Tag Archives: rm auctions

Draz-bodied 356A

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1959 Porsche 356A 1600 Super Convertible D by Drauz

Offered by RM Auctions | Fort Worth, Texas | April 27, 2013

1959 Porsche 356A 1600 Super Convertible D by Drauz

The Porsche 356 is an extremely important car as it was Porsche’s first production car. It was in production from 1948 through 1965 – an eternity in sports car terms. The 356A was the second iteration of the model and it bowed in 1955, with production lasting through 1959.

The Convertible D was produced in 1958 and 1959 only, with the “D” standing for Drauz – that’s Drauz Karrosseriewerke, a German coachbuilder that had been around since 1900. The trim level was very similar to the much-loved Speedster, with the exception that the D had roll-up windows, a taller windshield and a nicer interior.

The car was sold new to Cincinnati, where it had spent much of its life until being acquired by Don Davis (presumably sometime after 2006). It was restored in 1988 and 2003. This car has the 1600 Super motor in it – a 1.6-liter flat-four making 75 horsepower. This particular car has covered over 200,000 miles in its life. Incredible.

Only 1,330 Convertible Ds were built by Porsche and bodied by Drauz. They are highly sought after. This one is expected to bring between $125,000-$150,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of the cars coming from the Don Davis collection.

Update: Sold $137,500.

Chrysler GS-1

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1954 Chrysler GS-1 Special by Ghia

Offered by RM Auctions | Fort Worth, Texas | April 27, 2013

1954 Chrysler GS-1 Special by Ghia

In the 1950s, Italian style caused quite a stir among American automotive executives. There were a number of “Italian-bodied” cars that sold on American shores with Detroit power. Quite a few Chryslers actually (unfortunately, they’d try this again in the early 1990s, to terrible results).

Those Detroit powerplants were impressive, too. This one has a 5.4-liter Hemi V-8 making 235 horsepower. What started all of this Italian body-building was a one-off show car built by Ghia for Chrysler export executive C.B. Thomas. The car was very well received on the European auto show circuit and Ghia ended up building about 40 specials based on Chryslers.

Only two of them were GS-1 Specials. The cars were based on the New Yorker Deluxe chassis and engine. How they differed from the rest of the Specials is what sets them apart. They were four-passenger cars with flat exhaust tips and special bits of Chrysler trim. They were to be used on the European auto show tour – including the 1954 Turin Auto Show. But this one was apparently never shown.

When Chrysler was “done with it” (they never actually did anything with it), they sold it into private hands. It passed to the daughter of the man who bought it directly from Chrysler and she used it for a few years until it was parked in the 1960s. It remained parked until 1999, when it was restored and sold to the current owner. It should sell for between $700,000-$800,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $616,000.

Moretti 750 Gran Sport

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1953 Moretti 750 Gran Sport Berlinetta

Offered by RM Auctions | Lake Como, Italy | May 25, 2013

1953 Moretti 750 Gran Sport Berlinetta

Photo – RM Auctions

Turn-based Moretti built sports cars of their own design in the 1950s before moving on to becoming a specialist at re-bodying Fiats in the 60s, 70s and 80s before calling it quits in 1989.

The 750 was introduced for 1953. Giovanni Moretti wanted to build serious sports cars for competition and the 750cc straight-four in this car was the company’s ticket to its cars winning races in the hands of its customers. The 750 Sport was the base model of the 750 line, the Gran Sport being a lightweight version and they only ended up building a handful of Grand Sports between 1953 and 1954 – less than 25.

The body is by Michelotti. The other thing the Gran Sport (sometimes written as “Grand Sport”) has over its sibling other than lightness, is a little more power – a total of about 65 horsepower. It’ll do about 100 mph too. It’s tiny and it’s quick. And it’s apparently also sporting near-bicycle-like tires.

RM Auctions actually sold this exact car at their Monaco sale back in 2010, where it brought $151,200. The market is stronger now than it was then, so we’ll see what it brings this time around. Click here for more info and here for more from RM at Villa Erba.

Update: Sold $174,720.

Update II: Sold, RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2016, $132,000.

F-Code T-Bird

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1957 Ford Thunderbird F-Code Convertible

Offered by RM Auctions | Fort Worth, Texas | April 27, 2013

1957 Ford Thunderbird F-Code Convertible

The Ford Thunderbird was the supposed answer to the Chevrolet Corvette (I say “supposed” because the Thunderbird diluted its image every possible chance it got after 1957 while the Corvette got more and more intense). The first two years of Corvette production saw the car saddled with a straight-six. Chevy upped the ante for 1955 with a V-8. Ford introduced the Thunderbird as an all-new model for 1955 and a V-8 as the only power choice.

Both cars were absolute stunners in the looks department. Thunderbirds were offered in a sea of colors – pastels and the like. If you wanted to collect the entire rainbow, you probably could. This one is black with black wheels – and it looks rather menacing.

And it should. This is an “F-Code” car – which means it has the 5.1-liter V-8 that has been supercharged to make 300 horsepower. The most powerful Corvette you could buy in 1957 only made 283 ponies. And this wasn’t even the king of the Thunderbirds. There was one more step up – but only 12 of those were made.

As I’ve been writing these posts for cars from this sale prior to the release of the lot description from RM, I had to do a little research to find out how many F-Code Thunderbirds were actually built. On Barrett-Jackson’s website, I did a search for them and every result had a different total for the number built. An older RM post has the number at 205, which is what I’ll go with.

Thunderbirds are thought as cruisers today but this one will get your attention off the line. It’s a really awesome car and the fact that it looks the part is even better. It should bring a massive $150,000-$200,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold for $198,000.

BMW’s Supercar

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1980 BMW M1

Offered by RM Auctions | Fort Worth, Texas | April 27, 2013

1980 BMW M1

The BMW M1 is the most awesome and supercar-y BMW ever built (I guess the 507 would count too, but its sporting intentions don’t quite match those of this car. And it was built in the pre-modern supercar era). It is the only mid-engined BMW built in quantities to this point.

In fact, it is so revered that when BMW’s M-Power in-house tuning division created their version of the 1-Series, BMW forwent their conventional naming system that would have pegged the car as the “M1” and went with the obtuse “1 Series M Coupe” instead. It’s nice to see a company value their legacy so much.

This car is one of 456 hand-built by BMW between 1978 and 1981. There were competition versions and art cars, but the road-going M1 is a thing to behold. It uses a mid-mounted 3.5-liter straight six making 273 horsepower – which doesn’t sound like a lot now, but this was 1980 when big-power engines were being choked out of existence. It could do 160 mph.

The M1 was the first serious performance car built by BMW. It retained halo status for some time and has never really been equaled (the Z8, maybe). They’ve always been valuable and sought after. This one is expected to bring between $150,000-$250,000. Click here for more info and here for more from the Don Davis Collection.

Update: Sold $242,000.

March 2013 Auction Round-Up

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The first auction that happened in March was Bonham’s Oxford sale. Top sale went to this 1968 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Re-Creation that was converted from an original 1968 Ferrari 365GT. It sold for $382,700. A real 250 GT would’ve brought much more.

Other interesting cars included this 1975 Lotus Elan +2S 103/5 Coupe, which for $15,600, seems like a bargain for a Lotus Elan.

Our feature cars both sold. First, the 1922 Benjamin cyclecar brought $29,500. And the Charron Charronette sold for $12,150. Other cool cars included this 1927 McLaughlin-Buick Model 28.496 Master Six Tourer. It sold for $90,200.

This 1989 Royale Sabre Roadster was a throwback car built in the U.K. in the early 1990s based around a late 1980s Ford. It’s definitely interesting for $5,200.

And finally, this 1918 De Dion-Bouton Model HD 15CV 2.9-Litre Charabanc may not have been too expensive. It also wasn’t the cheapest car at the sale. But for the sheer number of doors on this thing, it qualifies as interesting. It could’ve been yours for $13,800. Click here for full results.

Next up was Gooding’s sale at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. The top sale there was this 1928 Bentley 4.25-Litre Semi-Le Mans Tourer for $2,750,000.

Among our four feature cars, only the Aston Martin Short Chassis Volante failed to sell. Of the two Duesenbergs, the Model JN brought $594,000 and the Model J brought $462,000. One interesting car was this 1938 H.R.G. Airline Coupe with coachwork by A. Crofts. It sold for $253,000.

The rest of our highlights are all million-dollar cars, most of them Ferraris. At the low end, a 1969 365 GTC brought $1,072,500.

Then there was the 1966 275 GTS for $1,127,500 followed by a 1995 F50 for $1,375,000 (second below).

Two similar million dollar Ferraris – see if you can tell the difference (for $750,000). First, a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 for $1,650,000 (first below). Then, a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Long Nose Alloy for $2,365,000. They look identical but aren’t (obviously).

Our featured Fiat 8V Supersonic brought $1,760,000. The final million dollar car was this 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Derby Speedster with coachwork by Brewster. It brought $1,980,000. Full results can be found here.

Then we move on to RM Auctions’ sale also held at Amelia Island. The top sale was out featured Duesenberg SJ by Walker-LaGrande for $4,510,000. Our featured Pegaso was the only one of our feature cars that failed to sell. As is normally the case, the million-dollar club featured a few Ferraris including a 1965 275 GTB (below) for $1,375,000 and a 1952 225 Sport Tuboscocca by Vignale for $1,237,500.

The only other million dollar cars were our featured Lozier, which more than doubled the lower end of its estimate and sold for $1,100,000. The other was this 1933 Stutz DV32 Convertible Victoria by Rollston which sold for $1,512,500.

Interesting sales were highlighted by this gorgeous 1947 Delahaye 135 MS Coupe by Langenthal that I so desperately wanted to feature but ran out of time. It sold for $330,000.

A couple of our older feature cars were the Derham Tourster Duesenberg for $825,000. And the beautiful Hispano-Suiza Transformable Torpedo brought $495,000. This 1929 Isotta-Fraschini Tipo 8A Convertible Sedan by Floyd-Derham sold for $473,000.

The three oldest cars we featured all sold. First, the Tribelhorn Electric brought $77,000. The unrestored Locomobile sold for $176,000. And the big, brilliant Austin Touring car sold for $379,500 – shy of its estimate. There were a trio of rare Cord L-29s at this sale and these two were very interesting. First, this 1930 L-29 Sport Cabriolet by Voll & Ruhrbeck sold for $990,000.

Then there was this 1929 L-29 Town Car by d’Ieteren Freres that sold for $154,000. Our featured Marmon Two-Door Prototype sold for $407,000. Check out full results here.

Now on to Osenat’s auction, where the top sale was a 1936 Cord 810 Sportsman convertible, of which there was no reasonably good picture I could snag. It sold for $129,000. Both of our feature cars sold. The Darracq-Italiana brought $32,985 while the the Voisin Flatbed Prototype sold for $23,220. The other most interesting car was another Voisin prototype, a 1956 Biscooter C31 Prototype with bodywork I haven’t seen before. It brought $25,800. Check out full results here.

And finally, Auctions America’s Ft. Lauderdale sale. Our featured Ron Fellows Edition Corvette sold for $52,800. Our featured Baldwin Motion Phase III Corvette brought $136,400. The 1977 Panther DeVille did not sell. Top sale went to a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL that sold for $880,000, which sounds like a new high sale for Auctions America.

Our other feature car, the Lexus LFA, sold for $319,000. Other cool cars included this 1960 Chevrolet Nomad for $26,400.

And finally, this 1963 Ford Galaxie 500 Factory Lightweight sold for $106,700. Check out full results here.

Chrysler Newport Pace Car

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1941 Chrysler Newport Indianapolis 500 Pacemaker by LeBaron

Offered by RM Auctions | Fort Worth, Texas | April 27, 2013

1941 Chrysler Newport Indianapolis 500 Pacemaker by LeBaron

The Chrysler Newport Dual Cowl Phaeton was a limited-production car built by Chrysler in 1940 and 1941. U.S. automotive production ceased at the end of 1941 to make way for war production, making this the last truly grand pre-war American automobile.

Ford had just introduced the Continental and GM was showcasing its concept car in the form of the Buick Y-Job. Chrysler needed to show that they could do style as well and the Newport project was born. Walter P. Chrysler died in 1940 and soon after, his successor approached Ralph Roberts at the famed coachbuilder LeBaron to design a two-seat and four-seat concept car. The two-seater was the Thunderbolt, and the four-seat was the Newport. One of my favorite parts of this story is one of legend: that Roberts wanted to show what a 1941 Duesenberg Dual Cowl would have looked like had they stayed solvent.

Chrysler liked what they saw and ordered five more examples (of each) to be built – in 90 days – in time for the 1941 auto show season at the end of 1940. The Newport had flowing lines and hideaway headlights and drove up excitement for other Chrysler models. This particular car was the only Newport built that had exposed front headlights. And it was chosen to pace the 1941 Indianapolis 500. After the race, it became the personal car of Walter P. Chrysler Jr.

The engine is a 143 horsepower 5.3-liter straight-eight. This car was in all-original condition when it was acquired in 2000 by its then-owner. It was painted light green with green interior – what Walter Jr. wanted after he took the car home. It was sold by RM at Amelia Island in 2009 for $687,500. It has apparently been restored – or at least repainted to its, presumably, original color scheme. It is expected to sell for between $900,000-$1,200,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $880,000.

Japan’s First Supercar

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1967 Toyota 2000GT

Offered by RM Auctions | Fort Worth, Texas | April 27, 2013

1967 Toyota 2000GT

Toyota built small sports cars prior to this, the wonderful 2000GT. But they didn’t even design the 2000GT (much like today’s GT86/Scion FR-S where the bulk of the work was done by Subaru. Makes you wonder if Toyota can do anything exciting on their own). Yamaha designed it did much of the work. They also built it for Toyota.

The body is aluminium and it sits very low – handling was excellent. They were also luxurious on the inside with wood trim and some had air conditioning. They were luxury GT cars that rivaled Europe’s top GT cars for luxury and performance – but not necessarily prestige. Not until recently anyway. This is widely considered the first collectible Japanese car and the first supercar from the country as well. It also put the world on notice that they could build serious cars – which was the point of the project, as Toyota really didn’t make any money off of them.

The engine is a 2.0-liter straight six from Toyota that was tuned by Yamaha. Power was rated at 150 horses. Only 337 were built in total – 233 of them with this engine. They cost about $6,800 when new and have appreciated significantly with a pre-sale estimate on this car between $650,000-$850,000. Click here to read more and here for more of the Don Davis collection.

Update: Sold $1,155,000.

Austin (the American one) Touring Car

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1909 Austin Model 60 Touring

Offered by RM Auctions | Amelia Island, Florida | March 9, 2013

1909 Austin Model 60 Touring

There are a couple of old automobile manufacturers that went by the name “Austin.” There is the well-known British Austin – the one who built the Seven and the Mini and died slowly during the decades-long BMC/Leyland “let’s ruin the British auto industry” debacle. Then there was “American Austin” which became American Bantam in the 1930s. But before these, there was the Austin Automobile Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was founded in 1901 – five years before Austin of England.

The Model 60 was the flagship Austin model when it was introduced. It’s a very large, imposing car and the competitive set in the day included Packard and Pierce-Arrow. They were well-engineered and basically overbuilt. The engine is a massive 12.8-liter straight-six making a then very impressive 90 horsepower. This particular car was featured on the Austin stand at the 1909 Chicago Auto Show.

The first owner bought it off the auto show stand for $5,000 and kept it for 38 years. It was then sold to Barney Pollard who maintained the car throughout his ownership. It spent 30 years in a museum during this time before the current owner bought it in 1983. The car has been restored, but because it was cared for its entire life, it has many (if not most) of its original parts. This is the only Model 60 in existence and the finest Austin there is. It is expected to sell for between $500,000-$750,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of RM’s lineup at Amelia Island.

Update: Sold $379,500.

February Auction Round-Up

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There were some big sales this month that didn’t quite get their own recap (I’m not made of time, you know). First up is Bonhams’ sale in Boca Raton, Florida. Top sale went to our featured Duesenberg for $698,500. Cool cars were topped by this 1925 Stutz Series 695 Speedway Six Speedster that sold for $49,500. You can check out complete results here.

1925 Stutz Series 695 Speedway Six Speedster 1925StutzSeries695SpeedwaySixSpeedster_zpsd0bf3066.jpg

Top sale at Mecum’s auction of the Fran and Ron Green “Verde Classics Museum Collection” in Boynton Beach, Florida, went to this 1961 Chrysler 300G Convertible for $130,000.

1961 Chrysler 300G Convertible 1961Chrysler300GConvertible_zpsfd59ea50.jpg

Our feature car from this sale, the Tri-Power Catalina Convertible, sold for $58,000. Some of my favorite cars from this sale included a 1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Limited (possibly the best-looking SUV ever built). It sold for $17,500. These things have always been collectible and will only continue to go up in value.

1990 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Limited 1990JeepGrandWagoneerLimited_zps57c22462.jpg

Then there was this 1957 Dodge Custom Royale Convertible. Old Mopars can be hard to find and this one is beautiful. It sold for $47,000. You can find complete results from this sale here.

1957 Dodge Custom Royale Convertible 1957DodgeCustomRoyaleConvertible_zps119be44f.jpg

Next up was Silverstone Auctions’ Race Retro & Classic Car Sale held on February 23rd. The top sale was our featured Connaught Formula One car. It sold for $296,400. Our other featured car – er, bus – was a 1962 Leyland Routemaster. I’ve been corrected, it’s actually an AEC Routemaster. Anyway, it sold for $31,460. The coolest non-feature car was this 1973 BMW 3.0 CSL Batmobile FIA race car for $129,200. Check out full results here.

1973 BMW 3.0 CSL Batmobile FIA Racecar 1973BMW30CSLBatmobileFIARacecar_zpsc9d6a427.jpg

We move over to H&H’s Pavilion Gardens sale of February 26th. Top sale was this 1929 Lagonda 2-Litre Low-Chassis Speed Model Tourer for $152,000.

1929 Lagonda 2-Litre Low-Chassis Speed Model Tourer photo 1929Lagonda2LitreLowChassisSpeedModelTourer_zps35f5a5c5.jpg

Right behind it was this, more attractive (in my opinion), 1935 Alvis Speed 20 SC Lancefield Drophead Coupe. It sold for just slightly less – $151,500.

1935 Alvis Speed 20 SC Lancefield Drophead Coupe photo 1935AlvisSpeed20SCLancefieldDropheadCoupe_zpsde620657.jpg

And the last car from this sale – one I almost featured, but ran out of time because of the Amelia Island sales – is this 1920 Calthorpe 10hp Super Sports. It sold for $18,700. Click here for full results.

1920 Calthorpe 10hp Super Sports photo 1920Calthorpe10hpSuperSports_zps6c2f2ff6.jpg

And finally, the largest (in terms of cars featured) sale we’ve ever covered: the incredible Bruce Weiner Microcar Collection. There really weren’t highlights outside of the cars we featured (we featured 80 of them). Here’s a rundown of our feature cars and what they sold for, listed from the top seller down to the cheapest we featured (p.s. If you own a F.M.R. Tiger, Reyonnah, Inter 175 or Peel P50 – get it out, dust it off and sell it – apparently it’s worth way more than anyone guessed):

You can check out complete results from this sale here.