42 Rétromobile
COLUMNS
14 Shifting Gears
If the gaps, panels and general lines of the body are suspect,
I walk away
Keith Martin
36 Affordable Classic
Once properly set up, and if regularly driven, an XJ-S does not
have to be expensive to run
Donald Osborne
38 Legal Files
Another historic Corvette, another historic legal battle
John Draneas
40 Simon Says
The lingering traces of the only Italian Bugatti
Simon Kidston
56 The Cumberford Perspective
The Mazda Cosmo is attractive to Western eyes, but it is clearly
Japanese
Robert Cumberford
146 eWatch
Babe Ruth’s 1927 World Series watch is out of the park at
$717,000
Carl Bomstead
FEATURES
42 Rétromobile 2014: Fabulous cars in Paris
46 SCM Insider’s Seminar at Scottsdale: Blue-chip
selections, tax advice and a trophy winner
60 Collecting Thoughts: Miles Collier on the ins and outs of
the Cunningham C-3
12
56
Sports Car Market
DEPARTMENTS
16 Auction Calendar
16 Crossing the Block
20 The Inside Line: Revs Institute, Concours d’Elegance
of Texas, Indy and Laguna Seca
22 Contributors: Get to know our writers
26 You Write: Bond Bugs, Z cars and F40 snark
28 Display Advertisers Index
30 Time Pieces: Do you need a watch winder?
30 Neat Stuff: Gulf Oil on your wrist and a gearbox for your
vintage Ferrari
32 In Miniature: 1938 Bugatti Type 57 SC Corsica Roadster
32 Book Review: Art of the Le Mans Race Car
103 Glovebox Notes: 2014 Jeep Compass Latitude 4x4 SUV,
2014 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport 4x4 SUV
110 Fresh Meat: 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster,
2013 Ferrari 458 Spyder, 2013 Jaguar XKR convertible
126 Rising Sun: Recent sales of Japanese collector cars
134 Mystery Photo: “Which came first, the chicken or the
Olds?”
134 Comments with Your Renewal: “Pithy humor
appreciated”
136 Showcase Gallery: Cars for sale
140 Resource Directory: Meet your car’s needs
Keith Martin
Page 12
Shifting Gears Keith Martin
Acceptable Imperfection?
Make sure you can live with a car’s foibles — and that it
has correct bones — before you buy
has never been rusty or hit. Some of the cars I have looked at
have exquisite paint — but questionable door, hood and trunk
alignment. On Duettos, the shape of the little bump on the
nose above the grille can reveal volumes. I have almost never
seen one that has been properly repaired, and that feature has
become a key factor in deciding which cars make the final
cut.
It doesn’t matter what kind of car I’m looking at; if the
gaps and general lines of the body are suspect, I walk away.
Do the numbers match?
Mechanical correctness is a completely different issue,
and it’s a personal matter. As I am an Alfa fanatic, it is very
important to me that the Duetto I am looking for have its
original 1,600-cc engine.
With 15,047 Duettos built, they are not nearly as rare as
Not exactly what I’m looking for
M
any years ago, I was considering buying a Mercedes
230SL and called Mercedes guru, SCM contributor and
collector Alex Dearborn to ask for his advice. I told him
the car was straight enough, a little scruffy in and out,
would need a torn swing-axle boot replaced, had a 4-speed and both
tops. At that time, the price of $18,000 was about right.
Alex was direct in his response. “How much imperfection can you
stand?” he said. “You’ll need to fix anything mechanical that creates
safety problems, but after that it’s all up to you.”
I decided that if the car were mine, I’d be unhappy with the state
of the upholstery and the paint, and I didn’t want another restoration
project. So I passed.
I’ve thought about that many times, and especially the past few
weeks as I’ve been in the hunt to fill the spaces in the SCM/ACC garage
after the ’64 Nova wagon and Isetta went away.
I’ve been through a fair number of cars in the past few years —
some bought thoughtfully after much consideration and consultation
with marque experts, and others acquired thoughtlessly from online
listings after one too many glasses of wine. If a computer could speak,
it would say, “Just one more keystroke and this car can be yours!”
I’ve looked at a few Alfa Duettos, Morgans, Healey 3000s, Bugeyes
and MGAs. In my weekly SCM newsletter blog, I’ve discussed why
I’ve considered each of these cars, and I have appreciated your fervent
and thoughtful responses.
In the end, I’ve found there are two primary factors to consider
when buying a collector car:
First, follow Alex’s mantra of just how imperfect a car can you live
with.
Second, how correct are the bones of the car you are considering?
You can’t bring back a wrong car
In the budget range we are talking about here — $15,000 to
$50,000, depending on the car — you don’t have the latitude to pay
too much for a car with massive needs without instantly going so far
underwater that you’d quickly pass Captain Nemo and the Nautilus on
your way down.
Above all, a car has to have good panel fit. In a perfect world, it
14
their predecessor, the Giulia Spider Veloce, of which only
1,091 were constructed. So there are always a few to choose
from, and I can be picky. I want a car that is stock and complete,
even if disheveled and unloved.
With an MGA or a Bugeye, it’s a different matter when it
comes to originality of the drivetrain. I’m interested in these
models as my first car was a Bugeye, and my second an MGA.
As I don’t have the same degree of affection for either of these
English cars as I do Alfas, it can be a plus for me if they’ve been nicely
upgraded to a later, larger engine.
Would I be terrified to open the hood at an MGA gathering if I had
a B engine in it, coupled to a transplanted 5-speed? I don’t think so.
The B engine is a direct descendant of the A and the looks are similar.
With the Bugeye, I haven’t found anyone who objects to replacing
the 948-cc engine with a 1,275-cc unit — or upgrading the front brakes
to discs. There simply doesn’t seem to be the purist factor at work here
that there is in more expensive cars.
Cheap and cheerful
The large numbers of these cars built (48,987 for the Sprite and
nearly 100,000 for the MG in all variants) means that there will always
be plenty of cars to choose from — and that they will never become
ultra-expensive.
Further, there will always be “correct” examples available, so if
someone is a fanatic about originality, they will be able to find an example
that suits their needs.
The decision
So, every day I sift through emails with pictures and descriptions,
and weigh each car according to my requirements, its condition and
price. I’ve also come to realize that I can’t buy a car that has been color
changed, or with bad panel fit or rust issues — even if it is attractively
priced. Every time I go into the garage I will kick myself and wonder
how much it will take to make the car right. That amount will always
be too much, given the underlying value of the car. So I’ve decided on
the degree of imperfection I can stand.
Keep these things in mind when you go on your hunt. Decide just
how perfect or imperfect a car you need, and only buy something solid
with no stories. No matter what kind of car you are looking at, if you
follow these parameters, you have a good chance of ending up with a
car that makes you smile.
You don’t want one that makes you wish you hadn’t had that last
glass of wine before your final bid. Trust me, I know. ♦
Sports Car Market
Ben Piff
Page 14
Crossing the Block Tony Piff Images courtesy of the respective auction companies
1959 Aston Martin DB3, a 1934
Auburn Twelve Salon cabriolet
(offered at no reserve), a oneowner
1955 Buick Roadmaster
convertible, a 1931 Cadillac V12
7-passenger phaeton, and an
ex-Bill Harrah 1969 Ferrari 365
GT 2+2 with rare sunroof. In the
past, prices here have averaged
about $70k.
1960 Maserati Tipo 61 “Birdcage” at Motostalgia in Seabrook, TX
Vicari — Cruisin’ Nocona
Where: Nocona, TX
When: May 1–3
More: www.vicariauction.com
Last year: 95/115 cars sold / $2.6m
For 2014, the Cruisin’ Nocona
event has been extended to
three days. Events include a
Classic Car Poker Cruise, daily
car shows and Vicari’s two-day
collector-car sale. The featured
early consignment is a frame-off
restored 1971 Chevrolet Corvette
coupe in Brands Hatch Green
with matching-numbers 454/425
LS6, power windows, tilt/telescopic
steering column, power
steering, power brakes, AM/
FM push-button radio and Rally
wheels.
Motostalgia Auctions d’Elegance —
Seabrook 2014
Where: Seabrook, TX
When: May 2
More: www.motostalgia.com
Motostalgia is the official
auction house of the Keels &
Wheels Concours d’Elegance.
Their sale takes place at the
Lakewood Yacht Club on the
Houston coast. The featured cars
include a 1960 Maserati Tipo 61
“Birdcage,” a 1933 Rolls-Royce
Phantom II Club coupe, a 1965
Shelby GT350 factory competition
car and a 1955 Porsche 356
“Pre-A” cabriolet.
Worldwide Auctioneers — The Houston
Classic Auction
Where: Montgomery, TX
When: May 3
Web: www.worldwide-auctioneers.com
Last year: 101/113 cars sold /
$7.2m
The star cars at this Houston-
area sale, held in conjunction
with the Concours d’Elegance
of Texas, are a “garage find”
16
Auction Calendar
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.
Email auction info to: chad.tyson@sportscarmarket.com.
APRIL
MAY
4–6—COLLECTOR CAR
PRODUCTIONS
Toronto, ON, CAN
10–12—MECUM
Houston, TX
11–12—BRANSON
Branson, MO
11–12—SILVER
Portland, OR
11–13—BARRETTJACKSON
Palm Beach, FL
11–13—ELECTRIC
GARAGE
Edmonton, AB, CAN
12—SILVERSTONE
Birmingham, U.K.
13—MECUM
Houston, TX
24—H&H
Duxford, U.K.
24–26—MECUM
Kansas City, MO
25–26—LEAKE
Dallas, TX
26—COYS
Ascot, U.K.
26—SPECIALTY AUTO
Brighton, CO
27—BONHAMS
Stafford, U.K.
28—BONHAMS
Hendon, U.K.
29—BARONS
Surrey, U.K.
1–3—VICARI
Nocona, TX
2—SMITH’S
Springfield, MO
2—MOTOSTALGIA
Houston, TX
3—WORLDWIDE
Montgomery, TX
5—SHANNONS
Melbourne, AUS
7—SILVER
Spokane, WA
8–10—AUCTIONS
AMERICA
Auburn, IN
9—COYS
Monte Carlo, MCO
9–10—ELECTRIC
GARAGE
Calgary, AB, CAN
10—RM
Monte Carlo, MCO
10—VANDERBRINK
Sioux Falls, SD
13–18—MECUM
Indianapolis, IN
14—BRIGHTWELLS
Herefordshire, U.K.
17—BONHAMS
Newport Pagnell, U.K.
18—BONHAMS
Brussels, BEL
24—SILVERSTONE
Northamptonshire, U.K.
26—SHANNONS
Sydney, AUS
31—VANDERBRINK
Murdo, SD
31—DAN KRUSE
CLASSICS
Odessa, TX
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.
Silver Auctions — Spokane 2014
Where: Spokane, WA
When: May 7
More: www.silverauctions.com
You can always count
on Silver to deliver a mix of
cool classics from across the
collector-car spectrum at a
range of affordable prices. Their
Spokane sale is sure to include a
heaping helping of restored and
original muscle cars, customs,
Corvettes and pickups, plus
plenty of European and Japanese
sports cars.
Auctions America — Auburn Spring
Where: Auburn, IN
When: May 8–10
Web: www.auctionsamerica.com
Last year: 240/431 cars sold /
$5.6m
Auctions America will offer
the 450-car, no-reserve John
Scotti Collection at Auburn
Spring. The Scotti Collection
ranges from Model Ts and
1950s American convertibles to
’60s and ’70s muscle cars and
late-model exotics. AA will send
more than 900 collector cars
across the block. Look forward
to a swapmeet, car corral and
AACA’s Special Spring Meet.
Coys — “Legende et Passion”
Where: Monte Carlo, MCO
When: May 9
More: www.coys.co.uk.
2012 results: 32/69 cars sold /
$6.1m
Prices averaged nearly $200k
per car at this sale in 2012, with
top honors going to a 1936 RollsRoyce
Phantom III drophead
coupe at $1.5m. Expect a very
good selection of European
collector cars, from Porsche and
Mercedes to Lancia and Maserati
to Astons and Rolls.
RM — Monaco 2014
Where: Monte Carlo, MCO
When: May 10
More: www.rmauctions.com
2012 results: 69/94 cars sold /
$42m
This biennial sale coincides
Sports Car Market
Page 16
Crossing the Block Tony Piff Images courtesy of the respective auction companies
1989 Aston Martin AMR1 Group C Sports-Prototype at RM Monaco
with Le Grand Prix Historique
de Monaco weekend and is RM’s
highest-grossing European auction.
2012 saw sales totals of $42m
among just 69 cars. That averages
out to more than $600k per car.
Heavy hitters this time around
include a 1974 Hesketh F1 racer
(RM estimate: $555k–$900k), a
1966 Ferrari Dino 206 S Spider
($1.9m–2.2m), a 1968 Alfa Romeo
Tipo 33/2 Daytona ($1.5m–$1.9m),
a 1989 Aston Martin AMR1
Group C sports-prototype ($1m–
$1.4m) and a matching-numbers
1969 Lamborghini Miura P400S
($660k–$800k).
Mecum Auctions — Original Spring
Classic
Where: Indianapolis, IN
When: May 13–18
Web: www.mecum.com
Last year: 1,142/1,713 cars sold /
$48m
More than 2,000 collector
cars will line up at this weeklong
Heartland event. The headliners
are a 1966 Chevrolet Nova
L79, one owner since new with
mostly original paint; a 1963
Shelby 289 Cobra — an early
rack-and-pinion demonstrator;
an unrestored, one-owner 1970
Plymouth Hemi ’Cuda; a 1971
Dodge Hemi Challenger R/T;
and a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle
LS6 convertible.
Bonhams — Aston Martin Works
Service
Where: Newport Pagnell, U.K.
When: May 17
More: www.bonhams.com
Last year: 47/47 cars sold / $15.3m
Bonhams’ 15th annual all-
Aston sale will feature examples
from all points along the marque’s
long history. Among the featured
early consignments of note are
a 1970 DB6 Mk II (Bonhams
estimate: $250k–$335k), a 1965
DB5 ($570k–$640k) and the exSir
David Brown, -Peter Collins
and -Simon Draper 1953 DB2/4,
with coachwork by Mulliners
($400k–$470k). Bonhams hit a
perfect 100% sell-through rate at
this sale last year.
Bonhams — The Spa Classic Sale
Where: Brussels, BEL
When: May 18
More: www.bonhams.com
Last year: 28/53 cars sold / $4.5m
A 1967 Aston Martin DB6
Vantage sports saloon headlines
this second annual sale. The car
features original left-hand drive
and 5-speed (Bonhams estimate:
$210k–$250k). Bonhams will
also offer a private single-owner
collection of 34 post-war
motorcars, including a 1964
Alfa Romeo 2600 Spider, a 1999
Aston Martin DB7 convertible, a
1972 Bentley Corniche convertible,
a 1960 Jaguar XK 150
roadster, a 1971 Jaguar E-type
Series II roadster, a 1990 Porsche
911 Carrera, a 1977 Rolls-Royce
Corniche convertible, a 1962
Sunbeam Alpine Mk II and a
1965 Triumph TR4 roadster.
Dan Kruse Classics — MidlandOdessa
Classic Car Auction
Where: Midland, TX
When: May 31
More: www.dankruseclassics.com
The featured early star cars
at this new Texas sale from
Dan Kruse are a 502-powered
1969 Chevrolet Chevelle restomod
and an R-code 1969 Ford
Mustang Mach 1 fastback. Count
on lots more ground-pounding
American muscle, hot rods and
pickups, plus a mix of foreign
sports cars and luxury cruisers. ♦
1970 Aston Martin DB6 Mk II at Bonhams Newport Pagnell
18
1967 Aston Martin DB6 Vantage sports saloon at Bonhams Spa
Sports Car Market
Courtesy of Paul Field
Page 18
Inside Line Alex Martin-Banzer Send news and event listings to insideline@sportscarmarket.com.
The Revs Institute — now you can have a chance to see it in person
Industry News
■ The Collier Collection —
the creation of SCM contributor
Miles Collier — closed to the
public more than 20 years ago.
However, the museum in Naples,
FL, kept growing and is one
of the best collections of cars,
automotive books and documents
in the world. It’s now known as
the Revs Institute — and, yes,
Collier is still involved. The
museum is now open to the public
on a limited basis on Tuesdays,
Thursdays and Saturdays. The
number of visitors is limited
and appointments are required,
so booking ahead is a must. For
more information, visit www.
revsinstitute.org.
Events
■ The Concours d’Elegance
of Texas rolls into the spectacular
La Torretta Lake Resort & Spa
from May 2 to 4. The weekend
begins with the Texas Tour
d’Elegance on May 2. This scenic
motoring tour will showcase the
beauty of East Texas and includes
a real Texas barbecue. Worldwide
Auctioneers will present
the Houston Classic Auction on
May 3. The Concours d’Elegance
will conclude the weekend on
May 4. Rolls-Royce and Bentley
Motorcars are featured marques.
Admission is $20 in advance and
20
$25 at the door. www.concoursoftexas.org
(TX)
■ Mazda Raceway Laguna
Seca will host the TUDOR
United SportsCar Championship
from May 2 to 4. There will
be two species of beasts racing on
the famous Corkscrew — Prototype
and Grand Touring. Other
races and events are scheduled
for the big weekend, including
the Lamborghini Super Trofeo.
Buy your tickets in advance to get
a three-day pass for $75. www.
mazdaraceway.com
■ If you like your classic cars
served with a side of vintage
wooden boats, then the 19th Annual
Keels & Wheels Concours
d’Elegance is the perfect entrée.
The Lakewood Yacht Club will be
commandeered for the weekend
of May 3–4. Publisher Martin
can’t stay away from this great
event and will return as the Master
of Ceremonies. New this year
is the presence of Motostalgia,
Auctions d’Elegance, which will
take place on May 2. The vintageboat
concours takes place on May
3, with the automotive portion of
the concours following on May 4.
General admission is $25 if purchased
online in advance and $35
at the gate. Kids 10 and younger
get in free. www.keels-wheels.
com (TX)
■ Everyone needs a reason
to spend a weekend in Monaco,
which makes attending the
9th Grand Prix de Monaco
Historique a must. This famous
biennial event takes place May
9–11, two weeks before Formula
One comes to town. Cars from 50
years of motor racing will shriek
around the legendary Monaco
circuit. For more information,
visit www.acm.mc (EU)
■ The fourth annual Cel-
ebration of Automobiles at the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
brings historic and vintage cars
to the famous track on May 10.
This year, the spotlight will shine
on cars built in Indiana. Al Unser
is the honorary judge. For more
information and ticket packages,
visit www.celebrationofautomobiles.com
(IN)
■ The 22nd Annual New
The Concours d’Elegance of Texas
England 1000 will tour 1,000
miles on Maine’s picturesque
coastal back roads during May
18–23. There will be pit stops of
all kinds, including the Maine
Maritime Museum, Owls Head,
Mount Desert Island and Pemaquid
Point. The tour also includes
a Windjammer Cruise out of
Camden Harbor and a whalewatching
trip from Boothbay
Harbor. Qualifying cars are 1975
or earlier sports, racing, or GT
cars. There is also a class for exotics.
Registration information can
be found at www.vintagerallies.
com (NY) ♦
Sports Car Market
Courtesy of the Revs Institute
You Write We Read
All letters are subject to editing. Please address correspondence to SCM, P.O. Box 4797, Portland, OR 97208.
Fax 503.253.2234, e-mail: youwrite@sportscarmarket.com
The Bond was the less dangerous of the two, mainly because it was able to
overcome inertia only after a prolonged struggle with its own transmission…
Bond’s less-dangerous
trike
To the Editor:
Your correspondent at the
Branson auction in October, B.
Mitchell Carlson, explains the
1963 Bond Bug 3-wheel wagon
(March 2014, p. 94) thus:
“Lighter road taxes create the
incentive for three-wheelers in
Britain, but things are slower to
catch on Stateside.”
One aspect of driving that
was slower to catch on in the
U.K. was allowing children to
drive, as they do in this country.
The Bond Minicar was the
vehicle by which the U.K. caught
up. To drive a car, one had to be
17. But the Bond, with its reverse
gear disconnected, was classified
as a motorized tricycle, which
meant that 16-year-olds could
26
drive them.
And they did. In the early
days, no insurance was required,
either. So the Bond was not
entirely about road taxes. The
Bonds were made of fiberglass,
and they collapsed when hit,
earning the moniker “Coffins on
Castors” — or, more precisely,
borrowing it from the BMC
Mini, to which it properly
belonged. The two vehicles
employed different approaches
to coffinism. In the Bond, the
occupants would be squashed
flat. In the Mini, the Issigonis
Harpoon, which doubled as the
steering wheel, did the job. The
Bond was the less dangerous of
the two, mainly because it was
able to overcome inertia only
after a prolonged struggle with
its own transmission.
If I can be of further assis-
tance, you can reach me in 1964.
Great mag! Keep it up! —
Tony Waters, Waldport, OR
We do Z best we can
To The Editor:
Like many SCMers, I have a
favorite marque: the Datsun and
Nissan Z cars, which are enthusiast-identified
by their generations.
I was so pleased that you
chose to devote the March 2014
“Affordable Classic” column (p.
28) to Jeff Zurschmeide’s wellwritten,
accurate review and
market accounting of the “Z-31”
generation, the 1984–89 300ZX.
Your timing seems good
for including the Z-31. This
generation Z car, now becoming
a very affordable Sports/GT
classic, attracts new participants
to dedicated Z car clubs. Owners
also find pleasure showing these
qualifying cars on antiqueautomobile-club
fields. Several
special editions do exist to
collect: namely, the 1984 50th
Anniversary Edition and the
1988 Shiro cars. As a mass-produced
enthusiast car with a claim
of heritage dating to the evermore-closely
market-followed
1970 Datsun 240Z, the Z-31’s
easy maintenance, acceptable
performance, wide availability of
low-mileage, cared-for original
cars, and GT comfort help make
this car a good entry point.
New Z-31 owners in our clubs
gain awareness of earlier cars,
perhaps enjoying the thrill of the
hunt for an earlier appreciating
example Datsun Z car. Over
time, this supports values as well
Sports Car Market
B. Mitchell Carlson
Page 26
You Write We Read
Ad Index
Adamson Industries ................................... 139
Alan Taylor Company, Inc ......................... 131
American Car Collector ............................. 135
Aston Martin of New England ................... 119
Auctions America ................................... 23, 25
Auto Kennel ............................................... 129
Automobilia Monterey ............................... 143
Automotive Restorations Inc. .................... 123
Autosport Designs Inc ................................ 107
B R M North America .................................... 6
Bald Head Garage ...................................... 117
Barrett-Jackson ............................................ 21
Bennett Law Office .................................... 120
Beverly Hills Car Club ............................... 139
Black Horse Garage ................................... 109
Bonhams / SF ......................................... 5, 7, 9
Canepa ........................................................ 103
Carlisle Events ............................................. 97
Centerline Alfa Parts .................................... 82
Chequered Flag International ..................... 121
Chubb Personal Insurance ............................ 29
Classic Showcase ......................................... 91
Collector Car Price Tracker ....................... 135
Concours d’Elegance at the Wood ............. 107
Copley Motorcars ....................................... 133
Dealer Accelerate ......................................... 71
Don Mackey ................................................. 79
Driversource Houston LLC .................. 99, 105
E-Types USA................................................ 37
European Collectibles ................................ 125
Exclusive Motorcars .................................. 133
Exotic Classics ............................................. 94
Fantasy Junction ........................................... 73
FCA-MAR ................................................. 125
Florian Seidl Industrieberatungen ................ 83
Fourintune Garage Inc ............................... 143
Gooding & Company ..................................2-3
Greenwich Concours D’Elegance ................ 35
Greystone Mansion Concours d’Elegance ... 87
Grundy Worldwide ..................................... 113
Gullwing Motor Cars, Inc. ......................... 129
Hagerty Insurance Agency, Inc. ................... 69
Hamann Classic Cars ............................. 77, 93
Heritage Auctions ......................................... 33
Heritage Classics .......................................... 41
Hyman, LTD .................................. 47, 89, 109
Intercity Lines .............................................. 39
James G. Murphy Co. ................................ 105
JC Taylor ...................................................... 85
Jeff Brynan ................................................. 143
JJ Best Banc & Co ..................................... 137
Kevin Kay Restorations ............................. 117
Kidston ......................................................... 11
L.A. Prep ...................................................... 88
Le Belle Macchine d’Italia ............................. 8
Leake Auction Company .............................. 65
Legendary Motorcar Company .................... 48
Lucky Collector Car Auctions ................... 101
Luxury Brokers International ....................... 93
Mac Neil Automotive Products Ltd ............. 64
Maserati North America ............................. 148
Mercedes Classic Center .............................. 27
Mershon’s World Of Cars .......................... 127
Mil Millas..................................................... 34
Miller’s Mercedes Parts, Inc ........................ 88
Motor Classic & Competition Corp. .......... 143
Motostalgia .................................................. 31
Newco Products Inc. .................................. 143
Passport Transport .............................. 136, 138
Paul Russell And Company ....................... 113
Peak to Peak Ralley ................................... 115
Pebble Beach RetroAuto ................................ 4
Pinehurst Concours D’ Elegance.................. 24
Premier Financial Services ........................ 147
Putnam Leasing ............................................ 13
QuickSilver Exhausts Ltd. ........................... 81
Reliable Carriers .......................................... 67
RM Auctions ................................................ 17
Road Scholars .............................................. 45
Ron Tonkin Gran Turismo ......................... 131
Ronald McDonald House at Stanford ........ 121
Silver Collector Car Auctions ...................... 95
Sports & Specialist Cars ............................ 115
Sports Car Market ........................................ 83
Steve Austin’s Great Vacations ...................111
Symbolic Motor Car Co ............................... 15
The Auto Collections ................................... 75
The Stable, Ltd. ............................................ 57
Vicari Auctions ............................................. 49
Vintage Rallies ........................................... 119
VintageAutoPosters.com ............................ 139
Watchworks ................................................ 143
Worldwide Group ......................................... 19
28
You Write We Read
My wife and I loved his straight-shooting, slightly tart
presentation. So, it was no surprise that we thoroughly
enjoyed the article about the F40…
as our many civic organizations
devoted to all our classic and
collectible motor vehicles. It is
delightful to see your coverage of
this Japanese Z car line. — Dan
Banks, Ellicott City, MD
Not Lagonda owners
or “Fast N’ Loud” fans
To the Editor:
I met Stephen Serio in the
small group that met after the
roundtable discussion at Gooding
in Monterey.
My wife and I loved his
straight-shooting, slightly
tart presentation. So it was no
surprise that we thoroughly
enjoyed the article about the F40
in the latest SCM (April 2014,
“Collecting Thoughts,” p. 48).
In fact, it was the first article
I turned to. Keep up the good
work.
330 GTC — with transaxle on
the bench.
Daytona — nice car that runs
well and is a pleasure to drive
and own, now that it’s fully
sorted.
Daytona Spyder, conver-
sion — nice car, and would be
really nice if Mike Pierce and I
can ever get the Webers to stop
dribbling gas from the pump jets.
— Steve and Barbara Meltzer,
via email
Stephen Serio replies: Thank
you ever so much for the kind
words.
Because I work in a vacuum
most days, I never, ever think
that anyone reads anything I’ve
written after I push “send” from
my computer when the deadline
is due. I love the way you signed
off, so I’m inspired to sign off in
kind:
Siata 208S — because of the
winter, have yet to drive it.
365GTC — started out as an
engine detail, seems that the top
end is now apart.
356A hot-rod Speedster —
finishing up total restoration,
second interior now fitted after
the first shop seemingly lost their
way, and the third windshield
now fitted without cracking.
912 coupe — see above winter
comments.
911 Sport Classic — at the
EPA/DOT lab. Maybe will see
light of day in 120 days... jeesh.
Wife’s 912 coupe — engine
now in a disturbing amount of
bags and boxes while the plug
with the bad helio-coil gets
repaired.
275GTS — now fully sorted. ♦
Sports Car Market
Courtesy of Barrett-Jackson
In Miniature by Marshall Buck
1938 Bugatti Type 57 SC Corsica Roadster
This one-off Corsica-bodied roadster is on
my list of all-time favorite cars. As classic vintage
automobiles go, it ticks all the right boxes.
The stunning coachwork was designed by
Eric Giles, brother of first owner Col. Godfrey
Giles, and British-based coachbuilder Corsica
built the body. Treated to a complete restoration
in the late 1990s by its current custodian,
and although deviating somewhat from when
originally built, this well-known Type 57 went
on to win Best of Show at the 1998 Pebble
Beach Concours d’Elegance. I often prefer
original to restored versions, but in this instance,
it is difficult to argue with the results.
This wonderful Bugatti has been produced before in 1:43 scale (too
small), and then in 1:8 scale (too big), but now, finally... we have one that is
just the right size in 1:18 scale, and far more detailed than any before. Thank
you, CMC Classical Models.
To gather all necessary dimensions and photograph this beauty, the engi-
neers at CMC traveled to the fabulous collection of John Mozart, with whom
the car resides. As one might expect, the body shape has been perfectly and
most accurately replicated along with numerous details.
Some small bits are missing, but you have to be rather obsessive —
like me — to notice. The smooth, high-gloss
Midnight Blue paint has been hand-polished to
a level befitting any Pebble Beach winner.
The fit and finish is excellent, and working
Model Details
Production date: 2014
Quantity: Estimated 5,000 to 10,000
SCM five-star rating:
Overall quality:
Authenticity: ½
Overall value:
Web: www.minichamps.de
features are plentiful, but perhaps too much
so, as some work better than others. I could
do without the steering, which barely works,
but am very happy that the hinged seat backs
tilt forward and allow the hinged trunk lid to
fully open. There is a treasure trove of hidden
Speaking Volumes by Mark Wigginton
Art of the Le Mans Race Car
By Stuart Codling, Photography by James Mann, Motorworks, 240
pages, $60
Here’s the deal: If I walked up to you on the
street and took money out of your wallet, forcing
you to spend that money on something you
couldn’t eat or wear, I could expect, as Nick
Danger once said, “the hot kiss at the end of
a wet fist.”
But that is exactly where we are. This
review will make you part with your hardearned
cash. You want this book. It will make
you happier than dinner.
Let’s face it, there are lots of books about
cars with “The Art of…” in the title. Usually
they are simply photo books with text as an
afterthought. They fill coffee tables, shop
waiting rooms and remainder bins.
But Art of the Le Mans Race Car is a cut above. The text is as strong as the
stunning images of unbearably beautiful race cars — Le Mans racers going
back nearly a century.
James Mann is the man behind the lens, and he brings a long career of
dazzling photography in the automotive world to the book. His staging of the
cars — as pieces of art on display in a gallery — is uniformly beautiful. The
images are framed with a sense of drama, and they work both as stand-alone
images and as groups telling a story. Each photo is an aesthetic delight and
packed with accessible data for the fan. (One nice touch is the Audi R8 and
Audi R18, photographed dirty and scarred from their events.)
Author Stuart Codling brings his words — and reporting and writing
32
skills honed covering Formula One — to bear on 90 years of
Le Mans history and some important race cars. Broken into
four periods (1920s–30s, 1940s–60s, 1970s–80s and 1990s
to today), the chapters use a single car to give a
smart, readable history of the sweep of Le Mans.
Cars were left out, and readers will argue
about why a car missed the cut while another
car gets the full treatment. (Note to the Corvette
crowd: Gentlemen, Start Your Whining!) But it’s
less about what’s missing than what is there.
You will just have to buy the book and go hun-
gry for a few days.
Provenance:
Codling has the experience and tools to do more
than collect facts in the manner of too many motorsports
book authors. His clear, simple style shows a
professional at work, easy to read and rich in data.
Fit and finish:
Designer Chris Fayers has done a super job of getting out
of the way of Mann’s stunning images. The design is crisp and
barely adorned, the reproduction flawless.
Drivability:
Some days I have to sneak up on a review book. It didn’t
take long with this book to know I was in the hands of a writer
who would take care of me. Pair that with the skills of the
photographer, and you have in your hands a winner. Art of
the Le Mans Race Car is the best way to appreciate what is
arguably the world’s greatest race. ♦
Sports Car Market
detail to discover in the
trunk. For example, the
spare tire, along with all the
tools, is neatly tied down in
place — just as on the real
car. Continuing on the quest
for more detail, you will be
very satisfied when opening
either
side of the double-
hinged hood and find great
engine detailing.
While writing this re-
view I sat with this model
on my desk for a while,
and just stared at it, enjoying every eye-straining minute.
Overall, CMC has done a superb job of replicating this car,
but it is not without a few frustrating faults. Keep in mind
that this model is supposed to replicate the car as restored
today — not how it might have once been. Why is the mesh
screen in the radiator shell the wrong color? It should be
black, not silver, and the installation is a bit crooked. The
wire wheels, stunning as they are, really should be chromeplated
— not this dull, machined finish. The most noticeable
misstep is with the interior material, which doesn’t replicate
the crocodile upholstery — and is also the wrong color. I
understand that replicating crocodile in miniature is a big
challenge, but at the very least, the leather used should have
been the right color. More puzzling is why CMC chose not
to use the same leather as was on their previously released
Atlantic, which also happens to be a great color match for
the Corsica roadster’s interior.
Apart from those few issues, you still get a great model at
a good price. Priced at $471.
Page 34
Affordable Classic Jaguar XJ-S and XJS
A Luxury Cat with Claws
It pays to buy the best you can find, with a known ownership and ideal
service history
by Donald Osborne
244-hp V12 seems, and is, incredibly exotic.
The XJ-S could reach 143 mph, and it had a 7.6-sec-
ond 0–60 mph time, while cosseting you in a superbly
formed Connolly leather bucket seat. At the same time,
you enjoyed the tunes from the standard 8-track stereo
as the suspension soaked up the road bumps. However,
that performance came with frightening fuel consumption,
and in a bold move, rather than canceling the car
or dropping the engine, Jaguar instead produced a new
HE, or High Efficiency, version in 1981. Amazingly,
alongside better mileage came increased horsepower.
The period appeal of the early cars does come with-
1990 Jaguar XJ-S V12, sold for $9,180 at Branson, MO, in 2012
W
hile it is common today to think that the introduction of Jaguar’s new
“sporting” model in 1975 was greeted with jeers, the truth is rather different.
Certainly the XJ-S (the name carried a hyphen until 1991, when it
became the XJS) was a notable departure from the XKE. The nomenclature clearly
indicated that it was the top of the XJ sedan line rather than the latest in a line of XK
sports cars.
Nevertheless, the XJ-S was very much the successor to the XK 150 FHC, a com-
fortable grand touring coupe that could even be had with an automatic transmission.
Following the same pattern, the XKE’s final iterations were also more cruiser than
bruiser, and it can be successfully argued that the 1975 XJ-S fulfilled its brief rather
better than the XKE 2+2 coupe, which always seemed the most un-cat-like of Jaguars.
A touch of Ford
The new XJ-S was a thoroughly modern shape, the first designed without the direct
input of founder Sir William Lyons. That the styling was right became proven in a
remarkable 21-year production run. With only minor massaging, the XJS looked as
good in the Clinton Administration as it did under President Ford, and an astonishing
115,000 coupes and cabriolets of several types were built.
Speaking of Ford, FoMoCo had a large role in not only saving Jaguar Cars dur-
ing this period, but it was also directly responsible for the development that made it
possible to end the old necessity of “buying two new Jaguars at once, so one could be
driven while the other’s in the shop.”
Although the car was launched in some of the darkest days of British Leyland
U.K., Ltd, it must be said that the work force at Brown’s
Lane for the most part did the best to imitate the French
Resistance and work against the worst of management to
build the cars the best they could.
Details
Years produced: 1975–96
Price range: $5,000–$28,000
Number built: 115,413
Pros: Sleek, elegant styling, power,
ride comfort, usability
Cons: Fuel consumption of early
cars, somewhat cramped interior,
cost of OEM replacement parts,
random electrical issues, cooling
Best place to drive one: On a fast,
sweeping road
A typical owner is: A very cool cat
36
Speed, looks and luxury
With the XJ-S, the enthusiast has a wide range of
choices, and each has a very specific appeal. The early
V12 cars have a very 1970s period feel, with lots of pebbled
black vinyl and brushed aluminum bright trim, and
of course, those great drum-style instruments. There
is nothing like the sound and response of the 5343-cc
engine, and when you consider what was happening
elsewhere in the automotive world in the mid-1970s, a
out the uprated transmissions and improved brakes of
the 1991–96 run. If you want a factory-built full convertible,
you’ll have to go to 1989 and later. The targa
top SC in 1983 was dropped at that time, although there
were also approximately 900 fully open cars converted
by Hess and Eisenhardt sold in the U.S. from 1986 to
’88. 1983 also saw the choice of an excellent 3.6-liter
inline 6-cylinder engine added to the line, but the U.S.
market would wait until 1991 and the introduction of a
4.0L version to have the option.
Look for a well-cooled cat
Whether you choose a 6- or 12-cylinder model, look
out for cars that had overheating problems. The V12 is
a masterful heat generator, and underhood temperatures
could probably melt diamonds. A well-maintained cooling
system is key to its health — and not shutting it off
immediately after a long, hard run helps as well.
From 1977 onward, the GM Turbo Hydramatic 400
transmission replaced the Borg Warner unit, and this
might be something to look for, but frankly it’s more important
to find a well-maintained example with records
rather than a specific gearbox.
Once properly set up, and if regularly driven, an XJ-S
does not have to be expensive to run. While you can find
examples from $5,000, it pays to buy the best you can
find, with a known ownership and ideal service history.
Prices for the late convertibles and the best early coupes
have gone into the $20,000 range for well-maintained,
low-mileage examples, but expect to pay at least in the
low teens for a good car of any sort. ♦
1986 Jaguar XJ-S, sold for $3,348 in 2012 by Silver Auctions
Sports Car Market
Page 36
Legal Files John Draneas
Same Plaintiff, Different Corvette
The “Real McCoy” Corvette is mired in a really complicated legal battle
Mecum moved the car to one
of its storage facilities outside
the state of Florida.
When it learned of the
lawsuit, Mecum declined to
move forward with the purchase
and returned the car to
Ungurean. It remains stored
in Ohio, pending resolution of
the lawsuit.
Motion to dismiss
Ungurean has filed a mo-
1956 Chevrolet Corvette SR
W
e recently reported on the status of a lawsuit involving
the Briggs Cunningham Corvette, which is ongoing
(December 2013, p. 40 and January 2014, p. 42). Domenico
M. Idoni, one of the plaintiffs in that case, is now the plain-
tiff in another lawsuit involving another Corvette, the “Real McCoy.”
That’s either bad luck or quite an appetite for litigation!
The story is taken from the parties’ court filings.
The Real McCoy is a 1956 Chevrolet Corvette SR prototype that
Chevrolet built to race. John Fitch ran it in the 1956 12 Hours of
Sebring, finishing 1st in class and 9th overall. That victory cemented
the Corvette’s position as a high-performance car worthy of racing —
and encouraged Chevrolet to continue building the model.
The Real McCoy was owned and restored by John Baldwin, sold
to Harry Yeaggy in 2004, and sold again to Chuck Ungurean in 2011.
Ungurean recently decided to sell it at auction, and it was featured at the
January 25, 2014, Mecum auction in Kissimmee, FL.
According to his complaint, in 1997, Idoni purchased two ZF
transmissions, engines, gas tanks, wheels, carburetors, tires, manifolds,
brakes and other prototype parts that were created for the car
by Chevrolet in 1955/6. The parts came into the possession of Baldwin
(how is unexplained), who wrongfully incorporated them into the Real
McCoy before selling it to Yeaggy.
On December 16, 2013, Idoni met with Ungurean and his counsel
to explain the situation and demand the return of his parts. Ungurean
refused, claiming, among other things, that Idoni’s action was barred
by the statute of limitations. Just before the auction, Idoni filed suit in
U.S. District Court in Orlando, FL, to stop the sale and to order that his
parts be returned to him. For unknown reasons, Idoni failed to bring
Ungurean into court in time to stop the sale, and the auction proceeded
without interruption.
Ungurean claims that Idoni, who is well known in the Corvette
hobby because of his extensive collection of historic Corvette documents
and his involvement in other litigation (the Briggs Cunningham
Corvette case), told others about his claims prior to the auction.
When the auction started, bidding proceeded slowly. A couple of
bidders who had earlier expressed interest in the car decided not to bid.
Hoping to spur bidding, Mecum urged Ungurean to drop his $3 million
reserve and agreed they would buy the car for $2.3 million if a higher
bid was not received. No bids were forthcoming, and Mecum declared
the car sold at $2.3 million. Ungurean went back home to Ohio, and
38
tion to dismiss the lawsuit on
the basis that the court lacks
jurisdiction over the case because
the car is no longer in
Florida.
Federal court jurisdiction
is based upon diversity of
citizenship between the parties and a controversy exceeding $75,000.
Those requirements are met, as Idoni and Ungurean are residents of
Maryland and Ohio, respectively, and Idoni claims the value of the parts
exceeds $75,000.
However, as neither Idoni nor Ungurean are residents of Florida, the
jurisdiction of the U.S. District Court in Florida is based solely upon
the presence of the Real McCoy in Florida. The car was there when the
lawsuit was filed, but it left the state before Ungurean was served or
otherwise made aware of the lawsuit.
Of course, a defendant in such a case cannot defeat jurisdiction by
simply moving the car out of state, but Ungurean claims that happened
in the ordinary course of business before anyone knew about the lawsuit.
It is hard to predict what the court will do with this motion. A
dismissal would not end the matter, but would only require that Idoni
refile the lawsuit in the proper jurisdiction, most likely Ohio. Courts are
generally reluctant to make people jump through such hoops.
Another result could be that the lawsuit is not dismissed but the
venue, or the place of trial, is moved to Ohio, where the car is now
located.
Identification of the parts
Idoni’s complaint is accompanied by a copy of his purchase con-
tract. The contract states that Idoni is purchasing a 1956 Corvette and a
number of unspecified parts in the seller’s possession for $150,000. The
parts are not identified in any way, other than that they are stored in a
specified garage and in two trunks stored at another specified location.
We can expect that Ungurean will question whether the parts Idoni
claims to own are actually the parts he purchased. That is a pretty obvious
question, so we can only expect that Idoni is prepared to prove
through other evidence that the Real McCoy parts are actually the ones
he purchased under this contract.
Statute of limitations
As a general proposition under U.S. law, the owner of stolen property
remains its owner and can defeat the claims of an innocent purchaser.
This is because U.S. law follows the principle that a thief cannot pass
good title. Since the legitimate owner’s title is not defeated, there is
generally no applicable statute of limitations, and the owner can recover
the property when it is discovered — even many years after the loss.
Sports Car Market
David Newhardt, courtesy of Mecum Auctions
Page 37
This case presents an interesting twist on that principle. Ungurean
claims that Idoni told him that he had seen the Real McCoy in 2005
when it was owned by Yeaggy and that he then believed that some of his
parts had been incorporated into the car. If that is true, then the statute
of limitations could have begun to run at that time, and could have run
out before he filed his lawsuit in 2014.
While that makes sense as a legal argument, there are several prob-
lems.
Note that Ungurean is choosing his words carefully here. “Some”
of the parts is not the same as all of them, so the statute of limitations
might apply only to some of the parts. “Believed” is not the same as
“knew.” To start the statute running, Idoni would have had to either
know his parts were in the car or have sufficient knowledge that he
should have realized they were.
Of course, all this is based upon what Ungurean claims Idoni told
him, so we shouldn’t be surprised if Idoni denies saying any of that. All
of those problems mean that this issue will not lead to a quick resolution
of the lawsuit — it will be a factual issue for the jury to decide at the end
of a very expensive trial.
Where is Baldwin?
The relationship between Idoni and Baldwin is certainly a key issue
here.
Ungurean claims that Idoni told him that he borrowed the money to
buy the parts from Baldwin, who wrongfully took possession of them
and used them in the car.
We don’t yet know what Baldwin will say about that. If Idoni vol-
untarily gave possession of the parts to Baldwin, and if Baldwin is
deemed to be a dealer, then Baldwin would have passed good title to
the parts to Yeaggy — a sale by a dealer is the notable exception that
cuts off the rights of the legitimate owner to recover the stolen property.
If Idoni prevails, Ungurean would pass the buck to Yeaggy, who
would in turn pass it back to Baldwin. Fortunately in this case, there
are only a few steps back to the original point of dispute, and everyone
could be brought into the case quite easily.
That would seem to be the easiest approach. Since it all falls back to
Baldwin, bringing him and Yeaggy into the case would force Baldwin
to carry the heaviest part of the litigation load.
Authenticity issues
Unfortunately, the allegations in this case create uncertainty about
the authenticity of the Real McCoy. Idoni’s complaint suggests that
Baldwin had a second Corvette body and might have installed it on the
Real McCoy chassis, which would make it a less-valuable rebody. The
parts Idoni claims to own include engines and transmissions, among
other things. If they are now installed in the Real McCoy, rather than
the original parts from 1956, further authenticity issues are raised. No
doubt, that uncertainty will have an adverse effect on value unless and
until matters are cleared up.
There is unquestionably more to come here. Stay tuned. ♦
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.
May 2014
39
Page 38
Simon Says Simon Kidston
The Only Italian Bugatti
A 1992 party in London starts a journey that ends at an abandoned
Campogalliano factory in 2014
to blind ambition and broken dreams, redolent of the
mysterious Mary Celeste and Chernobyl after nuclear
meltdown.
Like most car guys, I’d largely forgotten the story.
Sure, we’ve come across a few of the handful of Bugattis
built during the company’s 1990s resurrection by Italian
entrepreneur Romano Artioli, but not much had been
written about them, hardly anyone knew how they
drove, and even how many existed was an enigma. Their
styling is a matter of taste, parts availability a concern,
and frankly, will you be welcome anywhere with one?
And yet, as we all know, there’s something irresistible
about scratching a motoring itch...
A dead factory, a living car
Pay attention closely when driving along the
They’re not DeLoreans, but they did time-travel to 1992
J
ust a few miles from the northern Italian town of Modena — celebrated for its
sweet balsamic vinegar, sparkling Lambrusco red wine, industrial ceramics,
and, of course, an almost indecent share of niche automakers — is a smaller
suburb named Campogalliano. Sound familiar? Cast your mind back and it
might. It was here, two decades ago, that one of the most audacious, quixotic and
ultimately ill-fated motoring revivals played out.
Young twentysomethings learning their craft in the cramped and often chaotic car
departments of London’s venerable auction houses tend to get out as often as possible
to visit clients and attend events, but none of us had ever experienced anything on this
scale.
It was 1992, and a thick, embossed card had arrived in the post a few weeks ear-
lier inviting us to a glitzy black-tie gala dinner at one of the capital’s finest hotels on
Park Lane. We arrived to find almost a thousand fellow guests mingling and admiring
dozens of beautiful vintage cars parked outside, their aged coachwork — French Blue
seemed to be a favorite hue — stained by the dust and oil of their journeys here from
across Europe.
The center of attention was a trio of altogether more purposeful, sleek and avant-
garde machines that rumbled slowly through the crowd to enthusiastic applause. After
half a century dormant like a fairytale princess, Bugatti was back and proud to let the
world know it.
A sudden end
How times change. The silence and stillness here today are eerie. I’ve been wander-
ing from abandoned office to office, assembly hall to parts store, reception to design
studio, with no sign of life other than the oversized hares that roam undisturbed
through the now-tangled mass of vegetation where once there were carefully landscaped
grounds.
Open a cupboard, and there are still neatly labeled files inside, while vintage com-
puters and factory drawings are strewn across the floor. Automotive magazines left
around the client waiting area excitedly announce the novelties of October 1995, the
calendars adorning the walls showing the same date when the bankruptcy judge arrived
to seal the premises. The secretary’s appointment book lies open, revealing the
names and telephone numbers of long-overdue visitors.
The “H” marking out the nearby helipad is faded and weed-covered, the windsock
that flew next to it now hanging limp and threadbare. Tree roots — like arthritis —
have deformed the track that circled the factory, the red lights that warned employees
not to stray outside during testing now broken and coated with moss. The white marble
outdoor walkways have disappeared under nature’s green onslaught. This is the old
Bugatti factory at Campogalliano in 2014, a sad, neglected industrial ruin, testament
40
Autostrada past Modena — not easy with a combative
Fiat driver on your back bumper — and you’ll recognize
the shape of the adjoining factory from countless
car-magazine photos of the period. Blue, of course, with
distinctive curved white air ducts sprouting from its roof
like those of an old ship (they actually served as outlets
for exhaust gases). The names of partner firms still
adorn the outside walls — Elf, Aérospatiale, Michelin
— but the large oval bearing the company’s own name
has been obscured at the demand of the brand’s modern
custodian, the mighty VW Group. I must have driven
past dozens of times without stopping. This time I did.
Once you’ve found the entrance — not easy, as it’s
hidden within a cul-de-sac on an industrial estate —
you’re captivated. “Bugatti Automobili” proclaim the
once-proud blue letters — now peeling and missing the
EB monogram, which someone has stolen. There’s a
tatty piece of paper taped to the gate, giving the caretaker’s
contact number.
A few days and a little polite persuasion later, I’m
inside (grazie, Ezio) with a camera crew to make one of
our short website films.
And as a I write this, I’m a newly converted Bugatti
EB110 owner, too late to repay Mr. Artioli’s hospitality in
London all those years ago, but hopefully still in time to
help record the all-too-brief flowering of the only Italian
Bugatti before all visible traces of its passage disappear. ♦
From greatness to ghost town
Sports Car Market
Photos by Pietro Bianchi
Page 40
Feature Rétromobile 2014
Alluring Automotive Jewels
in the City of Light
If you’re going to kick tires, why not do it
in high style in a stunning setting?
by Alex Martin-Banzer
auctions, tire kicking and meeting old friends — and making new ones — carried
that special glow found only in Paris, France.
Rétromobile’s exhibits are in the huge Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, but other
R
42
events, such RM’s Paris Auction and Bonhams’ Les Grandes Marques du Monde
au Grand Palais auction, required fun trips around the city.
étromobile is a massive Parisian automotive event with no true line between
vintage and the present.
Booths with parts and trinkets from decades-old cars were as prominent
as the ones featuring the debuts of new cars. Yet the entire week of
Riding the shuttle bus from Rétromobile to RM’s
Paris Auction, located near Les Invalides and Napoleon’s
Tomb, provided a different view of the city. Motoring
through streets that have not changed in size for hundreds
of years showed why European cars are compact.
With almost perfect timing, a Citroën 2CV turned a
sharp corner onto a tiny side street, causing walking
Parisians to yell and aggressively wave their baguettes.
The lights of the Eiffel Tower sparkled while I lis-
tened in on the story of RM’s 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza
Spyder, which was found in a Fort Worth, TX, barn in
1994. The finder’s wife said, “A cow sat on the right front
headlight. We had to pound that back out.”
It’s the little things that aren’t mentioned in the cata-
log that count.
See ALLURING, p. 44
Sports Car Market
Alex Martin-Banzer
Page 41
1959 Renault 900 — or is it a Pushmepullyou?
Everything Old
is New Again
Familiarity and surprise
keep prominent collectors
coming back each year
by Donald Osborne
T
he Rétromobile show in Paris attracts visitors
from around the world to share in the glory
and wonder that is vintage motoring — in
the most beautiful city in the world. How can
a car event hold your attention when Paris itself
beckons outside the doors? It must be something
fairly compelling that draws people in and keeps
them inside the Porte de Versailles Convention and
Exposition Centre — and makes them return year
after year.
We decided to take an unscientific sampling of
three 2014 visitors to discover what drew them to
Rétromobile, what they enjoyed most and why they
keep coming back.
Our testimony comes from Bill Warner,
the founder and chairman of the Amelia Island
Concours d’Elegance on Amelia Island, FL, one of
the world’s most important concours events; Peter
Mullin, Board Chairman of one of the leading automotive
museums — The Petersen of Los Angeles,
CA — and founder/owner of another, the Mullin
Automotive Museum in Oxnard, CA; and one of
the world’s most esteemed collectors, Corrado
Lopresto, who has assembled a unique trove of
masterpieces in Milan, Italy.
Why do they come?
“It’s the best show of its kind in the world,”
Warner said. He gives great credit
to François
Melcion, director of the event. “What we have here
is an indoor concours, with great art, automobilia,
models and parts thrown in to make it even more
fun, and now three auctions to help you spend even
more money in Paris.”
While there are cars here from around the
world, it is clearly the opportunity to see cars not
usually seen outside of France, such as the quirky
Corrado Lopresto’s Isotta Fraschini is maneuvered into place
May 2014
See SURPRISE, p. 44
43
Donald Osborne
Donald Osborne
Page 42
Feature Rétromobile 2014
SURPRISE, continued from p. 43
1959 Renault 900, a cab-forward, two-box, rear-engined vehicle that appears to be
able to be operated in either direction that appeals to Warner.
“Come on, where else are you going to see something like that except here?”
Warner said. “It’s a real treat!” Warner has come to Rétromobile 10 times, missing
only one year in the past 11. While he also enjoys Techno Classica Essen in
Germany, he wryly observed, “That’s a great event, but Essen isn’t Paris, is it?”
French masterpieces
That this show is indeed in Paris is certainly key to its appeal to Peter Mullin,
whose passion for great French coachbuilt cars of the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and
1950s has been well documented not only in his museum in Oxnard, CA, but on
concours lawns and in fine-art museums around the world.
The nation of France returned some of the passion
this year, awarding Mullin the prestigious Chevalier
des Arts in recognition of his efforts to promote French
automotive design and history. Mullin was invited to
display a number of masterpieces from his collection
at last year’s show, and this year he brought a 1938
Delahaye 135 with Figoni et Falaschi coachwork as
part of the “Cars of the Maharajahs’’ display.
Mullin took some time off from the preparations
Peter Mullin
for the major exhibition “The Art of Bugatti,” which
opened at the Mullin Museum on March 20. The exhibition,
which runs until December 30, showcases not
only the masterpiece Bugatti cars from the collection,
but also such rarities as a Bugatti rail-car engine, materials from never-beforeseen
family archives, and the Bugatti “Royale” Kellner coupe.
A year ago in Paris, we spoke with Mullin about his newly realized interest in
the cars of Citroën.
“Last year I was motivated by the impressive display by Lukas Hüni of the DS
and the many wonderful examples of Citroën cars around the show,” Mullin said.
“Since then, I have purchased a pre-war Traction Avant, an early-production DS
and an SM. I’m very pleased I could get all the cars I drooled over in 2013!”
Mullin always looks forward to what the show has to offer in discoveries — no
matter how many times he’s come, there’s always something completely new to
be seen.
One-offs, prototypes and firsts
Corrado Lopresto is an architect from Milan, Italy. He has assembled one of the
world’s most fascinating and compelling collections, with a very specific focus.
All of his cars are one-off examples, prototypes or the first production chassis of
a model. Further defining this focus is their origin — they are all of Italian manufacture.
His cars have been seen and won top prizes at leading concours events
ALLURING, continued from p. 42
A worthy venue
In 1897, the French knew they needed a magnificent venue for their magnifi-
cent city. So they built the Grand Palais. Now, 114 years after it opened, the Grand
Palais welcomed Bonhams’ Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais
auction. This building even had room for a few rogue pigeons, causing a few
nervous glances from dealers.
While kicking tires at the Grand Palais, we ran into an SCM couple. They had
just bought a car, accidentally. “He was on the phone, waving to his friend. I told
him to stop it since they thought he was bidding,” the wife said. “Of course, he
didn’t listen to me. Now we own that!”
That was a 1932 Rolls Royce 40/50 HP Phantom II tourer pointe bateau. I
don’t believe that was her idea of shopping near Champs-Élysées.
Alors, then there was Sports Car Market’s annual Rétromobile reception,
open to Fright Pig detectors from all over the world. Each year, the number of
attendees rises, which surely has no correlation with how freely the wine flows.
Publisher Martin — aka Dad — and I had our own Rétromobile adventure
on Saturday afternoon at Artcurial’s Solo Alfa auction. A 1956 Alfa Romeo
Giulietta Sprint Veloce dressed up in French Racing Blue growled to the auction
44
block. All I had to do was hold the bidding card straight
up and the Lightweight would be mine.
When the price hit $180,000, Publisher Martin real-
ized I had thrown caution out the French bay windows,
and there was no turning back. That’s when the card
mysteriously disappeared out of my grip. Don’t worry
— I brought home an Alfa, although it was in 1:43 scale.
My week in the City of Light, surrounded by the most
Details
Plan ahead: Rétromobile 2015 is
scheduled for February 1–5
Where: Paris Expo, Porte de
Versailles, Paris
Daily admission: $20
More: en.retromobile.com
beautiful vintage automobiles, was coming to an end.
The key to the romance of
Paris is the mixture of culture,
history — and the present
day. Rétromobile, the intermingling
of the classics and
the future of the automotive
industry, reflects that with a
style seldom surpassed. ♦
Sports Car Market
Bill Warner
on multiple continents and
participated in some of the
most legendary driving
and touring events.
So why would he find
himself in Paris for this
show?
“Rétromobile is one
of the finest shows in
the world — the stands
are amazing and so well
prepared,” Lopresto said.
“I’ve been many times with
my wife or my sons, but my
daughters are always the
most
interested
because
Paris is a great destination
for shopping!”
It is not only Lopresto’s daughters who find new trea-
sures on a visit to the city. While certainly Rétromobile
is centered on French vehicles, Lopresto’s fondest
memory of the show concerns a discovery made for one
of his Italian cars.
“It was a great day for me when I found a couple of
carburetors for my Isotta Fraschini,” Lopresto said.
He was very impressed with the special exhibition of
Lancias by Lukas Hüni, as an island of Italy in the midst
of the sea of France.
“There is always a kind of competition with our
French cousins, and I’m proud to have been invited to
show some of my cars here next year,” Lopresto said.
“It is the same pride I felt when they moved the Bugatti
Royale at Mulhouse for my Isotta, something never before
done for a private collector.”
All three collectors were impressed with
Rétromobile’s new home in Hall 2 at the Exposition
Center, which allowed the show to spread out in a single
level in the vast building. Consensus was that it made
seeing the cars easier on the larger stands, and the single
hall made it harder to miss any of the exhibits.
Those polled were 100% certain that they looked
forward to Rétromobile 2015 and the wonders it will
undoubtedly reveal for us all. ♦
Page 44
Feature 2014 Scottsdale Seminar
Inaugural SCM Scottsdale Seminar
Cars and taxes, blue-chip collectibles and a trophy for Simon Kidston
Story by Carl Bomstead / Photos by Tony Piff
SCM extended the popularity of its Insider’s Seminar from Monterey, CA, to a first-time presentation in Scottsdale, AZ
T
he Gooding & Company auction tent was the site of the 2014
SCM Insider’s Seminar at Scottsdale. This was the first-ever
SCM Insider’s Seminar in Scottsdale, and it followed the same
general format of SCM’s popular Monterey seminar series.
Seminar sponsors were Gooding, Chubb Insurance and Merrill
Lynch Wealth Management. As is the case with the Monterey seminars,
the Scottsdale event was standing-room-only.
John Draneas, who writes the popular SCM column “Legal Files,”
made an informative presentation titled “The Tax Man and Your
Collector Cars: How Do You Keep Them Apart?”
Draneas discussed several tax-saving strategies, such as doing a
1031 exchange when selling an
expensive collector car and possibly
avoiding sales tax by titling
your car with a Montana LLC. He
also mentioned the pitfalls of having
dealer status.
Keith Martin took the group
“Legal Files” columnist John
Draneas offers tax tips to the crowd
46
through the historical perspective
of the cars we have been following
over the past 90 months.
Panelists Simon Kidston, Donald
Osborne, Steve Serio and yours
truly then presented our opinions
on what makes a “blue-chip” collectible.
The common thread was
that today’s blue-chip cars were
notable when new and continue to
be rare and unusual. Elegance was also a common theme.
The panelists then presented their fantasy “Won the Lottery”
collection, with selections up to $50,000, $250,000, $1,000,000 and
$10,000,000. It was stipulated that Ferraris, Maseratis and Cobras
could not be included. The audience voted on their favorite collection.
With only mild protests from the other panelists, Simon Kidston took
home the Chubb Trophy for the best fantasy collection. Kidston’s cars
were a late 1960s Alfa Romeo 1750 Spider, a late 1980s Aston Martin
V8 Vantage, an Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/2 Daytona and a Jaguar D-type.
Nice cars — and a fun morning in the desert. Join us next January! ♦
Stephen Serio (right) weighs in with SCM’s gang of experts, who included
(from left) Keith Martin, Simon Kidston, Carl Bomstead and Donald Osborne
Sports Car Market
transmission/live axle layout was reintroduced with much more advanced
chassis design, eventually producing the iconic Testa Rossas, SWBs, and
the GTO (the factory team racing cars retained the IRS transaxle layout).
As an interesting aside, although everything evolved, it has been
pointed out that except for moving from transverse leaf springs to coils
and from lever shocks to tubular ones, the front suspension remained
essentially unchanged through this entire period: forged A-arms with
absolutely no adjustability.
In the early 1960s, Ferrari began the move to mid-engined racers, and
these can be thought of as the fourth generation.
The start of a colossus
The Mondials and Monzas, then, were Ferrari’s first step toward what
we now consider to be the greatest of the front-engined racers. Handling,
aerodynamics, and driver comfort began to share the platform with sheer
horsepower. Weight became more important, and the feeling of balance
and lightness — particularly in the way the cars responded to steering
and throttle in the corners — started to match what the competition was
offering.
To Ferrari enthusiasts fixated on the idea that all real Ferraris had V12
engines, the straight 4-cylinder engines (and a few straight sixes) seem to be an anachronism,
but they proved to be very effective at winning races in their day. The original idea
came along in Formula 2 racing. Although the V12 Ferraris did very well, it was apparent
that the lighter, 4-cylinder cars with superior torque from English competitor HWM had
an advantage on tight circuits. So Ferrari directed chief engineer Lampredi to come up
with a matching design. This proved to be a very successful decision, with Ferrari winning
the GP championship in 1952 and 1953 using the 4-cylinder engine.
When designing the more or less clean-sheet-of-paper “small” Mondial and Monza
racers (remember the 375s were 4.5-liter cars), using the 4-cylinder engine was a logical
approach, and in 1954 both were introduced.
Torque on the twisties
The 750 Monza was used both as a team racer and as a customer car, and with 31
built (plus four V12 250 Monzas), is the highest-production sports racing Ferrari ever.
Its glory years were 1955 and 1956, although they remained competitive for several years
after that. They were particularly strong on the tight, twisty venues, and not just because
of the abundant torque. Discussing the big 4-cylinder engines in comparison with the
V12 variants, Juan Fangio observed that he preferred them because once the brakes
went away, as they invariably did, at least there was engine braking available with the
4-cylinder cars.
Once a thrashed racer
Collectors and enthusiasts for the past 30 years or more have thought of Ferrari race
cars as treasured possessions, exciting, drivable artifacts of a glorious — and in many
ways innocent — time of brave drivers racing for glory more than money. More recently,
these cars became symbols of wealth and accomplishment.
All this said, we frequently lose track of the fact that these cars were once just disposable
weapons. The collector’s ideal of a car with completely original everything — pristine in
its originality — pretty much requires a car that never really ever did anything in its day.
The real warriors were bashed, crashed, bent, blown up, and jury-rigged back to-
gether to make the next race — over and over until they
were more or less thrown away. There are exceptions,
of course, but it is generally true that the more history a
car has, the more compromised it is — or was. That is
certainly true of our subject car. As an American racer, its
competition résumé is hard to match, with famous drivers
(Piero Taruffi, Phil Hill, Paul O’Shea and Carroll Shelby)
and excellent results over a number of years. The down
side is that when they were done, there was virtually nothing
left of the car.
Stripped and abandoned
Having suffered the ignominy of having its engine and
transaxle lost and replaced with a V8 engine, transmission
and live axle, this car got to sit outside of a Texas
barn for 30 years before being found again. It then went
to Australia, where it got a new body (the remains of the
old one stayed with it, which is good) and a thorough mechanical
restoration.
Its engine is composed of an original crankcase (welded
up where a rod went through it) and otherwise all new
components apparently created in New Zealand. I have
no idea where the transaxle came from, although it is possible
the original was found and reunited.
The bottom line is that in a Classiche-worshipping,
matching-numbers- and originality-obsessed world, this
was about as compromised a 750 Monza as you are likely
to find, and the sales price in Paris reflected just that. I
would expect a good 750 Monza to bring around $3.5 million
in today’s market, with a great one well above that.
This Ferrari is a real car, and I believe it is an excellent
driver and racer. It just didn’t have the credentials that
make the big-money bidders raise their paddles.
As such, candidly, it sold cheaply. It is still a great
Ferrari with great history, and its investment potential
mirrors the expensive examples. In 2004, a good Monza
was worth $1 million at auction, and this one would have
probably made $750k–$800k. Both cars have gone up by
a factor of 3.5, so who’s to argue?
I’m told that enough of the original body remains that
it could be restored as original if somebody wanted to
make the investment in time and money, and Ferrari
could probably be persuaded to supply a Classicheacceptable,
factory-numbered replacement engine. So
it is not implausible to remove the asterisks and make
this into a top-level car (with a number of very desirable
spares left to sell to help finance the project). As such,
the buyer could have it either way. I would say that this
car was very well bought. ♦
(Introductory description courtesy of RM Auctions.)
May 2014
51
Page 50
English Profile
1955 MG TF 1500 Roadster
A very original car overcomes a grubby engine and poor presentation
to bring strong money in Paris
by Reid Trummel
Details
Years produced: 1954–55 (for the TF
1500)
Number produced: 3,400 (for the TF 1500)
Original list price: $1,995
Current SCM Valuation: $35,000–$45,000
Tune-up cost: $300–$400
Distributor cap: $25
Chassis #: Both the chassis number and
engine number are stamped on the
aluminum “maker’s guarantee plate”
affixed to the left side of the firewall.
The chassis number is also stamped on
the left frame extension, which is the
piece of the frame to which the front
bumper is bolted.
Engine #: Stamped on an octagonal brass
plate that is riveted to the right side of
the engine block.
Club: New England MG ‘T’ Register
More: www.nemgtr.org
Alternatives: 1953–56 Austin-Healey
100, 1953–55 Triumph TR2, 1954–68
Morgan Plus Four
SCM Investment Grade: B
Comps
Chassis number: HDB467472
Engine number: XPEG1357
A
s popular now among enthusiasts of traditional
British sports cars as it was in its heyday, the
TF was mechanically little different from the
outgoing TD II. The TF kept its predecessor’s
body center section, while featuring a changed front end
with shortened, sloping, radiator grille and headlamps
faired into the wings — plus an improved interior with
separately adjustable seats.
The TD’s 1,250-cc XPAG engine was retained at
first, but the need for more power prompted the swift
introduction — in November 1954 — of the TF 1500
(with 1,466-cc XPEG engine), which accounted for
more than half of total production. With the larger engine,
top speed improved by some 8 kilometers per hour
(4.3 mph) and was now within a whisker of 145km/h (90
mph), with 100km/h (62 mph) coming up in around 16
seconds, more than two seconds quicker than the 1250.
Last in a noble line of traditionally styled MG sports
cars, the TF sold well, and 9,600 were produced between
October 1953 and May 1955.
Imported from the United States, this TF 1500
Midget was repainted in its rare factory gray livery in
2012. Most importantly, it retains its original red leather
interior — preserved in magnificent condition. The
original leather-trimmed dashboard is particularly worthy
of note. Described as in generally excellent cosmetic
and mechanical condition, the car is offered with French
Carte Grise and Contrôle Technique.
52
SCM Analysis This car, Lot 333, sold for $70,576,
including buyer’s premium, at
Bonhams’ Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand
Palais sale in Paris, France, on February 6, 2014.
The MG TF is often considered an iconic car, but it
is an ironic one as well. The TF is ironic in that it was
thrust onto the market as a freshened version of its predecessor,
and it was meant to serve as a stopgap model
to fill North American demand until the MGA went into
production in 1955. Yet it became the best of the long
line of T Series MGs in terms of power and comfort,
although given the levels of power and comfort of its
predecessors, the bar was set pretty low.
Folklore holds that to have followed the TF’s prede-
cessor, the MG TD, with the MGA in 1953 — as could
have occurred — would have diminished sales of the
then-new Austin-Healey 100. Leonard Lord, chairman
of the fledging British Motor Corporation, came from
the Austin side of the new organization, and so MG was
relegated to producing an updated TD that would not
challenge Healey sales at the time of its launch.
Introduced later in the same year as the Austin-
Healey 100 and the Triumph TR2, it would be easy
to conclude that the TF would fail to excite, given its
comparatively anemic 57.5 horsepower (at this level we
count even half of a horsepower) compared to 90 horsepower
for the Healey and Triumph. The up-engined TF
1500, introduced in 1954, had increased power at 63 hp,
1955 MG TF 1500
Lot 29, s/n HDB467472
Condition 2-
Not sold at $54,300
Bonhams, Knokke-Heist, BEL, 10/11/13
SCM# 228329
1954 MG TF 1500
Lot 789, s/n HDA464090
Condition 1Sold
at $29,700
Lucky, Tacoma, WA, 8/31/13
SCM# 227635
1955 MG TF 1500
Lot 313, s/n HDB369907
Condition 1Sold
at $40,700
Bonhams, Greenwich, CT, 6/2/13
SCM# 216546
Sports Car Market
Courtesy of Bonhams
Page 51
but the Healey and the Triumph could each exceed 100 mph — quite a
feat in the day — while the TF 1500 reached its highest speed at around
85 mph.
Reputation and a bargain price
So why did this car succeed, given its antiquated pre-war styling,
anemic performance and status as a gap-filler while awaiting introduction
of the MGA? The answer to that question may be the immense
loyalty that MG built up in North America with the TC and TD processor
models — plus simple economics. The MG cost far less than the
Healey, and while the Healey and Triumph were new on the American
scene, the MG already had a large and devoted following.
To the uninitiated, the TF may look very similar to its predecessor
model, the TD. However, it incorporated some important modifications
that make it significantly different. For the first time in the T Series,
the headlamps were faired into the fenders, giving the car a much
smoother, less spindly look. It also had a sloping grille and a new pressurized
cooling system. The external radiator cap is a fake, as the real
one is concealed in the engine compartment. Additionally, the TF was
three inches lower than the TD.
However, tradition dies hard, and while the TF gained some styling
updates, its octagonal gauges were pure throwback to earlier MGs,
and the lack of a fuel gauge speaks of an era that was already bygone
even when the TF was in production.
Plenty of originality
This particular example is painted the lovely and original Birch
Gray, with the correct red interior. This is a refreshing break from red
with black, and it presents an understated elegance. The dashboard
and the brackets on the seat backs are correctly painted to match the
interior color, and in fact, the paint looks as though it is original. The
center dash panel is the correct bronze color and also appears to have
its original paint.
Wire wheels were a popular option on the TF. This example has
60-spoke wheels, while the originals were 48-spoke wheels. Modern
radials have replaced the original, narrow bias-ply tires, but the
stronger wheels and radial tires are forgivable upgrades for the sake
of increased safety and performance.
A grubby engine and all the money
The sale price of €51,750 ($70,576) of our subject car fell within
Bonhams’ pre-auction estimate of €45,000–€65,000 (about $62,000–
$90,000), but it is far above the SCM Pocket Price Guide range of
$35,000–$45,000. And this money came despite the careless presentation
of the car, with oily
grime covering portions
of the engine compartment
— including the distributor
cap. The car also carried
a thick layer of dust
on the air filter canisters,
fuel-stained float bowls
and the uninspired choice
of a common parts-store
battery in an otherwise
vintage
engine compart-
ment.
However, someone
apparently saw through
those
issues,
and
there
cannot be many TFs in this
original — albeit grubby
— condition. And despite
a recent external repaint,
the “survivor factor” also
appears to be in play here.
Nevertheless, I call this TF
well sold. ♦
(Introductory description
courtesy of Bonhams.)
May 2014
53
Page 52
Etceterini & Friends Profile
1969 Mazda Cosmo L10B Coupe
Savvy collectors are getting these rare, hand-built Japanese sports cars
on the cheap — for now
by Donald Osborne
Details
Years produced: 1967–72
Number produced: 1,519
Original list price: $4,390
SCM Valuation: $70,000–$85,000
Tune-up cost: $300
Distributor caps: $50
Chassis #: Data plate on center of
sheet-metal cross bar at front under
hood (Series II); stamped into firewall
under hood on left footwell (both SI
and SII)
Engine #: Underneath alternator
Club: International Cosmo Sport Car
Owners Club
More: www.mazdacosmosport.com
Alternatives: 1967–70 Toyota 2000GT,
1968 Prince Skyline 2000 GT,
1968–71 Jaguar E-type
SCM Investment Grade: A
Comps
Chassis number: L10B10546
Engine number: 10A1708
A
lthough founded in the 1920s, the company
that would become Mazda Motor Corporation
did not commence series production of passenger
cars until 1960. Only four years later,
the Japanese firm exhibited its first rotary-engined
prototype, having acquired the rights to produce NSU’s
Wankel-designed engines. In 1966, Mazda launched its
first rotary engine, the Cosmo L10A, which went into
production the following year.
Mazda’s flagship model, the Cosmo, was powered
by a twin-rotor engine displacing 982 cc and producing
110 horsepower, which was enough to endow the pretty
two-seater coupé with a top speed of 185 km/h (115
mph). In July 1968, a more powerful and faster (128 hp,
120 mph) L10B version on a longer wheelbase was introduced.
Production was limited, and when the Cosmo
was phased out in 1972, only 1,519 had been made, 1,176
of which were the L10B version.
This Cosmo has belonged to the Belgian Mazda
importer since the early 1990s. In 1992, it was exhibited
at
the Brussels Motor Show at Autoworld. Currently
displaying a total of 51,093 kilometers (31,747 miles)
on the odometer, the car is described as in very good
driving order, benefiting from overhauled steering, a
new starter motor, carburetor rebuild and overhauled
rear brakes. The interior is said to be in good condition,
while the only notified fault is slight corrosion beneath
the front wings. This rare and historic Mazda rotary is
offered with Belgian registration papers and a magazine
featuring the Cosmo.
54
SCM Analysis This car, Lot 533, sold for $75,281
(€55,200), including buyer’s pre-
mium, at Bonhams’ Les Grandes Marques au Grand
Palais sale in Paris on February 6, 2014. (€1.00=$1.363)
I think it is time to end the argument that Japanese
vehicles are not interesting enough to enter the collecting
mainstream. Even if you put $1m Toyota 2000GTs
aside, many of the cars from the fertile imaginations
of Japanese auto engineers and the brilliance of the
management and marketers — they basically built an
industry from the ashes of World War II — are worthy
of celebration.
None are more deserving than the groundbreaking
and brilliant rotary cars of Mazda. No other company
leapt with such bold determination into the brave new
world of Dr. Felix Wankel’s fascinating invention. While
GM, Daimler-Benz and other big firms played at development
and concepts, Mazda was building and selling
rotary-powered cars from the top to the bottom of their
line.
Rotary with style
Mazda quickly licensed the rotary from NSU in the
late 1950s, and then solved important technical issues
related to extreme wear in the engine. Then Mazda produced
the first two-rotor engine.
By 1964, the two-rotor engine had been tested, and
the first car to feature it, the Cosmo Sport, arrived
in 1967. That Mazda introduced a full line of rotarypowered
cars in 1968 is nothing short of incredible.
1967 Toyota 2000GT
Lot 135, s/n MF1010093
Condition 2Sold
at $968,000
RM Auctions, New York, NY, 11/21/13
SCM# 231788
1969 Mazda Cosmo
Lot 33, s/n L10B10837
Condition 1-
Not sold at $83,740
Shannons, Melbourne, AUS, 3/12/07
SCM# 44677
1967 Toyota 2000GT
Lot 234, s/n MF1010103
Condition 1
Sold at $140,000
Bonhams & Brooks, Carmel Valley, CA,
8/18/01
SCM# 23245
Sports Car Market
Courtesy of Bonhams
Page 53
To make the impact of this new engine as dramatic as possible, the
Cosmo was clothed in sleek bodywork that managed to recall both
Italian sports cars and the Ford Thunderbird — without being a copy
of anything. It still looks stunning today. When you see one for the first
time, you may not be prepared for its size. It is a small, sleek, low missile,
ready to rocket forward even when at rest. When launched, it was
a bit too small, especially for its target market of Western drivers. After
343 cars were built, a Series II arrived with a longer wheelbase for
increased legroom and enhanced ride quality.
Leno loves his Cosmo
The Series II would see an additional 1,519 cars built before the end
of production in 1972. These hand-built cars featured a 5-speed gearbox
and put out 128 horsepower.
They give a driving experience quite unlike any other sports car.
In the words of the old Packard ads, here it pays to “ask the man who
owns one.”
In this case, we’ve asked two. Jay Leno collects cars for very specific
reasons — and one of the most important reasons is that he wants to
drive them. Another reason is that the car has a technology story to tell.
The Cosmo scores on both counts.
“The Mazda Cosmo was so ahead of its time, a technologically supe-
rior product,” Leno said. “The Wankel was the first new powerplant of
the 20th century, and here it is in a clean-sheet, beautiful,
hand-built sports car!”
Leno also loves the style of the car, which he de-
scribes as a “uniquely Japanese way of looking at the
West, capturing the spirit of Beatle haircuts and moon
rockets.”
Why wasn’t the Cosmo more of a success? Leno puts
it down to the natural proclivity to be suspicious of new
technology, which to win the heart has to win the wallet.
“It’s got to be better and cheaper — the Cosmo was
far too expensive,” Leno said.
At $4,390 in 1968,
the Cosmo certainly was too
costly. But it also delivered the goods when it came to
performance.
Another Cosmo Sport owner is RM Auctions’ Don
Rose. Also the owner of a Toyota 2000GT, Rose found
his Cosmo in a Ferrari Market Letter ad. Rose compares
the driving experience to that of a small-displacement
Alfa Romeo, where you want to keep the revs high to
extract the most from the car.
“Below 4,000 rpm there’s not a lot happening, but
from there on up, it’s great fun!” Rose said. He also
describes the “really smooth, spaceship sounds” the
rotary makes while at work.
May 2014
55
As Mazda continued development of the twin-rotor engine, it is pos-
sible to swap the original Cosmo 10a engine with a later RX-7 12a unit
for added power and a wider torque band. This is what Leno has done,
and he says the difference is dramatic. Leno kept the original engine in
case any future owner should want to return it to stock configuration.
Cosmos not skyrocketing
With the prices of the Toyota 2000GT having passed the $1m mark,
why is the Cosmo still so cheap?
First, the 2000GT was sold in much greater numbers in the United
States when new. Second, Toyota supported a competition program
that showcased the car for a performance-hungry audience.
Very few Cosmo Sports found their way to the U.S., and by all ac-
counts the car was raced only once by Mazda.
We also have not yet seen a superb Cosmo Sport come up for public
sale. Our subject car is a nice example, but it is a bit tired. There was
some bubbling in the sills, the interior was a bit worn and it had an
overall air of fatigue, which is not surprising in a car that has largely
been on static display.
There is no doubt that the Cosmo Sport is a very important car and
one that will be discovered by a larger audience sooner rather than
later, as it truly deserves. The new owner bought this car quite well. ♦
(Introductory description courtesy of Bonhams.)
Page 54
Etceterini & Friends Profile
The Cumberford Perspective
Long, lanky, likable … and uniquely Japanese
By Robert Cumberford
1
2
3
T
he rare Cosmo, of
which I’ve seen
only a few examples
— always
static, usually in museums
— is one of the few
early Japanese cars that
are curiously attractive to
Western eyes.
There are aspects to
the composition that are
clearly American- and
European-inspired, but
I can’t imagine anyone
seeing it for the first time
and not
recognizing its
Japanese origin. And
I mean that in a good
way; it’s not one of those
dreaded “Japanese
FRONT 3/4 VIEW
1 The entire upper structure
cop-
ies” so often excoriated
in the automotive press.
It remains one of the very
few pre-1970s Japanese
cars that I’d really like to
drive.
And I have to say, ad-
miringly, that its overall
design perfectly communicates
the intended
purpose of the lithe, lean
machine. It’s a Grand
Touring car — not a super
sports car — intended for
and well-suited to longdistance
travel for two,
with plenty of luggage
space and good creature
comforts, such as reclining
seats, large doors
and ample wheel travel.
Combined with the inherent
smoothness of the
Wankel rota
Cosmo cou
been a volu
price had b
cessible — a
self better k
to the pu
Cosmo w
a
“world
car” before
its time,
but the wo
didn’t know i
12
56
Sports Car Market
is a marvel, beautifully
shaped and totally separate
from the lower body, as
though it could simply be
lifted off to leave the roadster
that never was.
2 This “speed streak” is
a design cliché, but here it
works really well, framing
the side-marker lamp and
side vents above the long side
rib below it.
3 Covered lamps are very
Italian, but the fender profile
is emphatically not, as it
is almost as straight as the
first Thunderbird and very
American in its emphasis of
“long and low.”
4 Full-width above-grille
bumper owes something to
earlier Maserati Mistral and
has a very nice point dead
center.
5 For what is in fact a super
GT, these matter-of-fact,
steel economy-car wheels
are a surprise, yet they look
absolutely right on this wellcomposed
design.
6 The really long rear over-
hang is another pointer to
American styling habits, and
it gives the Cosmo its unique
proportions — and a nice, big
trunk for golf clubs.
REAR 3/4 VIEW
7 Notice that headlamp
bezels actually stand above
the fender profile, a curiosity
that helps the at-a-glance feel
that the Cosmo is a decidedly
8
9
7
10
different entity among cars.
8 If there could be said to
exist any out-and-out styling
mistake on the Cosmo GT,
it would be these tacked-on
cabin air outlets dead center
of the wide C-pillars. Pity.
9 Subtle modeling of the
elegant roof allows very
straight windshield header
and beautifully curved
backlight, filling the cabin
with light — unlike today’s
typical coupes.
10 A very American inspiration
are the over-and-under
taillights, which are very
nicely integrated into the
extended body form, as is
the license-plate-mounting
surface.
11 The rear bumper is an
elaborate sculpture, following
the plan view of the
protruding fenders and the
recessed rear body face.
12 Dead straight — and
actually rather vulnerable
to parking damage — this
distinct longitudinal rib is
the datum line for the whole
profile, abruptly cutting off
the rear-wheel opening.
INTERIOR VIEW
(see previous page)
A serious cabin, ready for
action with rally clocks in
front of the passenger-navigator,
big legible dials for the
driver, classic Nardi steering
wheel and elegant checked
cloth for the welcoming —
but inadequately bolstered
— cushions. Altogether a
wonderful ambiance.
5
6
4
11
refer to them as M100 limousines for the high-powered (434 poundfeet
of torque) V8 engine that was designed specifically to handle the
weight of the vehicle, which could be as much as three tons. Beyond the
standard engine, common body lines and interior designed specifically
to be chauffeur-driven, each 600 was distinctive and tailored to the
purposes for which it alone would be used.
Making it the rarest of the rare, this example was built to order on the
long-wheelbase “Pullman” version of the 600 chassis, with six doors
and seating for seven, in the landaulet body style. This body style was
intended for the primary purpose of conveying a member of royalty
or a head of state in parades. For example, one was commissioned by
the Vatican in 1965 for the public processions of Pope Paul VI, and
that car has been displayed in the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart
since 1985.
Many more checks ahead
The cost of a nut-and-bolt restoration of any Pullman today is esti-
mated by the Mercedes-Benz Classic Center to be approximately 1 million
euros ($1,373,000). The condition of this example definitely pushes
the cost to the top of that range, which begs the obvious question: Why
pay such a high price for this car when so much more will have to be
spent before it can be used or displayed?
There are a number of reasons to wonder. First, the description is
notably silent on the identity of the dignitary for whom this car was
built. However, the small number of such cars built, its short ownership,
and the completeness of records — including apparently the build
sheet — would suggest that information must be available. We can only
conclude that the seller believed the celebrity value of the first owner
might negatively affect that car’s value.
Second, though the description presents the car as “remarkably
complete,” a quick examination of the photos of the engine compart-
ment and interior suggests this car has been cannibalized for the parts
unique to the 600, including, significantly, the hydraulic pressure
pump that drives the adjustable suspension and the Comfort hydraulic
systems. These systems not only allowed the driver to adjust the suspension
for desired ride quality — regardless of passenger and cargo
load — but also silently raised and lowered the windows, adjusted the
seats, and operated the door and trunk latches. All of these operations
are integral to the character of the 600. In the past, poor operation of
these systems, much less their complete absence (as appears to be the
case here), would be a deal-breaker for any 600 buyer.
Looking further at the images, all of the standard interior trim and
custom equipment that once would have made this car a rolling combination
of office and living room is missing. Replacing those components
would add an enormous cost to the restoration, as the 50 or more
pieces of interior wood — and the period electronic components —
would have to be reconstructed or sourced. It seems unlikely that this
car can ever be restored to the specifications of its unusual build sheet.
It’s interesting to note that two of the three most recent comparable
sales of 600 Pullmans in the SCM Platinum Auction Database were
dusty, dilapidated cars. None of these cars were Landaulets.
Then again, find another one
The only possible answer to whether the price was justified is that the
buyer might be calculating that this will be the last privately owned 600
Pullman Landaulet that will ever come on the market. That might make
this car a reasonable investment — even if the buyer has no intention
of actually investing in the restoration.
On the other hand, this purchase might be one of the first symptoms
of an incipient speculative bubble in prices being paid for one-of-akind
collectibles. Your crystal ball is as good as ours. ♦
(Introductory description courtesy of RM Auctions.)
May 2014
59
Page 58
American Profile / Collecting Thoughts
A Rare Cunningham on the Rise
Short of another Cunningham Reunion, odds are that you won’t see a car
like this at the local show-and-shine
by Miles Collier
Details
Years produced: 1952–54
Number produced: 27
Original list price: $8,000–$11,000,
depending on options and body style
Current SCM Valuation: $350,000–
$450,000
Alternatives: 1951–58 Pegaso Z-102,
1951–52 Ferrari 212, 1952 Ferrari
225 road, 1948 Kurtis Sport Car
SCM Investment Grade: A
Comps
1952 Cunningham C-3 Coupe
C
unningham C-3s have picked up a bit of a tail
wind recently, as seen during the Gooding
sale at Pebble Beach in 2012, where a yellow
coupe sold for $341,000 with commissions.
Our subject car, a 1952 Cunningham C-3 Vignale
coupe, s/n 5210, sold at Gooding & Company’s
Scottsdale auction on January 17, 2014, for $550,000,
including buyer’s commission.
This tidy appreciation perhaps reflects the car’s role
as one alternative to increasingly unaffordable top line
collectibles: Ferrari, Mercedes, Porsche and the like.
With the Cunningham C-3 Reunion held at Lime
Rock last Labor Day weekend — and the simultaneous
release of Richard Harman’s monumental two-volume
book, Cunningham: The Passion, The Cars, The Legacy
— more attention has been brought to these unusual,
and, given the Cunningham backstory, rather romantic
machines.
Cunningham history
All told, Cunningham produced 27 C-3s between
1952 and 1954. There were 20 Vignale-built coupes
and five Vignale-built convertibles, two more of wholly
domestic origin, and perhaps seven or eight unbodied
chassis sold in 1956 during the winding up of operations
in West Palm Beach, FL.
The C-3 reflected Briggs’ recognition that his original
design, the C-2, which was conceived as a dual-purpose
sports car capable of winning Le Mans in racing trim,
and slinky arrivals at Palm Beach’s Everglades Club in
street tune, was a non-starter given the rapid advance of
long-distance racing car designs embodied in the C-type
Jaguar and the 300SL Mercedes.
60
Cunningham therefore bifurcated his production
into exotic, not-for-sale, pure racing C-4Rs (“R” for racing),
and his road-going C-3 luxury GTs. No doubt his
flutter in road-car manufacturing was further impelled
by the vain hope, as it turned out, that road-car profits
would offset some of the racing expenses. Furthermore,
by building a road car for sale to the public, his manufacturer’s
status guaranteed race entries from Le Mans
organizers.
After building the first C-3 wholly in West Palm
Beach, Briggs recognized that he needed to outsource
the expensive coachwork design and fabrication of his
eponymous machine.
A $9,000 selling price had to be achieved. By
contracting the coachwork design and fabrication to
Giovanni Michelotti for the former and Vignale for the
latter, Cunningham ensured that his GT would be both
on budget and sufficiently chic.
Conveniently, at the time of the deal with Vignale,
Michelotti had a “ready-to-wear” design for a coupe that
had already clothed at least one 212 Ferrari. As with
Ghia’s Supersonic design, the Michelotti number could
be sized up or down, stretched or tweaked to fit a variety
of chassis and wheelbases. Even so, the new C-3 would
cost more than twice the price of a Cadillac.
Yet despite building a top-of-the-line GT that at-
tracted acclaim for having “as much power as Niagara
Falls,” “European handling” and powerful drum brakes,
business was slow, and the originally anticipated 50
units were never completed. With the liquidation of the
Cunningham Motor Car Company at the end of 1955,
Briggs moved on to campaigning Works Jaguars in
America for the Coventry factory.
Sports Car Market
1952 Cunningham C-3
Lot 509, s/n IND201044
Condition 4
Sold at $407,000
Auctions America, Burbank, CA, 8/3/13
SCM# 227048
1953 Cunningham C-3 Continental
Lot 119, s/n 5211
Condition 2+
Sold at $341,000
Gooding & Co., Pebble Beach, CA, 8/18/12
SCM# 209479
1952 Cunningham C-3 West Palm Beach
Lot 240, s/n 5206X
Condition 2
Not sold at $550,000
RM Auctions, Monterey, CA, 8/21/11
SCM# 183131
Mathieu Heurtault, courtesy of Gooding & Company
Page 59
Cunningham C-3 cars
Forward to the present, let’s take a quick look at Cunningham C-3
ins and outs. The C-3 has the advantage of being an extremely exclusive
collectible built by an American sporting icon, Briggs Cunningham.
Short of another Cunningham Reunion, odds are that you won’t see
another car like this at the local show-and-shine. Regrettably, since
“exclusive” here also means “obscure,” no one will know (or much
care) what it is. That said, a German tourist in Ouray, CO, identified
my C-3 as my wife and I parked it at a meter.
Aesthetically, the C-3 has every bit the style and panache of contempo-
rary Michelotti-designed Ferraris for quite a bit less cash. Unremarkably,
then, at least one C-3 was made over into a Ferrari 212 lookalike in the
’70s by fitting it with an egg-crate grille and Prancing Horse emblems.
The performance of these cars is similarly a “good news, bad
news” kind of thing. Expect lots of approbation for the 331-ci Hemi
powerplant; something less than that when your audience finds that its
220 Cunningham-enhanced horsepower propels its 3,500 pounds to 60
mph in a leisurely nine-plus seconds. I know contemporary road tests
state 0–60 mph in seven seconds, but do the math. They had speedy
stopwatches in those days.
Forward progress is further not helped by the Chrysler Fluid Torque
transmission that was fitted to most C-3s when built, and the La Salle
3-speed on-the-tree option wasn’t all that much better. This is nothing
that a Borg-Warner T-10 or Tremec 5 speed can’t fix, but the integral
bell housing cast as part of the block on early 331 Hemis makes the
installation a project.
All this brings us to the topic of originality. The Cunningham car-
collecting community seems to be fairly relaxed about the minutiae
of originality. I think this is due to the lack of detailed documentation,
as minor running changes in period appear to be legion. As for
major changes, a quick look at photos of C-3s in
Cunningha
Cunningha
Cunningha
Cunningha
Cunningha
-3 cars
Forward to the present, let’s take a quick look at Cunningham C-3
ins and outs. The C-3 has the advantage of being an extremely exclusive
collectible built by an American sporting icon,
ham C-3 cars
Forward to the present, let’s take a quick look at Cunningham C-3
ins and outs. The C-3 has the advantage of being an extremely exclusive
collectible built by an American sporting icon, Briggs Cunningham.
Short of another Cunningham Reunion, odds are that you won’t see
another car like this at the local show-and-shine. Regrettably, since
“exclusive” here also means “obscure,” no one will know (or much
care) what it is. That said, a German tourist in Ouray, CO, identified
my C-3 as my wife and I parked it at a meter.
Aesthetically, the C-3 has every bit the style and panache of contempo-
rary Michelotti-designed Ferraris for quite a bit less cash. Unremarkably,
then, at least one C-3 was made over into a Ferrari 212 lookalike in the
’70s by fitting it with an egg-crate grille and Prancing Horse emblems.
The performance of these cars is similarly a “good news, bad
news” kind of thing. Expect lots of approbation for the 331-ci Hemi
powerplant; something less than that when your audience finds that its
220 Cunningham-enhanced horsepower propels its 3,500 pounds to 60
mph in a leisurely nine-plus seconds. I know contemporary road tests
state 0–60 mph in seven seconds, but do the math. They had speedy
stopwatches in those days.
Forward progress is further not helped by the Chrysler Fluid Torque
transmission that was fitted to most C-3s when built, and the La Salle
3-speed on-the-tree option wasn’t all that much better. This is nothing
that a Borg-Warner T-10 or Tremec 5 speed can’t fix, but the integral
bell housing cast as part of the block on early 331 Hemis makes the
installation a project.
All this brings us to the topic of originality. The Cunningham car-
collecting community seems to be fairly relaxed about the minutiae
of originality. I think this is due to the lack of detailed documenta-
tion, as minor running changes in period appear to be legion. As for
major changes, a quick look at photos of C-3s in
Italian
Italian cars of the period, C-3s are swathed and festooned in intricately
engraved bright trim, decked out with elaborate leather interiors and
have other labor-intensive features which make meticulous restoration
very costly. Until recently, these cars have just been too cheap to justify
a full-tilt restoration. Consequently, “good enough” has been good
enough in Cunningham circles, although we can expect that relaxed
standard to change.
Judicious hot-rodding
The performance of the C-3 can be easily increased. A hundred
extra horsepower or front-wheel disc brakes are simple improvements.
The installation of a 4-speed, floor-shift transmission results in much
improved drivability and performance. Consequently, the tendency
to fettle and tune follows logically, and few C-3s have escaped some
judicious hot-rodding. It’s not that the C-3 experience isn’t enjoyable,
for the cars are every bit as capable as their contemporaries. It’s that
vehicle dynamics have come a long way since the early 1950s.
A good buy
Our subject C-3, 5210, is a solid C-3 restored to the concours-
winning end of the quality range of 10 years ago. Like so many of its
fellows, it has been restored without its handsome bumpers.
The selling owner, who drives his cars vigorously, sold the car be-
cause he was disappointed in its cornering behavior on the Colorado
Grand, a tour that places a premium on cornering grip and power.
Happy with the car’s grunt and braking, he felt the 800-pound engine
atop the front axle combined with period-typical roll-induced toe steering
made the car more a boulevardier than a mountain-pass assaulter.
The new buyer may disagree. The car was fairly bought and sold in
today’s market. This will be a good buy in the future. ♦
Page 60
Race Car Profile
1980 Renault 5 Turbo Group 4
The car appears to have been rallied only on tarmac, saving it the abuse
of unpaved roads and jumps
by Jeff Zurschmeide
Details
Years produced: 1980–82
Number produced: 400
Original list price: N/A
Current SCM Valuation: $375,000–
$475,000
Tune-up cost: $200
Distributor cap: $18
Club: Renault Turbo Owners Club, Renault
5 Turbo Facebook Group
More: www.rtoc.org; www.facebook.
com/pages/Renault-5-TURBOClub/299756880042994
Alternatives: 1984–86 Ford RS200,
1980–84 Audi Quattro, 1998 Subaru
Impreza 22B
SCM Investment Grade: A
Comps
Chassis number: B000036
I
n 1979, the modest Renault Sport division, responsible
for the R5 Turbo rally program led by engineers
François Bernard and Michel Têtu, only had the
Group 5 prototype that had appeared on the Tour of
Italy, the famous “Black” R5, assembled from specific
Renault and Alpine parts.
Gérard Larrousse and his team had to wait for 400
examples of the production series to be built for homologation
in Group 4 that would allow the R5 Turbo to compete
in major international competitions. This was done
before the summer of 1980. And so the car presented
here was born, bearing the chassis number B000036 and
registered 126 TZ 91 on September 8, 1980. This was the
first R5 Turbo to be homologated in Group 4, and as a
racing car, its exceptionally well-conserved condition is
nothing short of a miracle.
“Coco” Prié, the mechanic well-known for his time
at Alpine during the successful 1973 world championship
era, and who moved to Renault as head of the rally
support team, remembers assembling this R5 Turbo not
at Viry Châtillon but at the F1 department at Antony,
alongside Prost’s single-seater. The 1,400-cc turbocharged
engine of this car was therefore prepared by
the F1 workshop, and is the one and only R5T engine
to have benefited from this treatment, as the others were
built first at Viry and later by the Bozian brothers near
Lyon.
The first campaign for B000036 was the famous Tour
de France Automobile in 1980, which took place at the
end of September. The car was given to factory driver
Jean Ragnotti, with co-driver Jean Marc Andrié. The
Ragnotti-R5T tandem caused great excitement and did
not disappoint the spectators. Andrié declared, “The
mechanics presented us with a magnificent car — the
62
best-looking rally car I’ve ever seen.” It must be said
that Coco Prié’s team worked through the night before
the start to get the car ready. The rally unfurled in an
atmosphere of excitement, marked by a scratch win for
the R5 on the first special stage. The R5T B000036 went
on to win six of the following special stages.
Unfortunately, the R5T’s first outing didn’t end
in victory. An off-road excursion in the Col de Perty
lost them five minutes, and they were forced to retire
six stages before the end with an ignition problem.
However, the R5 Calberson had won over a lot of fans
and made a big impression. The spectators knew that a
victory wasn’t far away.
B000036 and Jean Ragnotti were eagerly anticipated
at the next event: the Tour de Corse. This splendid trial
attracted the biggest names: Andruet, Thérier, Darniche,
Frequelin, Rohrl, Ragnotti, Saby, Mouton ….
Jean Ragnotti was the clear favorite given the Tour
Auto results. The team engineer Philippe Chasselut had
worked to reduce the turbo’s response time and the R5
was the overall winner of the first four stages. A puncture
on the following stage relegated them to 4th place, but
they quickly regained the lead in front of Darniche and
his Fiat 131 Abarth. The second section played into the
Renault driver’s hands, thanks to the terrible weather. In
Castagniccia, Ragnotti’s talent, together with the R5T’s
good handling in the wet conditions despite the power
of the turbo, increased his lead. However, just before
the Col Saint-Roch, the alternator belt broke and the car
stopped. It meant a retirement even though the event had
effectively been won, and it was a huge disappointment
for the team.
This Renault 5 Turbo is in exceptionally original
condition for a car that has raced at this level. It is in
1975 Lancia Stratos HF Stradale Group 4
Lot 216, s/n 829AR0001008
Condition 3+
Sold at $158,019
Bonhams, Sydney, AUS, 12/6/09
SCM# 153280
1971 Lancia Fulvia 1.6 HF Group 4
Lot 53, s/n 818540002268
Condition 2
Sold at $193,324
Artcurial, Paris, FRA, 2/12/06
SCM# 41078
1974 DeTomaso Pantera Group 4
Competition
Lot 224, s/n not available
Condition 3
Sold at $264,116
RM Auctions, London, U.K., 10/28/09
SCM# 152185
Sports Car Market
Courtesy of Artcurial Motorcars
Page 61
the period Calberson livery, and has retained its running gear,
which can be checked against the substantial photo album from
the Tour de France Auto and Tour de Corse (Renault Sport 4
piston calipers replaced the two rear pistons). Mechanically, the
car remains strictly original, with its large and specific Tour de
Corse-type turbo. It still has its rare magnesium Minilite wheels,
and the interior also retains a period feel, with the original carpets,
and the rare onboard computer.
A close look at period photos show that the smallest details
down to the bonnet catches have been kept. This car created a
sensation at the last Tour de Corse Historique, being highly original
among so many re-creations of period cars. It is certainly one
of the most important R5 Turbo factory cars. Although not a race
winner, it is the one and only R5 Group 4 car in Calberson colors.
B000036 is a spectacular, high-performance car, with a
beauty that takes the breath away. It made its mark in rallies during
the 1980s, setting new standards in major competitions, and
took part in two of the most prestigious events for historic cars:
the Tour de France Auto and the Tour de Corse. This is a truly
exceptional car, eligible for all VHC events, and it has a Passport
Technique National. This is a genuine competition car and not a
modern replica.
The car has been signed by Jean Ragnotti on the bonnet, and its authenticity has
been recognized by figures involved at the time including the famous “Coco” Prié,
who was present on the Tour de Corse Historique.
SCM Analysis This car, Lot 424, sold for $542,037, including buyer’s premium, at
Artcurial’s Rétromobile auction in Paris, France, on February 7,
2014.
One challenge to buying an ex-competition car is figuring out whether the car is
going to be roadworthy — or better left as a museum piece. Frederico Kroymans’
legendary mishap at the 2004 Monterey Historic Races is instructive.
Kroymans spun and took a light hit to the front of an ex-Works 1993 Ferrari F399
Formula One car. The impact broke the monocoque in half. Reliable information is
scant about the history of this car, but it clearly was not fit to be on course at speed.
The situation with rally cars is even more risky. Rally cars routinely take a beating
that track cars rarely suffer, and many rally cars are retired when the chassis is simply
worn out. Even the best FIA world rally cars are still built on production chassis, and
all those great pictures of flying rally cars come at a price.
All this is what makes this particular rally car such a smart buy. A careful read-
through of its résumé shows verifiable competition use — but not too much. The car
appears to have been rallied only on tarmac, saving it the abuse of unpaved roads and
jumps. Plus, its tarmac career was mercifully short and devoid of reported crashes.
The car’s short history was heavy on glory — even though it never won any rallies —
and it appears to be straight, clean, and almost original to its Group 4 specifications.
Not your ordinary Le Car
Group 4 cars were defined by FIA as “Special Grand
Touring Cars” until the group was replaced with the
legendary Group B cars in 1983. A minimum production
run of 400 cars over 24 months was required before a
model could be homologated into the group. Renault
achieved this early in the production run of the R5 Turbo
– using lightweight aluminum doors, roof and tailgate to
build the first 400, then switching to more prosaic steel
components for the R5 Turbo 2 that made up the balance
of the 3,576-unit production run.
The R5 Turbo differs from a standard Renault 5 (aka
“Le Car” in America) in almost every way except the
basic box design. Where the R5 is a low-powered frontwheel-drive
economy car, the R5 Turbo is a mid-engine,
rear-wheel-drive handful.
It’s not clear which version of the R5 Turbo engine
currently resides in this car, but it’s a safe bet that it’s
not the 350-horsepower version that was used in the R5
Maxi Turbo driven by Jean Ragnotti in 1985. The listing
states that the car is as it was raced in the Tour de
Corse, which would put the output closer to 207 horsepower
— which is still plenty for a car over 30 years old
running in Historic Rally!
The small items that are not original to the car’s pro-
fessional competition history are to be expected. A turbocharger
boost gauge is a smart add-on for a vintage
racer, and the upgraded rear roll structure components
are likely required for vintage racing, and shouldn’t affect
the value of the car.
Huge money for history and fun
Which brings us to what the car brought at auction
— a stunning $542,037 in Paris. The only comparable
auction in the SCM Platinum Auction Database was in
2002 for an ex-Group B car (SCM# 29314) that failed
to sell with a high bid of $12,610. Another Group 4 R5
Turbo (SCM# 206582) failed to sell at Bonhams in 2012.
So, comparable values are difficult to assess — yet it
seems this buyer knew what he was doing.
This car comes with a verifiably glorious racing his-
tory and without obvious flaws, and is ready to compete
in Europe’s active Historic Rally series. The price paid
sets a new high-water mark for these cars. I’d call this
one fairly bought and well sold. ♦
(Introductory
description
Motorcars.)
May 2014
63
courtesy
of Artcurial
Page 64
Market Reports Overview
Towering Totals in Paris
Artcurial sales totaled $34m — the biggest total of any
Paris collector-car auction to date, and more than $15m
above last year’s number
By Tony Piff
http://bit.ly/ZOf8zr
Scan this code with
your smartphone for
complete results of
each auction covered
in this issue, or go
to URL listed (left)
N
ot only did Artcurial and Bonhams both shatter
their previous Paris auction totals this February
by a combined $22m — RM joined the fray with
their first Paris sale and sold 41 cars for a whop-
ping $24m. That brings the overall Rétromobile week totals
for February 2014 to $79m.
Artcurial sales totaled $38m — the biggest total of any
Paris collector-car auction to date, and more than $19m above
last year’s number. That’s growth of 103%. Of 191 consignments,
160 sold (84%), and sold price averaged $214k. Ten
cars sold above $1m, including a 1953 Oblin-bodied Ferrari
166 MM at $3.6m. A 1931 Bentley 8 Litre Gurney-Nutting
coupe followed at $3m, and a 1924 Isotta-Fraschini Tipo 8A
cabriolet rounded out the podium at $1.75m.
Bonhams also had its biggest Paris sale ever. Sales leapt
to $21.9m from $14.9m last year — an impressive 46% increase.
Top honors here went to a 1968 Ferrari 275 GTB/4
at $3m, a 1929 Bugatti Type 35B Grand Prix at $2.2m and
a 1962 Aston Martin DB4GT Series IV coupe at $1.6m.
Bonhams sold 105 out of 149 cars (70%), with an average
price of $208k.
The average sold price at RM’s debut Paris auction was
a remarkable $575k. RM sold 41 out of 52 lots (79%), for
$24m total, including the most expensive car of the week:
a 1955 Jaguar D-type, at $4.9m. Next highest were a 1982
Porsche 956 Group C Sports prototype at $3.1m and a 1955
Ferrari 750 Monza Spyder at $2.6m.
A few weeks after Rétromobile, Silverstone held its
annual Race Retro sale in Warwickshire, U.K. The most
expensive race car at this race-heavy sale was a 2000 Ford
Mondeo Super Tourer at $173k. Ahead of that were a 1959
Sales Totals
Mecum, Kissimmee, FL
Artcurial, Paris, FRA
RM Auctions, Paris, FRA
Bonhams, Paris, FRA
McCormick, Palm Springs, CA
Leake, Oklahoma, OK
Silverstone, Warwickshire, U.K.
Petersen, Salem, OR
$62,729,499
$37,611,772
$23,571,761
$397,516
$2,975,356
$6,430,353
$7,471,316
$21,817,656
Jaguar XK 150 at $207k and a 1987 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante at $280k. Silverstone
consigned and sold a few more cars than usual (66 sold out of 105, 63%), and sales totals
increased to nearly $3m from $2.4m last year. Average sold price held flat at $45k.
Stateside, McCormick’s hit a new record total at its twice-annual sale in Palm Springs,
CA. 409 cars sold out of 461 (73%), totaling $7.47m, up a notch from last year’s $7.46m.
A 1960 Chrysler 300F managed to break the six-digit mark at $105k, followed by a 1968
Shelby GT350 fastback at $79k and a 1968 Jaguar XKE convertible at $71k. Average price
per car held fast at $18k.
In this issue we have highlights from three more American sales in the Roundup: Leake
in Oklahoma City, OK; Mecum in Kissimmee, FL; and Petersen in Salem, OR. ♦
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
66
Top 10 Sales This Issue
(Land Auctions Only)
1. 1955 Jaguar D-type racer, $4,947,798—RM,
p. 86
2. 1953 Ferrari 166 MM Barchetta, $3,461,370—
Art, p. 74
3. 1968 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 coupe, $3,025,362—
Bon, p. 102
4. 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza Spyder, $2,623,832—
RM, p. 90
5. 1929 Bugatti Type 35B roadster, $2,195,718—
Bon, p. 99
6. 1964 Porsche 904 Carrera GTS coupe, $1,724,233—RM, p. 88
7. 1962 Aston Martin DB4 Series IV coupe, $1,615,421—Bon, p. 98
8. 1947 Delage D-6 3-liter Grand Prix roadster, $1,489,951—Bon, p. 99
9. 1936 Delahaye 135 Special racer, $1,349,400—RM, p. 88
10. 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ coupe, $1,296,914—Art, p. 80
1. 1947 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Sport
cabriolet, $374,833—RM,
p. 90
2. 1925 Rolls-Royce Phantom 1 York
roadster, $306,855—Bon, p. 98
3. 1948 Delahaye 135M coupe,
$158,566—Art, p. 70
4. 1965 Chevrolet Impala SS 2-dr hard top,
$16,800—McC, p. 110
5. 1923 Ford Model T T-bucket,
$15,120—Pet, p. 126
Sports Car Market
Best Buys
Page 66
Artcurial Paris, FRA
Artcurial Motorcars — Rétromobile 2014
A 1953 Oblin-bodied Ferrari 166 MM began life as a touring berlinetta, was
rebodied in the early ’50s as a unique barchetta, and sold here for $3.6m
Company
Artcurial
Date
February 7, 2014
Location
Paris, FRA
Auctioneer
Hervé Poulain
Automotive lots sold/offered
160/191
Sales rate
84%
Sales total
$37,611,772
High sale
1953 Oblin-bodied Ferrari
166 MM, sold at $3,645,192
Buyer’s premium
1953 Ferrari 166 MM barchetta, sold at $3,645,192
Report and photos by Donald Osborne
Market opinions in italics
A
rtcurial’s annual fixture at
the Rétromobile show in
Paris is always a production.
Managing Director Matthieu
Lamoure, a keen performer himself, ensur
that the sale starts off in a musically distinc
manner. This year, a four-piece band accom
nied a beautiful young woman with a love
voice as she made a spirited dash through a s
of French pop songs of the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s,
with a bit of the Great American Songbook and some tap dancing thrown in.
All of this was the prelude to not one, but two days of cars. In addition
Paris, FRA
to the 148 assorted lots sold on Friday, a Saturday session was devoted entirely
to Alfa Romeo, with 44 lots on offer. It all turned out rather well for
the Paris-based company, which achieved the highest-ever sales volume for
a collector-car sale held in Paris and sent 84% of the cars on to new homes.
The Rétromobile show itself was relocated to the spacious and open
Hall 2 at the Porte de Versailles exposition center, to Artcurial’s considerable
benefit. For the first time, they were able to preview all the lots and
hold the sale in the same space. The venue also allowed for a drive-through
sale — still rare in Europe — although not all of the lots were driven.
The large contingent of U.S. bidders made
clear that American collectors have stopped waiting
for the dollar to recover. They were there with
consignments and bidding paddles.
Among the highlights of the sale was the 1953
Oblin-bodied Ferrari 166 MM. This car began
life as a touring berlinetta and was rebodied in
the early ’50s as a unique barchetta. Finished in
a dramatic satin black, it failed to meet reserve
on the block, but the high bid was later converted
into the biggest sale of the auction at $3.6m.
From the Alfa Collection, a 1965 TZ set a
1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS coupe, sold at $461,136
68
world record at $1.3m. Publisher Martin took a
shot at a Giulietta Sprint Veloce Lightweight in
totally tired condition but could not seal the deal.
It sold for $243k and will need a full restoration. ♦
Sales Totals
$30m
$35m
$25m
$20m
$15m
$10m
$5m
0
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
16% up to $814,440; 12%
from $814,441 to $1,357,400;
10% thereafter, included in
sold prices ($1.00 = €0.74)
Sports Car Market
Page 68
Artcurial Paris, FRA
ENGLISH
#392-1957 ASTON MARTIN DB2/4 MK
II coupe. S/N AM30031520. Eng. # DBA1226.
British Racing Green/black leather. Odo:
44,732 km. Very good panel fit. Paint is
presentable but shows various stress cracks,
touched-in chips and polish scratches. Goodto-fair
bright trim showing some pitting in
areas. Modern racing sport seats fitted, along
with Halda and GT1 rally clocks, contemporary
thick-rimmed Nardi wheel. Rear roll cage
with CD player mounted. Rooftop driving
preferred for its improved build quality,
4-wheel disc brakes and ZF gearbox. This car
had lots of eyeball and was priced just a bit
high.
light. Cond: 3-. SOLD AT $234,613. Vintagerally-restored
Aston for a fairly serious competitor—a
down-and-dirty tool ready for use.
While DB4, 5 and 6 prices have skyrocketed,
the earlier Feltham-built cars have lagged.
The rather different, more involved driving
experience requires familiarity. Nevertheless,
values have risen, and this price would have
bought a concours-stock example not long
ago. Well sold.
#332-1961 JAGUAR XKE Series I 3.8
convertible. S/N 875232. Eng. # R13579.
Metallic gray/black canvas/black leather. Odo:
1,274 miles. Very good panel fit and bright
trim. Nice paint shows light polish scratches.
Very good interior shows light wear on sides
of seats, excellent steering wheel, very good
gauges. Becker Mexico radio. Cond: 2-.
#334-1963 LAGONDA RAPIDE sedan.
S/N LR128L. Eng. # 400128. Green/magnolia
leather. Odo: 77,491 km. Very good panel fit,
right front door hard to close. Shiny paint
shows some prep flaws, with sinkage, some
drips, a bit of rippling and some microblistering.
Generally very good chrome. Interior is
very soiled, carpets shrunk, good dash wood
shows some split veneer. Motorola 2-band
microblistering and chips at corners. Bright
trim is fair to good. Very good upholstery
appears more recently done than paint. Very
good gauges, faded steering wheel, chipped
steering column. Cond: 3+. SOLD AT
$18,607. Charming Fiat-based pre-war sedan,
very characterful. An amusing note on the
name Simca “8” was that the car actually had
a “fiscal horsepower” rating of 6, but Fiat
thought it would be better if people thought it
more powerful. This is an example of a great
“starter” classic, well bought for its new
owner.
#363-1941 PIERRE FAURE TYPE PFA
electric microcar. S/N 016. Red & black/
brown vinyl. Architect-designed pre-war electric
car, launched in 1940. Door fit is not bad.
Faded and worn paint, melted headlight cover.
Dusty, moldy, faded and worn interior. Modern
alloy wheels fitted. Cond: 5-. SOLD AT
$69,575. Has a range of 75 km from the
radio. Said to be one of six LHD examples.
Cond: 3-. SOLD AT $262,119. Aston Martin’s
four-door models have always been polarizing.
I love the Lagonda Rapide and kick myself
for not buying one at auction in 2006 for
$18k when the engine alone was worth that
amount. Now, the world has discovered the
charms of this four-door DB4, and prices have
adjusted accordingly. This was well bought for
a factory LHD car.
FRENCH
SOLD AT $218,433. Outside-hood-latch
model. Well restored many years ago in very
attractive colors and beautifully maintained.
Sold by Bonhams in Monaco 2011 for $128k
(SCM# 179370). Driven 544 miles since, and
a tidy profit realized for the seller. Upper market
price—maybe $250k for fresh cars is not
ridiculous. Or maybe it is.
#396-1961 LOTUS ELITE coupe. S/N
1205. Eng. # 8163. Orange/black leather.
RHD. Odo: 1,371 miles. Variable panel fit, as
per build. Very good paint. Good chrome.
Lovely interior. Cond: 2-. SOLD AT
$102,348. Terrific color combination for this
elegant, lightweight sports car. The Series 2 is
70
#323-1939 SIMCA 8 1100 sedan. S/N
814818. Dark red/gray cloth. Odo: 91,347 km.
Very good panel fit. Good paint shows light
polish scratches, some signs of aging, with
72-volt/100-amp motor, driving the rear
wheels with chain drive. Six batteries could be
charged overnight. Approximately 20 built.
Styled sort of like a boot, it has a certain Art
Deco, collaborationist appeal. Fascinating,
but not sure how you’d actually restore it. Well
sold.
BEST
BUY
#411-1948 DELAHAYE 135M
coupe. S/N 800990. Dark metallic
blue/gray leather. RHD. Odo: 96,825
km. Very good panel fit, some gaps a bit wide.
Good paint shows some polish scratches. Generally
very good chrome and alloy trim. Very
good interior, well finished, very good bright
trim inside. Cond: 2-. SOLD AT $158,566.
Believed one of two built in this style. Very
handsome post-war example of the legendary
pre-war 135M needs a bit to compete in top
concours, but as presented will make a lovely
tour car. Well bought.
Sports Car Market
Page 70
Artcurial Paris, FRA
#379-1948 TALBOT-LAGO T26 coach
“Surprofile.” S/N 3305. Eng. # 26305. Ivory/
green leather. RHD. Odo: 65,744 km. Very
good panel fit, paint, and bright trim. Nice
interior, well upholstered. Very well painted
dash decoration, good gauges. Cond: 2-.
good Moto-Lita wheel. Cond: 3+. SOLD AT
$177,982. Competition-prepared and ready.
These kings of the Index of Performance are
delightful race cars with an excellent and storied
history. This example was offered not long
ago at Gooding’s 2013 Pebble Beach sale in
August and failed to sell at a $100k bid (SCM#
227476). After transport and fees, it might
have been close for the seller, but the more
naturally receptive French venue got the job
done.
SOLD AT $101,935. The Talbot T26 Record
is a potent performance grand-touring car and
offers great value in the category, especially in
the less-sexy styles, such as this coupe. Very
well presented and usable in countless events,
it sold well. Soon this price will seem quite a
bargain.
#324-1952 CITROËN 2CV Type A sedan.
S/N 25790. Silver gray/gray cloth. Odo: 77,717
km. Excellent panel fit, as per build. Very good
paint, a bit too shiny perhaps. Very good seat
covers and instrument binnacle. Cond: 2.
good. With a/c. Cond: 3-. SOLD AT
$493,496. Terrific color combination in this
desirable late Facel. Produced in much lower
numbers than the HK500, the Facellia engine
disaster did the company in before many of
these could be sold. Values have soared recently,
but this car does need a restoration
before hitting the show circuit. As such, the
price paid is a market-leading one, and this
must be considered well sold.
SOLD AT $24,270. The last of the early 2CVs,
with evocative ribbed hood panel in perfect
silver gray. These are very slow, but the journey
is the prize. Very well presented, and the
price was fair for seller and buyer alike.
#404-1953 DEUTSCH-BONNET LM 53
roadster. S/N HBR789. French Racing Blue/
red leather. Very good panel fit, as per build.
Good paint shows a few rubs and polish
scratches. Seats are very good, showing almost
no wear, instruments slightly faded. Very
#327-1973 CITROËN SM coupe. S/N
SBSD008D1562. Eng. # 105651. Silver/gray
velour. Odo: 51,272 km. Good panel fit, very
good paint. Chrome is good, showing some
wear and scratches. Appealing interior shows
light wear, with two small punctures in driv-
cracked, but supple, seats. Very dry dashboard
wood. Original Becker Mexico radio. Cond:
4+. SOLD AT $153,712. This descendant of
the massive pre-war luxury Mercedes presented
very well as an honest car with an
older repaint. The price realized was high for
condition, but at least the buyer knew what he
was getting. Well sold.
er’s seat. A very nicely presented SM driver.
Cond: 3+. SOLD AT $35,596. Nice to see one
of these with velour interior. An average car,
an average price. A spectacular example will
bring twice this number. Market-correct.
#326-1975 CITROËN SM Mylord cab-
riolet. S/N 00SC2789. Byzantine Gold/black
canvas/terracotta leather. Odo: 79,299 km.
72
#373-1956 MERCEDES-BENZ 300SL Gullwing.
S/N 1980406500 192. Eng. # 1989806500202.
Silver/red leather. Odo: 88,465 miles.
Very good panel fit. Otherwise excellent paint
shows very small touched-in stone chips on
nose, small dings on right door and clearcoat
abrasions from old event stickers. Very good
chrome shows only some light scratches.
Larger diameter exhaust pipe fitted. Good interior,
modern Becker radio. Repro fitted luggage.
Cond: 2-. SOLD AT $1,248,808. Well
Sports Car Market
#317-1965 FACEL II coupe. S/N HK2A190.
Metallic blue/beige leather. Odo:
36,536 miles. Somewhat variable panel fit,
good paint shows some polish scratches, some
touched-in chips and a few nicks. Generally
good bright trim. Interior is good, showing
some soiling, slight shrinkage in carpets.
Handpainted dashboard “wood” trim very
Absolutely wonderful custom-bodied SM, one
of five built. Very good panel fit, some gaps a
bit variable. Very good paint shows some light
polish scratches, a bit of microblistering on
trunk, a few small touched-in chips on hood.
Good bright trim. Nicely patinated interior
with wear on left side of driver’s seat. Blaupunkt
radio. Cond: 3. SOLD AT $744,290.
The conversion to open car loses none of the
style of the closed model and in fact works
quite well visually. Although not the sharpest
in details, rarity trumps condition in this case,
as you will wait a long time for another. A
huge price to be sure (a world record for an
SM, by far). But what a car. Well sold, but
equally well bought.
GERMAN
#369-1955 MERCEDES-BENZ 300B
cabriolet. S/N 5500515. Eng. # 5500537.
Ivory/black canvas/red leather. Odo: 65,976
miles. Excellent panel fit. Very presentable
older paint shows rubs, touch-ins, microblistering.
Generally good chrome shows light
pitting. Interior is very patinated, with heavily
Page 72
Artcurial Paris, FRA
restored, then clearly well used and maintained,
this Gullwing is attractive and consistent.
The price was on the low side for
condition, but in the current market range.
Properly sold, and a bit well bought.
#418-1968 PORSCHE 912 coupe. S/N
355214. Eng. # P606193. White/black vinyl.
Odo: 38,453 miles. Variable panel fit, with
right door difficult to close. Presentable paint
shows some areas of blow-in, some bubbling
on bottom of right door, random panel edge
chips. Bright trim is fair, with much pitting
and scratching. Interior has been retrimmed
and generally shows well, but upholstery is
somewhat wrinkled, as is dashboard top. Some
loose rubber, fading and staining on headliner,
polish scratches and chips, the signs of a wellenjoyed
car. Fair bright trim shows scratches
and light pitting. Modern Sparco racing seats,
small-diameter Momo wheel, roll bar fitted. A
touring model set up for track work. Factory
replacement engine fitted in the late ’70s.
Extensive privateer rally history. Ex-Bernard
Dulcy. Cond: 3-. SOLD AT $461,136. A
nicely prepared RS with a top-event competition
history, including in Monte Carlo, Acropolis,
Portugal and East Africa. Previously sold
by Bonhams in Paris ’08 for $426k, rated a
2- (SCM# 55665). 10,000 km later and driven
down to 3-, it’s barely budged in price. Not a
great investment for the seller, but market
value in today’s world.
ITALIAN
#365-1929 ALFA ROMEO 6C 1750 SS
Supercharged roadster. S/N 0312901. Black/
brown leather. RHD. Odo: 54,026 km. Excellent
paint shows some light polish scratches.
Excellent bright trim and interior, showing just
a few scuff marks on bare metal floor. Very
good instruments in superb engine-turned
dashboard. Attractive body of unknown origin.
Cond: 1-. SOLD AT $1,220,824. Superbly
presented 6C 1750 SS. History starts from
coupe, campaigned in Europe, then South
America. In mid-1954, it returned to Europe,
where it was rebodied in this unique style by
Oblin, shown at the 1955 Geneva Salon, and
its competition career continued until 1957.
Not the most attractive open early Ferrari, but
has a certain distinctive style. A no-sale when
it crossed the block; a deal was later done for
this same number all-in. Fair price for a
one-off with comp history.
missing sun visors. Cond: 4+. SOLD AT
$32,360. The mania for early 901-series cars
has lit interest in the heretofore lightly loved
912. The cars have their adherents, however
and offer a special, albeit less vigorous, driving
experience. Sold by Artcurial in February
2011 in Paris for $37k (SCM# 168922). The
condition remains the same, and the odometer
hasn’t moved. It seems likely to have gone into
storage immediately and stayed there until this
sale. Not expensive, but may prove costly.
#419-1973 PORSCHE 911 Carrera RS
coupe. S/N 9113601115. Eng. # AT6630900.
White & red/black cloth. Odo: 97,224 km.
Very good panel fit. Paint is good, showing
1936 onwards, period competition record
largely anecdotal. Offered at Bonhams Greenwich
in June 2009 and a no-sale at $680k
(SCM# 120867), re-offered in August 2009 at
Russo and Steele Monterey, no-sale at $875k
(SCM# 141952). Comprehensively restored
with a color change to black. This time
around, it no-saled on the block again, but the
deal came together a few days later at the
high bid, including commissions. The parts
alone should be worth this number.
#402-1950 SIATA AMICA convertible.
S/N ST145. Dark green/black canvas/beige
leather. Odo: 8,601 km. Very good panel fit,
older paint still presentable but shows lots of
#398-1957 LANCIA AURELIA B20
coupe. S/N 1276. Eng. # 4608. Burgundy/
burgundy & gray leather. Odo: 67,552 km.
Very good panel fit. Generally good paint
shows a few small touch-ins and light
scratches. Very good chrome trim, good alloy
trim. Interior is very well finished, albeit in
incorrect materials. Sixth Series wheels. Condor
radio. Cond: 3+. SOLD AT $145,622. The
polish scratches. Minimal bright trim is good.
Very good interior, fully carpeted which is
most likely incorrect. Somewhat faded instruments,
very good steering wheel. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $36,215. Driver-level restoration
of a charming 500 variant with elegant little
envelope body designed by Count Revelli de
Beaumont—just the thing for a very slow Mille
Miglia Storico or a quickish run for gelato.
(I was sorely tempted to bid...) Market priced.
#321-1953 FERRARI 166 MM
barchetta. S/N 0300M. Eng. # 0300.
Matte black & red/black leather. RHD.
Odo: 5,983 km. Excellent panel fit for comp
car. Paint surface is even, excellent chrome
(perhaps a bit bright). Very well-trimmed interior
shows no traces of use. Excellent instruments.
Cond: 1-. SOLD AT $3,645,192. This
Ferrari 166 MM was originally a Vignale
TOP 10
No. 2
Aurelia B20 is one of the most complete GT
cars from the ’50s, fully usable in all conditions
of today’s traffic. The 4th Series and earlier
cars are eligible for all the big events, the
5th and 6th Series for fewer, but still a great
drive. At the moment the differential in value
between the B20 and the B24 Spider and convertible
is more than the presumed open/
74
Sports Car Market
Artcurial Paris, FRA — Alfa Romeo Sale
Solo Alfa Collection
Alfas from A to Zagato
Company: Artcurial Motorcars
Location: Paris, FRA
Date: February 8, 2014
Auctioneer: Hervé Poulain
Automotive lots sold/offered: 40/44
Sales rate: 91%
Sales total: $3,421,053
High sale: 1965 Alfa Romeo TZ, sold at $1,296,914
Buyer’s premium: 16% up to $814,440; 12% from
$814,441 to $1,357,400; 10% thereafter, included in
sold prices ($1.00 = €0.74)
Report and photos by Donald Osborne
#506-1953 ALFA ROMEO 1900 Berlina.
S/N AR190006186. Brown/dark beige cloth.
Odo: 37,034 km. Very good panel fit. Paint is
very good, showing only light polish
scratches. Very good bright trim. Interior is
very good, although front seat cushion is a bit
baggy, and some minor insect damage in rear.
without doubt among the most desirable ’50s
Alfas. Eligible for everything and tremendously
entertaining to drive. This car was
pretty original and pretty used up as well. It
was not a preservation car, but rather a great
restoration candidate. The price paid was not
terribly out of line considering the cost of the
work to be done. Slightly well sold.
#501-1959 ALFA ROMEO GIULIETTA
TI Berlina. S/N AR146813109. Eng. # 151593026.
White/brown check cloth. Odo: 20,039
km. Variable panel fit; both front doors tough
to close. Good paint, good bright trim except
for waviness and light pitting under plating on
bumpers. Seats show some bagging and soil-
shows some light pitting under some new plating,
small rust-through on rear bumper, correct
dished hubcaps. Interior is good, probably
redone at some point. Baggy sunvisors, dashboard
shows some wear. Correct floor mats,
Voxson radio. Cond: 3-. SOLD AT $27,506.
Rare surviving example of this very TransAtlantic
sedan. The chrome trim and fins, wide
bench seat and dash layout scream “America!”
But very few were ever sold here. I love
these cars and once again was sorely tempted.
I resisted, and it sold exactly where I would
have expected.
#522-1960 ALFA ROMEO GIULIETTA
Spider Veloce. S/N AR168058. Red/black
canvas/black vinyl. Odo: 9,011 km. Very good
panel fit except trunk high on right. Good
paint shows some small areas of microblistering
and orange peel in tight spots. Good bright
trim shows some pitting under plating on door
handles and windshield-surround. Slightly
Instrument face a bit cloudy. Cond: 3+. SOLD
AT $30,472. Perhaps one of the cheapest
Mille Miglia-eligible cars I’ve seen in a long
time. And one with a lot of character as well. I
semi-lusted for this car but chickened out at
the last minute. My loss. Well bought.
#504-1956 ALFA ROMEO GIULIETTA
Sprint Veloce Lightweight. S/N AR149302258.
Eng. # AR131559056. Blue/beige leather.
Odo: 9,076 km. Older paint is thick with
orange peel, rubs and scratches. Panel fit
approximate, with both doors out at rear edge
and trunk fit poor. Bright trim generally oxidized,
with stress cracking on left window
frame. Interior appears original with some
small tears, soiling, rubs. Dull instruments.
Blocks welded into floor for now-missing
four-point roll cage. Cond: 4+. SOLD AT
$242,703. The lightweight Sprint Veloce is
78
ing. Carpets show wear. Cond: 3-. SOLD AT
$27,506. The “hot” version of the Giulietta
Berlina, rarely seen in the U.S. This collector
assembled one example of each variant of the
Giulietta and Giulia sedans, in a bewildering
array. This was an okay used car which sold
for an okay used-car price.
#510-1960 ALFA ROMEO 2000 Berlina.
S/N AR1020001613. Eng. # 0020001610.
Gray/blue cloth & vinyl. Odo: 10,478 km.
Very good panel fit, but front right door gap a
bit wide. Very good paint shows a bit of orange
peel. Extensive bright trim is good but
overstuffed seats are in an incorrect pattern.
Correct Fergat wheels. Replaced un-numbered
block, converted to 5-speed gearbox. Cond:
3-. SOLD AT $76,047. For a very long time,
engine and gearbox replacements made relatively
little difference in Alfa values. Now that
the prices are getting serious, they do. A
discount was taken here for the changes, and
appropriately so.
#531-1960 ALFA ROMEO GIULIETTA
Sprint coupe. S/N AR149321118. Eng. #
AR1315011788. Light blue/gray & blue
leather. Odo: 30,114 miles. Very good panel
fit. Very good paint has light polish scratches.
Good bright trim with light pitting on door
handles. Interior is good with some bagging
and a bit of wear on driver’s seat. Incorrect
engine-turned door trim panel. Five-speed
gearbox, front disc brakes fitted. Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $65,530. Overall nicely presented
Sprint, once again with driving modifications,
Sports Car Market
Page 78
Artcurial Paris, FRA — Alfa Romeo Sale
that no doubt make it a more pleasant modern
motorway companion but which may in the
future negatively affect value. On this day, the
price was right.
#516-1961 RENAULT ONDINE Alfa
Romeo Berline sedan. S/N R1084922. White/
red cloth & vinyl. Odo: 9,037 km. Renault
Dauphine built in Italy by Alfa under shortlived
cooperative agreement between the companies.
It is all Dauphine, with different
side. Cond: 4-. SOLD AT $203,871. Although
it was certainly a very used car, this GTA had
a good long-term owner history and was very
original and complete. A real indication of the
increased interest in genuine GTAs—the bidders
looked past the obvious to obtain an artifact
that showed its life in its surfaces. A bit
well sold for a street car needing quite a bit of
work.
badges. Very good panel fit. Good, somewhat
thick paint shows orange peel and some light
chips. Original-appearing interior shows some
fading, a few holes and tears in cushions. Instrument
is a bit cloudy. Cond: 3-. SOLD AT
$19,416. A curiosity for the Alfa collector who
has it all. Market-priced.
#514-1964 ALFA ROMEO 2600 Sprint
coupe. S/N AR824960. White/black vinyl.
Odo: 51,120 miles. Very good panel fit. Paint
is very good, showing minor stress cracking.
Generally good chrome, with light pitting and
scratches in places. Good interior has slightly
incorrect pattern on seats. Dashboard lacking
correct French stitching. Fitted with Borrani
wire wheels. Cond: 3+. SOLD AT $71,193.
Alfa’s big 6-cylinder gran turismo is a satisfying
car to drive, smooth and capable. This
example was well presented, but the details
didn’t deliver. This price was well above recent
sales. We will see if this is where the market is
heading. For now, very well sold.
#505-1965 ALFA ROMEO GIULIA
Sprint GTA coupe. S/N AR613311. Eng. #
AR00502A19211. Red/black vinyl. Odo:
8,638 km. Generally good panel fit with trunk
slightly off. Old paint shows crazing, alligatoring,
bubbling, chips, rubs, scrapes throughout,
mild crash damage on front left corner. Bright
trim is presentable but scratched. Very worn
alloy wheels. Interior shows surprisingly little
wear, open seams. Correct Autodelta steering
wheel fitted. Rust hole in floor-pan on right
80
AT $1,296,914. Very well-presented example
of this ultra-desirable sports racing Alfa. Delivered
new in France, never raced. History is
good, with a few “stories,” but none of which
is a dealbreaker. The need to confirm authenticity
with these cars cannot be overstated,
and cars with real questions come at substantial
discounts. This is the new current market
price for a car with little to hide.
#525-1966 ALFA ROMEO QUATTRORUOTE
Gran Sport roadster. S/N
393025. Silver & black/black canvas/gray
vinyl. Odo: 33,361 km. Very good panel fit.
#515-1965 ALFA ROMEO GIULIA
TZ coupe. S/N AR750042. Eng. #
AR0051100089. Red/black vinyl. Odo:
22,823 km. Generally good panel fit, doors
slightly out at rear bottom. Very good paint
and bright trim. Very good interior, very good
dashboard, excellent gauges. Cond: 1-. SOLD
TOP 10
No. 10
Older paint, possibly original, shows a few
rubs, a few touched-in chips and polish
scratches. Good bright trim, except for heavy
pitting on rear deck chrome. Much crazing on
perspex wind wings. Good seats with stitching
beginning to open on driver’s seat. Aftermarket
steering wheel. Good instruments. Cond:
3-. SOLD AT $76,047. Commissioned by Italian
magazine “Quattroruote” to commemorate
the anniversary of the legendary 6C 1750
Zagato, with Giulia mechanicals. Seems
strange today, but they’re actually quite fun
and very well executed. Not many are seen in
good condition, so this one has to be considered
market-priced.
#508-1968 ALFA ROMEO GIULIA
Super Sprint sedan. S/N AR872016. Eng. #
AR005660040. Burgundy/tan vinyl. Odo:
77,857 km. Very good panel fit and paint, with
light scratches. Good bright trim. Very good
interior has good gauges. Cond: 2-. SOLD AT
$48,541. A very handsome sedan that has been
awarded the ASI “Targa d’Oro” for correctness
in preservation or restoration. In the
same ownership for 40 years. A great car to
drive, this example was also finished in terrific
colors. Well sold and well bought.
#526-1970 ALFA ROMEO 1750 GTAM
coupe. S/N AR1530938. Eng. # D211266461004.
Mustard/black cloth. Variable panel fit.
Very good paint and alloy and chrome trim.
Six-point roll bar. Stripped interior has modern
race seats, electronic tach and auxiliary
gauge cluster. Cond: 1-. SOLD AT $446,574.
Factory Autodelta car with period major event
participation, extensive documentation and
continuous history. Beautifully presented, but
prepared for contemporary competition
events. When you want the real deal, you pay
Sports Car Market
Page 80
Artcurial Paris, FRA — Alfa Romeo Sale
for it. Market-correct, but could have gone
higher if period-restored.
#530-1971 ALFA ROMEO 1300 GTA
Junior coupe. S/N AR776047. Eng. # AR0055900850.
Red & white/black cloth. Good
panel fit, with both doors slightly out of line.
Very good paint shows minor traces of use.
Good bright trim. Interior is stripped, with
modern racing seat and heat insulation pad-
#528-1973 ALFA ROMEO 2000 GTV
coupe. S/N AR2438206. Eng. # AR0051263700.
Silver/brown leather. Odo: 12,247 km.
Generally good panel fit, with doors out
slightly at rear edges. Good paint shows some
microblistering and settling, general signs of
aging. Good bright trim. Interior is good with
slightly off, left front door slightly out at bottom
edge. Very good paint, with rear panel
surprisingly clean for a diesel car. Generally
good bright trim, good bumpers. Interior good,
ding on transmission tunnel and floor boards.
Electronic fuel gauge fitted in place of speedometer,
Momo wheel. 60-liter fuel tank.
SOLD AT $194,162. Very well restored for
modern vintage events, this car has a known
amateur period racing history in Italy. Lovely
to look at. Price was right on the mark; a car
with major driver history would have done
quite a bit more.
nicely broken-in seats, with some separated
seams on driver’s seat. Clean dashboard.
Cond: 3. SOLD AT $35,596. A lovely color
combination, and the original and rare optional
leather seats are a treat. Very well
bought, as the defects can be reasonably addressed
to make a much sharper car.
#541-1977 ALFA ROMEO GIULIA
Nuova Super diesel Berlina. S/N AR132210.
Eng. # PC011121419. Ivory/black vinyl. Odo:
51,986 km. Very good panel fit except trunk
with some loose stitching on seats. Good dash
and instruments. Cond: 3-. SOLD AT $11,326.
Slow and low-revving Perkins diesel not very
well suited to a sports sedan, so unsurprisingly
it was slow leaving showrooms as well.
Once again, a well-conserved survivor brings
an above-the-odds but correct price.
#532-1978 ALFA ROMEO ALFASUD
Super 1.8 hatchback. S/N AS52423009010.
Eng. # S30102133598. Red/blue cloth. Odo:
18,532 km. Very good panel fit, as per build.
Good paint, most likely original, shows polish
scratches as well as heavy road rash and small
dents along front edge of hood. Good bright
trim. Interior is slightly dirty, with a good
dash. No rips or tears. Cond: 4+. SOLD AT
$4,854. The little Alfa that firmly delivered the
company into Fiat/VW territory and occasioned
the deletion of “Milano” from the Alfa
badge, as these were built near Naples. The
flat-4-powered Alfasud has a great reputation
as a driver’s car, and once they are sorted
(and kept maintained), can be a delight. It’s a
shame we never got them here in the U.S.
Market price.
#518-1979 ALFA ROMEO 2000 GTV
Turbodelta coupe. S/N AR116360022770.
Eng. # 0059285. Red/gray velour. Odo: 6,983
km. Panel fit is very good, with expected wide
gaps at hood. Good paint. Generally good
bright trim except very pitted mirror base,
fading on black trim. Interior shows slight
bagging. Missing radio, good gauges. Cond:
3-. SOLD AT $50,159. It is rare to see one of
these turbocharged specials that hasn’t been
completely used up and tossed to die. Only
400 homologation cars were built for a shortlived
Alfa rally program. This car was obviously
adult-driven and cared for. Considering
82
Sports Car Market
RM Auctions Paris, FRA
RM Paris
Top-sale honors went to a 1955 Jaguar D-type that sold for a world-record
$5m to an enthusiastic cheer
Company
RM Auctions
Date
February 5, 2014
Location
Paris, FRA
Auctioneer
Max Girardo
Automotive lots sold/offered
41/52
Sales rate
79%
Sales total
$23,571,761
High sale
1955 Jaguar D-type, sold at
$4,947,798
Buyer’s premium
12%, included in sold prices
($1.00 = €0.75)
1955 Jaguar D-type, sold at $4,947,798
Report and photos by John Lyons
Market opinions in italics
thing in between. With RM’s first foray i
this market, it was my first trip to Rétromob
as well. I was captivated by the number of i
credible cars on display at the show. Just about
every major marque club was represented, and
there was truly something for everyone (if you had
the requisite number of euros in your pocket).
C
84
ollectors and dealers alike
make the annual pilgrimage
to Rétromobile in Paris for the
exposition of art, cars and ever
Paris, FRA
RM’s sale kicked off at the fabulous Place Vauban, the namesake of
the famed French engineer. There were 52 automobile lots offered, with
41 selling, for a sales rate of 79%. Nearly $24m worth of cars traded hands
over the course of the four-hour sale. The auction was the first of three
sales that week — Rétromobile grows and grows, with enthusiasts now
devoting an entire week to the events in Paris.
Auctioneer Max Girardo handled the auction block in his usual light
and relaxed manner. Switching between several languages, he was able
to wring every last bid from the overflowing room.
Top-sale honors went to the 1955 Jaguar D-type that sold for a world-record $5m
to an enthusiastic cheer. Porsche also earned bragging rights with a world record of its
own: a 1982 956 Group C prototype sold over $3.1m.
In the Ferrari column was a 1955 Ferrari Monza
Spider presented with both the reproduction Scaglietti
coachwork and the incredibly well-maintained original
body as well. Buyers quickly recognized the importance
of having the original body with the car, and
bid the car right to high estimate with a final price of
nearly $2.6m (see the profile, p. 50).
It looks like RM has found a new home in Paris.
1955 Ferrari 750 Monza Spyder with original preserved body, sold at $2,623,832
If the first year is any indication, I think it’s a winning
formula for both the auction house and for
Rétromobile. ♦
Sports Car Market
Page 84
RM Auctions Paris, FRA
ENGLISH
#22-1938 LAGONDA V12 drophead
coupe. S/N 14050. Blue/blue cloth/red leather.
RHD. Odo: 29,214 km. Very well-sorted and
-maintained car. Very old cosmetic restoration
with flaws in the paint everywhere. A few areas
of touch-up poorly prepped as well. Interior
nice older restored, with correct and clean
instruments and controls. Engine bay tidy and
proper. Piles of documentation and receipts
from an obviously caring and enthusiastic
trim. Dirty stained grille. Poor panel and hood
fit. Interior as poorly done, including poorly
fitting seat covers, stained carpets and older
types go, this is among the best available. Sold
under the $5.6m low estimate but still a record
for a D-type.
owner. Cond: 2+. SOLD AT $337,350. There
are things that just translate anywhere in the
car hobby. I was inspecting this car, and a
woman, obviously car-savvy and from a distant
part of the world, looked at me and said,
“Honest car.” Indeed, she chose the perfect
words. While nowhere near show-condition,
this represented a great and honest opportunity
for someone. The mechanicals were perfect,
as supported by 77,000 euros’ worth of
receipts. Very well bought. Hopefully, new
owner is driving the car as I write this.
#25-1950 ASTON MARTIN DB2 coupe.
S/N LML5013. Blue/black cloth. Odo: 16,983
miles. Really nice presentation of an incredibly
sporty car. Very good paint with just a few
stone chips up front. Very nice panel alignment.
Interior appears fresh. Spotless engine
#31-1955 JAGUAR XK 140 SE coupe.
S/N S814488. Green/red leather. Odo: 9,192
km. Presentable with some use and wear. Average
door gaps. Paint looking a bit wavy in
spots. Interior, while remarkably well preserved,
appears a bit dated. Instruments and
controls all still excellent. Engine bay sports
instrumentation. Dirty engine bay with rust
stains visible and lots of other fluid stains.
Cond: 3-. SOLD AT $48,728. It was tragic to
think about the money spent on this restoration,
all of which still needs to be redone. Auctioneer
Max Girardo had to work extra hard
to get traction from bidders on this car. Very
well sold.
FRENCH
#19-1921 TH. SCHNEIDER 4.5-LITER
an older show detail. Cond: 2-. SOLD AT
$157,430. Last seen many years ago at Christie’s
1998 Pebble Beach auction, where it sold
for a then-likely-world-record price of $63k
(SCM# 15992). It sold very strongly again
here, although I think a higher quality car
could be found for less money.
#18-1957 ASTON MARTIN DB2/4 MK
III coupe. S/N 3A1358. Golden brown/tan
leather. Odo: 87,158 km. Outstanding older
restoration with lots of use and enjoyment.
Interesting color combination. Excellent door
fit and paint prep work. Engine bay clean older
detailed. Clean undercarriage. Tires a bit
threadbare. Good factory options including
bay with a high-level-show detail. Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $487,283. Last seen in Monterey
2012, where it sold for an all-in price of $308k
(SCM# 212779). Fair deal for all, and it
seems the owner pocketed a nice profit.
#30-1955 JAGUAR D-TYPE racer.
S/N XKD520. Green/brown leather.
Odo: 28,721 miles. Very original car.
Said to be one of 54 customer cars built by
Jaguar. FIA passport, known race and ownership
history. Very good paint and graphics.
Spotless correct engine bay. Very well-restored
interior with new leather seats and restored
instrumentation. Cond: 2. SOLD AT
$4,947,798. This car drew more than its fair
share of attention during the week of the auction.
There were a couple of minor blips in its
history, including a non-original hood and
some minor early accident history, but as D-
TOP 10
No. 1
86
front disc brakes. Build sheet and FIVA paperwork,
so lots of European event eligibility.
Also eligible for the Mille Miglia. Cond: 2-.
SOLD AT $277,377. In a segment that seems
to be getting more and more popular by the
month, this Aston had lots going for it. Owner
apparently agrees, with the worn tires obviously
indicating a lot of enjoyment prior to
selling. Well bought and sold.
#7-1957 AUSTIN-HEALEY 100-6 BN4
roadster. S/N 36204. Red & black/black
vinyl/red vinyl. Odo: 20,450 miles. Claimed to
be recently restored. Average to poor paint and
Sports Car Market
be functional. Cond: 3. SOLD AT $82,463.
Maintenance is the key here, as restoring one
of these French treasures would be astronomically
expensive if not impossible. Very few
transactions in the SCM Platinum Auction
Database. The last sale was in 2003, when a
1913 car sold at $34k at Christie’s in London
(SCM# 31402). Another 1913 no-saled at $81k
at Christie’s London sale in 2004 (SCM#
36740). “Market value” is whatever it sells
for, and I have to say this looks fair.
#20-1930 BUGATTI TYPE 40 roadster.
S/N 40868. Red/black cloth/brown leather.
RHD. Odo: 2,308 km. Diminutive car with
original coachwork, chassis and mildly up-
tourer. S/N 2120128. Blue/black vinyl/tan
leather. RHD. Odo: 19,619 miles. Unusual and
scarce early French-built car, with rich and
well-known history. One of approximately 25
surviving today. Well preserved from original
with restoration as needed. Aluminum
coachwork from Domain coachbuilders of
Melbourne. Solid undercarriage. Interior very
dated with materials from the 1960s or earlier.
Engine appears to be original and reported to
Page 86
RM Auctions Paris, FRA
graded engine. Very old restoration in rather
loud livery. Matching two-tone interior also a
little dated and garish. Overall restoration
quality average. Clean older detailed engine.
Cond: 3. SOLD AT $337,350. Kind of a plain
design, with only its cut windscreen giving it a
sporty look. Auctioneer had to work hard with
this car, eventually finding common ground
just under the $340k–$435k estimate. Well
sold.
TOP 10
No. 9
#37-1936 DELAHAYE 135 SPECIAL
racer. S/N 47187. Blue/black
leather. RHD. Originally a two-seater
sport body, raced in period with good history;
rebodied into a roadster in 1937; rebodied into
a cabriolet in 1947; rebodied into a ’50s style
berlinetta in 1952; and restored to 1937 spec
in 2005. Fitted with Type 235 block. Very tidy
and ready to be raced or shown. Continuous
ownership history known. Cond: 2. SOLD AT
$1,349,400. The SCM Platinum Auction Database
shows this car wearing its previous red
berlinetta coachwork when it failed to sell at
Christie’s London in 2004 at a high bid of
$466k (SCM# 36742). It looks cool and correct
now, but considering the non-original
coachwork and non-original block, this was
exceptionally well sold.
GERMAN
#36-1953 MERCEDES-BENZ 300S cab-
riolet. S/N 01200301. Silver/black cloth/red
leather. Odo: 32,537 km. Restored by the same
respected shop that restored Lot 32, the 300SL
Roadster. Done to perfection with no paint
issues. Perfect fit of doors and all panels.
Beautiful leather seats with only a slight indication
of use on the driver’s side. Carpets and
instruments also as-new. Spotless engine bay
loose driver’s seat my biggest nit to pick there.
Detailed engine with some minor inaccuracies,
but nothing that couldn’t be corrected quickly
and fairly inexpensively. Cond: 3+. SOLD AT
$1,102,010. This car had a boatload of looks
and if not for the paint mismatch (perhaps
indicating a possible front-end accident of
some sort), I would have expected a slightly
bigger price. As it sat, the car sold slightly
strong.
#23-1960 MERCEDES-BENZ 190SL
convertible. S/N 10017417. Black/black
cloth/green leather. Odo: 14,467 km. Excellent
color combination from the factory. Well-restored
car with some buffing marks and other
minor paint issues. Good door and panel fit.
Very nice interior with green leather—a bit
unusual, but tasteful. Rare factory Grundig
#32-1957 MERCEDES-BENZ 300SL
Roadster. S/N 1980427500236. Black/black
cloth/tan leather. Odo: 4,715 km. Factory
black car. Well restored but with many modifications,
including disc brakes, Euro headlights
and a replacement rear axle. Mismatched paint
in places, indicating some sort of problem
since the restoration. Beautiful interior, with a
radio. Clean engine bay. Factory fitted luggage.
Cond: 2-. SOLD AT $146,185. These
have exploded over the past three years. If
you’re going to buy, buy the right one. This
one certainly ticked a lot of the boxes, with
luggage, tools, factory black, rare radio, etc.
Sold below low estimate by a smidge. A fair
deal for both buyer and seller.
and undercarriage round out a very good car.
Cond: 1-. SOLD AT $599,733. The RM specialist
who consigned both this car and the
300SL for this sale told anyone who would
listen that this was likely the sleeper of the
sale. I think he was dead-on right. In the end,
it sold for market-correct pricing; it is a
nearly perfect example, and the new owner
can be proud.
88
#28-1964 PORSCHE 904 Carrera
GTS coupe. S/N 904045. Green/black
leather. Odo: 41,421 miles. Fabulously
well-restored and documented 904 Porsche.
Very unusual color scheme reported to be a
one-of-one build. Very chic ’60s design, while
maintaining many typical period Porsche cues.
Excellent paint. Very good door and panel fit.
Well-detailed engine bay with a hint of use
since. Well-known race history early in its life,
with no wrecks or blown motor. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $1,724,233. One of about 104 4-cyl
TOP 10
No. 6
Sports Car Market
Page 88
RM Auctions Paris, FRA
904s built, and with the racing of the period,
probably one of only a handful that has not
been wrecked or had its engine replaced. I
think this is an incredibly important car, and
time will recognize its importance and place in
collectible Porsches. The car is incredibly
good looking and rare. Price paid today was
smack in the middle of the $1.5m–$2m estimate;
fairly bought in today’s market, which
values race provenance over condition.
#16-1971 MERCEDES-BENZ 600 6-dr
Pullman landaulet. S/N 1000151200 1861.
Black/red leather. The rarest of the 600 Pullmans,
in barn-find condition. Needs virtually
everything. Rust in floors, missing engine
components, interior looks as if it hosted raccoon
fights. Engine bay an absolute fright-fest,
with signs of long-term water exposure. Said
Fully numbers-matching. Well-maintained
older restoration. Average paint and trim indicative
of a decades-old restoration. Interior
similarly aging but still quite usable. Ideal car
for touring or display. Cond: 3. SOLD AT
$397,323. There were a lot of pre-sale inspections
of this car. With such rare coachwork, it
drew no shortage of interest from respected
collectors. Once a fussy little secondary ignition
switch was figured out, the car was
started and run for numerous potential buyers.
In the end, a phone bidder got the car. Well
bought.
#51-1947 ALFA ROMEO 6C 2500
Sport cabriolet. S/N 915303. Blue/
navy blue cloth/green leather. RHD.
Odo: 7,830 km. Beautifully restored Pininfarina
coachbuilt post-war Alfa. Wonderful
body lines and meticulous attention to detail.
Beautiful paint and trim. Interior carefully
restored as well and lovely throughout. Engine
BEST
BUY
more touch-up if going to a major concours.
Outstanding minimalist Touring design. Cond:
1-. SOLD AT $262,383. This is a great-looking
car in a fantastic color scheme. Very good
show history and ready for more with only a
bit of effort and expense. Well bought, right at
the $260k low estimate.
to be a two-owner car with current ownership
for decades. Cond: 4-. SOLD AT $719,680.
Marketed as an original “barn find,” but this
car was more like a “junkyard find,” with rust
and missing components. Some experts there
estimated restoration cost at close to $1m. I
can’t imagine the condition in which this car
has been kept; a leaky barn would have been
better. An incredible bidding war broke out
between two very determined bidders, driving
the final price paid to nearly five times the
$160k high estimate. Very well sold. (See profile
p. 58.)
ITALIAN
#46-1939 ALFA ROMEO 6C 2500 cab-
riolet. S/N 913014. Gray/white cloth/gray
leather. RHD. Odo: 2,103 km. Rare one-off
custom coachwork by Tüscher of Zurich.
Unique design both attractive and functional.
cours-detailed engine bay. Fully detailed underside.
Cond: 1-. SOLD AT $479,787. This
car drew rave reviews and serious interest.
Correct right down to the Plexiglas rear window,
the car was a testament to Touring’s
workmanship. The restoration was as dead-on
accurate as could be delivered, and the result
right at mid-estimate was, in my opinion, a bit
of a deal for the buyer.
90
Sports Car Market
bay detailed to concours level; undercarriage
also very well detailed. Cond: 1-. SOLD AT
$374,833. The cost of restoration was probably
not too far below the price paid here.
This is somewhat of an overlooked model in a
segment that is very strong right now.
Probably one of the deals of the sale.
#38-1948 ALFA ROMEO 6C 2500 Super
Sport coupe. S/N 915681. Eng. # Touring.
Blue/gray cloth. RHD. Odo: 62 km. Exceptionally
well-restored and correct Super Sport
with rare factory sunroof option. Excellent
colors and spectacular attention to detail. Interior
just as well restored, with only slight hazing
of a couple of instruments taking away
from an otherwise perfect execution. Con-
#27-1955 FERRARI 750 MONZA
Spyder. S/N 0498M. Red/tan leather.
RHD. Very well-known racing history.
Original chassis and original preserved body
included with the car. Carrying engine 0857M
currently. Spectacular restoration of a storied
4-cylinder race Ferrari. Owned and/or raced
by a who’s-who of racing legends in the day,
including Phil Hill. Cond: 1-. SOLD AT
TOP 10
No. 4
#17-1952 ALFA ROMEO 1900 Sprint
coupe. S/N 01020. Ice Blue/blue vinyl. Odo:
9,296 km. Very handsomely restored car. Excellent
paint and panel fit. Beautiful grille and
other trim bits. Spotless interior with only
slight leather wear to the driver’s seat. Clean
detailed engine bay, which could use a little
$2,623,832. This car just got better and better
as I learned more about it. I give huge credit
to RM for underselling the fact that the original
body is with the car. They very cautiously
referred to it as the “remnants,” but there is
no doubt the body is very much complete, and
with today’s technology, could be restored and
reunited with the frame. Car sold just within
estimate and struck me as a very good deal for
the buyer. (See the profile, p. 50.)
#6-1956 ALFA ROMEO GIULIETTA
berlina. S/N 148801694. Blue/tan cloth. Odo:
22,686 km. Rarely seen “garden variety” Alfa
in very clean condition. Excellent paint, trim
bits and gaps. Minor trim issues around windows
and door edges. Very nice original interior,
with newer seats and carpeting. Minor
wear on driver’s side of seat. Otherwise spic
Page 90
RM Auctions Paris, FRA
and span throughout. Original, clean little
DOHC 4-cylinder completely out of place in
such a dowdy sedan. Cond: 2-. SOLD AT
$28,487. I absolutely fell in love with this ugly
little Alfa. All in, the car surpassed $25k high
estimate and found a new home. Well bought,
but that is my bias talking a bit.
#35-1956 FIAT 600 2-dr sedan. S/N
100144735. Gray/gray & white cloth. Odo:
58,612 km. Cosmetically maintained original
with newer paint. Original chrome and windlacing
showing age. Original glass. Good door
fit. Nice original interior with seat covers the
only change from original. Original instru-
only minor driver’s seat use showing. Engine
02114. Green/black leather. Odo: 17,624 km.
Very sharp Zagato coachwork. Original car
with cosmetic upkeep including newer paint.
Average door and panel fit, new tires. Original
interior with black leather seats and factory
carpeting. Original instruments slightly hazy.
Clean and correct engine bay. Original undercarriage
with no detailing done. Mechanicals
bay nicely restored and carefully detailed.
Original radiator with some road scars the
only detraction. Cond: 2. SOLD AT $412,317.
These have terrific little powerplants and
amazing handling, and the price tag is justifiable,
but they still play second fiddle to the
now-legendary Spider Americas, which are
selling in the $1m range. Market-correct price
here.
ments showing their age a bit. Engine bay tidy
but not show-detailed. Minor fluid stains and
surface rust on manifold. Cond: 3+. SOLD AT
$18,742. Of the three little Fiats on offer, this
was the weakest and the least expensive, but in
no way was it a bad car. Sold market-correct.
#53-1957 FIAT 600 Multipla limousine.
S/N 100108008524. Teal & white/blue cloth.
Odo: 10,699 km. Outstanding and expensive
restoration. All body panels better than new.
Excellent paint and trim. Very good panel fit.
Interior also well restored, but door panels
seem incredibly fragile—like high-quality
paper towels. All else spot-on and attractive.
Clean engine bay with hints of occasional use
#4-1960 LANCIA APPIA cabriolet. S/N
812014499. White/tan vinyl/tan leather. Odo:
14,650 miles. Incredible one-owner car from
new. Said to be one of fewer than 1,600 ever
built. Restored by original owner earlier this
decade. Paint and trim all excellent. Very minor
door gap issue on passenger’s side and
driver’s leading door edge. Impeccably re-
reported to be freshly restored and ready for
break-in. Cond: 3. SOLD AT $269,880. I
know I called it a #3 and was rather harsh on
it, but I actually loved this cool Lancia. It was
honest, with obvious careful maintenance and
use since new. It was nothing too extraordinary
in the era, but it is aging incredibly well,
and the collector market is recognizing this
fact. Just a great ’60s look to it, like something
you would see in a spy movie driven by the
villain. A fair deal for buyer and seller.
#8-1970 FERRARI 365 GT 2+2 coupe.
S/N 12861. White/black leather. Odo: 36,943
km. Average paint and trim. Poor gaps, including
leading edge of passenger’s door and gascap
filler door. Factory spinner-style wheels.
Clean original interior. Engine bay nicely
stored interior with beautiful materials
throughout. Freakishly unusual engine bay
with V4 configuration. Cond: 2. SOLD AT
$67,470. This was one of several attractive
Italian coachbuilt cars from this era, virtually
all of them becoming more and more appealing
by the day, it seems. Sold just at the $65k
low estimate and seemed reasonable to me.
#3-1966 ALFA ROMEO GIULIA Super
replica police car. S/N 337918. Green/red
vinyl. Odo: 8,115 km. Restored to correct police
specifications for the period. Very well
done and with all of the needed accessories.
Good paint, trim and graphics. Nice interior.
cleaned prior to sale. Chassis tag appears to be
a possible reproduction with obvious attempts
at removal. Cond: 3. SOLD AT $157,430.
This car was uninspiring both for what it is
and for its presentation... but the Ferrari segment
is hot right now. Well sold.
#33-1971 LAMBORGHINI MIURA
only. Cond: 2+. SOLD AT $44,980. The final
car of the sale. The SCM Platinum Auction
Database shows two other Multiplas selling
above $45k: at Gooding’s 2007 Pebble Beach
sale ($46,200, SCM# 46526) and at RM’s
2010 Monterey sale ($46,750, SCM# 165631).
The restoration costs were probably far
greater than the price paid here, so no harm
done. Well bought and sold.
#9-1957 LANCIA AURELIA B24S con-
vertible. S/N 1333. Grigio/black vinyl/red
leather. Odo: 17,083 miles. Worthy of showing
at just about any event. Very nice paint and
overall presentation. Spotless interior with
92
P400 SV coupe. S/N 4863. Purple/black
leather. RHD. Odo: 26,724 km. Stunningly
brilliant. Very good attention to detail virtually
everywhere. Perfect paint and trim bits. Spotless
and fresh interior. Show-detailed engine
and undercarriage. Needs nothing. Cond: 1-.
Very clean and incredibly accurate engine bay.
Cond: 1-. SOLD AT $37,483. This was a
clone, but bidders loved it, as the robust price
shows. A fair deal for buyer and seller.
#43-1966 LANCIA FLAMINIA Super
Sport 2.8 3C Zagato coupe. S/N 8262320-
SOLD AT $697,190. Factory SV car and
well-known history combined with a superlative
restoration, and the car sells not far short
Sports Car Market
Bonhams Paris, FRA
Bonhams — Les Grandes Marques du Monde
au Grand Palais
In the spectacular cast-iron birdcage of the Grand Palais, records duly fell
Company
Bonhams
Date
February 6, 2014
Location
Paris, FRA
Auctioneers
Malcolm Barber, James
Knight
Automotive lots sold/offered
105/149
Sales rate
70%
Sales total
$21,817,656
High sale
1968 Ferrari 275 GTB/4, sold
at $3,025,362
Buyer’s premium
The elegant Grand Palais is an impressive auction venue
Report and photos by Paul Hardiman
Market opinions in italics
auction venue, showcasing the cars bea
fully (even if it doesn’t hold the heat in v
well).
Bonhams learned from its previous v
its to fill out this vast greenhouse to prevent
P
aris in February is freezing,
but it’s spectacular, and the
elegant cast-iron birdcage of
the Grand Palais is a heck of an
Paris, FRA
it looking a bit windy around the edges. A massive 149-car entry helped with
that, requiring two auctioneers.
Against this spectacular setting, records duly fell. After the unprecedented
$335k for the Pope’s Harley (followed by the matching jacket to a
different bidder for $80k), there was a new high of over $3m for a recently
restored Ferrari 275 GTB/4, and $2.2m for a 1929 GP Bugatti. That car was
first owned as a Type 37 by “Bug Royalty” Jack Lemon Burton; now a 35B,
it went to a Far East bidder who traveled to Paris just to secure it.
Even further down, prices floated off into fairytale land to match the ethereal
building: $423k for a Porsche 911 Speedster with only 638 km on the clock,
three times its normal market price; $251k for a derelict 1925 10/40/65 HP Mercedes
2.6-liter tourer that was expected to do no better
than $60k; and $212k for a 1962 Facel Vega II
that had been rusting in U.S. storage for 40 years.
The top French car was the 1947 Delage D-6
3-liter believed to be raced in period by Maurice
Trintignant — and for nearly $1.5m, it’s staying
in Europe.
This was Rétromobile week, so there were al-
Sales Totals
$25m
ways going to be some weirdies too: a Greek-built
1967 Attica 200 microcar was the first Bonhams
had ever offered, fetching $19k.
Auctioneer James Knight
later said, “The
1968 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 coupe, sold at $3,025,362
96
Paris sale goes from strength to strength, and
this year’s total was our highest yet. 2014 looks
like being every bit as successful as our recordbreaking
2013 season and follows on from the
hugely successful Scottsdale, USA auction.” ♦
$20m
$15m
$10m
$5m
0
Sports Car Market
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
15%, included in sold prices
($1.00 = €0.73)
Page 96
Bonhams Paris, FRA
ENGLISH
#328-1925 ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM
1 York roadster. S/N 25HC.
Bronze/beige cloth/brown leather.
RHD. Odo: 6,778 miles. Straight and well
proportioned, with excellent paint, lovely
nickel plating to radiator shell, plus straight
Easiclean discs (a recurring theme in this
sale). Leather is lightly creased, motor very
clean and tidy and only slightly over-enthusiastically
polished. Missouri title. Cond: 2-.
BEST
BUY
carpets worn through, faded timber needs refinishing.
Cond: 3+. SOLD AT $235,255.
Only six are reckoned to have been built like
this, out of 70 Derby Bentleys bodied by James
Young. High price for a Derby, where the unusual
design might have hampered rather than
helped, so well sold.
SOLD AT $306,855. Originally intended to
be bodied by stuffy old Hooper, it got this more
attractive Brewster-style roadster body instead—but
not until the ’80s, having been left
as a rolling chassis following the original
owner’s death. Not sold at €160k ($220k) in
the room, but declared sold post-auction at
this higher price, so it seems like someone
came forward with new money. Well bought.
#441-1928 ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM
I shooting brake. S/N 84FH. Eng. # SK95.
Gray/brown leather. RHD. Odo: 74,563 miles.
Splendid old thing with timber all in pretty
good shape and maker’s plate still attached.
Water marks in radiator shell would probably
polish out. Nicely patinated leather on front
#393-1961 JAGUAR XKE convertible.
S/N 876188. Eng. # R26789. Red/black
cloth/black leather. Odo: 36,797 miles. Another
restored red E-type, really sharp with
attention to the details that are usually missed.
Spot welds in rear pan are as factory-level;
finishes perfect everywhere. Looks just put
cracked original leather, pickled chrome on
dinged rear bumper. New York plates. Cond:
3. SOLD AT $1,058,649. Sold for big money
and never mind the cosmetics, with left-hand
drive probably helping the price. At this price,
a full restoration isn’t viable, but it’ll probably
get it anyway.
back together, and even sits on the right, original-type
Dunlop SP tires. Bravo! Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $266,622. Correctly, it made strong
money, but I’d call it wisely bought. Improving
a poorly restored car would put you under for
more than this. It’s a flat-floor, too, which (although
it makes the car less practical) is what
collectors want.
bench, newer in rear, bottles still in place in
dash holder. Cond: 3. SOLD AT $180,021.
No-saled here two years ago at an undisclosed
high bid (SCM# 197322). Originally a sixlight
saloon by Knibbs, bodied like this during
WWII for RAF service duties, then resident at
Aintree race course; front bodywork subsequently
modified by Hooper. Sold a tad under
lower estimate.
#381-1937 BENTLEY 4¼ LITRE paral-
lel-door sedanca. S/N B28KT. Blue & black/
black leather. RHD. Odo: 49,519 miles. Unusual
parallel-door design actually works well,
and no drop in the hinges. Older paint, good
plating, unworn but lightly creased leather,
98
used and usable with slightly orange-peeled
paint and a touch of rust on the wheel spokes.
Leather is lightly creased but not worn. Pre-
#371-1962 ASTON MARTIN DB4
Series IV coupe. S/N DB4886L. Eng.
# 3700209GT. Green/green leather.
Odo: 49,171 miles. DB4 originally supplied
with GT engine and dash. Restored in 2005
about 1,000 miles ago. Good, clean and
straight with even panel gaps. Looks nicely
TOP 10
No. 7
Cond: 2+. SOLD AT $47,051. Offered at no
reserve and sold quite high, but the rather nice
buyer’s story explains it. Bought by a French
dealer of modern Discos and Rangies to use
as a courtesy vehicle. He reckons it’ll give his
customers an insight into the Land Rover legend,
“and it’s half the price of an Evoque.”
#380-1986 FORD RS200 S coupe. S/N
SFACXXBJ2CGL000137. White/gray & red
velour. Odo: 3,890 km. Good, unscuffed and
Sports Car Market
#346-1968 LAND ROVER SERIES IIA
88-inch utility. S/N 32300558D. Green/green
vinyl. Odo: 18,661 km. Excellently restored
and very straight top and bottom. Desirable
options include freewheel front hubs, safari
top and a “fug stirrer” (circular in-cab Clayton
heater). Extra lights are vulnerable up front.
sented bumperless and now on 16-inch Borranis
with Dunlop racers. Cond: 3+. SOLD AT
$1,615,421. Said to be one of only three built
like this, plus two right-handers, resulting in a
long, drawn-out sale that ended some ways
north of estimate. Practically as good as a
DB4GT, but for around half the money and
with the nicer open-headlight front end; I
thought this was a canny buy—even at this
inflated price.
#340-1965 ASTON MARTIN DB5
coupe. S/N DB52043L. Silver/red leather.
Odo: 78,204 miles. Okay at 10 paces but
rather disappointing close up, with tired paint
cracked around the tailfins and slightly drooping
doors. Some surface rust on floors, but
structurally looks okay. Distressed and
Page 97
Bonhams Paris, FRA
unworn. Couple of small cracks in left C-pillar.
Sits on new wheels, and seats are replacement
orange Recaros (the originals would
have been gray velour buckets). Luxembourg
engine from a Type 43; now running a modern
copy, as so many of them are. Well presented
in a curiously modern shade of its original
silver and with T35-type alloy wheels rather
than original wires. Very usable on road and
track—and has been, with FIA papers and lots
of VSCC scrutineering stickers on the inner
registration. Cond: 2. SOLD AT $188,204.
Originally supplied to Germany, although not
until 1990 (Ford couldn’t get rid of them), then
sold to Luxembourg two weeks later and still
with the same owner. Sold right for a noncompetition
collector’s piece. Right now the
market doesn’t appear to differentiate between
a stock 250-hp car and the Evo cars with 100
hp more and cockpit-adjustable torque split
like this one.
FRENCH
#321-1926 DELAGE D-1 14-hp cabrio-
let. S/N D118266. Eng. # 5240. Yellow &
black/ black leather/black leather. RHD. Odo:
94,045 miles. Paint flaking off straight (English)
body but lovely, with charming doubleopening
windscreen and straight Easiclean
discs. All functional, though, with newer
leather and tidy motor. Interior mahogany cappings
are slightly faded, and leather top a bit
tired, but both are perfectly in keeping with
body side. Cond: 3+. SOLD AT $2,195,718.
Originally owned by Bugatti Owners’ Club
founder Jack Lemon Burton, and with multifaceted,
fully documented history since. Offered
by the Estes family but not sold in 1998
at $425k at The Auction Las Vegas (SCM#
13933), although changed hands afterwards.
So many Bugs are bitsas that there’s no stigma
attached in replacement parts, but had it been
an original matching-numbers car, we might
have seen twice this money. It was let go well
under lower estimate, and probably fairly.
#379-1930 VOISIN C23 four-light sedan.
S/N 47001. Maroon & black/patterned velour.
RHD. Odo: 1 miles. As the sale room notice
had it, “Although of characteristically generous
fenestration, this is not actually a Lumineuse
as described.” Jolly nice, though, in good
restored order, with excellent lights and deadstraight
Easiclean discs. Excellent interior
(copied from the original) is a rather more
the rest of the car. One to wipe over with an
oily rag and use, rain or shine, preferably
while wearing a long, battered leather coat to
match. Cond: 3-. SOLD AT $55,506. U.K.supplied
car, then Guernsey, and then Belgium
from 2010. VSCC badges plus flashing indicators
(and that extensive patina) suggest it’s
been a regular driver. Sold at lower estimate,
and a good deal for someone who wants a
charming driver.
TOP 10
No. 5
#385-1929 BUGATTI TYPE 35B
roadster. S/N 37371. Eng. # 43239112.
Silver/ black leather. RHD. Was
originally a Type 37 (4-cylinder, 1,500-cc engine,
narrow radiator), but made into a 35B in
period with larger supercharged straight-8
May 2014
somber houndstooth affair, rather than the
usual Voisin schizoid Art Deco wackiness.
Cond: 2. SOLD AT $392,092. Was in England
at some stage and may have been owned by
Prince Bira of Siam. Well bought and sold, a
little ways under estimate.
TOP 10
No. 8
#362-1947 DELAGE D-6 3-liter
Grand Prix roadster. S/N 880003.
Blue/blue leather. RHD. Rebuilt old
racer, one of five D-6 70s built post-war and
campaigned as a “factory” car driven by
French heroes Étancelin, Trintignant and
99
Page 98
Bonhams Paris, FRA
Charles Pozzi. Has been in various forms, although
allegedly still with the original body,
now with shiny paint chipped at edges; very
patinated paint-chipped dash looks older, seat
leather newer. Cotal electric shift and no
only three built in ’66. Straight and restored/
repainted (Italy, 2005–06) green-fluid car with
new leather. All original finishes under hood,
with new or repro factory stickers. Four-speed
semi-auto (no clutch, but you have to shift the
lever yourself). Italian registration. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $423,459. There were a bunch of
DSs offered at this sale, and this was the most
interesting and the most expensive. Sold
slightly high, at twice what a normal Chapron
convertible would fetch.
GERMAN
#395-1925 MERCEDES-BENZ 10/40/65
odometer. Cond: 3. SOLD AT $1,489,951.
Although the original seven D-6 3-liters
achieved far more pre-war, and this car’s actual
race history appeared a little indistinct,
this was the local star entry, warranting 14
pages in the catalog. It hammered at €150k
($205k) under the lower estimate, near where
the reserve usually lurks. I should think all
parties were quietly relieved.
#327-1962 FACEL VEGA FVII coupe.
S/N HK2A154. Eng. # TY8712175. Metallic
blue/gray leather. Odo: 31,152 miles. Massively
deteriorated thanks to 40 years of barn
storage in the U.S., and still on Minnesota
plates. Holes in rockers, although everything’s
there, including most of interior. Wearing a
“do not clean car” sign, just in case anyone
HP 2.6-liter tourer. S/N 27522. Eng. # 55983.
Multi-colored primer. RHD. Most of it still
present. Interior and most of instruments are
missing. All original matching-number major
components still fitted and look serviceable or
effectively the 540Ks of their day, hand-made
in tiny numbers (203) and with effectively a
Gullwing dry-sump engine. This was right on
the money.
#374-1958 MERCEDES-BENZ 300SL
Roadster. S/N 1980428500075. Red/red hard
top/beige leather. Odo: 47,132 km. Repainted
in original color, with ripply rechromed bumpers
and cracked original leather. Lightly
overpolished inlet tracts. Factory hard top.
Aging gracefully, rather than straight out of a
modern ruthless face-peel. Cond: 3+. SOLD
AT $972,389. Delivered new to Switzerland.
Last owner (from 1972) had it restored immediately
upon taking delivery. Sold here fairly
for its condition in the current market, but
won’t appeal to those who want better-thannew
perfection. I liked it...
restorable, including small front-mounted supercharger.
Cond: 4. SOLD AT $250,939.
Delivered new to Portugal, then sold to the fire
brigade, which modified the bodywork. Pored
over protectively all day by a British enthusiast
collector of such things, and sold three
times over estimate.
#324-1954 MERCEDES-BENZ 300S
missed the point. Cond: 4. SOLD AT
$211,729. Originally supplied by Hoffmann of
New York. Brought to the sale from the U.S. by
St. Louis dealer Mark Hyman and, although
most commentators felt the price was high,
look at the $550k the pristine ex-Ringo Starr
example achieved in London in December
(SCM# 231861). As auctioneer Jamie Knight
said, “It’s a rust-free car. The rust is free.”
#392-1966 CITROËN DS21 Le Caddy
convertible. S/N 4350010. Maroon/tan
leather. Odo: 13,053 km. Said to be one of
only 34 Le Caddys built 1959–68 and one of
Cabriolet A. S/N 1880104500024. Eng. #
1869205500578. Brown/beige cloth/brown
leather. Odo: 51,430 km. Straight, shiny, repainted—and
all that hand-made brass side
trim lines up, which isn’t always the case. Radiator
shell shows some polish marks and one
tiny ding in top. Leather is lightly creased and
could be original. New beige cloth top and
Cond: 3. SOLD AT $34,504. Sold at lower
estimate and fair for a work in progress that
can be enjoyed in the meantime. These are so
rare, and this one is so fundamentally solid,
that it was probably worth taking on to do
properly—see the prices that the ASA coupes
of similar looks and appeal made at Artcurial’s
Paris sale this time last year ($71k–
$300k, SCM#s 225867, 225866, 225869,
225868).
chrome irons in good shape. Servo brakes retrofitted
by the factory at end of 1954. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $407,776. Originally supplied to
the Haribo company. Recently offered but not
sold at $353k at Bonhams’ October 2013 sale
in Knokke-Heist, Belgium (SCM# 228325).
You have to remember how special these are:
100
#339-1989 PORSCHE 911 Speedster.
S/N WP0ZZZ91ZKS152438. Silver/magnolia
leather. Odo: 638 km. Rare (171-off out of
2,065 911 Speedsters) narrow-body version of
1989-only model. Very low mileage and almost
like new. No scuffs in body; leather is
pristine. With handbooks, toolkit and Swedish
Sports Car Market
#448-1968 BMW 1600 GT coupe. S/N
W331667. Eng. # W001667. Silver/black
vinyl. Odo: 33,451 km. Rebadged Glas GT;
BMW acquired the company in 1966 and reengined
the pretty coupe with its own SOHC
inline 4 and semi-trailing arm rear end. Partrestored
2006–13: basically good body with a
couple of bubbles in paint; repairs to rockers
are wavy, as is front chrome trim. Inside, vinyl
is all good, but it smells strongly of solvent.
Page 100
Bonhams Paris, FRA
leather, Nardi wheel. Nice new Borranis and
sits right on tall Michelins. Cond: 2. SOLD
AT $196,046. Delivered new in France, originally
black, painted twice since. I’d say the
right money for a really proper 1900 SS—and
way cheaper than the 1953 that Bonhams sold
at Beaulieu late last year for an unexpectedly
high $247k (SCM# 227911).
#397-1963 FIAT 1100 T3 tow truck. S/N
registration. Cond: 1-. SOLD AT $423,459.
This one just kept going, right up to normal
market price—and then some, to arrive at
twice what even Bonhams expected. Astonishing
price that is hard to make any sense of no
matter how you try to explain it. So we won’t
even try.
GREEK
#331-1967 ATTICA 200 voiturette. S/N
33179. White & turquoise/white & turquoise
leather. Odo: 8,551 km. Rare Greek-built (under
license) Fuldamobil with weird sequential
gearshift. As auctioneer Jamie Knight said, in
30 years in the business he’d never encountered
one before. In good restored order with
fresh paint and leather. One knob broken off
050946. White & orange/brown vinyl. A repainted
solid original truck, rather than fully
restored. Still with functional winch and even
carrying a spare pair of wheels with snow
chains already mounted. Cond: 3. SOLD AT
$17,565. Originally run by a Fiat dealer in
454. Eng. # AR0052618015. White/red vinyl.
Odo: 5,787 km. Restored in 2003, driven
8,000 miles since, still straight and sharp, and
rot-free. Somehow, Appliance White doesn’t
seem to damage the appeal of these. Good
documentation. Cond: 2. SOLD AT $29,799.
Sold mid-estimate. This was at the far end of
the hall, so Publisher Martin must have
missed it; otherwise it would surely be on its
way to Portland right now.
#342-1966 MASERATI MISTRAL 4000
coupe. S/N AM109A11260. Ruby metallic/
beige leather. Odo: 46,272 km. Restored in
France 2010–12. New paint still superb, although
leather now lightly creased. Sits well
on spoked Borranis; Lucas fuel injection has
been replaced by a trio of Webers. Cond: 2+.
SOLD AT $148,995. Sold pre-restoration in
2009 for $54k at Bonhams’ Reims auction
Perugia. Just scraped over bottom estimate
for what seems a fair price. Interesting to
compare this with the film-prop Renault van
used by Ferrari in 2013’s “Rush” that didn’t
sell at Silverstone’s CarFest South sale last
year (SCM# 228534).
#394-1965 FERRARI 330 GT 2+2 Series
I coupe. S/N 7059. Eng. # 7059. Silver/dark
blue leather. Odo: 31,625 miles. Matchingnumbers
interim car (hanging pedal, 5-speed).
Good repaint in 2000. Newish black leather.
dashboard probably won’t make any difference
to its performance. Still with original
Heinkel 4-stroke single. Greek registration.
Cond: 2-. SOLD AT $18,820. Offered at no
reserve, and find another. Bargain price some
ways south of the estimate. Worth it just for
the hilarity that will ensue. Only slightly bigger
than a Peel P50—you could almost take it
as hand luggage.
ITALIAN
#389-1956 ALFA ROMEO 1900 Super
Sprint coupe. S/N AR1900C10078. Maroon/
tan leather. Odo: 6,917 km. Said to be one of
600 built. Good appearance following very
recent restoration with good brightwork, some
dust and swirl marks in paint, lightly creased
Better than it looks. Cond: 3+. SOLD AT
$219,571. Originally supplied to the U.S.,
restored in Italy. Sold lower than expected, but
I’d call this the right money.
#438-1966 ALFA ROMEO GIULIA Super
Bollo d’Oro sedan. S/N 10526AR330-
finishes. With tools—and Ferrari Classiche
papers, of course. Cond: 1-. SOLD AT
$3,025,362. First supplied to Italy, then to the
U.S. in 1979, and Germany in 1990, when it
was painted red. Much-publicized new world
record for the model, pretty much as predicted.
#337-1972 DETOMASO PANTERA
Group 3 racer. S/N 1070. Silver & black/
black velour. Odo: 72,517 km. Prototype
102
Sports Car Market
(SCM# 142897). These have risen gently in
the past five years, but even with the 4000 being
the most expensive, still look like a great
value at a quarter of the price of the DB5, of
similar configuration and numbers. Probably
would have got a bit more if it still had fuel
injection (it can be made to work) but probably
also left the seller underwater, so in every
respect, well bought.
#367-1968 FERRARI 275 GTB/4
coupe. S/N 10905. Eng. # 10905.
Blue/tan leather. Odo: 46,681 km.
Matching-numbers car in perfect condition,
following massive $300k Bob Houghton restoration
(although rev counter is stuck at 500
rpm). New interior, leak-free motor in factory
TOP 10
No. 3
Page 101
Glovebox Notes
2014 Jeep Compass Latitude 4x4 SUV
A brief look at cars of interest that have passed through the SCM
garage. HHHHH is best.
Price as tested: $27,505
Equipment: 2.4-liter DOHC
I4, CVT with off-road
crawl ratio, Security
and Cargo Convenience
Group, Freedom Drive
II Off-Road Group,
ParkView backup camera
EPA mileage: 20/23
Likes: Feels light, nimble
and competent for an
SUV. I like small cars, so I guess it makes sense that I like small
SUVs. Decent mileage for its size. Audio controls on back of
steering wheel are great.
Dislikes: Cheap plastic everywhere, lackluster performance and
handling. Styling seems about a decade old. Touch-screen display
feels like a cheap tablet stuck on the dashboard. Some information
not visible at crucial times, such as which radio station
you’re on while you’re searching for a station. Heated seats don’t
get hot enough.
Fun to drive: HH
Fun to look at: HH
Overall experience: HHH
Verdict: If the idea of a basic little SUV appeals to you, then the
Jeep Compass is worth a look. If you’re offended by cheap finishes
and wheezy powertrains, you should probably stay away. I
wouldn’t call this a car for an automotive enthusiast, but it’s an
honest enough commuter at a reasonable price. — Tony Piff
2014 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport 4x4 SUV
Price as tested: $36,050
Equipment: 3.6-liter V6,
24-valve VVT engine,
5-speed automatic, Sport
S Package, Connectivity
Group, 32-inch tires,
slush mats, Freedom Top,
side steps, Uconnect CD/
DVD/MP3, Alpine Premium
Audio
EPA mileage: 16/20
Likes: Goes anywhere, no pavement needed. Rugged, off-road
ability is balanced with high-quality interior touches. Roomy,
boxy and airy inside. Lift-off roof and doors complement iconic
Jeep styling.
Dislikes: Substantial road noise and truck-like handling, not that
you should be surprised. Disappointing sound from the “Premium”
audio system: tinny highs, warbly lows. Seems kind of
expensive, considering that you don’t get heated seats or a backup
camera.
Fun to drive: HHHHH
Fun to look at: HHHHH
Overall experience: HHHHH
Verdict: This is the vehicle that convinced me I need 4wd in my
life. As the editorial staff was putting the final touches on the
post-Arizona issues of SCM and ACC, the worst winter storm
front in years descended on Portland. From the office, I watched
commuters flee at noon. By rush hour, the city was empty. But
magazine production rolled on without a hitch, and I never
stressed about making it home, making it to the grocery store or
picking up the kids. The next morning, the roads were empty and
icy, and I enjoyed crunching my way back into town. Do I need
32-inch wheels and 4x4 capability for three days of mild snow
every three years? Maybe I do... — Tony Piff
May 2014
103
McCormick’s Palm Springs, CA
McCormick’s 56th Palm Springs
Collector Car Auction
McCormick and company sold a commendable 73% of the cars that crossed
the block, and the $7,471,316 sales total was a house record
Company
McCormick’s Palm Springs
Collector Car Auctions
Date
February 21–23, 2014
Location
Palm Springs, CA
Auctioneers
Frank Bizarro, Jeff Stokes,
Rob Ross
Automotive lots sold/offered
409/561
Sales rate
73%
Sales total
$7,471,316
High sale
ick’s Palm Springs, CA
McCormick’s 56th Palm Springs
Collector Car Auction
McCormick and company sold a commendable 73% of the cars that crossed
the block, and the $7,471,316 sales total was a house record
Company
McCormick’s Palm Springs
Collector Car Auctions
Date
February 21–23, 2014
Location
Palm Springs, CA
Auctioneers
Frank Bizarro, Jeff Stokes,
Rob Ross
Automotive lots sold/offered
409/561
Sales rate
73%
Sales total
$7,471,316
High sale
Report
Report and photos by Carl Bomstead
Market opinions in italics
T
The McCormick family continued their
tradition of low-key, entertaining auctions
in late February. Their long-term
relationship with The Spa Resort Casino
in downtown Palm Springs makes for a consistent
and predictable venue that continues to move
ever forward.
The February event, which sold out well in
advance, presented a wide selection. The offerings
ranged from high-end European classics to a pocketchange
1991 Mercury Capri that sold for $1,500. Keith
McCormick and company sold a commendable 73% of
the cars that crossed the block, and the $7,471,316 sales
total was a house record.
The McCormick’s auction always seems to find some
rather quirky offerings, and this sale was no exception.
Perhaps the most unusual car offered was a 1993 Vector
W8 coupe. Vector Automotive built these cars using
what they termed “Aeromotive Engineering,” which utilized
modern airplane technology in the manufacturing
process. During the firm’s short existence, it produced
a total of 18 W8s, which had a list price of $448k. The
SCM Platinum Auction Database shows that another
W8 no-saled at Russo and Steele’s 2009 Scottsdale auction
against a high bid of $425k. While I questioned the
widespread rumor of one selling for $1.4m, the car on
106
1960 Chrysler 300F, sold at
$105,000
Buyer’s premium
5%, included in sold prices
Palm Springs, CA
offer here was bid to $925k, and I confirmed that it was real money. The seller must
have been looking for the bigger number, but I have to think that he may look back
and regret the decision.
The top seller at the auction was also my favorite car. The stunning 1960
Chrysler 300F had been offered recently at the November 2013 McCormick’s
sale and failed to meet the seller’s expectations there when bidding stopped
at $78k. The seller wisely tried again, and the $105k paid here was more
in line with the current market. It was a rare car (964 produced) with
all the goodies, power swivel buckets and the very desirable crossram
dual carburetion. To my eye, a fair transaction all around.
A striking 1968
Jaguar
Series 1½ XKE sold for a reasonable $71k, while
the later 1974 Series III with V12 realized $61k.
Looking into my SCM crystal ball, I predict that
both transactions will prove wise investments
while offering all kinds of top-down fun.
Auction buyers and sellers appreciate
McCormick’s no-nonsense style, and demand
for lot numbers continues to increase. They are
negotiating with their host for additional parking
space. If successful, they will expand the
auction to 600 cars for their November 21–23,
2014 event. For car collectors living in the colder
climes, what’s better than escaping to Palm
Springs for three days of sunshine and interesting
cars? ♦
$6m
$7m
$5m
$4m
$3m
$2m
$1m
0
Sales Totals
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
Sports Car Market
Page 106
McCormick’s Palm Springs, CA
ENGLISH
#152-1949 MG TC roadster. S/N TC8136.
Red/tan leather. RHD. Odo: 821 km. First
introduced in late 1945 and very popular with
returning GIs as Detroit offered nothing similar.
All were right-hand drive and did not have
radio or heater. About 10,000 produced. This
example finished in traditional red with tan
with expected wear and tear. Silver painted
wires and blackwalls complete the look. Older
respray has a few minor issues. One of only
3,400 produced. Cond: 2. SOLD AT $29,400.
This was a very presentable car that sold under
the money. Another $5k or more would not
have been unrealistic, so hats off to the buyer.
#46-1960 AUSTIN-HEALEY 3000 Mk I
BT7 roadster. S/N HBT7L9524. Tan/tan
fabric/tan leather. Odo: 65,656 miles. First
introduced in the Spring of 1959 with “Big
Healey” motor. Equipped with front disc
brakes. Offered as a BJ7 Mk I, but they were
not introduced until 1962 as a Mark II. Has
Royce convertible that appears to have been
properly maintained, although no service records
presented. Equipped with a/c, power
windows and door locks, cruise control. Paint
very attractive with no issues noted, and the
leather interior is luxurious. Cond: 2+. SOLD
AT $40,425. The Corniche was introduced in
1971 and by the late ’80s was priced at over
$150k. At this price, we are talking stylin’ for
not a lot of money. Rolls-Royce luxury at the
price of a Chevy. All well and good, until the
complete service comes due—then it won’t feel
like such a bargain. Until then, enjoy.
GERMAN
#182-1967 VOLKSWAGEN TRANS-
leather seating (torn). Door fit off a bit, but
that’s rather normal. Grille slightly dented.
Cute as heck. Cond: 2. NOT SOLD AT
$31,000. Price bid was light by about $7,500,
so I can’t fault the seller for taking it back
home. These have a following, and I doubt the
seller will have a problem getting his money.
#253-1954 NASH METROPOLITAN
coupe. S/N E8934. Canyon Red/Mist Gray/
leather/Bedford cord. Odo: 71,034 miles.
Made by the Austin Motors company and
powered by the Austin A40 motor. Also sold
as a Hudson when Nash and Hudson merged
in 1954. A nicely restored hard top with lug-
PORTER 11-window minibus. S/N 227105181.
Blue & white/blue vinyl. Odo: 62,580
miles. An older restoration that is still very
presentable. Equipped with a roof rack and
modern radio. Interior in good order with seating
showing minimal wear. Two-tone paint
HBT7 3000 Mk I VIN. Body straight with no
issues noted. Tan livery does not exactly pop
but very presentable. Interior in good order.
Cond: 2-. SOLD AT $32,025. Price paid was
about right for a middle-of-the-road car, and
this was a touch better than that. The identity
question may have bothered the buyers, but it
will all get settled.
#445-1974 JAGUAR XKE Series III V12
convertible. S/N UE1524426. Blue/cream
leather. Odo: 33,558 miles. Recent restoration
with quality respray. No flaws noted in finish.
Brightwork to good standard. Automatic transmission.
Cream leather seating with blue piping.
Modern radio. Large rubber bumpers.
very attractive. Not nearly as desirable as the
19- and 21- window versions. Cond: 2-. NOT
SOLD AT $28,000. This was a long way from
the six-figure buses that make the big headlines.
Lot 181, the ’58 microbus, was bid to
$99k and also failed to sell, so this was not the
day for VW buses. The sun, moon and stars
have to align just right to hit the big money.
gage rack from a 1954 MG. Canyon Red paint
in good order. Nice interior. Priced at $1,445
when new. Cond: 2+. SOLD AT $13,650. As
the micro market appreciates, these have been
following along. This was a well-presented
example and sold for a market-correct price.
Fair all around here.
#172-1955 MG TF 1500 roadster. S/N
HOC468152. Red/black fabric/red leather.
Odo: 65,660 miles. The TF was only produced
1953–55. Considered by some to be the most
desirable T-series MG. Equipped with 4-wheel
disc brakes. Original seats and door panels
AMERICAN
#325-1938 AMERICAN BANTAM
Cond: 2+. SOLD AT $60,900. A well-presented
Series III that not all appreciate, due to
the bumpers. The price paid here was in the
ballpark but does not come close to what a
comparable Series I would bring. A lot of topdown
fun for a fair price.
#395-1985 ROLLS-ROYCE CORNICHE
convertible. S/N SCAZND42A2FCX09522.
Silver/light blue cloth/blue leather.
Odo: 46,207 miles. A very elegant Rolls-
pickup. S/N 60983. Red/black vinyl. Odo:
42,484 miles. Made under license from Austin.
Produced from 1930 until 1934 and then
brought back in 1937. Designed by Alexis de
Sakhnoffsky with bodies built by Hayes. This
example restored by past president of Pacific
Bantam Austin Club. Recent respray to high
standard with properly fitted interior. Cute as
heck (but terribly underpowered). Cond: 2+.
108
Sports Car Market
Page 108
Fresh Meat
by Chad Tyson McCormick’s Palm Springs, CA
Online sales of contemporary cars
2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
Roadster
SOLD AT $33,600. Boy, this was a surprise.
Full-size pickup money for one that was onethird
the size. Well restored, but seems like all
the money from here.
#204-1940 PACKARD 120 Model 1801
sedan. S/N C301202. Wild Berry/gray fabric.
Odo: 17,694 miles. Documented restoration
costs of over $51k. Low miles thought to be
original. Equipped with fog lights and bumper
guards. Very nice gray wool interior. Missing
Date sold: 02/27/2014
eBay auction ID: 191077063778
Seller’s eBay ID: bocamotors
Sale type: Used car with 961 miles
VIN: WDDRK7HA5CA006937
Details: Le Mans Red over Porcelain Designo White
leather; 6.3-liter V8 rated at 591 hp, 7-sp auto-shift
manual, RWD
Sale result: $189,000, 9 bids, sf 93
MSRP: $228,000 (as equipped)
Other current offering: Mercedes-Benz of Long
Beach in Costa Mesa, CA, asking $219,893 for a
9-mile silver over black/red leather SLS AMG.
2013 Ferrari 458 Spyder
Odo: 26,262 miles. 239-ci V8, 2-bbl, 3-sp. A
striking restoration with interesting tack shop
graphics. Equipped with flathead V8; engine
bay clean and tidy. Body straight and solid;
minor issue with right door fit. Interior in good
order but not equipped with radio. Door
rubber loose on driver’s side. Attractive panel
truck. Cond: 2+. SOLD AT $25,200. With the
current interest in trucks, this was well bought.
The graphics were cool, and if you were into
horses and all, this was the ticket. Could have
sold for a bit more without issue.
#179-1950 CADILLAC SERIES 62 2-dr
sedan. S/N 506294194. Dark blue/tan & blue
fabric. Odo: 51,053 miles. 331-ci V8, 2-bbl,
auto. A recent respray on a car that has a neglected
look. Trim pitted and windshield wipers
missing. Vent wing windows delaminating,
vent window crank missing. Steering wheel
cracked. Hood ornament altered and hood trim
rear window knob. Body straight and solid
with quality respray. A Junior model 120, so
not a CCCA Full Classic. Cond: 2. SOLD AT
$40,425. The Packard 120 has been coming
into its own of late, so price paid is not out of
line. To my eye, for a few dollars more, a 160
Full Classic is money better spent, but to each
his own.
#161-1941 CADILLAC SERIES 60 SPE-
Date sold: 03/02/2014
eBay auction ID: 281271734981
Seller’s eBay ID: globalimportcars
Sale type: Used car with 3,993 miles
VIN: ZFF68NHAXD0189373
Details: Nero over Nero leather; 4.5-liter V8 rated at
570 hp, 7-sp auto-shift manual, RWD
Sale result: $359,599, 1 bid, sf 107
MSRP: $313,648 (as equipped)
Other current offering: Ferrari Maserati Silicon
Valley in Redwood City, CA, offering a Canna Di
Fucile over Cioccolato leather 458 Spider with
1,980 miles for $379,999.
2013 Jaguar XKR convertible
Date sold: 02/28/2014
eBay auction ID: 310881884906
Seller’s eBay ID: lasvegasmotorcars
Sale type: Used car with 14,627 miles
VIN: SAJWA4EC5DMB49816
Details: Indigo blue metallic over Navy leather;
5.0-liter supercharged V8 rated at 510 hp; 6-sp auto,
RWD
Sale result: $72,998, Buy It Now, sf 560
MSRP: $103,500 (base)
Other current offering: Desert European Motorsports
in Rancho Mirage, CA, asking $74,991 for a 2013
Polaris White over ivory/charcoal leather example
with 7,487 miles. ♦
110
well-known punk-rock group Green Day. Is a
CCCA Full Classic. Cond: 2-. SOLD AT
$20,738. It would not take much to bring this
up a bit, and it would be money well spent. A
wonderful tour car with room for the whole
family. Looks like the celebrity connection did
not have an effect here. Well bought.
#218-1949 FORD F-1 panel truck. S/N
98RC367305CH. Black/black leatherette.
tive example has very nice paint. Interior with
Frontier Homespun fabric with grained vinyl.
Brightwork in good order, engine bay clean
and tidy. Attractive package. Cond: 2+. NOT
SOLD AT $28,000. The price bid may have
been market-correct, but the seller had other
ideas—and based on the strong condition of
his car, he just may be right.
#205-1960 CHRYSLER 300F 2-dr hard
top. S/N 8403146818. Maroon/tan leather.
Odo: 37,277 miles. 413-ci V8, 2x4-bbl, auto.
The sixth edition of the Chrysler letter car.
Equipped with dual-carburetion Ram Induc-
Sports Car Market
CIAL sedan. S/N 8350999. Rose/tan fabric.
Odo: 87,562 miles. 346-ci V8, 2-bbl, auto.
Wears an AACA senior badge from 1987, but
car is now far from show glory. Interior is
worn, tires are yellowing with age. Grille now
a bit tarnished. Painted an unusual shade of
Rose. Offered by Billie Joe Armstrong from
missing. Body appears reasonably solid with
no rust noted. Just a used Cadillac. Cond: 3+.
NOT SOLD AT $10,000. Considering the
long list of needs here, the price bid should
have gotten the job done. Seller can go spend
$15k to spruce up his car and not get his
money back or take the hit and move on. Made
the wrong choice.
#265-1958 DESOTO FIREDOME
Sportsman 2-dr hard top. S/N LS28886.
Red/white/silver vinyl. Odo: 67,375 miles.
361-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. The two-door Firedome
Sportsman had a list price of $3,178,
and only 4,325 were produced. By 1962,
DeSoto was a historical footnote. This attrac
Silverstone Warwickshire, U.K.
Silverstone — Race Retro
A near-perfect Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante made a strong $280k, and
a 2000 Ford Mondeo British Touring Car set a world auction record at $173k
Company
Silverstone
Date
February 22–23, 2014
Location
Warwickshire, U.K.
Auctioneer
Jonathan Humbert
Automotive lots sold/offered
66/105
Sales rate
63%
Sales total
$2,975,356
High sale
1987 Aston Martin V8
Vantage Volante, sold at
$280,034
Buyer’s premium
1987 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante X-Pack convertible, sold at $280,034
Report and photos by Paul Hardiman
Market opinions in italics
I
t’s that time of year again when the incumbent
auctioneer discovers that competition
cars are a hard sell in public — even when
held in conjunction with the U.K.’s best
(and only) historic-racing show, Race Retro. It’s
held in what’s effectively a huge cattle market, the
National Agricultural Centre in Warwickshire, but
that makes room for a live rally stage outside, and this
year the start of the Winter Challenge rally to Monte
Carlo. Both H&H and Bonhams have dipped a toe in
the water here, found it too tepid and moved on, and
for the past two years it’s been relative newcomer
Silverstone’s turn at bat.
There was nothing wrong with the stock — including a fleet of hot Escorts,
both road- and rally-configured — but most of the interesting iron didn’t sell,
including the best, most expensively created Mk2 Escort rally car in the world.
In Stobart livery and having been driven by three McRaes, it would have been
a bargain at its estimated $108k–$140k, the lower figure being less than half
its build cost. But there were no takers, and neither were there for a gaggle
of usable and very much cheaper Mk1 rally cars.
One competition car that did do well was the Ford Mondeo from
Warwickshire, U.K.
the 2000 British Touring Car season. It set a new world auction record
at $173k. Raced in period by Rickard Rydell, it’s one of three
survivors from four of these Prodrive-built Super Tourers, which are
effectively silhouette racers with little more than the original car’s
body shell being used. It came
with a vast spares package, so there
should be no huge costs for the time being, unless
the new owner bends it badly.
Road cars fared generally better. The high
points were a near-perfect Aston Martin V8
Vantage Volante with desirable X-pack making
a strong $280k, and the restored 1959 Jaguar XK
150 drophead formerly owned by Dr. Stephen
Ward, at the center of the 1963 Profumo scandal,
which leapt away for a twice-the-expected
$207k.
A few post-auction deals raised the sell-
2000 Ford Mondeo Super Tourer racer, sold at $172,624
112
through rate to a respectable number — but it
must be immensely frustrating to stand on the
rostrum and watch punters pass on desirable
machines. ♦
Sales Totals
$3m
$2.5m
$2m
$1.5m
$1m
0
Sports Car Market
2014
2013
2012
12.5%, included in sold prices
($1.00 = £0.60)
Page 112
Silverstone Warwickshire, U.K.
ENGLISH
#621-1959 JAGUAR XK 150 3.4 drophead
coupe. S/N S8272299DN. White/red
leather. RHD. Odo: 9,672 miles. Restored and
then dry-stored. Good all round, with door fit
better than average for an XK. Leather lightly
2000. Superb value for a car with which you
can go right out and run Spa again, at a fraction
of its build/replacement costs.
#342-1964 LOTUS CORTINA 2-dr se-
dan. S/N 424391. Eng. # 424391. White/black
leather. RHD. Odo: 75,822 miles. Super condition,
beautifully presented and rare in that it
retains its A-frame rear suspension; most racers
went to less troublesome leaf springs. “All
the right bits,” including Nick Stagg engine.
with some cracks in paint. Roxwell Racing
engine, Perspex windows, presented full of
spare wheels with a window-full of scrutineering
stickers. Wrong chassis number quoted in
catalog; should start BA74. FIA HTP papers.
Not as sharp as the other LoCort offered here,
creased. Rear light plinths rechromed, not repops.
Recorded mileage is since resto. Cond:
3+. SOLD AT $207,149. One of the star lots
of the sale. This sold for twice the expected
money, at the price of a top 3.8 S... which it
wasn’t.
#636-1960 AUSTIN MINI Se7en 2-dr
sedan. S/N AA2S726756. Gray/red & gray
vinyl. RHD. Odo: 97,376 miles. Early 1960
car (shell still has 1959 windshield-surround),
nicely restored with solid floors, decent sub-
Has run in U2TC and last ran at the 2012 Silverstone
Classic. Cond: 3+. SOLD AT
$88,397. Originally supplied to the Duke of
Bedford, made into a racer in 2008. More historically
interesting and sharper than the
other Lotus Cortina here (Lot 333, $75k), and
sold for commensurately more.
#301-1965 AUSTIN GIPSY utility. S/N
16125. Eng. # 3393. Green/buff canvas/green
vinyl. RHD. Odo: 2,132 miles. Gipsy is a
lower-volume Landie rival and civilian Champ
successor, with Flexitor rubber/trailing link
suspension (and Hooke’s joints in the front
driveshafts, with hilarious results on full lock).
This one’s in nice order, still with original
“Property of the Home Office” signwriting
and complete with fire pump trailer. New can-
frames and a repro interior. Rockers have no
drain holes, which I think is correct for year.
Cond: 3+. SOLD AT $20,715. Finally, a more
realistic price for an early Mini. A year makes
such a difference.
#631-1962 TRIUMPH TR4 racer. S/N
N/A. Red/red fiberglass hard top/racing seat.
RHD. Odo: 46,828 miles. Very typical HSCC/
Equipe GTS racer. Straight body, stripped interior,
hard top, recent $25k engine, dog box,
four spare wheels, recent seat and belts. Spa
vas tilt top fitted, but that’s all it needed. Very
low mileage and lovely. Cond: 3+. SOLD AT
$14,385. Supplied to the Home Office, then
stored and maintained with the Civil Defence
for 30 years before being disposed of via Duncan
Hamilton and kept as a fire unit in the
U.S. but never used; repatriated in 2012. Offered
at no reserve and sold fairly, but just
think what a comparable time-warp S1 Landie
would have made in this unmolested low-mileage
condition.
#333-1966 LOTUS CORTINA 2-dr se-
Six Hours stickers. With FIA HTP papers.
Cond: 3+. SOLD AT $36,443. Spent first three
years in Cyprus, made into a racer around
114
dan. S/N BA74EG59584. White/black velour.
RHD. Odo: 2,767 miles. FIA-spec leaf-sprung
racer built 2008. Clean and tidy but well used,
3+. SOLD AT $36,059. A lot more exciting
and period-looking than an RV8 or a decent
stock C roadster and not a lot more money...
but you’re taking a gamble on easily reselling
this modsports car for the road. With its hybrid
spec and plastic fenders, you might not
find it easy to sell after you’re done with it. As
ever, modified cars don’t get their money back.
#303-1969 FORD CORTINA LOTUS
Mk II 2-dr sedan. S/N BA91JC17680.
White/black vinyl. RHD. Odo: 41,518 miles.
Cortina Lotus, as opposed to the other way
around—Lotus built the Mk Is, and Ford built
the Mk IIs, after quality-control issues. Solid
and repainted older restoration with a few
swirl and dust marks in paint. Brightwork all
straight and interior all good with no splits,
suggesting mileage may be genuine. Sits on
Sports Car Market
Lot 342. Cond: 3. SOLD AT $75,187. ...But
given the difference between them, the price
gap looks justified. The bigger picture is that
FIA race-spec (and pristine original roadgoing)
Lotus Cortinas have inflated in price
by about a third over five years—and are still
much less money than a proper Alfa 105.
This car was recently offered but failed to sell
at an undisclosed high bid at Bonhams’
Goodwood Revival sale in September
(SCM# 233504).
#615-1968 MG C V8 convertible. S/N
GCN1515. Green/green fiberglass hard top/
black vinyl. RHD. C roadster converted to V8
by Big Healey guru John Chatham for author,
photographer and bon vivant Chris Harvey in
’70, then later re-acquired by Chatham. Good
order all round, with flared fiberglass fenders
and Works hard top. Now with 3.9 V8 and
5-speed. Wide wires are a nice touch. Cond:
Page 114
Silverstone Warwickshire, U.K.
the price of a cheapish road car, which it
could still be. A fair deal at almost certainly
less than the cost of purchase and modification.
#313-1972 LOTUS ELAN Sprint con-
vertible. S/N 72100806G. Red/black vinyl/
black vinyl. RHD. Odo: 79,250 miles. Excellent
condition with fantastic history: one
owner from new, originally supplied by Roger
Clarke Cars; new Lotus chassis fitted by Paul
Minilite alloys instead of of original steels.
Cond: 3+. SOLD AT $31,072. Sold well over
top estimate—but in fast-Ford circles, still half
the price of a nice roadgoing Mk I, and comparable
with decent Escort Mexico money. It’s
not quite as exciting or wieldy as either, but
these square-rigged GTs have their own
charm. Slightly well sold but will probably
look a relative bargain in a year’s time.
#334-1969 FORD ESCORT Twin Cam
2-dr sedan. S/N BB49JA39389. White/black
vinyl. RHD. Odo: 47,489 miles. Well restored
to original, although paint is a bit heavyhanded
in heater plenum area. Interior vinyl
excellent. Panhard rod fitted. All original in-
Matty Sportscars. Unscuffed, sharp in detail
and just lovely. Cond: 2. SOLD AT $70,009.
The highest price we’ve seen for a Sprint, but
completely in keeping with provenance and
condition. Find another like it...
#626-1973 GINETTA G15 coupe. S/N 0675.
Red/black velour. RHD. Odo: 4,718 miles.
Tiny and featherweight Imp-engined sportster
is tidy, although with a few dust marks in the
paint. Ran in Ginetta OC Speed Championship
AT $28,387. This was Twin Cam money not
long ago when Escorts were cheap and cheerful,
but now it seems any AVO Escort is knocking
on the door of £20k ($33k). Market-correct
in this mad world.
#650-1977 TVR 3000M coupe. S/N 3753FM.
Eng. # D698617. Blue/black velour.
RHD. Odo: 27,748 miles. Built for HSCC ’70s
Road Sports, which means road-legal but with
safety equipment such as roll cage and electrical
cut-offs. TVRs of this era are often pretty
rough, but as a racer this is even rougher, with
a few small cracks in fiberglass, rear window
that fits where it touches and front held on
with rubber straps. Race mods include multiple
holes drilled to drain air pressure from
front wheelarches, plus cold-air trunking to
carburetor. Cond: 3. SOLD AT $15,344.
Unused for seven years but recently recommissioned,
this represents about the cheapest way
of getting into circuit racing, and certainly
very much less than it would cost to start from
scratch.
take trunking. Couple of wheels a bit dinged
and repainted. Cond: 2. SOLD AT $66,172.
One of 883, recently restored back to original
spec, so may have been a rally car—like
DB4s, these are becoming worth more in
standard form than as competition cars.
#622-1970 LOTUS ELAN Plus 2S coupe.
S/N 502523. Red/black vinyl. RHD. Odo:
64,979 miles. Good, sound order all round.
Recently converted for competition with extensive,
elaborate roll cage, plus lots of appealing
bits, including stroked motor plus 26R
driveshafts and other parts. New belts, seat,
#312-1979 FORD CAPRI 3.0S coupe.
S/N GAECWL157330. Red/tartan velour &
black vinyl. RHD. Odo: 14,000 miles. Restored
in 2000 and re-titivated in 2012. Almost
like new with very low mileage. Interior unworn,
no scrapes or scuffs, good history, con-
1998. Recorded mileage is since rebuild on
new chassis and freshened engine. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $9,015. Offered at no reserve and
sold at the same money as a fair MG Midget,
which it will run rings around.
#309-1974 FORD ESCORT Mexico 2-dr
sedan. S/N BFATPT00260. Green/black
vinyl/black velour & vinyl. RHD. Odo: 26,956
miles. Restored sunroof car now with
tweaked-up motor and 5-speed. Sundym glass
from factory. With 8-track player still said to
be working, although modern speakers cut
firmed mileage. Cond: 2+. SOLD AT $20,715.
Not your usual collectible, but low mileage
makes this one almost unique and sold for
about the same as the very best run-out model,
the 280 Brooklands. Probably a bit mischievous
to suggest that’s it’s eligible for the
HSCC ’70s Road Sports series as well as the
forthcoming Willhire 24 Hour revival in October.
#605-1981 FORD CAPRI 3.0S coupe.
tank, etc. Cond: 3. SOLD AT $19,564. Sold
slightly over top estimate, but it’s all there,
ready to go with nothing left to do. Ideal for
hillclimbing, although ready for racing with a
massive full-width interior mirror. And all for
116
into door trims detract a bit. Cond: 2+. SOLD
S/N WFOCXXGAECBA12435. Yellow/tartan
velour & brown vinyl. RHD. Odo: 12,972
miles. Good, straight and rot-free, but not as
good as the low-mileage example in the front
tent (Lot 312). A few unfortunate tarty bits
Sports Car Market
Page 116
Silverstone Warwickshire, U.K.
inside and under the hood, but could be
swapped out easily enough. Mileage is plus
100,000. Offered at no reserve. Cond: 3+.
SOLD AT $7,480. And correspondingly got
only a third of the price. If you didn’t mind the
higher mileage, there wasn’t a huge chasm
between the two 3.0s except in cosmetics, so
this looked like a much better value—especially
if you wanted it as the basis for a racer.
#336-1987 ASTON MARTIN V8 Van-
tage Volante X-Pack convertible. S/N SCFCV81V2HTR15595.
Cumberland Grey/
mushroom leather. Odo: 72,500 miles. Excellent
unscuffed and well-looked-after condition;
restored in 2008 just 2,300 miles ago.
Polished rims, leather only lightly creased and
not worn, tidy leak-free motor with factory
finishes. Full A-M history with 20 stamps.
Cond: 2+. SOLD AT $280,034. Originally
supplied to the Burton retail group. X-pack is
crashed and rebuilt, now straight and unscuffed.
Campaigned in Spain by Carlos Sainz, among
others. Cond: 2. SOLD AT $38,361. On Q
plate from new, which means age is uncertain
and usually devalues a car as it carries the
stigma of “kit car,” and it can’t be swapped
later for a “private” plate. But I think in this
case the owner did it so as not to tie himself
into any particular period of emissions regulations.
Sold a few thousand under lower estimate.
Just falls outside even the newly extended
British Historic Rally Championship structure,
so not a lot you can do with it.
#640-2000 FORD MONDEO Super
Tourer racer. S/N 004. Yellow & blue/blue
paint & black velour. Prodrive-built racer, one
of three that dominated the 2000 Supertouring
season. Usual poor panels for a racer with a
few scuffs and scrapes, as it’s been raced in
historics. Massive spares package includes a
so far but would be eminently suitable. The
right money for a live-axle/crossflow car that
can probably keep up with its more sophisticated
K-series engined brethren. A fair deal.
#339-2006 JAGUAR C-TYPE Proteus
replica roadster. S/N P1F7423DN. Eng. #
8L56035. Green/black leather. RHD. Odo:
11,500 miles. Built 2006 but 1968 identity
from XJ6 donor, which gave up the 4.2 motor
and independent rear suspension. Proteus Cs
are slightly larger than the real thing, with
different taillight treatment and digital odometer,
but from most angles this aluminum rep-
the one everyone (especially the trade) wants,
and the price is consistent with gentle inflation
over the past five years since the best examples
breached the £150k ($250k) mark—especially
with that full service history and little
extra expenditure likely needed soon. Last sold
for $145k at Bonhams’ Aston Martin sale in
May 2013, when we described it as “slightly
well bought” (SCM# 222616). Not the case
this time, so someone’s made a tidy profit in
less than a year.
#623-1988 FORD SIERRA Cosworth
Group N rally car. S/N SABTVRO03218025001.
White/black velour. Odo: 19,554 km.
Group N is “production” or near stock. Once
Q plate to allow it to use any engine and sidestep
emissions tests. Tidy and unscuffed condition,
with weather gear and heater. Cond: 2.
SOLD AT $23,976. Not used in competition
118
system rebuilt, new brake calipers all around.
Cond: 2. SOLD AT $41,238. As small-bumper
911s go stratospheric and the best 3.2 Carreras
harden, the market always looks to see which
next-best-thing is still affordable, and here we
find the SC, which is enjoying something of an
upsurge in interest and value (as we’ve been
predicting for some time). This sold for the
price of a decent 3.2 Carrera, but put that down
to the excellent, extensively restored condition—the
buyer was obviously one in favor of
Sports Car Market
fresh motor (Mazda V6; makers could use any
from within the group) and three sets of the
body panels that most get damaged. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $172,624. Budget to build and race
the original four cars (one was wrecked) was
allegedly £12m—so even though this must be
the most expensive Mondeo ever to appear at
auction, it looks a relative bargain. Running it
might be another matter once those spares are
used up...
#302-2005 CATERHAM SUPER
SEVEN Sprint roadster. S/N SDKRLKANS
10010233. Eng. # JAM17000US80875. Green
& aluminum/black vinyl/black leather. RHD.
Caterham built up in the style and spec of earlier
Lotus Seven S3, of which it’s a continuation.
So crossflow Ford, twin Webers, live
axle, 4-speed, and intentionally registered on a
licar is very convincing—especially with a
large pair of sand-cast carbs as per the original
cars, and Avon ZZs look just right for it. Cond:
3+. SOLD AT $118,919. Sold on the money
for a used Proteus rep—although they’re only
a little more (about $15k more) to buy as an
almost-new ex-demonstrator. This one has
worthwhile upgrades and has settled in
enough not to look brand new.
GERMAN
#641-1978 PORSCHE 911SC coupe. S/N
9118300714. Eng. # 8361202. Lindgrun/tartan
velour & brown vinyl. RHD. Odo: 92,000
miles. Super old thing. Color is alarming but
very period original, polarizing opinions at the
sale. Massively restored with needed metalwork
done in all the usual places—rockers and
kidney bowls, jacking points and front fenders,
plus new front fenders—followed by a windows-out
repaint. All mechanicals and injection
Roundup Selected Sales Combined in One Comprehensive Report
Global Auction Highlights
CANADIAN
#F121-1952 CHEVROLET 1300 pickup.
S/N 2131421910. Maroon/gray vinyl. Odo:
18,758 miles. I6 of unspecified displacement,
3-sp manual. Rare Canadian-built Chevrolet
truck. Body and paint remain excellent. Very
straight with well-applied paint. Nice wood
deck with hand lettering on back gate and
wood stake railing. Engine bay looks like a
home garage restoration but is still presentable.
Interior shows well. The gauges are near
1974 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 SUV, sold at $26,400
Oklahoma City 2014
Company: Leake Auction Company
Location: Oklahoma City, OK
Date: February 21–22, 2014
Auctioneers: Jim Richie, Tony Langdon, Bob Ehlert,
Brian Marshall
Automotive lots sold/offered: 305/393
Sales rate: 78%
Sales total: $6,430,353
High sale: 1968 Shelby GT500, sold at $128,700
Buyer’s premium: 10%, included in sold prices
Report and photos by Lester Neidell
perfect and look great. A very nice high-quality
driver. Cond: 2-. SOLD AT $38,880. Not
likely rare in Canada, but to find one in the
States is unusual. Trucks were used for work,
and the fact that so many have survived is a
testimony to how stout they were back in the
day. There wasn’t much here to pick on, and it
would certainly be a conversation piece at the
local car show with the “1300” nomenclature.
Well bought and sold. Mecum Auctions, Kissimmee,
FL, 01/14.
#72-1968 PONTIAC PARISIENNE con-
vertible. S/N 8110875276867. Blue metallic/
ivory vinyl/silver & black vinyl. Odo: 176
miles. 327-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Wavy left rear
and most of right side panels. GM gaps, bumpers
rechromed, dual exhaust, chrome wire
wheels, white mudflaps. Optional and rare 2+2
trim package includes custom bucket seats and
badging. Power convertible top and windows,
aftermarket 3-gauge panel by driver’s right
knee and tach screwed to dash below radio.
Balanced 327 (300-hp claimed), 4-bbl carb,
1971 Plymouth Hemi ’Cuda 2-door hard top,
sold at $604,800
Kissimmee 2014
Company: Mecum Auctions
Location: Kissimmee, FL
Date: January 17–26, 2014
Auctioneers: Mark Delzell, Jimmy Landis,
Bobby McGlothlen, Matt Moravec, Mike Hagerman,
Steve Holt, Russ Conklen, Kevin McGlothen
Automotive lots sold/offered: 1,759/2,576
Sales rate: 68%
Sales total: $62,729,499
High sale: 1970 Plymouth Hemi ’Cuda, sold at $604,800
Buyer’s premium: 8%, 10% for motorcycles and boats,
$500 minimum, included in sold prices
Report by Dale Novak and Craig Gussert
Photos by Dale Novak
122
1964 Chevrolet Impala 2-door hard top,
sold at $11,340
Salem 2014
Company: Petersen Collector Cars
Location: Salem, OR
Date: February 1, 2014
Auctioneers: Fred Bewley, Chris Leach
Automotive lots sold/offered: 37/93
Sales rate: 40%
Sales total: $397,516
High sale: 1967 Chevrolet Nova SS, sold at $34,020
Buyer’s premium: 8%, $250 minimum, included in
sold prices
Report and photos by Jack Tockston
jet-coated headers, braided hoses, Edelbrock
valve covers and air cleaner. Driver-quality.
Cond: 3. NOT SOLD AT $9,200. What’s a
Pontiac “Parisienne 2+2”? It was Canada’s
smaller version of our Bonneville with a
Chevy hidden underneath. This one had a
well-used vibe, so it could be enjoyed without
show-car paranoia. The final bid seemed generous
for condition, but seller didn’t take the
money. Petersen, Salem, OR, 02/14.
Sports Car Market
Page 121
Roundup
ENGLISH
#S180.1-1954 JAGUAR XK 120 SE
roadster. S/N S676116. Maroon/black
cloth/black leather. Odo: 5,214 miles. A wellworn
driver that still shows well. Paint shows
some use and wear, with small chips and
scratches. Interior is well worn, leather seats
show plenty of use. Chrome is pitted in most
regards and of driver quality. Engine bay is a
bit scruffy. Tach cable is twisted into a ball of
#411-1958 MORRIS MINOR 1000 sa-
loon. S/N FBB431573513. Gray/red & white
vinyl. Odo: 45,387 miles. Claimed ground-up
restoration in 2008, and hasn’t done many
miles since then. Paint shows much orange
peel; overspray on chassis. Hood high at front,
both sides. New door rubbers, rack on trunk
with wicker basket. Incorrect tires. Interior
looks unused. Engine compartment tidy. Cond:
steel. Body appears to be reasonably straight
and looks good from 10 feet. Card states that
the car was formerly shown at Pebble Beach,
which obviously was many years ago. Cond:
4+. SOLD AT $70,200. The XK roadsters are
more stylish, elegant and expensive than the
drophead coupes. Price generally reflects condition,
and the final selling price here may
have been a bit heavy. Given the scruffy condition,
I’d call this one well sold. Mecum Auctions,
Kissimmee, FL, 01/14.
#S138-1955 AUSTIN-HEALEY 100 BN1
roadster. S/N BN1L220856. Red/black vinyl/
black leather. Odo: 68,053 miles. An older
restoration that presents as a fine driver. Gaps
are good overall, trunk is out slightly, passenger’s
door in. Interior shows use and enjoyment,
with light creases on the seats. Dash in
good shape overall. Top looks older and well
worn. Rear plastic window is hazed over.
Paint looks good until close inspection reveals
3+. SOLD AT $9,900. One wonders where
this car has been since 2008. Virtually unused,
the mechanicals will now likely require some
reconditioning. The paint could easily be tidied
with just a few hours of buffing to bring it
to #2 condition. Likewise, just an hour or so
underneath would remove much of the
overspray. Price slightly favors buyer. Leake,
Oklahoma City, OK, 02/14.
#W199-1966 SUNBEAM TIGER con-
vertible. S/N B382000189LRXFE. Red/black
vinyl/black leather. Odo: 73,618 miles. A
rough example of the Sunbeam Tiger. Lots of
body putty in the lower rockers. Paint is showing
plenty of issues and is rough overall.
Chrome is well pitted and void of any sort of
luster. Engine bay looks mostly correct but
shows plenty of wear and use. Interior is of
driver quality. The chassis is splattered with
microblisters, orange peel, dry spray and other
issues. Chassis has a lot of undercoating and
does not present well. Hood closed, engine
bay not inspected. Cond: 3-. SOLD AT
$81,000. A genuine BN1 roadster with lots of
nice documentation, including certificate of
authenticity from the British Motor Industry
Heritage Trust. This will be a fine car for driving
enjoyment and club use but not much else.
Given the condition, this was a great deal for
the seller. Mecum Auctions, Kissimmee, FL,
01/14.
May 2014
heavy undercoating. A 20-footer. Cond: 4-.
SOLD AT $35,640. Sunbeam Tigers seem to
be roaring to life lately, with the world’s best
examples fetching north of $100k. With that
comes a flock of lesser cars hitting the market,
hopeful for a nice payday. This car needed just
about everything. It was certified as a genuine
Tiger, so that helped make the numbers
crunch. It must have looked good under the
bright stage lights. Well sold. Mecum Auctions,
Kissimmee, FL, 01/14.
GERMAN
#F206-1958 MERCEDES-BENZ 190SL
convertible. S/N 8500963. Red/red hard top/
black vinyl soft top/black leather. Odo: 3,626
miles. Very nice example of a 190SL roadster.
123
Page 122
Roundup
Interior shows moderate wear and very light
use. Some brightwork is showing light
scratches. Steering wheel shows light use;
gauges are somewhat faded. Paint is excellent
throughout; orange peel on A-pillar. Very nice
rior has a nice patina, especially on the
gauges. Seats seem newer and are in good
condition overall. Paint and body still show
well. Chassis is clean and appears original and
untouched. Engine bay could be detailed and
hard top. Cond: 2. SOLD AT $124,200. Just
about anything vintage with the Mercedes
hood emblem on it is doing very well in the
current market, especially when the top goes
down. This very nice 190SL presented well,
even under close scrutiny. With the 300s fetching
far more every day, they are pulling up the
190s with them. Red is not as desirable on a
190SL as perhaps a silver or ivory might be,
so that may have held things back a bit. Nice
car and perhaps a bit of a bargain. Mecum
Auctions, Kissimmee, FL, 01/14.
#460-1958 MERCEDES-BENZ 190SL
convertible. S/N 1210407502387. Black/
black cloth/red leather. Odo: 65,249 miles.
Extensively restored. Hard to fault and with
many nice extras. Converted to 12-volt electrics.
Gauges refinished, new wiring harness,
original Becker radio serviced. With toolkit
example. Cond: 3+. SOLD AT $24,840. Even
as a muscle car guy, I’m oddly drawn to
these cars. They were built as economical fuel
sippers for use around Europe’s tight alleys
and streets. If you’re a “green car” enthusiast,
here’s one of the very first ever built. Neat car.
No harm done at this price for a good example.
Mecum Auctions, Kissimmee, FL, 01/14.
#30-1977 MERCEDES-BENZ 450SL
convertible. S/N 10704412041418. Silver/
black cloth/red leather. Odo: 138,592 miles.
Clearly not a garage queen; shows use and
age. Older ecomony repaint containing dust
now has dings, bubbles and chips. Silverpainted
factory alloys, aftermarket stainless
fender lips on all four corners. Rag-top retracted,
not seen. Matching hard top later
found in good condition. Red interior shows
use; nice sheep skins hide leather seating,
trashed and crumbled beyond saving.
rise at least one grade. Cond: 3-. SOLD AT
$51,840. This car had great bones and could
easily be massaged to a higher conditional
grade. Previously no-saled at Mecum Chicago
in October at $56k, when we described it as
“honest and reliable” (SCM# 228269), and
before that at Mecum Monterey at $85k
(SCM# 227487). Now offered without reserve,
and I think it did quite well on the auction
block. Bidding was spirited and the results
surprising, given that this is mainly an American
iron sale. Well sold. Mecum Auctions,
Kissimmee, FL, 01/14.
#U105.1-1989 FERRARI TESTAROSSA
coupe. S/N ZFFSG17A0K0081689. Silver/
light gray leather. Odo: 15,392 miles. A gift
from Ferrari to actor Don Johnson. Paint
presents as-original, with numerous chips and
scratches throughout. Engine bay shows
plenty of use, wear and lack of attention to
detail. Interior shows wear and use, more so
than the mileage indicated. Car appears to
have been driven as a daily driver. Cond: 3.
and jack. Cond: 1-. NOT SOLD AT $120,000.
Purchased by consignor at Russo and Steele’s
Las Vegas auction in September 2013 for
$113k, which we called a good buy with room
for appreciation (SCM# 231465). Current
owner claims hard top received new headliner
since. No miles added. High bid was a touch
low for the current market. Leake, Oklahoma
City, OK, 02/14.
#F14-1963 GOGGOMOBIL 250 micro-
car. S/N 2219369. Red & white/gray vinyl.
Odo: 3,236 km. Nice presentation overall.
Good paint over a solid body. Some light pitting
on chrome and brightwork. Interior is nice
and shows only modest wear. Very nice combination
of original and restored parts for a
great overall presentation. Many of the hardto-find
bits are in excellent condition on this
124
Brightwork shows age, use and dents. Dirty
engine compartment is all original, no leaks.
Unsurprisingly offered at no reserve. Cond: 3-.
SOLD AT $5,508. 450SLs are an auction
staple worldwide, so finding two here was no
surprise. The other (Lot 31) was a fixed-roof
450SLC in much better condition. With an
investment grade of D, this example would
require a major restoration effort and big
checks well beyond market value. Conversely,
one could park it anywhere without paranoia,
and maybe that’s what the buyer had in mind,
obtaining title at half the $10k low estimate.
Petersen, Salem, OR, 02/14.
ITALIAN
#T129.1-1963 ALFA ROMEO GI-
ULIETTA Spider. S/N AR170259. Red/black
vinyl/black vinyl. Odo: 21,775 miles. An older
restoration that is holding up well but starting
to show its age. Chrome and brightwork still
show very well with only light scratches. Inte-
JAPANESE
#160-1974 TOYOTA LAND CRUISER
FJ40 SUV. S/N FJ40182175. Green/gray vinyl.
Odo: 59,150 miles. Paint well applied but
Sports Car Market
SOLD AT $81,000. Even with the Ferrari
market as hot as it is, the magic has yet to
make it to the Testarossas. This example was
driven hard and put away wet, in far worse
condition than expected for the miles. Initially
no-saled at a high bid of $50k as Lot F286
against an estimate of $90k–$110k, but listed
sold in final results. Looks like bidder and
seller split the difference, so call it fair.
Mecum Auctions, Kissimmee, FL, 01/14.
Page 124
Rising Sun
Recent sales of Japanese collector cars
by Tony Piff
(All text within quotes minimally edited from online descriptions)
#191083993244-1985 HONDA CRX Si. S/N
JHMAF5334FS041684. 24,100 miles. California
doctor’s car since new. Obsessively maintained.
Always garaged. No rust. All original. Paint and
interior in good shape. Original spare, jack and
tools. 1.6-L Si engine is extremely strong, manual
transmission shifts smoothly. Condition: 2
Roundup
thick. No runs except lower door. Minor chipping
on both door edges. Lift kit with fresh
BFG all-terrain tires. Nice interior, dash especially
clean. Most switch lettering very white.
New rubber except vent windows. Engine
compartment stock looking, superficially
it would be absolutely unique and an invitation
to vintage racing everywhere. One more
plus—it could also be street-licensed. Leake,
Oklahoma City, OK, 02/14.
BEST
BUY
#23-1923 FORD T-BUCKET. S/N
OR66300. Copper metallic/off-white
cloth/copper & white vinyl. Odo:
24,470 miles. All-steel T-bucket with doors
welded, seams filled. Excellent copper metallic
paint, white cloth top. Wide Weld wheels
rear, skinny chrome spokes front, 4-wheel disc
brakes. Minimalist interior has copper and
white vinyl, B&M shifter for 350 Turbo trans.
Stewart Warner gauges, tach and oil pressure
gauges on front cowl. 355-ci Chevy has 4-71
Cragar blower, dual carbs, chrome headers.
SOLD AT $12,500. Remarkable to see one with the
paint still matching on the fiberglass front clip (this
gen only). Enthusiasts care less about these earliest
cars, but the Si gets respect. Combine that with
originality and very low miles, and you get this
price. Leading the market. eBay Motors, 3/1/2014.
#121258912611-1970 DATSUN 240Z. S/N
HLS3008551. 102,737 miles. All original, matching
numbers. Stored since 1983. Engine does turn over
and start, but hydraulics will need to be inspected.
Body is straight. No rust problems. 5-speed.
California blue plates. Interior good, dash uncracked.
Condition: 3-
clean. Undercarriage not detailed. Not a show
car, but seems like a good-quality driver.
Cond: 2. SOLD AT $26,400. Very stock-looking
except for the lift kit, which I don’t like
because it destroys the handling dynamics. I
occasionally deal in these, and it’s difficult to
find one as clean as this. Of the four FJs I inspected,
this was the nicest. The only real nitpick
was the black stuff slathered on the
undercarriage. A fair deal to buyer and seller.
Leake, Oklahoma City, OK, 02/14.
AMERICAN
#451-1921 MERCURY SPEEDSTER.
SOLD AT $10,100. Very desirable first-year Z in
great colors with manual transmission. An exceptionally
solid starting place for a restoration, or
maybe even a “preservation” car. Very well bought.
eBay Motors, 1/30/2014.
#201046075356-1981 TOYOTA SR5 4x4
pickup. S/N JT4RN48D9B0000833. 40,000 miles.
Restored two years ago to original condition. Rustfree
Idaho truck. Runs and drives great. 40,000
miles on rebuilt motor and transmission. Not abused
or taken off road. Body is straight, paint looks
amazing. Condition: 2
SOLD AT $8,600. Toyota’s iconic Hilux (known
Stateside simply as “pickup”), the unkillable 4x4 of
choice for countless African warlords, presented
here in fine Marty McFly style. It wasn’t quite as
stock as claimed, with aftermarket steering wheel,
tach, etc., and who knows how many miles are on
the body — but if there’s no rust, then those questions
are kind of irrelevant. Market-correct price for
a very clean driver. eBay Motors, 3/9/2014. ♦
126
carbs (but nothing else) to Indy driver Duke
Nalon. Claimed registered with Antique Auto
Racing Association. Cond: 2+. SOLD AT
$32,175. Rajo replacement heads are currently
available, and this looked suspiciously like the
one featured on the Rajo Racing website. My
gut feeling was that this has been on static
display for many years. My son and I are into
vintage racing, and we initially wanted this
car. Close examination deterred us, however,
as it would require a complete rebuild. (We
already have too many cars in this state.) But
Sports Car Market
S/N 224. Yellow/red vinyl. Odo: 11,033 miles.
One of the auction’s feature cars, claimed to
be a documented, truly historical vehicle, but
no racing history displayed, and build date
unknown. Yellow paint nice, no cracks or
runs. Step plates corroded, old Firestone tires
badly cracked. Rajo engine bored 0.040 over
with overhead valves, aluminum pistons, Winfield
SR carburetors, Model A crank. Featured
in 1998 Model T Times. Display also ties the
IRS rear (’74 Corvette), transverse leaf springs
fore and aft, Bell axle with 4-inch drop in
front. $20k spent on chrome plating. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $15,120. This was a nicely done
hot rod with lots of attention to detail and tradition.
Although the focal point is always the
chromed engine display, the rest of the car was
similarly eye-popping. Whether you’re into
this style rod or not, the quality of the build
had to be admired, as there’s no place to hide
the shoddy. With token demerits for road dust,
it still rated near condition 1. Selling for 75%
of its chrome plating bill, buyer scored an
exceptionally sound investment. Petersen,
Salem, OR, 02/14.
#438-1928 FORD MODEL A roadster
pickup. S/N A489425. Red/black vinyl/black
vinyl. Odo: 273 miles. Paint very good, oak
bows, oak rear frame, oak bed unmarked, except
that some unmatched filler shows. Wind
wings, horn, excellent bumpers. Wheels show
a surprising amount of wear. Interior unmarked,
chassis clean. No evidence of side
curtains. Engine compartment not up to rest of
car. Dirty hoses, rusty water (leaking head
gasket?). Cond: 2+. SOLD AT $26,400. Very
Page 125
Roundup
nice car let down by engine compartment. No
mention of when restoration was completed.
The rust stains on the block are very scary—I
wouldn’t expect that on a 273-mile car. One
wonders what else lurks. If everything’s okay,
then good deal for buyer. Leake, Oklahoma
City, OK, 02/14.
#77-1933 FORD MODEL B Victoria
coupe. S/N N0077934. Yellow/tan vinyl.
350-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Fiberglass body, windows-in
yellow paint of decent quality, heavy
suicide doors click shut, classic pin-striping.
Custom tan vinyl on bucket seats and panels,
full set of AutoMeter white-faced gauges (digital
odometer, miles unknown), Vintage Air,
tilt wheel, power windows. New crate Chevy
350 V8 (330 hp), 400 Turbo trans, Mustang II
SOLD AT $70,000. A 1934 steel-body Ford is
just about the holy grail for Ford guys (other
than perhaps the ’32s). Rodders loved them
back in the day and built some wicked street
machines with the platform. This was a nice
example, rarer in that it hadn’t been modified
or turned into a street rod. It showed plenty of
needs, but the old flathead V8 still powered it
down the road—and you simply can’t beat a
drop-top ’34 with rumble seat out back. Cool
car, but the offer was more than fair given the
condition. Mecum Auctions, Kissimmee, FL,
01/14.
#119-1947 FRAZER MANHATTAN se-
dan. S/N FC47C1013511. Gray metallic/blue
velour. Odo: 46,650 miles. 226-ci I6, 1-bbl,
3-sp. Wonderful barn-find survivor, likely with
one repaint. Original interior. Missing front
turn signals, vent windows delaminating, driver’s
vent window cracked. Missing “R” on
front suspension, power rack-and-pinion steering,
4-wheel disc brakes, 3.27 rear. Clean with
California-assigned VIN. Cond: 2-. NOT
SOLD AT $17,000. Staunch purists may
object, but this glass ’33 shell came already
chopped and won’t rust. Build quality of finished
catalog kits varies, but this one came off
looking pro-built. Maybe bidders were purists
this day, or maybe yellow wasn’t their thing.
Offers petered out short of build cost and
unknown reserve, so seller correctly took it
home. Petersen, Salem, OR, 02/14.
#S100-1934 FORD DELUXE roadster.
S/N 18937768. Black/white cloth/brown vinyl.
Odo: 31,536 miles. Likely an older restoration
that is now unwinding in areas. The body is in
good shape, as is the chassis. The paint is beginning
to age and degrade in areas, showing
bubbling, scratches and blisters. Interior shows
well with only minor wear, but only as a
driver. Plenty of items to note and pick on but
it’s still a rare 1934 Ford Deluxe roadster with
a solid body and chassis. Cond: 4+. NOT
trunk. Driver’s door out at bottom. All rubber
bad. Not especially rusty underneath. Ancient
Goodrich Silvertown tires. Cond: 4+. SOLD
AT $5,060. What to do with it? Not especially
valuable and quickly underwater if restored.
At this price, a good deal for buyer. Hope engine
runs out fine, and just have fun. Leake,
Oklahoma City, OK, 02/14.
#172-1951 FORD CUSTOM DELUXE
coupe. S/N B1DA161660. Crystal Red/red &
white vinyl. Odo: 26,532 miles. 289-ci V8,
4-bbl, auto. Nice paint, some chipping around
front badge, polish marks. Door handles
shaved, custom grille, nicely frenched headlights
and taillights, dual spotlights. ’57 Cadillac
hubcaps. Most trim well polished, but
some scratches. Interior and trunk very clean,
showing little wear. Engine compartment
nicely detailed with correct Autolite battery;
’57 Cadillac air cleaner a nice touch. Mustang
II front suspension, power steering, disc
May 2014
127
Page 126
Roundup
brakes. 289 V8 of unspecified origin. Oldschool
rod now a few years past its prime.
Cond: 2-. SOLD AT $26,400. This was a
cared-for rod now starting to show its age.
Curiously, no a/c. If it were mine I would connect
the lake pipes, correct some of the minor
issues and just have fun. It would be a great
cruiser and might still win local shows. Wish
there was more info about the engine, though.
Slight nod to buyer here, especially if engine is
as good as rest of car. Leake, Oklahoma City,
OK, 02/14.
#64-1952 OLDSMOBILE 88 2-dr sedan.
S/N 528K4675. Dark red/gray cloth. Odo: 891
miles. 303-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Average paint,
contrasting blue and gray pin striping.
Excellent panels. Nosed and decked. Original
brightwork, save freshly rechromed rear
bumper, full-length lake pipes, chrome-reverse
wheels with baby moons. Right door out at
bottom (closes fine), no-draft windows
delaminating. Recent economy gray cloth
interior, flat and unadorned door panels match.
Factory AM radio, MiniPro tach on column,
sirable cars, but finding a nice one is not easy.
The allure of these cars, beyond the rarity, is
the union of American and British design,
elegantly integrated with Italian body lines by
Pininfarina. They are truly gorgeous cars in
person, but this one had plenty of needs—just
about everything. The high bid looked like
more than enough to get the job done. Mecum
Auctions, Kissimmee, FL, 01/14.
#F149-1958 CHEVROLET IMPALA
2-dr hard top. S/N E58J176576. Red &
white/tri-color vinyl. Odo: 59,678 miles.
348-ci V8, 3x2-bbl, auto. Engine bay recently
refreshed to driver standards. Body putty in
C-pillar and other small spots. Paint looks old
and tired, with plenty of sanding scratches.
Interior shows wear. A nice boulevard cruiser,
fit raised at front, both doors out at rear. Bed
very rough, stainless trim at top of bed dented
and scratched. Custom tube grille, shaved handles.
Interior much better, with custom gauges,
shows little wear. Tilt power steering, AM/FM
cassette. Engine compartment not detailed. An
older restoration that’s coming apart. Cond: 3.
SOLD AT $13,200. Claimed body-off restoration,
but the AM/FM cassette radio gives it
away as likely a project at least 10 years old.
Likely stored somewhere and now brought to
auction. Wouldn’t take much to clean it up—
polish the front fenders, refinish bed and buff
stainless. But the scratches on the hood make
one wonder about its running condition, and
the lack of detailing is troublesome. I’m sure
seller was happy, but buyer got a nice truck
for not much money. Leake, Oklahoma City,
OK, 02/14.
#S97.1-1958 PACKARD HAWK 2-dr
hard top. S/N 58LS1413. Red/tan leather.
Odo: 17,279 miles. 289-ci supercharged V8,
auto. Rare 1958 Packard Hawk. Engine bay is
over-restored, super glossy and total eye
candy. Paint and body are near flawless with
only minor blemishes such as light scratches
and some swirls from buffing, but otherwise a
show-quality presentation. Interior as-new.
The only ding is the chassis, which shows as
original with some undercoating sprayed and
four-pack of gauges under center dash. Clean
engine bay. Cond: 3+. NOT SOLD AT
$8,200. As a period-correct mild custom, this
one took me back to the parking lot at suburban
Chicago’s Riverside-Brookfield High,
Class of 1960. This is what guys built themselves,
funded by after-school jobs pumping
gas or bagging at Safeway for a buck and a
quarter an hour. There was nostalgia in the
room as some bidders yearning for lost youth
considered this Olds for their next reunion.
Alas, it didn’t sell, even with a seemingly
market-correct final hammer. Petersen, Salem,
OR, 02/14.
#S208.1-1954 NASH-HEALEY LE
MANS coupe. S/N 3082. White/red leather.
Odo: 61,532 miles. 252-ci I6, 2x1-bbl, manual.
One of 150 produced. European styling in
a U.S.-manufactured automobile. Body shows
plenty of issues with lots of filler in lower portions.
Interior shows well as an original but
well worn. Dash, gauges and any brightwork
are pitted and dull. Likely an older restoration
that was not done to high standards back when
it was first completed. Overall, car needs work
just about everywhere you look. Cond: 4-.
NOT SOLD AT $70,000. Last seen in March
2013 at Hollywood Wheels’ West Palm Beach
sale, where it went unsold at an undisclosed
high bid (SCM# 215842). These are very de-
128
ready for use. Cond: 3-. SOLD AT $48,600.
This example showed well as a nice driver
with various needs. These are popular cars
with a good pool of seasoned buyers, and I’ve
noticed strong appreciation in the past few
months. These might be a case of get-onewhile-you-can
or the next Chevrolet to peak in
value as the baby boomers snatch them up.
Time will tell. Given the condition, this one
was slightly well sold. Mecum Auctions,
Kissimmee, FL, 01/14.
#161-1958 FORD RANCHERO restomod
pickup. S/N A7FF292242. Yellow/tan
leather. Odo: 3,670 miles. 302-ci V8, 4 bbl,
auto. Nice paint from five feet, but close up
shows scratches on fender tops, as if fender
pad not used when working on engine. Hood
looks like an old used car. Plenty of NOM trim
items added. Cond: 2. NOT SOLD AT
$80,000. Last seen at Silver’s 2011 sale in
Carson City, NV, selling for $29k (SCM
#184521). Back at that sale, a well-worn
driver rated to be in #3- condition. That said,
my gut reaction to this car was that it was
fluffed to be sold at auction. Still, the Packard
market for a nice Hawk is strong and seems to
be climbing. The high bid was generous for
the total presentation. Mecum Auctions,
Kissimmee, FL, 01/14.
#F179-1959 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN
NAPCO SUV. S/N 3A59N123761. Blue/black
vinyl. Odo: 59,986 miles. 283-ci V8, 2-bbl,
4-sp. Nice presentation overall. Some issues in
paint and prepwork. Couple of spots showing
lack of prep with dull spray, but otherwise nice
paint. Steering wheel is a bit rough. Some
small touch-ups noted. Overall a nice driver.
Averages out to a #3 example with some portions
in very nice condition and other portions
showing age. Cond: 3. SOLD AT $63,720. A
NAPCO-fitted Suburban, which is most certainly
a rare offering. Nice condition overall
with some needs present upon closer inspection.
NAPCOs were built as heavy-duty
Sports Car Market
Page 128
Roundup
4x4 trucks built to work—not to drive to the
country club. Most price guides do not include
the NAPCO option, but guys who want one
know what they are worth. This was a fair
deal, with the advantage going to the seller.
Mecum Auctions, Kissimmee, FL, 01/14.
#63-1961 CHEVROLET BISCAYNE
2-dr sedan. S/N 11611L171087. Red/black
cloth. Odo: 64,224 miles. 350-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. Base-model Biscayne with waveless flat
panels, factory gaps; very good red finish
includes bumpers. Lowered, nosed, decked,
shaved handles with electric release, pin
stripes. Polished American five-spoke mags,
BFG white letter tires, blue dot tail lights, dual
exhaust. Newer interior. Stock dash has SunPro
gauges, JVC CD head unit. Engine area
micro-blisters that detract. Long panels are
wave-free, gaps per GM. Recent tires on
polished mags. Original bumpers lightly
scratched commensurate with age, minor chips
in windshield. Black vinyl interior clean,
stock, huge trunk tidy, spare tire and jack
missing. Clean underhood, engine looks stock,
may be original. Better-than-average driver
quality. Cond: 3+. SOLD AT $11,340. In a
sea of modern jelly beans, this barge would
stand out. Its two bench seats could haul a
six-pack of full-sized tailgaters to any game,
plus a trunk-full of libations and Doritos. Obtained
for $2k under low estimate for a well
bought result. Petersen, Salem, OR, 02/14.
#458-1964 CHEVROLET IMPALA SS
2-dr hard top. S/N 41447L155321. Black/
black vinyl. Odo: 1,121 miles. 409-ci V8, 2x4bbl,
4-sp. Body-off restoration 2013, photodocumented.
High-quality paint but numerous
polish scratches. Trim and hubcaps scratched.
Interior immaculate and striking with white
seats and red carpet. Correct Delco battery.
Matching numbers: L80 high performance
and excellent, coupled with some older parts.
Given that this was a nice street car and nothing
more, the price paid shows the power of
an eye-catching color and ready-to-use condition.
Well sold. Mecum Auctions, Kissimmee,
FL, 01/14.
#S58.1-1965 FORD MUSTANG GT
coupe. S/N 5F07A260959. Bronze/taupe
vinyl/taupe vinyl. Odo: 2,918 miles. 289-ci
V8, 4-bbl, auto. Over-the-top restoration of the
engine bay is too glossy but looks great regardless.
Very straight body with well-applied
paint. Not much to pick on other than small
scratches and very light cracks. Interior shows
well but has some small areas where the finish
is peeling. Chassis is a bit of a letdown, as it
engine, factory dual 4-barrel carbs. Muncie
M21 4-speed, 4:11 Positraction. Cond: 1-.
SOLD AT $56,650. This car even smelled
new. Said to be one of only 1,997 built in
1964. Overall well done to stock spec. But
with all the attention to original details, why
fit Michelin radial tires that look like they
came from Costco? Sale slightly favors seller.
Leake, Oklahoma City, OK, 02/14.
clean, 350 V8 of unspecified origin has the
usual chrome bits. Nice presentation. Cond:
3+. SOLD AT $10,584. Per VIN, this base
2-door post Biscayne (a model not known for
custom treatment) left GM’s Los Angeles plant
with a straight-six engine. Since then, it
evolved into an attention-getting mild custom
with V8 grunt for the street. This was the right
venue for such a ride, and it sold fairly (for
less than the envisioned build cost). Well
bought. Petersen, Salem, OR, 02/14.
#41-1964 CHEVROLET IMPALA 2-dr
hard top. S/N 418471182857. Yellow/black
vinyl. Odo: 44,650 miles. 283-ci V8, 4-bbl,
auto. One respray in original pale yellow with
#F129-1965 FORD MUSTANG fastback.
S/N 5F09C603666. Orange/black vinyl. Odo:
54,394 miles. 302-ci V8, 4-bbl, auto. Unusual
orange color with black interior. Paint shows
well with only minor blemishes. Used-car
chassis with sprayed areas hiding imperfections.
The engine bay has been recently refreshed;
you can still smell the spray paint.
Interior shows modest issues such as a wavy
dash (quite common on these). Some exterior
trim shows light dents and scratches. Cond:
appears to have just been sprayed with undercoating.
Cond: 2. SOLD AT $30,780. Mustang
coupes are generally ignored by most
collectors since they are so plentiful. This one
was an exception to that statement, as it was
extremely well restored, done right by most
standards and presented as well as any fastback
I’ve seen. Nice (and unusual) colors and
the higher-horsepower 289 helped get the job
done. Sold well, but about as good as you’ll
ever find. Mecum Auctions, Kissimmee, FL,
01/14.
#F108.1-1966 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
convertible. S/N 194676S117781.
Blue/white vinyl/white vinyl. Odo: 2 miles.
327-ci 350-hp V8, 4-bbl, 4-sp. Nicely presented
L79 convertible in the desirable color
combination of Nassau Blue over somewhat
rare blue-and-white interior. Some pitting on
chrome and trim. New top. Interior looks fresh
other than perhaps the seats. Engine bay is
3+. SOLD AT $43,200. Finished in an unusual
color and fitted with a 302 rather than a
289, this was a very nice driver that showed
well and stood out from the crowd due to the
electrifying paint. A combination of very nice
130
freshly restored, and done to high standards.
Hood appears to be a replacement. Grille is
pitted but hard to see. Cond: 2-. SOLD AT
$62,640. L79 Corvettes are desirable machines
due to the spunky small block that puts
out a noticeable 350 horses. One of Chevrolet’s
most sought-after engines, as they seem to
run forever and are simple to tune. This was a
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English
1951 Jaguar XK 120 OTS
1959 MG A 1500 roadster
Willow Green/beige. 52,750 miles. I6, 3-spd
automatic. 4.2-liter. A spectacular, mint, original
CA car. Two owners, original miles. Original paint,
trim, chrome, rubber, etc. Beautifully preserved with
perfect mechanicals. $49,500 OBO. Contact Kurt,
Kurt Tanner Restorations, 909.920.9221, Email:
kj.tanner@yahoo.com (CA)
German
1961 Porsche 356B Super 90 roadster
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 soft window Targa
1968 Jaguar E-type Series 1½ 2+2 coupe
1968 Mercedes-Benz 230S 4-dr sedan
S/N 671318. Black/red. 867 miles. I6, 4-spd manual.
This striking black on red XK 120 is a numbersmatching
car that has received a comprehensive
restoration. Features a gorgeous red leather interior,
and includes 2 sets of wheels/tires, and a Heritage
Certificate of Authenticity. Classic Showcase, Email:
webmaster@classicshowcase.com Web: classicshowcase.com/index.php/inventory/detail/375
(CA)
1958 MG A Twin-Cam roadster
S/N HDL4361954. Light blue/black leather. 37,226
miles. One CA owner from new w/ low documented
miles. No rust. Totally original. Complete history
file. Original tools, top, side curtains, handbook &
tonneau. Factory luggage carrier, leather seats &
heater/defroster. If you are looking for a totallyoriginal,
low-mile, one-owner car that runs like new,
this is it! Contact Charles, Charles Crail Automobiles,
805.568.1934, Email: charlescrail@mac.com Web:
www.charlescrail.com (CA)
1961 Morgan Plus 4 roadster
Recently rebuilt Super 90 engine. Exceptional condition
throughout. European headlights, knockoff-style
wheels, headrests, clock, luggage rack, tools, CoA,
owner’s manual, current records. $185,000. Fantasy
Junction, 510.653.7555, Email: sales@fantasyjunction.com
Web: www.fantasyjunction.com (CA)
1965 Porsche 356C coupe
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
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 Volkswagen Beetle coupe
Red/black with red piping. 4,257 miles. I4, manual.
Beautiful restoration by top MG restorer. Award
winner. Restored in 1999. Watch video for more
pictures and details. Call 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. CST
$79,900 OBO. Contact Joseph, 847.774.4875, Email:
bortzcars@gmail.com Web: www.youtube.com/
watch?v=8AxLWfPxel8 (IL)
S/N 4796. Silver/maroon. I4, 4-spd manual. This
Morgan is a very rare and desirable example that
just completed a meticulous restoration to show/
driver-level. Includes a soft top and side windows,
along with a Morgan Certificate of Authenticity. Classic
Showcase, 760.758.6100, Email: webmaster@
classicshowcase.com Web: classicshowcase.com/index.
php/inventory/detail/383 (CA)
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www.SportsCarMarket.com/classifieds/place-ad
Yellow/black. 47,594 miles. H4, 4-spd manual.
47,594 actual miles! Have documents back to
original owner, I am the third owner. Exceptional
repaint of original color many years ago, then put
into storage. Black interior, factory radio, original air
plenum under rear lid. Excellent tires. Enough said!
“Do you earn too much to afford one?” $12,500.
Contact Deane, 303.880.2900, Email: Adf8702@
aol.com (CO)
Runs and drives very well. Strong engine and
excellent gearbox. Fine structural condition with
original floor and longitudinals. Equipped with
Golde sunroof. Lukes & Shoreman engine. Tools.
Original owner’s manual. $64,500. Fantasy Junction,
510.653.7555, Email: sales@fantasyjunction.com
Web: www.fantasyjunction.com (CA)
Green/light beige. 20,500 miles. other. One family
owner from new. All original and in excellent condition.
Interior still under wrap from day of delivery.
Car needs nothing. No drips, ever. No rust anywhere.
No paint work. True time capsule. $13,900 OBO.
Contact Terry, 724.216.5723, Email: 59am@
comcast.net (PA)
1970 Volkswagen Beetle Type I 2-dr sedan
136
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
140
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 139
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)
May 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-
141
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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
142
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
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Advertise in the SCM Resource Directory. Call 877.219.2605 Ext. 218 for information, e-mail: scmadvert@sportscarmarket.com.
German
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)
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
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)
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 Family Collection FoundaPutnam
Leasing. 866.90.LEASE.
European Collectibles, Inc.
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!
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)
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
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.
Mercedes-Benz Classic Center.
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
The SL Market Letter,
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.
www.premierfinancialservices.com (CT)
Cosdel International Transportation.
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
144
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)
Museums
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
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 and Accessories
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
Italian
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)
California Car Cover Company.
More than just custom-fit car covers,
California Car Cover is the home
of complete car care and automotive
lifestyle products. Offering the best in
car accessories, garage items, detailing
products, nostalgic collectibles, apparel
and more! Call 1-800-423-5525 or visit
Calcarcover.com for a free catalog.
Griot’s Garage —Car Care for
LeMay—America’s Car Museum
spotlights America’s love affair with
the automobile. The museum rests on
a nine-acre campus featuring rotating
the Perfectionist! Griot’s Garage
celebrates over 22 years as your best
source for a full line of quality car care
products. We Make It. We Teach It. We
Guarantee It. Call today for your free
catalog or enjoy the easy-to-use website
for fast, fun and easy ordering. Our
number one goal is to ensure that you
always...Have fun in your garage!
800.345.5789 • www.griotsgarage.com
www.inmygarage.com. (WA)
Sports Car Market
RESOURCE DIRECTORY
Carl Bomstead
eWatch
Babe Ruth’s Watch Brings $717,000
The price for the World Series time piece dwarfs prices for
porcelain signs, tin toys and a Packard hood ornament
Thought
Carl’s Heritage Auctions, at their recent “Sports Platinum Night Auction,” offered Babe Ruth’s 1923 World Series
he realized his cancer was terminal, and it had dropped out of sight until just recently. At that kind of money, it makes
our stuff look almost reasonable.
MORPHY AUCTIONS
LOT 247—JAPANESE
FRICTION FLYING SPACEMAN
SUPERMAN CYCLE.
Estimate: $12,000–$15,000.
SOLD AT: $55,200, including
20% buyer’s premium. Date:
2/15/2014. This ultra-rare tin
litho cycle with a hard-rubber
figure was found in a toy store in
Japan. It was complete with the
original box that was marked:
“Bandai, Made in Japan.” The
box had some minor creasing,
but the image was bright with
bold graphics. The 12-inch toy
was in near mint condition and
was complete with the Superman
shield on the rider’s chest. Stated
to possibly be the best known
example, and as such, it brought
all the money and then some.
ful sign that are in this condition,
so the lofty price was to be
expected. The double-sided sign
has great graphics, with only
three tiny marks on one side. I
recall a friend buying the other
excellent example many years
ago for $3,500, and he was worried
about paying too much.
MATTHEWS AUCTIONS
LOT 52—CADILLAC LASALLE
AUTHORIZED SERVICE
TIN SIGN. Estimate:
$10,000–$15,000. SOLD AT:
$7,200. This unusual, doublesided
tin sign was mounted in a
metal frame and was hung under
a hood that illuminated the sign.
It had a few light scratches and
scuffs, and the hood and frame
had been repainted. It appeared
that the sign may have had a
light coat of varnish. A striking
sign that sold for well under the
estimates and was one of the few
bargains at the auction.
EBAY #271342260537—
1940 PACKARD HOOD ORNAMENT
WITH ORIGINAL
BOX. Number of Bids: 6. SOLD
AT: $1,325. Date: 12/13/2013.
The 1939–40 Packard hood ornament
was designed by Earle C.
Anthony and was available for
the 17th and 18th Series Packards.
The glass wing was either
grooved or plain. This example
did not appear to have ever
been used on a Packard, and the
original box was a real plus. All
things considered, the price paid
was well within reason.
SAFELY” LICENSE-PLATE
ATTACHMENT. Number of
Bids: 19. SOLD AT: $585. Date
Sold: 12/1/2013. “Crushy,” the
Orange Crush mascot, was featured
on this cute license-plate
attachment. In the 1950s, most
soda companies used licenseplate
attachments to promote
their products, and some are
even reproduced today. They are
very collectible, and even with
some scratches and nicks, this
one went for strong money.
presentation watch that was thought to have been lost to history. It sold for $717,000, including the 19.5%
commission. Ruth had given the 14-karat gold “Gruen Verithin” watch to his friend Charles Schwefel when
MATTHEWS AUC-
TIONS LOT 45—HARBOR
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
PORCELAIN SIGN. Estimate:
$40,000–$60,000. SOLD AT:
$62,400, including 20% buyer’s
premium. Date: 2/28/2014. This
is the only known version of this
sign that is double sided. It is
in exceptional condition, with
bright and vibrant colors and
only a few minor flea bites on
the edge. Price was up there, but
Matthews, at their November
2013 sale, sold a single-sided example
for $57,500, so this looks
like a market-correct price.
EBAY #360826122747—
MATTHEWS AUCTIONS
LOT 48—BRUINOIL BRUIN
GASOLINE TIN FLANGE
SIGN. Estimate: $15,000–
$25,000. SOLD AT: $30,000,
including 20% buyer’s premium.
Date: 2/28/2014. This is one of
only two examples of this color-
EBAY #281214397552—
ORANGE CRUSH “DRIVE
paid at Portland, OR, and at additional mailing offices.
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146
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Sports Car Market (ISSN #1527859X) is published monthly by Automotive Investor Media Group, 401 NE 19th Street, Suite 100, Portland, OR 97232. Periodicals postage
GUNTHERMANN
PRESSED-TIN ANTIQUE
TOY PHAETON WITH PASSENGERS.
Number of Bids:
71. SOLD AT: $19,775. Date:
1/9/2014. This delightful 9.5-inch
tin toy was in exceptional condition,
although it appeared that the
headlamps had been replaced.
It was made by the German toy
manufacturer Gunthermann,
which was in business from 1871
until 1965. From the photographs,
it was difficult to tell if the toy
had any repaints, and the brief
description was in French. A few
years ago, a pristine example, offered
from the Donald Kaufman
Collection, sold for $62,100, so
the replacement headlamps took
a huge toll here. ♦
POSTMASTER
Send address changes to:
Sports Car Market
PO Box 4797, Portland, OR 97208
CPC IPM Sales Agreement No. 1296205
Sports Car Market
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