Tag Archives: classic cars

Giulietta SVZ

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1957 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce Zagato

Offered by Mecum | Monterey, California | August 17-19, 2023

Photo – Mecum

The Tipo 750 and 101 Giulietta was produced by Alfa Romeo between 1954 and 1965. The Giulietta SZ was a Zagato-bodied competition car, and later Zagato rebodied a Sprint Veloce (while the SZ was just based on the Sprint). The Sprint Veloce Zagato (SVZ) appeared in late 1956.

Just 18 would end up being produced, all powered by a 1.3-liter inline-four that was rated at around 116 horsepower. This car was originally sold in Italy, and the first owner wanted a double-bubble Zagato body, which Zagato went ahead and built for him.

The aluminum coachwork on this car is said to be the only SVZ re-bodied in this fashion. It’s eligible for historic runs of the Mille Miglia and has an estimate of $150,000-$250,000. Click here for more info.

Graber-Bodied TC 21/100

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1955 Alvis TC 21/100 Coupe by Graber

Offered by Bonhams | Cheserex, Switzerland | June 18, 2023

Photo – Bonhams

Another Thursday, another Graber-bodied Alvis. Some of the Graber-bodied cars from Alvis looked pretty much like their factory counterparts. But this car is a far cry from the stock and stodgy TC 21/100 “Grey Lady.” The TC 21 went on sale in 1953. The TC 21/100 was introduced in October of that year.

It featured an updated exhaust system and and an increased compression ratio over the initial model. The engine was a 3.0-liter inline-six that made 100 horsepower initially, but with the changes, the updated model could hit 100 mph.

Only 11 TC 21/100s were bodied by Graber (only five of them were coupes), and this one was sold new in Switzerland. It was restored in the last few years and has an estimate of $90,000-$110,000. Click here for more info.

1917 Rauch & Lang

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1917 Rauch & Lang BX7 Brougham

Offered by Bring a Trailer Auctions | June 2023

Photo – Bring a Trailer Auctions

Rauch & Lang merged with Baker Electric in 1915, with the latter brand eventually phased out. Rauch & Lang would continue to solider on with electric cars for about another 10 years. In 1917, they still looked like this. Which was like a rolling billboard that said “this car is an electric car.” Nowadays, they try to make them look different from gasoline-powered cars while looking largely the same. Not so 100 years ago.

There’s the obvious lack of a grille and radiator. And the interior is really what gives it away. The driver sits on a bench seat at the back of the… well, room. While they face the front windshield, they are also staring at their passengers, who are seated on swiveling chairs. Imagine driving this around with your small kids. Nightmare.

The car features 12 six-volt batteries and an electric motor. Top speed is school-zone-esque, and stiller is via a tiller. This is the type of big old electric car that bounds across stages at places like Pebble Beach. You can read more about it here.

Porsche 910

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1967 Porsche 910

Offered by Bring a Trailer Auctions | June 2023

Photo – Bring a Trailer Auctions

If only Porsche went in order with their model name/numbering scheme. That would make the 911 the follow up to this, the 910. Imagine what a street-legal follow up to this car would’ve looked like. Instead, they are entirely unrelated.

The 910 was an evolution of the earlier 906 and for some reason slotted in between the 906 and 907 in terms of P-car prototype racers. The 910 was produced in 1966 and 1967. Just 27 were built, and this one was never raced under the Porsche works factory banner. It was used as an R&D car before being sold into private hands and later raced, including at the:

  • 1973 24 Hours of Daytona – 38th, DNF (with Ed Abate and Bill Cuddy)

It is powered by a 2.0-liter flat-six that made around 200 horsepower. At one point during its life it had a 2.2-liter flat-eight installed that made closer to 300 horsepower. That engine, which is extremely rare and valuable on its own, is included in this sale. This car was recently repainted and was previously used on European tours (so there’s a hope of getting it road registered). You can read more about it here.

Alvis TD 21 by Graber

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1959 Alvis TD 21 Coupe by Graber

Offered by Oldtimer Galerie Toffen | Lucerne, Switzerland | June 3, 2023

Photo – Oldtimer Galerie Toffen

Alvis’s TD 21 was produced after their TC 108G and before their TE 21. Sold between 1958 and 1963, the TD 21 was split between two series, with this example being one of 784 cars produced in the Series I range between 1958 and 1961.

“Factory” body styles were actually produced by Park Ward and were styled as a four-seat coupe our a four-seat drophead coupe (convertible). Except when they weren’t. Graber, a Swiss coachbuilder, bodied about 50 examples of the TD 21 (along with other Alvises).

This one received coupe coachwork by Graber, and it was restored around 2011. Power is provided by a 3.0-liter inline-six that made 115 horsepower when new. The cars were capable of just over 100 mph. This one has an estimate of $115,000-$125,000. Click here for more info.

Ghibli SS

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1972 Maserati Ghibli SS Coupe

Offered by Bring a Trailer Auctions | June 2023

Photo – Bring a Trailer Auctions

Simply, this car exemplifies great, classic, Italian styling. It is among the handsomest grand tourers of the era, with styling penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro at Ghia. The first Ghibli debuted at the 1966 Turin Motor Show with power from a 4.7-liter V8.

The SS variant arrived in 1969 with a 4.9-liter V8 rated at 330 horsepower. Convertibles also arrived in ’69. This coupe was originally a different color but was repainted blue in 2007. It also has a light beige interior and a modern stereo. It’s made to be used.

In all, 1,170 Ghibli coupes were produced through 1973. Just 425 of those were SS coupes powered by the 4.9-liter engine. This one has a few days left, and you can view more about it here.

Hemi GTX Convertible

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1969 Plymouth GTX Hemi Convertible

Offered by Bring a Trailer Auctions | May 2023

Photo – Bring a Trailer Auctions

The GTX was the “fancy” muscle car. Or the “gentleman’s muscle car.” Basically, it was a better-equipped Road Runner. It was a good-looking car and was only offered as a two-door hardtop or a convertible.

And the convertibles were rare: just 700 were made in 1969. Of those there were 16 Hemi-powered cars, five of which went to Canada (including this car). That 426 (7.0-liter) Hemi V8 was rated at 425 horsepower. As this was a gentleman’s car, it also has a TorqueFlite automatic transmission.

This car was restored around 2015 and is finished in a very 1969 color combination of bronze and black over a tan interior. This is one of the better muscle cars – and one of the top convertibles of the era. You can check out more about this car here.

Peugeot 202 Pickup

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1949 Peugeot 202 UH Pickup

Offered by Bonhams | Cheserex, Switzerland | June 18, 2023

Photo – Bonhams

The 202 was a small car produced by Peugeot from 1938 through 1942 and again after the war from 1945 through 1949. Styling cues included headlights set nearly next to each other behind the sloping front grille.

Various body styles were offered including a sedan, cabriolet, and pickup. Power is from a 1.1-liter inline-four that made about 29 horsepower. Top speed was about 62 mph. This one is a “UH” model, meaning it was a commercial vehicle with hydraulic brakes.

This truck was discovered in the ’70s as a project. It was relocated to Switzerland in the 1980s and has remained there since. Peugeot built 104,126 examples of the 202, and this one has a pre-sale estimate of $16,000-$22,000. Click here for more info.

Iso Fidia

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1973 Iso Fidia

Offered by Bonhams | Greenwich, Connecticut | June 4, 2023

Photo – Bonhams

Here is a rare 1960s European four-door sedan in the vein of the Monteverdi 375/4, Maserati Quattroporte, and Aston Martin Lagonda. Iso was no Maserati or Aston Martin (even in the ’60s). It was more on par with Monteverdi as a small-batch car manufacturer.

The Fidia sedan was sold between 1967 and 1975, and in that time, just 192 were produced. Each one had styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro at Ghia and was powered by an American V8. In this case, it’s a 5.8-liter Ford V8 rated at 330 horsepower. A GM unit was also available on earlier cars. Only 35 had the 351 Cleveland.

This car has been on static display for the last 10 years and will require work before it is roadworthy. But I feel like saying that a 50-year-old exotic Italian sedan from a cottage industry manufacturer “requires work” is somewhat a given. The pre-sale estimate here is $25,000-$40,000. Click here for more info.

Lancia Theta

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1915 Lancia Theta Hydroplane Runabout

Offered by H&H Classics | Duxford, U.K. | June 14, 2023

Photo – H&H Classics

Lancia has long had a thing for the Greek alphabet. In 1913, when the Theta was introduced, the company also had the smaller Zeta and larger Eta on sale – all four-cylinder cars. The Theta would remain available through 1918. About 1,700 were made.

Power is from a 4.9-liter inline-four that made 70 horsepower. It was a powerful car for its day – and a fast one. The top speed was up to 75 mph. This was also the first European car to be fitted with an electric starter.

This car was sold new in the U.S. and is believed to retain its original American-supplied coachwork. It later resided in the Harrah collection. It returned to the U.K. in 1981 and later received a decades-long refurb that started in the 1990s. It now has an estimate of $150,000-$175,000. Click here for more info.