60 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance
COLUMNS
20 Shifting Gears
Why we’re taking a serious look at today’s collector car market
Keith Martin
44 Affordable Classic
The 1978–83 Porsche 911SC keeps getting better and better
Jim Schrager
54 Legal Files
Is it really illegal to export newly purchased foreign cars from
the U.S.?
John Draneas
58 Simon Says
Oil billionaires love cars — but not vintage sports cars
Simon Kidston
76 The Cumberford Perspective
The 507 is BMW’s most beautiful car — and Albrecht Goertz’s
best design
Robert Cumberford
170 eWatch
A Nobel Peace Prize medal brings $1.1 million at auction
Carl Bomstead
FEATURES
46 Collecting Thoughts: Are we in a price bubble? Industry
insiders offer perspectives
60 2014 Amelia Island Concours: Sunshine and surprises
at one of the year’s premier concours
16
Sports Car Market
62 Winter Park Concours: 12 years of summer in winter
DEPARTMENTS
22 Auction Calendar
22 Crossing the Block
26 The Inside Line: Your planning calendar for upcoming
concours and motoring events
30 Contributors: Get to know our writers
32 You Write: Overpriced cars, casual engine swaps and $88k
for a Lotus Elan
34 Display Advertisers Index
38 Time Pieces: The stunning Ari watch
38 Neat Stuff: Over the river without a bridge; Maserati
around your neck
40 In Miniature: 1954 Maserati A6GCS Pinin Farina Berlinetta
40 Book Review: The A-Z of Three-Wheelers
94 Fresh Meat: 2013 SRT Viper coupe, 2012 Lotus Evora IPS,
2013 Aston Martin V8 Vantage convertible
124 Glovebox Notes: 2014 Volkswagen Touareg TDI Sport SUV
152 Rising Sun: Recent sales of Japanese collector cars
158 Mystery Photo: “Keith, is this really necessary just to attend
the Silver Auction in Fort McDowell, AZ?”
158 Comments with Your Renewal: “Come hell or high
water, I AM going to purchase a great collector car
(’63 SWB?) before I need to renew this three-year
subscription!”
160 Showcase Gallery: Cars for sale
164 Resource Directory: Meet your car’s needs
Marc Emerson
Crossing the Block Tony Piff Images courtesy of the respective auction companies
Bonhams — The Greenwich Concours
d’Elegance Auction
Where: Greenwich, CT
When: June 1
Web: www.bonhams.com
Last year: 74 / 99 cars sold / $5.3m
A 1975 Lamborghini
Countach LP400 “Periscopica”
headlines this annual sale,
held in association with the
Greenwich Concours d’Elegance.
The unrestored Lambo boasts
a single owner since 1978 and
has been driven fewer than
16,500 km since new (Bonhams
estimate: $450k–$550k). Other
important consignments include
a concours-restored 1960 AustinHealey
3000 BN7 convertible,
very well documented from new,
including all original purchase
paperwork; a 1974 Toyota Land
Cruiser FJ40, restored to stock
specs in Nebula Green; a 1948
Chrysler Town & Country convertible;
and a 1959 Jaguar XK
150 S 3.4 roadster with known
history from new, matching
numbers and only three owners.
The Jag’s recent restoration has
garnered more than 50 concours
wins and 100-point JCNA status.
Leake — Tulsa 2014
Where: Tulsa, OK
When: June 6–8
Web: www.leakecar.com
Last year: 470 / 691 cars sold /
$11.8m
Leake predicts 750 cars
in Tulsa this time around.
The sale takes place in the
448,000-square-foot River Spirit
Expo Building. This year’s
star cars are a 1970 Plymouth
’Cuda, a 1937 Ford coupe, a
1970 Chevelle SS convertible
and a 1933 Ford coupe. Leake’s
simultaneous dual-auction-block
show will blow your mind.
Mecum Auctions — Seattle 2014
Where: Seattle, WA
When: June 13–14
Web: www.mecum.com
Look for Mecum’s solid
mix of high-quality American
muscle, customs, pickups,
Corvettes and pre-war Classics
at this first-ever sale, held at the
CenturyLink Field Event Center
in the heart of downtown Seattle.
Mecum predicts 600 cars.
Silver Auctions — Car d’Lane
Weekend
Where: Coeur d’Alene, ID
When: June 14
Web: www.silverauctions.com
22
1975 Lamborghini Countach LP400 “Periscopica” at Bonhams Greenwich
Last year: 51 / 118 cars sold /
$803k
This sale coincides with Car
d’Lane Car Show weekend in
scenic Coeur d’Alene, ID. The
star car is a 1964 Chevrolet
Corvette convertible. The biggest
sale of the weekend last year was
a 1951 Buick Super at $103k, but
average sold price is decidedly
affordable, down below the $20k
mark.
Russo and Steele — Newport Beach
2014
Where: Newport Beach, CA
When: June 19–21
Web: www.russoandsteele.com
Last year: 105 / 343 cars sold /
$6.5m
Russo and Steele always
brings a unique mix of sports
cars, muscle cars, exotics and
customs at a broad range of price
points. The top five at Newport
Beach last year included a 2008
Bugatti Veyron at $1m, a 1968
Aston Martin DB6 at $457k and
a 1970 Oldsmobile 442 W-30 at
$270k. Average price per car was
$62k. Their unique auction-inthe-round
format puts bidders
Auction Calendar
Email auction info to: chad.tyson@sportscarmarket.com.
MAY
1–3—VICARI
Nocona, TX
2–3—SMITH’S
Springfield, MO
2—MOTOSTALGIA
Houston, TX
3—WORLDWIDE
Montgomery, TX
5—SHANNONS
Melbourne, AUS
7—SILVER
Spokane, WA
8–9—JAMES G. MURPHY
Brothers, OR
8–10—AUCTIONS
AMERICA
Auburn, IN
9—COYS
Monte Carlo, MCO
9–10—ELECTRIC
GARAGE
Calgary, AB, CAN
10—RM
Monte Carlo, MCO
10—BONHAMS
Rio Grande, NJ
10—VANDERBRINK
Sioux Falls, SD
13–18—MECUM
Indianapolis, IN
14—BRIGHTWELLS
Herefordshire, U.K.
17—BONHAMS
Newport Pagnell, U.K.
18—BONHAMS
Francorchamps, BEL
24—SILVERSTONE
Northamptonshire, U.K.
24—VANDERBRINK
Murdo, SD
26—SHANNONS
Sydney, AUS
30–31—LUCKY
Tacoma, WA
31—DAN KRUSE
CLASSICS
Odessa, TX
right in the midst of the auction
action.
MidAmerica — 28th Annual Twin
Cities Classic Car Auction
Where: Saint Paul, MN
When: June 20–21
Web: www.midamericaauctions.
com
Last year: 105 / 172 cars sold /
$1.9m
Average price at this auction
last year was about $18k, and
the overall high sales were a
2012 Chevrolet COPO Camaro
at $151k, a 1969 Shelby GT500
All dates listed are current at time of publication. Contact information for most auction companies may be found in the Resource Directory at
the back of this issue. Please confirm dates and locations before attending any event.
JUNE
1—BONHAMS
Greenwich, CT
6–8—LEAKE
Tulsa, OK
7—BONHAMS
Oxford, U.K.
7—VANDERBRINK
Enid, OK
13–14—MECUM
Seattle, WA
14—COYS
Athens, GRC
14—VANDERBRINK
West Fargo, ND
14—SILVER
Coeur d’Alene, ID
19–21—RUSSO AND
STEELE
Newport Beach, CA
20–21—RALEIGH
CLASSIC
Raleigh, NC
20–21—MIDAMERICA
St. Paul, MN
21—H&H
Rockingham, U.K.
21—SPECIALTY AUTO
Greeley, CO
24—BARONS
Surrey, U.K.
27—BONHAMS
Chichester, U.K.
28—MECUM
Champaign, IL
JULY
5—ARTCURIAL
Le Mans, FRA
5–6—SILVER
Jackson Hole, WY
11–12—VICARI
New Orleans, LA
11–12—SMITH’S
Cape Girardeau, MO
11–12—AUCTIONS
AMERICA
Portola Valley, CA
12—BONHAMS
Stuttgart, DEU
12—COYS
Oxfordshire, U.K.
12—PETERSEN
Roseburg, OR
16—BRIGHTWELLS
Herefordshire, U.K.
19—VANDERBRINK
Sabin, MN
23—H&H
Buxton, U.K.
24–26—GAA
Greensboro, NC
24–26—MECUM
Harrisburg, PA
26—SILVERSTONE
Northamptonshire, U.K.
26—RM
Plymouth, MI
31–AUG 2—BARRETTJACKSON
Reno, NV
31–AUG 2—B&T
SPECIALTY
Reno, NV
Sports Car Market
Page 22
Crossing the Block Tony Piff Images courtesy of the respective auction companies
When: June 21
Web: www.saaasinc.com
Specialty consistently offers
a strong mix of affordable collector
cars at drive-away prices.
In Greeley, there are sure to be
plenty of restored and original
muscle cars to choose from,
some shiny customs, some
European luxury and sports cars,
and a few oddballs thrown in for
variety.
Bonhams — The Goodwood Festival
of Speed
Where: Chichester, U.K.
When: June 27
Web: www.bonhams.com
Last year: 54/63 cars sold / $54m
It was here one year ago that
1970 Chevelle SS convertible at Leake Tulsa
at $76k and a 1966 Shelby Cobra
replica at $55k. American iron is
the dominant theme, from street
rods and souped-up muscle to
luxury cruisers and preserved
Corvettes to hard-working
vintage 4x4s.
H&H — Rockingham Castle
Where: Rockingham, U.K.
When: June 21
Web: www.classic-auctions.com
Last year: 37/57 cars sold / $1.7m
This auction takes place
at Rockingham Castle in association
with the Rolls-Royce
Enthusiasts’ Club Annual Rally
& Concours. The star attractions
are a 1936 Rolls-Royce
Phantom III sedanca de ville
with coachwork by H.J. Mulliner
(H&H estimate: $100k–$115k)
and a 1936 Rolls-Royce Phantom
III sedanca de ville ($40k–$60k).
At last year’s sale, sold cars
averaged $45k. The biggest sale
of the day was a 1937 Bentley 4¼
Litre Vanden Plas coupe, sold at
$226k.
Specialty Auto Auctions — Greeley in
the Summer 2014
Where: Greeley, CO
the auction world was turned
on its head, when the 1954
Mercedes-Benz W-196 “Silver
Arrow” racer sold for $30m.
Even removing that car from
the equation, average price still
exceeded $450k. For this year’s
sale, the early consignments of
note are a 1969 Lotus 49B GP
racer, a 1949 Ferrari 166 Touring,
a 1955 Austin-Healey 100S and a
1939/40 Aston Martin Atom.
Mecum Auctions — Bloomington Gold
Where: Champaign, IL
When: June 28
Web: www.mecum.com
Last year: 51/124 / $1.9m
Average price per at last
1965 Chevrolet Corvette convertible at Silver Coeur d’Alene
year’s Corvette-only auction
was $37k. The two cars to
break $100k were both ’67s, but
Corvettes from every era will be
well represented. Last year was
the first time the event took place
at its new venue in Champaign,
IL, and prospects look great for
2014 and beyond. ♦
1949 Ferrari 166 Touring at Bonhams Goodwood
24
1936 Rolls-Royce Phantom III sedanca de ville at H&H Rockingham
Sports Car Market
Page 24
Inside Line Alex Martin-Banzer Send news and event listings to insideline@sportscarmarket.com.
Bloomington Gold
Events
■ The 19th Annual Green-
wich Concours d’ Elegance is
really two different concours
— one for foreign cars and
one for American cars — and
a fantastic display of former
America’s Cup 12-meter yachts.
This year’s extravaganza is from
May 31 through June 1. Concours
Americana is on Saturday, May
31, while Concours International
is on Sunday, June 1. Bonhams’
Greenwich Concours d’Elegance
Auction is on June 1. The
concours field is open from 10
a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Admission
is $30 per day or $45 for
both days. Children younger than
12 get free admission. For more
information, visit www.greenwichconcours.com.
■ The Ault Park Concours
d’Elegance is 37 years old this
year, and the theme is “Art of the
Automobile — The Great American
Design.” Ault Park runs from
June 6 to 8, and it will be a busy
weekend in Cincinnati, OH. On
June 6, the “Crusin’ for a Cure”
dinner and live auction will get
things started. On Saturday, June
7, the Countryside Tour departs
at noon for a scenic drive around
the Cincinnati area, and ends in
historic Augusta, KY. Saturday
night brings a Hangar Party, with
grand displays of luxury jets, and
modern Maserati cars displayed
26
near vintage planes and classic
cars. On Sunday, The 100th Anniversary
of Maserati, 50 Years of
the Mustang and Micro Cars will
take center stage at this year’s
Concours d’Elegance. For more
information, including tickets,
visit www.ohioconcours.com.
(OH)
■ The 20th Gilmore Heritage
Auto Show will celebrate “Mustangs
at the Market — 50 Buckin’
Years of the Ford Mustang” at the
world-famous Farmers Market in
Los Angeles, CA, on June 7. This
is SoCal, so expect a lot of cars,
including plenty of American
Classics, customs and hot rods.
Admission is free to the public,
so head on over from 11 a.m. to 5
p.m. to enjoy a classic El Lay mix
of cars, Du-Par’s Pie Shop, Bob’s
Coffee & Doughnuts and Magee’s
Kitchen. www.farmersmarketla.
com (CA)
■ Saturday, June 14, 2014, is
the day a 24-hour race begins.
Not just any 24-hour race, but the
race. 24 Hours of Le Mans has
delivered 81 years of emotion,
thrills and passion, and this year
will be no different. If you have
that itch for a weekend getaway to
France, here is the perfect reason
to buy the plane ticket. For more
information and tickets, visit
www.24h-lemans.com. (FR)
■ The Italians have arrived in
the Pocono Mountains, and they
brought their European friends.
Le Belle Macchine d’Europa
begins on June 20, 2014, commencing
three packed days of full
throttling. Two of those days are
reserved for high-speed driving
at the Pocono Raceway. Concorso
d’Elegance commandeers a day,
allowing for an opportunity to see
the exotic powerhouse cars at a
standstill instead of the usual red
blur. For more information, visit
www.italiancarevents.com. (PA)
■ Nicknamed the “GrandGreenwich
Concours d’Elegance
daddy” of Corvette shows,
Bloomington Gold will celebrate
its 41st anniversary from June 27
to 29. These three days are a must
for any Corvette owner. More
than 400 exhibitors and swapmeet
vendors will be on hand, as well
as an area reserved to sell your
Corvette to other attendees, a
tour through the beautiful Illinois
Countryside, and the world’s
largest Corvette auction put on
by Mecum Auctions. They will
also be celebrating the 50th anniversary
for all 1964 Corvettes
by having a special display parking
area of them. Pre-purchased
admission is $15 for a single-day
pass, $40 for a weekend pass.
At-the-gate admission is $20 for
a single-day pass, or $45 for a
weekend pass. For more information
visit bloomingtongold.com.
(IL) ♦
Sports Car Market
You WriAd Indexte We Read
Ability Connection Colorado Concours. .... 115
Adamson Industries ................................... 141
AIG Insurance .............................................. 37
Alan Taylor Company, Inc ......................... 147
Amalgam- Fine Model Cars ......................... 51
American Car Collector ..................... 113, 162
Antiquorum .................................................. 37
Artcurial ....................................................... 59
Aston Martin of New England ................... 145
Aston Martin Select Dealers ........................ 63
Auctions America ......................................... 41
Auto Kennel ............................................... 149
Automobilia Monterey ............................... 140
Automotive Restorations Inc. .....................111
Autosport Designs Inc ................................ 147
Barrett-Jackson ...................................... 19, 37
Bennett Law Office ...................................... 96
Beverly Hills Car Club ............................... 114
Black Horse Garage ................................... 159
BMW Car Club of America, Inc. ................. 29
Bonhams / SF ................................... 23, 25, 27
Canepa ........................................................ 156
Carlisle Events ........................................... 121
Centerline Alfa Parts .................................. 108
Chequered Flag International ..................... 155
Chubb Personal Insurance ............................ 99
Cincinnati Concours Foundation ............... 101
Classic Assets Motorsports Center ............... 87
Classic Investments .................................... 126
Classic Restoration ....................................... 53
Classic Showcase ....................................... 131
Collector Car Price Tracker ....................... 166
Concorso Italiano ......................................... 18
Concours d’Elegance at the Wood ............... 56
Copley Motorcars ....................................... 151
Cosdel ........................................................ 167
DB Autosportif ........................................... 105
Dealer Accelerate ....................................... 117
Driversource Houston LLC .................. 95, 143
Elliot Atkins ............................................... 162
E-Types USA................................................ 89
European Collectibles ................................ 155
Exotic Classics ........................................... 134
Fantasy Junction ..........................................111
Ferrari Financial Services .......................... 151
Florian Seidl Industrieberatungen .............. 109
Forest Grove Concours ................................ 42
Fourintune Garage Inc ............................... 167
Gooding & Company ................................. 2–3
Greenwich Concours D’Elegance ................ 69
Grundy Worldwide ..................................... 157
GTO Engineering LTD ................................ 93
Gullwing Motor Cars, Inc. ......................... 145
Hahn and Vorbach ...................................... 133
Hamann Classic Cars ................................. 8–9
Heacock Classic ........................................ 143
Heritage Classics ........................................ 103
Hyman, LTD ...................................... 126, 129
Intercity Lines .............................................. 55
International Auto Group ........................... 127
JC Taylor .................................................... 123
Jeff Brynan ................................................. 162
JJ Best Banc & Co ..................................... 161
Kendall Bend Porsche ................................ 107
Kevin Kay Restorations ............................. 157
Kidston ................................................... 13, 15
L.A. Prep .................................................... 138
Le Belle Macchine d’Italia ........................... 57
Leake Auction Company .............................. 49
Legendary Motorcar Company .................... 43
Lucky Collector Car Auctions ..................... 28
Luxury Brokers International ..................... 114
Mac Neil Automotive Products Ltd ............. 64
Maserati North America ............................. 172
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca ..................... 82
Mercedes Classic Center .............................. 35
Mershon’s World Of Cars .......................... 119
Mil Millas..................................................... 10
Misselwood Concours d’Elegance ............. 135
Morphy Auctions ....................................... 125
Motor Classic & Competition Corp. .......... 167
Motorcar Gallery ........................................ 156
P21S ........................................................... 159
Park Place LTD ............................................ 39
Passport Transport .............................. 160, 162
Paul Russell And Company ......................... 45
Pebble Beach Retro Auto ............................. 12
porsport.com .............................................. 149
Premier Financial Services ........................ 171
Putnam Leasing ............................................ 17
QuickSilver Exhausts Ltd. ........................... 83
Reliable Carriers .......................................... 79
Rick Cole Auctions ...................................... 11
RM Auctions .......................................... 31, 33
Road Scholars .............................................. 91
Russo & Steele LLC .......................... 4–5, 6–7
Silver Collector Car Auctions ...................... 65
Sports & Specialist Cars ............................ 145
Sports Car Market ...................................... 138
St Bernard Church ...................................... 163
Steve Austin’s Great Vacations .......... 154, 162
Swissvax USA, LLC .................................... 77
Symbolic Motor Car Co ............................... 21
T.D.C. Risk Management ............................. 37
The Auto Collections ................................. 141
The FJ Company ........................................ 137
The Stable, Ltd. ............................................ 97
Vail Automotive Classic ............................... 36
Vintage Car Research ................................. 162
Vintage Rallies ........................................... 145
VintageAutoPosters.com ............................ 167
Watchworks ................................................ 162
Zohar Marketing ........................................ 139
34
You Write We Read
Your April edition’s auction reviews leave me sadly
convinced that the hobby has become unfamiliar …
intoxicated, polish one of my
Alfa Romeos and find that oak
tree at 100 mph! She looked over
at me in silence. A grave look of
concern and sympathy was on
her face. She said, “You would
do that to one of your Alfas?” I
burst out in laughter. I had to pull
over to the side of the road, I was
laughing so hard. I love my Alfa
Romeos — and my gal. Keep up
the great work. One of the greatest
joys in life is finding SCM
in the mailbox! — Jonathan
Hoffnagle, via email
Are we in a price
bubble?
To the Editor:
As a subscriber since 1994, a
lifelong car guy, garage rat and
longtime vintage racer, I feel
compelled to write you. Your
April edition’s auction reviews
leave me sadly convinced
that the hobby has become
unfamiliar. Prices are escalating
wildly, buyers are asset-based or
speculators, and the inevitable
price correction cannot come
soon enough.
Porsche 911RS over $1 mil-
lion, and Toyota FJ40s selling
either side of $100k. Huh?
Shelbys, Dinos, Healey 3000s
all long gone. Triumph TR6s,
Sunbeam Tigers and Panteras are
headed the same way.
A longtime friend and car
collector told me last week that
he’s sold all his Ferraris and
started buying hot-rodded 911s
and Alfas of GTV and similar
vintage. I’ll always be internally
combustible, but it may be back
to motorcycles for a while. —
Alex Seiler, Rye, NY
Keith Martin responds: Alex,
you raise good questions about
where this hobby is headed.
Turn to p. 46 of this issue for
our special roundtable, where
experienced collectors, writers,
brokers and owners of auction
houses discuss where this market
is right now — and where it may
be going.
$88k for a Lotus Elan
To the Editor:
After 41 years, I was ready
to sell my 1973 Lotus Elan. It
sold at the Gooding & Company
Auction in Scottsdale, AZ, in
January for what I believe is a
world record ($88,000).
I anxiously waited at my mail-
box for my favorite magazine.
What would SCM say? Well sold?
Well bought? Nice car?
Imagine my surprise when
I rip off the wrapping, thumb
to the proper pages — and find
nothing about my Lotus Elan.
Donald, what were you thinking?
Every oddball Italian car gets a
nice article, and we British fans
only get five cars reviewed.
I would threaten to cancel my
subscription, but I am addicted
like a junkie, so my best revenge
will be a verbal thrashing the
next time we meet. — Patrick
Lind, via email
Executive Editor Chester
Allen responds: Patrick, we feel
your pain — really. We do our
best to carefully choose the cars
for each auction report, but,
inevitably, we don’t have space
to cover all the cars. We’re sorry
that your car was left out, but it
wasn’t because of any bias. We
hope you can get some consolation
from an amazing sales price
for your Lotus Elan. ♦
Sports Car Market
In Miniature by Marshall Buck
1954 Maserati A6GCS Pinin Farina Berlinetta
This masterpiece of Pinin Farina design — in
the early days “Pinin Farina” was two words — is
one of only four original A6GCS Berlinettas, and it
is the only one that was bodied with the lower roof
and rounded tail.
Built in 1954 on chassis 2057, and displayed at
the Turin Show, the car was rebodied as a Spyder
one year later and renumbered 2086.
In 1977, the original body was acquired by the
car’s owner, Franco Lombardi. The car then sat
for 17 years until a three-year restoration began in
1994. The original body was mated to another original A6GCS chassis (number
2070), along with an original engine. Thankfully, the car was restored to
its original two-tone blue paint scheme with red seats and door panels.
Shown here is a brand-new, 1:43-scale release of the restored car from
NEO Scale Models. This particular Maserati has been modeled previously
by three other firms: in 1:43 scale by ABC Brianza and ModelArt 111, and by
Strada in larger 1:24 scale.
I have three of the four models. I passed on
Model Details
Production date: 2014
Quantity: An estimated 750 to 1,200
in the original color. Expect more
models in non-original colors
SCM five-star rating:
Overall quality:
Authenticity:
Overall value:
Web: www.neoscalemodels.com.
Their U.S. distribution site is
www.american-excellence.com
the ABC piece. The NEO model is far better,
although it is authenticity-challenged.
NEO always comes very close to correctly
replicating details, colors and shapes, but they
rarely put it all together in the final effort. They
seem to struggle with the final 5% to 10% of the
job. That’s where we are now with this model.
Overall it is great, and it is one of their bet-
ter productions. The model is not exact for the
original or restored version, but is very close to
both. NEO is also releasing the same model in
Speaking Volumes by Mark Wigginton
The A-Z of Three-Wheelers: A Definitive Reference Guide
By Elvis Payne, Crécy Publishing, 304 pages, $29.62, Amazon
The best of the Beat poets, Allen Ginsberg, once
told a fellow eccentric to “follow your inner moonlight;
don’t hide the madness.” Then he probably
climbed into a Morgan three-wheeler — or should
have.
That proud and loud celebration of madness
sums up this guide to three-wheelers throughout
automotive history. And, it turns out, history starts
at the beginning, as — according to A-Z of ThreeWheelers
—the first self-propelled vehicle was a
three-wheeler.
It was the 1769 fardier à vapeur by Nicolas-
Joseph Cugnot, which lurched into motion more
than a 100 years ahead of Karl Benz’s first
modern automobile. Cugnot’s creation wasn’t
a car as much as a big ol’ wagon with a huge,
honking boiler out front. It notably caused the first self-powered accident as
well, crashing into a garden wall. No record exists that it generated the first
insurance claim.
Like many a passionate loon, Elvis Payne, a young man in the IT world in
England, got into the three-wheeler subculture by accident. His stolen motorcycle
needed replacing, and fate handed him a Reliant Robin, an iconic little
car built in England from the 1970s and into the early 1980s. The Robin looks
a bit like a homely Ford Fiesta with only one front wheel, but that didn’t stop
Cupid’s automotive arrow.
Payne fell in love with the Robin, and then the rest of the three-wheeler
world, and in 2000 (being an IT guy) he created a website (www.3-wheelers.
com) to share the madness.
He has cataloged more than 1,000 vehicles in the book, from nearly 500
manufacturers, mainly European companies offering vehicles that either were
small enough to avoid taxes or that didn’t need a license to drive — or both.
40
There are incredibly fast three-wheelers (the land-speed car
“Spirit of America” and a whole host of current track vehicles)
and incredibly spartan, scary three-wheelers (most of
them) and even offerings from GM, Toyota and
Volkswagen.
Payne brings together a big, wide, wonderful
world of as many shapes and sizes as you can
imagine, creating a great place to wander and
wonder at the spawn of out-of-the-box thinkers,
tinkerers and risk-takers.
Provenance:
If you spend nearly two decades immersed in
a subject, you are undeniably expert at it. Elvis
Payne certainly has done the work, and if you don’t
believe it, head to the website, which is more than
2,100 pages full of everything three-wheel.
Fit and finish:
Delightful images, simple layout and quality
printing are three takeaways from this Nostalgia Road imprint
for Crécy Publishing.
Drivability:
There is a great appreciation for the eccentric in many
parts of the car world and the arts in general. And you really
have to appreciate the tenacious dedication and focus the author
has lavished on this little corner of automobilia. While it
is easy to dismiss, the reality is A-Z of Three-Wheelers is a lot
of page-turning fun. Like a well-orchestrated circus, nothing
lasts long; the new stuff will amuse you, and then, poof, it’s
gone and replaced by something else. But wherever you turn,
there is good information about something few people have
spent time learning about. At bottom, it’s just a giggle, and
there is nothing eccentric about that. ♦
Sports Car Market
three non-original colors.
The body has a wonderful shape
to it, perfectly capturing the essence
of this berlinetta. The only miss here
is that the sill/rocker panel on the
passenger’s side doesn’t go down as
far as it should. It is made at almost
the same size as the slim, driver’sside
sill that accommodates the
double-stacked side exhaust pipes.
The high-gloss paint finish is
wonderful, but both shades of the two-tone blue appear to be
a little too light in color. NEO’s generic wire wheels (used
on many of their models) are nice, with delicate spokes. The
finish has been dulled to simulate silver paint, but they are the
wrong style.
The grille is an okay version of what it should be. Just
count the vertical bars — and discover that five of the 16 are
missing. Very delicate photo-etched metal window trim has
been perfectly fitted around all windows, which are clear as
day.
The sparse, well-made interior is easy to see. Although
why is the face of the detailed dash the wrong color? It should
be the darker blue. The seats and door panels should not be
black. However, on the flip side, there are a number of perfectly
modeled and attached fine-detail parts to appreciate on
the body.
The all-around fit and finish is noticeably better than on
more expensive models from similar model manufacturers in
this scale. Overall, at $70.95, it’s a good value.
Page 42
Affordable Classic 1978–83 Porsche 911SC
Porsche’s No-Frills Performance Bargain
Go-fast geegaws, such as turbo whale-tail spoilers, slant-nose fenders and
monster rear flares do not add value
by Jim Schrager
1979 Porsche 911SC, sold for $14,580 in 2011
T
to appreciate. Yet
here’s nothing more fun than buying, driving
and enjoying a bargain sports car. Today, in our
red-hot collector car market, most hope — and
perhaps pray — that our purchases will continue
the prospect of price appreciation
someday is different than a bargain today. The 911SC
is that rarity which represents a great value in today’s
market.
The 911SC saved Porsche from a botched response to
U.S. emission controls imposed in 1974. Intended to be
the rear-engine swan song, the 911SC instead proved to
be a tremendously enjoyable and durable design. Long
the everyday car of choice for many Porsche enthusiasts,
the 911SC is well built, reliable, inexpensive to run, and
just plain fun to drive.
By 1978, the entire body and chassis were galvanized
— except the bolt-on front fenders, which were added
in 1981. Everyday rust that plagued Porsches from time
immemorial doesn’t exist for the 911SC. Although rustproofing
started in 1976, the 1976–77 cars have engine
weaknesses — relating to emission controls — making
them far less desirable than the 911SC.
Maintenance for the long, fun haul
Thirty years on, the 911SC engine has three areas of
concern.
First, most owners upgrade to “Carrera” oil-fed cam-
chain tensioners, costing around $2,500 for parts and
labor.
44
Next, the fuel-injection airbox can break with a backfire on start-up, so a special
“pop-off” valve solves the problem at about $250 installed.
Finally, head studs can fail after 30 years or so.
When they do, you’ll hear a distinct “popping” on
hard acceleration. Plan on $4,000 to do all 24, and
you’ll be ready for another three decades of motoring
pleasure.
Transmissions are strong and long lasting — if
shifted with a slight pause between gears. You can
always tell a know-nothing Porsche pilot as he
smashes gears from one to the next with a single,
swift, sharp motion. If the 911SC you are looking
at shifts hard or grinds between shifts, the sturdy
915 gearbox can be rebuilt to work like new for
about $3,500. Used properly, the gearbox will last
another 30 years — or more.
Steer away from racer “upgrades”
For the most part, “upgrades” are downgrades
if you want a reliable, fun, durable car for the street.
Most add-ons you see in Porsche magazines were
developed for track use. Few help when driving a
car on the street, and many trigger big trade-offs
you probably won’t like.
The biggest mistake I see people make is to go
for the “Sports Suspension.” Gosh, that has such
a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? I’m a good sport, I bet
I’d like a sports suspension. I mean really, who
wouldn’t?
Details
Years produced: 1978–83
Number produced: 35,607 coupes, 27,678
Targas and 4,187 cabriolets
Original list price: In 1978, $19,500 for a
coupe and $20,775 for a Targa. In 1983,
coupes were $29,950, Targas were $31,450
and cabriolets were $34,450
Current SCM Valuation: $19,000–$22,000
Pros: A sturdy sports car that offers decades of
fun at a bargain price — and may be the
next Porsche to start the big value climb.
Cons: Maintenance isn’t cheap — you
should fork over about $7,000 for three
necessary engine projects, but the car will
pay you back for decades. Too many of
these cars carry unneeded, silly boy-racer
modifications.
Best place to drive one: Everywhere, every day
Typical owner: A knowledgeable Porsche fan
who values high performance and great
handling at highway speeds
Club: Porsche Club of America
More: www.pca.org
Alternatives: 1983–85 Ferrari 308 GTB QV,
1980 Porsche 911 “Weissach” Edition, 1982
Porsche 911 Ferry Porsche Edition
SCM Investment Grade: B
Sports Car Market
Page 43
the 16-inch Fuchs forged alloys that came with
most 911SCs delivered in the United States.
Stick with the six-inch and seven-inch widths.
If you go bigger or wider, ride quality will
quickly deteriorate.
Stay original and watch it soar
911SC prices remained constant from the
mid-1980s for about two decades at $15k–$20k
for a nice one. From Europe, in 2007–09, came
the demand for original-paint, low-mile SCs
(30k–50k miles) that would bring $40k or more.
This price level hasn’t caught on in the U.S., but
in general, prices are firming, and nice SCs can
easily bring prices in the mid-$20k range — or
more. Coupes, cabriolets and Targas trade at
about the same money, even though SC cabs
are quite rare.
You’ll want an original interior and paint
1983 Porsche 911SC, a no-sale on a $12,500 bid in 2007
The answer is almost no one. Sure, if you want your 911SC to ride like a dump
truck, by all means, be my guest. Although it will handle better at 120 mph that way,
my problem is, on the street, I don’t often drive that fast. Or ever.
Every part of every car is a compromise. Porsche carefully selected a balance be-
tween track-style handling and ride comfort at normal road speeds. Stick with stock
torsion bars and shocks to enjoy the suspension as originally engineered. Now, you can
do anything you want; it’s okay with me. But don’t tell me it’s an upgrade.
Wheels are another part of Porsche’s carefully selected suspension. For the best
street ride, go with the standard-fitment 15-inch ATS “Cookie Cutters” in six-inch and
seven-inch widths. If you want a firmer ride and better high-speed handling, select
color, as well as stock body parts and drivetrain.
Go-fast geegaws, such as turbo whaletail
spoilers, slant-nose fenders, and monster
rear flares do not add value, nor do maximus
mondo engines.
First 356 (1949–65) prices went stratospheric, now
early 911s (1965–73) have followed, in some cases topping
356s. With the 1974–77 cars being less desirable,
the next great Porsche to ascend as demand builds for
vintage machines is the 1978–83 911SC.
Long recommended by marque experts as an ideal
car to own, no other Porsche, new or old, provides a
better balance between ease of ownership and pure pleasure.
Or as good a value. ♦
June 2014
45
Page 44
Collecting Thoughts SCM Insider’s Panel
Are We in a Market B
We asked industry leaders to weigh in on the stra
prices of recent years
ew Alcazar
esident, Russo and Steele
Scottsdale, AZ
at do you think the
is for the rapid inor
car prices over
rs?
ollecting Though
ollecting Thoughts SCM Insider’s Panel
Are We in a Market B
We asked industry leaders to weigh in on the stra
prices of recent years
ew Alcazar
esident, Russo and Steele
Scottsdale, AZ
at do you think the
is for the rapid in-
or car prices over
rs?
T
T
46
here’s a buzz in the air at every auction,
concours and vintage race these days,
and the noise boils down to one question:
For the past three years, we’ve seen highlevel
cars skyrocket in price. Are we in a
bubble that will pop? We’ve asked a roundtable
of auction-house principals, collectors, brokers
and journalists to share their views on where
the market is today.
Collectin
Collectin
Collectin
Collectin
ecting Thoughts SCM Insider’s Panel
Are We in a Market B
We asked industry
cting Thoughts SCM Insider’s Panel
Are We in a Market B
We asked industry leaders to weigh in on the stra
prices of recent years
ew Alcazar
esident, Russo and Steele
Scottsdale, AZ
at do you think the
is for the rapid in-
or car prices over
rs?
T
46
here’s a buzz in the air at every auction,
concours and vintage race these days,
and the noise boils down to one question:
For the past three years, we’ve seen high-
level cars skyrocket in price. Are we in a
bubble that will pop? We’ve asked a roundtable
of auction-house principals, collectors, brokers
and journalists to share their views on where
the market is today.
riod,
riod, collector cars (particularly
European sports
cars built in limited
numbers) perform well
for increased value. Even in the worst-case
scenario, a collector car will never be worth
“zero.” Also, a collector car is something you
can enjoy. Unlike a stock or bond note sitting
in the desk drawer, you can actually have some
fun playing with it at shows, rallies, races and
events. There are many other related factors,
but these two come to mind first.
There appears to be a lot of “new money”
flowing into the collector car business from
“outside the traditional industry” sources. Do
Sports Car Market
Page 45
“Even in the worst-case
scenario, a collector
car will never be
worth ‘zero’”
ou agree, and if so, why is this happening?
If I take my auction hat off and cinch my
nthusiast hat on very tight, this “new money”
s a rather concerning phenomenon. Those of
s who have enjoyed the hobby for 30 years or
more have seen several corrections. When the
market starts to glut with brokers (who have
bsolutely no skin in the game) and cars are
eing bought and sold without even knowing
what color they are, it’s time to “skate with
our head up,” as they say in hockey. Why is
this happening? The exact same reason it always
has. Just like the boom of the late 1980s,
mid/late-1990s and mid-2000s: A rapid, exponential
compounding of values. Be it a Hemi
’Cuda in 1998 or a 330 GTC today, look at the
numbers. They scream “easy money” to the
“new money.”
In the long term, do you think this increase
in prices will have a positive or negative effect
on the collector car hobby?
I strongly believe that we are now in a
“world market” like never before in the history
of car collecting. That is why I think certain
values will continue to climb for the überdesirable,
limited-production (or coachbuilt)
blue-chip cars, such as Gullwings, 4-cams
(of both the Cavallino and Stuttgart variety),
event-eligible cars for world-renowned rallies,
and competition cars with significant history.
I think we have just started to see the tip of
the iceberg on these values. Positive? With my
auction hat on — hell yes! Ne
enthusiast hat on — maybe, a
sonal dreams of a 275 GTB/
Spyder California and Miura S
seem to get farther out of re
with each passing moment.
Are we in a bubble? So
observers think that collector c
have been undervalued since 1
and have finally recovered.
think they are overvalued no
for a correction. What is your o
Regardless of auctioneer or enthusiast, I
do not believe we are in a “bubble.” We have
indeed seen some leveling of values (particularly
in the European sector) since Monterey
last year. Granted, values are continuing
to rise, but at a bit more conservative pace.
Blue-chip European sports cars will continue
to escalate in value. American muscle
will continue to remain stable, with only the
very best — well-vetted, fully documented,
highly desirable models — enjoying a moderate
increase in value. Same goes for pre-war
Classics. A Pebble Beach-eligible candidate
June 2014
will increase in value big-time. Just another
dual-cowl phaeton equals stable values.
Customs, hot rods and resto-mods will continue
to be fun cars that cost a lot to build and
sell for half-price or less. Barn finds are the
flavor of the moment. However, true survivor
cars (pristine original cars with 90% or more
original EVERYTHING) will be coveted and
rapidly rise in value as the appreciation for
these cars continues to grow.
Long response short, I believe we have just
begun to enter a boom phase, and the übercollectible
cars will continue to escalate in
value. The world market continues to become
more discriminating and demanding for “the
best of the best.” With prices now starting to
justify high-caliber restorations once again,
the future looks very bright indeed. In truth,
this is a hobby at the very core. As such, it
is meant to be enjoyed, not necessarily hugely
profited from. For large sectors of the market,
we can once again buy and enjoy a collector
car, properly maintain it, pay for the gas,
insurance, storage, etc…. When we want to
“trade up” (or across), most times the market
today will have paid for our privilege of ownership.
James Knight
Group Head of Motoring, Bonhams
London, England
SCM: What do you think the primary rea-
son is for the rapid increase in collector car
prices over the past three years?
I think two phrases
come to mind: alternative
investment and supply
and demand. This is not
to say that the wholesale
growth of the market is
a result of pure investors,
as it is more a case
o are liquid
n bank)
ng towards the collectors’
rcar market as opposed to
tional havens such as stocks/
es/bonds, property, and of
se, the banks — where the
est rates are so low. The cols’
motorcar market showed
growth up to the world firash
of 2008, ever so slightly
2 months or so, and then grew
on a steeper trajectory. It was at this time that
we heard, time and time again, of people deciding
to buy a car as opposed to effectively
losing money by keeping it in the bank. So,
although we have seen many new buyers come
to market, and accepting a minority are just
investors, the overwhelming buying base is
populated by enthusiasts.
There appears to be a lot of “new money”
flowing into the collector car business from
“outside the traditional industry” sources. Do
you agree, and if so, why is this happening?
See above.
1959 Aston Martin DB4GT — Bonhams sold it for
$2.6m in 2013; in 1991, they sold one for $135k
47
In the l
term, do you t
this increas
prices will h
positive or n
effect on the c
car hobby?
Positive.
Are we in a bubble? Some observers think
that collector cars have been undervalued
since 1991 and have finally recovered. Others
think they are overvalued now and due for a
correction. What is your opinion?
Having been in the industry since the early
1980s, I experienced the highs and lows of
the late 1980s and early 1990s. It is natural
to try to draw comparisons, but the economic
situation was different — primarily in relation
to interest rates and that so many buyers in
the late 1980s had acquired motorcars with
financed money. When interest rates shot up,
it was a case of keeping the mortgage payment
on the house — or keeping the payments on
motor cars. The family home was naturally
more important, and banks/finance houses repossessed
cars. Supply was still there, but with
a very low demand. I remember an auction of
ours in about 1991, we had a Ferrari 275 GTB
and an Aston Martin DB4GT. Both sold for
the same money — about £80,000 ($135,000
U.S.).
As to the question, the market was horribly
undervalued in the early 1990s, so it is natural
for the growth to rebalance. As for the future,
there is no sign the market will slow down.
What gives me confidence is that so many of
the acquisitions made are from liquid funds;
interest rates are very low, and the growth of
the market has been underpinned by traditional
North American and European markets.
Emerging markets have contributed, but they
have not been the game changers yet — but
they will have their day.
“The market was horribly
undervalued in the early
1990s, so it is natural
for growth
to rebalance”
Page 46
Collecting Thoughts SCM Insider’s Panel
Simon Kidston
Founder, Kidston SA; car collector
and SCM columnist
Geneva, Switzerland
SCM: What do you think the primary rea-
son is for the rapid increase in collector car
prices over the past three years?
tion.
In one word: speculaIn
the past, when
car values ebbed and
flowed relatively gently,
our world was largely
populated by enthusiasts
who bought out of passion
and earned a living
from their day job. I’ve
just
returned from the
Essen show where — apart from incessant
chatter about “the market” and how long the
current boom will continue — many visitors’
conversations would inevitably turn to “I’ve
started a new business.” They were surprised
if you guessed they’d started dealing in classic
cars. These people haven’t all suddenly fallen
in love with old cars. They’ve just jumped on
a bandwagon, but luckily for them, enough of
their newfound clients know even less about
cars than they do.
There appears to be a lot of “new money”
flowing into the collector car business from
“outside the traditional industry” sources. Do
you agree, and if so, why is this happening?
“Cars haven’t gone up
in value; money
has gone down”
Cars haven’t gone up in value; money has
gone down. The stock market collapse in
October 1987 — and Enzo Ferrari’s death the
following summer — was interpreted by some
as a quasi-mystical sign that the machinery
built during his reign would never be repeated
again, so traditional money looked for new
homes and decided that investing in Ferraris
would be the Next Big Thing. Fast forward
a generation: A mountain of new money has
been printed in the past five years, and it needs
to go somewhere. Add to that a volatile stock
market, tighter restrictions on cash transactions
and offshore savings — then factor in
the social acceptability of ownin
old car — and you can see why ne
money has flooded into our prev
ously cozy domain.
In the long term, do you thin
this increase in prices will have a
positive or negative effect on the c
lector car hobby?
Both. On the positive side, the increase
in values means cars are better cared for,
restorations are more likely to be done properly,
and collectors are more demanding in
terms of what they acquire. One downside is
that it’s hard to see how the next generation
of youngsters will be able to afford the cars
we own today. Look around the lawn at any
major concours and what’s the proportion of
gray heads? Some cars become so valuable
that owners daren’t take them out anymore,
let alone race them. Is it a good thing for cars
to disappear from view in funds and ultrasecretive
collections? And last but not least,
standards of behavior suffer as values escalate:
A handshake or word aren’t what they
once were. Cue lawyers, verbose contracts
and less spontaneity.
Are we in a bubble? Some observers think
that collector cars have been undervalued
since 1991 and have finally recovered. Others
think they are overvalued now and due for a
correction. What is your opinion?
An old friend, longstanding car collector
d SCMer, quotes Robert Shiller of Yale
iversity, who claims he predicted the
ot-com and housing bubbles. He lists
he following symptoms of a bubble:
1. Rapid increase in prices.
2. People telling each other stories to
tify the higher prices.
. Envy and regret in not participating in
the increasing prices.
With the above three factors, there is what
Shiller calls “an impulse to buy in because of
the swirl of emotion.” Shiller added one more
point: news media coverage.
Next question?
“The stock market collapse in October 1987 — and Enzo Ferrari’s death the following summer
— was interpreted by some as a quasi-mystical sign ... so tradtional money looked for
new homes and decided that investing in Ferraris would be the Next Big Thing”
— Simon Kidston
48
Sports Car Market
Page 47
Stephen Serio
President, Aston Martin of New England/
Lotus Motorsports Inc.; car collector and
SCM contributor
Waltham, MA
SCM: What do you think the primary rea-
son is for the rapid increase in collector car
prices over the past three years?
The perfect market
storm has been brewing
for quite some time, and
we are now just seeing
the effects in the car market.
I see a couple factors
in play:
One is the abundance
tril-
of worldwide cash,
lions of
dollars, with
fewer places to spend it. Not everyone needs to
look at these objects of desire with the view of
return on investment, as some folks have just
always wanted and lusted after these cars and
money is simply not a hurdle — it’s an enabler.
Second, probably even more important, is
that worldwide, classic cars have reached a
new level of awareness and popularity within
“We are all chasing a
finite supply of fun, cool
and desirable objects”
our culture. Our mental fabric is bombarded
with car events, cable shows (ugh), advertising,
social media, video games and, of course,
financial reports on investment — all on collector
and classic cars. We are all chasing a
finite supply of fun, cool and desirable objects.
There appears to be a lot of “new money”
flowing into the collector car business from
“outside the traditional industry” sources. Do
you agree, and if so, why is this happening?
With the risk of sounding glib, this is
a minority part of the collector world and
what we in the trade may refer to as “dumb
money” or the “last in, first out” group. If the
market should correct for any reason, these are
the groups who will get rightly and quickly
burned. Any fund or group that tries to create
an asset class within an ultra-niche market —
based on the promise of a return on investment
with little historical experience trading within
this realm — creates a recipe for disaster.
If one tracks the ever-present auction out-
lier — the real “why did that car sell for such
a crazy price?” — follow the money trail. A
great many times, you’ll discover a new buyer
is now smarter than the seasoned group of collectors,
buyers and dealers in the room.
In the long term, do you think this increase
in prices will have a positive or negative effect
on the collector car hobby?
First of all, not every classic is
increasing in value, and the grea
June 2014
fallacy perpetuated by the me
is that simple lie. Great A
cars and the best of the B list
continue to rise — like th
things in life, such as art, r
wine or watches. The other 9
shall remain just old cars.
People spend hard-earned money on cars
for three reasons:
1. To treat themselves to something memo-
rable to drive.
2. To appreciate as art.
3. Or, as seen recently, with an eye turned
toward potential asset allocation.
We know the first two reasons to buy col-
lector cars can lower your blood pressure — or
heighten your adrenaline and make you smile.
The jury is still out
long term on the third
excuse.
The potential negative effect will be when
those who are in it for the love of the classic
or collecting interact with those who have an
abundance of greed but a lack of knowledge.
Nothing takes the joy out of a hobby as quickly
as being ripped off.
Are we in a bubble? Some observers think
that collector cars have been undervalued
since 1991 and have finally recovered. Others
think they are overvalued now and due for a
correction. What is your opinion?
My answer to this remains simple: We are
either seeing the beginning of the beginning of
these new values or the beginning to the end of
the recent rise. I don’t see a massive correction
with great cars.
A bubble would be built by just a run-up
in false values created in a Ponzi-like scheme
of the Greater Fool theory with the recent
buyers. Lots of people have been waiting for
that perceived merry-go-round to stop — especially
longtime owners and true, old-school
collectors. What those folks fail to notice is the
worldwide expansion of interest in the hobby.
I believe the base of the colr
car pyramid has grown
ly, coupled with the abunof
available true cash — not
d money. Also, along with
uyers, we have a mature collector
base that is not running away from their
passion, and they’re not bailing out en masse.
Let’s revisit this in another year.
Colin Comer
Owner, Colin’s Classic Automobiles;
collector, vintage racer, author, SCM
contributor and ACC columnist
Milwaukee, WI
SCM: What do you think the primary rea-
son is for the rapid increase in collector car
prices over the past three years?
I think the primary
reason is that most buyers
have figured out life
is short and there is no
other place to park (no
pun intended) money in
something that has such
a proven track record
and, more importantly,
provides a return that is
literally priceless. Cars offer something that
is wonderful
to look at, unlimited visceral
excitement, and an entire hobby filled with
people that are thrilled to have you. I’ve
owned a lot of stocks, yet I’ve never been invited
to a “XYZ Company Shareholders Club
annual convention,” and if there were such a
thing I doubt we’d stand around and admire
each other’s shares.
There appears to be a lot of “new money”
flowing into the collector car business from
“outside the traditional industry” sources. Do
you agree, and if so, why is this happening?
Yes, I do see a lot of “new money” coming
“We’re seeing one-off cars, unrestored cars and cars
with incredible provenance bringing record numbers.
To me, that means that collector cars have finally
gained traction in the art world”
49
Courtesy of RM Auctions
Page 48
Collecting Thoughts SCM Insider’s Panel
hy? Well, it is fashionable
e days to go to an auction,
y if it is televised, and
. Obviously, collector cars
are viewed as an extremely solid asset class,
and one that also creates a desirable title: Car
Collector. And if you just read headlines,
you’d think it was a slam-dunk way to turn
money. But we all know it isn’t, and thankfully,
people just getting in seem to figure that
out quickly. If you don’t love cars, and put
that first with any illusions of them being an
“investment” second, I would guess it could
be a rude awakening. But all of us were “new
money” once, so was there ever a point noticing
that the new guys weren’t relevant? To
continue, the hobby needs new money — it
just needs to come from the right buyers, and
by and large, I think we are seeing that today.
In the long term, do you think this increase
in prices will have a positive or negative effect
on the collector car hobby?
Is “both” an answer? Unfortunately, the
new prices are driving out a lot of the old-line
collectors, as many find they can no longer
buy the car they want or afford to get back in
after they sell their car. On the plus side, the
new numbers have helped shake a lot of great
cars loose. That has put a lot of significant cars
into the hands of collectors that know the market
will finally support whatever investment is
needed to properly preserve, or in many cases,
save, the cars.
Are we in a bubble? Some ob
servers think that collector cars
have been undervalued since
1991 and have finally recovered.
Others think they are overvalued
now and due for a correction.
What is your opinion?
My opinion is the market is very
frothy for certain cars, yet there are other cars
and genres that are still significantly undervalued.
So like any market, there will be segments
that go up and those that will go down,
but a wholesale correction? I don’t see that.
The market continues to mature, and that’s
good. You’ll hear it from almost everybody
in the industry that today’s buyers are pre-
dominantly end-users, and cars are going into
stable, long-term homes. We all know that
amplifies demand by the simple principle of
eliminating supply. We’re also seeing one-off
cars, unrestored cars and cars with incredible
provenance bringing record numbers. To me,
that means that collector cars have finally
gained traction in the art world and, more
importantly, with art collectors. After all,
that is what many cars are — fine art. Look at
these new record prices for automobiles and
compare that to record prices in the art world.
I think that a really small segment of truly
important cars is just getting started.
Nobody can make a blanket statement on
the market as a whole — that’s ridiculous.
You have to break it down into the many
sub-segments it actually is and view each
individually. Otherwise, you’re standing on a
porch in California and predicting the weather
on Long Island by moistening your finger and
checking the wind.
Miles Collier
The Collier Collection/Revs Institute, SCM
contributor and car collector
Naples, FL
SCM: What do you think the primary rea-
son is for the rapid increase in collector car
prices over the past three years?
The primary reason
for the increase in collector
car prices over the last
three years has been
investors’
realiza-
tion that the riskreturn
associated
with traditional
financial investments
is funda-
mentally poor. Fed actions resulting in
$14 trillion in debt, the concomitant need to
artificially depress interest rates, the trashing
of the dollar, and poor performance of international
common stock equities all conspire
to make investing in tangibles an attractive
alternative. High-quality, collectible automobiles
are reflecting this demand for safe places
to park money. Add to this market condition,
the growing realization of baby boomers that,
“While the collector car
market shows bubble-like
characteristics, global
macroeconomic factors
will support this market
for some time yet”
given their ages, if they are to buy that special
car, they should do it now.
There appears to be a lot of “new money”
flowing into the collector car business from
“outside the traditional industry” sources. Do
you agree, and if so, why is this happening?
Recently, I have seen troubling signs
of non-traditional investors entering the
historic-car market. Most notorious has been
the emergence of closed-end investor funds to
acquire and hold cars for future appreciation
as pure financial plays. There is an old saying
that they never ring a bell at the top of a market.
With the arrival of closed-end investment
partnerships, they’re ringing a bell.
In the long term, do you think this increase
in prices will have a positive or negative effect
on the collector car hobby?
Rising long-term prices have mixed im-
pacts on the collector car market. Most perniciously,
the expectation of ever-rising prices
attracts outside money that is looking only
for financial performance. Simultaneously,
expectations lead to more and more inferior
product being offered to the market. From a
positive standpoint, rising prices allow collectors
more latitude in undertaking higherquality
restorations.
Are we in a bubble? Some observers think
that collector cars have been undervalued
since 1991 and have finally recovered. Others
think they are overvalued now and due for a
correction. What is your opinion?
The answers I have given above would
Media coverage and investment opportunity have brought “new money” to the collector car hobby
50
tend to set up my response here in favor of
predicting an imminent bubble. Alas, no such
consistency is possible. While the collector
car market shows bubble-like characteristics,
global macroeconomic factors will support
this market for some time yet. Inflation,
which has been held in abeyance by a weak,
mismanaged economy, is beginning to appear.
Ineluctably forced by global factors into
instituting a taper, Fed Chairman Janet Yellen
is predicting higher interest rates. This will
damage the only bright spot in global common
stock equities, which has been the U.S. stock
market. I would expect a major equities
blow-off, rising inflation and consequently,
continued performance from
alternate investments, such as fine art,
real estate and other tangibles. So, no
bursting of the collectible car bubble
yet.
Sports Car Market
David Tomaro
Page 50
Collecting Thoughts SCM Insider’s Panel
Ian Kelleher
RM Auctions
Los Angeles, CA
SCM: What do you think the primary rea-
son is for the rapid increase in collector car
prices over the past three years?
Within the last
three
years, the overall appreciation
in collector cars
has grown in a multitude
of ways. The emergence
of a new generation of
collectors, coupled with
a continuing interest in
post-war sports cars, has
fueled both the demand
and the supply into the marketplace. The
market has also seen the emergence of new
technologies that allow for greater access to
information and availability where it did not
previously exist. The increase in prices is
equally reflective of an informed clientele that
has an appetite for the more rare, special and
unique examples.
There appears to be a lot of “new money”
flowing into the collector car business from
“outside the traditional industry” sources. Do
you agree, and if so, why is this happening?
In reality, I believe the “new money” con-
cept people refer to is actually more reflective
of a new generation of enthusiasts entering
“The increase in prices is
equally reflective of an
informed clientele that
has an appetite for the
more rare, special and
unique examples”
into the hobby. Traditional markets have
changed, new economies exist where they
once never did, and we are seeing individuals
who have succeeded in their respective fields
enter into the hobby as serious collectors. They
do so armed with a different set of collecting
preferences and in many ways are more apt to
take risks than the traditional collectors. This
is more reflective of how society has changed
overall and more in tune with today’s trends,
irrespective of some of the conventional methods
of how certain marques may have been
valued in the past. I believe this is a trend that
should be embraced, as the change is good and
it fosters appreciation in areas where it may
not have existed in the past.
In the long term, do you think this increase
in prices will have a positive or negative effect
on the collector car hobby?
As in any market, there are bound to be
corrections and fluctuations over time. I do
ot think that the classic
car market is exempt
from this. However, even if
the immediate effects are negative, the longerterm
ramifications of these fluctuations tend
to show a trend to the increase in overall
significance and desirability of the most rare
models and marques — most of which do not
lose significant ground after achieving stronger
market worth.
Are we in a bubble? Some observers think
that collector cars have been undervalued
since 1991 and have finally recovered. Others
think they are overvalued now and due for a
correction. What is your opinion?
From our perspective, it does not appear to
resemble the “conventional” financial bubble
model. Informed and highly educated collectors
are the end users in most instances, and
the prices paid often reflect a value that is set
in the public market, more often than not by
multiple parties all competing at auction.
Within the last 20 years we have seen
certain areas of the collector car market increase
more dramatically than others. This
has consistently been driven by those not only
with the ability to make outright purchases but
also with the financial security to hold on to
these “assets” through more volatile financial
markets, while effectively limiting the sensitivity
often seen in tradable commodities and
stocks. ♦
“Nobody can make a blanket statement on the market as a whole... You have to break it
down into the many sub-segments it actually is and view each individually.
Otherwise, you’re standing on a porch in California and predicting the weather
on Long Island by moistening your finger and checking the wind”
— Colin Comer
52
Sports Car Market
David Tomaro
Page 52
Legal Files John Draneas
Where’s the Crime?
A base-price BMW X5 sells for about $55,000 in the U.S., while the same
car sells for about $155,000 in China
Hampshire. From 2009 to 2012, the New
Hampshire defendants ran a California company
that purchased and exported 93 luxury vehicles to
China.
As is typically done, the cars were actually
purchased by straw buyers solicited on Craigslist,
who were each paid less than $1,000 for their
services.
The defendants secured phony driver’s licenses
and addresses in New Hampshire for themselves
and their straw buyers. That allowed them to title
the vehicles in New Hampshire to take advantage
of the lack of sales tax and mandatory insurance
requirements in that state, which kept their business
costs low. While the cars were being titled in
New Hampshire, they were transported to Long
Beach, CA, for shipment
curred as soon as the titles were received.
The defendants pleaded guilty, but they are not
expected to serve any jail time.
Stuttgart to U.S. to China and a big profit — or a big fine
W
e thought it was odd that our client’s Mercedes-Benz dealer
was threatening to sue him for wrongfully exporting his
car in violation of his agreement that he would not do so,
exposing him to substantial liquidated damages. As we got
into the case, we learned that this was a really big deal across the United
States.
Luxury-car manufacturers (Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Land Rover,
Porsche and Lexus) are worried about a growing U.S. cottage industry
that buys their new cars in the U.S. — and then promptly exports them
to Asia, Russia and other parts of the world.
The U.S.-based exporters are taking advantage of a huge arbitrage
opportunity.
For example, a base-price BMW X5 sells for about $55,000 in the
U.S., while the same car sells for about $155,000 in China. A lot of the
price differential is certainly attributable to tariffs, taxes, fees and other
increased costs, but there is undoubtedly a substantial additional profit
margin built in. The manufacturers are able to command higher prices
in these countries, and they do. The U.S.-based exporters chip away at
that.
This is a growing industry that involves more than an estimated
35,000 cars. An Internet search will take you to several sites that say:
“Click here, and we’ll teach you how you can make money at this, too.”
It’s kind of a fledgling support industry.
The manufacturers have responded by riding herd on their dealers,
pressuring them to refrain from selling new cars to exporters — and
creating their own blacklists for this purpose. One of their efforts has
been to require their dealers to force their customers to sign agreements
such as the one our client signed.
Making a federal case
The manufacturers have found a strong ally in the U.S. government.
The Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security launched
investigations, and prosecutions and forfeiture actions have been filed
against exporters in at least six states. The charges are based upon violations
of U.S. Customs rules, mail fraud and wire fraud.
So far, there has been only one successful prosecution, in New
54
Customs rules
Customs laws and regulations quite clearly
show that U.S. citizens are free to export used
cars. However, to do so, they must submit a variety of required information
about the car, such as title, VIN, data about the car and so on. The
prosecutions have claimed that the freshly bought foreign luxury cars
are really new cars.
“It’s illegal for anybody other than an original equipment manufac-
turer to export new cars overseas,” said BMW’s Ken Parks in a Forbes
magazine article. Oddly, though, U.S. Customs laws and regulations
don’t really seem to say that.
In fact, U.S. Customs laws and regulations say nothing about ex-
porting new cars.
One could argue that the used-car rules make exporting them legal,
so everything else must be illegal, but there isn’t much support for that.
The used-car rules were adopted pursuant to the Motor Vehicle Theft
Enforcement Act of 1984, the goal of which was to reduce trafficking in
stolen cars. That doesn’t seem like a mandate for any broad interpretation
of illegality.
Under current U.S. Customs regulations, a used car is defined as
one whose title has been transferred to an ultimate purchaser. All of
the exported cars have been titled in the name of the purchasers — and
have then been exported using their state-issued certificates of title. The
prosecutions are based upon the theory that they are really new cars just
made to look used on paper, as the straw purchaser and exporter are not
“ultimate purchasers.”
Ely Goldin, a partner in New York-based Fox Rothschild LLP, is
defending several of these cases, and he points out that this interpretation
is contrary to rulings of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Agency.
In 2013, an exporter had asked for a ruling that new cars purchased
specifically for export in this manner were properly classified as “new.”
The agency twice ruled that the cars were used because they had been
titled. As far as they were concerned, that made the title holder the
“ultimate purchaser” for purposes of the Customs rules, and the cars
were used.
Looking for a jury
Jed Silverman, a Houston attorney who is defending cases in Texas,
Sports Car Market
to China, which oc
Page 53
South Carolina and New York, can’t wait to get to a jury. These issues
have yet to be considered by a jury, and Silverman doesn’t think a jury
will find any violation of law.
“Our clients have no criminal history and are legitimate business-
people. The government, in my opinion believes … that this is connected
to international terrorism,” Silverman said.
Goldin concurs that a jury will not believe that these are new cars.
That flies in the face of common sense. These cars have been driven off
the dealers’ lots and titles have been issued. People know cars go from
new to used once their tires touch public pavement.
A big setback
The U.S. government suffered a major setback on March 31, 2014,
when a federal judge in Ohio ordered the federal government to return
the money and cars it had seized in a forfeiture case. The judge ruled
that there was no probable cause that the cars and money were the
products of illegal activity. The U.S. Attorney’s office was said to be
“reviewing its options.”
As a result, Goldin contends that “the government will have to aban-
don the new-car/used-car distinction.” He predicted that future prosecutions
will be limited to cases like the New Hampshire case, where
the exporters use fraudulent licenses and residency documents — or
other clearly illegal conduct.
Goldin also said that a 2013 U.S. Supreme Court case involving
books could support the proposition that there is nothing illegal about
exporting these cars.
In the book case, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Thailand figured
out that identical English-language college textbooks were sold in other
countries at substantially lower prices than in the U.S.
Seeing an arbitrage opportunity, he had his relatives in Thailand buy
books in local bookstores and send them to him. He then resold them,
mostly on eBay, at a good profit. The Supreme Court ruled that, even
though the textbooks contained a notice that they were authorized for
sale only in the other countries and could not be exported, no copyright
violation existed. Under the “first sale doctrine,” once the books were
legally sold, the buyer was free to do with them as the buyer pleased.
Where’s the crime?
So just where, in all of this, do we find a federal crime? It doesn’t
seem likely that any Customs laws are being violated. There does not
seem to be any legal prohibition against exporting new cars, so violations
could be based only upon filing false documents that misrepresent
new cars as used cars, which doesn’t really seem to be the case.
There are many examples of federal convictions for mail and wire
fraud based upon the use of the mail and telephones for illegal activities.
In these cases, there is no doubt that the exporters and their straw
buyers are misrepresenting their intentions to car dealers when they
buy cars that would otherwise not be sold to them. But they are paying
full value for the cars, so can it really be fraud? Or is it simply a civil
matter?
Wasting taxpayers’ money
Please indulge “Legal Files” and allow a personal opinion. Just why
is our government wasting taxpayers’ money on these ridiculous prosecutions?
Without question, the exporters are frustrating the car manufacturers’
schemes to maximize profits by charging higher prices in
markets where they are able to do so. But that is just the manufacturers’
chosen business model, and it is their problem if enterprising people
can easily thwart their business model. It is simply not appropriate for
our government to use our criminal laws to safeguard the profits of
foreign automobile manufacturers.
We’ll keep track of this topic, and look for updates in a future issue. ♦
JOHN DRANEAS is an attorney in Oregon. His comments are general
in nature and are not intended to substitute for consultation with an
attorney. He can be reached through www.draneaslaw.com.
June 2014
55
Page 56
Simon Says Simon Kidston
Black Gold and the Ferrari 400i
Having the wherewithal to indulge your whims is one thing; sharing the
same tastes as us is another
of new Italian supercars — a canceled order
from Brunei which had never been delivered.
Upon checking the chassis numbers,
none of the cars appeared among the 349
which the factory claimed to have built.
It’s questionable whether most of
the
one-offs would have passed safety and
emissions rules in other countries, but when
you rule yours, that’s hardly an issue. One
celebrated manufacturer built some real turkeys
for Brunei, never expecting they would
see the public light of day. Years later, a
colleague of mine was asked to value them
for possible auction sale. Upon calling his
contact at the factory in question seeking
information, the upper-class British voice at
the other end of the line fell strangely silent,
followed by: “Oh dear, I’d hoped this day
would never come.”
Serious car collectors
A generation later, we’re all wiser, and
Sheikh chic is a little-seen arena of the collector car world
T
his month’s column comes to you from 35,000 feet above the Arabian Gulf as
Lufthansa flies me through the night back to Europe from the 10th Bahrain Grand
Prix.
Modern-day Formula One might not have an immediate connection to the
car-collecting world, but you’d be surprised how many familiar motoring names had
made the same journey, and yet how relatively few “major-league” classic cars live in the
Middle East — for now...
Ever since they hit the jackpot here in the 1950s, and black gold started flowing plen-
tifully from the ground into their coffers, Middle Eastern millionaires have splashed
out equally lavishly on high-performance road-going machinery. Early buyers favoured
American luxury: Cadillacs, Lincolns and other chrome-laden plutocrat barges.
In the late 1960s, it was V8 muscle with serious traffic-light attitude. Come the 1970s,
a new, even-bolder generation with more petrodollars than they could spend scooped up
Rolls-Royce Camargues, Lamborghini Countaches and Aston Martin Lagondas faster
than you could say “OPEC.”
Crazy money, crazier cars
Most prolific of them all was the Shah of Iran, whose money-no-object patronage
contributed to the creation of some flagship models (“Build me the Maserati 5000 GT!”)
and who, by varying estimates, owned anything from 140 to 3,000 cars, mostly Range
Rovers and Mercedes-Benz 450SLCs.
One of my most vivid professional memories is handling the sale of 10 of the most
decadent cars, which were kept hidden after the revolution and only spirited out of Iran
many years later — all with almost delivery mileage and including the “time-warp”
Lamborghini Miura SVJ for which actor Nicolas Cage paid a then-record $500,000.
Taking over the Shah’s mantle as the Oil World’s “most” in almost every category,
the Sultan of Brunei was rumoured to have amassed some 7,000 cars, almost all of them
brand new and bespoke. In the dark days of the early 1990s, his custom provided muchneeded
oxygen to recession-strangled supercar makers. Any qualms about good taste or
brand image seem to have been casualties of financial necessity, along with promises of
limited production already made to other clients.
Without naming names, I recall an English dealer being invited to bid upon a package
58
the current crop of movers and shakers
in the Gulf is just as likely to have been
educated at Eton or Harvard as in Jeddah
or Tehran. On the motoring front, they can
probably recite the performance stats and
Jeremy Clarkson put-downs of most super-
cars better than you or I.
Make no mistake, those who appreciate classic cars
follow the Western scene intently. I was discussing a rare
Facel Vega II recently with a young Arab royal when he
interjected, “Simon, does it have the 392 Hemi and highcompression
heads?” It was my turn to be speechless.
Is Arab money on the way?
The most recent standard-bearer for classic cars in
the Gulf is a potentate with a soft spot for Aston Martins,
Gullwings and Ferrari 400is (yes, you read that last one
correctly). He buys them by the dozen and then commissions
complete restorations by the relevant factories in
his own palette of colours and with modern upgrades.
If you’ve wondered where all the Aston Martin LHD
DB4/5/6s have gone, now you know.
So is there a tidal wave of Arab money waiting to come
into the classic car market and push prices still higher? I
doubt it.
Having the wherewithal to indulge your whims is one
thing; sharing the same tastes as us is another. With relatively
few exceptions, most of the classics we’ve coveted
since admiring them in our youth were never sold or raced
over here, so there isn’t the same collective awareness of
old cars. Nor are there any events of international standing
in the region which would act as a focal point for enthusiasts
and a catalyst for demand. And neither, of course,
are the roads, maintenance infrastructure or climate ideal
for enjoying cars that struggle enough in Miami or Milan
when it gets hot, let alone Mecca.
Desire can’t be forced or hurried, but you heard the
Ferrari 400i tip here first. ♦
Sports Car Market
Page 58
Amelia Island Recap 2014 Concours d’Elegance
Sunshine and Surprises on Sunday
The freshly restored 1955 Cadillac Elegant Motorama show car was
presented to the public for the first time in 58 years
by Carl Bomstead
The class winner was the 1948 Ford
“Dunesmobile” convertible presented
by the Hagerty Family Collection.
SCMer Ralph Marano has managed
to acquire virtually every Packard
show car still in existence. Ten of his
unique Packards, including the 1938
Eight that was shipped to Vignale,
Italy, and hidden during World War
II, were on display. Also in the display
was the 1953 Balboa that was designed
by Richard Teague, Packard’s chief
stylist. It featured a unique canopy top
with reverse-slanted rear glass.
There was a special class for
Chrysler concept cars, and the freshly
restored 1955 Cadillac
Elegant
Concours d’Elegance winner — Bob and Anne Brockinton Lee’s 1937 Horch 853
T
he 19th Annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance welcomed more than 320
amazing cars — and filled the 10th and 18th fairways of The Golf Club of Amelia
Island with car lovers — on March 9, 2014.
This year’s featured marques included Offenhauser-powered cars,
Underslung automobiles and selections from the design house of Zagato. The 100th
anniversary of Maserati and the 50th anniversary of McLaren attracted many wonderful
cars to Amelia Island.
Legendary Formula One driver Jochen Mass was the honoree, and he drove the
1977 McLaren M23 on the field to a warm greeting from the assembled crowd. It was
the same McLaren he drove in nine races in 1977.
The Amelia Island Concours is a world-class event, and it takes an entire weekend
to fit everything in. It started in earnest on the preceding Friday, with the Eight Flags
Road Tour and The Great Offy Drivers Seminar hosted by former British racer and
TV commentator David Hobbs. The seminar panel included Indy 500 winners Johnny
Rutherford, Bobby Unser, Al Unser Sr., Parnelli Jones and Louis Meyer Jr. This was a
spirited group of drivers, and everyone enjoyed a lively discussion.
On Saturday morning, the show field was turned over to Cars and Coffee at the
Concours. Local car clubs and collectors displayed their prized automobiles, and the
public was welcomed without an admission fee. The event continues to gain in popularity
and is becoming a major part of the Amelia tradition.
The Saturday Merchants of Speed Seminar included panelists Tyler Alexander,
John Mecom, Bobby Rahal, Ray Evernham, Alwin Springer and Bob Tullius. This
illustrious group shared fascinating back stories on
their racing exploits. The RM auction was taking
place at the other side of the Ritz, so it was a hectic,
happy day.
On Concours Sunday, the Florida sky was cloud-
Details
Plan ahead: The 20th Annual Amelia
Island Concours is scheduled for the
weekend of March 13–15, 2015
Where: The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, FL,
and The Golf Club of Amelia Island
Cost: Admission to the Concours is $50,
tickets to other events range from $25
to $300. Cars and Coffee at the Concours
is free
More: www.ameliaconcours.org
60
less, and sunshine, which had been elusive the previous
few days, was abundant.
The Amelia Concours always shows unique
— and often eclectic — car classes. This year,
nine unusual cars made up the “Beach Car” class
that included the Meyers Manx Monocoque, Fiat
Shellette and Wayne Carini’s Renault 4CV Jolly.
1955 Maserati A6G/54, helping to celebrate the marque’s
100th anniversary
Sports Car Market
Motorama show car was presented to
the public for the first time in 58 years.
The 1963 Buick Silver Arrow that was
Bill Mitchell’s daily driver was also
displayed.
Mitchell’s Silver Arrow was from an
era when GM executives could have a “special” car for
their own use, and his car had a chopped roof, extended
fenders and a special interior. Amelia always seems to
find fascinating cars that are seldom seen in public.
The Amelia Island Concours selects two Best of
Show winners: one for Concours d’Elegance and the
other Concours de Sport. The Concours d’Elegance
winner was Bob and Anne Brockinton Lee’s stunning
1937 Horch 853. The Concours de Sport award
went to the 1958 Scarab Mark II Sport Racer owned
by SCM Contributor Miles Collier’s Revs Institute for
Automotive Research.
2015 will mark the 20th anniversary of the Amelia
Island Concours with Sir Stirling Moss as the honoree. I
know founder and fellow SCMer Bill Warner will have
something special up his sleeve to make the event even
more spectacular. Don’t miss it. ♦
Marc Emerson
Marc Emerson
Page 59
SCMers at Amelia Island
Leah & Robert Adams — St. Petersburg, FL
1956 Cooper Bobtail Mk II
Paul E. Andrews Jr. — Fort Worth, TX
1935 Duesenberg SJ553
H. DeWayne Ashmead — Fruit Heights, UT
1930 Packard 734 Speedster Runabout
Richard Atwell — Fredericksburg, TX
1947 Ford Sportsman
John Atzbach — Redmond, WA
1965 Shelby GT350
Lawrence Auriana — Greenwich, CT
1931 Maserati Tipo V4
Robert & Sandra Bahre — Alton, NH
1934 Hispano-Suiza J12 sedanca drophead coupe
Howard & Diane Banaszak — Fort Lauderdale, FL
1953 MG David V. Uihlein Special
John H. Barrett — Athens, GA
1971 Ferrari 365 Daytona NART Spyder
Gary W. Bartlett — Muncie, IN
1965 Shelby Cobra 427 Competition
Donald Bernstein — Dunmore, PA
1932 Ford Pinin Farina V8 cabriolet
Brian & Sandy Blain — Visalia, CA
1912 Packard 30 racer
1967 McLaren M6A
Bortz Auto Collection — Highland Park, IL
1955 Chrysler Falcon concept
1966 Duesenberg concept
Mark & Newie Brinker — Houston, TX
1957 Bandini Saponetta
Craig & Patty Brody — Weston, FL
1973 BMW 3.0 CSL lightweight
Charles Bronson — Westlake Village, CA
1947 Delahaye 135M
Charles & Debbie Bronson — Westlake Village, CA
1963 Cooper Monaco
Kim & Stephen Bruno — Boca Raton, FL
1955 Alfa Romeo 1900 CSS Ghia Aigle
Joe Buzzetta Motor Sports — St. James, NY
1964 Porsche 904
1968 Porsche 907K
John & Suzane Campion — Jacksonville, FL
1970 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona
Bruce Canepa — Scotts Valley, CA
1969 Porsche 917K
1972 Chevron B21
1985 Porsche 962C
Wayne Carini — Portland, CT
1910 Reading-Standard
1933 Ford Louis Special
1961 Renault 4CV Jolly
Chrysler Group LLC — Auburn Hills, MI
1954 Chrysler La Comtesse
1963 Chrysler Turbine
Sharon & Richie Clyne — Las Vegas, NV
1908 American Underslung roadster
Corky Coker — Chattanooga, TN
1913 American Underslung touring
Bill Cord — Corona Del Mar, CA
1956 Fiat Eden Roc
A. Dano Davis — Jacksonville, FL
1930 Miller Sampson Special
1958 Watson sprint car
1963 Watson Konstant Hot roadster
1986 Porsche 962
Ken & Kathy Dougherty — Houston, TX
1960 Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage
George Dragone — Westport, CT
1929 Bugatti Type 40 Grand Sport
James Edwards — Show Low, AZ
1969 McLaren M6B/GT
David Eichenbaum, Eichenbaum Family Collection
— St. Petersburg, FL
1958 Fiat-Abarth 750 GT Zagato
Eichenbaum Family Collection — St. Petersburg, FL
1904 Oldsmobile Model N
Walter Eisenstark — Yorktown Heights, NY
1968 Maserati Mexico
1973 Maserati Bora
Howard & Madlyn Fafard — Jupiter, FL
1927 Mercedes-Benz 680S
June 2014
Gary Ford — Allentown, PA
1911 Regal Underslung
Joe & Cynny Freeman — Boston, MA
1952 Kurtis-Kraft 500A Indianapolis
Gregory Galdi — Atlantic Beach, FL
1975 McLaren M23
James M. Glickenhaus — New York, NY
1967 Ferrari 330 P3/4
Goodman Collection — Seattle, WA
1966 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 Drogo
1969 Ferrari 365 Grintosa Daytona NART Spyder
Paul Gould — New York, NY
1956 Chrysler Dart/Diablo
Rick Grant — Dayton, OH
1966 Porsche 910
Griot’s Garage — Tacoma, WA
1967 McLaren M6A
1968 Lamborghini 400 GT 2+2
1969 Porsche 908/2
1977 McLaren M23 (Marlboro)
Jim Grundy — Doylestown, PA
1908 National Touring
The Hagerty Family Collection — Traverse City, MI
1948 Ford “Dunesmobile” Super Deluxe
convertible
Lynn & Michael Harling — Dallas, TX
1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing
Steven Harris — New York, NY
1974 Porsche 911 RS 3.0
Jim & Jeannine Hascall — St. Petersburg, FL
1952 Jaguar XK 120
Edward I. Herbst — East Hampton, NY
1964 Bentley S3 Continental coupe
The Herrington Collection — Bow, NH
1957 Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France
Mark Hovander — Seattle, WA
1965 Shelby GT350
Kent & Melissa Hussey — Atlanta, GA
1955 Jaguar XK 140 MC/SE
Mark & Kim Hyman — St. Louis, MO
1909 Renault Type V1
1969 Fiat Shellette
Indianapolis Motor Speedway — Indianapolis, IN
1938 Maserati Type 8 CTF
1939 Wetteroth
1963 Watson
1972 McLaren M16B
Edward H. Jelinek — Omaha, NE
1947 Jaguar SS Mk IV
Gary Kachadurian — Hinsdale, IL
1985 Porsche 962
Fred & Dan Kanter — Boonton, NJ
1958 Chrysler Dual Ghia 400
Craig A. Kappel — Chatham, MA
1934 Packard Runabout Speedster
Dave Kinney & Stella Koch — Great Falls, VA
1953 Studebaker Avanti R2
Peter Klutt — Halton Hills, ON, CAN
1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4
George Koehn — Winter Park, FL
1932 Auburn 8-100A custom phaeton
Irwin Kroiz — Ambler, PA
1962 Chevrolet Corvette Sebring racer
Robert & Thomas Kurtz — Ridgefield, CT
1966 Porsche Carrera 6
Kevin Ladd — West Townsend, MA
1975 BMW 3.5 CSL
Lane Motor Museum — Nashville, TN
1970 Fiat Mare
Jon & Ellen Leimkuehler — Pittsburgh, PA
1925 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Playboy roadster
Steve Leitstein — Woodmere, NY
1962 Chevrolet Corvette
Guy A. Lewis — Pinecrest, FL
1952 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith LWB
William Lightfoot — Vienna, VA
1955 Siata 300BC Sport Spyder
The Lingenfelter Collection — Brighton, MI
1955 Chevrolet Corvette
Chuck Loper — Richfield, OH
1963 Maserati 3500 GTi
The William Lyon Family — Newport Beach, CA
1965 Alfa Romeo TZ2
Malloy Foundation Inc., Tom Malloy — Corona, CA
1934 Miller Indy racer
1962 Lesovsky Indy roadster
1971 McLaren M8E
1978 McLaren M24B
Andy Manganero — Xenia, OH
1968 Lamborghini Islero
Sam & Emily Mann — Englewood, NJ
1914 American Underslung 642
1952 Chrysler D’Elegance
J.W. Marriott, Jr — Bethesda, MO
1954 Maserati A6GCS
Chris McAllister — Indianapolis, IN
1971 McLaren M8F
Bruce R. McCaw — Bellevue, WA
1970 McLaren M8E/D
Craig & Susan McCaw — Santa Barbara, CA
1928 Mercedes-Benz 680S Torpedo roadster
1972 Eagle Offy
Bob McConnell — Urbana, OH
1955 Kurtis-Kraft 500D roadster
Dana Mecum & David Burroughs — Walworth, WI
1967 Chevrolet Corvette
Don & Diane Meluzio — York, PA
1959 Fiat-Abarth Record Monza Zagato
Don & Liz Meyer — Lebannon, NJ
1895 Armstrong 6-passenger trap
Lance Miller — Carlisle, PA
1959 Chevrolet Corvette
David & Melissa Mohlman — Carmel, CA
1955 Mercedes-Benz 190SL
Wellington & Janet Morton — St. Johns, FL
1930 Cadillac V16 town sedan
John & Linda Muckel — Rancho Palos Verde, CA
1929 Duesenberg J126
Don & Carol Murray — Laguna Beach, CA
1957 Ferrari 400 Superamerica
Gene & Ann Nau — Naples, FL
1932 Lincoln Model KB berline
John & Sally Neas — Tulsa, OK
1956 Chevrolet Corvette SR
David & Susanna Nelson — Akron, OH
1951 Ferrari 212 Inter Ghia alloy coupe
1966 Ferrari 275 GTS
The Nethercutt Collection – Helen & Jack
Nethercutt — Sylmar, CA
1904 Cameron Experimental J
1914 American Underslung 644
1958 Vespa 400
Dennis Nicotra — New Haven, CT
1956 Ferrari 250 GT Boano alloy
Christopher F. Ohrstrom — The Plains, VA
1934 Bugatti Type 57
Jimmy Page — Boca Raton, FL
1956 Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider
Robert Pass — St. Louis, MO
1903 Thomas 18
Passport Transport — Lebanon, MO
1938 MG SA Tickford drophead coupe
Gale & Henry Petronis — Orlando, FL
1949 Bentley Mk VI
Linda & Bill Pope — Paradise Valley, AZ
1955 Maserati 250F
The Rahal Collection — Chicago, IL
1973 BMW 3.0 CSL
The Revs Insitute for Automotive Research —
Naples, FL
1948 Ferrari 166
1958 Scarab
1969 Porsche 908 LH
John W. Rich Jr. — Auburn, PA
1939 Delage D-8 120S
Carole & John Ridings Lee — Dallas, TX
1937 Bugatti Type 57C Atalante
David Ritter — Tierra Verde, FL
1968 McLaren M6B
Glenn Rudner — New York, NY
1958 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce Zagato
Ivan & Myrna Ruiz — Dawsonville, GA
1970 Maserati Ghibli Spyder
Gary & Sandy Schaevitz — Bedford Corners, NY
1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 alloy
Lisa & Leo Schigiel — Miami Beach, FL
1952 Mercedes-Benz 220 Cabriolet A
Henry Schmitt, BMW of San Francisco —
San Francisco, CA
1974 BMW 3.5 CSL
Malcolm & Steve Schneer — Costa Mesa, FL
1956 DeSoto Golden Adventurer
Ed & Judy Schoenthaler — Oak Brook, IL
1931 Cord L29 phaeton
Michael Schudroff — Greenwich, CT
1952 Chrysler SWB Ghia prototype
Phil Schwartz — East Hills, NY
1956 Chevrolet Corvette
Walter Scott — South Londonderry, VT
1955 Arnolt Bristol Bolide
Al Sedita Jr. — Tampa, FL
1967 Maserati Ghibli
Tony Shooshani — Beverly Hills, CA
1921 Alfa Romeo G1
Simeone Foundation Museum — Philadelphia, PA
1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza
Orin & Stephanie Smith — Vero Beach, FL
1958 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud “Honeymoon
Express”
Jack & Dave Smittle — Westerville, OH
1956 MG TC S-type
DeNean Stafford Family — Tifton, GA
1910 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Double Pullman
limousine
Peter Starr — Biddeford, ME
1961 Maserati 3500 GT Vignale Spyder
Tom & Dee Stegman — Cincinnati, OH
1964 Alfa Romeo TZ1
Mike & “Ralph” Stowe — Boyne City, MI
1941 Buick phaeton
The Suskin Collection — Atlanta, GA
1900 De Dion-Bouton Vis-à-vis
1925 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost
David Sydorick — Beverly Hills, CA
1956 Alfa Romeo 1900 Zagato
1961 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato
2003 Aston Martin DB7 Zagato
2003 Aston Martin DB7 Zagato “Buck”
Art Taxman — Port Orange, FL
1954 Cisitalia 33DF “Volo Radente”
James Taylor — Gloversville, NY
1935 Bugatti Type 57 Stelvio
Dean & Louise Trafelet — Chicago, IL
1960 Bentley S2 Continental Series B
Jim & Nancy Utaski — Skillman, NJ
1955 Siata 208S Spyder
The VENTO Collection — Miami, FL
1953 Allard K3
Francisco Vidal & Family — Hollywood, FL
1961 Bentley S2 Continental Flying Spur
Don & Darby Wathne — Charleston, SC
1911 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost
Alexander & Billy Weaver — Greenville, SC
1965 Shelby Cobra 427
Charles Wegner — West Chicago, IL
1950 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500
Court Whitlock — Springfield, MO
1953 Kircher Special
Susan & Henry Wilkinson — Atlantic Beach, FL
1965 Porsche 356SC
Paul Wilson — Fairfield, VA
1931 Regal Underslung Model N
Steve Wolf — Boca Raton, FL
1929 Duesenberg J142 LWB Murphy conv. sedan
Herb Wolfe — Englewood, NJ
1957 Maserati 300S
Pam & Lee Wolff — Chagrin Falls, OH
1925 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost
Richard E. Workman — Windermere, FL
1939 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special roadster
Harry Yeaggy — Cincinnati, OH
1966 Ferrari P412
61
Page 60
Feature 2013 Winter Park Concours
Escaping Winter in Winter Park
A December concours with sunshine, special cars and a lot of car lovers
Story and photos by Bill Rothermel
Best in Show was SCMer Richard Mitchell’s 1929 Stutz Model M coupe with Lancefield coachwork
W
Details
Plan ahead: The 13th Annual Winter Park
Concours d’Elegance is scheduled for
November 16, 2014
Where: Winter Park, FL
Cost: Spectators are admitted free to
Sunday’s concours
More: www.winterparkconcours.com
62
hile most of the United States hunkered down for a brutal winter, auto
enthusiasts assembled in warm, sunny Florida for the 12th Annual Winter
Park Concours d’Elegance.
The concours, which is now an entire weekend of events, brought out
the crowds from December 8 to 10, 2013. More than 75,000 people attended Sunday’s
concours, which takes place in Winter Park’s picturesque Central Park. This upscale
town of 27,000 is near Orlando, making access easy for those traveling from outside
the area.
The entire weekend was blessed with perfect weather and sunny skies. Festivities
began Friday with the duPont Registry hangar party at the nearby Sanford Airport.
The evening featured 140-mph supercar rides (to benefit Kids House of Seminole) and
Cirque du Soleil performers hanging upside down while pouring champagne. A lavish
fireworks display capped off the evening.
Saturday followed with the Tour d’Elegance ,which began with a progressive gour-
met breakfast prior to departing from Winter Park’s Hannibal Square. After 60 miles
of winding roads and surprisingly undulating terrain (including the highest point in
Florida at 312 feet above sea level), the 75-plus cars arrived at the Windermere Country
Club for the inaugural Concorso at Windermere. Classic wooden boats combined with
tour vehicles — and other concours cars.
Sunday’s concours honored Aston Martin, Jaguar
and Chrysler. “Chasing Classic Cars” host Wayne
Carini served as Grand Marshal for the 175-car field.
The Chairman’s Award went to John and Lynn
Cote’s spectacular 1961 Chrysler New Yorker station
wagon. The HVA Award went to Keith Bailey’s 1910
Oakland 24 roadster buggy.
The Founders Award was presented to the
Premier Collection for their superb 1955 Mercedes-
Benz 300SL coupe. The Judge’s Choice Award went to
Richard and Shirley Hamilton’s stunning 1929 Willys
Knight 66B Plaidside roadster.
Best of Show was SCMer Richard Mitchell’s over-
the-top, all-black 1929 Stutz Model M coupe with
coachwork by Lancefield.
For car enthusiasts, a word to the wise — go early and
watch the cars as they enter the showfield. While this is a
family-friendly event, the crowds are huge, which makes
viewing — and photography — difficult.
With Orlando nearby, lots of shops and restaurants,
perfect Florida weather, and free admission to Sunday’s
concours, this is a great atmosphere to bring the whole
family. ♦
Tour vehicles at Saturday’s concours at Windermere Country Club
Sports Car Market
Chassis 15741, Gooding
certified by the Ferrari Classiche department, confirming its originality
and further elevating its status as one of the finest Daytonas extant.
Displaying just under 11,000 original miles at the time of cataloging,
this remarkable Ferrari has survived under thoughtful, expert care with its
integrity intact. In addition to its inherent qualities and impressive file of
receipts, a history report produced by Marcel Massini, the original factory
books, tool roll, and the Classiche Red Book are offered with the sale of
this car.
This car, Lot 34, sold for $770,000 at Gooding & Company’s Amelia
Island auction on March 7, 2014.
SCM Analysis The Daytona was introduced with much controversy
in the automotive community. The mid-engine mi-
gration was in full swing during the period, with Lamborghini, DeTomaso,
Lotus and Ferrari already fielding mid-engine models. It was expected
that Ferrari’s newest flagship would follow suit, but instead they stayed
with the front-engine Berlinetta design that had been so successful for
them. It turns out Ferrari knew best, as the Daytona has proven to be one
of the greatest cars of all times.
Leonardo Fioravanti was a stylist at Pininfarina and not yet 30 years
old when he was given the honor of designing the Daytona. He had already
created a masterpiece in the 206 Dino, so trusting him with the new
Berlinetta was not much of a risk. It’s said that he designed the car in just
seven days. He would later go on to style the Berlinetta Boxer, F40, and
308 among many other classics that received his touches.
A high-speed gem
Mechanically the Daytona was a refinement of traditional components
rather than groundbreaking technology. The 300-horsepower, 6-carb,
4-OHC, 3.3-liter V12 used in the 275 GTB/4 was juiced up to 4.4 liter
and 352 horsepower. Power was transmitted through a 275-style rearmounted
transaxle. The chassis also retained the 275’s independent
wishbones all around.
Considering the era, the Daytona’s performance is spectacular. For ex-
ample, 0–60 mph is reached in just 5.4 seconds on the way to a top speed
of 174 mph. While rightly criticized for heavy-handed urban manners,
they are simply spectacular on the open road. Normal highway speeds
are absolutely effortless. Crossing 100 mph and continuing upward, they
pull like a locomotive, pinning you against the seat as the scenery turns
into a blur.
At upper speeds, the steering that feels ponderous around town comes
into its own — confirming that Ferrari traded easy parallel parking for
confident, high-speed touring. Driving a Daytona at speed should be on
the bucket list of all enthusiasts.
Chassis 15569, RM
June 2014
Chassis 15741, Gooding
67
Adam Kurtz courtesy of Gooding & Company
finest materials, paint, and bodywork were used. All rubber parts are
new, as is the wiring harness, leather interior, top, carpets, chrome, side
curtains with storage bag, and lead/bronze wheel hammer. Since the
restoration, it has been properly maintained and inspected, and it is in
immaculate condition.
The sale of this rare car, which has been finished in what many
consider to be the quintessential Big Healey color scheme of Healey
Blue and Ivory, has benefited from a complete and correct restoration.
It offers an outstanding opportunity to own a classic, defining example
of the marque, and it is one that is in superb condition.
SCM Analysis This car, Lot 117, sold for $88,000, including buyer’s
premium, at RM Auctions’ Amelia Island, FL,
sale on March 8, 2014.
While many collectors focus on the Austin-Healey 3000 Mark III,
series BJ8, as the most civilized, most luxurious and most spouseappealing
model of the line, it is the 3000 Mark I that really defined the
marque and catapulted it from its status as a merely popular sports car
to the stuff of legend.
The first Big Healeys — the 4-cylinder 100, 100M and 100S — were
successful enough and earned a respected place among sports cars,
but despite publicity-gaining efforts on the Bonneville Salt Flats and
in several important races in the mid-1950s, they were never worldbeaters.
They were often class winners, yes, but seldom first overall.
Stumbling and recovering
With the production of the follow-on model, the 100-6, the Big Healey
briefly lost its way as a road car capable
of respectable performance in competition.
Initially, the 100-6 was available
only as a 2+2, a configuration meant to
increase appeal to young families, but
performance suffered and competition
successes were few.
However, BMC recaptured the
Healey’s mojo and took it to new levels
when they added a strict two-seat model,
soon followed by their increased competition
efforts on the European road-rally
circuit. These punishing contests of endurance
on extremely challenging roads
— some of which hadn’t been improved
since well before World War II — offered
the Big Healey a venue more suitable to
its character, that of a tough, durable
“hairy-chested” sports car. It’s no surprise
that a later book about them was
June 2014
71
titled The Handsome Brute, and at one point BMC even adopted the
advertising slogan “The Last Angry Car.”
Winning races and fame
By the time the 3000 was launched in 1959 with both 2+2 and two-
seat variants, it was the strict two-seater that was chosen for competition
use. The corporate commitment to competition, while modestly
funded, was ambitious, and it produced huge publicity as the two-seat
3000 began a string of
impressive performances that elevated the
marque to world-beater status and captured the imagination of the
sports car-buying public.
This example of the two-seat 3000 is a virtual poster-car; an arche-
type in its classic Healey Blue and Ivory White two-tone paint scheme.
If we have to cite something that needs correction, it would be only to
remove the orange front turn-signal lenses and replace them with the
correct clear lenses.
All the money — but worth it
While selling for well above the SCM Price Guide maximum of
$60,000, this example was the subject of a recent complete restoration
to a high standard. The authenticity even extended to keeping the correct
48-spoke painted wire wheels — a rare example of resisting the
urge to add bling via 60- or 72-spoke chrome wheels.
For Austin-Healey fans, this is a superb example of the line, and
given its specification, condition and originality, I call it marketcorrect.
♦
(Introductory description courtesy of RM Auctions.)
Page 70
Etceterini & Friends Profile
1968 Datsun 1600 Roadster
This may be the best Datsun roadster in the world, but what gives with the
huge jump in price?
by Jeff Zurschmeide
Details
Years produced: 1965–70
Number produced: 31,350
Original list price: $2,766
Current SCM Valuation: $6,000–$12,500
Tune-up cost: $200
Distributor cap: $68
Chassis #: Right side firewall
Engine #: Right side firewall
Club: Datsun Sport Roadsters
Club Website: www.311s.org, www.
datsun.org
Alternatives: 1963–70 MGB, 1965–72
Alfa Romeo Spider, 1965–70 Triumph
Spitfire, 1966–85 Fiat 124 Sport
Spider
SCM Investment Grade: C
Comps
Chassis number: SPL31117895
Engine number: R59801
T
he Datsun roadster, lovingly dubbed “the
Fairlady” in its Japanese home market, was built
from 1963 to 1970. Although legend has it that it
was designed as a copy of the MGB, in actual fact
the Datsun model was launched several months prior
to the MGB and therefore, any design resemblance is
happenstance. Nevertheless, the car’s main competitors
were considered to be the offerings of MG, Triumph and
Fiat.
The Datsun roadster was extremely popular, with
over 40,000 being built over its 11 years of production
by Nissan in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa, Japan. It was, however,
considerably less expensive and more reliable than
some of its European peers.
In 1964, many upgrades were incorporated, engen-
dered partly by Count Albrecht Goertz, and the new
SP311 and SPL311 models were launched at the Tokyo
Motor Show. With a new and more powerful 1,600-cc
engine supplanting the 1,500-cc engine, and a top speed
of 106 mph, the revisions were noteworthy. In the United
States, the new, more-desirable roadster was marketed
as the Datsun Sports 1600.
This car
This Datsun 1600 SPL311 is a perfect example of the
model. Appearing here in its original colors of Silver
Grey Metallic (code #666) and smart red vinyl bucket
seats, this roadster was meticulously restored last year.
Originally purchased in Arizona, the car was quite
original at the commencement of the restoration and is
72
what might affectionately be called a “true survivor.”
The Datsun was totally disassembled, the body
stripped and repainted, and then finished to replicate
the factory-original presentation. All components
were inspected and refurbished to original specifications,
with the majority of NOS and replacement parts
obtained direct from Datsun Parts in Northridge, CA.
The brightwork was replated by Frankford Plating in
Philadelphia, PA, and Trim Specialties of Lambertville,
NJ, was commissioned to install the canvas convertible
top and correct vinyl interior in complementary red.
Several desirable upgrades were made to the car during
restoration, including the installation of a Datsun
5-speed manual
transmission to facilitate highway
cruising, and a hidden radio amplifier to make that
cruising ultimately more enjoyable. The car has accrued
approximately 42,000 miles, and only 1,000 since the
completion of the restoration.
The consignor has entered the roadster in several
events and notably has won First in Class and Best in
Show at the Datsun Region Meet at Watkins Glen and
the Antique Automobile Club of America Senior Award
at Hershey in 2013, after which it was requested for display
at the AACA Museum. Numerous awards, badges,
and trophies accompany the sale of the car.
The 1600 roadster is additionally accompanied by
its original data plate, documented photo history of the
restoration with receipts and records, and several original
Datsun publications as well as its original transmission.
1969 Datsun 2000
Lot 138, s/n SRL31108295
Condition 2Sold
at $8,250
Auctions America, Carlisle, PA, 4/30/11
SCM# 177810
1968 Datsun 1600
Lot 204, s/n SPL31121068
Condition 4
Sold at $7,040
Leake, Oklahoma City, OK, 2/23/13
SCM# 215403
1967 Datsun 1600
Lot 76, s/n SPL31113818
Condition 2Sold
at $20,350
Dan Kruse Classics, Smithville, TX, 3/2/12
SCM# 197063
Sports Car Market
Adam Kurtz, courtesy of Gooding & Company
Page 71
SCM Analysis This car, Lot 6, sold for $50,600, including buyer’s
premium, at Gooding & Company’s Amelia Island,
FL, sale on March 8, 2013.
There’s something about high-end car auctions that makes people
lose their sense of proportion. When you see people bidding into
the millions of dollars on one-of-a-kind vehicles, spending a measly
$50,600 on a nice sports car may seem like a screaming bargain. That’s
the only rational way to describe what happened at Amelia Island with
this lovely little Datsun 1600.
The best in the world?
First, let’s acknowledge that this is without a doubt an expert resto-
ration on an attractive, classic sports car. The restorers clearly spared
no expense — the exterior and interior fit and finish is at least as good
as the day it was delivered from the factory. The car has been carefully
resprayed in its original color. The engine bay is clean and stock, as
is the trunk. Even the retrofitted 5-speed transmission — sourced from
the more-powerful 2000 roadster — has been nicely integrated, with a
matching shift pattern on the console.
This is deservedly an award-winning car — possibly the best Datsun
roadster outside of the Nissan museum.
Yes, this may be the best Datsun roadster in the world, but it’s still a
Datsun roadster. Whether you call this car an SPL311, a Fairlady, or
just the Datsun 1600, this model has never received the recognition it
deserves from the sports car community.
There’s little on an MGB of the same year that is not equaled or
exceeded by the Datsun. Net horsepower was identical at 95. Where
MG delivered a straight-cut first gear until 1968, Datsun gave you four
synchronized gears from the beginning of the 1600 line in 1965. The
MG was just over $100 cheaper in 1968, but the two cars are alike in
so many ways that it’s hard to explain why the Datsun never caught on.
The SCM Price Guide lists the price range for the MGB at $10,000–
$16,000, which is substantially higher than the $6,000–$12,500 range
expected for the Datsun. SCM gives the MG a higher investment grade
as well.
A stratospheric result
All this is a lot of insider baseball, but it points to the central ques-
tion — why did this Datsun, as nice as it is, rate a purchase price of
$50,600? There’s nothing in auction history that comes close to this
price.
The previous high-water mark for the Datsun 1600 roadster was
$20,350 in 2012 — and the same car had sold previously in 2004
for $6,400. In the entire SCM Platinum Auction Database, only five
Datsun 1600 roadsters have ever exceeded $10,000, and only two have
exceeded $15,000.
Among the more powerful — and far less common — 2000 roadsters,
the high bid (but no sale) for a top-flight car was $45,000 in 2010, yet a
very nice condition 2 car sold the following year for just $8,250.
Catching a rising tide?
So what’s the rationale for the incredible price of this sale — a lot of
cocktails and some sentimental memories? Perhaps, but it’s more likely
that the buyer sees the day coming when having the very best Datsun
roadster left in the world will be worth that kind of money. Enthusiasts
have long predicted that these cars would eventually rise in value as
collectors finally recognize their appeal, and
the true believers have been waiting a long time
to be proven right. Maybe their moment has
finally come?
Honestly, it seems likely that there’s a more
subtle market force at work. This feels like
another case of the very best cars taking off
for stratospheric prices, while the vast majority
of condition 2 and condition 3 cars will see
prices remaining fairly constant — languishing
around $6,000.
We will soon get another clue to this puzzle,
as this auction result should bring a few more
nicely kept 1600 and 2000 roadsters out of hibernation
and across the block. We’ll keep an
eye out for those cars in Monterey this summer,
but until then, let’s call this one very well sold. ♦
(Introductory description courtesy of
Gooding & Company.)
June 2014
73
Page 72
German Profile
Column Author
Two BMW 507 Sales at Amelia Island
Membership in an elite collection explains why one sold for $605,000 more
than the other during the same weekend
by Donald Osborne
Details
Years produced: 1956–59
Number produced: 253
Original list price: $11,000
Current SCM Valuation $950,000–
$1,300,000
Tune-up cost: $1,950
Distributor caps: $500
Chassis #: Plate on the firewall, stamping
on the chassis near right front suspension
pickup point
Engine #: Right side of the block
Club: BMW Car Club of America
Website: bmwcca.org
Alternatives: 1957–63 Mercedes-Benz
300SL Roadster, 1954–55 Lancia
Aurelia B24 Spider America, 1956
Maserati A6G spider
SCM Investment Grade: A
Comps
BMW 507 Chassis 70134 (Gooding & Co.)
onstructed in late 1957, it
just 34 examples of BMW’s 507 were officially exported
new to the U.S.
Over the years, the 507 was a frequent participant in
C
many BMW Vintage and Classic Car Club of America
events, taking part in a variety of shows, tours, and special
BMW Holidays. Most recently, the 507 made the
journey from Colorado to New Mexico, where it was
proudly displayed at the 2011 Santa Fe Concorso.
Today, this 507 appears to have never been subject to
a complete restoration and remains in strikingly original
order throughout.
As 507s continue to join major collections, it has be-
come increasingly difficult to find such a desirable car
for public sale, let alone an example such as this, with
remarkable originality and a well-known provenance.
Presented here is a matching-numbers 507 that has been
the undisputed centerpiece of a highly regarded, singlemarque
collection for almost 30 years.
BMW 507 Chassis 70156 (RM Auctions)
It is safe to say that Malcolm Pray was among the
507’s admirers when it was first offered, which was
about the same time that he was getting his own start in
selling German automobiles. He was further influenced
by an encounter with a fellow Greenwich resident, Al
Mitchell, who was an airline pilot who happened to own
a 507.
After an inquiry from Pray, Mitchell located this
car in Pennsylvania, still with its original owner, Alan
Friedland. Friedland was an enthusiastic participant
in Sports Car Club of America races during this era.
74
is believed that
this 507 was sold new to the United States
through Hoffman Motors of New York.
According to the research of marque experts,
Surviving records indicate that Friedland drove his 507
in the Northeast Ohio Regional Races of the SCCA. The
car was purchased by Mr. Pray, who became its second
owner, on August 17, 1972, and he would never sell it.
In the 1980s, the interior was reupholstered in red
Connolly leather, new Wilton wool carpeting was installed,
and the interior wood was replaced or repaired as
necessary. In 1997, the 507 underwent more significant
work, with all trim removed, repaired and reinstalled.
In 2006, the body was stripped, minor scratches and
dents were repaired, and all panels were refinished in
Graphite.
The Pray 507 was equipped at the factory with a
Becker Mexico radio, as well as with two of the most
desirable items: Rudge wheels and a removable hard
top. The 507’s original 155-hp Series II engine, number
40167, was recently offered to the Pray Estate.
Its authenticity to this chassis was confirmed by the
507 Registrar of
the Historic BMW Club Germany,
Wolfgang Niefanger, and BMW Classic. The original
engine was acquired, fully rebuilt, and is now offered
with the purchase of the car.
SCM Analysis 1958 BMW 507 chassis 70134, Lot
21, sold for $1,815,000, including
buyer’s premium, at Gooding & Company’s Amelia
Island sale on March 7, 2014. 1958 BMW 507 chassis
70156, Lot 152, sold for $2,420,000, including buyer’s
premium, at RM Auctions’ Amelia Island sale on March
8, 2014.
I wrote a profile of a 1957 BMW 507 for the February
2008 SCM (German Profile, p. 58). It was of a car sold
at the RM London sale in October 2007. It sold for a
healthy $893,104 (£1.00=$2.056), which at today’s exchange
(£1.00=$1.681) would have been $730,152. In
1959 BMW 507 Series II
Lot 128, s/n 70203
Condition 1
Sold at $990,000
RM Auctions, Phoenix, AZ, 1/19/12
SCM# 192669
1958 BMW 507 Series II
Lot 127, s/n 70180
Condition 2
Sold at $1,650,000
RM Auctions, New York, NY, 11/21/13
SCM# 231684
1958 BMW 507 Series II
Lot 115, s/n 70183
Condition 3Sold
at $962,500
Gooding & Co., Scottsdale, AZ, 1/20/12
SCM# 191589
Sports Car Market
Mathieu Heurtault, courtesy of Gooding & Company
German Profile
The Cumberford Perspective
A close, thoughtful look at BMW’s most beautiful car
By Robert Cumberford
1
T
his is BMW’s most
beautiful car. That’s
just an opinion,
of
course.
it’s mine, and I’ll
But
stick
to it. Albrecht Goertz’s
best-ever car design, the
507 was not particularly
successful in the marketplace.
It cost far too much
to build and to buy, but it
was a true masterpiece of
elegance. Max Hoffman
wanted
it
to
retail
for
$5,000, but it cost as much
as a Ferrari, and given
its
less-than-spectacular
performance, it’s no great
surprise that only 250-odd
models were ever made,
largely by hand. Its worth
as a car can be seen from
Malcolm Pray keeping his
for four decades, and John
Surtees hanging on to the
one BMW gave him back
in the day.
That the wheels were
at the absolute edge of the
taut-skinned envelope, in
welcome contrast to typically
fat German designs
of the time — the racing
300SLs, all Porsches —
gave the 507 a lean allure
that has not diminished
at all with the passage of
a half century. Goertz’s
work with the Datsun
240Z and its styling-cues
twin, the Toyota 2000GT,
saw a wider audience,
although
the
hand-built
Toyota was only s
507-like quantities
same reasons:
too
cost, too high a pric
7
FRONT 3/4 VIEW
1 The cloth top’s profile is as
refined and elegant as the rest
of the exterior design.
2 The restrained hood scoop
broke up the long hood and
allowed nice linear details a
driver could see.
3 Fenders coming to a
point truncated by the slim
headlamp rims added to the
visual lightness of the front
end.
4 The revision of BMW’s
traditional two-element
grille into a pair of very wide
slots made the front end
completely modern yet kept
marque identity.
5 The extreme ground
clearance — by today’s stan8
dards — serves as a reminder
that even by the mid-1950s,
European roads were often in
bad shape and clearance was
required.
6 Center-lock Rudge wheels
are handsome, nicely set
off by the relatively narrow
whitewall tires, themselves
as slim as the car itself.
REAR 3/4 VIEW
7 Not exactly fins, but
almost. The rear fenders are
quite thin, and the valley
between them and the raised
trunk area emphasizes muscularity
of the fender forms.
8 Notice the crown of the
transverse section of the
body proper, more like an
old-style single-seat racer
than today’s sports cars.
There is sharp separation
between the body and the
fenders on this transitional
design.
9 One of the cleverest
features of the 507 is the
half-round sun visors that
embrace and surround the
windshield header bar. They
also provide some head
protection.
10 A little “speed streak”
comes off the front wheel
opening, fading in the door
skin.
11 The side vents of the 507
are among the most elegant
and beautifully made of any
ever used on a production
car. There are echoes of this
9
10
even today.
12 The tiny exhaust pipes tell
us that the engine wasn’t very
powerful, and their length
seems almost silly now. But
the V8 was smooth, pleasant
and adequate for this liveaxle
sports-tourer.
INTERIOR VIEW
(see previous page)
The white plastic steering
wheel was common German
practice in the 1950s,
from VWs to Borgwards
to Mercedes and BMW.
Big instrument dials owe
something to Italian practice
at the time, but overall
the composition is clearly
German — comfortable and
practical.
6
5
4
2
3
11
76
12
Devin made a deal with a Hollywood, CA, French Panhard dealer for
10 Panhard chassis for $10,000. He then got busy building an economical,
lightweight body that would easily fit the Panhard chassis — and
could compete in SCCA competitions. The result was a world-class
track car that took the National SCCA Championship in 1956.
From there, the race was on for Bill Devin to pursue his dream to
build all-out race cars on affordable fiberglass bodies. Devin also created
kits, so other guys could enjoy the sport without breaking the bank.
From cheap to costly
Devin Enterprises went on to design, build and advertise 27 different
kits. Dealers eager to sell Devin’s bodies and kits popped up all across
the country. These affordable and well-engineered bodies started at
only $295. The most expensive fully assembled factory-built car — the
Devin SS — carried a starting price of $6,000 and was built from 1958
to 1961.
By 1961, the track-ready Devin SS had ratcheted up to an eye-water-
ing $10,000, which was far more than the market would bear and led
to the end of production. These are the most sought-after Devin cars.
There were just 15 factory-built examples, so they are as rare as any
low-production vintage road racer on the planet.
The Devin Special
Our subject car is one of the 27 body styles Devin Enterprises pro-
duced. Devin offered kits in many configurations. One of those kits was
designated as the Devin Special, which took its styling cues from the
European looks of the Devin SS. Kits could be purchased to include
the body shell only right on up to a complete “car in a crate,” which
came with the components to build the car, including the custom-built
Devin chassis.
This 1958 Devin is reported to be one of the more complete kits of-
fered by the company. The Devin intake manifold and vintage custom
chassis are probably original to the car. The Hurst shifter is also a very
rare piece — even if it wasn’t built in the Devin factory.
The car was built to closely mirror the Devin SS, as it has the correct
283-ci Chevrolet Corvette engine hooked up to a Muncie 4-speed. The
original Devin SS models would have been mated to a Borg-Warner
gearbox, but the differences have little to no impact on the value.
A period drag racer with “It”
The history of the car tracks back to California, and the car may
have spent its entire life there. The car was reportedly a drag racer
in its early life, and it has some unique modifications, including the
bulletproof Ford nine-inch rear end and torsion-bar rear suspension.
The current engine is a date-coded 1962 Corvette 283 with the
aforementioned Devin intake manifold. Other modifications include
rack-and-pinion steering. There is also a vintage Southern California
Timing Association sticker still on the car, which was wisely preserved
during the restoration.
One special aspect of this car is the subtle vibe the car displayed at
the sale. Certain cars have an “it” factor that is hard to explain. There
are many vintage drag, track and street cars, but only those with the
right mix of provenance, authentic vintage styling and parts will attract
the most attention. This is why fake cars are usually caught short — as
they simply don’t speak to buyers in the right way.
This car unassumingly rang the bell. It had the right build, genuine
vintage parts and it wasn’t over-restored. It was just right. The seller
wasn’t trying to make the car anything more than what it was. This is
how a Devin was built for a guy who wanted to go racing in the late
1950s and early 1960s, so everything rang true.
Overpriced kit car or race history?
Our subject car was also reported to only have a few owners from
new. The original builder of the car is unknown, but he certainly got
the car headed in the right direction. As reported by the consignor, the
car was located in a barn in the 1980s and was ultimately restored as
a period road racer, which was the original intent of the Devin cars.
The restoration took place in the late 2000s, and the car remains in
excellent condition.
Valuing a car like this is about as simple as trying to hold a dozen
ping-pong balls under water with one hand. Comps are nearly impossible
to locate, as every car will be unique. Even if one could locate two
nearly identical Devins, condition would play another role in the equation
and lead one back to square one. That said, it all boils down to the
spirit of the car, the type of collector and the quality of the presentation.
For the 15 Devin SS factory-built models, only one comp shows up
in the SCM Platinum Auction Database, selling in 2006 and 2010 for
$247,500 and $182,381 respectively. A 1957 Devin Monza also appears,
selling for $50,880. Naturally, these will not offer a reasonable comparison
but they will help us establish an upper tier of valuation. Given
that our subject car was built to be a close relative to the Devin SS,
we can find a reasonable valuation hypothesis based on the sum of the
vintage parts and historical appeal.
I was at this sale, and this car ignited the part of my brain that in-
stinctively jumps when I see a great car. Granted, it’s not for everyone
— some might see it as an overpriced kit car with no pedigree. I prefer
to see it as part of our rebellious automotive culture. This car captures
a time when a couple of guys in a barn or home garage could build a
car that could actually complete with larger race teams — before all
the mega-sponsors, television deals and computer-aided design made
for a lot more speed and a little less soul.
Bill Devin had a passion for racing, and he knew that other guys did,
too. With that, he designed and built 27 bodies that a fellow could use
to build a race car on a limited budget. While not all Devins will be
desirable, this one certainly was. There was a pureness and simplicity
to this car that others may not encapsulate.
Auctions America suggested a value range of $50,000 to $75,000,
which was very accurate — although broader in its scope than most
estimates. Although the sale surpassed the high estimate, I consider
this car to be both well bought and sold. Even if you disagree with the
analysis, one thing I think we can all agree on is that the new owner
purchased one hell of a unique — and rare — car. ♦
(Introductory description courtesy of Auctions America.)
June 2014
79
world on its ear. In a classic bad news-good news scenario,
Lola realized that they didn’t have the resources to build
even a few of these cars and develop them into competitive
racers, which was the bad. Ford, smarting from having
been rebuffed in its attempts to buy Ferrari, was looking
for somebody to build pretty much exactly what Lola had
presented, which was good.
In very short order, Ford bought Lola and proceeded to
develop the Mk 6 GT concept into the Ford GT40.
A fruitful divorce…
There was a brief honeymoon, but Broadley quickly
realized that he had made a terrible mistake in selling out
to Ford. In the summer of 1964, after barely a year together,
Ford and Broadley amicably split the sheets. Ford
Advanced Vehicles (FAV) went about building the GT40,
and the reconstituted Lola was right across the street and
back to building the race cars that Broadley loved.
It would have been bad form (and probably a violation
of a non-compete agreement) for Lola to try to compete
with the GT40, but the concept of American V8-powered
sports racers in a professional racing series was just gaining
momentum, particularly in the United States.
So, the logical approach was for Lola to apply what it
had learned in the Mk 6 and GT40 projects to this new venue. The Lola T70 was born.
The body shape was the result of a fortunate confluence of trends: Aerodynamic and
wind-tunnel concerns such as drag and lift were considered — but it was still designed
by hand, not computer — and the design concept was still that pretty shapes work best.
Envisioned from the beginning to work either as a roadster or as a coupe, the car both
worked extremely well and was absolutely flat gorgeous.
Blowing past Lotus, Elva, Chaparral and McLaren
For the 1965 season, the FIA adopted the American SCCA rules for their big-bore
category, which opened the door to racing these cars on both sides of the Atlantic.
Competing against the notoriously evil Lotus 30 and the still-developing Elva McLaren
in Europe and against Chaparrals and McLarens in the U.S., the T70 quickly became
the car to beat in 1965 and 1966. Driver John Surtees easily won the inaugural 1966
Can-Am championship.
Starting in 1967, the possibly inevitable decline started, at least for the open racers.
Can-Am, with the only real rules being “two seats, four wheels, and covered fenders,”
quickly became a horsepower race, and the T70 chassis didn’t lend itself to the bigblock
Chevy engines that became ubiquitous.
The roadsters quickly became backmarkers, as McLaren — and later on Porsche —
took over Can-Am. The T70 coupe version, benefiting from better aerodynamics and
engine-displacement limitations, did very well in European endurance racing into the
1970 season as the best privateer car you could race,
but that’s another story.
A weapons-grade car with limits
It’s time to circle back to my original premise about
collectibility versus weapons-grade values in old racing
cars — with all of this, of course, presuming excellent
mechanical and cosmetic condition.
The first rule is that “cars with fiberglass bodies
aren’t collectible,” and that is particularly true of sports
racing cars. The second rule has to do with history of
a specific chassis. The implied autographs of famous
drivers and aura of cheering crowds at winner’s circles
impart substantial market value to the right cars, particularly
if “the factory” was the entrant.
The value of famous drivers and trips to the winner’s
circle is compounded by rarity. If there were only a few
cars made, the history means more than if it was a relatively
common racer.
The weapons-grade values are simple and obvious: Is
it fun and easy to drive? How much does it cost to race
and maintain? And the big one: How competitive is it in
today’s racing?
Unfortunately, our subject car suffers on most of the
criteria mentioned here.
On the good side, it appears to be well maintained
and ready to race, and T70 roadsters are undeniably
gorgeous, but most of the rest isn’t so attractive.
Lola built cars with fiberglass bodies for customers to
race — in the U.S. at least there was no factory team —
and they built a ton of them. This particular car has no
special history and was badly crashed to boot.
In fact, with Can-Am cars, only the most important
and successful carry much of a collectible valuation in
today’s world; it’s pretty much purely weapons values
that count with any of them. Today’s T70 has problems
there too. Although they are wonderful cars to drive, the
T70 was only really successful in 1966, and today’s vintage
racing Can-Am grids run from 1966 through 1970,
so there is no chance of running even close to the front.
To sum up, this is a beautiful — but ordinary — car
that is not competitive in the only real purpose it has. As
such, I think it traded fairly for what it was. This car was
well bought and well sold. ♦
(Introductory description courtesy of RM Auctions.)
June 2014
81
Page 82
Market Reports Overview
The Top of the Market Shines
Sales totals at RM hit nearly $36m — a record for any
Amelia Island sale
By Tony Piff
http://bit.ly/ZOf8zr
D
eep-pocketed bidders from around the world
come to the Amelia Island auctions each spring
to bid on some of the year’s most important and
valuable cars. Both RM and Gooding consistently
achieve sales rates in the 90% range, highlighting the health
of the market at its uppermost end. By every measure, this
year’s sales were successful again.
Sales totals at RM hit nearly $36m this time around — a
record for any Amelia Island sale. That’s 34% growth over
last year’s $27m. Of 91 cars offered, 88 found new homes
(97%) and average price per car grew to $410k from $332k.
RM also gets credit for selling the most expensive car of the
week: Malcolm Pray’s “French Mistress,” a 1937 Delahaye
135 Competition Court Torpedo roadster, sold at $6.6m.
Four other cars surpassed $1m: a 1958 BMW 507 roadster
at $2.4m, a 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster at $1.8m,
a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT Series II cabriolet at $1.8m and a 1934
Duesenberg Model SJ convertible at $1.6m.
Nine cars at Gooding & Company earned two-comma
prices, including four Porsches: a 1968 907 Longtail at
$3.6m (Gooding’s top lot), a 1959 718 RSK at $3.3m, a 1973
911 Carrera RS lightweight at $1.4m, and a 1988 959 Sport
at $1.1m. Whether it was a reflection of what’s hot in the
market right now or just a coincidence, two of the top five
cars at Gooding paralleled RM’s top five: a 1964 MercedesBenz
300SL Roadster at $1.8m and a 1958 BMW 507 roadster
at $1.8m. Gooding’s overall sales grew to $31m from
$28m last year, 78 of 88 cars sold (89%) and average price
per car declined to $397k from $408k.
On the other side of the Atlantic, Bonhams held its
Oxford sale. Compared with Amelia, this is a smaller auction,
typically offering between 50 and 60 cars. This year,
42 of 59 consignments sold, totaling $1.1m, for an average
SCM 1-6 Scale
Condition Rating:
1: National concours standard/
perfect
2: Very good, club concours,
some small flaws
3: Average daily driver in decent
condition
4: Still a driver but with some
apparent flaws
5: A nasty beast that runs but
has many problems
6: Good only for parts
84
Scan this code with
your smartphone for
complete results of
each auction covered
in this issue, or go
to URL listed (left)
Sales Totals
$35,947,500
RM, Amelia Island, FL
Gooding & Co., Amelia Island, FL
Auctions America, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
GAA, Greensboro, NC
Brightwells, Herefordshire, U.K.
Dan Kruse Classics, San Antonio, TX
Bonhams, Oxford, U.K.
H&H, Buxton, U.K.
$30,953,450
$1,004,878
$1,110,913
$1,416,744
$7,932,763
$1,496,917
$20,778,250
price per car of $26k. Those figures represent a decline from last year’s 41/58, $1.7m total and
$40k average. A 1964 Bentley S3 Continental coupe broke the six-figure barrier and secured
the high-sale spot at $125k. A 1950 Delahaye 135M 3.6 coupe came next at $90k, and a 1959
Jaguar XK 150 3.8 coupe completed the podium at $84k.
American iron reigned supreme at Dan Kruse Classics’ sale in San Antonio, TX. Ten
of the top 15 lots wore the Bowtie, including the biggest sale of the day: a 1999 Corvette
convertible customized to resemble a 1967, sold at $63k. Not far behind were a 1955 Bel Air
convertible at $60k and a 1965 Corvette coupe at $59k. Overall totals took a dip here, down
to $1.4m overall from $1.8m last year. Out of 157 lots, 81 sold (52%), down from 90/183
(49%) in 2013. Average price per car declined to $26k from $40k.
We wrap up this issue with highlights from Auctions America in Fort Lauderdale, FL;
GAA in Greensboro, NC; H&H in Buxton, U.K.; and Brightwells in Herefordshire, U.K. ♦
Top 10 Sales This Issue
(Land Auctions Only)
1. 1937 Delahaye 135 Torpedo roadster,
$6,600,000—RM, p. 90
2. 1968 Porsche 907 Longtail racer, $3,630,000
—G&Co, p. 106
3. 1959 Porsche RSK roadster, $3,300,000
—G&Co, p. 104
4. 1955 Ferrari 250 Europa GT coupe,
$2,530,000—G&Co, p. 109
5. 1958 BMW 507 Series II roadster,
$2,420,000—RM, p. 90
6. 1964 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster, $2,035,000—G&Co, p. 106
7. 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster, $1,842,500—RM, p. 90
8. 1958 BMW 507 roadster, $1,815,000—G&Co, p. 104
9. 1961 Ferrari 250 GT Series II cabriolet, $1,760,000—RM, p. 92
10. 1934 Duesenberg Model SJ convertible sedan, $1,567,500—RM, p. 95
1. 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom I
Ascot Tourer, $375,000—RM,
p. 95
2. 1956 Austin-Healey 100-4 BN2 Le Mans
roadster, $96,800—G&Co, p. 100
3. 1958 Devin Special roadster,
$88,000—AA, p. 154
4. 1959 Alvis TD21 Graber sedan,
$63,541—H&H, p. 144
5. 1964 Austin Mini Cooper S 1071 2-dr
sedan, $34,927—Brtwl, p. 144
Sports Car Market
Best Buys
Page 84
RM Auctions Amelia Island, FL
RM Auctions — Amelia Island 2014
Malcolm Pray’s “French Mistress,” a 1937 Delahaye 135 Torpedo roadster,
was the star of the event and realized $6.6m
Company
RM Auctions
Date
March 8, 2014
Location
Amelia Island, FL
Auctioneer
Max Girardo
Automotive lots sold/offered
88/91
Sales rate
97%
Sales total
$35,947,500
High sale
1937 Delahaye 135
Competition Court Torpedo
roadster, sold at $6,600,000
Buyer’s premium
1937 Delahaye 135 Torpedo roadster, sold at $6,600,000
10%, included in sold prices
Report and photos by Carl Bomstead,
Market opinions in italics
the estate of Malcolm Pray, with s
offerings from the estate of Chuc
In addition, RM presented seve
from the
R
RM’s 2014 Amelia Island auction, held March 8,
2014, at The Ritz-Carlton
on Amelia Island, featured
a collection from
collection of Richard a
Kughn.
Malcolm Pray, at one time th
and Audi dealer in the United St
for founding the Pray Achievement Center, which
mentors and motivates young people toward achieving
their life goals. Pray firmly believed “There is nothing
in life that you cannot achieve,” and his beliefs have inspired
over 8,000 young people. The proceeds from the
sale of his 16 automobiles will benefit the center.
Pray’s 1937 Delahaye 135 Torpedo roadster was the
star of the event and realized $6.6m. It was designed
with input from Geo Ham and is one of only three cars
to include an attached brass tag acknowledging his
involvement. The delightful Delahaye was well known,
as Pray had used it to participate in approximately 50
events. Pray’s wife referred to the car as his “French
Mistress.”
His other cars also did well. The 1958 BMW 507
86
Amelia Island, FL
roadster sold at $2.4m, the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT Series II cabriolet garnered $1.8m and
the 1970 Maserati Ghibli went for $605k.
Successful San Diego contractor Chuck Swimmer established The San Diego
ollection to display and sell his extensive car collection. He was a frequent participant
on the Copperstate, Colorado Grand and Californian Mille, often at the helm of
his 1949 Jaguar XK 120 alloy roadster. The roadster was offered here and found a
buyer at $495k. I just hope that the new owner sees to it that the car continues to
be exercised regularly.
While Buick Skylarks occasionally surface
at auction, it is most rare to see all three
of the limited-production GM Motorama
“Dream Cars” at one event. Richard and
Linda Kughn offered a trio from their exten-
Sales Totals
sive collection. The Skylark sold for $157k, the
Eldorado for $184k and the Fiesta for $182k. They
were not 100-point cars but were certainly very
respectable, and the prices were a bit stronger
than what we have seen of late.
The weather that had been a little iffy at the
beginning of auction day soon took a turn for the
better, and the standing-room-only crowd was in
a buying mood. The offerings were strong, and
they were presented in their finest light. As a
result, while offering only three more lots than in
2013, RM increased its sale revenue by over $9m.
Not a bad day’s work. ♦
$35m
$30m
$25m
$20m
$15m
$10m
$5m
0
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
Sports Car Market
Page 86
RM Auctions Amelia Island, FL
ENGLISH
#142-1936 BENTLEY 3½ LITRE sedanca
coupe. S/N B111FC. Eng. # G9BA.
Black/black leather/red leather. RHD. Odo:
1,340 km. One of nine Bentleys delivered to
Windovers. One-off coachwork. Wears an
older restoration but was properly maintained
in Swimmer collection. Presented at 2003
wheel covers. Older respray still very presentable
and brightwork acceptable. Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $495,000. The most desirable XK
produced. These continue to be listed as an
“A” investment in the SCM Price Guide, and
the values continue to appreciate. Price paid
here was strong but will seem most fair in a
few short years.
Pebble Beach Concours. Paint starting to show
a bit of age. Fitted with complete toolkit. A
very attractive and desirable body style. Cond:
2. SOLD AT $374,000. A striking Bentley
sedanca coupe that will be well received at
RROC meets and tours. Will cruise at highway
speeds with excellent handling and stopping
power. Price paid was well within reason, so
no surprise here.
#121-1939 ASTON MARTIN 15/98 road-
ster. S/N G9871SO. Eng. # B8866S. Elephant’s
Breath Gray/black fabric/saddle tan
leather. RHD. Odo: 2,551 km. A short-chassis
sport model with removable windwings and
windscreen that folds flat. Said to be one of
only 50 built. Thought to be last 15/98 delivered.
Complete restoration completed in 2011.
Numerous awards since. Offered with tool roll
JCNA judging. Has Heritage Certificate. Complete
with all factory tools. A quality restoration.
Cond: 1-. SOLD AT $159,500. I thought
the Pastel Blue might hold things back a bit,
but that was not the case. The MC head is a
plus, and it was restored to perfection. But I
still think it was well sold.
#138-1960 ASTON MARTIN DB4 Series
and owner’s book, along with other books and
records. Competed in the 2012 hillclimb at
Hershey. A lovely tour car. Cond: 1-. SOLD
AT $616,000. An attractive and unusual Aston
Martin that will be at home on the show field
and on the open road. Price paid was rather
surprising, as it doubled the $300k low estimate.
Have to call it well sold; in fact, I’m
calling it very well sold.
#141-1949 JAGUAR XK 140 alloy road-
ster. S/N 670061. Eng. # W1148. Silver/blue
leather. RHD. Odo: 4,321 miles. Catalog states
this is one of only 184 left-hand-drive alloybodied
XK 120s produced, but it is clearly
right-hand drive. Matching-numbers and documented
by Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust.
Acquired by Charles Swimmer in 2005. Spats
added at that time. Fully sorted; has participated
in Colorado Grand and California Mille.
Complete with original tool roll and full disc
88
II coupe. S/N DB4395R. Almond Green/black
leather. RHD. Odo: 5,166 km. Documented
ownership from new. Single owner for past 28
years. One of 351 second-series DB4s. Recent
bare-metal respray and mechanical upgrades,
including handling package and uprated Jaguar
brakes. Fitted with new Connolly leather
interior. Driven 5,000 miles since engine re-
signs of age and use. Comes with two
interiors: one red, the other black. Red shows
cracks and wear, while other is fresh. The
iconic Bugatti Grand Prix racer, ready for
vintage rallying. Cond: 3+. SOLD AT
$962,500. As a race car, the replacement components
are not that big a factor, as reflected
in final price paid. This example was well documented,
but pre-war history is not known, so
no period racing provenance. Bugatti prices
continue to escalate, and price paid here was
market-correct.
#130-1930 B.N.C. TYPE 527 voiturette.
build and only 500 miles since recent restoration.
Complete with original build sheet.
Cond: 1-. SOLD AT $462,000. A stunning
S/N 27119. Blue/red leather. RHD. The Bollack,
Netter, et Cie was a small French sports
car that competed in the significant races of
the day. This example acquired in the 1940s;
Ford V8 installed, replacing original Ruby
Sports Car Market
#190-1954 JAGUAR XK 140 MC road-
ster. S/N S810137. Eng. # G1232 8S. Pastel
Blue/blue fabric/black leather. Odo: 15,617
miles. Recent restoration and finished in unusual
shade of Pastel Blue. Fitted with MC
head from C-type Jaguar, which boosts horsepower
to 210. Recent high-point scores in
tion. Engine bay sparkles. Desirable flat-floor
Series I. Cond: 1-. SOLD AT $214,500. These
have been rapidly appreciating, challenging
the price guides to keep up. The Series I flat
floor is leading the pack, and yesterday’s overthe-top
price is now the new norm. A stunning
car sold at today’s market-correct price.
FRENCH
#171-1928 BUGATTI TYPE 37A Grand
Prix. S/N 37343. Eng. # 218CP. Blue/red
leather. RHD. Introduced in 1925 as replacement
for the 8-cylinder Type 35. 291 produced,
but only 76 were fitted with
supercharger. Relatively original with replacement
engine, supercharger and transmission
that are all of the correct type. Paint shows
example painted in a very British shade of
green. Sold for the anticipated amount for a
DB4 in this condition. All should be happy
here.
#184-1961 JAGUAR XKE Series I con-
vertible. S/N 875494. Eng. # R16 529. Black/
black fabric/red leather. Odo: 2,687 miles.
Only three owners from new. Fully restored in
2003 and still looks new. Recent cosmetic
work. Correct jack, hammer and bag are with
the car. Matching-numbers and finished in
original colors. Black paint detailed to perfec
Page 88
RM Auctions Amelia Island, FL
SOLD AT $902,000. To my eye, this was a
bunch of money for a Type 57 with a recently
created body. It is a wonderful re-creation, so
if the modern coachwork is not an issue, all is
well. From here we’ll call it well sold.
TOP 10
No. 1
#167-1937 DELAHAYE 135 Torpedo
roadster. S/N 48667. Eng. # 48667.
Cream & Blue Monaco/red leather.
RHD. Odo: 20,545 km. The Grand Sport version
of the Type 135. Built by Figoni et Falaschi
with input from Geo Ham as a show car
for Delahaye. Acquired by Malcolm Pray in
engine. A unique piece of racing history that is
in very original condition. Cond: 4+. SOLD
AT $181,500. Rare and unique with all kinds
of history. Can’t say I have ever seen another
one sell, so difficult to comment on the price.
You will certainly be the only one in the neighborhood
to have one in your garage.
#158-1935 AMILCAR TYPE G36 boat-
tail roadster. S/N 100102. Andalouse Red/
black leather. RHD. Odo: 972 miles. Estimated
to have been built about 40 years ago as
a bitsa. Engine from a Talbot T14LS with
transmission from an Alfa. Body in the style
of Figoni et Falaschi. Fenders and boattail in
Wood when she was only 19. List price was
$7,300. Fitted with Euro headlamps. Fully
restored in 2000 by noted marque expert.
Driven frequently since but also won its class
at 2012 Amelia Concours. A delightful example.
Cond: 1-. SOLD AT $1,842,500. Add a
little star power to an already desirable car,
and the bidding moves on. The Rudge wheels
are also a big plus, so this checks a lot of the
boxes. Considering the hot market, the price
paid was not unexpected. Well bought and
sold.
1964. Refurbished shortly thereafter. A striking
design that has been shown and rallied at
more than 50 events. Known as Pray’s
“French Mistress.” Cond: 2. SOLD AT
$6,600,000. A well-known car that attracts
attention wherever it goes. I’m willing to bet
the new owner restores car in different livery
to put his own “stamp” on it. Sold at the
expected money. Checks all the boxes.
GERMAN
style of a ’35 Auburn. Only driven 972 miles
since built, so in very nice condition. A traditional
coachbuilt hot rod. Cond: 1-. SOLD AT
$467,500. Not a real car, but certainly a very
attractive creation. Price paid, however, seems
a bit much for something neither fish nor fowl.
#163-1937 BUGATTI TYPE 57C road-
ster. S/N 57617. Eng. # 16C. Maroon/tan
leather. RHD. Odo: 1 km. A quality re-creation
done to high standard. First bodied as Ventoux
coupe. Original chassis, motor and
supercharger with recent swoopy aluminum
coach work in the style of Figoni et Falaschi.
Gearbox changed in ’50s. Paint properly
#131-1931 MERCEDES-BENZ 370S
Mannheim cabriolet. S/N U84901. Eng. #
U84901. Red & black/black fabric/black
leather. Odo: 30,100 km. An older restoration
that has held up rather well, with a few minor
nicks and scrapes. Fitted with dual rearmounted
spares. Wood steering wheel is aged,
and window gaskets need replacing. A CCCA
Full Classic. Wears original engine, body and
TOP 10
No. 5
#152-1958 BMW 507 Series II
roadster. S/N 70156. Eng. # 40024.
Graphite/black fabric/red leather. Odo:
17,603 km. Acquired by Malcolm Pray in
1972. One of only 253 produced at list price of
$8,900—twice the price of an XK 140. Refurbished
in 1997 and a complete respray in
2006. Mileage stated to be actual. Original
engine included with sale. Equipped with hard
top, Becker Mexico radio and factory Rudge
wheels. A commercial disaster at the time, but
a stunning design that is admired today. Cond:
1-. SOLD AT $2,420,000. Selling price exceeded
the expected number but was within
reason, considering condition and limited use.
Another example sold on the other side of
Amelia Island at the Gooding auction for
about $600k less, but this was a slightly better
example. Availability of correct engine a big
plus. (See the profile, p. 74.)
chassis. The 370S was fitted to a short 112inch
wheelbase and had a top speed of about
75 mph. Cond: 2. SOLD AT $671,000. An
extremely attractive body design with known
history back to the ’50s. Needs some work to
be a factor at major concours, but a wonderful
tour car as-is. Price paid was within expected
range, but I think a full restoration might put
the new owner upside-down.
maintained and interior as-new. A few issues
with body, but nothing serious. 57C is the supercharged
version of the Type 57. Cond: 2.
90
#122-1957 MERCEDES-BENZ
300SL Roadster. S/N 1980427500569.
Eng. # 198 9807500545. Silver
Blue/blue canvas/red leather. Odo: 84,972
miles. Factory Rudge-wheel example (said to
be one of 25). Originally purchased by Natalie
TOP 10
No. 7
Sports Car Market
#104-1958 BMW 600 microcar. S/N
129296. Eng. # 129296. Blue & white/gray
cloth & vinyl. Odo: 16 km. Restored in 2013
to high standard by marque specialist. Engine
is spotless, as is undercarriage. Powered by
Page 90
RM Auctions Amelia Island, FL
582-cc 4-stroke 2-cyl. Has room for four and a
side door for the rear seats. About 35,000 built
during three-year run. One seems to show up
at most every auction lately. Cond: 1-. SOLD
AT $55,000. The SCM Pocket Price Guide
gives these a “D” investment rating, but they
are bringing decent money. On the other hand,
I doubt you could restore one to this level for
the money spent here. Let’s call this well
bought and well sold.
#149-1961 MERCEDES-BENZ 190SL
convertible. S/N 12104010020361. White/red
leather. Odo: 12,937 miles. A comprehensive
restoration completed less that a year ago. Has
factory toolkit. A quality restoration that
shows extremely well. Cond: 1-. SOLD AT
$143,000. With the 190SL market appreciating
man so he could take it on his sailboat and use
it at port stops. Restored to perfection by noted
in under seven seconds. Frequently driven by
Mr. Pray, with minor signs of use but very
well maintained. A ’70s Italian supercar.
Cond: 2. SOLD AT $605,000. A desirable
Ghibli but at an astonishing price—almost
twice the catalog’s $250k–$350k estimate. The
SCM Price Guide gives a range of $225k–
$495k for these 4.7-L Spyders. (The rarer 4.9s
are valued at $300k–$625k.) Well sold and
then some.
marque expert. It’s estimated that only 100 of
the original Jolly 600s survive, but one shows
up at most every auction. Cond: 1-. SOLD AT
$99,000. Nearly $100k seems like a ridiculous
amount of money, but the restoration was impeccable,
and the SCM Platinum Auction Database
lists three others selling between $99k
and $110k in the past two years. Which makes
the price less ridiculous, maybe.
TOP 10
No. 9
on an almost hourly basis, this very well-restored
example sold low against the $150k–
$200k estimate. Price paid was well off the
pace of what we have seen of late, and it was
not due to the quality of the offering. Well
bought indeed.
#132-1986 PORSCHE 959 Vorserie
coupe. S/N WP0ZZZ93ZFS010063. Guards
Red/gray leather. Odo: 60,514 km. Said to be
one of 21 pre-production 959s. Produces 450
horsepower from pair of turbochargers and
electronic fuel injection. Fitted with Denloc
magnesium alloy wheels with hollow spokes.
Priced at nearly $250k new (200–250 produced,
including prototypes), and all were
quickly spoken for. Now exempt from DOT
#162-1961 FERRARI 250 GT Series
II cabriolet. S/N 2093GT. Eng. # 2093GT.
Rosso Rubino/black fabric/tan
leather. Odo: 48,627 km. Acquired by Malcolm
Pray in 1969 and maintained by his shop
since. Received a respray in 1997 and now has
a small blister in top of driver’s door. A few
records and tools. Mileage stated to be original.
Cond: 2+. SOLD AT $781,000. Last sold
in 2008 at Russo’s Monterey sale for $391k
(SCM# 117515). Daytona values just keep
inching up the charts. In this case it took more
of a big leap. The days of $500k Daytonas are
long gone, and a low-mileage, very original
example such as the one sold here is money in
the bank. (See the profile, p. 66.)
#127-1974 FERRARI 246 GTS DINO
swirls in the paint. Leather interior recently
re-dyed and reinstalled. Has partial tool roll
and the original hard top. Pray paid less than
$3k for car in 1969. Cond: 2-. SOLD AT
$1,760,000. This sale will certainly make the
tax man happy. The new owner should be
pleased as well, as the very authentic 250 GT
will be a wonderful addition to his collection.
Sold at a fair price.
#166-1970 MASERATI GHIBLI Spyder.
and EPA jurisdiction and eligible for U.S. import.
Fitted with unusual factory driving lights.
Has factory books and records along with
toolkit and jack. Cond: 1-. SOLD AT
$687,500. Thought to have been used as factory
demonstrator and then rebuilt by factory.
A rare supercar that is credited with inspiring
the “Bill Gates Rule” for limited-production
cars. Fair money for a rapidly appreciating
modern Porsche supercar.
ITALIAN
#182-1959 FIAT JOLLY 600 beach car.
S/N 100574826. Coral/white fabric/wicker.
Odo: 4,796 km. First designed for Fiat’s chair-
92
S/N AM115S1177. Eng. # AM115S1177.
Red/tan fabric/brown leather. Odo: 46,167
miles. Only 125 Ghibli Spyders produced.
Fitted with a/c and upgraded stereo. Older
restoration with engine rebuild by Roush.
Powerful with top speed of 154 mph and 0–60
Spyder. S/N 08286. Silver/black vinyl/red &
black leather. Odo: 41,368 miles. U.S. version
with a/c, power windows and Cromodora
wheels. Fitted with Daytona “chairs” but no
flares. Recent refreshening of a very original
and well-maintained example. New chrome.
Interior in excellent condition with mild pa-
#176-1972 FERRARI 365 GTB/4 Daytona
coupe. S/N 15569. Rosso Corsa/beige
leather. Odo: 28,886 miles. Matching numbers
on a well-preserved Daytona that received a
recent respray. With factory a/c and attractive
tan-and-black Daytona seats. Some trim and
the bumpers have minor pitting. Numerous
awards over the years. Complete with books,
tina. Paintwork very acceptable considering
the age. Cond: 2. SOLD AT $429,000. Dinos
continue to march up the charts, and the days
of examples selling for five figures are long
gone. Price guides can’t be updated quickly
enough.
#178-1994 FERRARI 512 TR coupe. S/N
ZFFLG40A2R0098634. Black/black leather.
Odo: 12,667 miles. Introduced as replacement
for Testarossa in 1991. Three owners from
new. Recent full timing-belt service. Only
driven 300 miles since. One of 2,261 produced.
Well maintained, with minor signs
Sports Car Market
Page 92
Fresh Meat
by Chad Tyson RM Auctions Amelia Island, FL
Online sales of contemporary cars
2013 SRT Viper coupe
Date sold: 03/24/2014
eBay auction ID: 151260690737
Seller’s eBay ID: ultimomotors
Sale type: Used car with 2 miles
VIN: 1C3ADEAZ4DV200072
Details: Adrenaline Red over black leather; 8.4-liter
V10 rated at 640 hp, 6-sp manual, RWD
Sale result: $88,800, Buy It Now
MSRP: $108,840 (as equipped)
Other current offering: Ron Tonkin Dodge in Gladstone,
OR, asking $122,930 for an Adrenaline Red
over black leather 2013 Viper with three miles.
2012 Lotus Evora IPS
of age or use. Cond: 2+. SOLD AT $143,000.
Buyer here paid a well-deserved premium for
the condition and limited use. The recent service
also a big plus. In the long run you rarely
lose when buying the best available example,
and that’s the case here.
AMERICAN
#109-1909 INDIAN TWIN motorcycle.
S/N 20A352. Green/brown leather. The first
year for the loop frame. A very original Indian
with factory paint in very acceptable condition.
Has a Bosch magneto and Hedstrom carburetor.
Is one of the earliest twin-cylinder
Indians in existence. In operational condition.
#116-1914 INDIAN TWIN 7-hp “Hendee
Special” motorcycle. S/N 83F037. Red/
brown leather. Odo: 9,061 miles. The “Hendee
Special” was offered for less than a year and
had a list price of $325. It was equipped with
electric starter, horn and lighting. This is one
of only a handful known to exist and is in
original condition (with the exception of the
tires). Stated to be in good running order. An
extremely rare and desirable bike. Cond: 4+.
SOLD AT $126,500. This was the first bike
offered with electric start, but battery technology
could not keep up, so the feature was discontinued
and not offered again until the
1950s. Original motorcycles are very soughtafter,
and when it’s a rare model such as this,
pricing goes through the roof. This actually
sold for less than expected, and another $10k
or so would not have been out of line.
#137-1914 PACKARD SIX Model 1-38
Date sold: 03/24/2014
eBay auction ID: 231174048224
Seller’s eBay ID: lotusofportland
Sale type: Used car with 106 miles
VIN: SCCLMDTU7CHA10507
Details: Nightfall Blue over Ebony Black leather;
3.5-liter V6 rated at 276 hp, IPS automatic, RWD
Sale result: $64,980, Buy It Now
MSRP: $66,100 (base)
Other current offering: Motorcars of Georgia in
Atlanta, GA, offering a five-mile, Ardent Red over
black leather 2012 Evora for $85,960.
2013 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
convertible
Cond: 3+. SOLD AT $66,000. The $125k–
$150k estimate was a little aggressive here. It
sold for about half the low estimate, and the
price paid was about right. Original early
bikes have a deep and narrow market and
have to be very unusual to bring the money.
#129-1909 LOCOMOBILE MODEL 30
speedster. S/N 2730. Blue/blue leather. RHD.
Odo: 45,498 miles. A very sporty speedster
that wears an older but very presentable restoration.
Locomobile never made a speedster, so
this was created at some point in the distant
past. Earned 2nd place in the 50th anniversary
Date sold: 03/22/2014
eBay auction ID: 271432024635
Seller’s eBay ID: jemada1990
Sale type: Used car with 2,203 miles
VIN: SCFEBBBK8DGD17603
Details: Meteorite Silver HB over Chancellor Red
leather; 4.7-liter V8 rated at 420 hp, 6-sp manual,
RWD
Sale result: $115,000, Buy It Now
MSRP: $164,143 (as equipped)
Other current offering: Collection Motorsports in
North Olmstead, OH, asking $152,615 for a 41-mile
2013 V8 Vantage convertible in Mariana Blue over
Sahara Tan leather. ♦
94
well might be a 1913. Cond: 1-. SOLD AT
$412,500. This Packard runabout was a
no-sale at RM’s 2010 Arizona sale when bid to
$355k (SCM# 156917). It did sell at Mecum’s
2013 Monterey sale, realizing $689k (SCM#
227489). Seller took a serious hit in the brief
seven months that he owned the car. Price
paid here was about right regardless of what
was paid in the past.
#170-1919 LOCOMOBILE MODEL 48
celebration of 1908 Vanderbilt race. Monocle
windshield and center-mounted Rushmore
spotlight. Has a Warner Auto Meter speedometer.
Cond: 2. SOLD AT $126,500. An interesting
re-creation that would be a kick on a
Brass tour. (No escape from the elements, so
pray for good weather.) Price paid seems
reasonable enough.
roadster. S/N 16119. Green/black fabric/black
leather. Odo: 22,772 miles. Most Locomobiles
of the era were large touring cars or limousines,
so this sporty roadster is unusual. Wears
an old restoration that has been touched up a
bit. Has original tools and Rajah spark plugs.
Has participated on CCCA CARavans and was
judged 98.25 points at recent Grand Classic.
Sports Car Market
runabout. S/N 38878. Red/black fabric/red
leather. The first Packard series to have an
electric starter as well as left-hand drive.
Discovered in an orange orchard in the ’50s.
Restored by Brian Joseph in late ’90s, with
numerous awards since. One of only five
known runabouts. Sold as a 1914 but very
Page 93
RM Auctions Amelia Island, FL
SOLD AT $840,000. If the body and chassis
had been born together, the price paid would
have been more than twice what was realized
here. Dietrich “factory customs” are at the
top of the Packard pecking order and are
rarely offered. Price paid was well within
reason.
TOP 10
No. 10
Found in a junkyard in the mid-1940s. At one
point was used as tow truck. Cond: 2-. SOLD
AT $143,000. This was offered at Bonhams’
2011 Greenwich sale, where it failed to sell
when bid to $105k (SCM# 182239). Stated to
have very poor paint at that time. Price paid
here was as expected.
BEST
BUY
#128-1929 ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM
I Ascot Tourer. S/N S398KP.
Eng. # 20988. Green/tan fabric/tan
leather. Odo: 104,794 km. Handsome car. Fitted
with aluminum heads and chrome-plated
exterior brightwork. Older restoration with
aged. Documented history from new.
Appeared in 1938 film “Out West with the
Hardys” with Mickey Rooney. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $1,567,500. This was a well-documented
Duesenberg, with numerous period
photographs. Appeared in Automobile Quarterly
Volume 1, Number 1. I would have expected
this to sell for a touch more, but the
added reproduction Walthers blower may have
held things back a bit. An attractive and powerful
SJ that was acquired for a fair price.
recent freshening. Known history from new.
Very elegant inlaid wood interior trim. Cond:
2+. SOLD AT $375,000. An elegant Springfield
Rolls at a below-market price. Price paid
was well under the expected $750k–$850k, but
seller let it go. Very well bought, and we hope
the new owner puts the rubber on the road.
#135-1932 PACKARD TWIN SIX 906
convertible sedan. S/N 900104. Eng. # 900116.
Packard Maroon/black fabric/plum
leather. Odo: 19,987 miles. A factory custom
with vee’d windshield and extended hoodline.
Dietrich body from Super Eight has been
mated to Twin Six chassis, engine and drivetrain.
Has division window, which gives formal
look. Older restoration still has strong
Only issues are with the sidemount covers and
some slight wear on the trim. Just the thing for
your Packard parts-getter. Cond: 2. SOLD AT
$93,500. Not a real-deal Packard production
vehicle, but I could certainly see a Packard
dealer using it, as he wouldn’t have wanted to
be seen running around in a competitor’s
truck. Sold for a touch more than expected, but
I doubt you could build one for less.
presence. Equipped with vacuum-assist clutch.
One of the more desirable Packards. From
famed Robert Bahre Collection. Cond: 1-.
June 2014
#115-1941 CHRYSLER TOWN &
COUNTRY barrelback woodie wagon. S/N
7700759. Maroon/maroon leather. Odo:
95
#114-1937 PACKARD ONE-TWENTY
pickup. S/N 1090-1260. Black/black leather.
Odo: 68,352 miles. Converted from a
138-inch-wheelbase One-Twenty touring
limousine with a pickup bed fitted to the cab.
Workmanship to high standard; interior in
exceptional condition. Engine clean and tidy.
#174-1934 DUESENBERG MODEL
SJ convertible sedan. S/N 2515. Eng.
# J494. Maroon/tan canvas/maroon
leather. Odo: 49,394 miles. The only SJ convertible
sedan by LeBaron. An older restoration
that remains in acceptable but notably
used condition. Supercharger missing when
restored. New Walthers blower with dual carburetors
added. Wood on driver’s door dam
Gooding & Co. Amelia Island, FL
Gooding & Company — Amelia Island 2014
A collection of 18 rare-to-market BMWs from the 1950s to the 1980s
brought more than $3.3m
Company
Gooding & Company
Date
March 7, 2014
Location
Amelia Island, FL
Auctioneer
Charlie Ross
Automotive lots sold/offered
78/88
Sales rate
89%
Sales total
$30,953,450
High sale
1968 Porsche 907 Longtail,
sold at $3,630,000
Buyer’s premium
10%, included in sold prices
Amidst the crowd, one of a collection of 18 rare-to-market BMWs — 1972 BMW 3.0 CSL coupe, sold at $148,500
Report and photos by Adam Blumenthal
Market opinions in italics
market that shows no signs of cooling
soon. Regular accounts of multi-millio
and records shattered have become the “
Any of us superstitious enough to be
intermittent rain and unseasonably c
were the foreboding signs of an im
found comfort as a charged atmosphere filled the large
auction tents. Gooding captured the mood and delivered,
with the always-entertaining auctioneer Charlie Ross
hurling punchy witticisms in between the sale of 78 collectibles
(nine more than last year). Gooding reported no
fewer than 15 auction records broken.
Leading the charge was the catalog cover car, a 1968
G
Porsche 907 Longtail. Unmistakably a star of the show,
it was displayed front and center at the tent’s entrance,
surrounded by a protective barrier. You couldn’t miss
it. It was the first Porsche ever to win a world-class endurance
race, as the overall winner of the 24 Hours of
Daytona in 1968 in the storied 1-2-3 Porsche finish. Sold
at $3.6m, it represented a new auction record for a 907.
Other
record-setting Porsches included
98
a
1959
Porsche 718 RSK (sold at $3.3m), a numbers-matching
1973 Porsche Carrera RS 2.7 lightweight ($1.4m) and a
ooding & Company’s fifth
annual sale at the Omni
Amelia
Island Plantation
Resort took place amid a r
Amelia Island, FL
e, low-mileage 1988 959 Sport in glistening Guards Red ($1.1m).
A collection of 18 rare-to-market BMWs from the 1950s to the 1980s brought
a combined total of more than $3.3m. Standouts included an extremely rare and
very original 1958 507 ($1.8m, see the profile on p. 74).
Rounding out the German highlights were an absolutely spectacular 1955
Mercedes-Benz 300Sc roadster in silver livery, sold at $990k, and a largely
unrestored 1964 300SL with desirable disc brakes and alloy block, sold at a
heady $2m.
Topping the Italian set was an unrestored 1955 Ferrari 250 Europa GT.
Driven just over 14 km from new, this car was a veritable time capsule in
its wonderful original condition. At a
price of $2.5m, it was among the most expensive
examples of this model sold to date.
Dinos have become very popular, and this sale
had three vying for new owners. A rare U.S.-spec
“chairs and flares” coupe sold at a staggering
$627k, nearly doubling its $375k high estimate.
Not to be outdone, an unrestored, highly original
red 1969 206 GT that had never before been
shown or put up for sale at a public auction sold
at $638k, shooting past its $550k high estimate.
A 1974 246 GTS in Metallic Purple made $341k.
Not far away, and yet worlds apart, was a cute
1969 Fiat Shellette. Similar in purpose to the
marque’s more well-known Jolly, this charming
and distinctive Michelotti-designed beach car
fetched a surprising $55k. ♦
Sales Totals
$30m
$35m
$25m
$20m
$15m
$10m
$5m
0
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
Sports Car Market
Page 98
Gooding & Co. Amelia Island, FL
BELGIAN
#41-1930 MINERVA AL 3-position cab-
riolet. S/N 80139. Eng. # 80128. Taupe/ tan
canvas/green leather. Odo: 2,778 km. Said to
be one of fewer than 50 ALs produced, of
which eight are believed to exist. Zenith updraft
carbs feed Knight sleeve-valve I8. Once
owned by marque enthusiast and author
Philippe Boval. Three-year full restoration
completed in 2007, done to an exacting standard
by Alan Taylor. Smooth paint. Brightwork
glistens. New retrimmed interior. Rich
wood trim. Jaeger instruments. Scintilla switch
er’s handbook and Barker’s photos of car included.
Cond: 2. SOLD AT $192,500. Last
sold at Christie’s London sale in 2005 for
$118k (SCM# 39302). Has accumulated only
304 miles in the intervening 10 years and appreciated
over 60% in value. For the very nice
(but not spectacular) coachwork and the split
personality of the exterior and interior, I’d call
this a fair price. Well bought and sold.
#58-1933 ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM
II Henley roadster. S/N 291AJS. Eng. # A95J.
Black/black canvas boot/cognac leather.
Odo: 21,409 miles. Said to be one of only
eight Henley roadsters built on the Phantom II
chassis. Brewster coachwork. Has original
chassis and engine. Raked, vee-shaped windshield
lends a sporty look. Restored in early
2000s to world-class level. Paint, chrome,
trim, gaps all sublime. Once displayed in the
mph at Jabbeke, Belgium. Cond: 1-. SOLD
AT $103,400. Thought to have been originally
equipped with the base 190-hp engine based
on the JDHT certificate and letter “A” in the
chassis prefix. This attracted plenty of attention,
partly due perhaps to its location right
next to the high-profile Porsche RSK that was
also up for sale. Sold way below the $140k
low estimate but pretty much in line with
where the market resides today. I just wish
they would’ve kept it in its original color
scheme. Fair deal both ways.
#79-1956 AUSTIN-HEALEY 100-4
BN2 Le Mans roadster. S/N BN2L228083.
Eng. # 1B228083. Carmine
Red/black canvas/black leather. Odo: 4,099
miles. Three-owner car. Frame-off restoration
completed this past January looks absolutely
beautiful. Spectacular repaint in original Carmine
Red with no issues. Brilliant chrome.
Crystal-clear glass. Chrome wire wheels shod
with new Federal tires. Flawless interior retrimmed
in original black. Clean trunk has
BEST
BUY
plate. Removable rear trunk. Engine not
inspected. First in Class and Best of Show
awards aplenty. Cond: 1-. NOT SOLD AT
$1,150,000. An incredibly rare specimen
stated to be the only known AL cabriolet in
existence. So nice that I was nervous to get too
close. The obsessive care lavished on this AL
captivated a curious and appreciative crowd,
but despite the proud owner fielding questions
on auction day, the anticipation failed to
translate into a worthy price. Seller was right
to hold out for more.
ENGLISH
#64-1933 ROLLS-ROYCE 20/25 3-posi-
tion drophead coupe. S/N GTZ48. Eng. #
D2L. Black/gray vinyl/red leather. RHD. Odo:
86,997 miles. Coachbuilder Barker’s 1933
Paris Salon show car. Bodywork said to be
one-off. Acquired by consignor in 2005 and
kept in England. Cosmetic restoration done
around this time. Respray in original black is
flawless. Excellent chrome. Mirror-like glass.
Interior at odds with exterior: distressed
Henry Ford Museum for over two decades.
Later at the Imperial Palace in Las Vegas for
almost a decade. First Prize at a CCCA Grand
Classic in ’83. First in Class at ’05 Amelia
Island Concours and ’07 Palos Verdes
Concours. Cond: 1-. SOLD AT $1,430,000.
Jaw-droppingly beautiful. Resto showed consistently
brilliant execution from front to back,
although it was a bit over the top, in my book.
Sold just below mid-estimate. Given the Henley’s
exclusivity, I’d say the buyer got a good
deal. Well bought.
#73-1955 JAGUAR XK 140 SE roadster.
S/N A810769. Eng. # G45188S. Red/black/
black leather. Odo: 58,023 miles. Originally
gray with red leather and gunmetal soft top.
Excellent frame-up restoration completed in
2000. Smooth paint mostly free of imperfections.
Sparkling chrome. Clear headlights.
Very good glass. Rides on new Dunlops. Mint
interior looks all new. Leather seats show no
wear. Ditto for carpets and functional dash.
Meticulous engine bay fitted with period-correct
210-hp SE motor. Replica plaque signed
by Coventry’s “chief engineer” declares car a
replica of record-breaker that achieved 141.51
spare. Engine not accessible. BMHT certificate.
File with photos of restoration included.
Toolkit, jack. A certified, numbers-matching
example. Cond: 1-. SOLD AT $96,800. Le
Mans variant was a dealer-installed package
that boosted overall performance. Fresh from
the restoration shop, this car will easily compete
for the top prize at any Austin-Healey
event. Sold at no reserve for under $100k,
which, when compared with lesser cars that
have gone for more, suggested a good buy.
That it happened at Amelia Island was even
more of a coup. Very well bought indeed.
#8-1956 AUSTIN-HEALEY 100M road-
ster. S/N BN2L230787. Eng. # 1B230787M.
Healey Blue & white/blue vinyl/blue leather.
Odo: 66,862 miles. A genuine 100M supported
by BMHT and 100M Registry docs. Nut-andbolt
restoration 20 years ago has stood the test
of time. Awesome paint, most chrome and trim
to same standard. Grille lightly scuffed. 100M
Le Mans Registry badge. Lucas headlamps,
fog and driving lights. Factory-fitted Triplex
leather bucket seats are chafed, discolored,
heavily creased and cracked. There’s a hole in
the dash, although chrome trim is in place.
Clean engine. Restoration docs, toolkits, own-
100
Sports Car Market
Page 100
Gooding & Co. Amelia Island, FL
laminated windscreen clear. Good panel fit.
Newish leather hood strap. Pristine interior
with clean carpets. Stock heater. Trunk latch
missing. Original, correct engine bay shows
light use. Formerly in the collection of Kirk F.
White. Cond: 2+. SOLD AT $115,500. Best
Open Car at ’98 Amelia Island Concours.
Fifteen years later, it hadn’t lost much of its
magic to draw crowds. Spectacular looking in
its color scheme. Got a lot of eyeballs in
previews, but languished when it crossed the
block. Sold at no reserve, it fell far short of
meeting its low estimate. I’m figuring bidders
were put off by its unknown whereabouts for
30 years, when it was rediscovered in Florida
in the mid–’80s. Still, if the mechanicals check
out, I’d say the new owner got a real-deal “Le
Mans” for a bargain. Well bought.
#53-1959 JAGUAR XK 150 S roadster.
S/N T831946DN. Eng. # VS17549. Green/
blue canvas/blue leather. Odo: 44 miles.
Three-year nut-and-bolt restoration completed
in 2013 at a reported $125k. Work done to a
high standard. Great repaint. Very good
chrome shows light scuff marks here and
there. Hood fit off, as are both doors. New
windshield. New Coker tires. Clean undercarriage.
Lovely new blue leather interior. Unsoiled
purple carpets. No radio or a/c. Pristine
engine bay with orange-painted accents.
door. Nick-free wire-spoke wheels. Newer
tires. Immaculate interior with supple Connolly
leather. Factory-equipped heater, adjust-
other modifications, the TR3A had a wider
front grille than its TR3 sibling—hence its
“large mouth” nickname. A delightful English
roadster perfect for the local club meet and
Sunday morning pick-me-up with the extra
grunt from the larger motor. These have been
slowly climbing in value for 10 years now, and
average prices are approaching the $40k
mark. That made this car, sold just shy of
mid-estimate, a fair deal for both parties, with
a slight edge to the buyer given its super
condition.
#38-1961 JAGUAR XKE Series I con-
vertible. S/N 875771. Eng. # R30949. Indigo
Blue/gray vinyl/blue & gray leather. Odo:
15,057 miles. Flat-floor E-type. Later ’62 or
’63 rebuilt engine. Recently completed frameoff
restoration presents well. Paint very nice,
wavy in places. Dark specks in headlamp nacelles.
Gleaming chrome. Undercarriage powder-coated.
Car was rewired, has correct Lucas
battery. Fitted with aluminum radiator painted
black to match original. Period Dunlops.
Clean blue carpets and rubber floor mats. Correct
period AM radio. Tidy trunk and engine
able steering column, laminated windscreen
and black tonneau. Spare in tidy trunk. Spotless
engine. BMHT certificate, restoration
photos. CA registration. Cond: 1-. SOLD AT
$89,100. This looked great from afar and
stayed that way the closer I got. It’s been said
countless times before, but a diminutive English
car in BRG with tan leather upholstery
has got to be one of the greatest aesthetic
achievements in the history of the automobile.
Do I need to say that I loved this car? Sold
right at mid-estimate for a market-correct
price. Well bought and sold.
GERMAN
#80-1955 MERCEDES-BENZ 300SC
roadster. S/N 1880155500030. Eng. # 1999805500033.
Silver/crimson leather. Odo: 9,677
km. One of 53 hand-built roadsters with gorgeous
Sindelfingen coachwork. Restored to
the nines. Superb paint, chrome, glass. Sophisticated
interior with beautiful wood. Becker
Le Mans radio. Roadster-exclusive luggage in
color-matching crimson red comes with car.
Best in Show at 2008 Mercedes-Benz
StarFest. Best in Class at Palo Alto, Hillsbor-
Comes with JDHT certificate, restoration photos,
operating manual, jack, toolkit and grease
gun. Cond: 2. SOLD AT $167,750. Looked as
if it could’ve just motored out of the restoration
shop, save for a couple of issues that were
only visible up close. The crowd couldn’t help
but stroll by, as it was parked on a main aisle
of the tent just beyond the registration area.
The seller went underwater with the cost of the
restoration factored in, but the hammered
price was reasonable—if a little high. Slightly
well bought.
#75-1960 TRIUMPH TR3A roadster.
S/N TS57452L. Eng. # TS57469E. Red/black
vinyl/black leather. Odo: 1,376 miles. Fourowner
car. Restored in 2000s to high quality.
Great paint in what is thought to be original
color. Very nice chrome. Glossy mudguards
are an eyesore. Grille shiny and nick-free.
Glass good. Clear Plexiglas wind wings.
Chrome luggage rack in good shape. Sporty
interior a bit dusty. White piping on leather
seats. Tidy trunk. Engine bay shows light use.
Upgraded 2.1-L motor. File with restoration
photos. Side curtains, tonneau cover, and toolkit
for when foul weather spoils open-air driving
fun. Cond: 2+. SOLD AT $33,000. Among
102
bay. JDHT certificate. Manuals, toolkit, period
spare parts catalog, dealer warranty cards.
Cond: 2+. SOLD AT $129,250. This had the
welded hood louvers but not the external hood
latches that came with the first cars. I thought
the Indigo Blue was polarizing and wasn’t in
love with it. Not the level of originality that
collectors prize in today’s market—there was
the matter of the replacement motor—but right
enough to realize decent money. Sold well below
the low estimate, it was pretty as-is, and
the buyer should enjoy it unencumbered by the
thought of a looming full restoration. Fair
deal for both parties.
#67-1967 AUSTIN-HEALEY 3000 Mk
III BJ8 convertible. S/N HBJ8L39145. Eng.
# 29KRUH13807. British Racing Green/black
vinyl/tan leather. Odo: 75,704 miles. Recent
restoration to concours level. Excellent paint
in original British Racing Green. Minor swirls.
Great brightwork. Soft top is clean, fits tautly.
Plastic rear window is clear. Weatherstripping
around windshield loose. Cracked on driver’s
ough, and Marin-Sonoma concours. Cond: 1.
SOLD AT $990,000. A tour-de-force of German
engineering and design and arguably one
of the greatest cars that ever came out of a
Mercedes factory. Last sold at Gooding’s
Scottsdale sale in January 2011 for $660,000
(SCM# 168618). Appreciated 50% in three
years and an additional 985 miles on the odo.
In today’s market, seemed reasonable for an
important car that just might be the best one
on the planet. Well bought and sold.
#82-1955 PORSCHE 356 “Pre-A” Super
Speedster. S/N 81039. Eng. # 80031. White/
red vinyl tonneau/red vinyl. Odo: 82,043 km.
Raced by Pedro Rodríguez in San Salvador in
1958. Exceptional restoration completed in
Sports Car Market
Page 102
Gooding & Co. Amelia Island, FL
2009. Very good repaint in original color. Dull
chrome bumpers and side trim. Wheels
painted white. Dual exhausts. Like-new interior
with Speedster-spec seats. Clean carpets.
Rally clocks and Halda Speedpilot computer
under dash. Red luggage box in cargo area.
Clean trunk with spare. Scuderia Rodríguez
badges, Mobil red Pegasus, Castrol stickers.
Multiple awards at Porsche events and
as-is (although not speedily, with its anemic
4-cylinder) and not a whole lot needed to
bring to concours-quality. Well bought and
sold.
#84-1957 MERCEDES-BENZ 300SL
Roadster. S/N 1980427500592. Eng. # 1989807500617.
Light green metallic/green canvas/
green leather. Odo: 87,595 miles. Originally in
ivory/red. Unknown early history, re-emerged
in early ’90s with a non-300SL driveline. Topnotch
restoration. Sublime paint, even if light
green isn’t at the top of everyone’s list. Fantastic
brightwork and trim. Great glass. Excellent
panel fit. Door “thunk” should have been
trademarked. New Michelins. Taut soft top,
clear rear window. Museum-quality interior
apart from missing ashtray and lighter. Trans-
concours. Comes with Kardex, Porsche Certificate
of Authenticity. Cond: 2+. SOLD AT
$462,000. Three owners from new. Car is
listed in the Scuderia Rodriguez Registry and
featured in the book The Brothers Rodriguez.
Photographed by motorsports photographer
Jesse Alexander. The Santa Ana races took
place on the streets of San Salvador between
’56 and ’59. In ’58, Rodriguez won the
1,300cc–1,600cc class and took 4th place
overall. Solid competition history and Rodriguez
connection sent this car well north of the
$400k high estimate. This car needs to be valued
as a race car, not a street car even though
it has been restored to a concours standard.
Viewed that way, it is fair to both buyer and
seller.
#3-1957 MERCEDES-BENZ 190SL con-
vertible. S/N 1210407500052. Eng. # 1219216504129.
Horizon Blue/white hard top/blue
soft top/tan leather. Odo: 3,643 miles. Restored
about six years ago and holding its
own. Pleasing, straight paint adds elegance,
although shiny chrome mudguards spoil the
visual punch. Nice chrome. Hood fit off, as is
driver’s door. Rubber around driver’s door is
breaking off. New period-style Coker whitewalls
show low miles traveled. Tidy interior.
New leather upholstery hardly used. In-dash
clock not working. Clean trunk with spare.
Detailed engine bay with original Solexes.
auction, it sat front and center on its own platform.
A canny move on Gooding’s part, as it
translated into big money. And while the price
was a bit over the $1.8m high estimate, given
the rarity and established cachet, I’d have to
declare this a market-correct transaction. Well
bought. (See the profile, p. 74.)
#16-1959 BMW 600 microcar. S/N 148175.
Eng. # 148175. Red/white vinyl & red
cloth. Odo: 1,056 miles. Front hatch entrance
with side entrance for passengers. Said to be a
matching-numbers car in single-family ownership
for almost 25 years. Nice, straight paint
shows few faults. Chrome nice. Plexiglas wind
wings. Adhesive under headlamp on passenger’s
side is coming loose. Interior shows lots
of enjoyment—well-preserved but a bit dated.
Steering wheel cracked, chafed. Headliner
mission not original. Donor 300SL engine in
pristine engine bay. Cond: 1. SOLD AT
$946,000. Although outstandingly well executed,
this was not a pure original, and the
color scheme was likely not to everyone’s liking.
The 198.042 in the chassis prefix denoted
it as a drum-brake car—produced in significantly
higher numbers than its disc-brake and
alloy-engine Roadster counterparts. All these
factors are reflected in its lower market value.
Fair deal, with a nod to the buyer for its
world-class condition.
#21-1958 BMW 507 roadster. S/N
70134. Eng. # 40146. White/black
canvas boot/blue leather. Odo: 11,101
km. Highly original, numbers-matching car. In
same ownership for almost 30 years. Lustrous
paint. Shiny chrome. Micro-scratches on
bumpers. Panel gaps excellent. Factory steel
wheels wrapped in new Firestones. Tidy interior
has a “lived-in” feel. Green/blue carpets
clean. 240-km/h speedo. In-dash clock not
working. AM/FM radio. Engine bay shows
normal use. Original German-language workshop
manual, supporting docs. Featured in the
August 2011 issue of Roundel magazine.
TOP 10
No. 8
good. No-frills dash, speedo only. New floor
mats. Carpet soiled in cargo area. Restoration
and service file said to accompany car. Cond:
2-. SOLD AT $39,600. Cute, cute, cute. Could
be mistaken for an Isetta, but the 600 was
larger, could seat up to four, had an additional
side door for the rear passengers, and was
more powerful. Sold for Isetta money, and
being rarer and more practical too, could be
more valuable. Fair deal for both buyer and
seller, with the edge to the new owner.
TOP 10
No. 3
#48-1959 PORSCHE 718 RSK roadster.
S/N 718023. Eng. # 90215.
Silver/red vinyl. One of only 34 RSKs
built. Four-cam engine, chassis and aluminum
Wendler coachwork all original. Documented
by Porsche historian Jürgen Barth as a numbers-matching
example. Exceptional restoration
of one of the most important Porsches in
the marque’s competition history. Utterly fantastic
paint. Sharp interior with meticulous
With hard and soft tops. Cond: 2. SOLD AT
$143,000. Classy good looks in a well-executed
package. Sold short of $170k–$200k
estimate, but still a strong result and further
evidence of the model’s growing appeal. Seller
likely recouped a good chunk of the restoration
costs. For the new owner, ready to roll
104
Titled a 1957. Cond: 2+. SOLD AT
$1,815,000. Said to be one of only 214 Series
IIs produced (253 built all years). A star of the
attention to detail. Red vinyl seats look new.
Engine glistens. Certainly eligible for historic
races, driving events and concours galore.
Cond: 1. SOLD AT $3,300,000. Last seen at
Gooding’s Scottsdale sale in January 2013,
where it realized $3,135,000 (SCM# 214789).
Sports Car Market
Page 104
Gooding & Co. Amelia Island, FL
One of the star cars of this sale, this RSK had
prominent placement on a low, white platform.
A steady stream of auctiongoers flashing their
cameras completed the display. That it sold
just above the low estimate was a bit surprising
in my opinion. Regardless, the buyer got a
rare investment-grade racer that should
provide years of enjoyment.
#29-1964 MERCEDES-BENZ 300SL
Roadster. S/N 19804210003207. Eng.
# 19898210000124. Gray blue/tan canvas
soft top/black hard top/red leather. Odo:
80,239 km. Exceptionally original, mostly
unrestored car. Repainted 40 years ago in
original color, now dull. Chrome dingy, pitting
evident. Euro headlights fitted with factory
stone guards. Chrome wheels with alloy rims.
WA license plate dated June 1970. Musty
inside. Well-worn, but supple, seats. Sizable
chunk of seat upholstery torn off. Dash dirty,
TOP 10
No. 6
$116,600. This car was said to be one of 13
known to exist Stateside. Built by Glas in Dingolfing,
Germany, before BMW bought the
company. BMW made use of 1,255 remaining
bodies and, among myriad modifications,
adapted the 1600ti engine. Offered at no reserve,
it went way beyond the $75k high
estimate. Made all the sense in the world to
me—although another silver car (the sole example
listed in the SCM Platinum Auction
Database) sold at Bonhams Paris this February
for $35k in #3 condition (SCM# 238867).
#86-1967 PORSCHE 911S Targa. S/N
500190S. Eng. # 962149. Polo Red/ black
vinyl/ black leatherette. Odo: 292 miles. First
year of 911S and Targa. Documented original
owner was John Buffum, 11-time U.S. rally
champion. Nut-and-bolt restoration in 2010;
reportedly logged 300 miles since. Super
paint, chrome, panel fit. Weatherstripping at
roof cracked, pieces missing. Soft top fits like
2+. SOLD AT $46,200. Another of the impressive
and rarely seen BMWs at this sale. Its
honest, rakish good looks will only get better
as time marches on. It’s a fine driver and a
solid go-to choice for local meets and BMW
car-club events. Rare enough in the States that
pinpointing a market price is difficult, but with
all it’s got going for it, I’d say very well
bought and sold.
#66-1968 PORSCHE 907 Longtail
racer. S/N 907005. Eng. # 11. White/
red cloth. RHD. According to catalog,
one of only eight Longtails built, two believed
still to exist. Winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona
in ’68—the first Porsche to win an endurance
race. 24 Hours of Le Mans four-time
entrant and 1971 Class-winner. Top 5 finishes
at Sebring and Monza. Numerous class victories.
Raced in period by factory drivers Vic
Elford, Hans Herrmann, Jochen Neerpasch, Jo
Siffert and Rolf Stommelen. Most Historically
TOP 10
No. 2
but clear instruments. Later Nardi wheel. New
black carpets. Engine bay dusty, rust on some
components. Alloy block unstamped. Original
toolkit, bilingual owner’s manuals. Cond: 3-.
SOLD AT $2,035,000. This was a Euro-spec
car documented as one of the last Roadsters
delivered. One of only 210 disc-brake, alloyengined
Roadsters produced. Those facts,
originality, and dusty-but-not-filthy presentation
sent the price just north of the $2m high
estimate. Yet another strong result, but I’ll
wager that prices still have a ways to go before
the ceiling is reached.
#20-1967 BMW 1600 GT fastback. S/N
W001052. Eng. # W001052. Silver/black vinyl.
Odo: 29,223 miles. Frua-designed, Maggiora-bodied
GT with low miles. Gorgeous
paint. Hood scoop. Pristine interior. Springloaded
seats, driver’s cushier than passenger’s.
Large three-spoke steering wheel doesn’t look
original. Wood shift knob. Becker AM/FM
cassette radio. Rear speakers. Clean motor.
Twin Solexes. Original owner’s manual, service
receipts. Hands-down one of my favorite
designs at the auction. Never officially
it should. PCA badge on engine lid. Faultless
interior. Sport seats, wood wheel, new shortthrow
shifter. Engine replaced with another
’67 unit. Meticulous engine bay. Kardex,
Porsche Certificate of Authenticity. Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $195,250. A short-wheelbase example
oozing with charisma. Desirable softwindow
Targa and Buffum provenance piqued
interest. Sold slightly under the $200k low
estimate, but still big money for a car with a
non-original engine. Market value for an
early 911S this nice..
#12-1968 BMW 2000 CS coupe. S/N
1108807. Eng. # 1108807. Blue/black vinyl.
Odo: 13,821 km. Euro-spec car. Matching
numbers. Last restored in the late ’80s, still in
remarkable condition. Great, nearly faultless
paint. Brightwork shiny in places, dull in others.
Newer Dunlops. Terrific, well-preserved
interior. Gray and white cloth seats clean and
unmarked. Beautiful wood dash. Aftermarket
Panasonic tape deck. Wood strip on scuff-free
black steering wheel a classy touch. Clean
Significant Race Car and Most Historically
Significant Porsche at Amelia Island 2011 and
2012, respectively. Cond: 2. SOLD AT
$3,630,000. The catalog cover car, with 12
pages of photos and biographical information
dedicated to it. Presented on its own stand
inside the only entrance to the tent, with a
protective barrier surrounding it. Impossible
to ignore. While not a 917, still a historically
significant Porsche. Stunning to look at, stunning
to ponder. Well worth the price paid here.
#14-1971 BMW 2002 cabriolet. S/N 2790141.
Eng. # 2790141. Granada Red/black
canvas boot/black leather. Odo: 40,328 km.
Said to be one of 200 Baur cabriolet conversions
with correct “279” chassis number. Imported
from Greece. Repainted twice in
current Granada Red, which is superb. Nice
chrome and trim. BMW roundel on hood
chipped. Excellent panel gaps. Unknown
drooping wire underneath. Rocker panels re-
exported to the U.S. Cond: 1-. SOLD AT
106
black carpet in trunk, but ripped. All-there
engine bay shows use, but looks like it was
attended to recently. Full documents. Cond:
placed years ago, ditto floor pan from a donor
car. BMW CCA and Baur badges. Interior a
gem. Nardi wood wheel. No radio. Primitive
a/c. Tidy engine bay. Original 4-speed. Owner’s
manual, jack, spare, service and registration
docs included. Cond: 1-. SOLD AT
$68,200. One of 18 BMWs represented at this
Sports Car Market
Page 106
Gooding & Co. Amelia Island, FL
sale. In same family ownership for the past 12
years. A highly original, limited-production
conversion that looked thoroughly vetted. No
glitz here, just a seemingly honest example
that was a beautiful sight to behold. Sold at no
reserve, it soared past the high estimate, but
worth every penny. Well bought and sold.
#18-1972 BMW 3.0 CSL coupe. S/N
2212279. Black/black vinyl & cloth. Odo:
91,541 km. Said to be one of 169 early-production
carbureted “lightweights.” Euro-spec
car sold new in Italy, at some point exported to
U.S. Three-year restoration in mid-’90s saw
installation of new Weber carbs, 3.5-L motor,
5-sp. Good repaint in black, lots of light
scratches, swirls. Good tricolor pinstriping.
Nice chrome and trim. Glass has light
scratches. Excellent wood in all-business interior.
Drilled 3-spoke wheel looks aftermarket.
vice docs. Cond: 2. SOLD AT $148,500. I
loved everything about this car. Its presence
was unmistakable and its design timeless.
Limited-production, rare, first-series carburetion,
the right colors, great design, and remarkably
well-preserved condition dialed up
bidders’ lust. The market has spoken: What
was not too long ago a solid $40k car is now a
low six-figure one with every indication that
the trend will keep climbing. Well bought.
#10-1973 PORSCHE 911 Carrera RS
lightweight coupe. S/N 9113600883. Eng. #
6630875. Grand Prix White/black leatherette.
Odo: 44,071 km. Highly original second-series
RS with numbers-matching engine and
transaxle. Delivered new to home market,
transplanted to U.S. at an unspecified date.
Paint spectacular and unblemished. Fuchs
wheels painted blue. Original, alloy-framed
ducktail spoiler unscathed. Excellent panel
gaps. Underside clean and straight. Door pan-
els and headliner said to be original. Carpets
and lightweight seats re-trimmed and in good
shape. Highly detailed engine bay. Battery on
charger. Cond: 1. SOLD AT $1,402,500. One
of only 200 real-deal M471 lightweights,
which saw increased displacement, weightsaving
measures (no radio), stiffer suspension
and aerodynamic fitments, including the nowiconic
“ducktail” spoiler. Announced before
bidding began that the pre-sale estimate had
been upped from $1m to $1.2m due to strong
interest. Blew past the upper estimate, but
given rarity and the seismic shifts that seem to
define the current market, I’d call it a fair deal
for both parties, with a nod to the seller.
#15-1980 BMW M1 coupe. S/N WBS59910004301385.
White/black leather. Odo:
25,502 miles. A highly original, low-mileage
M1 in remarkably good condition. Paint good
but not jaw-dropping. Nicks, chips on rear
decklid and on rear BMW roundel. Flaking on
rear bumper. Excellent panel fit. Standard
Campagnolo wheels in good shape. Impressive
original interior. Light green carpets
slightly soiled. With a/c, power windows. Escort
radar detector in glovebox. Kenwood
speakers in doors. All-there engine shows light
Detailed engine bay. Original matching-numbers
engine block accompanies car, as do ser-
use. Toolkit, service receipts, CARFAX with
car. Cond: 2+. SOLD AT $379,500. Like every
other teenager, I frothed at the mouth when
this stunner debuted on American shores.
Thirty years later, its force field has barely
diminished in strength. The SCM analyst
reporting on the $242k sale of another M1 at
RM’s April 2013 Fort Worth sale said, “Well
sold today, but will look like a bargain a year
or two from now.” How right he was! Maybe
the bar’s been raised for very original,
low-mileage cars in great condition. We’ll see.
Very well sold today.
#24-1988 BMW M6 coupe. S/N WBAEE1417J2560911.
Black/gray leather. Odo:
66,411 miles. One of 5,803 M6 coupes built
1987–88. Said to be one of 1,600 for the U.S.
market. In single-family ownership for nearly
21 years. In exceptional condition. Edge nicks,
108
Sports Car Market
Page 107
Gooding & Co. Amelia Island, FL
very light scratches, some crazing on otherwise
wonderful paint. Excellent glass and
trim. Power sunroof. Spoiler on rear deck unscuffed.
Immaculate interior. Seats hardly show
any use. All controls and gauges where they
belong. Factory radio. All-there engine bay
shows light use. Toolkit, owner’s manual, various
accessories. Clean CARFAX. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $57,200. This was the last year of
the E24 M6. Fast forward 25 years and it
looks as good as it did back then—if not better.
Even with its knockout styling and performance,
this was still a startling result. But try
finding another in this condition, and maybe it
was a fair deal after all. The way the market’s
shifting. I think we’ll find out sooner rather
than later if the new owner made the right
move.
#36-1988 PORSCHE 959 Sport coupe.
S/N WP0ZZZ95ZJS905012. Guards Red/gray
cloth. Odo: 5,958 miles. One of only 29 Sport
models produced. Started life in Europe. Low
miles reported to be original. Numerous upgrades
to engine, fuel and ignition systems.
Wheels and tires by Canepa Design. Original
metric speedo swapped out for U.S.-spec unit.
Invoices totaling nearly $200k included with
car. Spectacular paint. Pristine inside. Autoflug
seatbelts. Concours engine bay. MA registra-
fluid leaking. Comes with a stack of records,
photos, accessories and documents, including
a report by Marcel Massini. Cond: 3. SOLD
AT $2,530,000. Another star of the show featured
on its own stand surrounded by interested
viewers. Surrounded too by machines in
far better condition, this Ferrari was a veritable
time capsule with all the right patina
that many collectors drool over. The pre-sale
estimate was not disclosed, but price paid
looked like a fair deal for buyer and seller.
Now let’s just hope no one spots the new
owner at the restoration shop in 24 hours.
#33-1956 ALFA ROMEO GIULIETTA
Spider Veloce racer. S/N 1495003480. Eng. #
131541849. Blue/black vinyl. Odo: 58,033
miles. Race-prepped in Italy in the ’50s. Believed
to be the under 1.3-L winner at Sebring
in ’57. Nicknamed “Maria.” Once owned and
restored in the ’90s by West Coast Alfa racer
Al Leake. Later-series rebuilt 1.4-L engine
with twin Webers. Paint nearly blemish-free.
Removable hard half-tonneau for passenger’s
tion. Has manuals, tools and records, as well
as original parts from upgrade. A magnificent
presentation. Cond: 1-. SOLD AT $1,100,000.
This car’s many mods dialed up the blistering
performance. Horsepower jumped from 450
for the “base” variant to a fire-snorting 600
and pushed torque from 369 ft-lbs to 570. Positioned
in a highly-trafficked area of the tent,
this one had plenty of oglers filling in the ample
space around it. Hard to find anything
amiss here. Just shy of the $1.2m top estimate,
but a huge price anyway. Well sold for what
will likely be a common result soon enough.
ITALIAN
#62-1955 FERRARI 250 EUROPA
GT coupe. S/N 0409GT. Eng. #
0409GT. Gray & maroon/red leather &
gray cloth. Odo: 14,208 km. Euro-spec car.
Low-mileage, all-original, never restored.
Spent part of its life in storage for a few decades.
Decent paint reflects low miles. Blistering
on chrome rear bumper. Marchal
headlamps remarkably clear. Cloudy Carello
taillights. Well-preserved interior is a bit
musty but has great patina. Seats are dirty with
cracks and heavy creases in places. Clear
gauges. Engine shows use, but no sign of any
TOP 10
No. 4
June 2014
area. Battery cutoff switch. Interior authentic
save for racing seats, harnesses and roll bar.
Fuel cell in trunk. Engine bay clean. Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $61,600. Prepped for vintage competition,
but street legal in Florida. Last sold
at Russo and Steele’s 2007 Monterey sale for
$90k (SCM# 46515). On this day, seller offered
it at no reserve and apparently took a
loss. The new owner paid a market-correct
price and can enjoy the many vintage events
that will surely welcome this car. Well bought.
#54-1956 LANCIA AURELIA B24 S
Spider America. S/N B24S1155. Eng. #
B241211. Red/black leather. Odo: 41,613
miles. One of 240 Spider Americas, of which
181 were reportedly left-hand drive. In static
storage for nearly 40 years. Recent comprehensive
restoration is exceptional. Exquisite
repaint in original red. Terrific chrome, save
for some minor scratches on bumpers. Aftermarket
Borrani “Bimetal” cream-colored
wheels and polished rim. Great glass. New
109
Page 108
Gooding & Co. Amelia Island, FL
leather upholstery. Clear instruments. Spotless
trunk in correct square-weave pattern. Engine
since the late ’70s. Repaint in original red is
very good, but not quite show-quality. A few
scratches on bumpers. Excellent glass. Awesome
original interior dressed in Skai artificial
leather. Green carpets don’t help. Trunk shows
slightly soiled carpets. Material lying under-
#74-1972 FERRARI 365 GTB/4 Daytona
coupe. S/N 15117. Eng. # B1708. Fly Yellow/
tan leather. Odo: 34,527 miles. Low-mileage
car. Repainted in Fly Yellow, interior retrimmed
in tan leather with black inserts in
early 2000s. In John O’Quinn Collection from
2004 to ’09. Comprehensive, engine-out restoration
completed 2012. Gorgeous paint. Hood
has crack in left air scoop. Crack in right-side
parking light. Chrome bumpers shiny. Borrani
wire wheels. ANSA exhaust. Seats have right
amount of give. Becker Mexico radio. Clean
trunk. Detailed engine bay. Recently serviced.
bay should be a tourist attraction. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $1,292,500. A very desirable Lancia
that had everything going for it. A majority
of Spider America production was designed
for the growing U.S. market, hence the “S” in
the model name, which stands for “sinistra,”
or “left,” referring to left-hand-drive cars.
This example sat alongside the aisle just as
attendees made their way into the tent’s main
entrance. It broke the $1m mark and hammered
sold at the lower end of the $1.25m–
$1.55m estimate. For now, well sold, but
poised to give the buyer a good return on
investment.
#52-1958 DUAL-GHIA convertible. S/N
197. Eng. # D5007723. Blue/blue & tan
leather. Odo: 736 miles. One of 117 built. Restored
in mid-2000s to concours level. Beautiful
paint and chrome. Light scratches on front
bumper. Good panel fit. Good glass. New Firestone
whitewalls tucked into polished wire
wheels. Clean underneath, no visible rust.
Fabulous interior looks barely used. Clean
carpets. Tinted plexiglas visors. AM radio.
Trunk locked. Sweet engine bay. Class styling
neath carpets has large cracks covered in duct
tape. No signs of rust. Spare tire. Sweet engine
bay, better than expected for 97k miles. Cond:
2. SOLD AT $638,000. A stunning late-production
206 GT and a stunning price. That the
auction catalog described it as incredibly
original and virtually unknown in the Ferrari
community (although documented by Marcel
Massini) spawned gotta-have-it fever that had
bidders rummaging for their checkbooks. A
stratospheric price, but an outlier result. More
a reflection of the value the market is attaching
to the originality of certain marques and
models today rather than a reset in the 206 GT
market.
#35-1969 FIAT SHELLETTE beach car.
S/N 100GB1231722. Blue/blue & white
canopy/wicker. Odo: 16,134 km. Said to be
one of only 80 produced, 10 believed to still
exist. Michelotti design in collaboration with
Phillip Schell, a yacht designer. Exceptional
cosmetic restoration of mechanicals and
wicker interior done two years ago by previous
owner. Respray in early ’90s remarkably
straight. New striped Sunbrella canopy top
with Tenax snaps. Polished wheels on newer
Michelins. Wicker everywhere in impeccable
Manuals, tool roll, jack kit, and stands. Marcel
Massini documented. Cond: 1-. SOLD AT
$660,000. No-sale at Bonhams’ Brookline,
MA, sale in 2003 at $98k (SCM# 31022).
No-sale at Bonhams’ Carmel sale in 2009 at
$210k (SCM# 142029). Last seen at RM’s
2012 Monterey sale, where it realized $396k
(SCM# 212792). Obviously no stranger to the
auction scene, but its wheels have only seen
558 miles in 11 years, and the issues noted in
2009 have been resolved. Handsome payoff
for the seller. Buyer paid a slight premium, but
signs point to redemption. Well sold today.
#56-1973 ISO GRIFO Series II coupe.
S/N 350410. Metallic blue/blue leather. Odo:
49,280 km. One of 412 Iso Grifos built and
one of a reported 34 with Ford 351 Cleveland.
Euro-spec, late-production car. Largely original
throughout. Decent paint, crazing evident.
Lots of light scratches on front bumper, but
good chrome. Good glass. Campagnolo
wheels. Seats sag a bit. Wood dash intact.
award at 2010 Pebble Beach (plaque on glovebox),
People’s Choice at 2010 Fairfield
County Concours, Best in Show at 2011
Greenwich Concours. Cond: 1-. NOT SOLD
AT $295,000. It’s no wonder members of the
“Rat Pack” adopted this car as one of their
own. Knockout styling and an aura of “cool”
that still radiates from every angle of its classy
Ghia body. After a dip in 2010, the SCM
Platinum Auction Database shows these to be
on a noticeable rise. Average sales at auction
approached $360k in 2013, explaining the
seller’s choice not to lift the reserve.
#70-1969 FERRARI 206 GT DINO
coupe. S/N 00378. Red/black faux leather.
Odo: 96,984 miles. One of 152 206 GTs built.
An original car that’s never been shown, restored
or offered for public sale. In California
110
interior. New sisal carpets and coco floor mats.
Tidy trunk with spare. Engine bay reflects low
miles. Open-air fun. Cond: 1-. SOLD AT
$55,000. If the Jetsons took a beach vacation,
this is the car they’d be driving. Unlike the
more common Ghia-bodied Jolly, the Fiat
850-based Shellette design is more stylish and
aero. Last sold at Bonhams’ 2013 Greenwich
sale for $40k (SCM# 225986). Today it yielded
a decent premium for the happy seller, but still
far less than Lot 69, the $79k Jolly. Puzzling,
given the Shellette’s rarity and this particular
car’s low miles. I’m left to believe the polarizing
Michelotti design holds it back. A good
buy, but very well sold.
Original headliner yellowing. Nardi wheel.
Klippan seatbelts. Voxson stereo. Optional a/c
and automatic. No access to trunk or engine,
but catalog photos show lightly used bay.
Comes with Italian registration. Cond: 2-.
NOT SOLD AT $240,000. I loved this car. It
had character, and its low miles kept it in a
remarkable state of preservation. While the
current market is attaching a premium to original
cars, the $300k low estimate was aggressive,
in my opinion. High bid was close but not
quite there.
Sports Car Market
Page 110
Gooding & Co. Amelia Island, FL
#5-1974 FERRARI 246 GTS DINO
Spyder. S/N 08070. Viola Metallizzato/black
leather. Odo: 25,706 miles. Cosmetic restoration
completed in 2012 to high standard.
Bare-metal repaint in original and rare purple
metallic is an eye-grabber. Gleaming minimal
chrome. Good glass. Cromodora alloys unscuffed.
New ANSA exhaust. Awesome interior
with reupholstered black leather seats and
mouse-hair dash. New carpets, liners. Factory
a/c, power windows. Engine bay not detailed
to same impressive standard. Toolkit, manuals,
of these trade in the sub-$10k range. Not this
car, though, which was in a different league
altogether. Helping its cause was an attentive
seller fielding questions. Sold just north of the
high estimate, but for what’s probably the finest
1600 on the planet, I venture to say it was
a good deal for both parties. (See the profile,
p. 72.)
AMERICAN
#68-1906 AMERICAN TOURIST
Roi-des-Belges tourer. S/N 1783. Red/black
cloth/red leather. RHD. Odo: 482 miles. Last
restored in the early ’60s. First production car
designed by Harry Stutz. Early AACA National
First Prize winner (plaque on dash).
Long-term display at Maine’s Seal Cove Auto
Museum until ’08. Formerly owned by Dr.
Samuel Scher (with stylized “S” monogram on
doors). Black mudguards. Good paint, some
scratches and cracks in rear. Brass Rushmore
and maintenance records dating back to 2002
come with car. Cond: 1-. SOLD AT $341,000.
A desirable low-mileage car that sold in the
middle of the estimate range for a marketcorrect
price. I’m an ardent fan of the Dino’s
exceptional design, but even I would have
trouble ponying up the funds to buy this one in
its purple livery, despite its high-quality finish.
A few years ago, these prices would have been
inconceivable; welcome to the new normal.
Offered a year ago at Auctions America Fort
Lauderdale, not sold at $295k (SCM#
215713), so the seller made the right call. Well
bought and sold.
JAPANESE
#6-1968 DATSUN 1600 roadster. S/N
SPL31117895. Silver metallic/red canvas/red
vinyl. Odo: 43,041 miles. Absolute stunner.
No-expense-spared restoration completed in
2013. All components refurbished to original
specs. Superb repaint faultless. Brilliant
chrome. Upgraded with a Datsun 5-speed
manual and hidden radio amplifier—perfect
for top-down cruising. Squeaky-clean trunk.
Detailed engine bay a whisker away from concours-level.
Requested for display at the
headlights, swiveling cowl-mounted searchlight.
Gray & Davis sidelights. Brass bulb
horn. Screw missing on right rear fender. Minimally
used interior. Clean engine bay. Cond:
2-. NOT SOLD AT $170,000. This car had a
lot of character and presence, despite its location
in the back of the tent. These very rarely
come to market. This example was last seen at
Bonhams’ 2011 Carmel sale, where it no-saled
at $230k (SCM# 183062). High bid was $30k
shy of the low estimate. Seller thought it was
worth more, and I’d have to agree.
AACA Museum. Many awards accompany
car. Cond: 1-. SOLD AT $50,600. A looker
that glimmered under the tent lights. The
crowds gathered around it were a telltale sign
that interest in Japanese cars is growing. Most
112
#43-1909 ALCO 40-HP runabout. S/N
3634013. Eng. # 142408. Blue-green/beige
canvas/tan leather. RHD. Odo: 717 miles. One
of 12 surviving ALCOs in the world, believed
to be one of two or three with early dual-chain
drive. Once displayed in the Indianapolis Hall
of Fame Museum. Eye-catching paint is good.
Pinstriping has no imperfections. Great detailing
throughout. Lovely brass brightwork and
trim. Correct Solarclipse brass headlamps and
rear lantern. Side-mounted spare is spoke-less.
Original gauges and clock. 60 mph Stewart
speedo. Engine bay a centerpiece with greenpainted
accents, copper cooling lines and brass
fittings. Cond: 2+. SOLD AT $280,500. Brass
Era cars are showing up more and more on
collectors’ radar screens, and their values will
continue to climb as new events allow them to
flex their touring muscles. Not the speediest
cars of the era, but nevertheless very capable
and, dare I say, practical. Looked like the
buyer got a great deal, one that may see a nice
payoff down the road. Well bought.
#60-1913 PIERCE-ARROW MODEL
48-B tourer. S/N 10431. Blue/black leatherette
& cloth/black leather. RHD. Odo: 4,189
miles. The Model 48 (the number refers to its
horsepower) was the mid-level model in P-A’s
line of 6-cylinders, bookended by the 38 and
66. Believed to be the last remaining example
of this model. Frame-off restoration in early
’90s; won its class at Pebble Beach in ’94, as
well as 1st Place, Best of Show, and Best Restoration
at P-A National Meet the same year.
Paint has lost its luster. Red pinstriping a nice
touch. Good cast-aluminum components. Inte-
rior well preserved. Formerly in the Milhous
Collection. Original factory brochure. Cond:
2. NOT SOLD AT $330,000. A wonderful,
imposing tourer direct from Buffalo. Perfectly
eligible for all Brass- and Nickel-Era events.
Last seen at RM’s Boca Raton sale in February
2012, where it fetched $385k (SCM#
192780). Prior to that, it sold at Christie’s sale
at Pebble Beach in 2003 for $222k (SCM#
36218). Cars of this age have really caught on
of late, and interest continues to grow. $450k
low estimate may have been a bit high, but it’s
the only one of its kind still around today. I
venture to say the seller did the right thing by
taking it back home.
#87-1928 ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM
I Pall Mall tourer. S/N S10 3RP. Eng. #
21037. Silver & maroon/gray canvas/crimson
leather. Odo: 75,411 miles. Springfield car
converted from a Brewster “Lonsdale” to a
Sports Car Market
Dan Kruse Classics San Antonio, TX
Dan Kruse Classics — San Antonio 2014
A 1965 Corvette 396/425 coupe sold for $59k and looked like an immensely
appealing driver, with flawless deep black paint
Company
Dan Kruse Classics
Date
March 29, 2014
Location
San Antonio, TX
Auctioneer
Daniel Kruse
Automotive lots sold/offered
81/157
Sales rate
52%
Sales total
$1,416,744
High sale
1999 Chevrolet Corvette
custom convertible at $62,640
Buyer’s premium
8%, included in sold prices
1965 Chevrolet Corvette coupe, sold at $59,400
Report and photos by Doug Schultz
Market opinions in italics
T
he Dan Kruse Classics 2014 San Anton
tion took place March 29 at the Expo
Hall at Freeman Coliseum. Clearly
the auction was well attended by
qualified bidders who knew what things
were worth. There were few families or non
bidding tire-kickers — mostly just serious c
guys interested in buying and selling.
As such, there were no real bargains or o
prices paid for the vast majority of cars, and the cars
typically sold within their estimated price ranges. The
bidders generally held on to their wallets, which helps
explain the sales rate of 52%. The consignors, likewise,
knew the value of their vehicles and didn’t seem afraid
San Antonio, TX
o take them home if they couldn’t get a reasonable price.
Overall, 81 of 157 cars sold for a total value of $1.4m and an av-
erage sale price of $17,500. In comparison, the 2013 San Antonio
auction totaled $1.8m, and 90 of 183 cars changed garages, for a
sales rate of 49% and an average $20k price.
The top sale of the day was a customized late-’90s Chevrolet
Corvette styled like a ’67. It was an appealing silver color, and it sold
r $63k.
nother highlight was a 1965 Corvette 396/425 coupe that sold for
$59,400. The driveline was not original, but it looked like an immensely appealing
driver, with flawless deep black
paint and gray leather interior.
There were three 1955 Chevys consigned,
and they all sold well: a Bel Air convertible at
$60k, a Bel Air custom at $53k and a 3100 custom
pickup at $38k.
Other cars that sold toward the top of the
chart included a sweet 1940 Ford street rod
convertible at $60k and a Vitamin C 1970 Road
Runner sporting a 440 Six Pack and 4-speed that
brought $48k.
What bargains that could be had were in the
1969 Pontiac GTO Judge 2-door hard top, sold at $39,960
116
sub-$25k category, and there was a good selection
from most marques and eras. An aspiring
collector could have found at least two or three
cars he really liked and come home with one at
a fair value. ♦
$2.5m
$2m
$1.5m
$1m
$500k
0
Sports Car Market
2014
2013
2012
Sales Totals
Page 116
Dan Kruse Classics San Antonio, TX
ENGLISH
#241-1957 AUSTIN-HEALEY 100-6
roadster. S/N 36252195. Silver/black vinyl/
red vinyl. Odo: 48,593 miles. This car needs a
total restoration. Quickie paint job, poor panel
fit. Chrome grille-surround is discolored,
dented and dinged. Windshield cracked from
top to bottom. Top needs to be replaced. Seats
nice but re-covered in an unknown non-correct
material. Gauges all there but needing restoration.
Cond: 4-. NOT SOLD AT $15,000. Add-
parts in excellent condition. Interior near flawless.
Cond: 2+. SOLD AT $8,208. The color
combination of blue/tan on this car made it an
eye-catcher. The custom interior was well
done and was an ideal match for the car.
Although the winning bid seems high for a ’65
Beetle, the buyer got good value for his
money.
ing insult to injury, this car currently has a
Chevy 283 engine. On the plus side, the original
motor and transmission were included
with the sale. Regardless, Austin-Healey parts
are pricey, and this car needed them all. A
potential buyer would need to spend considerable
time just to determine if the chassis and
body are decent enough to consider a restoration.
The buyer would need to be able to do
most of the work himself to justify a higher
bid, and that person was not in the room.
#217-1974 MG MIDGET convertible.
S/N GAN5UE145638G. Blue/black vinyl/
black & green vinyl. Odo: 79,549 miles. Lessthan-average
paint with waves, orange peel
and fisheyes. The chrome bumpers and windshield
trim are brushed. Good glass. New top.
Custom seat and door panel re-covering.
seat has several cracks. It leaks oil as well.
Cond: 4-. SOLD AT $6,480. Somehow, this
funky little car had appeal. You just need to
figure out what to do with it. Apparently the
buyer has a plan, since the price paid seemed
a tad high. On the other hand, when are you
going to see another?
AMERICAN
Cond: 3-. NOT SOLD AT $7,500. The quality
of paint that one can tolerate is subject to the
potential buyer’s taste. Either the high bidder
was satisfied with the paint as-is or was willing
to redo the paint and bodywork himself.
After all, it is a small car with minimal exterior
trim. The high bid was generous, and this
car should have sold.
GERMAN
#293-1965 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE
2-dr sedan. S/N 115444451. Blue/tan vinyl &
cloth. Odo: 8,334 miles. A lot of attention to
detail in this restoration. Very minor orange
peel and fisheye. Chrome, glass and rubber
118
#243-1931 CHEVROLET INDEPENDENCE
2-dr sedan. S/N 21A141988. Red/
gray cloth. Odo: 31,133 miles. Mustang front
end and Ford rear end on a steel-bodied car.
High-quality paint with just a few bubbles on
ITALIAN
#344-1931 ALFA ROMEO replica spi-
der. S/N 118348899. Blue/black vinyl. Odo:
30,848 miles. Barn-find VW-based kit car.
Paint is old and tired; faded, cracked and
chipped throughout. Wire wheels need restoring.
Windscreens milky and delaminating. The
tisement claimed the truck to be an older restoration,
and it showed to be the same. A 1940
Ford truck with a 239 flathead engine and a
column-shifted 3-speed would be the perfect
vehicle if you had a farm and wanted to go to
town. It shouldn’t have taken more than a couple
more grand for this truck to change owners.
Recently sold for $27k at Mecum KC in
December 2013 (SCM# 239691).
#284-1947 FORD PANEL DELIVERY.
S/N 799Y1864829. Tan/gray cloth. Odo:
19,321 miles. 350-ci V8, auto. Custom build
on a Chevy Blazer 4x4 chassis. 350 Chevy
power with a Turbo 350 transmission. Paint
presents nicely but shows some wear. Some
discolored runs on both quarter-panels—pos-
right rear quarter-panel. Some paint chips
touched up. Interior nice, with some wear on
driver’s seat. Engine compartment shows the
31,000 miles since the build and could be
touched up. Cond: 3+. SOLD AT $34,560.
Last sold in November at Leake’s Dallas sale
for $30,500 (SCM# 234726). This car was
well thought out, with a 350 engine with
modern performance goodies and a/c. The
chopped top looked good, as did the suicide
doors and electric sunroof. This car has seen
some miles and will undoubtedly see many
more. The price seemed dead-on for a street
rod of this quality and condition.
#230-1940 FORD pickup. S/N 54509453.
Blue/black vinyl. Odo: 47,907 miles. Decent
paint. Some scuffs on running boards. Small
bubbles on right rear fender and tailgate. Most
chrome presentable with some rust on front
bumper. Wood in bed and side rails could use
refinishing. Seats nice. Cracks in steering
wheel. Engine compartment shows some age.
Cond: 3. NOT SOLD AT $25,000. The adver-
sibly from dirt embedding itself after a rain.
Left custom mudflap dented. Some overspray
on taillight gaskets. Interior shows some wear
but still looks decent. Cond: 3. NOT SOLD
AT $31,000. A lot of attention was paid to this
Sports Car Market
Page 117
Dan Kruse Classics San Antonio, TX
build, and it was executed well. The long list
of options included a/c, tilt steering, cruise
control and a sunroof. It’s an unusual vehicle
to street rod and, as such, is hard to value. It
recently sold for $28k at Mecum KC in December
2013 (SCM# 239800), confirming the
correctness of this bid, but somewhere there is
probably someone who will pay more.
#237-1953 PLYMOUTH SUBURBAN
faux woodie wagon. S/N 13411646. Green &
faux wood/green vinyl. Odo: 55,111 miles.
218-ci I6, 1-bbl, 3-sp. This car has beautifully
applied paint, but the wood wrapping could
have been performed better. Minor cracks in
vinyl in both doors. Driver’s door has several
noticeable bubbles. Both bumpers excellent,
but other chrome has brush marks. Glass
slightly milky, and a couple windows are starting
to delaminate. Utilitarian interior looks
stance made it stand out, and the bonded title
apparently didn’t bother anyone, since bidding
was spirited. The price paid represented good
money for an excellent truck and a fair value
for both buyer and seller.
#252-1955 CHEVROLET BEL AIR con-
vertible. S/N VC55F005810. Blue & white/
white vinyl/blue & white vinyl. Odo: 83,297
miles. V8, auto. Engine specs unknown.
Nicely applied paint shows well. Noticeable
chip on body underneath trunk lid. Some panel
fit issues at doors and hood. Bumpers and
glass good. Boot has some blemishes. Oneinch
tear in driver’s seat stitching. Hubcaps all
show buffer scuffing. Cond: 2. SOLD AT
$60,480. The amount paid was in the range of
typical sales, give or take a few thousand either
way. Fair value for both buyer and seller.
#264-1955 CHEVROLET BEL AIR cus-
presentable, with no major issues. Cond: 3+.
NOT SOLD AT $23,000. Excellent color
combination for this car. The detail paid to
creating the custom wood wrap showed considerable
thought. The issue would be in how
to re-create and reapply a replacement appliqué
on the driver’s door. Otherwise, this car
was a real head-turner. Determining the value
on a one-off vehicle like this is tough, but obviously
the high bid wasn’t sufficient to change
owners.
#246-1955 CHEVROLET 3100 pickup.
S/N VH255K033667. Green & gray/green &
tan vinyl. 5.7-L fuel-injected V8, auto. Features
an LS1 engine with speed goodies coupled
to a 4-speed automatic transmission. The
many additions included 4-wheel discs, digital
dash and enough engine chrome to blind you.
The only nits to pick are a chip on the driver’s
door and the passenger’s door not fitting ex-
tom 2-dr sedan. S/N C55B204602. Red &
white/tan leather. 454-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto.
Listed by Jeff Allen of “The Car Chasers”
fame. High-end build with beautiful paint. It
features a 500-hp 454 with aluminum heads
coupled to a 700R4 4-sp automatic transmission.
Four-wheel disc brakes, digital dash and
Vintage Air are just a few items on a lengthy
list of goodies. Only flaws are the panel fit on
the passenger’s door and minor buff marks on
some of the chrome trim. Cond: 2+. SOLD
AT $53,460. After not selling on the block at a
high bid of $47k, the car sold shortly thereafter
post-sale. Jeff Allen explained that he
thought the sales price should have been
higher, but he’s in business to sell cars. It
looked like a fair value for buyer, seller and
auctioneer.
#224-1963 BUICK RIVIERA 2-dr hard
top. S/N 7J094216. White/red leather. Odo:
actly right. There are also a few wrinkles in
the vinyl headliner. Cond: 1-. SOLD AT
$37,800. This high-quality truck drew a lot of
attention. The color combination, wheels and
June 2014
119
Page 118
Dan Kruse Classics San Antonio, TX
50,335 miles. 401-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. This car
needs a total restoration. Large rust bubble on
driver’s side fender. Several rust bubbles in
both rear quarter-panels. Roof paint is covered
with fisheyes. Chrome is pitted and brushed.
Rusty wheels. Front seats re-covered, but rest
of interior needs attention. Nice gauges. Cond:
4. SOLD AT $10,152. On the plus side, this
was a first-year Riviera with one-family ownership.
The 50k miles may have been original,
but no mention of that fact was made. Regardless,
the cost of a quality restoration will be
high. There are very few parts being reproduced.
Chrome and leather restoration is
going to be pricey. There are acres of body
panels that need prep and paint. With these
facts in mind, the car was well sold.
#337-1965 CHEVROLET C10 stepside
pickup. S/N C1445S177138. Red/black
leather. Odo: 10 miles. V8, 4-bbl, auto. V8 of
unspecified displacement with “double hump”
202 heads, double-pumper Holley carb. Overall
nicely done, with straight panels. Some
bubbles on front of hood and one on top of
hood. Three or four chips need to be touched
up. Excellent chrome and glass. Wood in bed
shows some wear. Beautiful interior is well
executed, with Harley logo imprinted on back
panel at rear. Front bumpers needed rechroming.
Rear bumpers rechromed but could have
been prepped better. Window weatherstripping
needs replacing. Some minor gravel chips in
windshield. Interior shows well, but carpet
wrinkled in rear. Engine compartment could
use detailing. Cond: 2-. SOLD AT $59,400.
Black paint hides nothing, which makes the
excellent quality here all the more impressive.
The side exhaust, spinner wheels and stinger
hood were nice accents, and a black Corvette
with gray leather is a really nice color combination.
No mention was made of matching
numbers, which, on a Corvette, usually means
they don’t. Even though this car showed well,
the price paid was all the money. Slightly well
sold.
#203-1965 FORD FALCON Futura
convertible. S/N 5H15C106491. Green/white
vinyl/tan vinyl. Odo: 85,614 miles. 289-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. A California black-plate car
owned by the same family for over 45 years.
Overall, paint appears to be of good quality.
Chip in left quarter-panel. Some orange peel.
A few dings in chrome trim on both sides of
car. Several small gravel chips in windshield.
Front bumper excellent. Rear bumper slightly
discolored, with some pitting. Interior presents
well, but the gauges could use restoration.
buff marks and scratches in bed. Good chrome
throughout. Some minor gravel chips in windshield.
Interior shows well. Steering wheel
appears to have metallic red paint, which
doesn’t look quite right. Engine compartment
could use detailing. Cond: 2-. SOLD AT
$19,440. Overall, a good-looking truck with
attention to detail when restored. California
black plates are a plus. The big V8 with a
4-speed should be perfect for tooling around.
Not long ago, the price paid would seem high.
Not any more. Fair value for buyer and seller.
#286-1967 DODGE CORONET 2-dr
hard top. S/N WH23F71150607. Black/black
vinyl. 383-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Below-average
paint that has waves, bubbles, fisheyes and
overspray. Rechromed bumpers. Most other
chrome is average at best. Chrome grille-surrounds
are dented. Some gravel chips in windshield.
Interior presents well other than a small
of leather seat. Cond: 2. SOLD AT $15,660.
This truck was a late entry and may not have
been looked over by all bidders. The color
(House of Kolor Firemist Red), combined with
the wheel/tire package made this a headturner.
However, neither door seemed to want
to close right. If it turns out that they only
need adjusting, this may have been the value
of the day. It recently sold for $7k at Mecum
KC in December 2013 (SCM# 239669), so the
seller made money, but I still call it well
bought.
#315-1965 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
coupe. S/N 194375S100357. Black/gray
leather. Odo: 71,571 miles. 396-ci 425-hp V8,
4-bbl, 4-sp. Mirror-straight paint with no visible
cracking. The only defects spotted are a
few paint chips touched up on right quarter-
Two-inch tear in trunk. Cond: 3. NOT SOLD
AT $22,250. This Falcon was nicely done. The
V8 with auto, power steering and power disc
brakes should make this a nice cruiser. The
seller wanted $28k and explained that the Falcon
was built on the same chassis and powertrain
as the Mustang, and that the Falcon
was much more rare, so it should bring as
much as a Mustang. While the conclusion is
obviously debatable, even if the premise is
valid, the high bid was a little low. The car is
worth a couple grand more.
#327-1966 FORD F-100 pickup. S/N
F10YR847886. Red & white/red & white vinyl.
Odo: 35,824 miles. 352-ci V8, auto.
Straight, solid truck with nice paint. Some
overspray on window weatherstripping. More
time could have been spent on taping for the
two-tone paint on the top of the tailgate. Some
liner. Huge Pro-Comp gauges look a little odd
in the factory dash. Sanden-style a/c compressor.
Engine compartment could stand some
detailing. Cond: 2. NOT SOLD AT $21,000.
Overall, this was a good looking car that
should perform well. However, it is a 1967
coupe with a 289 auto. Similar high-quality
120
Sports Car Market
tear in rear seat and faded gauges. Engine
compartment shows some wear and is in average
condition. Cond: 4. NOT SOLD AT
$13,000. A black 1967 Coronet with a red tailstripe
and Crager SS wheels has a cool, aggressive
look. You just have to look at this one
from a distance. The high bid was generous,
and the consignor should have taken the
money.
#244-1967 FORD MUSTANG coupe.
S/N 7F01C134318. Black/red vinyl. Odo:
6,196 miles. 289-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Nicely
restored car in a good color combination. Only
defects are a ding on the left quarter-panel and
some minor scratches in the right front fender.
Small bubbles forming on right rear quarterpanel
behind the door. Nice chrome and lenses
with just some scuff marks on rear bumper.
Good interior with some wrinkling in head
Page 120
Dan Kruse Classics San Antonio, TX
cars abound at reasonable prices. This car
should have changed hands at this price. Last
seen at Mecum Dallas in September 2013,
where it no-saled at $20k (SCM# 235851).
#250-1968 AMC AMX fastback. S/N
A8M397X278630. Orange/black leather. Odo:
65,233 miles. 390-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Four
large indentations on roof on driver’s side.
Ding on passenger’s door. Driver’s door
slightly wavy. Fisheye and scratches on trunk
lid. Bumpers and glass good. Some dings and
buff marks on other chrome trim. Crack in left
taillight. Modern-era front seats. Gauges okay.
Aftermarket carpet not tucked in properly in
rear. Engine compartment average. Cond: 3-.
NOT SOLD AT $19,000. A 1968 AMX with
390 and 4-speed is a desirable item. This car
also had power steering, power disc brakes
and sidepipes. Speed parts included a highrise
intake manifold, headers and electronic
ignition. The car sounded healthy when fired
up to go through the line. The high bid must
have been just a little short of getting this deal
done.
#283-1968 CHEVROLET CAMARO SS
396 replica coupe. S/N 124378N392230.
Red/black vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 37,855
miles. 396-ci V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Nicely applied
paint in good overall condition. Proper panel
fit. Some small chips on fenders, cowl and
doors. Brush marks on rear bumper. Vinyl top
presents well, as does interior. Aftermarket
gauges below dash. Engine compartment okay.
Interior shows well, with just minor wear on
driver’s seat and some warping of driver’s
door panel. Cond: 2. NOT SOLD AT $24,500.
This car was previously in the John O’Quinn
Collection, and all proceeds were to go to a
local Catholic charity. It seemed like the high
bid was just $1k or so short of selling. Based
on the car’s quality and desirability, it should
have changed hands.
Cond: 3. NOT SOLD AT $25,000. This SS
tribute exuded quality, despite having been
driven some miles. Plus, the color combination
is desirable. The largest knock would be
the engine compartment. The engine was
painted an off-color orange, and the remainder
of the bay could have used detailing. Still,
the high bid was spot-on. Either the bidder or
seller should have given a little ground so the
title could have changed hands.
#249-1969 CHEVROLET CHEVELLE
SS 396 convertible. S/N 136679B338723.
Red/black Haartz cloth/black vinyl. Odo:
29,457 miles. 396-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. A beautifully
restored SS 396 convertible in great col-
122
#277-1969 PONTIAC GTO Judge 2-dr
hard top. S/N 242379B165026. Silver/black
vinyl. Odo: 4,422 miles. 400-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Older, high-quality paint shows its age
but has excellent panel fit. Couple of minor
paint bubbles and chips. Passenger’s rockerpanel
chrome trim dented. Enduro bumper
compartment detailing shows a little age. Nice
interior. The Haartz convertible top was nicely
done but doesn’t quite look right on an otherwise
correct restoration. Cond: 2+. NOT
SOLD AT $46,000. The high bidder was willing
to spend just under $50k for this car,
which should have been close. However, a
nicely optioned, nicely restored, SS convertible
in red/black is probably worth a few thousand
more. Can’t blame the seller for taking it back
home.
#269-1969 OLDSMOBILE 442 convert-
ible. S/N 344679Z127089. Green/white vinyl/
Parchment vinyl. Odo: 90,355 miles. 350-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Mirror-straight paint with
good panel fit. Some dents and pitting on front
bumper. Rear bumper discolored above
exhaust tips. Some buff marks and dings on
chrome windshield trim. Several small gravel
chips in windshield. Some blemishes on top.
ors. Much attention paid to detail because the
chrome, glass, lenses and weatherstripping are
all in excellent condition. On close inspection,
though, both doors have minor waves. Engine
cracked in several spots. Average chrome.
Decent interior with large tear in headliner.
Cond: 3-. SOLD AT $39,960. Advertised as a
true Judge and sporting a nice color combination,
this car brought top-of-the-range money
for its condition. Slight advantage to the seller.
#259-1970 CHEVROLET CHEVELLE
SS 454 convertible. S/N 136670K108002.
Blue/white/white vinyl. Odo: 2,670 miles.
454-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Average-quality paint
looks good from a distance but shows flaws
close up. Large indentation in left quarterpanel.
Some waves and orange-peel throughout.
All chrome in excellent condition other
than windshield trim. Good glass. Average
interior and boot. Engine compartment needs
re-detailing. Cond: 3. NOT SOLD AT
$32,500. Overall, a decent LS5 automatic
Chevelle SS that would make a nice driver.
The advertisement said “new” engine, so the
numbers in all likelihood don’t match. The
high bid appeared about $2k–$3k short, so the
seller did well to hold on to the car.
#256-1970 PLYMOUTH ROAD RUN-
NER 2-dr hard top. S/N RM23V0A137074.
Vitamin C/black vinyl. Odo: 46,751 miles.
440-ci V8, 3x2-bbl, auto. High-quality paint,
but seems a shade off from other Vitamin C
Mopars for 1970. Small amount of orange peel
around roof trim and in engine compartment.
Bumpers good, other than a small discoloration
on rear bumper. Some scratches in rear
window. Interior nice, with some pitting in
console chrome and a wrinkle or two in the
headliner. Gauges in average condition. Engine
compartment detailing could be updated.
Cond: 2-. SOLD AT $47,250. Only 433 Beepers
were produced with the 440 Six Pack and
auto in 1970, so this is a fairly rare bird. That
being said, the price paid was right in the middle
of its value range and a good deal for both
buyer and seller.
#236-1971 DODGE CHALLENGER R/T
replica 2-dr hard top. S/N JH23G1B- 175408.
Yellow/brown vinyl. Odo: 98,118 miles. 340-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Originally a 318-powered car
(per G-code VIN), now with R/T hood and
stripes. Presentable paint, but panel fit could be
better. Some waves and orange peel. Chip on
Sports Car Market
Bonhams Oxford, U.K.
ENGLISH
#220-1932 MG MIDGET J2 roadster.
S/N J2451. Eng. # 1958AJ. Red/red leather.
RHD. Odo: 282 miles. Really sharp recent
resto using original panels over new ash
frame; looks just put back together. Excellent
radiator shell chrome, new red leather and
black cloth tonneau. Plenty of unseen detail
upgrades such as steel crank with shell bearings
and extra support, but some details such
#246-1936 ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM
III sedanca de ville. S/N 3AZ170. Eng. #
V18F. Aluminium. RHD. Massive (in every
sense of the word) restoration project with all
paint stripped off and much of the heavy lifting
done, including the (not original) motor,
restored and beautifully presented on a stand
next to it. But there’s a long way to go yet,
with the body held on by gravity and no inte-
Mans and back five times. Rear spats and one
rear fender are new; shame they ran out of
gray paint. Cond: 3-. SOLD AT $5,400. Sold
at half the rather hopeful lower estimate, so
either the reserve was very low, or the owner
had a quick rethink. But we shouldn’t let the
cosmetics get in the way of what by all accounts
is a great driver that can be improved.
#234-1959 AUSTIN-HEALEY 100-6
as polished fuel pipes a little over the top.
Spin-on oil filter the only outward change.
Recorded mileage is since resto. Cond: 1-.
NOT SOLD AT $45,279. Originally supplied
by University Motors in London and still with
its original registration number, so it had everything
going for it except perhaps a little
patina. High bid was about $10k light for the
vendor, who wisely decided to campaign it on
another day.
#217-1936 MG NB MAGNETTE Cresta
roadster. S/N NA0934. White & black/black
leather. RHD. Odo: 23,839 miles. Good and
straight and with nice paint. Restored around
2000 with improved support for rear body.
Possibly original leather slightly creased and
lightly worn. Excellent dash and instruments.
Homemade alloy bracket for front indicators a
bit unfortunate but easy to put right—or you
could even fix the original semaphores, which
rior or intruments. Cond: 4. SOLD AT
$15,428. Offered at no reserve, this was
bought mostly for the motor, as most bidders
walked straight past the car to inspect the
V12—and no surprise: Even the catalog described
the project as “challenging.” Let go at
about half the lower estimate, which looks like
a good value for a complete rebuilt engine
ready to drop into a blown PIII.
#257-1949 LAND ROVER SERIES I
80-inch utility. S/N R061002992. Eng. #
0610 5309. Green/khaki canvas/green vinyl.
RHD. Odo: 8 miles. Very early Landie with
floor pull-ring for locking front freewheel.
Brush-painted restoration, but chassis solid.
Decent seat vinyl and canvas tilt. First regis-
Works replica rally car. S/N BN64334. Eng.
# 290UH18342. Red/white fiberglass/black
leather. RHD. Odo: 42,133 miles. 100-6 twoseater
made into a 3000 rally car in early ’70s,
rebuilt again and upgraded with aluminium
panels and fiercer engine in 2010. Very well
done with all the right bits, such as side exhaust,
twin-spare trunk lid and overdrive
switch on gearknob. Chassis straight and
largely unhammered. Paint cracking on hard
top. Older leather lightly creased. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $59,785. Has been through the
hands of Big Healey guru John Chatham,
which is always a good sign. Vaguely pricey
for a 100-6, but this was the most bid-on lot of
the auction. A 3000 rally replica couldn’t be
built again for this money, so as a weapon,
well bought.
remain. But motor, gearbox and axle aren’t the
originals, the block being an un-numbered
single-breather NA rather than the correct NB,
and gearbox likewise of an earlier pattern.
Electric fan and better dynamo. Cond: 2-.
NOT SOLD AT $97,266. Catalog cover car,
one of only three Crestas left of 10 or 12 built
and presented right in front of the rostrum.
But even that couldn’t help it enough against a
rather hopeful £75–£85k ($125k–$145k)
estimate.
130
tered for civilian use in 1964, hence “B” registration.
Cond: 3. SOLD AT $9,257. In Jersey
until 1985. Given that the shiniest restorations
have been selling in the $40k range, remarkably
cheap for a Series 1. Sold at half the
expected price, so either the reserve was well
low or the owner had a rethink.
#208-1951 ALVIS TA21 sedan. S/N
24437. Gray & pink/burgundy leather. Odo:
94,849 miles. Tired-looking and a bit frilly
around the edges, leather distressed. But motor
has recently been rebuilt, and it runs a tallerthan-standard
diff, as well as electronic ignition
and flashing indicators. Has made it to Le
Sports Car Market
#227-1959 JAGUAR XK 150 3.8 coupe.
Page 130
Bonhams Oxford, U.K.
S/N S824851DN. Green/green leather. RHD.
Odo: 10,643 miles. Straight and recently restored
car. Now with 3.8 motor among other
upgrades, such as deep bucket seats. Shiny
gear knob points to a 5-speed. Door fit good
for an XK, chassis good and straight, as is
trunk floor. Newish exhaust, Kenlowe fan.
Cond: 2-. SOLD AT $83,892. Sold slap in the
middle of estimate range, but, as ever, upgrades
don’t add to actual value. Likely a
good drive, at only fair E-type S1 coupe
money, but will feel antique by comparison.
#241-1960 BENTLEY CONTINENTAL
Flying Spur sedan. S/N BC124AR. Silver &
gray/black leather. RHD. Odo: 14,753 miles.
Spur is four-door version of Continental, and
not as elegant as the two-door. In good order
following restoration in early 2000s. Still with
toolkit. Let down by slightly odd color scheme
(originally green over green) and even odder
(for the U.K.) massive indicator lights, making
it look like a municipal vehicle—although
$30,186. Has had a spell in Japan, back in the
U.K. in 2002 and put to work—almost inevitably,
the pic in the catalog had it bedecked in
wedding ribbons. Hammered at this price,
which should have been enough to buy it way
behind the rather hopeful £37k–£44k estimate,
but did not appear in the published results
later.
#206-1962 FORD CONSUL CAPRI
coupe. S/N 2388148800. White & red/black
vinyl. RHD. Odo: 55,499 miles. In good restored
order, although doors have dropped
slightly, and underside is liberally coated in
sticky underseal. Interior all good and holding
up well. Extra gauges in pod under dash,
including rev-counter. Chrome all in good
shape. Clip-on whitewalls a bit wavy. Reportedly
was confiscated by the Metropolitan Po-
ous” British comedy “Carry on Cabby”). This
attracted serious interest from at least two
parties, but both were put off by the sunroof,
which suggests they only wanted it as a donor
shell for a LoCort racer. High bid just wasn’t
enough compared with the Escort Mexico-like
estimate of £16k–£20k ($27k–$34k). Given
that it’s too nice to chop into a racer, probably
just as well that it stayed with its owner.
#245-1963 MGB convertible. S/N GHN31R87.
Eng. # 18GVH11800. Green/black
vinyl/black vinyl. RHD. Odo: 24,002 miles.
Pull-handle car appears straight and rot-free,
following restoration 20 years ago, although
with corroded bumpers. Seat vinyl may be
original. Mileage claimed genuine, and origi-
these have apparently been on it from new.
Cond: 2-. NOT SOLD AT $120,744. In Germany
for 10 years up to sale. Would have been
the star lot of the auction—had it sold—as it
was one of only three cars displayed in the
sale room, then moved outside for the bidding.
Estimated at £80k–£100k, ($135k–$170k) of
which the lower figure would have bought it,
the car is still for sale at a well-known RollsRoyce
dealer (who was present at the sale) if
you want it, asking £89k ($149k).
#242-1960 ROLLS-ROYCE SILVER
CLOUD II sedan. S/N SRA259. White/gray
leather. RHD. Odo: 74,081 miles. Slightly
tired old thing, but slightly better than average
wedding fodder and nicer than the preceding
Cloud III (Lot 209, sold at $29k). Straight
body, body mounts look okay, older paint,
good chrome, lightly creased leather may be
original. With factory-fitted electric windows
lice following an armed robbery and
subsequently spent many years dismantled in
dry storage. Cond: 3+. SOLD AT $14,464.
Lots of these were plundered back in the day
for their front chassis legs to transplant disc
brakes into Anglias—although the rot probably
got them first. So survivors are rare and
always pull decent money, here at the lower
end of the expected price range. I’d call this
market-correct, and the interesting back-story
helped.
#232-1963 FORD CORTINA GT Deluxe
2-dr sedan. S/N Z77B221683. Black/black
cloth sunroof/red vinyl. RHD. Odo: 4,764
miles. Very nicely presented car, rot-free,
straight and shiny. Vinyl interior all in good
shape. Tweaked pushrod motor runs twin
Webers. Sits on slightly wider-than-stock
steelies, à la Lotus Cortina, with all the usual
nal trip-counter reset sticker still on speedo
after more than 50 years. Cond: 3. NOT
SOLD AT $9,224. High bid should have been
nearly enough to buy it, as its main appeal is
as a donor for an FIA racer. Story was that the
high estimate set by the vendor was revised
downward when Bonhams actually saw the
car, but clearly not downward enough. Better
luck next time.
#229-1964 AUSTIN-HEALEY 3000 Mk
IIA convertible. S/N HBJ7L20570. Eng. #
29FRDH1645. Red & black/red vinyl/red
leather. RHD. Odo: 8,933 miles. Restored
1997 and converted from left-hander, now
with side exhaust. Good door fit, chassis
and aerial, and now with electronic ignition
and electric fan. Cond: 3+. NOT SOLD AT
132
boy-racer suspension tweaks (lowered, polybushed,
adjustable TCAs and so on). Cond: 2.
NOT SOLD AT $17,500. Many appearances
under its belt at the Goodwood Revival as part
of the “Glamcabs” fleet (inspired by “hilari-
straight. Rear apron is wavy. New leather and
new top. Motor now in Mk III spec with electronic
ignition, electric fan and spin-on oil
filter, with lots of ongoing work at Big Healey
specialist JME. Cond: 2-. SOLD AT $44,357.
Sold new to California, repatriated 1971. Sold
to the vendor at auction in 2009. Not huge
money for a Healey; the earliest 100 and very
late Mk IIIs command the most.
#230-1964 BENTLEY S3 Continental
coupe. S/N BC116XC. Eng. # 58CBC.
Sports Car Market
Page 131
Bonhams Oxford, U.K.
Green/beige leather. RHD. Odo: 43,228 miles.
Good and straight “Chinese Eye” Conti. Restored,
but not known when or by whom.
maroon/black leather. RHD. Odo: 98,722
miles. Fair plating, dull paint, not as nice as
Lot 242 (white Cloud that was bid a little
higher but failed to sell). Restored in 1980 but
in storage for many years, so “will need recommissioning.”
Cond: 3. SOLD AT $28,543.
Claimed to be a one-owner car from the Isle of
Man, which begs the question how it racked
up that many miles. Offered at no reserve and
sold a little way under lower estimate.
Frankly, I wouldn’t have, but if you don’t
gamble, you don’t win.
Lightly scratched chrome, new leather, engine
bay very tidy. With non-factory a/c. Spanish
registration. Cond: 2-. SOLD AT $124,602.
High sale of the auction, selling over estimate.
I’d say fairly well sold here—those headlights
do look like they’re off a Kenworth, don’t
they?
#233-1964 JAGUAR XKE racer. S/N
N/A. Silver/silver fiberglass/black leather.
Odo: 77,293 km. Racer built from new shell in
2008 but less overtly converted than other cars
of its type, with narrower track and wheels,
stock rear arches, etc. And still on SUs rather
than triple Webers. No carpets or soundproofing,
though, and hood is fiberglass. Leather
buckets are unworn. Cond: 2. NOT SOLD AT
$114,036. The original car (which exists in
the rest of it. Cond: 3+. SOLD AT $80,999.
Offered but not sold by Kruse at Auburn 1992
for $15k with 28,785 miles (SCM# 2819). Said
to have been museum-displayed in the U.S.
Pretty high money for a Stromberg car, but
they’re easy enough to change, and the condition
of the structure matters more. Fair money
both ways.
identity alone) was sold to New York, back to
the U.K. in 1999 and restored. Being more of
an old-school racer than Goodwood Revival
hot rod should keep it more user-friendly on
the road, and it was driven to every race
2009–13 except Monza. High bid of £68k was
almost exactly half its build cost and enough
to buy a C-type replica—not enough, but I
doubt the seller will get a better offer, as competition
cars never get their money back. A
missed opportunity both ways.
#209-1965 ROLLS-ROYCE SILVER
CLOUD III sedan. S/N SJR493. Black &
#259-1972 LAND ROVER RANGE
ROVER SUV. S/N 35504010A. Eng. # 35505561.
White/beige vinyl. RHD. Odo: 61,575
miles. Off road since at least 2002. Pretty horrid
and covered in moss, but chassis is solid,
and body has mostly survived without corrosion
because it’s aluminum. Seat and floor
covering split and tattered, as usual, but all
#225-1968 JAGUAR XKE coupe. S/N
1E35461. Indigo Blue/gray leather. Odo:
29,764 miles. U.S.-spec car with twin Strombergs,
presented under such poor lighting that
it’s hard to properly evaluate. Appears straight
and shiny with an older repaint and decent
chrome. Carpets and leather likely newer than
early Range Rover features remain. Cond: 4+.
SOLD AT $8,100. And that’s where its value
lies, as there’s been a massive surge in interest
and values of early Rangies, especially these
“suffix A” models. Getting a decent interior is
the hardest part of restoring an early one, but
even though that’s shot, this is still a worthwhile
project. Sold without reserve for twice
June 2014
133
Page 132
Bonhams Oxford, U.K.
the price of the derelict (but better-condition)
Overfinch Rangie one lot before.
#258-1987 RANGE ROVER LAND
ROVER SUV. S/N SALLHAML3DA285892.
Green/gray velour. RHD. Odo: 35,152 miles.
Overfinch is an “improved” Rangie, normally
with small-block Chevy power, as here,
backed up in this case by GM transmission.
Converted 1987 but claimed to be 6.2 liters,
which would make it a 378—i.e., a much later
motor, or maybe a Gen 1 383 stroker (basically
a 350 block with 400 crank, offered as a
#254-1995 MG RV8 convertible. S/N
SARRAWBMBMG001786. Green/black
cloth/beige leather. RHD. Odo: 11,071 miles.
Japanese-spec car, but lacking its “eyebrow”
front wheelarch extensions. Rot-free but average,
with ripply dash, lightly soiled interior.
Top looks new. Speedo change at about 30,000
crate motor). Unloved resto project, but not
too bad. Chassis is solid, tailgate is rust-free
and interior is all there, with spare set of
wheels and tires inside. Cond: 3-. SOLD AT
$3,471. Strangely, has received attention from
a Rangie specialist in the past three years, but
let go slightly under bottom estimate. Probably
makes sense as a DIY fixer-upper, but
could very quickly swallow a lot of money.
And that’s before you fill it up.
#235-1994 FORD ESCORT Cosworth
rally car. S/N WFOBXXGKABRL92667.
White/black velour. Escort Cossie sits on
shortened Sierra Cosworth floorpan. Well built
but rather tame-looking Group N rally car
with Mountune engine, all holding together
well except for rocker covers cracking and
don’t fit well around fabricated jacking points.
Coralba trip computer, three sets of wheels.
km. Cond: 3. SOLD AT $13,500. One dealer
who’s had 125 of these pass through his hands
(that’s something like 10% of the surviving
population of 2,000 made) liked this a lot.
Sold just under lower estimate and probably
market-correct, when really nice ones were
making twice this five years ago.
FRENCH
#244-1913 PHILOS 4M tourer. S/N
14081. Green/black cloth/black leather. Restored
in 1980s. Now beautifully dilapidated
with characterful (i.e., dulled and dented)
brass, although top looks newish, and frame is
in good shape. Leather is only lightly creased.
No odo. Austrian registration, formerly on a
U.K. Q plate, which means getting an age-related
number will be well-nigh impossible.
Locked, so unable to see odo. Cond: 3. SOLD
AT $42,428. One of 10 built by Gordon
Spooner Engineering from lightweight Ford
Motorsport shells as recce cars for the WRC,
this one driven by Carlos Sainz and tarmacrallied
by the subsequent owner. Compared
with the price of a clean standard example,
not a lot of money for a fully built rally car. Its
lifelong support van (fully kitted with tools
and spares) was the next lot and sold for a
ridiculously cheap £1,725 ($2,900) to a different
buyer.
134
Cond: 4+. SOLD AT $20,250. According to
the SCM Platinum Auction Database, the car
sold twice in 1986: for $11k at Brooks’ Castle
Donington sale in April (SCM# 13356) and for
$12k at Christie’s Silverstone sale in July
(SCM# 18641). Price paid this time—similar
money as a rough-to-fair Ford T in the U.K.—
looked an okay deal for this much rarer and
quite charming antiquity.
#222-1950 DELAHAYE 135M coupe.
S/N 801428. Blue/gray leather. RHD. Odo:
61,692 km. Straight body but left door
jammed shut. New paint since last sale, plus
rebuilt carburetors and new clutch. Cracked
and distressed original leather, crack in revcounter
glass. Cotal electric gearbox. Cond:
Sports Car Market
Page 134
Bonhams Oxford, U.K.
3-. SOLD AT $89,678. Most of its life in
France, followed by a few years in
tion around 10 years ago of English-converted
“splittie,” with all the old parts and interior
piled up beside it as Lot 252A, including
transaxle. Good, straight and rot-free,
Germany, then a couple of years on the
auction circuit. Sold at Bonhams Harrogate in
November 2012 (when the door was stuck,
too), with 61,457 km for $88k (SCM# 214220).
Before that, no-saled at Bonhams Beaulieu in
September 2012 (undisclosed high bid, SCM#
218560) and Bonhams Paris in February 2012
(SCM# 197346) following the company’s
unsuccessful attempt to shift it at Beaulieu in
2010 (SCM# 167070). This sale said to be
because the owner has run out of space.
Someone give it some more love, please.
GERMAN
#211-1965 MERCEDES-BENZ 220SEB
coupe. S/N 11102122074695. Ruby Red/
brown leather. RHD. Odo: 78,198 miles.
Excellent repaint, some brightwork a little
tarnished and/or polished through, but bumpers
okay. Excellent dash timer glows nicely.
Instrument pod blown and split in places.
Leather lightly creased, understructure very
good. Recent exhaust. Unleaded cylinder head
fitted. Spare original head included, plus fuel
pump, injection pump and Becker Europa
overspray noted on hood frame. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $13,114. Resident in the south of
France for a time. Sold about 10% under
lower estimate, which usually corresponds
closely with the reserve price. It looked promisingly
like it was worth more until you got up
close. Once there, reality set in, and the seller
was probably right to let it go slightly light.
Not a bad car, just not quite top quality, and
the market valued it right.
radio. Cond: 3+. SOLD AT $27,000. Australian
import in 1992, sold post-auction for a
relative bargain. These retail at least in the
mid-£20k range ($40k-plus), so if any issues
transpire, there’s a bit of leeway to fix them.
Well bought, and with owner’s manual, parts
book and service book (stamped 1965–75), it’s
a retailer’s dream, but it hadn’t popped up in
the ads by the time SCM went to press.
#252-1967 VOLKSWAGEN TRANS-
PORTER Devon Caravette minibus. S/N
084818. Eng. # 0760279. Green & white/green
velour. RHD. Odo: 29,279 miles. Big restora-
136
ITALIAN
#237-1963 FIAT 500 “competition sa-
loon.” S/N 1100529096. Blue & yellow/black
velour. Loosely described as a racer, with Autobianchi
A112 “four” and VW Beetle
transaxle. But... the hand-brake arrangement
has a rear-shelf-mounted starter motor tensioning
a length of seat belt webbing via a pulley,
hauling a long lever connected to a master
cylinder mounted down in the bowels of the
engine bay... you get the idea. Someone’s
Heath-Robinson idea of a racer/hillclimber,
but not even a scrutineer on hallucinogenics
would let this run. It has electric power
retaining all charming features such as foldout
cooker in door. All-new interior. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $46,285. Sold stronger than expected,
but the price was spot-on for the market—or
the same as 21-window Sambas were
getting a few years ago.
#253-1969 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE
convertible. S/N 1502483519. Red & white/
white vinyl/red & white vinyl. Odo: 57,524
km. Nicely restored/refreshed in 2012. Still in
good order, aside from ripply rechrome, although
bumpers are claimed new. Interior and
top are in in good order, but weird fleck
steering, too. What were they thinking? Cond:
3-. SOLD AT $5,786. Said to have been raced
in Italy (would that explain two rev counters
and no speedo?) and touted as a hillclimber
“subject to any modifications required by the
prevailing regulations.” I’ll say. Not sold at
H&H’s Chateau Impney sale in 2013, and for
good reason.
#228-1964 ALFA ROMEO GIULIA
Sprint GT coupe. S/N AR608377. Red/black
vinyl. Odo: 72,201 km. Straight rally car, shinily
repainted. In Italy 2007–09. All clean and
well presented, apart from rather tatty steel
wheels. All usual rally kit such as foam-filled
tank, roll cage and harnesses. With Historic
Technical Passport, although that’ll expire at
the end of 2014. Cond: 2-. SOLD AT $49,178.
Originally white with blue. Wears older Italian
event stickers circa 2002–09, into the U.K. in
2012. Sold on the phone for fair money—especially
if you compare it with the cost of sourcing
a clean car and building it again.
#224-1973 LAMBORGHINI URRACO
P250 S coupe. S/N DGM111320M15302.
Silver/black velour & leather. Odo: 233 km.
Repainted with a few dust and sink marks.
Rockers have ugly patch-weld repairs. Rear
bumper lightly microblistered. Seats unworn.
New speedo fitted at 95,611 km, so it’s done
about 60k miles. With owner’s manual and
service history. Cond: 3+. SOLD AT $48,214.
Sold a touch under lower estimate, like a lot of
Sports Car Market
The most valuable tool
in your box
AmericanCarCollector.com
817.219.2605 Ext. 1
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
140
Sports Car Market
Page 140
Roundup Selected Sales Combined in One Comprehensive Report
Global Auction Highlights
ENGLISH
#93-1935 BENTLEY 3½ LITRE sedan.
S/N B185CW. Black & gray. Looks like a
complete basket case, but someone has started
on the restoration by renewing most of the ash
body frame. Still a long way to go. Bring a
trailer. Cond: 5. SOLD AT $43,918. Sold over
estimate. James Young saloons are some of the
most attractive bodies on Derby Bentleys
(which are really Royce 20/25s), and a good
one is approaching £75k ($125k). But I doubt
another £50k ($85k) will finish this, unless the
new owner does the work at home. Well sold,
especially given that the vendor picked this up
at H&H’s Duxford sale in October for $40k
(SCM# 228378) before the full horror dawned.
H&H Auctions, Buxton, U.K., 02/14.
1958 Devin Special roadster, sold at $88,000—Auctions America, Fort Lauderdale, FL
AUCTIONS AMERICA
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Date: March 14, 2014
Auctioneers: Brent Earlywine, Mike Shackleton,
Chris Bol
Automotive lots sold/offered: 355/493
H&H
Location: Buxton, U.K.
Date: February 26, 2014
Auctioneer: Simon Hope
Automotive lots sold/offered: 66/98
Sales rate: 67%
Sales total: $1,004,878
High sale: 1959 Alvis TD21 Graber sedan, sold at
$63,541
Buyer’s premium: 12%, minimum $250
($1.00 = £0.60)
Report and photos by Paul Hardiman
GREENSBORO AUTO AUCTIONS
Location: Greensboro, NC
Date: March 6–8, 2014
Auctioneers: Mike Anderson, Ricky Parks, Eli Detweiler
Automotive lots sold/offered: 372/481
Sales rate: 77%
Sales total: $7,932,763
142
High sale: 1963 Chevrolet Corvette 327/360
fuel-injected coupe, sold at $114,480
Buyer’s premium: 6%, $500 for hammer prices under
$8,000, included in sold prices
Report by James “Killer” Grosslight
Photos by David Rohan de Silva
BRIGHTWELLS
Location: Herefordshire, U.K.
Date: March 5, 2014
Auctioneers: Richard Binnersley
Automotive lots sold/offered: 94/118
Sales rate: 80%
Sales total: $1,496,917
High sale: 1968 Aston Martin DB6 coupe, sold at
$205,888
Buyer’s premium: 10%, included in sold prices
($1.00 = £0.60)
Report and photos by Paul Hardiman
On the money for a 20/25. You’d normally get
a middling Doctor’s Coupe or similar for such
a price, making this handsome saloon look a
good deal. Sadly, the color means that the life
of a wedding service no doubt awaits it. H&H
Auctions, Buxton, U.K., 02/14.
#39-1952 BENTLEY R-TYPE sedan.
S/N B1045R. Eng. # B525. Black/brown
Sales rate: 72%
Sales total: $20,778,250
High sale: 1963 Shelby 289 Cobra, sold at $825,000
Buyer’s premium: 10%, included in sold prices
Report and photos by Pierre Hedary
#76-1935 ROLLS-ROYCE 20/25 “Airline”
sedan. S/N GEH4. Cream & black/black
leather. RHD. In excellent order, possibly
uniquely bodied. Plating all nice, timber all
good, leather lightly creased and settling in.
Motor and ancillaries tidy and correct. Complete
toolkit. Cond: 3+. SOLD AT $46,721.
Sports Car Market
Page 142
Roundup
leather. RHD. Needs cosmetics, but appears
solid where it matters. Much reportedly spent
in recent years, with fresh brakes and stainless
exhaust. Starter motor not working but apparently
“starts on the handle.” Cond: 3-. SOLD
AT $15,442. In this ownership for 42 years
and still with original handbook. Sold fairly
for condition, and since the body doesn’t look
too rough, it could be improved at home. A
decent driver until then at sensible money.
Brightwells, Herefordshire, U.K., 03/14.
#57-1952 JOWETT JUPITER coupe.
S/N E1SA247R. White/green leather. RHD.
Odo: 881 miles. Nicely restored example of
sole survivor—only two were bodied like
this—using new ash frame under coachbuilt
skin. Motor built up from new castings and
scuffed black paint. Added trunk rack detracts
from clean lines. Unmodified body. Door fit
marginal, with both out at bottom. Interior
worn in, but no serious flaws. Engine bay exemplary
for a good driver, with signs of recent
use and no glaring mechanical issues. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $27,500. This was the only MGA at
the auction. I took a good, hard look at it, and
I could tell it had been loved. High bid was
just on reserve. You can’t put a price on fun.
Well bought. Auctions America, Fort Lauderdale,
FL, 03/14.
almost all new internals, interior retrimmed.
Cond: 3+. SOLD AT $33,639. The holy grail
for the micro-niche of Jowett enthusiasts, and
it attracted much interest during viewing. Final
price paid was less than hoped for but still
seems expensive for a Jowett Jupiter. H&H
Auctions, Buxton, U.K., 02/14.
#73-1959 ALVIS TD21 Graber sedan.
S/N 26008. Gold/tan leather.
RHD. Rare car in super order, restored
2007–08 with new ash frame under
aluminum skin, color matched to original,
brightwork rechromed, new leather. Panel and
door fit good, motor clean and tidy in factory
finishes, dash excellent. Dutch-registered.
BEST
BUY
raised-white-letter numberplates, too. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $34,927. 1071 is the best Cooper S
to drive, and one of the rarest derivatives, so
it’s the one the collectors want. In one-family
ownership since 1981, this, surprisingly, sold
$8k under lower estimate. So it was either on
a low reserve, or the seller had a rethink. I’d
call this a super deal in today’s market.
Brightwells, Herefordshire, U.K., 03/14.
Cond: 2-. SOLD AT $63,541. Last seen at
Bonhams’ 2011 Paris sale, where it sold at an
undisclosed price (SCM# 175155). Sold here
at top estimate, which isn’t surprising. What is
is that it didn’t fetch more, as this is marketcorrect
for an average “standard”-bodied
TD21, and the Graber cars are the most elegant.
Well bought. H&H Auctions, Buxton,
U.K., 02/14.
#427-1959 MGA roadster. S/N 65065.
Black/black vinyl/red vinyl. Odo: 71,712
miles. Clean driver-level MGA with slightly
144
#527-1965 AUSTIN-HEALEY 3000 Mk
III convertible. S/N H888L26113. Bronze
metallic/black vinyl. Odo: 14,823 miles. Car
was disassembled for years and restored by a
high-school shop class. Mileage claimed to be
since new. Very straight and showing some
signs of aging. Nice paint, but someone was
liberal in his color choice and application.
Door fit disappointing. Interior looks used and
comfortable. Engine bay driver-level and
showing some lack of commitment. Cond: 3.
NOT SOLD AT $52,000. “What will we do
with that box of parts, sir?” “Oh, you mean
the Big Healey that no one wanted to finish?
Just cobble it back together, and do your
best!” Admittedly, I am being a bit harsh, but
numerous signs told me that the cosmetic pre-
#22-1964 AUSTIN MINI Cooper S
1071 2-dr sedan. S/N CA2S7487872.
Eng. # 9FSAH27898. White & Almond
Green/gray vinyl. RHD. Super-clean
example of the best of the breed. Restored in
early ’80s and little used since. Holding up
beautifully. With Heritage Certificate and verified
as real by the Cooper Register. Proper
BEST
BUY
sentation was far superior to the mechanical
one. $52k was plenty. Auctions America, Fort
Lauderdale, FL, 03/14.
#631-1965 JAGUAR XKE convertible.
S/N 1E11412. Red/black/black leather. Odo:
58,700 miles. Nice Series One E-type with
good paint and healthy bonnet fit. Other gaps
okay, as is chrome. Interior is fresh and looks
flawless, but electricals are untested. Engine
clean and showing signs of use, which indicates
it might be a well-sorted driver. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $110,000. Last seen at auction in
2002 at RM Monterey, not sold at $55k (SCM#
28873); sold before that in 2000 at Bonhams
Carmel for $61k (SCM# 10409). Of several
E-types at the sale, this one stood out. With its
bright red finish, it attracted numerous bids
until the reserve was distantly forgotten, finally
selling for a market-correct price. Auctions
America, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 03/14.
#13-1966 JAGUAR MK 2 3.4 sedan. S/N
170786DN. Sand metallic/red leather. RHD.
Almost concours-level, with nice paint, super
interior timber, leather could be original.
Coombs-type rear arches, newish stainless
exhaust. 3.4-liter I6 with 4-speed manual.
Cond: 1-. SOLD AT $30,836. Although the
market likes the 3.8, the manual-overdrive 3.4
is the nicest to drive and here looked a great
deal. H&H Auctions, Buxton, U.K., 02/14.
Sports Car Market
Page 144
Roundup
#72-1968 DAIMLER V8 250 sedan. S/N
P1K4256BW. Eng. # 7K4415. Blue/blue
leather. Odo: 53,000 miles. Dead-straight and
shiny, with one owner (and chauffeur-driven)
from new until 2011. With original handbooks
in wallet, toolkit, original green logbook and
sales brochure, plus every bill from new.
Cond: 2. SOLD AT $40,075. Sold mid-esti-
Black paint shows fisheyes, swirls and
scratches. Hood just barely fits, and trunk hard
to close. Other gaps just fine. Chrome is solid
mate. Huge money for a Daimler, which sells
for much less than its Mk 2 sister. (Whisper it:
The V8 is a better car than the 2.4 Jag. There
was once a plan to fit the Edward Turner V8
into Vauxhall Crestas, you know.) But condition
and supporting books, etc., make it a retailer’s
dream, so expect to see it marked up
elsewhere soon. Brightwells, Herefordshire,
U.K., 03/14.
#94-1970 ROVER 2000 TC sedan. S/N
41530951F. White/red leather. RHD. Nicely
kept and better than it looks. Restored, which
included welding underneath, but structure is
solid with excellent inner fenders. (This is the
one with the mad, bellcranked front suspension
to make room for a proposed turbinepowered
version whose prototype is in the
Heritage Motor Centre, if you’re visiting.)
and fits well. Interior fresh and free of blemishes.
Engine is orderly with no visible mods.
Undercarriage clean. Has a/c. Cond: 3. SOLD
AT $99,000. This just shows that any E-type
will bring big money if everything is in order.
(Okay, maybe except an automatic 4.2 2+2.)
While this was an appealing a/c-equipped
example, the details did not hold up under
scrutiny. Well sold for condition. Auctions
America, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 03/14.
#28-1971 MORRIS MINOR delivery
truck. S/N 296366F. Blue/black vinyl. RHD.
Odo: 89,006 miles. Really nice and thorough
home restoration of ex-post-office van. Chassis
solid, rockers unusually straight and
sharp—even the dampers have been off for
straight and shiny early car, repainted in nottoo-distant
past. Doors haven’t dropped,
leather is in good order, and there’s still an
8-track tape player. The a/c is not working,
due, the seller says, to a duff compressor
clutch. But at least he’s being honest. With
original handbook and service book. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $39,246. Cheap for a Camargue,
but the vendor was only looking for £16–£19k
($27k–$32k). Which, when you think about it,
is realistic: £8k–£10k ($14k–$17k) for an old
Shadow, and the same again for the party
frock. I’d say he did well, even though dealers
think they’re worth more. H&H Auctions,
Buxton, U.K., 02/14.
#14-1977 MINI 850 pickup. S/N XKU1422961A.
Eng. # 114783. Blue/black vinyl.
Odo: 43,500 miles. Has lived a fairly sheltered
life. Pickup bed is under a tonneau cover and
not knocked about. Has been stored in recent
years. Straight shape, rockers and subframes
in good shape. Seat vinyl a little baggy but not
split. Rubber floor mats okay. Cond: 2-.
Details are tidy and correct. Interior is all
there, with leather pretty much unworn. Cond:
3+. SOLD AT $4,485. Most attractive in its
4-cylinder form, without the heavy-handed
hood warts that festooned the V8. An inexpensive
starter classic at rough Miata money, or a
good basis for a long-distance historic rally
car. Last sold for $405 at this sale in 2012
when it was a bit of a rusty old shed (SCM#
211942), but I doubt this price covered even
the repaint. H&H Auctions, Buxton, U.K.,
02/14.
#557-1971 JAGUAR XKE convertible.
S/N 2R13640. Black/black hard top/saddle
leather. Odo: 37,134 miles. Last of the 6-cylinder
E-types, in slightly sinister presentation.
146
Sports Car Market
painting. Sits on new radials, original-type
crossply on spare, load bed still flat and unscuffed.
Only problem is split in left seat vinyl.
Cond: 2-. SOLD AT $10,839. The provisional
bid was accepted before sale’s end. Looks a lot
for a Moggy Thou van, but this is where the
market is—if anything, this sold slightly light.
Buyer got a great deal on a charming and
usable little van that should now last forever. I
so nearly bought this. H&H Auctions, Buxton,
U.K., 02/14.
#82-1976 ROLLS-ROYCE CAMAR-
GUE 2-dr sedan. S/N JRH23784. Gold/red
leather. RHD. Odo: 65,198 miles. Very
SOLD AT $9,191. Slowly gathering pace behind
the Coopers and early sedans are the
commercials. Nice ones are rare, as most wore
out or rusted away before anyone thought to
preserve them. This would have looked like a
huge amount before the early-Mini craze of
the past couple of years, but now, 20% under
the estimate, it looks eminently reasonable—or
even well bought. Brightwells, Herefordshire,
U.K., 03/14.
GERMAN
#589-1957 MERCEDES-BENZ 220S
cabriolet. S/N 180030651026. Medium blue/
black canvas/tan leather. Odo: 83,853 miles.
Desirable 220 cabriolet ponton let down by
condition. Paint is atrocious, with rust repelling
paint away from body on most surfaces.
Gaps tell the tale of previous bodywork, with
Page 146
Roundup
something horrible concealed in rear right
quarter. Chrome pitted but all there. Windshield
cracked. Interior is complete and has
lots of patina, but no clue how well everything
works. Underhood miserable, with gas dripping
from dual Solexes and water oozing out
of block side plates. Cond: 4-. NOT SOLD
AT $56,000. I wasn’t sure what to make of the
statement that this car had “always been serviced.”
It did appear to find a new owner on
the block at this price (very strong for the condition),
but final results show it as a no-sale.
Auctions America, Fort Lauderdale, FL,
03/14.
#747-1959 MERCEDES-BENZ 190SL
convertible. S/N 9502052. White/black
canvas/red leather. Odo: 47,835 miles. Driverlevel
190SL. Paint presentable and in original
#050 White. Chrome pitted and not redone
with repaint. Seats covered in modern
leather—a far cry from the original surfacedyed
hides from Roser. Dash covering is original
and nice. With Becker Mexico radio.
Engine bay is messy, with wrong clamps and
SOLD AT $24,000. This desirable VW
camper needs some great outdoor camper
colors to make it pop. Well presented with all
the amenities: picnic baskets, lanterns,
colorful chair—nice try at overcoming the
monotone color scheme. The bus sold at Barrett-Jackson’s
2006 sale in Palm Beach, FL,
for $26k. If the sellers had paid attention to
the market, they could have gotten their money
back with interest. GAA, Greensboro, NC,
03/14.
#773-1971 MERCEDES-BENZ 280SL
convertible. S/N 1130441219167. Papyrus
White/blue canvas/blue vinyl. Odo: 32,698
miles. Straight late-production W113 with a/c.
Fresh Papyrus White paint done respectably.
Chrome original and showing some age, but
very presentable. Original interior very inviting
and in good order. Engine bay clean, but
with misplaced stickers, wrong clamps and
misguided efforts. Power-steering pump is
hemorrhaging badly. Soft top and hard top are
and colors thrown in for free. This will look
like a good deal in three more years if the
market continues to move up. Auctions America,
Fort Lauderdale, FL, 03/14.
#38-1975 MERCEDES-BENZ L306D
RV. S/N 06030222207588. White & gold/
brown vinyl. RHD. Well-done conversion using
an Eriba Triton camper trailer on M-B’s
staple front-wheel-drive light commercial of
the ’70s. Looks a bit like the matronly aunt of
the famous Renntransporter. This way from
new, all still in good order, with recent respray
hoses, but original Solexes are present. Looks
like a nice driver. Cond: 3-. SOLD AT
$92,400. Of the three 190SLs at this auction,
this was the only one with correct Solex carbs.
That suggests to me that the other two cars
were fluff-and-buff restos, and that this was
someone’s driver that needed a bit of sorting.
Despite the cosmetic issues, it was all there,
and it begged to be driven. Market-correct
price for condition. Auctions America, Fort
Lauderdale, FL, 03/14.
#ST-0076-1967 VOLKSWAGEN
TRANSPORTER minibus. S/N 237052361.
Cream/buckskin brown vinyl. Odo: 98,754
miles. Interior nicely kept and clean, some
signs of wear, with all factory options needed
to go camping. Exterior a monotone cream
with signs of use. Engine clean and running
fine. Rather drab overall. Cond: 2-. NOT
and new carpets and seat covers, plus 240-volt
generator and all home amenities. One wheel
trim missing. Cond: 3+. SOLD AT $16,820.
This attracted much interest, although most of
it of the curiousity kind. Nothing else quite like
it, but it sold mid-estimate when regular 306
campers go for about £3k (about $5k). Too
new for Goodwood, but ideal for the later historic
racing paddock. H&H Auctions, Buxton,
U.K., 02/14.
both free of visible issues. Actually a 1970
model, having been built in June of that year.
Cond: 2+. SOLD AT $74,800. This 280SL was
typical of most W113 examples seen at auction.
It was certainly a solid car, with no glaring
flaws, but presentation is only half the
challenge. These are relatively complicated
cars to sort out and make reliable, so with this
one’s unknown mechanical state, the price
paid looks in line with the recent run-up in
values. Auctions America, Fort Lauderdale,
FL, 03/14.
#729-1972 PORSCHE 911T coupe. S/N
9112102873. Aubergine/black & gray cloth.
Odo: 67,000 miles. Very clean 911T in excellent
nick. Aubergine paint is an original
Porsche color and shows well. Rust-free and
accident-free claim holds up, as car is superstraight.
Interior has minor wear on carpets.
Dash appears like new. Engine clean and or-
#104-1979 PORSCHE 911SC coupe. S/N
9119302280. Eng. # 6392420. Silver/black
velour & vinyl. RHD. Odo: 70,600 miles. In
very good order with more than $15k spent on
motor rebuild in November 2012, driven little
since. New fuel pump, battery and exhaust.
Includes original owner’s handbook and service
history documentation. Cond: 3+. SOLD
AT $44,119. Very well sold, $10k over high
estimate. Big money for an SC, even in England
where prices are higher than in the U.S.
Brightwells, Herefordshire, U.K., 03/14.
derly, showing signs of use. No oil leaks either.
With a/c, comfort group and other cool
options. Cond: 2-. SOLD AT $53,350. Three
years ago this would have been a $30k car.
Now, not so much. Whoever bought this got a
really good, original 911, with the fun options
148
#89-1987 BMW 635 CSI coupe. S/N
WBAEC820508187758. Blue/blue leather.
RHD. Odo: 88,800 miles. An amazing £30k
($50k) spent on restoration, which is several
times what it’s worth. New paint, new leather,
new wheels with correct Michelin TRXs. Full
service history (18 stamps to 87,505 miles)
and original handbooks. Cond: 2. SOLD AT
$18,015. Sharp ones have been climbing, although
not as fast as the holy-grail M6, but
this sold only just over lower estimate. (The
Sports Car Market
Page 148
Roundup
insurance valuation is said to be $25k.) Expect
to see it on the retail market soon. Brightwells,
Herefordshire, U.K., 03/14.
ITALIAN
#783-1963 ALFA ROMEO GIULIETTA
Spider Veloce. S/N AR170259. Red/black
vinyl. Cute little Alfa from a desirable era.
Paint and chrome acceptable for high-level
driver. Interior looks very comfortable and
free of serious defects or deviations from factory.
No chance to inspect top. Engine bay dry.
Non-original block from a Normale installed.
Many signs of use, so hopefully the owner
kept up with required service. Based on VIN,
front lens does not fit. Interior and weatherstripping
look new. Engine now sporting
Webers instead of SPICA injection. Looks
fully functional, but auction photos give you
the idea this was hastily screwed together for
capital gains. Cond: 3. SOLD AT $33,000.
This was tucked in a back corner of the lot,
but that did not mean someone was getting a
deal. This looked like a quick cosmetic fluff to
get it sold. The beauty of early Spiders is their
relative simplicity. Getting one of these back
in order for daily use can be simple enough,
given time and dollars. Hopefully the new
owner doesn’t care about what it costs and is
ready to enjoy it. Well sold. Auctions America,
Fort Lauderdale, FL, 03/14.
#586-1973 FERRARI 365 GTB/4 Daytona
coupe. S/N 16393. Red/tan & red leather.
Odo: 6,098 km. Clean red Daytona with nice
paint and chrome. Body and gaps look very
good. Engine bay is mostly correct, except for
chromed hood latch. Interior has some errors—dash
is not lined with mouse fur, and
radio is in the wrong spot in the console. Daytona
seats are trimmed right and looking sexy.
#42-1985 ALFA ROMEO ALFASUD 1.5
Ti hatchback. S/N ZAS901G5005101486.
Red/brown velour. RHD. That rare thing, a
rot-free ’Sud, although the plastic wheelarch
finishers might be hiding a degree of frilliness,
as I once learned from a similar-era Fiat Uno.
Alloys and interior are clean, and this one’s
been hot-rodded with Cloverleaf power. Cond:
3+. SOLD AT $6,541. Malta-registered, and
there’s a clue to its lack of rust. Sold mid-estimate,
but what’s not to like here? For a rotfree
example of one of the finest-handling
front-drivers, with extra grunt, which should
enable it to keep up with a decent Peugeot 205
GTi, this was a sensible buy. H&H Auctions,
Buxton, U.K., 02/14.
#525-1985 FERRARI TESTAROSSA
may actually be a ’61. Cond: 3+. NOT SOLD
AT $55,000. A certain well-known Alfisti filming
a TV show at this auction gave me a highly
informative run-through with this car. I was
under the impression that these were starting
to become pretty valuable. When $55k wasn’t
enough to buy it, my suspicions were confirmed.
Also did not sell in January at Mecum
Kissimmee (bid to $52k, SCM# 232349), in
October at Mecum Chicago ($56k SCM#
228269), or in August at Mecum Monterey
($85k, SCM# 227487). Auctions America,
Fort Lauderdale, FL, 03/14.
#734-1969 ALFA ROMEO 1750 Spider
Veloce. S/N AR1480547. Red/black vinyl/
black vinyl. Odo: 14,782 miles. 1969 Alfa
spider, improperly identified as a Duetto. Exterior
has thick paint job from recent respray.
Taillights are aging. Plastic cover on right
carriage has not been detailed, but nothing is
violated, either. All the fun of a Ferrari 308,
without the cam belts. Cond: 2. SOLD AT
$123,200. Maseratis from this era remain underdogs
in my opinion. This was a far better
car than many of the Boras on the market, and
at the price paid, you couldn’t replicate it. I’ll
say well bought. Auctions America, Fort Lauderdale,
FL, 03/14.
150
Sports Car Market
Cond: 2-. SOLD AT $605,000. After a certain
point in its appreciation curve, buyers get less
picky about finding the best example and simply
buy a car for what it is. This was certainly
a decent example, and the flaws were correctable.
At the price paid, it was a very strong
sale, but this is the price of convenience. Auctions
America, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 03/14.
#600-1973 MASERATI BORA coupe.
S/N AM11749504. Red/stainless steel/black
leather. Odo: 12,072 miles. Strong presentation
of an original Bora. Paint free of serious
defects. Minor polish marks visible under hard
scrutiny. Chrome and stainless-steel roof pass
muster. Interior, dash and carpets are most
likely original. Speedometer sits at 10 mph.
Engine bay is clean and looks exciting. Under-
distributors look like they may have had recent
repairs. Dossier of service records is
available. Cond: 2+. SOLD AT $78,100. This
was a killer example. Sale price was what you
have to pay to get a car of this caliber, with
the pride of ownership thrown in for free.
Slightly well sold, but worth it. Auctions
America, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 03/14.
#514-1987 FERRARI 328 GTS Spider.
S/N H0073163. White/black vinyl/tan leather.
Odo: 20,144 miles. A nice, original 328. Paint
perfect, but may have had a respray. All gaps
coupe. S/N ZFFSA17A9F0058547. Red/black
leather. Odo: 22,000 miles. Very nice Testarossa
in well-preserved condition. Paint, gaps
and rubber trim all show no wear. Interior is
clean and newish, with some slight discoloration
on carpets. The most important part—the
engine—is clean and impressive. Twin fuel
Page 150
Rising Sun
Recent sales of Japanese collector cars
by Tony Piff
(All text within quotes minimally edited from online descriptions)
# 371030184194-1970 MAZDA R100 coupe.
S/N M10A61601. 28,798 miles. Restoration project.
Parked for 12 years, then purchased in 2012
with intentions to restore. Car is all original and
comes complete, but is partially disassembled. Rust
on driver’s side apron, right rear quarter-panel and
driver’s floor. Doors, trunk and hood were mediablasted,
then epoxy primered. Dings and dents.
Driver’s bolster ragged; interior otherwise quite
good. Original dash with no cracks. Original shifter
knob, radio, jack, spare and hubcaps. Original
motor starts and runs. Condition: 4
Roundup
factory-correct. Interior free of wear and tear.
Engine bay beautiful. Super-clean, with all
records. Cond: 2+. SOLD AT $61,600.
Anyone who thought he might have had a
chance at scoring this below market was
disappointed. I laughed as bidding soared into
the mid-$50k range. Fairly bought for a superb
example. Auctions America, Fort
Lauderdale, FL, 03/14.
JAPANESE
#474-1980 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER
FJ40 SUV. S/N 320059. Tan/gray vinyl. Odo:
16,436 miles. Excellent example of a very late
U.S.-market FJ. Factory gaps, with clean utilitarian
interior. Fact sheet indicates a well-kept
truck. Engine bay is original and presents
well. Undercarriage free of any damage, or
SOLD AT $8,500. The car that introduced the U.S.
to Mazda. Now as then, subcompact-minded drag
racers seek these out for the huge potential of the
rotary engine. That’s why you’ll never, ever see one
in clean, stock condition. The market speaks! eBay
Motors, 4/2/2014
# 291101854140-1989 DODGE RAIDER SUV.
S/N JB7FJ43SXKJ003951. 124,800 miles.
Extremely well maintained, garage-kept 4x4 with
5-speed. Never taken off-road. Runs and drives
excellent. With owner’s manual, two original keys
with dealer tag, tools, jack and window sticker.
Purchased new in Utah. Condition: 2
SOLD AT $11,949. Into the U.K. from the
U.S. in 1989, used until the owner fell ill,
stored since 1992. Cheap as chips, at least $3k
under lowest estimate. Brightwells, Herefordshire,
U.K., 03/14.
#626-1954 CADILLAC ELDORADO
convertible. S/N 546222206. Red/tan vinyl/
white vinyl. Odo: 4,978 miles. 331-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Thoroughly restored big Eldo.
Paint is consistent, but chips around areas
where chrome fits. Left taillight is loose and
scratched on front left fender. Chrome and
gaps are great. Seats are nice, with some yellowing.
Interior chrome parts are aged. Engine
sign of being off-roaded. Cond: 2+. SOLD AT
$52,000. This truck had almost certainly seen
very little use since new. It was impressively
done, but I was surprised when the seller
turned down the $50k high bid on the block.
The deal came together later for $52k. Well
sold. Auctions America, Fort Lauderdale,
FL, 03/14.
SOLD AT $7,501. Badge-engineered Mitsubishi
Montero—the winningest vehicle in the history of
the Paris-Dakar Rally, in case you didn’t know.
Price reflects condition, 5-speed, 2-door configuration
and off-road ability, rather than rarity of the
“Raider” badge. eBay Motors, 3/25/2014
# 151262160522-1993 TOYOTA MR2 Turbo
coupe. 61,087 miles. S/N JT2SW22N7P0063398.
“Garage find” condition. Fully loaded with leather
interior. Manual transmission. Stored 2001–14.
Starts, idles, everything works, clutch feels like
new, brakes work properly, but has not driven
beyond driveway. Condition: 2
AMERICAN
#602-1936 LASALLE SERIES 50 con-
vertible. S/N 365067553. Maroon/black cloth/
red leather. Odo: 69,636 miles. A very presentable
LaSalle. Paint shows micro-scratches,
chrome similar. Hood hinges feel looser than
normal, and doors require a bit of effort to
close, but everything lines up well. Interior
“For recommissioning after several years in
storage.” Fair outside, with all trim present
and correct, better to good inside. Cond: 3-.
bay leaves nothing to be desired. Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $74,800. This Cadillac was a good
example of an aging restoration that was still
usable and show-worthy. Bidding was orderly,
and it sold for an unsurprising price. This was
a market-correct result for a decent car. Last
bid to 55k at RM’s Saint John’s sale in 2013
(SCM# 231285). Auctions America, Fort
Lauderdale, FL, 03/14.
#536-1954 KURTIS KRAFT 500S rep-
lica roadster. S/N 295184966. Maroon &
gold/saddle leather. 331-ci supercharged V8,
5-sp. A “continuation” of an unusual and
legendary car, using as many original parts as
possible. Built on a factory Indy roadster
frame with great effort put into authentic
details. Hard to tell from the real thing. Under-
SOLD AT $13,450. These mid-engined, turbocharged,
T-top pocket-rockets are a joy to drive but
a pain to work on, which explains why the tuner
crowd has pretty much left them alone. Have to call
this low-mile example well bought and well sold.
eBay Motors, 3/31/2014 ♦
152
spartan and devoid of noticeable defects.
Straight-8 engine simple and accessible. Cond:
3+. NOT SOLD AT $70,000. Last sold at
Hershey in 2011 for $96k (SCM #191329).
There might be more money here. Seller
was wise to hold on. Auctions America, Fort
Lauderdale, FL, 03/14.
#77-1949 CADILLAC SERIES 62 sedan.
S/N 496220509. Green/brown vinyl & cloth.
hood is a blown Cadillac V8 with dual carbs
and ominous supercharger. Engine has been
expanded beyond 331 ci. Fully functional,
with no concessions made for comfort. Sits on
period-correct Halibrands. No odometer—or
speedometer, for that matter. Cond: 3. NOT
SOLD AT $100,000. A serious street racer
Sports Car Market
SCM Showcase Gallery
Sell Your Car Here! Includes SCM website listing.
Showcase Gallery Full-Color Photo Ad Just $66/month ($88 non-subscribers)
Text-Only Classified Ad Just $15/month ($25 non-subscribers)
4 ways to submit your ad:
Web: Visit www.sportscarmarket.com/classifieds/place-ad to upload your photo (300 dpi jpg) and text, or
text only. Secure online Visa/MC payments.
Email: Send photo (300 dpi jpg) and text, or text only, to classifieds@sportscarmarket.com.
We will call for your VISA/MC.
Fax: Attention Showcase, to 503.253.2234 with VISA/MC.
Snail mail: Showcase, PO Box 4797, Portland, OR 97208-4797, with VISA/MC or check.
25 words max, subject to editing. Deadline: 1st of each month, one month prior to publication.
Advertisers assume all liability for the content of their advertisements. The publisher of Sports Car Market
Magazine is not responsible for any omissions, erroneous, false and/or misleading statements of its advertisers.
English
1952 Jaguar XK 120 fixed-head coupe
Kurt Tanner Restorations car just completed. Black
top and tonneau. Disc wheels. Original mileage, two
owners. BMIHT correct. Restored to Gold Concours
standards. Must be the finest 3000 currently available.
$82,500. Contact Kurt, Kurt Tanner Restorations,
909.920.9221, Email: kj.tanner@yahoo.
com (CA)
1962 Jaguar MK II 3.8 overdrive 4-dr sedan
S/N 680326. Jaguar Dark Blue/gray. 36,349 miles.
I6, 4-spd manual. This magnificent XK 120 has
lines and beauty way ahead of its time and begs to
be driven and enjoyed. Benefiting from a comprehensive
restoration by Jaguar experts, the motor,
transmission, mechanical components & systems
were restored. Presents very well as a handsome
and very functional driver today. Classic Showcase,
760.758.6100, Email: webmaster@classicshowcase.
com Web: classicshowcase.com/index.php/inventory/
detail/379 (CA)
1957 Bentley S-Continental Park Ward
coupe
Brown/saddle. An amazing find: one owner, 31,000
original documented miles. All original. Owned
by a fanatic who took exceptional care of the car.
Runs and drives absolutely without fault. Tight and
quick. Dark brown, saddle interior. $23,500. Contact
Matthew, Matthew L. deGarmo Ltd., 203.852.1670,
Email: matt@degarmoltd.com Web: deGarmoLtd.
com
1976 MG Midget
Red/red. 0 miles. I4, 4-spd manual. Unrestored, in
great condition for restoring, all it needs is a buyer
and somebody willing to restore it. $2,500 OBO.
Contact Chance, 903.650.2612, Email: chancecogswell8@gmail.com
(TX)
1976 Triumph TR6 convertible
S/N P220220DN. Gunmetal Metallic/red. 4-spd
manual. The ultimate variant of Jaguar’s famous
performance sedan. This is a very original example,
matching numbers, 4-speed with overdrive, wire
wheels and rare original colors. Same owner since
1970, with all documentation, tools, manuals, spare.
Please call or email for more details/photos. $32,500
OBO. Contact Adolfo, LBI Limited, 215.459.1606,
Email: Sales@lbilimited.com Web: www.lbilimited.
com (PA)
1964 Jaguar Mark II sedan
S/N CF51369U. Red/dark tan. 28,000 miles. H6,
4-spd manual. Outstanding all-original, two-owner
low mileage, never in rain. Beautifully maintained.
Books, records, hard top. The way to have one!
Call days only. Contact Jerry, 330.759.5224, Email:
jbenzr@aol.com (OH)
1997 Land Rover Defender 90 SUV
68,000 miles. I6, 4-spd manual. Rare 6-cylinder, four
on the floor, Robin Egg Blue with low mileage, in
pristine original condition. Last of the fin Mercedes.
Runs lovely. Simple elegance. $20,000. Contact Ken,
207.831.6050, Email: Kmn1@maine.rr.com (ME)
1968 Porsche 911 L coupe
Red/tan. automatic. This outstanding 250 SL has
automatic transmission, power steering and two
tops. It has undergone over $27,000 worth of recent
cosmetic and mechanical restoration including a
complete engine rebuild. Paint and chrome work is
flawless. Interior has been restored with new tex and
carpet. $65,000. Motor Classic & Competition Corp.,
Email: sales@motorclassiccorp.com (NY)
1968 Mercedes-Benz 230S 4-dr sedan
right. Finished in blue with a saddle interior. Clean,
straight, completely rust-free, runs and drives beautifully.
$32,500 OBO. Contact Matthew, Matthew L.
deGarmo Ltd., 203.852.1670, Email: matt@degarmoltd.com
Web: www.deGarmoLtd.com (CT)
1974 Triumph TR6
1967 Mercedes-Benz 250 SL convertible
equipped with no less than 16 factory-original
options. Fully detailed, nicely presented, this car is
sure to please collectors and enthusiasts alike! Classic
Showcase, 760.758.6100, Email: webmaster@
classicshowcase.com Web: classicshowcase.com/index.
php/inventory/detail/380 (CA)
Blue/tan. Dark blue with tan leather interior, one
of only 33 left-hand-drive examples ever produced.
Delivered new to Debbie Reynolds, in absolutely
superb condition throughout. A rare opportunity to
own one of the most beautiful Bentleys ever built,
with a remarkable provenance. POA Contact Sales,
Heritage Classics, 310.657.9699, Email: sales@
heritageclassics.com Web: www.heritageclassics.com/
inventory/detail/1118-bentley-s1-continental-coupeby-park-ward-.html
(CA)
1961 Austin Healey 3000 MK1 BT-7 2+2
roadster
S/N 166854DN. Opalescent Silver Blue/dark blue
leatherette. 29,937 miles. 4-spd manual. This Mark
II is ready to be part of any collection or just taken
out on Sunday afternoons and enjoyed. Enjoy its
tight feel and smooth power in your hands as you
shift through all four gears and overdrive of the Moss
transmission. Great color combo of Opalescent Silver
Blue & Dark Blue. A very nice Mark II example. Classic
Showcase, 760.758.6100, Email: webmaster@
classicshowcase.com (CA)
1966 Triumph TR4A roadster
Portofino Red/gray. 32,000 miles. V8, 4-spd automatic.
Show-quality, one-owner, non-smoker, never
off road. 4-liter V8 with original tires, Warn 9,000lb.
winch, original Alpine stereo, books, brochures,
records. always stored indoors. $84,000 OBO. Contact
Gary, 541.519.8128, Email: gholman46@yahoo.
com (OR)
German
1961 Porsche 356B 1600 S coupe
S/N 11805270. Light Ivory/black. 92,820 miles. F6,
4-spd automatic. Vasek Polak Survivor. A true time
capsule, having never been apart for restoration or
repair of any kind. Excellent original paint, beautiful
original interior with factory wood wheel. This
unique 911 was taken in on trade at the famed
California dealership of Vasek Polak. No rust
anywhere, ever. Runs, drives, shifts and operates
great. Contact Donald, Porsport.com, 631.786.6511,
Email: dahearn67@gmail.com Web: www.Porsport.
com (NY)
1968 Porsche 911 soft-window Targa
S/N HBT7L12190. Olde English White/red leather.
50,559 miles. I6, 4-spd manual. Spectacular, mint
A rare and desirable TR4A with independent rear
suspension and overdrive. Fully restored and done
S/N 113267. Heron Gray/blue. 17,220 miles.
4-spd manual. The assembly of this stunning
Reutter-bodied 356B was completed in 1960 with a
higher performance “S” engine specification. Highly
S/N 11880191. Irish Green/brown leatherette.
42,698 miles. I6, 5-spd manual. Beautiful numbersmatching
California 911 with limited ownership.
Meticulously cared for and professionally restored
by Porsche specialists. Benefiting from a recent
full servicing, this highly collectible 911 stands in
excellent running & driving condition! Includes
160
Sports Car Market
Page 160
SCM Showcase Gallery
owner’s manuals, tools, and documentation. Classic
Showcase, 760.758.6100, Email: webmaster@
classicshowcase.com Web: classicshowcase.com/index.
php/inventory/detail/335 (CA)
1968 VW Beetle 2-dr sedan
and over $10k invested. Ready to enjoy at shows or
tours. Tons of photos on website. $59,990 OBO. Contact
Paul, AutoKennel, 714.335.4911, Email: paul@
autokennel.com Web: www.autokennel.com (CA)
1972 Volkswagen Transporter bus
enjoyed. $59,000. Motor Classic & Competition Corp.,
Email: sales@motorclassiccorp.com (NY)
Japanese
1992 Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR-4 coupe
1964 Corvette Sting Ray convertible
Red/50,793 miles. Restored. New paint, carpets, seat
covers, headliner, fenders & rubber seals. Shows
50.8k miles, 21k on rebuilt engine. Rebuilt carb.
Recently replaced front & rear brakes and shocks,
and battery. CA black plates. No body rust. Roof
rack. Three owners. Very clean. Runs good. $5,900.
Contact Wendell, 760.298.4314, Email: jdbud@
toast.net (CA)
1972 Porsche 911 T Targa
Maroon & white/H4, 1974 Porsche 914 dual Webersrebuilt
2013, rebuilt transmission, new paint and
interior, CD/radio w/flip screen, new everything. Very
sharp. $45,000. Contact Tony, 248.679.0490, Email:
tony@pointedairy.com (MI)
Italian
1957 Fiat 1200TV roadster
S/N 9112110394. Polo Red/black leather & Houndstooth.
108,300 miles. H6, 5-spd manual. One of
the most desirable early 911 years. Very straight
and dry. Restored in the ’90s. Less than 10k miles
since restoration. Engine rebuilt to “E” specifications.
Transmission rebuilt with airport gears. Recent PPI
Blue/blue. manual. This is an extremely rare, top-ofthe-line
Fiat TV (Touring Veloce). We just completed
a full engine rebuild, which includes new rings, bearings,
lifters, cam shaft & valves. The transmission has
also been rebuilt with new syncros, clutch, pressure
plate & throw-out bearing. Ready to be driven &
Alpine White with two-tone red and white interior
and white soft top. Equipped with automatic transmission,
wide whitewalls, chrome wire wheels, power
top and windows, 84,980 miles, a gorgeous American
classic in a beautiful color combination. $88,500.
Contact Sales, Heritage Classics, 310.657.9699,
Email: sales@heritageclassics.com Web: www.
heritageclassics.com/inventory/detail/1122-cadillaceldorado-convertible.html
(CA)
S/N 9F03M480101. Gulf Stream Aqua/white. 55,000
miles. 351 Windsor, auto. Loaded, a/c, documented,
Marti Report, sixth built in 1969, beautiful, runs
great, needs nothing. Trade/Sell. Contact Dick,
561.272.1718, Email: cobracohen@aol.com (FL)
Red/black. 29,000 miles. V6, 5-spd manual. Car is
virtually flawless. All options work perfectly, including
active aero (front and rear spoilers) that move
automatically or on demand. Air is ice-cold, excellent
paint, flawless interior. Call Rob at The Auto
Collections for more information. Contact Randal,
702.794.3174, Email: rob@autocollections.com
Web: autocollections.com (NV)
American
1954 Cadillac Eldorado convertible
Red/black. 64,000 miles. V8, 4-spd. AACA Jr. &
Sr. National first-prize award winner. Krasl Art
Museum, St. Joseph, MI. Concours 2010 award
winner, Museum of Firsts, Kokomo, IN, four years,
NOM but correctly & professionally restored by NCRS
Bloomington Gold judge. 327/300-hp. 4-spd, correct
bias-ply tires. Shows and drives excellently. Have
owned car since 1994. $49,500. Contact Thomas,
574.527.3725, Email: dunnta@grace.edu (IN)
1969 Shelby GT350 convertible
162
Sports Car Market
Advertise in the SCM Resource Directory. Call 877.219.2605 Ext. 218 for information, e-mail: scmadvert@sportscarmarket.com.
Auction Companies
Artcurial-Briest-Poulain-Le Fur.
33 (0)1 42 99 2056, 33 (0)1 42 99 1639.
7, Rond-Point des Champs-Elysées,
75008 Paris, France.
Email: motorcars@artcurial.com.
www.artcurial.com/motorcars. (FR)
Dan Kruse Classics is a familyAuctions
America. 877.906.2437,
Formed in July 2010 as a subsidiary of
RM Auctions, the Auctions America by
RM team, led by collector car expert
Donnie Gould, specializes in American
classics, Detroit muscle, hot rods, customs
and vintage motorcycles. Consign
With Confidence.
www.auctionsamerica.com. (IN)
owned collector car auction company
located in San Antonio, Texas. DKC
has been responsible for successful
collector car sales since 1972 with annual
sales in Austin, Houston and San
Antonio. Dan has personally has over
$1,000,000,000 in sales in his storied
career. Dan, and daughters Tiffany,
Tedra and Tara, manage the company.
866.495.8111 Dankruseclassics.com
(TX)
tique, collector, and special-interest
cars, trucks and motorcycles. Real
Cars. Real Prices.
www.carlisleauctions.com. (PA)
Auctions is aptly named after Harold
“Lucky” Lemay. Based in the majestic,
pastoral ground of Marymount,
home to the Lemay Family Collection
Foundation near Tacoma, WA, the
collection, formerly the biggest in the
world according to Guinness, now hosts
an unrivaled event center, art collection
and charitable foundation, which
features two exceptional collector car
auctions a year. www.luckyoldcar.com
(WA)
Russo and Steele Collector AutoMecum
Auction Company.
Gooding & Company.
Barrett-Jackson Auction.
480.421.6694, 480.421.6697. For over
four decades, the Barrett-Jackson Auction
Company has been recognized
throughout the world for offering only
the finest selection of quality collector
vehicles, outstanding professional
service and an unrivaled sales success.
From classic and one-of-a-kind cars
to exotics and muscle cars, BarrettJackson
attracts only the best. Our
auctions have captured the true essence
of a passionate obsession with cars that
extends to collectors and enthusiasts
throughout the world. A television audience
of millions watches unique and
select vehicles while attendees enjoy a
lifestyle experience featuring fine art,
fashion and gourmet cuisine. In every
way, the legend is unsurpassed. N.
Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85251.
info@barrett-jackson.com.
www.barrett-jackson.com. (AZ)
310.899.1960, 310.899.0930. Gooding
& Company offers its international
clientele the rarest, award-winning examples
of collector vehicles at the most
prestigious auction venues. Our team of
well-qualified experts will advise you
on current market values. Gooding &
Company presents the official auction
of the famed Pebble Beach Concours
d’Elegance in August, the recordsetting
Scottsdale Auction in January
and a world-class auction at the Omni
Amelia Island Plantation in Florida in
March. www.goodingco.com. (CA)
262.275.5050. The Mecum Auction
Company has been specializing in the
sale of collector cars for 25 years, now
offering more than 12,000 vehicles
per year. Mecum Auctions is the world
leader of collector car, exotics, vintage
motorcycles and road art sales. Auctions
are held throughout the United
States and broadcast live on Velocity,
Discovery Network. For further information,
visit www.Mecum.com.
445 South Main Street
Walworth, WI 53184.
262.275.5050 (WI)
mobile Auctions. 602.252.2697,
Fax: 602.252.6260. Specializing in
the finest European sports, American
muscle, hot rods and custom automobiles;
Russo and Steele now hosts four
record-breaking auctions per year;
Newport Beach in June; Monterey, CA,
every August; Las Vegas in September,
and Scottsdale, AZ, every January. As
one of the premier auction events in
the United States, Russo and Steele has
developed a reputation for its superior
customer service and for having the
most experienced and informed experts
in the industry. www.russoandsteele.
com. (AZ)
Silver Auctions. 800.255.4485,
Silver Auctions isn’t successful because
we auction the most expensive cars,
we’re successful because we auction
the cars that you love. Silver Auction’s
staff, bidders and consignors are everyday
people with a passion for Nostalgic
and Collector cars. Come see the difference
at Silver Auctions. 2020 N. Monroe,
Spokane, WA 99205.
Email: silver@silverauctions.com,
www.silverauctions.com. (WA)
Palm Springs Auctions Inc.
Hollywood Wheels Auctions &
Shows 800.237.8954, Hosting two
auctions a year in beautiful Palm Beach,
FL, March & December. Offering
quality collector cars and personalized
service, all in a climate-controlled,
state-of-the-art facility. Come be a part
of the excitement! Check us out at
www.hollywoodcarauctions.com.
Where Collectors Collect! See You On
Bonhams is the largest auction
house to hold scheduled sales of classic
and vintage motorcars, motorcycles
and car memorabilia, with auctions
held globally in conjunction with internationally
renowned motoring events.
Bonhams holds the world-record price
for any motorcar sold at auction, as well
as for many premier marques.
San Francisco: (415) 391-4000
New York: (212) 644-9001
Los Angeles: (323) 850-7500
London: +44 20 7447-7447
Paris: +33 1 42 61 10 10
www.bonhams.com/motors
The Block!
Keith McCormick. 760.320.3290,
760.323.7031. 244 N. Indian Canyon
Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262
A family-run auction house producing
two large classic cars auctions per year.
McCormick’s Palm Springs Auctions
has been in business for over 25 years,
and each auction features over 500 classics
& exotics.
www.classic-carauction.com. (CA)
The Vicari Auction Company hosts
fast-paced, high energy auctions along
the Gulf Coast, offering an entertaining
destination to car collectors, enthusiasts
and travelers. The company prides itself
on personal service, providing cars for
everyone from the avid collector to the
first-time buyer. For more information,
contact Vicari Auction at 1900
Destrehan Ave., Harvey, LA 70058; call
504.875.3563; or visit
www.vicariauction.com. (LA)
Rick Cole Auctions . Rick Cole
Leake Auctions. 800.722.9942,
Join Leake Auction Company as they
celebrate 40 years in the collector car
auction industry. Their unsurpassed
customer service and fast-paced twolane
auction ring makes them a leader
in the business. Leake currently operates
auctions in Tulsa, Oklahoma City,
Dallas and San Antonio. Visit them
online at www.leakecar.com or call
800.722.9942.
Carlisle Collector Car Auctions.
717.243.7855, 1000 Bryn Mawr Road,
Carlisle, PA 17013. Spring and Fall
Auctions. High-line cars cross the
block. Hundreds of muscle cars, an-
Lucky Collector Car Auctions.
888.672.0020, Lucky Collector Car
164
conducted the first auction ever held in
Monterey. His dozen successive annual
events forever changed the landscape
of the historic weekend. Next August,
Rick Cole and Terry Price combine
seventy-plus years of professional client
care to present an entirely new type of
Monterey Auction experience, conducted
at The Marriott Hotel. Limited consignment.
Email: rickcole@rickcole.
com Web: www.rickcole.com (CA)
Worldwide Auctioneers.
RM Auctions, Inc. 800.211.4371, .
With offices and auctions throughout
North America and Europe, RM is
the largest auction house globally that
caters to collectors of high-end vintage
automobiles. The RM team of car specialists
is the largest in the world, offering
services in a numbers of languages
and decades of experience in buying,
selling, racing, and restoring collector
cars. www.rmauctions.com. (CAN)
800.990.6789 or 1.260.925.6789,
Worldwide Auctioneers was formed
over a decade ago by vintage-motorcar
specialists Rod Egan and John Kruse.
The sale and acquisition of classic automobiles
is our core business, and no one
is better qualified. Worldwide is unique
in having owners who are also our
chief auctioneers, so you deal directly
with the auctioneer, and we are wholly
invested in achieving the best result for
you. Our auctions are catalogue-based,
offering a limited number of higher-end
consignments, with an emphasis on
quality rather than volume. (We don’t
limit ourselves to only selling the most
expensive cars in the world, but do
ensure that every car we consign is the
very best of its type.)
We also offer specialist-appraisal,
estate-management and collectionconsultancy
services. Our dedicated
private sales division serves the needs
of individual collectors who seek privacy
or to acquire vehicles that may not
be available on the open market.
www.worldwide-auctioneers.com. (IN)
Sports Car Market
RESOURCE DIRECTORY
Page 163
Alfa Romeo
Automobilia
Coachbuilt Press. 215-925-4233,
Centerline Products. 888.750.
ALFA, Exclusively Alfa Romeo for
over 30 years — rely on our experience
to build and maintain your dream
Alfa. Restoration, maintenance and
performance parts in stock for Giulietta
through 164. Newly developed products
introduced regularly. Check our web
site for online store, new arrivals, tech
tips, and special offers.
www.centerlinealfa.com. (CO)
Coachbuilt Press creates limited edition
automotive titles for the discriminating
motoring enthusiast. We present exceptional
material on the most significant
collections, museums and marques with
a balance of authoritative writing, precise
research, unique historical documents
and the modern photography of
Michael Furman. Please visit our website
to view our latest titles and order.
www.CoachbuiltPress.com (PA).
Steve Austin’s Automobilia &
Great Vacations. 800.452.8434, European
Car Collector tours including
Monaco & Goodwood Historics, private
collections, and car manufacturers.
Automobile Art importer of legendary
artists Alfredo de la Maria and Nicholas
Watts.
www.steveaustinsgreatvacations.com.
Jon Norman’s Alfa Parts.
800.890.2532, 510.525.9519. 1221
Fourth Street, Berkley, CA 94710.
Large selection of parts from Giulietta
to 164. Efficient, personal service.
www.alfapartscatalog.com. (CA)
Appraisals
Vintage Auto Posters. Since 1980,
Everett Anton Singer has been supplying
international collectors with
the most diverse selection of authentic
vintage automotive posters. The vast
inventory runs from the late 1890s
through the 1960s; featuring marque,
event and product advertising. Please
visit us at:
www.VintageAutoPosters.com.
Auto Appraisal Group.
800.848.2886, Offices located nationwide.
Pre-purchase inspection service,
insurance matters, charitable donations,
resale vales, estates, expert witness
testimony. On-site inspection. Certified,
confidential, prompt, professional.
“Not just one man’s opinion of value.”
See web site for locations and service
descriptions. www.autoappraisal.com.
Buy/Sell/General
Cosmopolitan Motors, LLC.
206.467.6531 , Experts in worldwide
acquisition, collection management,
disposition and appraisal. For more
than a quarter century, Cosmopolitan
Motors has lived by its motto, “We
covet the rare and unusual, whether
pedigreed or proletarian.” Absurdly
eclectic and proud of it. Find your treasure
here, or pass it along to the next
generation. www.cosmopolitanmotors.
com (WA)
Classic Showcase. 760.758.6100,
Restoration 760.758.6119. Always
buying: Offering top dollar for your
European classics. Always selling: 3
showrooms with an excellent selection
to choose from. Always Restoring: We
feature an award-winning, world-class
restoration facility, with the expertise
to restore you car to any level, including
modifications. Super craftsmanship;
attention to detail; knowledgeable staff;
servicing all of the collector’s needs.
Located in San Diego County.
Email: sales@classicshowcase.com,
www.classicshowcase.com (CA)
sics.com. Heritage Classics Motorcar
Company, the premier West Coast
classic car dealership established in
1985. Offering one of the largest indoor
showrooms in Southern California with
an exceptional inventory of the very
finest American and European classic
cars available. We buy, sell and consign
collectible automobiles, offering the
best consignment terms available, contact
us at sales@heritageclassics.com
When in Southern California visit
our beautiful showroom and specialty
automotive bookstore, Heritage Classics
Motorbooks, open Monday–Saturday.
For current inventory and to visit
our virtual bookstore visit
www.heritageclassics.com
Hyman Ltd Classic Cars.
314.524.6000, One of the largest inventories
of vintage cars in the world.
Please visit our website often,
www.hymnaltd.com to see our current
stock. Hyman Ltd Classic Cars, 2310
Chaffee Drive, St. Louis, MO. 63146
314-524-6000 sales@hymnaltd.com
Kastner & Partners Garage.
From our spectacular Santa Monica
location, Kastner & Partners Garage
strives to offer some of the finest collector
vehicles available, combined with
unparalleled service. If we do not currently
have that which you are looking
for or, if you have a classic that you’re
looking to sell, please let us know.
150 Pico Boulevard Santa Monica, CA
90405
310.593.2080
www.kastnerandpartnersgarage.com
Cosmopolitan Motors, LLC.
206.467.6531 , For over a quarter century
Cosmopolitan Motors has been at
the center of the world for collector cars
changing hands. Their unparalleled experience
in tracking valuations makes them
uniquely capable of valuating the rare
and unusual. Estates, settlements, collections,
insurance. Let their billion dollars
worth of experience supply the results
you seek. “We covet the rare and unusual
whether pedigreed or proletarian”. www.
cosmopolitanmotors.com (WA)
Automotive Restorations.
203.377.6745, Collector car sales, both
road and race, have been a key activity
for over 35 years. Our sales professionals
actively seek consignments on
a global basis. We also offer vehicle
“search and find” for rare models. We
undertake pre-purchase inspections
worldwide. We provide auction support,
including in person or telephone bidding
for absentee buyers. Restoration
management and special event assistance
are also included in our services.
Our aim is to make sure that your collector
car passion is as enjoyable and
worry free as possible.
www.automotiverestorations.com
Gullwing Motor Cars stocks more
than 100 cars at our warehouse location,
27 years of experience; visited
by customers across the country and
overseas. We specialize in European
and American cars and we are always
looking to buy classic cars in any
condition. We pick up from anywhere
in the U.S. Quick payment & pick up.
718.545.0500. www.gullwingmotorcars.com
Hartek Automotive. 319.337.4140,
Gooding & Company.
310.899.1960, Gooding & Company’s
experts are well-qualified to appraise
individual automobiles as well as collections
and estates. Whether it is the
creation of a foundation, living trust or
arrangement of a charitable donation,
we are able to assist you.
www.goodingco.com. (CA)
Beverly Hills Car Club is one of the
largest European classic car dealerships
in the nation with an extensive inventory
spanning over 50,000 sf. We can
meet all your classic car needs with our
unprecedented selection; from top of
the line models to projects cars. We buy
classic cars in any shape or condition &
provide the quickest payment & pickup
anywhere in the U.S. 310.975.0272
www.beverlyhillscarclub.com (CA)
June 2014
Hartek Automotive is a division of
Hartwig Motors Inc., one of the oldest
automotive retailers in the Midwest
since 1912. Hartek Automotive specializes
in the maintenance and sale
of sports and prestige automobiles.
Their reputation for service continues
with a very personalized approach to
maintenance of an individual’s daily
driver, to the restoration of that special
automobile. Hartek Automotive also
offers pre-sale or post-sale inspections.
Located in Iowa, we are equally accessible
for the enthusiast from anywhere.
Drive in or fly in...you will find us most
accommodating. www.hartek.org (IA)
Luxury Brokers International.
215.459.1606, specializing in the sales,
purchase and brokerage of classic automobiles
for the astute collector with
a new-age, contemporary approach.
Focusing on original, high-quality
examples as enjoyable, tangible investments.
Classic car storage, classic car
consignment, brokerage, and other
consulting services are available as
well. We actively pursue the purchase
and sales of any investment grade classic
car. Since 2009 we have offered
a unique opportunity for collectors,
enthusiasts, and other industry professionals.
www.lbilimited.com, sales@
lbilimited.com (PA)
Motor Classic & Competition.
914.997.9133 Since 1979 we have been
racing, restoring, servicing, buying and
selling high-quality sports, racing and
GT cars. Motor Classic & Competition
is where enthusiasts find their dream.
We specialize in Ferrari, Maserati,
Alfa Romeo, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz,
BMW, Lotus, Aston Martin, Ford
GT40, Cobras and all European sports
and vintage racing cars.
www.motorclassiccorp.com
Heritage Classics Motorcar Company.
310.657.9699, www.heritageclas-
165
Page 164
Advertise in the SCM Resource Directory. Call 877.219.2605 Ext. 218 for information, e-mail: scmadvert@sportscarmarket.com.
one location to another, one American
transportation company does it all.
www.reliablecarriers.com
Paul Russell and Company.
978.768.6092, www.paulrussell.com.
Specializing in the Preservation and
Sales of European Classics, pre-war
through the 1970s, since 1978. You
can rely on our decades of experience
with Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, Porsche,
Bugatti, Alfa Romeo and other fine
collectibles. Repeat customers are the
lifeblood of our business. Contact us
today to join them. Car Sales Manager,
Alex Finigan: Alex@paulrussell.com.
(MA)
Collector Car Insurance
Heacock Classic. 800.678.5173, We
Barrett-Jackson is proud to endorse
Woodies USA. 949.922.7707,
949.412.8812, We buy and sell great
woodies — hundreds to date. If you
are buying or selling give us a call.
We can help. Woodies are fun! Every
car collection should have at least one.
Located in Laguna Niguel, California.
www.woodiesusa.com. (CA)
Classic Car Transport
Chubb Collector Car Insurance.
Passport Transport. 800.736.0575,
Since our founding in 1970, we have
shipped thousands of treasured vehicles
door-to-door with our fully enclosed
auto transporters. Whether your prized
possession is your daily driver, a vintage
race car, a classic, a ’60s muscle
car or a modern exotic, you can depend
on Passport Transport to give you the
premium service it deserves. We share
your appreciation for fine automobiles,
and it shows.
www.PassportTransport.com.
1.866.CAR.9648, With Chubb you’ll
have flexibility and control with worldclass
coverage and claim service. There
are no mileage restrictions, “Agreed
Value” is included and you’re free to
use the restoration shop of your choice
for covered repairs. Special pricing is
also available for large collections. For
more information, call 1-866-227-9648
or visit www.chubbcollectorcar.com.
www.wirewheel.com, 772.299.9788.
Aston Martin of New England.
781.547.5959, 85 Linden Street,
Waltham, MA 02452. Proudly appointed
Aston Martin Heritage Dealer
for the USA. New and pre-owned Aston
Martins are our specialty. Please contact
us when buying, selling or restoring.
www.astonmartin-lotus.com. (MA)
British Sports and Race Cars BoughtSold-Traded.
Located in Beautiful Vero
Beach, Florida. In business for over
25 years, specializing in Lotus, TVR,
Griffith, Jaguar, Austin Healey, MG,
Marcos, Panoz, Lola, and more. Over
50 sports and race cars always in stock.
Please check our website for our latest
inventory offerings:
www.wirewheel.com. (FL)
Ferrari/Maserati/Lamborghini
Grundy Worldwide. 888.647.8639,
L.A. Prep. 562.997.0170, L.A.
Prep brings its 30 years of experience
transporting vehicles for the automotive
industry’s top manufacturers to
discriminating luxury and exotic car
owners and collectors across the United
States. Its highly-skilled and experienced
staff delivers an unsurpassed
level of service and takes care of your
car with the highest quality equipment
available in trucks and trailers that are
as clean and well maintained as the
valuable assets that they carry.
www.LAPrepTransport.com
Grundy Worldwide offers agreed value
insurance with no mileage limitations,
zero deductible*, and high liability
limits. Our coverages are specifically
designed for collectible-car owners.
From classic cars to muscle cars,
Grundy Worldwide has you covered.
(*Zero deductible available in most
states.) 888.6GRUNDY (888.647.8639).
www.grundyworldwide.com. (PA)
AUTOSPORT DESIGNS, INC.
631.425.1555, All Aston Martin models
welcome regardless of age, as new inevitably
become old! Routine servicingcomplete
mechanical restorations/rebuilds
— cosmetic repair/paintwork to
complete frame-off restoration. Large
inventory of parts. All services as well
as our current unventory of automobiles
for sale can be seen at
www.autosportdesigns.com. (NY)
Carobu Engineering. 949.722.9307,
Ferrari specialist. Engine rebuilding/
development, dyno-testing, parts and
service. Your source for high-performance
brakes, suspension, gaskets,
engine parts, wheels and exhaust.
Dealer for Tubi, Brembo, Koni, Razzo
Rosso, Sangalli, Zanzi, Novitech Rosso
and X-Ost. www.CAROBU.com.
Radcliffe Motor Company.
Hagerty Insurance Agency, LLC.
Reliable Carriers, Inc. 877.744.7889,
As the country’s largest enclosed auto
transport company, Reliable Carriers
faithfully serves all 48 contiguous United
States and Canada. Whether you’ve
entered a concours event, need a relocation,
are attending a corporate event, or
shipping the car of your dreams from
166
800.922.4050, is the leading insurance
agency for collector vehicles in the
world and host to the largest network of
collector car owners. Hagerty offers insurance
for collector cars, motorcycles
and motorcycle safety equipment, tractors,
automotive tools and spare parts,
and even “automobilia” (any historic
or collectible item linked with motor
vehicles). Hagerty also offers overseas
shipping/touring insurance coverage,
commercial coverage and club liability
coverage. For more information, call or
visit www.hagerty.com. (MI)
Classic Showcase. 760.758.6100,
restoration 760.758.6119. World class
full service restoration facility. Creating
show/show drivers, and driver
restorations. Specializing in British,
German and Italian classics. Superb fit;
attention to detail; great craftsmanship;
knowledgeable staff; passionate on
quality. Located in San Diego County.
sales@classicshowcase.com
www.classicshowcase.com. (CA)
410.517.1681, The Mid-Atlantic’s
premier facility for the maintenance,
repair, and light restoration of exotic
Italian and fine European automobiles.
Having gained the trust of the exotic
car community we are known for our
proficiency and workmanship. Host of
the annual Vintage Ferrari All Italian
Car Event each May, you are cordially
invited to attend. Visit our website for
more information about our shop, and
see photos of past events.
www.RMCCAR.com.
a new breed of insurance for classic,
antique, exotic, special-interest, contemporary
classic and limited-edition
cars.
To get a quote is even easier with our
new online improvements. Go to
www.barrett-jackson.com/insurance/,
select Get a Quote, enter in a couple of
key pieces of information about your
vehicle and get an estimated quote
within seconds! It’s that easy.
Don’t be caught without the right
insurance for your vehicle. In the unfortunate
aftermath of damage to your
vehicle, learning that your insurance
won’t restore your prized possession
to its former glory, or appropriately
compensate you for your loss, is the last
thing you want to hear. To get a quote
by phone, call 877.545.2522.
understand the passion and needs of the
classic-car owner; agreed value, one
liability charge, 24-hour claim service
and paying by credit card. We provide
classic car insurance at rates people can
afford! Instant quotes at
www.heacockclassic.com. (FL)
Fourintune Garages Inc.
262.375.0876, www.fourintune.com.
Complete ground-up restoration on
British Marques — specializing in
Austin-Healeys since 1976. Experience
you can trust, satisfied customers
nationwide. Visit our website for details
on our restoration process which includes
a complete quotation on Healeys.
Located in historic Cedarburg — just
minutes north of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
(WI)
J.C. Taylor Insurance.
800.345.8290, Antique, classic, muscle
or modified — J.C. Taylor Insurance
has provided dependable, dynamic,
affordable protection for your collector
vehicle for over 50 years. Agreed
Value Coverage in the continental U.S.,
and Alaska. Drive Through Time With
Peace of Mind with J.C. Taylor Insurance.
Get a FREE instant quote online
at www.JCTaylor.com.
English
Kevin Kay Restorations.
530.241.8337, 1530 Charles Drive, Redding,
CA 96003. Aston Martin parts,
service, repair and restoration. From an
oil change to a concours-winning restoration,
we do it all. Modern upgrades
for power steering, window motors,
fuel systems and more. Feltham Fast
performance parts in stock. We also
cater to all British and European cars
and motorcycles.
www.kevinkayrestorations.net. (CA)
Sports Car Market
RESOURCE DIRECTORY
Page 165
WHAT’S YOUR CAR
WORTH? FIND OUT AT
NOW FREE! The world’s largest
collector car price guide
based on over 500,000 sold
transactions from
.
Updated weekly.
collectorcarpricetracker.com
June 2014
167
Page 166
Advertise in the SCM Resource Directory. Call 877.219.2605 Ext. 218 for information, e-mail: scmadvert@sportscarmarket.com.
Italian
Museums
T. Rutlands & T. Rutlands West
provides international service from one
of the world’s largest Ferrari parts inventories
coast to coast. We have more
Ferrari parts, more Ferrari parts experience
and better Ferrari parts prices than
most anyone. Since 1981 T. Rutlands
has been building valuable partnerships
with the Ferrari industry’s most
respected repair shops, professionals
and car owners seeking to provide a
one-stop shopping experience for Ferrari
parts, tools and accessories. Ferrari
parts are our only business and we are
true product and service specialists
in every sense of the word. When you
need a comprehensive parts selection
for both vintage and contemporary Ferraris,
you can count on a single-source
leader in the Ferrari parts business…T.
Rutlands.
Call us Toll Free 800.638.1444, Internationally
770.493.8852. Email: Sales@
trutlands.com. www.trutlands.com
Finance
European Collectibles, Inc.
949.650.4718, European Collectibles
has been buying, consigning, selling
and restoring classic European sports
cars since 1986. We specialize in
Porsche (356 and 911) 1950s to early
1970s along with other marks including
Mercedes, Aston Martin, Ferrari,
MG, Austin Healey & Jaguar with 40
vehicles in stock to choose from. European
Collectibles also offers complete
mechanical and cosmetic restorations to
concours level along with routine service.
Located in Orange County, CA,
between Los Angeles and San Diego.
Sales@europeancollectibles.com or
visit our website
www.europeancollectibles.com. (CA)
Hamann Classic Cars.
203.918.8300, with more than 30 years
in the industry and worldwide clientele
in dealing in European race and sports
cars, specializes in classic Ferraris of
the '50s & '60s. www.ferrari4you.com
Leasing
LeMay—America’s Car Museum
spotlights America’s love affair with
the automobile. The museum rests on
a nine-acre campus featuring rotating
galleries, a 3.5-acre show field, theatre,
café, banquet halls, racing simulators
and slot car racing. ACM hosts annual
events, concerts and even drive-in
movies. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5
p.m., tickets are $14 for adults, $12 for
seniors/students/military and $8 for
youth. ACM is free for members and
kids five and under. www.lemaymuseum.org.
(WA)
Premier Financial Services is the
nation’s leading lessor of vintage and
exotic motorcars. Our Simple Lease
Program is ideal for those who wish to
own their vehicle at the end of the term,
as well as for those who like to change
cars frequently. Our Simple Interest
Early Termination Program allows you
the flexibility of financing with the tax
advantages of leasing. Contact Premier
at 877.973.7700 or info@pfsllc.com.
Porsche of Bend. 800.842.1584.
Located in Central Oregon since 1982,
Porsche of Bend is the Northwest’s
destination dealership for New and
Pre-Owned Porsches. Formerly Carrera
Motors, Porsche of Bend continues to
proudly sell and service one of the most
desired brand names in North America.
www.bend.porschedealer.com (OR)
J. J. BEST BANC & CO. provides
financing on classic cars ranging from
1900 to today. Visit our website at
www.jjbest.com or call 1-800-USA-1965
and get a loan approval in as little as
5 minutes!
Mercedes-Benz Classic Center.
Ferrari Financial Services.
201.510.2500, As the world’s only
Ferrari-owned finance company, no one
understands a Ferrari customer’s unique
perspective better than the company
that designed these iconic sports cars.
Whether it’s a line of credit for owners
interested in utilizing the equity in their
collection, or a simple interest loan, we
stand committed to help our clients enhance
their collection — without origination
or early termination fees. “FFS”
offers a level of expertise that cannot be
matched by other lenders.
German
Cosdel International Transportation.
Classic Showcase. 760.758.6100,
restoration 760.758.6119. World class
full-service restoration facility. Creating
show/show drivers, and driver
restorations. Specializing in German,
British, and Italian classics. Superb fit,
attention to detail, great craftsmanship,
knowledgeable staff, passionate on
quality. Located in San Diego County.
sales@classicshowcase.com
www.classicshowcase.com. (CA)
168
Since 1960 Cosdel International Transportation
has been handling international
shipments by air, ocean and truck.
Honest service, competitive pricing
and product expertise have made Cosdel
the natural shipping choice for the
world’s best-known collectors, dealers
and auction houses. If you are moving
a car, racing or rallying, or attending a
concours event overseas, Cosdel is your
comprehensive, worldwide resource for
all of your nationwide and international
shipping needs. We are your automobile
Export Import Experts.
415.777.2000
carquotes@cosdel.com.
www.cosdel.com. (CA)
1.866.MB.CLASSIC, The center of
competence for classic Mercedes-Benz
enthusiasts — for vintage car sales,
meticulous restorations by manufacturer-trained
technicians and the widest
selection of Genuine Mercedes-Benz
Classic Parts, we are the source.
www.mbclassiccenter.com. (CA)
Import/Export
www.premierfinancialservices.com (CT)
LeMay Family Collection FoundaPutnam
Leasing. 866.90.LEASE.
For over 30 years, Putnam Leasing
has been the leader in exotic, luxury,
and collector car leasing. This honor
comes from Putnam’s unique ability
to match the car of your dreams with
a lease designed just for you. Every
Putnam Lease is written to provide
maximum flexibility while conserving
capital, lowering monthly payments,
and maximizing tax advantages. Its
Putnam’s way of letting you drive more
car for less money. For leases ranging
from $50,000 to more than one million
dollars, with terms extending up to 84
months contact the oldest and most
experienced leasing company in the
country by calling 1.866.90.LEASE. Or
just visit www.putnamleasing.com.
Legal
Law Offices of Bruce Shaw
Collector Car Fraud Specialists,
www.shawlaws.com. A motorhead law
firm with real practical knowledge and
experience in the Collector Car Field.
Experience: Chain of speed shops,
Body Shops, Car Dealerships, former
NCRS judge as well as licensed attorneys.
Estate planning and divorce
settlements concerning Collector Cars.
50 State Representation. 215.657.2377
Mercedes-Benz
The SL Market Letter,
612.567.0234 NOT just SLs but all rare
and collectible Mercedes! A key resource
on Mercedes since 1982. 100s of
Mercedes for sale, market news, price
analysis & special reports in every
issue & website. 1 & 2 yr. subscriptions
open the door to one-on-one SLML
help finding & selling specific models.
Ask about our private sales program.
www.slmarket.com (MN)
tion at Marymount Events Center near
Tacoma, WA, hosts an epic backdrop
for your next event. Home to 500 fabulous
collector cars, world class art exhibits,
and assorted ephemera, consider
your next event here. Weddings, swap
meets, conventions, auctions. The facility
can likely exceed your expectations.
Visit during the 37th annual open house
along with 13,000 other enthusiasts.
253.272.2336 www.lemaymarymount.
org (WA)
Parts, Accessories & Car Care
Apex Detail. 201.308.3839. Apex
Detail provides bespoke paint correction
and detail services to discerning
individuals wishing to restore, preserve,
protect and maintain their fine
automotive, aerospace and marine
investments. From a single automobile
to large collections Apex Detail has
the experience to make a difference.
Specializing in ultra-exotic, luxury and
classic cars Apex Detail offers a wide
range of products and services.
www.theapexdetail.com
Baldhead Cabinets. 877.966.2253.
The garage is no longer a place to cast
off items unwanted. It is a destination
in itself. We are a full-service, family
owned company that designs and manufactures
custom metal cabinets in Bend,
OR. Choose from meticulously crafted
storage cabinets, TV cabinets, sink
cabinets, or our ever popular pull out
fastener bin cabinet, just to name a few.
www.baldheadcabinets.com
California Car Cover Company.
More than just custom-fit car covers,
California Car Cover is the home
of complete car care and automotive
Sports Car Market
RESOURCE DIRECTORY
Carl Bomstead
eWatch
A Nobel Medal Brings a Noble Price
This gold medal was valuable, but a Pontiac Dealer clock brings a life
lesson
Thought
Carl’s Things not going quite right of late? Well, your self esteem could have been taken to new heights if you
was only the second Noble Prize to ever come to auction.
Here are a few more that caught our eye, but they won’t do much for your self esteem:
of the car and some limited text
in English, French and Italian.
With the current pricing of the
cars, the price paid for the brochure
seems like a bargain in
comparison.
EBAY #121275500421—
MILLE MIGLIA PORCELAIN
DIRECTIONAL SIGN.
Number of Bids: 34. SOLD AT:
$1,278. Date: 2/20/2014. The
famed Mille Miglia was founded
in 1927 and was last held in its
purest form in 1957. It left Brescia
and followed a route of 1,000
miles to Rome, returning to
Brescia. This double-sided directional
sign dated to the 1950s
and was complete with its hanging
chain. Another sold a couple
years earlier for more than twice
what was paid here, so we’ll call
this a bargain.
EBAY #151253563392—
1908 CALIFORNIA PORCELAIN
LICENSE PLATE.
Number of Bids: 16. SOLD AT:
$2,605.66. Date: 3/20/2014. In
California, motorists from 1905
through 1913 made their own
license plates using house numbers.
The California Auto Club,
however, made porcelain license
plates for their members for a
few years. This style, referred to
as the “dog bone,” was for 1908
and is very collectible. As we see
here, in decent condition they
bring the money. Others have
sold in this range.
had the entire engine and other
components operating as on a
real car. A 1971 version, with a
newer car, of course, was also recently
offered on eBay. After 33
bids, it sold for $1,325. The older
version was more interesting, but
either would make an interesting
display piece.
9. SOLD AT: $237. Date:
3/18/2014. This was a poorly
composed photograph of a Bugatti
Type 35 at an unknown
location. The tail of the car was
not in the photograph, and a
spectator was blocking most of
the front. Regardless, two bidders
had to have it, and the bidding
went to silly money for the
photograph. At least the seller
was happy.
had been the winning bidder on the solid gold 1936 Nobel Peace Prize that was recently sold by Stack
Bowers Galleries for $1,116,250. It had been awarded to Carlos Saavedra Lamas for his efforts in ending
the Chaco war between Paraguay and Bolivia.
It was known to have been pawned in 1993, but it was recently rediscovered in a pawn shop in South America. It
EBAY # 191053166895—
PONTIAC DEALERSHIP
SALES AND SERVICE
CLOCK. Number of Bids:
Buy-It-Now. SOLD AT: $2,800.
Date: 2/25/2014. This plastic
Pontiac Sales and Service clock
dated to the 1950s and was in
excellent condition, with no
cracks or issues with the plastic.
The center has the molded Indian
Head Pontiac logo and the clock
had an internal ring of neon. I recall
selling one many years back
for around $1,000 and thinking
I’d cut a fat hog. Times change.
EBAY #321343745148—
EBAY #131117416210—
FERRARI 246 GTS DINO
SALES BROCHURE. Number
of Bids: 19. SOLD AT: $1,376.
Date: 2/24/2014. This eight-page
brochure for the 246 Dino was
printed on heavy stock and was
in excellent condition. It was a
fold-out brochure with a picture
1939 HOHM HOEHM CUTA-WAY
CHASSIS MODEL.
Number of Bids: 37. SOLD AT:
$3,050. Date: 3/16/2014. This
intricate hand-built model, which
was 43 inches in length, was
used in German driving schools
to demonstrate the mechanical
operation of a vehicle. Flick the
switch, and the electric motor
EBAY #151115426094—
EBAY #301121379213—
PERIOD BUGATTI PHOTOGRAPH.
Number of Bids:
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
Sports Car Market (ISSN #1527859X) is published monthly by Automotive Investor Media Group, 401 NE 19th Street, Suite 100, Portland, OR 97232. Periodicals postage
paid at Portland, OR, and at additional mailing offices.
Subscription rates are $65 for 12 monthly issues in the U.S., $95 Canada/Mexico, Europe $105, Asia/Africa/Middle East $115. Subscriptions are payable in advance in U.S.
currency. Make checks to: Sports Car Market. Visa/MC accepted. For instant subscription, call 877.219.2605, 503.261.0555; fax 503.253.2234; www.sportscarmarket.com.
170
TWO SIGNED JOHN Z.
DELOREAN PASSPORTS.
Number of Bids: 58. SOLD AT:
$1,610. Date: 2/14/2014. The
career of John DeLorean was
checkered at best. He was a hero
at GM, where he was the father
of the Pontiac GTO, but it all
fell apart when he left GM to
build the DeLorean DMC-12. He
was arrested for drug trafficking,
allegedly to fund his failing
company. He beat the charges,
claiming entrapment by federal
agents, but the damage was done,
and he was forced into bankruptcy.
These two passports were
complete with all the stamps
and signatures. They dated from
1982 and 1987, and only one had
his photograph. An interesting
sidelight into a part of automotive
history. ♦
POSTMASTER
Send address changes to:
Sports Car Market
PO Box 4797, Portland, OR 97208
CPC IPM Sales Agreement No. 1296205
Sports Car Market
Get the SCM Newsletter
Sign up for a free weekly insider's report on the collector car market — and get a free gift.
Almost done! Confirm your subscription with the email in your inbox.