Tag Archives: vauxhall

Vauxhall PA Cresta

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1959 Vauxhall Cresta

Offered by Historics Auctioneers | Brooklands, U.K. | November 25, 2023

Photo – Historics Auctioneers

The Cresta was Vauxhall’s executive car, the largest in the lineup when it went on sale in 1954. The second generation, the PA, arrived three years later in 1957 sporting very American styling, with tailfins and chrome galore.

Between 1957 and 1962, 81,841 examples of the Cresta were built between the four-door sedan and wagon. For the first few years of production, the cars featured a 2.3-liter inline-six carried over from the previous generation. It made 82 horsepower. A 2.7-liter unit would appear in 1961.

It took five years to restore this example, which is one of just 32 still registered in the U.K. It’s big by British standards, and stylish too. The estimate is $22,000-$32,000. Click here for more info.

Vauxhall Big Six BXL

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1935 Vauxhall Big Six BXL Limousine by Grosvenor

Offered by Brightwells | Online | September 21, 2020

Photo – Brightwells

The creatively-named “Big Six” was Vauxhall’s big six-cylinder car that was offered between 1934 and 1940. The model was actually updated midway through its life cycle, and the second generation of the car went on sale in 1937.

The BX/BY, or first, series of the Big Six spawned a third variant: the long-wheelbase, coachbuilt BXL. This example carries a limousine body by the Grosvenor Carriage Company of London. Power is from a 3.2-liter inline-six that could push the large car to 72 mph.

Only 796 examples of the BXL were built, and this is one of nine known to still exist. It’s got suicide rear doors and a luxurious rear passenger compartment. The pre-sale estimate is $15,000-$18,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold (I think): $14,210.

Three Cars from the Jaguar Land Rover Collection

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Three Cars from the Jaguar Land Rover Collection

Offered by Brightwells | Bicester, U.K. | March 21, 2018

1974 Rover P6 3500 Estoura

Photo – Brightwells

Jaguar Land Rover bought the entire 453 car James Hull collection in 2014. Many of those cars were Jaguars, but they had a bunch of other oddballs and are selling a good number of them. We’ll show you three, starting with this Rover P6 Estoura.

The Rover P6 3500 was produced between 1968 and 1977. They’re powered by a 3.5-liter V-8 making 146 horsepower. The cars were four-door sedans and if you wanted a wagon, you had to go to an outside company. Enter FLM Panelcraft, who turned 150 P6 3500 sedans into Estoura estates. It is said that this is one of the finest of this model in existence and you can read more here.

Update: Sold $13,578.

1960 Vauxhall Velox Friary Estate

Photo – Brightwells

This looks like Britain’s idea of a big American wagon. Which it kind of is as it was built by Vauxhall, then a division of General Motors. Well, actually GM didn’t build it as the Velox PA, which was produced between 1957 and 1962, was only offered from the factory as a four-door sedan.

But estate cars were popular and if the factory wouldn’t build them, someone else would. In this case, it was Friary of Basingstoke and the result is beautiful, in a 1960s wagon kind of way. This car is powered by a 2.3-liter straight-six making 83 horsepower. This example was restored at some point.

The Queen had one – and now you can too. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $12,729

1977 Princess 2200 HL

Photo – Brightwells

Brightwells dubbed this sale “affordable classics” and that’s exactly what we have here. Princess was a marque produced by British Leyland from 1975 to 1981 (and for an extra year in New Zealand). It was not an Austin, nor a Morris (though it was produced by the Austin-Morris Division) but was a separate brand entirely.

This is a first generation Princess (of two) and it sports the larger of the two engines offered during its 1975-1978 model run. It’s a 2.2-liter straight-six making 110 horsepower. Two trims were offered, with this being the lesser of them. It’s a super 1970s car if you want a throwback to what is largely considered a sad era for British motorcars. But Princess-branded cars are getting harder to find. Click here for more info on this one.

Update: Sold $3,111.

Vauxhall Velox Estate

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1960 Vauxhall Velox Friary Estate

Offered by Brightwells | Bicester, U.K. | March 21, 2018

Photo – Brightwells

This looks like Britain’s idea of a big American wagon. Which it kind of is as it was built by Vauxhall, then a division of General Motors. Well, actually GM didn’t build it as the Velox PA, which was produced between 1957 and 1962, was only offered from the factory as a four-door sedan.

But estate cars were popular and if the factory wouldn’t build them, someone else would. In this case, it was Friary of Basingstoke and the result is beautiful, in a 1960s wagon kind of way. This car is powered by a 2.3-liter straight-six making 83 horsepower. This example was restored at some point.

The Queen had one – and now you can too. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $12,729

Four 20s Cars from Bonhams (and one from the Teens)

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1923 Daimler TS 6.30 Tourer

Offered by Bonhams | Beaulieu, U.K. | September 2, 2017

Photo – Bonhams

Bonhams has been killing it with their Beaulieu Sale the past few years. Because this time of year is so jam packed with great sales, we ended up doing this sort of thing last year too. So we’re going to squeeze four cars from the 20s (and one from the teens) to make sure we’re capturing the most interesting cars that we aren’t likely to see again for some time.

The British version of Daimler was founded in 1896 and actually lasted through the 2007 model year. This large tourer from 1923 is powered by a 5.0-liter, sleeve-valve straight-six making 30 horsepower. It’s a model that dates back to 1913, so I guess it was a little long-in-the-tooth a decade later – but you’d be hard pressed to tell as this six-seat tourer looks quite nice. The body is by Maythorn.

The car does run and has been in present ownership since 1993. It should be a relatively affordable large classic as it carries a pre-sale estimate of $26,000-$32,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $22,331.

1928 Bayliss-Thomas 12/27HP Two-Seater Sports

Offered by Bonhams | Beaulieu, U.K. | September 2, 2017

Photo – Bonhams

Bayliss-Thomas was a company that is primarily known for a brand of motorcycles called “Excelsior.” These are not the same Excelsior bikes made in the U.S., as this company was based in Coventry. In 1920 they decided to start building cars, but couldn’t use “Excelsior” and had to settle for their corporate name, Bayliss-Thomas.

Produced only through 1929, the company managed to churn out just over 1,000 cars in a 10 year span. Introduced in 1925, the 12/27 featured a 27 horsepower 1.5-liter Meadows straight-four and a three-speed gearbox. Five body styles were offered with this Sports Tourer being among the smallest. This example has been on static display at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, since 1974. It has been slowly restored but is not currently running. It’s certainly a rare car that isn’t seen often. In this state it should bring between $10,000-$15,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.

1925 Vauxhall 30/98HP OE Velox Tourer

Offered by Bonhams | Beaulieu, U.K. | September 2, 2017

Photo – Bonhams

Bonhams features a lot (like, really a lot) of old Vauxhalls over the course of a year. And this site has been ignoring them for too long. These cars are highly sporty and very popular in their native Britain. It is said that this model is favored over 3-Litre Bentleys of the period.

The 30/98 was first introduced in 1913, designed primarily for competition. Most were built after WWI ended and this particular sub-model, the OE, started finding homes in 1923 (and it lasted through 1927). The engine by this point was a 4.2-liter straight-four that actually made 110 horsepower. The chassis is described as “lightweight” – or lightweight for 1925. This car can comfortably cruise at modern highway speeds – and then some, with racing models capable of over 100 mph.

Even with the adoption of four-wheel brakes for the OE, the design was quite dated by the time it went on sale. Only 312 examples of the OE 30/98 were built. This four-seat Velox tourer was bodied in-house and looks as if it was aimed squarely at the competition from Bentley. Imported from Australia decades ago, the current owner acquired this car in 2012 and performed a fresh restoration. This sporty piece of British motoring history should bring between $280,000-$330,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $277,432.

1925 Fiat 510 De Luxe Berlina

Offered by Bonhams | Beaulieu, U.K. | September 2, 2017

Photo – Bonhams

When one thinks of old Italian cars, it’s easy to think of just things that are sporty or just things that are small. But there were also big sedans – just like those from France, the U.K., and America. In fact, Fiat’s Tipo 510 was the biggest car they built at the time. It was available for the 1920 through 1925 model years.

The engine is a 3.4-liter straight-six making 46 horsepower (or 53 if you had the upgraded “S” version). Top speed in this version is about 60 mph. The “S” also had a shorter wheelbase, as Fiat offered the standard 510 in just one length.

This example was sold new to Denmark and the current owner acquired it in 2001. It’s been cared for by conscientious owners its entire life. One of the last 510s built (of about 14,000 total), this big Fiat should bring between $26,000-$32,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $25,309.

1914 Calcott 10½HP Two-Seater with Dickey

Offered by Bonhams | Beaulieu, U.K. | September 2, 2017

Photo – Bonhams

Calcott Brothers started building bicycles in 1886 and, like many other bicycle manufacturers, turned to motorcycles – for them in 1904. The next logical step, cars, followed in 1913. The marque was acquired by Singer in 1926 and phased out after the head of the company passed away.

Bonhams is actually offering three different Calcott cars in this sale. This 10.5HP model is an example of the first model the company produced. Introduced in 1913, these were built through 1917. It’s powered by a 1.5-liter straight-four making, you guessed it, 10.5 horsepower. Most Calcotts were light cars and this one is quite pretty in bright blue with matching rims. This ex-museum car has been in storage since 2015 and needs a little work to make it roadworthy, but it’ll be worth it. It should bring between $19,000-$26,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $23,820.

Vauxhall Lotus Carlton

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1991 Vauxhall Lotus Carlton

Offered by Silverstone Auctions | Silverstone, England | July 29-30, 2017

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

You’re looking at the coolest car to ever wear the Vauxhall badge. It began life as a Vauxhall Carlton (which was the British version of the Opel Omega). This generation of the European full-size sedan/wagon (or “executive car”) was built between 1986 and 1993.

The hotted up Lotus version was available only from 1990 through 1992. Lotus took the standard Opel 3.0-liter engine and massaged it into a 3.6-liter straight-six and then strapped two turbochargers on top for a final power rating of 377 horsepower. That’s still pretty serious today. Sixty arrived in five seconds and the top speed was listed at 176 mph, which is pretty crazy. It outperformed many cars that were much more expensive when new – and most of those had two fewer doors as well.

The Lotus Carlton could be had in one color: Imperial Green, which looks black from nearly every angle and in every photograph. They weren’t cheap when they went on sale and that is reflected in the low build count. Opel wanted to built 1,100 examples but they only ended up selling 950 – split between Opel and Vauxhall, with this version being much rarer. Only 320 Vauxhall Lotus Carltons were produced and this example has a remarkable 4,500 original miles on the odometer. It should bring between $77,500-$90,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $94,557.

April 2017 Auction Highlights

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We’ll kick off April with Auctions America’s Ft. Lauderdale sale. The top seller was this 1963 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster for $1,200,000.

Photo – Auctions America

Both Lamborghinis we featured failed to sell, the Diablo and Jalpa. Oh, and the Suzuki Cappuccino we featured was withdrawn from the sale. Check out complete results here.

On to Mecum in Houston. This 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 Fastback was the top sale at $325,000.

Photo – Mecum

The Oakland we featured sold for $30,000 and the Stutz seemed like a bargain at $35,000. Click here for more results.

Early April is when Barrett-Jackson holds their annual Palm Beach sale. We only featured one car: a Torino Talladega that sold for $41,800. The top sale was this 2006 Ford GTX1 that brought $401,500. Click here for the rest of the results.

Photo – Barrett-Jackson

Next up, Brightwells and the first of their two April sales. The top sale at this one was this 1923 Vauxhall OD 23-60 Kington Tourer that went for $80,730.

Photo – Brightwells

Both of our feature cars sold, with the Riley bringing more at $47,196. The McEvoy Special came in at $28,566. A previously-featured Aster sold for $32,292. Click here for everything else.

Finally, Worldwide Auctioneers held their Texas Classic Auction. We featured a beautifully original 1912 Cadillac that sold for $36,300. The top sale was this 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster for $1,111,000. Click here for complete results.

Photo – Worldwide Auctioneers

Zimmerli Roadster

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1948 Vauxhall-Zimmerli 18-6 Roadster

Offered by RM Sotheby’s | Amelia Island, Florida | March 10-11, 2017

Photo Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

In the U.S., auto production resumed more or less immediately following the end of World War II. In most of Europe, especially Germany and France, it took a little longer to get going again. And when it did, the cars in high demand were functional vehicles. But that didn’t stop two enterprising brothers from Switzerland for attempting to build a sports car around 1950.

Switzerland has never really had an active automobile industry anyway, so for the car to spring up there is weirder still. Werner and Fritz Zimmerli (who sold Chevys and Vauxhalls in their native town) designed a pretty roadster based on the Vauxhall Velox. The car uses a custom chassis and frame, but the running gear is all Velox: a 54 horsepower, 2.3-liter straight-six and a three-speed transmission move it down the road. The body is aluminium (with steel doors).

The finished product wasn’t complete until 1950 and the Zimmerlis kept the car until 1968. The current owner acquired the car in 2008 and performed a beautiful restoration. It is technically titled as a 1949 Vauxhall, thus its hyphenated name above, but it is a one-off, and a really cool one at that. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $71,500.

April 2016 Auction Highlights, Pt. II

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We’re back with more from April, but first we have to backtrack significantly – back to January to recap Coys’ Autosport International Sale held in Birmingham. Our featured MG Metro failed to sell and the top sale was this 1974 Ferrari Dino 246 GT for approximately $330,000. Click here for full results.

Photo - Coys

Photo – Coys

Auctionata held a sale in Berlin in April and another Ferrari was the top seller. In this case it was an ex-Marc Gene & Vitaly Petrov 2006 Ferrari F430 GT3 for $118,500. Click here for complete results.

Photo - Auctionata

Photo – Auctionata

Next up, H&H Classics. Their sale at the Imperial War Museum had a Jaguar E-Type Competition car we featured that sold for an auction high of about $1,227,250. “Most Interesting” goes to this 1929 Vauxhall 20/60 Tourer for $41,725. Complete results can be found here.

Photo - H&H Classics

Photo – H&H Classics

Now we move to Houston, where Worldwide Auctioneers held their Houston Classic auction. One of our feature cars, the Ghia 450 SS, brought $151,250. The 540K Cabriolet B brought significantly more at $836,000. Complete results, including the top seller, a $1,375,000 1967 Shelby Cobra 427, can be found here.

And finally, Auctions America’s Auburn Spring sale. We featured a number of cars but not the top seller, which was this 1968 Ferrari 365 GT 2+2 that sold for $247,500.

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

All four of our feature cars went for well below their estimates. The top seller was the Brush for $9,900. Then came the Rockne for $9,625 followed by the Overland at $7,975 and the Flanders at $6,600. All of them were extremely well-bought. Check out complete results here.

September 2014 Auction Highlights

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We’ll start with a few leftovers from August. First, Rick Cole Auctions’ Monterey results, where the better-late-than-never top sale went to this $23,000,000 1955 Ferrari 410 Sport. The auction brought some crazy results and you can see them all here.

Photo - Rick Cole Auctions

Photo – Rick Cole Auctions

Moving on, we have Auctions America’s fall Auburn sale, where our featured SJ Duesenberg topped the sales at $1,265,000. The Duesenberg II failed to sell. Most interesting goes to this 1920 Packard 3-Ton Grocer’s Truck for $47,300.

Photo - Auctions America

Photo – Auctions America

Both of our featured concept cars sold, the wild Ford EX for $96,250 and the Explorer Sportsman for $15,675. And the Star Sedan was stolen for $8,250. Check out full results here.

On to Silverstone’s Salon Prive sale where our featured Ferrari Daytona Spyder came out on top at $3,711,510. My pick of the show would be this 1956 Austin-Healey 100M Le Mans Roadster for $243,685. Check out full results here.

Photo - Silverstone Auctions

Photo – Silverstone Auctions

Now we move to RM’s London sale where our featured “Tour de France” Ferrari 250 GT was the top sale at $8,119,188. The Bentley Continental GTZ sold for under its estimate at $391,961. Most interesting goes to this 1937 BMW 319 for $233,310.

Photo - RM Auctions

Photo – RM Auctions

Our featured 1909 Hotchkiss sold for waaaay below its estimate for only $65,327. And the awesome Jaguar XJR-15 brought $363,964 – outselling an XJ220 offered at this same sale. Check out full results here.

It’s been decided that all auction highlight posts from here forward will only run down five auctions at a time. So Bonhams’ Beaulieu sale will be the final sale for this post. For more auction results, stay tuned!

The top sale here was this 1920 Vauxhall E-Type 30-98 Two-Seater by Grosvenor Carriage Co. for $390,976.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

As far as our feature cars, the Minerva came out on top selling for $66,726. The Unic Taxi brought $44,484 and the Swift Cyclecar $33,826. Interesting cars were easily topped by this 1986 Interstyl Hustler Huntsman 6 for $18,556. Check out full results here, but don’t expect to find anything nearly as weird as this.

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams