Tag Archives: rm auctions

Lister-Jaguar “Knobbly”

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1958 Lister-Jaguar “Knobbly” Prototype

Offered by RM Auctions | Monaco | May 10, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

These cars are often referred to as “Knobbly”s because of their curvy shape. In all honesty, I didn’t know that was the reason (really, how many people do?) but every time I saw one of these I assumed that was the case. They are kind of knobby-looking cars. And I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or not.

Lister built Bristol-powered racers between 1954 and 1957. In 1957, they reworked the car to house a Jaguar straight-six (from the all-conquering D-Type). This car has the 265 horsepower 3.8-liter straight-six from Jaguar. The “Knobbly” debuted in 1958 and this was the first one built. It was originally conceived as a one-off racer but it’s popularity led them to realize they could make money selling these and 11 were built in total.

This car was originally supposed to go to the famed Ecurie Ecosse team, but Briggs Cunningham finagled his way into owning it (and another one). The racing history for this car includes:

  • 1958 12 Hours of Sebring – DNF (with Archie Scott-Brown and Walt Hansgen)
  • 1958 SCCA National Champion – 1st (with Walt Hansgen – he won a lot of races this season in this car)
  • 1959 12 Hours of Sebring – 12th (with Hansgen & Dick Thompson)

Briggs Cunningham owned the car into the mid-1960s before selling it. It has had a few owners since and was most recently sold at RM’s Monterey event in 2013. The pre-sale estimate is not available right now, but it sold about 6 months ago for $1,980,000. You can check out more here and see more from RM’s Monaco sale here.

S/N: BHL EE 101

Update: Sold $1,618,294.

March 2014 Auction Highlights Part I

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The first weekend in March was an eventful one for car auctions – and shows, with the Amelia Island Concours going on. But before we get to Amelia Island, let’s cross the pond and check out Bonhams’ Oxford sale highlights. The top sale there was this 1964 Bentley S3 Continental Coupe by Mulliner, Park Ward. It sold for $124,601.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Our featured MG NB Cresta Tourer failed to sell. And our featured BSA Scout doubled the lower-end of its estimate, selling for $20,249. Style-wise, I think the coolest non-feature car was this 1962 Ford Consul Capri Coupe which sold for $14,464. Check out full results here.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Now we get to Amelia Island and first up is Gooding & Company, where our featured Porsche 907 Longtail was the top sale at $3,630,000. The other 24 Hours of Daytona-winning Porsche, the 1983 March 83G, failed to sell. Cool cars were topped by this 1955 Porsche 356 Speedster once raced by Pedro Rodriguez. I’ve seen this car in person before and it is cool. It sold for $462,000.

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

Another cool featured Porsche was our 356 Carrera 2 that sold for $550,000. This 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS Lightweight brought an eye-popping $1,402,500.

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

Another great German car was this stunning green 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster. This was as cheap as I’ve seen a 300SL in some time and the color combo makes it an even better deal at $946,000.

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

Our featured Voisin failed to sell. The Madame X V-16 Cadillac brought $264,000. And the 1909 Alco Runabout sold for $280,500. This sale also featured a very nice BMW collection. One of the lesser-seen modes was this 1958 BMW 501 A. It sold for $121,000. Check out full results here.

Photo - Gooding & Company

Photo – Gooding & Company

And finally, on to RM’s Amelia Island sale. The top selling car was easy to spot beforehand – our featured Figoni et Falaschi Delahaye sold for $6,600,000. The deal of the sale was our featured Kissel White Eagle Tourster which sold for only $60,500! Somebody made off like a thief with that car. Congratulations.

Cool cars were topped by this beefy 1974 Iso Grifo 7-Liter coupe for $440,000.

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

Our featured Locomobile Speedster sold for $126,500. There was another Locomobile at this sale, this sporty 1919 Model 48 Roadster by Merrimac. It brought $143,000.

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

Our featured American De Dion sold for $115,500 and the all-original B.N.C. race car $181,500. This 1965 Shelby GT350 R race car is the “winningest” Shelby race car of all time, notching 17 straight wins in the late-60s. It sold for $984,500.

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

The only featured Duesenberg from the Amelia Island weekend sold for $1,567,500. And finally, there was this 1937 Packard 120 Pickup. It was custom built well after 1937 but it’s been around for a while and looks like the trucks Packard dealers used to use. It sold for $93,500. Check out full results here.

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

1909 Locomobile Speedster

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1909 Locomobile Model 30-L Speedster

Offered by RM Auctions | Amelia Island, Florida | March 8, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

These early speedsters (usually built before 1915) are some of the most incredible cars to see in person – especially if they’ve been restored. There is no dashboard. It’s more of a dashboard/floorboard/firewall that slops upward at your feet. It’s usually polished wood with gorgeous brass gauges. This car fits that description.

The Model 30-L uses a 4.7-liter straight-four making 30 horsepower. Locomobiles made big power and they started racing in 1905 but never sold their racing speedsters to the public. So all Locomobiles with racy bodywork have all been customized by their owners (meaning this isn’t a factory body but isn’t necessarily new, either).

This car has known history going back 60 years. The engine and chassis are correct and the body is period-correct (although likely not from the period). It would certainly be a fun car to use at very historical events as it does have usable power. It should sell for between $140,000-$170,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of RM’s Amelia Island lineup.

Update: Sold $126,500.

Kissel White Eagle

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1929 Kissel Model 8-95 White Eagle Tourster

Offered by RM Auctions | Amelia Island, Florida | March 8, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

Hartford, Wisconsin’s Kissel Motor Car Company built a variety of automobiles between 1906 and 1930, the most famous being the Gold Bug Speedster. In 1927, they introduced a four-seater version of the Gold Bug and called it the White Eagle.

Kissel’s were high quality, luxurious and sporty. I would liken them to Aston Martin today – not track-ready but quick, plush and stylish. The White Eagle was available with a few different engines and this one carries a 4.0-liter Lycoming straight-eight making 95 horsepower. The styling was updated for 1929 as Kissel tried to stay in business and fend off the Depression.

The Tourster body style is ultra sporty for a four-door convertible. Look at the long, pillar-less side – I bet this thing looks downright bitchin’ with the top down. This is the only known 1929 Tourster model known to exist and it was purchased new in Canada. The restoration is older than 1991 and has been freshened since. It’s a beautiful car and it should bring between $80,000-$120,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of RM’s Amelia Island lineup.

Update: Sold (or stolen) $60,500.

Update: Sold, RM Sotheby’s Auburn Fall 2019, $49,500.

A Very Original B.N.C.

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1930 B.N.C. Type 527 Voiturette

Offered by RM Auctions | Amelia Island, Florida | March 8, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

B.N.C. is not a household name when it comes to classic cars. They were only around from 1923 through 1935 and most of their cars were very sporty, competing in races at tracks such as Spa and Le Mans. The car you see here was actually raced during the very first race at Watkins Glen.

The Type 527 was a racing model that used a 927cc straight-four Ruby engine. This particular car had a Ford 2.2-liter V-8 dropped in it during the 1940s after it was purchased by an American in 1940. This car could be found at SCCA events throughout the East Coast in the immediate Post-War period and in 1948 it finished 8th overall in the inaugural Watkins Glen Grand Prix.

This car has been preserved and is pretty much all-original (except for the engine of course). And that’s pretty remarkable considering how much this thing has been raced in its life. It should sell for between $170,000-$220,000. You can check out more here and see more from this sale here.

Update: Sold $181,500.

Delahaye Torpedo Roadster

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1937 Delahaye 135 Competition Court Torpedo Roadster by Figoni et Falaschi

Offered by RM Auctions | Amelia Island, Florida | March 8, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

There are cars that serious collectors must have. This is one of those cars. Figoni et Falaschi-bodied cars are some of the most desirable coachbuilt cars in the world. And the Delahaye Torpedo Roadster is one of their most iconic designs. It’s the teardrop bodystyle combined with open air motoring. It is Paris in the 1930s.

The Delahaye 135 was introduced in 1935 and it uses a 3.6-liter straight-six making 95 horsepower. The Competition Court version of the 135 was the top-of-the-line model and this chassis was shipped to Figoni et Falaschi to receive this body for Delahaye, who showed the car at least once before selling it.

This car arrived in New York in 1939 and has been in American ownership since. The engine was actually replaced in 1939 and painted red at some point. In 1970 it was freshened and repainted its original colors – the ones you see here. It’s been with the same owner for 50 years so this is the first time this car has come up for public sale in a long time.

Only 13 streamlined Figoni et Falaschi bodies like this would be built and this is one of only two short-chassis Torpedo Roadsters that still exist. This is a multi-million dollar car with an “estimate available upon request.” Click here for more info and here for more from RM at Amelia Island. And look at these lines – tell me it isn’t worth it:

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

Update: Sold $6,600,000.

Duesenberg SJ-494

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1934 Duesenberg Model SJ Convertible Sedan by LeBaron

Offered by RM Auctions | Amelia Island, Florida | March 8, 2014

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

Another beautiful Duesenberg for sale at another top auction. This is a supercharged Model J (or “SJ”) and it is one done originally by Duesenberg – as many Model Js have been converted to this more desirable variant years later.

These cars would do speeds approaching 140 mph – which is insane considering it was 1934. Power was up to 320 with the supercharger attached to the 6.9-liter straight-eight engine. This car lost its supercharger at one point and has a dual-carb setup on it, good for almost 400 horsepower. Could you imagine doing 150 mph in this car!?

The car was owned by it’s first lady owner for about 10 years, appearing in a film during that time. It has had many owner since – including a former president of the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Club. The restoration is old but the car holds up incredibly well. This is the only LeBaron Convertible Sedan attached to an SJ – if you thought it wasn’t rare enough already.

Pre-sale estimate is $1,500,000-$1,750,000 and you can find out more here and see more form RM in Amelia Island here.

Update: Sold $1,567,500.

Retromobile 2014 Auction Highlights

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We covered three auctions from the fantastic Retromobile event in Paris this year. Two of them, Bonhams and RM Auctions, have their results posted. Artcurial had a second day of their sale and therefore do not have their results just yet. First up is RM’s sale. The top sale was this 1955 Jaguar D-Type for $4,947,835.

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

We featured three cars from this sale. Of those, only the Gordini failed to sell. Cool cars included this 1982 Rondeau M482 GTP for $284,875.

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

Our featured Porsche Carrera GTS brought $1,724,246 and the Th. Schneider sold for $82,464. Another cool car was this 1939 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Cabriolet by Gebrüder Tüscher which sold for $397,326.

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

And finally, this awesome barn find condition 1971 Mercedes-Benz 600 Six-Door Pullman Landaulet which was pulled from an African country (it was not said from which country but I think it’s safe to assume it has been dictator-owned). Anyway, these are extraordinarily rare. It brought an impressive $719,685. Check out full results here.

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

Now on to Bonhams’ sale. The top sale here was a 1968 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 for $3,434,222.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Two of our featured cars from this sale failed to sell: the Marlboro Steam car and the Lion-Peugeot. The most interesting car award goes to this 1969 Mazda Cosmo L10B Coupe which sold for $74,928.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Our featured Metallurgique Berline brought $35,903. This 1957 Borgward Isabella sold for $39,025.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Our featured Attica 200 sold for $18,732. The awesome Hispano-Suiza Omnibus brought $234,151. This cool, ex-Maurice Trintignant 1947 Delage D6 3-Liter Grand Prix sold for $1,482,959. Check out full results here.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Th. Schneider Tourer

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1921 Th. Schneider 4.5-Litre Tourer by Domain

Offered by RM Auctions | Paris, France | February 5, 2013

1921 Th. Schneider 4.5-Litre Tourer by Domain

Rochet-Schneider was one of the earlier French automobile manufacturers, setting up shop in 1894. One of the co-founders, Theophile Schneider, left the company in 1910 and started building cars under his own, abbreviated, name.

The 4.5-litre model used a – you guessed it – 4.5-liter straight-six. It was the biggest car the company made and they were powerful and fast cars. This one is all-original and was one of three six-cylinder Th. Schneiders imported new into Australia. The engine was rebuilt in 2012, but this is believed to be the only running six-cylinder Th. Schneider with its original body – which was constructed on this chassis by a coachbuilder in Melbourne in 1921.

Th. Schneider stopped production in 1929, with cars selling on through 1931. In 1932, Rochet-Schneider also closed its doors. These cars are quite rare and to find one in this good of original condition is practically impossible. It should sell for between $135,000-$205,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of RM’s Paris lineup.

Update: Sold $82,464.

904 Carrera GTS

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1964 Porsche 904 Carrera GTS

Offered by RM Auctions | Paris, France | February 5, 2014

1964 Porsche 904 Carrera GTS

The Porsche RS 61 race car was the final version of the 718 series and it went out of production in 1961. It remained competitive for another year or so, but by the end of 1963, Porsche had to have something else representing it on racetracks. Enter the Carrera GTS.

Designed to compete in the FIA GT class, the Carrera GTS (they couldn’t officially call it the 904 for legal reasons – thanks, Peugeot) was new for the 1964 model year (and made through 1965). The car would win its class at Sebring and Le Mans that year alone. This car was the first 904 delivered new to the U.K. and likely the only one painted in this color. It raced in privateer hands in races held all over the U.K. In 1968 it was sold to an owner in the U.S. and the current owner acquired it in 1997.

It has been restored and uses Porsche’s 185 horsepower 2.0-liter flat-four. The body is fiberglass and it is a quick car, topping out at 160 mph. This is the last Porsche race car that I’m pretty sure you can get away with driving on the road. That makes it more or less an early supercar and the last one like it Porsche built for quite some time.

Only 120 of these cars were built. This one should sell for between $1,360,000-$1,900,000. Click here for more info and here for more from RM in Paris.

S/N: 904-045.

Update: Sold $1,724,246.