Tag Archives: roadster

Kougar Monza

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1980 Kougar Monza Roadster Prototype

Offered by Bonhams | Beaulieu, U.K. | September 2, 2023

Photo – Bonhams

Kougar Cars had only been around about a year when they produced this sports racing prototype. It looks like an Italian racer from the 1950s but is actually based on Ford or Jaguar components. This was the factory prototype for the Monza model, which would end up being less popular than the company’s Sports model.

This example is powered by a 3.0-liter Ford Essex V6. You could fit a Rover V8 in there. Or, if you were insane, a Jaguar V12. The aluminum bodywork features a low-slung front end, a hood scoop, and a headrest fairing for the right-side driver.

It was restored in 2012 and 2013. Only about 40 Monzas were produced, and this one has an estimate of $37,000-$63,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $32,747.

1916 Hispano-Suiza Roadster

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1916 Hispano-Suiza Type 24 Roadster

Offered by Gooding & Company | Pebble Beach, California | August 18-19, 2023

Photo – Gooding & Company

This is a Spanish-built Hispano-Suiza. Their most popular models came from their French arm in the 1920s and ’30s. This is a much smaller car than those – and earlier. It’s a Type 24, the company’s 8/10HP model.

This model was available from 1914 through 1922 and features a 1.9-liter inline-four that was good for about 30 horsepower. This car was in a private Spanish collection as early as the 1960s and was moved to the U.K. by its current owner in the 2010s.

Gooding describes the car as “recommissioned” but it has clearly been restored at some point. Hispano-Suizas are not a car you can find on any old car lot, and early cars like this don’t come up for sale often, probably not even annually. The no-reserve estimate here is $175,000-$225,000. More info can be found here.

Update: Sold $123,200.

AC MA-200 Prototype

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1963 AC MA-200 Roadster Prototype

Offered by Bonhams | Goodwood, U.K. | July 14, 2023

Photo – Bonhams

This prototype was designed in-house at AC and looks like a combination of the AC 428, an Intermeccanica, and maybe a little Jensen-Healey. It never went into production, but was used by AC’s general manager for a few years before being sold to its first owner in 1968.

In 2006, the car made its way to Florida and was restored. Power is from a 4.7-liter Ford V8. It’s pretty crazy that this could’ve been the successor to the Ace, but AC was too busy keeping Shelby full of chassis to really put effort behind it.

Not to mention that this Italian-looking body was built in England about five years before Italy started putting bodies like this on its cars. It was recently for sale at a dealer for $950,000 now now has an auction estimate of $570,000-$700,000. So yeah, dealer listed prices are B.S. Especially for classic cars. Read more about this one here.

Update: Sold $473,174.

Rosengart LR62

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1932 Rosengart LR62 Roadster

Offered by Aguttes | Paris, France | June 25, 2023

Photo – Aguttes

The initial Rosengarts were produced by Lucien Rosengart’s company in France in 1927. They were copies of the Austin Seven, produced under license. Eventually the company would move on to cars of its own design before fading away shortly after 1950.

The LR6 was a six-cylinder evolution of the original Seven-based LR2. The sub-model LR62 was produced between 1932 and 1935. The inline-six is of unknown displacement, and power output is… probably nothing to write home about.

Rosengarts are pretty rare, with non-LR2 models being very rare. This car, which is probably a lot smaller than it looks, does look quite nice. It has an estimate of $13,000-$19,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $15,889.

K-1 Attack

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2011 K-1 Attack Roadster

Offered by Mecum | Glendale, California | March 28-April 1, 2023

Photo – Mecum

K-1 Engineering is based in Slovakia and has been around since 1991. Their first real car was the Attack, which premiered in 2002 and has sort of been available since, although less than 40 have been built and it’s unclear when the last one was made, but probably somewhere around 2019.

This car was the seventh built and features a mid-mounted turbocharged Honda 2.2-liter inline-four that made about 220 horsepower. In other words, the motor doesn’t quite live up to the supercar looks. Later cars had Ford engines, but output never really crested 265 horsepower save for a special edition model.

Later V6-powered cars were capable of 155 mph. What you’re really getting here is a somewhat exotic (Eastern Europe is exotic, right?) junior sports car with a supercar layout and looks. The price? Who knows, these don’t exactly change hands often. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $49,500.

Brennabor Roadster

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1911 Brennabor Type B Roadster

Offered by Bonhams | Paris, France | February 1, 2023

Photo – Bonhams

Brennabor-Werke AG was a German automobile company that was founded by the Reichstein brothers in 1871 to produce child carriages. A decade later they got into bicycles, with the Brennabor name first appearing in 1892. Motorcycles arrived in 1901, and to-order automobiles became available two years later.

Actual production started in 1908, and this Type B was produced just three years after that. The B was available from 1911 through 1913 and is powered by a 1.3-liter inline-four rated at about 12 horsepower. Top speed was around 35 mph.

This car spent decades upon decades in the U.K. before entering the collection from which it is offered. It’s been regularly used in various rallies and events and now has a pre-sale estimate of $24,000-$27,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $31,902.

SLR McLaren 722 S

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2009 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 S Roadster

Offered by Bonhams | London, U.K. | December 16, 2022

Photo – Bonhams

The SLR McLaren was Mercedes-Benz’s halo car produced between 2004 and 2009. It was actually developed in conjunction with McLaren, and various variants were produced after the initial coupe. These included the 722, a high-performance coupe, the Roadster, a drop-top version of the base coupe, and this, the 722 S Roadster, the hot convertible.

It debuted in Frankfurt in 2007, and just 150 were built. Power is provided by a supercharged 5.4-liter V8 that made 641 horsepower in 722 spec. Top speed for the roadster was a remarkable-for-a-convertible 208 mph.

This one-owner car has only covered about 60 miles since new. It’s finished in Sienna Pearl and features lightweight wheels, a revised suspension, and some design tweaks over the base car. The pre-sale estimate is $490,000-$735,000. These cars are still very expensive, which, frankly, I don’t quite understand. But anyway. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $854,283.

Diablo VT Roadster

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1999 Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Phoenix, Arizona | January 26, 2022

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The VT Roadster is one of the ultimate cars of the 1990s. RM calls it an example of Lambo’s “first production convertible,” which is kind of a half truth. One, it’s not really a convertible as it’s more of a targa. And Lambo had done targas before, namely the Jalpa and Urraco. But the difference is that the Diablo had an electronically retractable carbon-fiber roof panel, whereas the two earlier cars had a lift-off removable top panel.

At any rate, this facelifted Diablo features faired-in headlights instead of the earlier model’s pop-up units. It’s also powered by a 5.7-liter V12 rated at 529 horsepower. It also has four-wheel drive with front and rear limited-slip differentials.

Something like 100 of these roadsters were made for the facelifted model. The car could hit 200 mph and achieve sixty in under four seconds. As popular as these were 20-25 years ago, they seem few and far between today. Check out more about this one here.

Update: Sold $456,000.

Scripps-Booth Model G

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1918 Scripps-Booth Model G Roadster

Offered by Bring a Trailer Auctions | Online

Photo – Bring a Trailer Auctions

James Scripps Booth was the heir to a publishing fortune, and he hyphenated his last name when he founded the Scripps-Booth Cyclecar Company. A little bit earlier, he also built Detroit’s first V8 engine, before turning to light cyclecars.

More traditional (but still small) cars followed the 1914 tandem-seat Rocket. By the end of 1917, Scripps-Booth had been taken over by Chevrolet, and General Motors would fold the brand after 1922. The 1917-1919 roadster-only Model G was similar to the well-selling 1915-1916 Model C, except that the fuel tank had been relocated to the rear of the car (among a few other small differences). It was a three seater, with a tiny jump seat facing the front passenger seat.

Power was provided by a 22.5-horsepower inline-four. Alongside the G, the company sold the Model D, which was powered by Detroit’s second-ever production V8 engine. The car here hasn’t been started in a few years, but is interesting and will probably be a good deal. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $21,500.

S.G.V. Roadster

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1912 S.G.V. Two Plus Two Roadster

Offered by Bonhams | Newport, Rhode Island | September 30, 2022

Photo – Bonhams

S.G.V. stood for the last names of company founders Herbert Sternberg, Robert Graham, and Fred Van Tine. The company was based in Reading, Pennsylvania, from 1911 through 1915. Van Tine designed the car, which was based around the ideas of the period Lancia. They were expensive cars in their day and were owned by people with names like Astor and Vanderbilt, not to mention far-flung royalty.

At their peak they were making about 40 cars per month. But not many are left. This one is powered by a 25-horsepower, 3.1-liter inline-four. It’s likely a Model B with some custom coachwork. It has known ownership history since new.

This is the first time, in 110 years, that this car has come up for public sale. It’s got an estimate of $75,000-$125,000. Click here for more info.