome as it shows they weren’t concerned with championships or anything but winning the race that Bentley was known for winning. The brief competition history of this car is:

  • 2001 24 Hours of Le Mans – 3rd (with Andy Wallace, Eric van de Poele and Butch Leitzinger)

That’s it. Nine cars were built – four of them EXP Speed 8s (2001 and 2002) and five Speed 8s (2003). The difference between them is a slight bodywork change around the nose as well as an expansion to 4.0-liters for the later cars. Not all of them raced due to the program being cut after the win in 2003. There were also two test mules built.

They never even had sponsorship – the car just said “Bentley” – showing it wasn’t about money but pride. The car is listed as in race-ready condition and will undoubtedly be welcome at just about any event anywhere. The pre-sale estimate is $1,900,000-$2,500,000. For the complete lot description, click here. And for more from RM in Monterey, click here.

Update: Sold $2,530,000.

Porsche RS60

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1960 Porsche RS60

Offered by Gooding & Company | Monterey, California | August, 18, 2012

The Porsche 718 (or RSK) was introduced in 1957 as a further developed racing version of the 550 Spyder. In 1960, due to FIA rule changes, Porsche had to refine the 718 and the RS60 was born. The RS60 was a one-year only racing model, as it was lightly changed for 1961 to become the RS61.

Changes over the 718 included a larger cockpit area and windshield, as mandated by the FIA. The engine in this car is a 1.5-liter flat-4 making 150 horsepower. It cost $9,000 in 1960 and is one of 14 non-works RS60s built.

This car ran in sports car races across the U.S. during its day, never suffering an accident and passed through the hands of a few owners/collectors until it was “sympathetically” restored (I guess that could mean anything, but I take it to mean “as needed”) sometime after 1999. It has seen track time during the Monterey Historics and the Rennsport Reunion.

The pre-sale estimate is $2,250,000-$3,000,000 – which is a lot of money for a car that begs the question: “Is it going forward or backward?” For the complete lot description, click here. And for more from Gooding & Co in Monterey, click here.

Update: Sold $3,465,000.

Ferrari 857

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1955 Ferrari 857 Sport

Offered by Gooding & Company | Monterey, California | August 19, 2012

The Ferrari 857 was born out of a need for an improved Ferrari road-racing car – that is, something to do battle with the new Mercedes 300 SLRs. The 750 Monza and 500 Testa Rossa had done their jobs, but in the House of the Prancing Horse, “doing one’s job” probably lies somewhere well below “total domination” on il Commendatore’s list of cherished qualities.

So, for 1955, Ferrari took a 750 Monza chassis and stuffed under the hood a new, larger, version of the Lampedri straight-four, now displacing 3.5-ish liters, a 421cc improvement. Power jumped from about 260 to 290, which looked great on paper – unfortunately, the car was not the power-house it was intended to be. Over the next two years, however, the Monza line would produce some stellar, race-winning cars.

This particular car, chassis 588M, was the last of the four 857s built. It is the only car with this particular Scaglietti-designed body that includes a fin behind the driver. The car was entered by the Scuderia in a single race, where it was rolled in practice by Olivier Gendenbien. After that, it was repaired and sent to America where, in the hands of privateers, it competed in various road races across the country with drivers such as Carroll Shelby, Masten Gregory and Richie Ginther.

Once its racing life had concluded, the car was purchased by Andy Warhol and driven around New York by his agent. It changed hands several times after that, being restored in 2011. With a pre-sale estimate of $5-$7 million, this might be the cheapest way to get  your hands on something that you can connect to Andy Warhol. For the complete lot description, click here. For more from Gooding in California, click here.

Update: Sold $6,270,000.

Bugatti Brescia

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1920 Bugatti Type 13

Offered by Gooding & Company | Monterey, California | August 19, 2012

Photo – Gooding & Company

Look at this little snub-nosed dart. It reminds me of one of those little short, stubby guns – completely innocuous looking, but it’ll still pack a punch. A pocket pistol – it’s the Derringer of Bugattis.

The Bugatti Type 13 was the car that really launched Bugatti as a manufacturer. The first cars were built around 1910, but World War One interrupted things and production – and racing – resumed in 1920. In 1921, Bugatti Type 13s swept the top four spots at the Brescia Grand Prix, earning the car the nickname “Brescia” thereafter.

This car left the factory in 1920 as a Type 22, which was a larger, road-going version of the Type 13. It still had the same 50 horsepower 1.5-liter inline four. The car was brought to America after the Second World War, where it was acquired by a collector who had the chassis shortened and bodywork adjusted to Type 13 specification. In the 1980s it was purchased by a Japanese collector and the car underwent a restoration while in his possession.

In 1998 it was purchased by its current owner, who has raced it on occasion. I remember seeing this on track during the Monterey Historics a few years ago. It was a field of Bugattis, mostly Grand Prix cars, like the Type 37 and Type 35. Those big powerful cars took off immediately, leaving this little guy as well as a large road-going convertible to fight it out amongst each other way at the back. Neither car was quick, but you could tell that each driver was having a complete blast. And that’s why you own a Bugatti.

This is an early Bugatti and while it may not have elegant coachwork or a very sporting Grand Prix body (the only real bodywork is a small box behind the engine with a cushion on it… sort of primitive in a way) no one will mistake it for anything else. The pre-sale estimate is $250,000-$350,000. For more information, click here. And for more from Gooding in California, click here.

Update: Sold $379,500.

Update II: Sold, Artcurial Paris 2016, $400,683.

S/N #981.

Silverstone Classic Sale 2012 Highlights

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The Silverstone Classic sale (held July 21, 2012) by Silverstone Auctions consisted of half road cars and half race cars. Almost all of the road cars sold, whereas seemingly half of the racecars failed to meet their minimum reserve. With some “results to follow” (as the auction house is trying to complete a post-auction sale), the top sale was a 2008 Ferrari F430 GT3 that brought $119,000

One of our feature cars failed to sell, the Satecmo Eolia. The Chausson CHS Prototype did sell, for $17,300. Other interesting sales include a 1964 DKW Munga – there’s some serious fun to be had with this thing for only $5,500.

This 1947 Emeryson Jaguar, a one-off racing special built by Paul Emery, sold for $22,500.

A similar looking car (and with a similar base) is this 1983 Kougar Jaguar. Kougars were  built around Jaguar S-Type mechanicals. It sold for $17,000.

Another race car that actually sold at this sale was this 1970 Mallock Mk 8/16. Built by Arthur Mallock, this car was intended for use on the hillclimb circuit – even though it closely resembles a Formula car. This car actually won a 1600cc “B” Sport championship in its day. It sold for $7,800.

Two other interesting road cars were this 1948 Allard M-Type (top) for $43,400 and an awesome 1998 Renault Sport Spider (bottom) for $31,700.

For complete results, click here.

Aston Martin DB3S

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1955 Aston Martin DB3S

Offered by RM Auctions | Monterey, California | August 18, 2012

The Aston Martin DB3S was introduced in 1953 and produced through 1955. It was developed from the DB3 – a race car in its own right, although less successful on track than the DB3S would turn out to be. Eleven “Works” examples were built (factory raced by Aston Martin). In 1955, the company introduced a customer version.

Twenty of these customer cars were built and they used an updated version of the DB3S’ 3.0-liter straight-six, making 210 horsepower. This is car #118 (the 18th of the customer cars) and it is finished in a vibrant shade of orange, as it was originally delivered to a a Dutch racing driver named Hans Davids. The Dutch love their orange.

The car spent its life in privateer hands (with gentlemen drivers), but it did compete – and it did so against the likes of Stirling Moss, Roy Salvadori, Jo Bonnier, and Mike Hawthorn. The competition history of this car is as follows:

  • 1956 Goodwood (4/14) – 3rd (with Hans Davids)
  • 1956 Silverstone Daily Express – 17th (with Davids)
  • 1956 Grand Prix of Spa – 4th (with Davids)
  • 1956 Zandvoort – 1st (with Davids)
  • 1956 Opatija – DNF (with Davids)
  • 1957 Zandvoort – 1st (with Davids)
  • 1958 SCCA Nationals at Bridgehampton – 1st in class (with Fred Windridge)
  • 1958 Lime Rock National Championship Races – 10th, 1st in class (with Alan Markelson)
  • 1959 USAC Road Racing Championship Ponoma – DNF (with Bob Oker)

The car was restored and returned to its original color in the 1980s. Since then it has been well-maintained in ready-to-race condition. This car has known ownership history from new and no stories. Many people like their Astons in green, but I have to say that this looks really good in Dutch Racing Orange. I’d like to see more like it. The pre-sale estimate is $3,500,000-$4,000,000. For the complete lot description, click here. And for more from RM in during the Pebble Beach week, click here.

Update: Sold $3,685,000.

Pure Dominance: Audi R8

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2001 Audi R8

Offered by RM Auctions | Monterey, California | August 17, 2012

The Audi R8 is, quite simply, one of the most dominant race cars ever conceived. It never lost at the 24 Hours of Le Mans when it was entered with official factory backing (it won in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005). Factory support switched, unofficially, to its sister car in 2003, the Bentley Speed 8. And for last race in 2006, Audi had entered the replacement car, the R10. If it weren’t for rules concerning the number of years a car could compete, this car would likely still be competitive today. It was lightning quick and it was designed to be serviced and have major components replaced in a very short period of time.

And the drivers that drove these things is a lineup that is second to none. Drivers included: Tom Kristensen, Frank Biela, Emanuele Pirro, Allan McNish, Rinaldo Capello, Marco Werner, JJ Lehto, and Michele Alboreto (who was tragically killed in an R8 testing accident). They won races and championships just about everywhere they were entered. It was an unbelievable run. The drivers and competition history of this ex-Team Joest car is as follows:

  • 2001 ELMS Race at Jarama – 1st (with Tom Kristensen and Dindo Capello)
  • 2001 X-Factor Grand Prix of Sonoma – 2nd (with Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro)
  • 2001 Grand Prix of Portland – 2nd (with Biela and Pirro)
  • 2001 Gran Turismo 3 Grand Prix of Mosport – 24th, DNF (with Kristensen and Capello)
  • 2002 24 Hours of Le Mans – 7th (with Hiroki Katoh, Yannick Dalmas and Seiji Ara)
  • 2002 Suzuka 1000km – 27th, DNF (with Katoh and Ara)

The car itself was developed from the semi-competitive R8R and R8C cars that were used in 1999. The engine is a 610 horsepower 3.6-liter twin-turbo V8. There were 16 built in total, and five are in private hands today, making this a rare opportunity – especially because it is a race-winning factory Team Joest car. The pre-sale estimate is $1,000,000-$1,500,000. For the complete lot description, click here. And for more from RM in Monterey, click here.

Update: Sold $1,034,000.

Gulf McLaren F1 GTR Longtail

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1997 McLaren F1 GTR Longtail

Offered by Bonhams | Carmel, California | August 17, 2012

If this doesn’t make you drool all over your keyboard, I don’t know what will. But seriously, if anyone out there would be kind enough to buy this car for me, I would be eternally grateful, as I have been really wanting one of these since I knew what they were. And I’m a sucker for anything painted in Gulf livery.

Where to start? I’m going to leave out the interesting tidbits about the McLaren F1 road car except that I will say that it was the greatest road car ever built (sorry, Volkswagen). Racing versions first appeared for the 1995 season, having to have been detuned from road-car spec to make it legal for certain racing series – including Le Mans, which it won in it’s debut season. Nine race chassis were built for 1995 (the GTR denotes a race chassis – some were converted to street legal versions after their racing lives had concluded and a number of GTR road cars exist today).

For 1996, nine more GTRs were built (with two additional 1995 cars upgraded). They had slightly different bodywork that was a little longer both front and rear to stay competitive. 1997 saw even more improvements and a move to the “Longtail” specification to compete against the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR and Porsche 911 GT1. Ten Longtail cars were built with none of the previous cars being upgraded. This took the total to 28 cars. This was #28, the final GTR built.

Chassis 028R was originally 027R, but 027R was destroyed in a testing crash. When it was rebuilt, it was rebadged as 028R. The competition history of this car includes:

  • 1997 FIA GT Nürburgring 4 Hours – 44th, DNF (with Andrew Gilbert-Scott & Anders Olofsson)
  • 1997 FIA GT Spa 4 Hours – 44th, DNF (with Gilbert-Scott & Olofsson)
  • 1997 FIA GT Zeltweg 4 Hours – 30th, DNF (with Geoff Lees & Gilbert-Scott)
  • 1997 Suzuka 1000km – 6th (with John Nielsen, Lees & Gilbert-Scott)
  • 1997 FIA GT Donington Park 4 Hours – 7th (with Olofsson & Lees)
  • 1997 FIA GT Mugello 4 Hours – 8th (with Olofsson & Lees)
  • 1997 FIA GT Sebring 3 Hours – 10th (with Olofsson & Lees)
  • 1997 FIA GT Laguna Seca 3 Hours – 6th (with Olofsson & Lees)

Since the end of the 1997 season, this car was “preserved” at McLaren before being sold to someone in Japan in 2004 where it remained for two years. The current owner acquired it in 2006 but it hasn’t seen a track day since 1997. The engine, the 6.1-liter BMW V12 (which in this car has a somewhat neutered 600 horsepower) was last run in January – but McLaren has offered to do a full technical inspection free of charge once this sale is complete.

The McLaren F1 was a legend from day one and it continues to grow. These cars will do nothing but appreciate and by the time the kids – who had McLaren F1 posters on their walls in the 1990s – grow up and become financially successful (hopefully) adults in their 50s, 60s, and 70s, these cars will be worth untold fortunes. Road cars started at about $600,000-$900,000 back in the 90s and have sold for upwards of $4 million since 2008. I remember seeing them sitting on used-supercar dealer lots in the early 2000s. Times change fast. Bonhams wasn’t sporting enough to publish an estimate, so we’ll have to wait and see. For more info, click here. And for more from Bonhams in the amazing little town of Carmel, click here.

Update: Not sold.

S/N: 028R