Tag Archives: h&h classics

Lotus Europa S

Posted on by
Reply

2008 Lotus Europa S

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

Photo – H&H Classics

The original Lotus Europa was a mid-engined GT car from the 1960s and ’70s. Lotus revived the name for a two-seat coupe in 2006. It was sort of a replacement for the Esprit, but was not sold in the U.S. Think of it as a more friendly Elise that bridged the time gap between the Esprit and the Evora.

Power is from a turbocharged 2.0-liter GM inline-four that made 197 horsepower. Mounted behind the passenger compartment, the engine was paired with a six-speed manual gearbox. The base car was the Europa S. An SE trim was also offered, and this one was so backdated by the factory. That added a revised turbo and other engine tweaks that boosted output to 222 horsepower.

Between 2006 and 2010, just 458 examples of the Europa S were produced. This right-hand-drive example has almost 23,000 miles and has a presale estimate of $30,000-$35,000. Click here for more info.

Lancia Theta

Posted on by
Reply

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.

Alvis Speed 20

Posted on by
Reply

1936 Alvis Speed 20 SD Sunshine Coupe by Vanden Plas

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

Photo – H&H Classics

The first Alvis cars were sold in 1920, and a series of models were churned out over the course of that decade. In 1932, they introduced the Speed 20, which would be offered in four different series through 1936.

The final of these series was the SD, which was sold for 1936 only before the Speed 20 was replaced by the 3.5-Litre. The SD was only slightly revised from the earlier SC – the bodywork was a bit wider, and the fuel tank was larger. The SC had brought changes over the SB including a 2.8-liter inline-six and chassis revisions.

Only 149 examples of the SD were built, and just 12 of those were bodied as a “four-light” two-door sedan by Vanden Plas. Only two are known to exist, and this one was restored in the 1990s. The estimate is $100,000-$115,000. Click here for more info.

Daimler Dart

Posted on by
Reply

1960 Daimler SP250

Offered by H&H Classics | Buxton, U.K. | April 26, 2023

Photo – H&H Classics

The SP250 was a British sports car from an unlikely source: Daimler, who up to this point had primarily made stodgy saloons and drophead coupes. After this point, they would be reduced to selling badge-engineered Jaguars. So it’s kind of amazing this car ever made it to production.

It debuted at the 1959 New York Motor Show as the “Dart” – which Chrysler obviously did not appreciate. So it was renamed the SP250 when production got under way shortly thereafter. Just 2,654 examples would be produced through 1964. We’ve featured one before – a prototype with a retractable hardtop.

The cars are powered by a very un-British engine: a 2.5-liter V8 designed in-house. Output was rated at 140 horsepower. This U.K.-market example was repainted about 15 years ago. It remains an interesting alternative to the Triumphs and MGs of the era. The estimate is $37,000-$42,000. Click here for more info.

TR2

Posted on by
Reply

1955 Triumph TR2

Offered by H&H Classics | Duxford, U.K. | March 15, 2023

Photo – H&H Classics

The Triumph 1800/2000 Roadster was a two-door convertible produced by Triumph after the war. But it was a little frumpy, as if they were trying to design a Rolls-Royce sports car. That model left production in 1949. In 1953, they followed it up with this, the TR2. It was much more along the lines of a sports car. And it started a sports car dynasty that lasted for decades – through the TR8 in 1981.

Between 1953 and 1955, just 8,636 examples of the TR2 were produced. This one was sold new in South Africa. It’s powered by a 2.0-liter inline-four that was rated at 90 horsepower, which was enough for a top speed of 107 mph.

It remained in South Africa until 2005, at which time it was relocated to the Netherlands and later made its way to England. It’s now offered there at no reserve. Click here for more info.

Lagonda V12

Posted on by
Reply

1939 Lagonda V12 Drophead Coupe

Offered by H&H Classics | Duxford, U.K. | March 15, 2023

Photo – H&H Classics

Lagonda’s V12 engine was designed by W.O. Bentley and debuted just in time for WWII. Production of the V12 model commenced in 1938, and just two years later only 189 had been produced when the war broke out.

The 4.5-liter V12 produced 180 horsepower, which was enough to propel the cars over 100 mph, regardless of what body style they wore. This short-wheelbase car features factory drophead coupe coachwork and received a replacement V12 under warranty when new.

It later spent over 40 years in a barn in England before being pulled back out into the light in 2006 and subsequently restored. This is one of the great pre-war classics, and perhaps England’s best. This one has an estimate of $300,000-$360,000. Click here for more info.

AJS-Jensen Tourer

Posted on by
Reply

1931 AJS-Jensen Open Tourer

Offered by H&H Classics | Duxford, U.K. | March 15, 2023

Photo – H&H Classics

A.J. Stevens & Co. Ltd. was founded by Jack (Albert John) Stevens in 1909 after an engine produced by his father’s machine company was successfully used in a 24-hour motorcycle run. They sold motorcycles under the AJS brand from 1910 through 1931.

As far as car go, AJS started by building bodies for Clyno, and when Clyno went out of business at the end of the ’20s, AJS put their know-how to use and launched their own car in late 1930. They were powered by a 1.1-liter inline-four that made 24 horsepower. Production estimate range from 1,000 to 3,000 through 1931.

Only 38 of their cars are known to exist. This one was sold new as a bare chassis (which was an option) and was bodied for the first owner by Jensen Brothers, which is what they did before they started building their own cars. Restored, it now has an estimate of $30,000-$38,000. Click here for more info.

Lagonda 3-Litre

Posted on by
Reply

1957 Lagonda 3-Litre Mk II Saloon

Offered by H&H Classics | Duxford, U.K. | November 30, 2022

Photo – H&H Classics

The 3-Litre was Lagonda’s follow-up model to the 1948 through 1953 2.6-Litre, which itself was Lagonda’s first post-war car. The 2.6-Litre was also the first Lagonda produced by the company after its takeover by Aston Martin‘s David Brown.

The 3-Litre was produced between 1953 and 1958. It was available as a four-door saloon, a two-door coupe, and a two-door drophead coupe. Power is actually from a 2.9-liter inline-six (curse you Lagonda marketing department!) that made 140 horsepower. The sedan could hit about 110 mph.

The Mk II debuted in 1955 and featured a redesigned dashboard and a floor-shifted transmission. Just 266 3-Litres were produced. Lagonda took a few years off after this model before coming out with the Rapide in 1961. The pre-sale estimate here is $33,000-$41,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Withdrawn.

Riley RMC

Posted on by
Reply

1951 Riley RMC

Offered by H&H Classics | Buxton, U.K. | November 30, 2022

Photo – H&H Classics

Riley’s RM series of cars picked up after WWII where the pre-war Kestrel had left off. What started as the RMA in 1945 would eventually progress through the RMF in 1953. The RMC was produced between 1948 and 1951 and was only available as a roadster.

These cars always struck me as a little awkwardly proportioned. The wheelbase just looks too long. But otherwise it’s an attractive post-war sporting body with suicide doors. Power is from a 2.5-liter inline-four that made 100 horsepower. It was enough to push the car to 100 mph. Sixty took an agonizing 16.5 seconds.

Over four years of production, just over 500 of these (507 to be exact) were built. This one is finished in good colors and is described in the catalog as “self-maintained” – which I think means it maintains itself? It has an estimate of $33,000-$38,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.

1918 Peugeot Truck

Posted on by
Reply

1918 Peugeot 1525 Flatbed

Offered by H&H Classics | Buxton, U.K. | November 30, 2022

Photo – H&H Classics

Peugeot set up a commercial vehicle plant in 1912, and from that factory they helped France’s WWI effort by producing trucks like this. This particular example was built as a troop carrier. After its military career ended, it was converted to civilian commercial use.

The Type 1525 was produced from 1917 through 1920, with about 4,084 produced. It’s powered by a 4.7-liter inline-four that made 22 horsepower – enough to get it to about 19 mph.

Used at the end and after the war by the French Armed Forces, the truck has since been bodied as a dropside pickup and flatbed. It was refreshed in the last three years and now has an estimate of $23,000-$28,000. Click here for more info.

Update: Not sold.