964 Turbo 3.6

1994 Porsche 911 Turbo 3.6

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | New York, New York | December 2023

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Porsche’s 964-generation of the 911 went on sale in 1989 with the Carrera 4 coupe. It was only around through 1994, so it was relatively short-lived. But being a relatively modern, air-cooled version of the 911, prices have gone up. Way up.

The Turbo arrived in 1990 with a turbocharged version of the previous-generation’s 3.3-liter flat-six. Come 1993, Porsche had finally found the time to slap a turbo on the 964’s 3.6-liter flat-six, and thus the Turbo 3.6 was born. Produced for just two years, about 1,500 were built. Output was rated at 355 horsepower, which was almost 40 more than the 3.3 car.

The 3.6 was the hero car in the movie Bad Boys, and there were even more exclusive sub variants of the Turbo 3.6, but we’ll save those for another day. Remember how we said things have gotten expensive? The estimate for this sub-7,000-mile car is $525,000-$625,000. Click here for more info.

Duesenberg J-121

1929 Duesenberg Model J Dual-Cowl Phaeton by LeBaron

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Miami, Florida | March 2, 2024

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

There are not many cars better than a sweep-panel dual-cowl phaeton. This one carries a relatively low engine number and was delivered new to Philip K. Wrigley, he of gum fame. It was originally delivered with Murphy convertible coupe coachwork, to which Mr. Wrigley added over 10,000 miles before deciding he wanted a dual-cowl phaeton.

But not just any such phaeton, he wanted the specific body on a family friend’s Duesenberg. But he didn’t want their car. So a body swap was arranged. Oh to be rich during the Great Depression. This chassis retains its original 265-horsepower, 6.9-liter inline-eight.

The Wrigleys sold it back to Duesenberg in 1936. The current restoration was completed in 2004, and it’s finished in all black, which is an interesting choice (but apparently the original look). It has an estimate of $2,650,000-$2,850,000. More info can be found here.

DB2/4 by Bertone

1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 Coupe by Bertone

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | New York, New York | December 8, 2023

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The DB2 was Aston’s first real post-war car, as they only made 15 DB1s. In 1953, the DB2 was heavily revised for a new model call the DB2/4, which would remain on sale through 1957. Three factory body styles existed: drophead coupe, two-seat coupe, and 2+2 hatchback. But a number of coachbuilt versions were also produced.

Among them are a some really striking designs by Bertone. There were seven Bertone DB2/4s in total (out of a production run of 764 total DB2/4s), and all of them were commissioned by Stanley “Wacky” Arnolt. This was the only coupe among them.

RM’s write-up makes no mention of the engine, but it’s a 2.9-liter inline-six, the larger of two engines offered during the model’s run. The restoration of the car started in 2019 and completed in time for Pebble Beach in 2023. The estimate here is $1,200,000-$1,600,000. Click here for more info.

F40 GT

1990 Ferrari F40 GT

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Las Vegas, Nevada | November 17, 2023

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Ferrari’s sensational F40 went on sale in 1987 and actually hung around until the early 1990s, which is quite a while in the world of limited-run Ferrari supercars. Three of four examples were prepped by Michelotto to “LM” specification, which increased interest in customer F40 racing cars.

So to that end, nine examples of the “GT” ended up being produced. It retains a twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V8 that was eventually rated for up to 550 horsepower in race spec. This particular chassis was purchased new by the designer of the Mugello race track and campaigned in the Italian GT Championship.

It competed in seven rounds in 1992 and eight the following year. The car was later taken back to its 1992 look, and it is one of 21 F40s to race in a major sanctioned series. The car now has an estimate of $3,250,000-$4,000,000. More info can be found here.

E30 M3 Sport Evo

1992 BMW M3 Sport Evolution

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Munich, Germany | November 25, 2023

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The first BMW M3 was built on the company’s E30-generation chassis, and it was only offered as a two-door coupe (or a relatively rare convertible). BMW also used it as a springboard into DTM in Germany, and thus a few homologation models were developed.

There were two “Evolution” models introduced in the late 1980s that saw power increases. Then came 1990’s Sport Evolution model, which was the final – and top – model in the E30 M3 family. This one is titled as a 1992, which is probably when it was first registered. But all Sport Evos were built in a four-month span ending in March 1990. Just 600 were produced.

While the standard M3 (and first two Evos) had 2.3-liter engines, the Sport Evolution is powered by a 2.5-liter inline-four that made 235 horsepower. Sport Evos got a DTM-style rear wing and could’ve only been had in black or red. This one has an estimate of $195,000-$215,000. Click for more info here.

Mercedes W04 F1

2013 Mercedes-AMG W04

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Las Vegas, Nevada | November 17, 2023

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Mercedes-Benz took quite the hiatus from Formula One, departing in 1955 after murdering a bunch of spectators. They returned as an engine supplier in the 1990s, but didn’t come back with a full team effort until the 2010 season, a year after purchasing reigning champions Brawn GP.

After three somewhat disappointing seasons, they showed up in 2013 with this, the W04 that was to be fielded by drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. It would take them to second in the constructors championship, bettering the fifth they achieved the year prior. It was clear they were onto something, as the following year they would win the championship… and then keep doing so year after year after that.

The W04 is powered by a 2.4-liter V8 with a KERS system that can produce 750 horsepower (or 830 with the KERS enabled). All while revving to a cool 18,000 rpm. This was the last season of F1 to feature V8 engines. The race history for this chassis, #F1W04-04 includes:

  • 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix – 3rd (with Lewis Hamilton)
  • 2013 Chinese Grand Prix – 3rd (with Hamilton)
  • 2013 Hungarian Grand Prix – 1st (with Hamilton)
  • 2013 Belgian Grand Prix – 3rd (with Hamilton)

This chassis was actually used in 14 races that year. It has somehow escaped Mercedes’ hands and has a pre-sale estimate of $10,000,000-$15,000,000. Click here for more info.

BMW 319 Sport Cabriolet

1936 BMW 319 Sport Cabriolet

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Munich, Germany | November 25, 2023

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

BMW’s 303 line of cars was their first with a six-cylinder engine, and they helped cement the kidney grille design language that persists today. The original 303 launched in 1933, and a slew of spin-off models followed. The 319 was sold from 1935 to 1937.

The big difference here was the engine. The 319 is powered by a 1.9-liter inline-six rated at 45 horsepower. It was BMW’s largest car until the 326 debuted a year later. Various body styles were offered, and of the 6,646 built, just 238 were two-seat sport cabriolets.

This car was sold new in Mainz, Germany. The current owner bought it as a project in 2018 and turned it into the concours class winner it is today. The estimate is $130,000-$170,000. More info can be found here.

Peugeot 3008 Dakar

2017 Peugeot 3008 DKR

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Munich, Germany | November 25, 2023

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Peugeot‘s 3008 road model is a compact SUV. And it looks nothing like this. I think, for this rally raid race car, they carried over the headlights and grille shape. And that’s about it. But hey, it gives everyone who drives a 3008 the feeling that their front-wheel-drive hatchback wagon could go anywhere if they slapped some Red Bull graphics on it.

Peugeot entered five of these in the 2017 Dakar Rally. It’s powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter diesel V6 that makes 340 horsepower. So it can pretty go much anywhere, and fast. The competition history for this chassis, C22, includes:

  • 2017 Dakar Rally – 3rd (with Cyril Despres and David Castera)
  • 2019 Dakar Rally – 3rd (with Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Elena)
  • 2022 Dakar Rally – 42nd (with Khalid Al Qassmi and Dirk von Zitzewitz)

After its last outing it was rebuilt and should be instantly usable. It has an estimate of $370,000-$700,000 – a range that says “we have no idea what this is worth.” Click here for more info.

Nissan GT-R50

2021 Nissan GT-R50 by Italdesign

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Munich, Germany | November 25, 2023

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Nissan‘s R35 GT-R has been on sale for what seems like forever. And the new ones look pretty much just like the examples produced back in 2009. Unless that is, your GT-R is one of the 18 “GT-R50” examples with bodywork by Italdesign.

And it’s not just the angular bodywork that is different. The twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 received better pistons and fuel injectors in addition to a fresh exhaust system for a rating of 710 horsepower.

This is the 11th car built (they wanted to make 50, but only 18 made it out). They cost over $1 million when new, and this one now has an estimate of $1,000,000-$1,200,000. Click here for more info.

C124 Gullwing

1989 Boschert B300

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Munich, Germany | November 25, 2023

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The Mercedes-Benz W124 was the first generation of Merc marketed as the E-Class. The C124 was the coupe version, and that’s what this car here is based on. Hartmut Boschert founded his tuning company in the 1980s and began modifying Benzes thereafter.

In 1989, he took a 300CE coupe and grafted an R129 SL-Class front end onto it. He also added gullwing doors – a Mercedes legacy. R129 seats also came along, and the standard 300CE 3.0-liter inline-six was fitted with two turbochargers to make 283 horsepower.

The plan was to make 300 of these after it debuted at the 1989 Frankfurt International Motor Show. But that never happened, and this was the only one built. It’s been with it’s current owner for almost 20 years and now has an estimate of $265,000-$320,000. More info can be found here.