Tag Archives: saoutchik

630K by Saoutchik

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1928 Mercedes-Benz 630K La Baule Transformable by Saoutchik

Offered by Bonhams | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 28, 2016

Photo - Bonhams
Photo – Bonhams

We’ve featured a Mercedes-Benz 630K before and this car has much more attractive body work – from Jacques Saoutchik of all people, the man responsible for some of the most sought-after designs to ever come out of France. The 630K was the new name of the Mercedes 24/100/140 after the merger of Daimler and Benz.

Power here is supplied by a 6.2-liter supercharged straight-six – it puts out 100 horsepower normally and 138 once the supercharger is engaged. The “K” variant of the Typ 630 is the short-wheelbase version. Top speed was over 90 mph.

Only 267 Model K Mercedes’ were produced between 1926 and 1932. The early history of this car is not known, but it is believed that it has been in North America for many years. It was restored a while back, but not widely shown, meaning it is eligible for most major car shows. It’s a rare treat – Saoutchik body on a high-performance Benz chassis. It should bring between $1,000,000-$1,300,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $973,500.

Update: Not sold, Bonhams Amelia Island 2021.

Pebble Beach-Winning Mercedes 680S

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1928 Mercedes-Benz 680 S-Type Torpedo Roadster by Saoutchik

Offered by RM Auctions | Monterey, California | August 16-17, 2013

1928 Mercedes-Benz 680S Torpedo Roadster by Saoutchik

Whoa. Every once in a while (and seemingly more and more often as of late) a car comes along that just shouldn’t exist. It’s so rare and it looks like something out of a black and white photograph that it just can’t be real. Cars like this only exist in private European collections. And only 60+ years ago.

But no, here it is. This car won Best in Show at the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. This car was also displayed at the 1929 New York Auto Salon. A lot of people have seen it in person. We’ve actually featured another Mercedes-Benz 680 (here) if you want to read more about the evolution of the model.

Here’s some specs on this car. It uses a 6.8-liter straight-six with the pedal-controlled supercharger. That is: it made 120 horsepower when cruising around and 180 horsepower when you matted the throttle, engaging the “Kompressor.” It has top-of-the-line mechanicals for 1928.

But then there’s the body. It’s low slung and designed by one of the top coachbuilders of the era: Saoutchik of Paris. The interior is lizard skin. It was ordered by the wife of a wealthy American and by the time the car was completed, the couple was broke. It sat in a New York showroom before it was sold to a young Standard Oil executive. There’s a pretty cool story about it that I won’t reprint here, but you can read about it on RM’s website.

The car was parked in 1952. It was restored for the first time in 1980 and in 1986 it was placed in a museum where it remained until 2006 (the first time it left ownership of the original family). The current owner bought it in 2008 and had it fully restored – with brand new lizard skin interior.

Only 124 Type S Mercedes’ were built. Only three had short-windshield bodies from Saoutchik. Of those three, this is the only one left. In order to bid on this car, you have to tell the auction house prior to the sale. That’s a solid hint that it is expected to bring an insane amount of money. Click here for more info and here for more from RM in Monterey.

Update: Sold $8,250,000.

Update II: Not sold, RM Sotheby’s Villa Erba 2017.

S/N: 35949

Saoutchik-bodied Pegaso

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1954 Pegaso Z-102 Series II Cabriolet by Saoutchik

Offered by RM Auctions | Amelia Island, Florida | March 9, 2013

1954 Pegaso Z-102 Series II Cabriolet by Saoutchik

Wow. Pegaso, the Spanish truck manufacturer, produced a line of sports cars in the 1950s and, boy, are they lookers. They are also highly desirable. The best-looking (and meanest) versions of the Z-102 I’ve ever seen have all been bodied by Saoutchik. This Cabriolet tops them all for beauty.

The Pegaso Z-102 was introduced in 1951 and lasted through 1958. Only 84 were built. This uses a 2.8-liter V-8 making 165 horsepower (other cars have other engines). Pegaso went the interesting pre-war route of offering different engine combinations with their chassis’ and then sent the cars to coachbuilders for interesting – sometimes one-off – bodies.

Saoutchik bodied some of the most flamboyant cars of the 1930s and 40s. When the last of the great coachbuilt cars (Talbot-Lago) stopped production, the great coachbuilders that were still around really didn’t have a lot going on. Some of them bodied a few Pegasos – Saoutchik bodied 18 Z-102s. Only one is a Series II Cabriolet (there were three Series I Cabriolets) and this is it. This car spent most of its life in its home country of Spain. At some point, an owner but a coupe body on it but it has been restored to original condition. It’s gorgeous and extremely rare – the most sought after post-WWII Spanish automobile ever built. It should sell for between $1,250,000-$1,750,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Did not sell.

Hispano-Suiza Coupe-Chauffeur

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1931 Hispano-Suiza H6C Coupe-Chauffeur by Saoutchik

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | February 18, 2013

1931 Hispano-Suiza H6C Coupe-Chauffeur by Saoutchik

The Hispano-Suiza H6C was the final version of the great H6. Introduced in 1924, the model lasted into the early 1930s and was the most powerful variant of the H6. It also featured some of the most outlandish and stylish bodies by some of the world’s most prestigious coachbuilders.

Hispano-Suiza – which is roughly Spanish for “Spanish/Swiss” – was founded in Barcelona by a Spaniard and a Swiss engineer. They opened a factory in France and cars were produced in both countries. It was quite the international company. The H6C line was made in France.

This car uses a straight-eight of 8.0-liters making 160 horsepower. It was the most potent of H6s. The fact that the French factory rolled this car out is important because it allowed French coachbuilders – arguably the best of the best – to design beautiful bodies for the cars. Saoutchik is regarded as one of the most desirable coachbuilders and this Coupe-Chauffeur style is both reserved and opulent at the same time. Some of the exterior trim is silver-plated!

This car has known ownership history and has been owned by the same man since 1985, who had the car restored during his stewardship. Only about 250 H6Cs were built and they are highly prized today. This one should sell for between $400,000-$800,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Artcurial.

Update: Sold $424,849.