Tag Archives: rm sothebys

Maserati A6G/2000

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1951 Maserati A6G 2000 Coupe by Pinin Farina

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Monterey, California | August 19-20, 2016

Photo Courtesty of RM Sotheby's

Photo Courtesty of RM Sotheby’s

The A6G 2000 was the second iteration of the Maserati A6. Produced in 1950 and 1951 only, the cars saw increased displacement in the straight-six engine (to 2.0-liters) which makes 100 horsepower.

This example was sold new in Italy and has been in the U.S. since 1970. The handsome Pinin Farina body is the sort of typical body you could expect to see on one of these chassis. Except that you should never expect to see one as this is the second of just nine built by Pinin Farina (of about 15 cars built in total). It has been restored twice since 2000 and should bring between $400,000-$500,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.

Maybach SW38

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1938 Maybach SW38 Roadster by Spohn

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Monterey, California | August 19-20, 2016

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby's

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Want to know how you can tell that Maybachs are great cars? They never come up for sale – that’s how you know. If you’re lucky enough to snag one, you keep it. In the five years or so since this site has been live, I can only recall three of them coming up for auction, this car included. We featured one of them and the car you see here had been on sale at Fantasy Junction in California for at least a few years with a price tag of $3,300,000.

Wilhelm Maybach’s company and its success up to the outbreak of WWII are a direct result of flawless engineering. These were some of the best-built cars money could buy in the 1930s. The competitors for the SW38 included the Mercedes-Benz 540K and the Horch 853A. The SW38 was the short-wheelbase Maybach and it made more power than the other two cars (you know, until you matted the accelerator in the 540K and the supercharger kicked in). This is powered by a 140 horsepower, 3.8-liter straight-six.

With an unparalleled body by Spohn, this car was sold new in Germany and came stateside in 1961. It’s had a number of interesting American owners since and has been restored. The current owner acquired the car in 1999. Only 520 SW38s were built and 152 still exist – only a few are this sporty (in fact, this is one of two SW38 Disappearing Top Roadsters by Spohn). It’s a big money car, and deservedly so. Click here for more info and here for more from RM Sotheby’s.

Update: Sold $1,072,500.

Ferrari 268 SP

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1962 Ferrari 268 SP by Fantuzzi

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Monterey, California | August 19-20, 2016

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby's

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Here’s a car you aren’t likely to get another shot at purchasing. With only two examples produced (of this chassis/engine combo), the 268 SP hails from an era of dramatic change in the racing world. Right about 1960, there was a drastic shift in thought: if we mount the engine behind the driver, maybe these things will handle better.

So Ferrari, and their sports prototype cars, adopted this new philosophy. The SP line of cars debuted in 1961 and only six of this lineage would be built. Only two of them were fitted with this 265 horsepower, 2.6-liter V-8. The awesome body by Fantuzzi is similar to other Ferrari racers of the day, namely the 250 TR 61.

This, car #3 or chassis #0798, has a factory competition history consisting of:

  • 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans – 19th, DNF (with Giancarlo Baghetti and Ludovico Scarfiotti)

After Le Mans, the car came to America to race as part of Luigi Chinetti’s NART team. As part of this team, its competition history includes:

  • 1962 Bahamas Speed Weeks, Nassau Trophy Race – 8th (with Lorenzo Bandini)
  • 1963 12 Hours of Sebring – 34th (with John Fulp and Harry Heuer)
  • 1963 Bahamas Speed Weeks, Nassau Trophy Race – 5th (with Fulp)

It ran a few more races through 1966 and then sat until 1969 when it went to a collector in France. It was restored during his ownership and the current owner acquired the car approximately 20 years ago. It’s a fairly famous car that has been shown at the most exclusive events worldwide. With only six built – and being one of only two built with this engine – this Ferrari is one those seriously collectible 1960s racers. Huge money is one the table here. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Update: Sold, RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2021, $7,705,000.

Duesenberg J-451

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1931 Duesenberg Model J Tourster by Derham

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Monterey, California | August 19-20, 2016

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby's

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The Derham Tourster is one of a few body styles of the Model J Duesenberg that are highly sought after (as if there is a Duesenberg that isn’t). Only eight were built originally and over the past few years, two others have come up for auction (with a further two that sported recreated Tourster bodies also coming up for sale).

The great thing about the Tourster is that its second windshield actually rolls up and down instead of flipping up and out of the way like most Dual Cowl Phaetons. Derham, of Rosemont, Pennsylvania, was the sole constructor of this beautiful body. The engine underneath is the standard Model J 6.9-liter straight-eight making 265 horsepower.

This car was sold new to Chicago, where it remained with a variety of owners until departing the city in 1948. It has had even more owners since, with the current owner residing overseas. The restoration is older but it shows well and the color combination is brilliant. The average price for the last two Toursters to have sold is about a million dollars, so look for a similar amount here. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $1,320,000.

1920 Detroit Electric

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1920 Detroit Electric Model 82 Brougham

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Plymouth, Michigan | July 30, 2016

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby's

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Some things come back around and right now, thanks to Tesla, electric cars are hot. But back in the early days of the automobile, when different propulsion systems were fighting for supremacy, electric cars were fairly popular as well.

Part of the reason for their popularity was the ease with which one could operate such a car. There was no crank, no warming up. You just got in and went. This car is powered by a 4.3 horsepower electric motor.

Only 95 of this type were made, making it quite rare today. Remarkably, this example has known ownership history from new and was originally purchased in Canada. Today, it should bring between $60,000-$80,000. Click here for more info and here for more from RM Sotheby’s.

Update: Sold $66,000.

Arrows A10

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1987 Arrows-Megatron A10

Offered by Silverstone Auctions | Silverstone, U.K. | July 28, 2016

Photo - Silverstone Auctions

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

Arrows, the long-running British Formula One Team, first competed in 1978. 1987 wasn’t a banner year, as they had more retirements than finishes. The 1987 A10 chassis was actually designed by Ross Brawn, he of considerable recent F1 fame. The A10 was deemed “good enough” that, for 1988, it was slightly revised and renamed to the A10B.

For 1987, Arrows’ former engine supplier and partner, BMW, packed up and left. Arrows managed to get some sponsorship money from USF&G and BMW finally agreed to supply engines, so long as they were branded as Megatron (which sounds like the name of a Transformer). That engine is a turbocharged 1.5-liter straight-four that made over 1,000 horsepower in qualifying and 850 in race trim.

This was Derek Warwick’s car for 1987 and it’s best finish was 5th at the British Grand Prix that year. The current owner acquired the car in 2002 and it has been used at 1-2 historic events a year for the past 10 years. It was demonstrated at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed and should bring between $130,000-$155,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

The First Cobra

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1962 Shelby Cobra 260

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Monterey, California | August 19-20, 2016

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby's

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

This is the very first Shelby Cobra built and it has been owned by Shelby since day one, which makes this an incredible opportunity to acquire one of the most important cars around. So here’s the story: in 1961, Carroll Shelby asked AC Cars of England if they would build him an AC Ace that could house a V-8 engine.

And, luckily for car people everywhere, they did. Shelby managed to source a V-8 from Ford, as Chevrolet wasn’t willing to play ball (something General Motors probably doesn’t want to dwell on all these years later). The engine was a 260 cubic inch (4.2 liter) V-8 from Ford that makes 260 horsepower. Shelby stuffed it in the front of this beautiful English roadster and the rest is history.

This car, CSX 2000, was used as a factory test car, demonstrator, and show car used to get people interested and sell some cars. Carroll Shelby, always the marketer, repainted the car between showings to make people think that production was well under way. It worked, even if a second Cobra wouldn’t be built for another seven months.

It is mostly original (other than the paint) and has been used on and off over the years and has been shown recently at Pebble Beach, among many, many other places. It’s as famous as Cobras come and is being offered from the Carroll Hall Shelby Trust. Only 75 Cobras were fitted with the 260 engine, but this is the one to have. In fact, of all Cobras, this is the one to have. The bidding will quickly shoot into the millions, but whoever comes out on top will have something truly special. Click here for more info and here for more from RM Sotheby’s.

Update: Sold $13,750,000.

Glas Isard

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1960 Glas Isard 400 Coupe

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Plymouth, Michigan | July 30, 2016

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby's

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Does this look like another famous microcar to you? Specifically, the Goggomobil? Well, essentially, it is. Hans Glas (whose company ultimately became part of BMW) would start selling cars in 1955. They were originally branded as “Goggomobil” – a marque that existed between 1955 and 1969.

The Glas brand first appeared on a car in 1958. Here’s where it gets really interesting: between 1958 and 1965, Glas produced a car, larger than what you see here, called the Isar. Then there is this, the Isard, with a “d.” The story is that “goggo” was negative French slang, so Glas had to sell the Goggomobil TS in France as the Glas Isard.

So this is technically the same car as a Goggomobil TS400 but with a much more interesting backstory. It’s powered by a rear-engined 20 horsepower, 395cc straight-twin. For comparison, the car we featured yesterday had 800 more horsepower. Fun comes in all shapes and sizes – and in this case, it’s pint sized. Click here for more info and here for more from RM Sotheby’s.

Update: Sold $24,200.

Bocar XP-5

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1959 Bocar XP-5

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Monterey, California | August 19-20, 2016

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

Bocar is one of those car manufacturers from the 1950s that built sports and racing cars in limited numbers. Most people haven’t heard of them and even fewer have actually seen an example. This is about as close as most will come to actually seeing a Bocar. And from the looks of it, you won’t see a nicer one.

Bob Carnes founded Bocar (which comes from the first letters of his first and last name) in Lakewood, Colorado, in 1957. Carnes started with the XP-1 through XP-4, which were essentially one-offs. With the XP-5, he began building production cars, including this one that was one of two team cars for the Meister Bräuser team in SCCA competition.

It’s passed through a few different owners since its period competition history ended and was in the possession of one owner for over 40 years. It was restored by the current owner in 2014 and is an award winner at Amelia Island. The engine is a 4.6-liter Corvette V-8 making 315 horsepower.

Only 15 of this type were built and good luck finding a prettier example. This 160 mph rocket cost somewhere around $8,700 when new and should bring much more this August. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $412,500.

Saleen S7 Twin Turbo

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2006 Saleen S7 Twin Turbo

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Plymouth, Michigan | July 30, 2016

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

We’ve recently featured a Saleen S7 – the standard, naturally aspirated version of America’s most outlandish supercar. But what we have here is the more powerful version of Steve Saleen’s Irvine, California-built, gill-riddled, street-legal monster.

This version of the S7 is powered by a twin-turbocharged 7.0-liter Ford V-8 making 750 horsepower. That’s enough power to propel this thing to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds – all the way up to its 248 mph top speed. And it’s a legitimate car – not some thrown-together-in-a-barn sort of thing. They built these between 2005 and 2009 (the original S7 went out of production in 2006).

This car has only been driven about 300 miles since new. A recent service means it’s ready to add to that number, and rapidly. Only 13 Twin Turbo S7s were built in 2006 (and production fell off a cliff after this model year), making this is one of the final S7s built. It’s a true American supercar – and the best version of it. Click here for more info and here for more from RM.

Update: Sold $632,500.