Tag Archives: Bonhams

OSCA 1600 Cabriolet

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1963 OSCA 1600 GT2 Cabriolet by Fissore

Offered by Bonhams | Monaco | May 2024

Photo – Bonhams

OSCA was founded by the Maserati brothers and produced some pretty cool cars during its short existence between 1947 and 1967. Around 1960 they introduced the 1600, which was a home-grown car powered by OSCA’s own 1.6-liter version of Lampredi’s Fiat inline-four.

Between 1960 and 1963, the company would build just 128 1600 GT models. This is one of only three cabriolets, and only two of those three had a tubular chassis. In this car, the OSCA inline-four made 105 horsepower.

This car was on Fissore’s stand at the 1963 Turin Motor Show, and it spent decades at a time across multiple collections in the U.S. and Europe. It now carries an estimate of $370,000-$430,000. More info can be found here.

Update: Not sold.

The First Lotus F1 Car

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1957 Lotus-Climax 12

Offered by Bonhams | Monaco | May 2024

Photo – Bonhams

Lotus’s track-focused cars built prior to this were mostly of the sports racing/prototype variety. The 12 was unveiled at the 1956 London Motor Show but wouldn’t hit the track until 1957. That first year it contested three F2 races, one each at Silverstone, Goodwood, and Oulton Park. Drivers Henry Taylor and Graham Hill split driving duties.

After a few more F2 outings in 1958, the car was ready to step up to F1. It was Lotus’s – and Graham Hill’s – first Formula One appearance when the car appeared at the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix. The competition history for this chassis, 353, includes:

  • 1958 Monaco Grand Prix – 9th, DNF (with Graham Hill)
  • 1958 Dutch Grand Prix – 14th, DNF (with Hill)
  • 1958 Belgian Grand Prix – 13th, DNF (with Hill)

Then it was back to F2 for some events in 1958 and 1959. And don’t think the 12 was an F1 dud. Hill’s teammate in ’58 was Cliff Allison, and Allison finished 6th, 6th, and 4th, respectively, in the same outings Hill had.

Power in the car is from a Coventry Climax inline-four. The car was purchased by its current owner in 1991 and was later restored. Quite the specimen of F1 and Lotus history, the car could fetch between $310,000-$420,000. You can read more about it here.

Update: Sold ~$211,332.

Drogo-Bodied 250 GT Coupe

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1960 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe by Carrozzeria Sports Cars

Offered by Bonhams | Monaco | May 2024

Photo – Bonhams

If you’re thinking that this car looks vaguely 250 GTO-ish (or vaguely like an Iso Grifo from the cowl back), well, you aren’t crazy. What we have here is a Ferrari 250 GT that was sold new as a Pinin Farina-bodied coupe.

That coupe, powered by a 3.0-liter Colombo V12, was crashed in Switzerland in 1965. It was sent back to Modena, where the chassis was shortened and the car was subsequently rebodied by Piero Drogo’s Carrozzeria Sports Cars. In the 1970s it was crashed again, this time in France, with repairs carried out by Sbarro.

There are definite GTO influences, but the design is a one-off. More modern re-bodied 250 GTs tend to barely break into the seven figures, depending on what they’ve been re-bodied as. Yet this one, because of its period rebody, has an estimate of $2,700,000-$3,200,000. More info can be found here.

Update: Not sold.

Touring Sciadipersia Cabriolet

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2015 Touring Sciadipersia Cabriolet

Offered by Bonhams | Monaco | May 2024

Photo – Bonhams

Much like the coupe version of this car, you can really see the Maserati influence in this car. Well, not really influence, I guess. The car is based on a Maserati GranCabriolet. A 2015 example, specifically.

But the conversion performed by Carrozzeria Touring was not performed until 2020. The car retains the underlying Maserati 4.7-liter V8 that was rated at 454 horsepower. The Touring conversion was mostly limited to exterior styling inspired by the three Touring-bodied Maserati 3500 GTs built for the Shah of Iran (Persia).

Just 14 of these convertibles were produced, with this Belgium-based car having covered just 135 miles since completion. It now has an estimate of $380,000-$490,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.

Touring Aero 3

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2015 Touring Aero 3 Coupe

Offered by Bonhams | Monaco | May 2024

Photo – Bonhams

Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera has been around since the 1920s and became quite famous in the 1930s and ’40s with their coachbuilt bodies. Touring would later body some of the most famous Ferraris, Aston Martins, Maseratis, and Lamborghinis of the 1950s and 1960s. They closed up shop in 1966.

In 2006, the company was resurrected under new ownership and started producing limited-run vehicles based on existing cars. One such vehicle is this, the Aero 3. It’s based on the Ferrari F12berlinetta. It shares the F12’s 730-horsepower, 6.3-liter V12. This particular car utilized a 2015 F12 as a starting point and was converted by Touring to Aero 3 spec in 2020.

These are limited-run cars. A maximum of 15 Aero 3s will be built, but it’s unclear how many have been completed thus far (or if they will ever even get to 15). It has an estimate of $640,000-$960,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.

Delahaye 175 S

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1950 Delahaye 175 S Coach by Motto

Offered by Bonhams | Monaco | May 2024

Photo – Bonhams

Delahaye’s post-war bread and butter was the prewar 135 line of cars. It was kind of late in the game when they introduced the 175 model in 1949, as they company only had a few years left in it. These were luxury cars, usually built to order.

The model came to be after Delahaye gave up on its ultra-expensive 165 model. The 175 was joined by the 178 and 180 models, and the three really just differed in wheelbase. Power was provided by a 4.5-liter inline-six that in 175 S spec (which meant triple carburetors) made about 160 horsepower.

Just 51 examples of the 175 were built, and most were optioned into a 175 S with a three-carb setup. This particular car was built with a racing engine that made 200 horsepower as well as Motto coachwork. It has racing history:

  • 1951 Monte Carlo Rally – 1st (with Jean Trevoux and Roger Crovetto)
  • 1951 Carrera Panamericana – 37th, DNF (with Louis Chiron and Andre Mariotti)

After that race, the car remained with a serious of Mexican owners, and it was restored more recently. But this is a Monte Carlo-winning race car that was one driven by one of the legendary prewar Grand Prix racers. It now has an estimate of $480,000-$700,000. More can be found here.

Tyrrell 008

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1978 Tyrrell-Cosworth 008

Offered by Bonhams | Monaco | May 2024

Photo – Bonhams

The Tyrrell Racing Organisation – one of the great F1 team names – finished fourth in the constructor’s championship in 1978, their 13th season in F1. They used the 008 for the entire season, which was the first season after their famous six-wheeler.

The cars were powered by a 3.0-liter Cosworth DFV V8, which this car retains. The competition history for this chassis, 008/03, includes:

  • 1978 South African Grand Prix – 2nd (with Patrick
  • 1978 Monaco Grand Prix – 1st (with Depailler)
  • 1978 Belgian Grand Prix – 17th, DNF (with Depailler)
  • 1978 Spanish Grand Prix – 20th, DNF (with Depailler)
  • 1978 Swedish Grand Prix – 19th, DNF (with Depailler)
  • 1978 French Grand Prix – 24th, DNF (with Depailler)
  • 1978 British Grand Prix – 4th (with Depailler)
  • 1978 German Grand Prix – 24th, DNF (with Depailler)
  • 1978 Austrian Grand Prix – 2nd (with Depailler)
  • 1978 Dutch Grand Prix – 23rd, DNF (with Depailler)
  • 1978 United States Grand Prix – 22nd, DNF (with Depailler)
  • 1978 Canadian Grand Prix – 5th (with Depailler)

The car was also involved in the start of the race crash at the 1978 Italian Grand Prix. Depailler would move to a back up car for the restart of the race.

It was later used in privateer racing around the U.K. and then became part of Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason’s collection. It is a Monaco winner and has a pre-sale estimate of $1,170,000-$1,500,000. More info can be found here.

Update: Sold. Price lamely withheld.

Toyota TF102

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2002 Toyota TF102

Offered by Bonhams | Monaco | May 2024

Photo – Bonhams

Toyota announced they were heading to Formula One in 1999, but they didn’t appear on the grid until 2002. The TF102 was their first F1 car, and this is chassis #03. It was used as a test car for the team throughout the year, seeing seat time with both of their drivers: Mika Salo and Allan McNish. It was also driven by Stephane Sarrazin and Alan Briscoe.

The team was both a chassis constructor and an engine manufacturer, and this chassis retains a 835-horsepower, 3.0-liter Toyota V10 (though, some electronics are missing). The TF102 peaked early, earning Salo a 6th place finish in its debut in Australia. Salo would achieve a 6th-place finish two rounds later in Brazil, and it was all downhill after that.

Toyota left F1 after the 2009 season, never having won a race. This chassis was purchased by its current owner in 2020 and has a pre-sale estimate of $320,000-$430,000. Click here for more.

Update: Sold ~$307,941.

MG Q-Type Racer

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1934 MG Q-Type Monoposto

Offered by Bonhams | Goodwood, U.K. | April 2024

Photo – Bonhams

The Q-Type was a purpose-built race car developed and built by MG in 1934. Just eight were produced, and they used modified MG K3 chassis and N-Type axles. There were two-seat examples and single seaters, with the latter (like this one here) being used at places like Brooklands.

They were originally powered by a supercharged 746cc inline-four good for about 113 horsepower. At some point in this car’s life, it was transplanted with 6.1-liter de Havilland Gipsy Major inline-four aircraft engine. Come 2009, most of what remained of the car was its bare chassis. Somehow the original hood was sourced and a replica body was built. During the rebuild it is said to have been given a supercharged P-Type engine that could push the car to almost 150 mph.

Before WWII, this car did compete at Brooklands and Donington Park. Well, the chassis did. Even still, only eight of these were built, and this one has an estimate of $175,000-$225,000. More info can be found here.

Update: Sold ~$129,214.

Napier Samson

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1904 Napier L48 Samson 15-Liter

Offered by Bonhams | Amelia Island, Florida | February 29, 2024

Photo – Bonhams

The roots of Napier could be traced back to a company founded in 1808. The original founder’s grandson took over the company in 1895 at age 25. Just a few years later they were building motor cars. And race cars.

The L48 was built for setting records. It’s powered by a massive 15.0-liter inline-six that makes an incredible 240 horsepower. At Ormond/Daytona Beach in 1905 the car hit 104 mph over the flying mile. That was a world record, and it was the first car to hit 100 mph in the U.S. and the first British car to break that barrier. In 1908 it broke 130 mph at Brooklands.

Napier later sold the car for scrap, which is pretty terrible in terms of keeping your history alive. The engine went into a boat and survived, later being discovered in Australia, where a replica of the original 1904 L48 was constructed around it.

Sure, this isn’t the exact car that set the speed records, but the wonderful one-off motor did. It’s still worth a lot: with an estimate of $900,000-$1,100,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Sold $742,000.