Tag Archives: suv

Laforza

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1998 Laforza Magnum Edition

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Ft. Lauderdale, Florida | April 6, 2018

Photo – RM Sotheby’s

Remember these? Back in the 1990s, high-end sport utility vehicles weren’t all that common. Outside of a Range Rover, your choices among Rodeo Drive-cruising super utes were pretty slim. That is unless you went Italian and bought a Laforza.

Introduced in 1985 in Italy, this SUV was sold in Europe as the Rayton-Fissore Magnum. It was based on an Iveco 4×4 that was built for the military. Designer Tom Tjaarda was responsible for prettying it up for road use. The European engines were small four-cylinders and turbo diesels.

When the Magnum was exported to the U.S. for the first time in the late 1980s, they were rebranded as the Laforza. The biggest difference was that the trucks for the U.S. got big V-8s. This example has a supercharged, 6.0-liter GM V-8, which was unique to the “Magnum Edition” which was offered only from 1999. The final trucks were built in 2003.

This Magnum Edition is one of the last five thought to have been built. It’s got 4-wheel drive and a Pininfarina-styled body. Though limited in production, these were able to be found on the lots of used exotic dealers in Florida and California 20 years ago. Now they’re just oddballs and who knows – maybe their collectibility is just starting to hit (RM has another one set for their Auburn Spring sale in May). This should bring between $15,000-$20,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $4,125.

Oldsmobile IRL Support Vehicle

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1999 Oldsmobile Bravada IRL Support Vehicle

Offered by Mecum | Denver, Colorado | July 8-9, 2016

Photo - Mecum

Photo – Mecum

Okay, so this is sort of a weird one, I’ll admit. The Oldsmobile Bravada is not a collectible car. Never has been, never will be. It was Oldsmobile’s only SUV they ever made as their unfortunate demise preceded the SUV explosion we’ve had of late.

This is a second-generation Bravada (of three) and a platform mate of the Chevy Blazer and GMC Jimmy. The 1996-2001 Bravada was powered by a 4.3-liter V6 making 191 horsepower. This truck was actually used by the Indy Racing League as a support vehicle. It says “Official Pace Vehicle” but it doesn’t have a lightbar, so it isn’t clear if it was used to pace races or to drive wrecked racers back to the infield care center.

The graphics are kind of cool and you’d definitely have the coolest Bravada around. This was the first Bravada produced for the 1999 model year and it has covered only 10,926 miles since new. It is AWD and is really nice all around. It should bring a little more than your average used SUV. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $11,000.

Lamborghini LM002

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1990 Lamborghini LM002

Offered by Artcurial | Paris, France | October 20, 2013

1990 Lamborghini LM002

In 1977, independent Lamborghini built a prototype off-road vehicle for consideration by the U.S. Army. It used a Chrysler V-8 and had 4-wheel-drive (a Lamborghini specialty hearkening back to their tractor days). The Army went with AM General’s Humvee instead.

Fast forward to 1981 when Lamborghini decided to tweak that prototype (which they no longer owned) and introduced another concept vehicle called the LM001, which evolved into the LMA002. Finally, with all the details and design flaws worked out (such as moving the engine to the front instead of housing it out back) the production-ready LM002 was introduced in 1986.

It used a front-mounted 5.2-liter V-12 making 420 horsepower – the same engine that powered the Countach. All were essentially four-door pickups that predated the civilian Hummer. One wagon (or more traditional SUV) was built for, who else, the Sultan of Brunei.

The truck seen here was delivered new to Belgium and was imported into France in 2003. It is said to be the only fuel-injected LM002 in France. It is one of either 301 or 328 built and should sell for between $110,000-$160,000. Click here for more info and here for more from Artcurial in Paris.

Update: Sold $125,669.

International Travelall

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1969 International Travelall 1000D

Offered by Auctions America | Carlisle, Pennsylvania | April, 26-27, 2012

Produced for 22 years, the International Travelall introduced a few things to America that became really popular about 20-30 years later. It was the first six-passenger four-door truck (the Suburban didn’t get four doors until 1973). The Chevrolet Suburban was the prime competition for the Travelall, which was first introduced in 1953.

The model you see here was the freshened body style available from 1969 until the model’s demise in 1975. It features a 145 horsepower 302cid International V-8 engine and 58,000 original miles. It’s an original California car that looks fantastic.

International Harvester has been around since 1902. Passenger-car (or light truck) production ended in 1980 and the company exists today as Navistar International, a leading maker of heavy trucks that still carry the International name.

While I don’t have the production figures for the Travelall sitting in front of me, I can assure you that they are far less than that of the Suburban – and survival rates are even lower. The estimate on this truck/wagon is $22,000-$28,000. It would definitely be a different way to travel, and must have been in 1969 as well. For those that loathed the faux-wood paneled station wagons of the day, this must have been a breath of fresh air, faux-wood paneling or no.

For the complete catalog description, click here. And to see the rest of Auctions America’s Carlisle lineup, click here.

Update: Did not sell.

Shelby Durango

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1999 Dodge Durango Shelby SP360

Offered by Auctions America, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, March 16-18, 2012

I’m going to be honest: those are some ugly wheels. Everything Carroll Shelby attached his name to – and he seems willing to attach it to just about anything (there was a Shelby Omni, after all) – becomes collectible. You don’t see many of these next to the GT350s and GT500s and Cobras at auctions. Maybe because it’s a late model SUV with a big engine and some giveaway Viper paint.

Only 300 Shelby SP360s were built between 1999 and 2000.  The 360 stands for the number of ponies under the hood, coming from the supercharged 5.9 liter Magnum V8. It could hit 60 mph in 7.1 seconds on its way to 142 mph (which was seriously fast for a 2+ ton SUV). I’ve heard a standard Durango from this era and it sounded great. I bet this sounds awesome.

These will never reach a level anywhere close to the Shelbys of yore. This is a well-equiped 4WD model and I’m unaware of the mileage (it could have been a daily driver, although this does not appear to be the case as it looks fairly clean). I think a $20,000 hammer price should elate the seller. I wouldn’t pay that much. For more info click here and more from AA in Ft. Lauderdale, click here.

Update: Sold $13,750.