Tag Archives: rm sothebys

540K Special Roadster

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1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster by Sindelfingen

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Phoenix, Arizona | January 28-29, 2016

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

You’re looking at what might be the biggest dollar car sold at this year’s Arizona auctions. It’s certainly among the most beautiful (okay it is the most beautiful). This is the Benz of the 1930s. The 540K was introduced at the 1936 Paris Motor Show, an evolution of the 500K.

The 540K is powered by a 5.4-liter straight-eight that makes 115 horsepower in normal operating mode and a sporty 180 horsepower when the supercharger was engaged via matting the pedal. 540Ks usually wear Cabriolet A, B, or C bodies by Sindelfingen. But the ultimate topless version was the Special Roadster.

This example is one of the earliest 540Ks known to exist and it was sold new in the United States and kept by the original owner up until the late 1950s. The current owner acquired the car in 1989, it having been restored prior to that acquisition. It is believed to have 10,277 original miles.

Not many of these were built but it is thought that only six remain in this specific style today. They never come up for sale. The pre-sale estimate of $10,000,000-$13,000,000 underscores how special these are. Don’t miss it. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $9,900,000.

The Fanciest Pre-Jaguar

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1939 SS 100 2.5-Litre Roadster by Van den Plas

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Phoenix, Arizona | January 28-29, 2016

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

We’ve featured another SS 100 before, but that was the larger-engined 3.5-litre model. This car is actually powered by a 2.7-liter straight-six (even though it’s called a “2.5-litre”) making 102 horsepower.

The SS brand, as we all know, became Jaguar after WWII and the Nazi connection those two letters had. This particular car is thought to be the final 2.5-litre SS 100 chassis built in 1939 and it was purchased by Van den Plas, the Belgian coachbuilder. But war broke out and they weren’t able to do anything with it until after things had settled down, so this car with this fantastic, Figoni-esque body debuted in 1948 at the Brussels Motor Show.

Van den Plas began in Belgium in 1870 and a British arm, Vanden Plas, opened in London in 1917. Jaguar had a long associated with that brand through its British Leyland ownership and beyond. You can see the underlying SS 100 under the added swoopy fenders – the grille and hood line is still intact.

This car arrived in the U.S. in the late 1980s or early 1990s and it was then restored. It still wears that restoration that shows well. It is one-of-one and will cost you a pretty penny. Click here for more info and here for the rest of RM’s lineup.

Update: Sold $1,402,500.

Cadillac Series 62 Coupe by Ghia

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1953 Cadillac Series 62 Coupe by Ghia

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Phoenix, Arizona | January 28-29, 2016

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

When you think of 50s Cadillacs, you think big fins. But 1953 was a pre-fin year and everything was a little more restrained. The Series 62 was the entry-level Cadillac from 1952 through 1968 when it’s name was changed. The series was introduced in 1940.

In 1953, Ghia of Italy ordered two Cadillac Series 62 Convertible chassis and had them shipped to Italy. They applied this gorgeous, stylized black coupe body with gold accents all around. The engine is the standard 5.4-liter V-8 making 210 horsepower.

This car has slightly different styling than its sister car at the front and passed through the Blackhawk Collection more than 20 years ago before its current owners acquired it around the time of its restoration. As a 1950s American chassis with an Italian body – and it being one of two – it will be pricey. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $1,430,000.

Duesenberg J-295

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1934 Duesenberg Model J Town Car by Murphy

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Phoenix, Arizona | January 28-29, 2016

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

This Model J Duesenberg sports a fairly low engine number but a relatively new model year designation. The Model J was introduced in 1929 – before the stock market crashed. Money was flowing, orders were placed. Then things went south and the company was stuck with a lot of inventory (in the form of engine/chassis combinations) that took years to move out to the door to coachbuilders.

This car was first sold in 1934, hence its model year. In that year, the widow of the head of Campbell’s Soup ordered this Duesey sent to the Walter M. Murphy Company of Pasadena, California, to be fitted with stately Town Car coachwork. The engine is the standard 6.9-liter straight-eight making 265 horsepower.

Only 1,800 miles were put on this car before it was acquired by its second owner in 1947. Currently, the mileage stands at a tick under 40,000. It has been restored twice, and shown at Pebble Beach twice (in 1990 and 2010). It’s a matching numbers car and is thought to be one of six Murphy Town Cars. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold.

Update: Sold, Gooding & Company “Geared Online”, August 2020, $1,012,000.

Phantom II Torpedo Sports

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1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Torpedo Sports by Barker

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Phoenix, Arizona | January 28-29, 2016

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

When you think of 1930s streamlined automobiles, you probably think of those Art Deco French beauties. Well here is an English example. It’s a Rolls-Royce Phantom II, which was produced between 1929 and 1936.

It is powered by a 120 horsepower 7.7-liter straight-six. Barker & Co. of London was one of the more common coachbuilders for Rolls-Royce. Most of their designs were relatively traditional – sedans and the like. But obviously not all of their designs were stodgy. This Torpedo Sports looks like something from the late 1930s, not the dawn of the decade.

Built for a man in New York (but never delivered), this car has windswept fenders, rear wheel covers, and the upper part of the rear decklid comes to a boattail-like point. The first owner isn’t actually known for sure (it is thought to be a Maharaja), but from the second owner on, the history of this car is known. The current owner bought it in the early 1990s and it has since been restored.

Only 1,402 Phantom IIs were built and this is the only one quite like this. It’s also one of the sportiest Phantom IIs, too. If you want to see more, click here. And find the rest of RM’s catalog here.

Update: Not sold.

1896 Raynaud

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1896 Raynaud Vis-à-Vis Prototype

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Paris, France | February 3, 2016

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

Here’s a car you aren’t likely to find anything else about. It is probably the only one built and was ahead of its time. It is thought that this car was constructed by Claude Raynaud of Flayosc, France. Nothing known ties him to the automobile industry in any way, so why he built this is kind of a mystery.

It is powered by a 3.8-liter two-cylinder engine. It has a gear transmission, which nearly no other car had at this point. And you’ll notice that it has a steering wheel in place of a tiller, something that wouldn’t be standard for years to come.

This car was discovered in France in 1975. It has been repainted and has had new solid tires fitted, but that is the extent of the work done to in in nearly 120 years. This one-of-a-kind car is being offered out of a private collection and can now be yours. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $149,980.

Update II: Not sold, Bonhams’ London-to-Brighton 2016.

December 2015 Auction Highlights

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This month, we’ll start with a brand new auction, the inaugural sale by the Keno Brothers held in New York. The top sale was a 1967 Bizzarrini 5300 Strada for $1,010,800.

Photo - Keno Brothers

Photo – Keno Brothers

The “cars as art” thing isn’t anything new, but this sale really pushed it hard. Hopefully all of the new owners realize they can still use these beautiful machines. Full results can be found here.

Next up, Bonhams’ December sale. We featured one car here, a 4¼-Litre Bentley that brought $144,019. The top sale was another Bentley, a 1926 3-Litre Light Tourer by Vanden Plas for $419,251. Complete results are here.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Auctionata’s Mercedes-Benz-only sale saw a few sellers, with this 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Coupe topping them all at $91,775. Click here for more.

Photo - Auctionata

Photo – Auctionata

RM Sotheby’s “Driven by Disruption” sale was a headline-grabber with our featured ex-Fangio 290 MM selling for $28,050,000. The other mega-dollar car was the Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato that went for $14,300,000. But among all of the million dollar cars were a parade of no-sales, including: the Lambo Concept S, the 300SL Race Car, the 500 Mondial, and the Ferrari 212 Inter. Interesting sales included an ever-increasing-in-value Countach – a 1981 Lamborghini Countach LP400 S for a crazy $962,500.

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

The Siata 208S sold for $1,650,000 and the Delage $1,430,000. The Pegaso was a relative bargain at $742,500. And a previously-featured Ferrari 250 Europa sold for $3,300,000. Check out full results here.

And finally, Mecum’s Austin sale. The top sale was a 2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition with 573 miles on the clock for $440,000.

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

Our featured Aston Martin Virage sold for $97,500. Click here for full results.

1900 Bardon

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1900 Bardon Type A Tonneau

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Paris, France | February 3, 2016

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

Louis Bardon founded his automobile company in 1899 in Puteaux, France. The company produced cars up through 1903 when Georges Richard took over the plant and used it to manufacture Unic cars.

Bardon built a number of different cars over the short lifespan of the company. This car is powered a 4/5 horsepower 1.2-liter opposed-piston single-cylinder engine. That means that there are two pistons that share the same cylinder. It’s a really strange and interesting powerplant.

Only three Bardon cars are known to exist and the other two are in long-term collections, unlikely to come up for sale in the near future, if ever. The restoration on this car was completed a while back but is still a good runner, driver, and shower. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $106,200.

Duesenberg J-414

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1929 Duesenberg Model J Disappearing Top Torpedo Convertible Coupe by Murphy

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Phoenix, Arizona | January 28-29, 2016

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

We should all know by now that cars don’t get better than Duesenberg Model Js. The Walter M. Murphy Company was the most prolific body supplier for the Model J and their Disappearing Top Convertible Coupe is one of the most popular body styles. But this is a little different.

This is a Disappearing Top Torpedo Convertible Coupe. That means it is a convertible where the top is completely hidden when retracted and it has a pinched rear end like a boattail speedster. It even has a one-passenger rumble seat. It’s an awesome combination of design. And as this is a Model J, the 265 horsepower 6.9-liter straight-eight is standard.

This car originally was fitted with engine number J-178 but that engine was removed from the car at some point (likely in the 1940s as a source for parts). In the 1950s, the new owner acquired engine J-414 and put it in this car – that’s why the engine number is so high and the model year is so early. The body work had slight updates in the late-1930s to the “JN” style.

This car has been with its present owners for over 20 years. It is one of six Disappearing Top Torpedo Convertible Coupes ever built and one of four to actually still have their original coachwork. They never come up for sale and it should be pricey. Click here for more info and here for more from RM.

Update: Sold $3,000,000.

Update: Sold, RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island 2021, $5,725,000. Updated look below.

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby;s

Vallée Vis-à-Vis

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1897 Vallée Vis-à-Vis

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Paris, France | February 3, 2016

Photo - RM Sotheby's

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

Vallèe is a name that pops up a few times during the course of automotive history. For instance, Paul Vallèe built microcars in the 1950s. Henri Vallèe, however, is the man behind this car. He got his start working with Amadée Bollée in the 1880s, building a steam car. Vallèe set up shop as a bicycle manufacturer shortly thereafter and built his first car in 1895.

Production followed in 1897 and offered a range of four different models. This is a four horsepower (second from the smallest) model powered by a 2.2-liter flat-twin. Production continued until 1902 when the company shifted focus to motorcycles before shutting down a few years later.

This is one of two known Vallèe automobiles in existence. This car is all original except for it’s paint and top. It’s pretty interesting and is coming from a Swiss collection. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $93,700.

Update: Sold, RM Sotheby’s, London 2016 $114,061.