Tag Archives: victoria

Renault Cape Top Victoria

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1909 Renault Series B V-1 20/30 Cape Top Victoria by Brewster

Offered by Bonhams | Ebeltoft, Denmark | September 26, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Louis Renault and his brothers started building cars right before the turn of the century. They built a lot of cars early on, using De Dion engines at the beginning before switching to their own engines in 1903. Shortly after that, their range expanded and they built both small and large cars.

This Series B Type V1 was on the larger side, using a 4.4-liter straight-four making 20/30 horsepower. This large French tourer was actually bodied in America – on Long Island, in fact, by Brewster. The rear passenger compartment is enormous.

This car has known history back to the 1970s when it was an unrestored, low-milage car. It was restored in the late-1990s. It’s a beautiful, rare early Renault. A lot of smaller Renaults exist from this period, but the larger cars are much rarer. This car was undoubtedly owned by someone fairly rich when new and you can now feel just like them. It should sell for between $180,000-$230,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $120,333.

Woods Electric

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1905 Woods Electric Queens Victoria Brougham

Offered by Bonhams | Ebeltoft, Denmark | September 26, 2015

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

The Woods Motor Vehicle Company was founded by a group of rich guys in Chicago. Among them were executives from Standard Oil, so it is odd that the company specialized in electric cars for nearly 15 years. But I guess the another board member (a co-founder of General Electric) got his way instead. The Woods name comes from Clinton Edgar Woods, the holder of the patent that the company purchased.

The first car was built in 1899 with series production beginning in 1903 and lasting through 1915 before the company switched gears and became Woods Dual Power (and building gas-powered and hybrid cars) before going out of business after 1918 (though, strangely, there was a gasoline-powered “Woods Electric” offered between 1905 and 1907).

The 1905 model line offered an electric car of varying wheelbases – 13 body styles in all. This car features Style 214A (which wasn’t actually introduced until 1906 – so this car may actually be a 1906). But it is listed as the only surviving 1905 Woods Electric. It can do about 30 mph and the closed body is removable if you want the air in your face as you drive. It’s super interesting and should bring between $82,000-$97,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $94,548.

1913 Minerva Tourer

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1913 Minerva Type DD 14HP Victoria Tourer by Cann & Co

Offered by Bonhams | Beaulieu, U.K. | September 6, 2014

Photo - Bonhams

Photo – Bonhams

Minerva built very nice luxury automobiles between 1902 and 1938, with production of other vehicles picking up after the war and continuing until 1956. Their cars of the 1930s are right up there with Packards and Rolls-Royces and the like, except they were from Belgium. In fact, the Minerva dealer in London in the early years was Charles Rolls (who would become half of Rolls-Royce).

Minerva offered a range of vehicles in 1913. The Type DD uses a 2.1-liter straight-four making 14 horsepower. Minerva cars from 1910 used Knight sleeve-valve engines, this car included. The body is said to be by Cann & Company of London as it wears that company’s tag on the body.

But the history of this car says it was discovered in Australia in 1962 and taken to California. The Australians said the body was local and the rear half of the body had been removed and replaced with a pickup-like rear end. A Minerva Ute. But it has been restored to what it should have looked like in 1913. It is road-ready and should sell for between $67,000-$100,000. Click here for more info and here for the rest of Bonhams’ auction lineup.

Update: Sold $66,726.

1918 Cadillac Coupe

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1918 Cadillac Type 57 Victoria Coupe

Offered by Mecum | Kansas City, Missouri | December 7, 2013

1918 Cadillac Type 57 Coupe

I think this is a very good-looking car. Cadillac has long touted that they are the “Standard of the World” and it’s early cars like this that make you believe it. Yes, they produced cars with twice as many cylinders, but this was one of the first big-engined road cars you could buy.

Cadillac’s L-Head V-8 engine was introduced in 1914 and became the first mass-produced V-8 engine in Cadillac’s 1915 models. It featured 5.2-liters of capacity and made 70 horsepower. The Type 51 was the first model to carry this motor and it evolved over the years, with the Type 61 ending the model’s run in 1923.

The Type 57 was available in the late Teens and this Victoria Coupe was an attractive, if not restrained design that offered a lot of power for those who wanted luxury without all the flash. I’m estimating that this car sells for between $40,000-$50,000. Click here for more from Mecum and here for more on this car.

Update: Sold $29,000.

1910 Peerless Victoria

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1910 Peerless Model 29 Park Phaeton/Victoria by Brewster

Offered by Bonhams | Carmel, California | August 16, 2013

1910 Peerless Model 29 Park PhaetonVictoria by Brewster

The early years of the automobile industry saw a lot of scrambling among manufacturers to decided who stood where with regards to prestige and customer base. Peerless ended up on top, at least in the prestige category and at least in the early years of the market. They were among the three famed American “P”s – Peerless, Packard and Pierce-Arrow.

And it was cars like this strange coachbuilt luxury convertible that put Peerless at the top. This was not a practical car by any means – it’s obviously to be driven by a chauffeur, and the “convertible top” really doesn’t do you much good if it starts raining (unless you’re driving in reverse).

The Model 29 was introduced halfway through the 1910 model year (and may have only been built through 1911). It features a 6.7-liter straight-four making 25 horsepower. The custom bodywork is by Brewster – who provided many early extravagant coachbuilt bodies for wealthy customers in the New York area. And this car spent some time in the New York City area. It was owned by Doris Duke, a wealthy heiress, and it was apparently in the family of her husband, the Vice President of Peerless – perhaps from new.

The car has known ownership history since and is coming from a European museum collection. Close inspection by experts revealed that this car might be in original condition – possibly being “refurbished as needed” throughout its life – but never outright restored. I’d imagine it’s the only Model 29 in existence with this coachwork – and perhaps the only one like it built. It is expected to sell for between $300,000-$350,000. Click here for more info and here for more from this awesome Bonhams sale.

Update: Sold $176,000.

Update II: Sold for $231,000 at Bonhams Simeone Foundation sale.

Victoria 250

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1957 Victoria 250

Offered by RM Auctions | Madison, Georgia | February 15-16, 2013

1957 Victoria 250

Photo – RM Auctions

This little German fiberglass convertible was originally marketed as the Brütsch Spatz. Victoria was a motorcycle manufacturer in Nuremberg and they entered a joint venture with another company to form BAG (Bayerische Autowerke GmbH), to produce these cars under license as the BAG Spatz. But first, they re-engineered the car to make it stronger and safer – and added a fourth wheel from the original three-wheeled design – this got them out of paying licensing fees. Lastly, they pumped the displacement up to 250cc from 200cc. The single-cylinder made 14 horsepower. While BAG produced the Spatz, Victoria produced the car concurrently, from 1956 through 1958 as the Victoria 250. Only 729 of the Victoria-badged cars were sold. This one should sell for between $35,000-$45,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $37,375.

Microcar Mondays Part IV

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The Bruce Weiner Microcar Collection

Offered by RM Auctions | Madison, Georgia | February 15-16, 2013

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1951 Reyonnah

1951 Reyonnah

Reyonnah (which comes from the name of company founder Robert Hannoyer spelled backwards), was a short-lived automaker from Paris. It was only around from 1951 through 1954 and this was the car that they built.

A single-cylinder engine was used, either of the 125cc or 175cc variety. The 175cc put out 8.5 horsepower. It will do 63 mph and can seat two people – the passenger directly behind the driver. You’ll probably notice the weird angle this thing is parked at – that’s because the front had a very wide track compared to the rear – but, when parked, the front wheels could be brought in closer – to make it easier to park. When this happens, it raises the front of the car up into the air. Weird. This should sell for between $75,000-$100,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $184,000.

 

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1985 Sinclair C5

1985 Sinclair C5

Most of the cars from this sale are from the 1940s through the 1960s. Not this one. Designed by Sir Clive Sinclair and built by the Hoover vacuum people, the C5 was built for 1985 only. It had pedals (like a sit-down bicycle) but was also powered by an electric motor making capable of 15 mph. But a street-legal 15 mph tricycle – that could be driven without a driver’s license – was dangerous. And the fact that it was built and marketed primarily in England and had no top, made it unsuitable for the general climate. It was a massive flop, even though 17,000 were sold in 1985. It should sell for between $3,000-$5,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $4,600.

 

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1968 Authi Mini 1275C

1968 Authi Mini 1275C

Wait, just a plain ol’ Mini Cooper after all these weird cars? Well, kind of. It isn’t a Morris or Austin or even a Mini-badged Cooper. It’s not even British-built. Authi – of Pamplona, Spain, – built the Mini under license from 1968 through 1975. This is from their first year of production and it has the 1275cc Mini engine (1.3 liters) making about 54 horsepower. Authi was an automotive production plant, primarily, and built cars for BMC under the Austin brand. But the Mini they branded themselves. The Authi plant became part of SEAT in 1976. They built about 140,000 Minis with their name on it, but you hardly ever see them. This one should sell for between $20,000-$30,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $28,750

 

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1956 VELAM Isetta

1956 VELAM Isetta

Another Isetta from another brand. In this case, this Isetta was built by VELAM – a French company that built them under license between 1955 and 1958. There were slight variations – the body was more rounded and there is a big, bold “VELAM” script across the front door. It uses a 236cc split-single-cylinder engine making about 9.5 horsepower. It could do 50 mph and only about 5,000 were built. It should bring between $30,000-$40,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $37,375.

 

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1959 Bond Minicar Mk F

1959 Bond Minicar Mk F

The Mark F iteration of the Bond Minicar was the second-to-last version offered for sale. Built from 1958-1963, the Mk F is differentiated from its immediate predecessor by its  larger engine – a 247cc single-cylinder making 12 horsepower. There were different body styles offered – this is a hardtop. It was capable of 55 mph and there was a four-seat version available (I honestly can’t tell if this has four seats or two). Only 6,493 were made in total. This one, with some of the tiniest looking wheels in comparison to overall car size I’ve ever seen, should sell for somewhere in the range of $15,000-$20,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $11,500.

 

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1959 Frisky Family Three

1959 Frisky Family Three

The Frisky was one of those cars that was produced by multiple companies – all of whom couldn’t help but go bankrupt at some point. The second company to use the Frisky trademark was Frisky Cars Ltd and they introduced the Family Three in late 1958. It was essentially a three-wheeled version of the Frisky Coupe that could be driven with a motorcycle license. The company was reorganized the following year (1959) and the model names were changed. This car uses a rear/mid-mounted 197cc single-cylinder making 9.5 horsepower. It could do 50 mph and should sell for between $15,000-$20,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $57,500.

 

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1959 PTV 250

1959 PTV 250

PTV sold their Spanish-built microcars from 1956-1961. Two models were offered, the 250 and the 400. Both were tiny two-door convertibles that differed only in engine size. The 250 used a rear-mounted 247cc single-cylinder making 11 horsepower. Top speed was around 45 mph. Most of the cars were sold in Spain, although same made it to Portugal. Between the two models, a total of around 11,000 were sold. This one will sell again for between $40,000-$50,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $46,000.

 

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1939 New-Map Baby

1939 New-Map Baby

This unrestored pre-war microcar from French motorcycle manufacturer New-Map is very rare. New-Map was founded in 1920 in Lyon and it built its first itty-bitty car in 1938. It was called the Baby and it used a 100cc single-cylinder Sachs engine – the same one from their motorcycles. Only about 1,000 were built. In 1946 they re-introduced the car with a 125cc engine but it only lasted one year. This one should bring between $15,000-$20,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $21,850.

 

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1957 Victoria 250

1957 Victoria 250

This little German fiberglass convertible was originally marketed as the Brütsch Spatz. Victoria was a motorcycle manufacturer in Nuremberg and they entered a joint venture with another company to form BAG (Bayerische Autowerke GmbH), to produce these cars under license as the BAG Spatz. But first, they re-engineered the car to make it stronger and safer – and added a fourth wheel from the original three-wheeled design – this got them out of paying licensing fees. Lastly, they pumped the displacement up to 250cc from 200cc. The single-cylinder made 14 horsepower. While BAG produced the Spatz, Victoria produced the car concurrently, from 1956 through 1958 as the Victoria 250. Only 729 of the Victoria-badged cars were sold. This one should sell for between $35,000-$45,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $37,375.

 

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1958 Goggomobil Dart

1958 Goggomobil Dart

Goggomobil was a German microcar company, but in 1959, Buckle Motors of Sydney, Australia designed a two-door roadster based on the small Goggomobil Coupe. Somehow, they were able to market the cars under the Goggomobil name and they called it the Dart. It used the same 293cc straight-two making 14 horsepower (with an optional upgrade to 392cc and 18 horsepower). The body was fiberglass and it was produced through 1961. Only about 700 were built. It’s an Australian car with a German name and it could be yours for $35,000-$45,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $54,050.