001

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AUCTION SNAPSHOT BONHAMS

1968 Cadillac Sedan Deville

THE BASICS: Big Style
Blue with black vinyl top Points

and blue vinyl interior. 472- LOT 301, #2 CONDITION
ci V-8 makes 375 hp. Three S/N: B8-221117
owners from new and under
12,000 miles on the clock. Very Sold price: $28,000
original.
now, I’ve said that before, and style that is peak 1960s GM. The pickups and for these. They
PICKERING SAYS: yet here we are again, with market (and a new generation) share the same demographic.
These cars were the ultimate another low-miles example at is waking up to 1960s Cadillac
auction. and if you want proof, just look This was fair money for
transportation for The Greatest to the aftermarket companies a really good example that
Generation, and as you can On the plus side, these cars that exist solely to make modern should forever be kept stock —
imagine, a good number were are nice drivers out on the open air suspension kits for C10 hopefully the new owner has a
treasured before being parked road, and they have a crisp deep garage.
due to grandma or grandpa
grazing a pedestrian or
mailbox. I can remember a time
not that long ago when I’d see
dusty fins like these hanging out
of mid-century modern carports
in a handful of places around
town. Those days are now gone,
but while I’d like to say that
examples such as this are rare

1967 Oldsmobile 442 convertible

THE BASICS: condition and options — most Air Heats But don’t forget that
Slate with black vinyl top. notably factory Four-Seasons the Price condition rating. This car had
a/c., that convertible top, and been restored by Thornton
400-ci engine makes 350 hp the M20 Muncie 4-speed. It’s LOT 313, #1- CONDITION Autoworks to a very nice level,
with a single 4-bbl. Fitted hard to find a 442 drop-top with S/N: 3386677M185484 and that made a difference
with 4-speed and a/c. Recent that combination, and someone Sold price: $72,800 here. But was it worth $72k?
restoration. paid up for it here. Interesting Mecum sold a triple-black
to note, however, that the car instead, it had a period column- one-owner ’67 for $75k back in
PICKERING SAYS: didn’t have a factory tach — mounted Don Garlits Dixco 2017, but it didn’t have a/c or
This 442 is all about tach, complete with the stars buckets and a console. Other
and bars paint scheme. A trio recent sales ranged from $30k
of vintage Sun gauges under to $55k, depending on options
the dash completed the look, and condition. That makes this
and took the place of optional look expensive, even with the
gauges that this car also didn’t great restoration.
have.
All things considered, this
was better sold than bought,
but not a bad deal for either
party. Rarity in muscle wins
again, even in 2020.

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1913 Rauch & Lang Model J Electric Coach

THE BASICS: PICKERING SAYS: Curiosity victors writing the history. This
Brown with red cloth Built when tiller steering was Amplified has logged over 10,000 miles
— although all of those were
interior. 80-volt electric motor. still a thing, this could get you LOT 341, #4 CONDITION prior to its most recent long-
No batteries fitted. In generally from A to B without having term static ownership. With the
original condition and owned to worry about starting that S/N: 29001 proper batteries and a charger,
by a single family since 1957. troublesome gasoline engine in Sold price: $80,640 this is a viable short-range
Some wood rot in battery your early Brass T — or lighting classic that won’t require much
compartment, but interior the boiler in your Stanley. was a selling point for early in the way of upkeep after it’s
presents well. Avoiding broken arms or burns electrics, and it’s weird to think brought back to life.
that the tech was here, then lost,
and is now back again. This car was built specifically
for Chicago socialite Bertha
Looking at this from a Palmer, and a saleroom notice
modern perspective, it seems pointed out that this was likely
almost like a curiosity versus a a one-off model CC, and that
real tool, but that’s a function it was possibly a prototype for
of the internal combustion the later Model J. It’s also only
one of two built in 1912 with
a wheel instead of a tiller, the
other of which went to Thomas
Edison. When it came to
upmarket electrics in the era,
this was top-of-the-line.

This car had a unique history
and a lot of originality, and
the price paid was fair for an
original piece that will make car
people think.

1990 Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo coupe

THE BASICS: same cachet in the Youngtimer That’s kept prices relatively low Japan’s
Black with black leather world as, say, an FD RX-7. in the collector world, at least Corvette
Maybe that’s due to their compared to other halo cars
interior. 2.9-L twin turbo V6 numbers, or the fact that a lot of from the same time period. LOT 314, #3 CONDITION
makes 300 hp. Automatic them were used up as commuter S/N: JN1CZ24A9LX005861
transmission, just over 34,000 cars in the era — similar This one’s long storage has Sold price: $18,480
miles. problems to the C4 Corvette. caused a few issues, with the
consigner acknowledging a bad injector that’s causing a
PICKERING SAYS: misfire on one cylinder only and
There’s a lot to like about this the need for a new timing belt
due to age. Those issues — and
Z, from the color to the mileage the automatic transmission —
— but it’s too bad it’s an auto, made this price a win for the
as that takes a lot of the fun out seller.
of it.

These Z cars were popular
here in the U.S. when they were
released in 1990 — but prices
rose with the model year, which
limited sales and eventually
spelled the end for this car in the
U.S. market by 1996.

It’s also interesting to note
that they’ve never taken on the

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1966 Chevrolet C10 torque thanks to that 502, and finish is a plus here. A Modern
it’s a desirable short bed ’66 with As a no-nonsense driver, this Hot Rod
THE BASICS: the big back window. It also
Teal and white with tan has a factory in-dash tach, nice was bought at about what it LOT 351, #2+ CONDITION
paint and chrome, and a new would cost to build one — but it S/N: C1446S111543
vinyl interior. 502-ci big block stained wood bed, and a nice really should have dual-circuit Sold price: $35,840
Chevrolet makes approx. 450 modified stance on black steelies disc brakes up front to mellow
hp. 3-speed auto trans, still with dog dish caps. Fit and that 502. That’s a relatively This is a nice truck, but there
fitted with drum brakes. cheap add-on. are others out there like it for the
same money that have injected
PICKERING SAYS: LS power, big brakes, and even
Classic American pickups lower stances — if that’s your
thing. As it is, the new owner
are still all the rage right now, had better prepare for a lot of
and for good reason: they’re conversations about this truck.
plentiful, parts are available,
and they share the same basic
layout as muscle cars of the
same era. They also stayed
cheap when muscle took off in
the 2000s. Young people who
dreamed of GTOs and Chevelles
back then often actually had
C10s and F100s, and that built
a following for these trucks
that now spans generations of
enthusiasts.

This truck has big power and

1935 Mercedes-Benz 290 Cabriolet A

THE BASICS: PICKERING SAYS: Striking or so, but the catalog copy on
Black with red leather There can’t be that many Starting Point this example was a little more
forthcoming than most. In fact,
interior and tan cloth top. unrestored Mercedes from LOT 355, #5 CONDITION the story goes that German
2,867-cc inline six makes 68 this era still out there. When S/N: 101829.352 flags, banners, flag mounts
hp. Barn-find condition drips restored, these cars are Sold price: $362,500 and more were still with this
with originality, but needs imposing, and there’s no car after the war, but when a
everything from top to bottom. denying the technology and history, and that is certainly subsequent buyer drove the car
From the Petersen Museum finish that went into them part of the equation here, with into Marseilles to pick up those
Vault Collection. when new. Of course, cars like this car first being delivered to a items from the seller’s home
this tend to have a checkered winemaker in France, and then in the late 1950s, the initially
ending up in a dispersal sale in busy town street went quiet and
France after the war. You can door knocks went unanswered.
imagine why. That just about sums up the
sentiment — at least for some.
Many Mercedes from this era
tend to have big holes in their Still, this is a desirable
histories from 1939 to 1946 Cabriolet A body by
Sindelfingen, which is the
sleekest of the Cabs built by
the company on this sporting
chassis. A restoration won’t
be cheap here, but this is the
price of entry for a more or less
complete starting point, and it
will be striking when done. Sold
for double its pre-sale estimate.

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1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429

THE BASICS: Report and Kar Kraft inspection Parts Make America and Shelby American
Red with black vinyl. 429-ci report. it Whole Automobile Club head judge)
restored it in the 1980s, using
Boss engine makes a claimed PICKERING SAYS: LOT 318, #2 CONDITION what the catalog said were NOS
375 hp. Restored by a Boss Boss 429s are interesting cars S/N: 9F02Z172937 parts hunted down when that
expert years back, with multiple Sold price: $346,000 stuff was still available at swap
awards, including the Triple in the number of Boss-specific meets. The car was shown three
Crown in 1990. Documented parts needed to build them. Even cars, so getting one restored right times — twice at MCA national
with window sticker, Marti the lug nuts are specific to these can be a real challenge. This one shows and once at the Shelby
had the right stuff, and that was Nationals — and it was given
reflected in the price paid here. a National Points Champion
award each time. But that was
This car spent its early life as around the same time as the
a drag racer, which explains its Exxon Valdez disaster.
3,500-or-so miles on the clock.
Bob Perkins (Mustang Club of Still, storage has been kind
here, and the car presents exactly
as you might expect from a
national-level resto done by an
expert on the model. When it
comes to 429s, you either have
the best or you don’t, and the
price reflects that. This was a
good price for a well-done car in
2020.

1912 Peugeot Bébé 6HP Type BP1 tourer

THE BASICS: the 1950s. It does have a good might expect of a car from this The Baby
Green and black with black degree of originality, as well era that’s never been completely Bugatti
as some period aftermarket restored.
leather. 856-cc T-head four modifications that include lamps LOT 316, #3 CONDITION
makes 10 hp. Said to be one and an acetylene generator by These don’t come up for S/N: 10357
of the most original surviving Phares Ducellier. That said, auction often, but this sale was Sold price: $78,400
examples, and fitted with period it had been repainted, and it in-line with previous auction
accessories. certainly showed the wear you results, specifically an RM in 2015. That car was two years
Auctions $74k sale at Hershey newer and completely restored.
PICKERING SAYS: This car, however, set a record
When is a Bugatti not a for the model when it sold for
$55k at Bonhams Vintage New
Bugatti? When it’s one of these England sale back in 2009. Fair,
Peugeots. Bugatti was still trying then, that it would outdo others
to get his own business off the again, thanks to that originality.
ground in the 1910s, so to help
stay afloat, he sold designs to
several companies, Peugeot
being one of them. The BP1 Bébé
ended up being one of Bugatti’s
most successful designs, with
3,000 or so sold. Bugatti actually
bought some of these cars off the
line, changed their appearance
and spec slightly and sold them
as his own Bugatti Type 19s.

This car came to the U.S.
within the last few years, but has
been traced back to Holland in

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2009 Aston Martin DBS coupe

THE BASICS: back end stepped out around rear-seat delete. This was the Angry and
White with black leather a few Monterey roundabouts. I last V-12 Aston available with Desirable
still want one. a third pedal, and that makes
interior. 5.9-L DOHC V-12 the experience. I like that it LOT 356, #2 CONDITION
makes 510 hp. 6-speed manual. And if you want one too, isn’t Bond-silver or black, and S/N: SCFAB05D39GE00783
Two owners from new and less something like this is what the miles are low-ish enough
than 10,000 miles. you should be looking for. The to suggest light use without the Sold price: $108,640
6-speed version is rare on these need for a lot of storage-related
PICKERING SAYS: shores, especially one that is recomissioning.
The Craig-era Bond DBS is a The price here was light

visceral machine. It combines considering the car’s spec and
top-level fit and finish with a condition, and I think there’s
fantastic V-12 soundtrack and plenty of upside for the new
matching performance. Carbon owner, even after using the car.
fiber is everywhere in these I’d say the buyer got a very good
cars, keeping them light, and deal here.
the package produces a 0-60
of about 4.3 seconds. The short
time I had in one — 15 minutes
or so back in 2009 with Linkage
contributor and Porsche
Panorama editor Rob Sass — is
burned into my memory with
the V-12 in full wail and the

1931 Bentley 8-Litre Tourer

THE BASICS: 1960s. Original chassis, engine, Silent Speed was silent speed, even at 100
Green with green leather and axles. and a Market mph. The inline eight makes
Price enough torque to keep up
interior and black cloth top. PICKERING SAYS: with modern traffic, even with
7,983-cc inline eight makes 220 The 8-Litre was Bentley’s LOT 330, #2- CONDITION heavy, opulent coachwork
hp. Early Works history, fitted S/N: YF5013 fitted — so this must be a lot
with Saoutchik Sports Saloon attempt to take on the Rolls- Sold price: $885,000 of fun to drive. This is the final
body from new, now with a Royce Phantom II, but it word in Cricklewood-built
Swallow body fitted in the early came at the wrong time for the company, thanks to the elegance from the W.O. era,
collapse of the stock market. and the fact that it’s worn three
Only 100 were built, and the different bodies over the years
cost of doing so put Bentley in a — the most recent requiring
financial bind that only selling a shortening of the frame —
out to Rolls-Royce could solve. didn’t slow the price much, as it
was a common occurrence with
These cars are special — these cars.
offering what Bentley claimed
As a car eligible for a lot of
different events and concours,
this was bang on the market for
the model.

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MARKET MOVER 1965 SHELBY GT350R PROTOTYPE

A Really Historic Sale

Any competent mechanic can recreate a Shelby GT350, but no one can
duplicate the history of this real 1965 Shelby GT350R

by THOR THORSON

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photography MECUM AUCTIONS

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MARKET MOVER 1965 SHELBY GT350R PROTOTYPE

VIN SFM5R002 OKAY, HERE IS your basic conundrum: This car is concerned that it was being seen as a “secretary’s car.”
$3,850,000 accepted as being pretty much the most collectible So, they went to Carroll Shelby to see about how to
Lot F140, Mecum Auctions, Shelby GT350 in the world, but the parallel reality is man-up the image. Although he was plenty busy with
Indianapolis, IN, July 17, 2020 that a moderately competent 25-year old with a 1965 the Shelby Cobra and Ford GT40 projects, Shelby said
Mustang Fastback and $30,000 could create effectively yes.
the exact same car in two months. When done, the
replica would be worth little — if any — more than the Crude and fast
car he started with.
It started with Ford shipping three white K-code
Is the history and the number stamped somewhere (high-performance option) fastbacks to Shelby’s shop,
on the chassis really worth that much? and then the racing crew went to work. Two of the cars
were to become SCCA racers, while the third was to
Well, actually yeah, it is, and herein lies the crux become the prototype GT350 street car. There were no
of our discussion. It has to do with the iconography chassis numbers at this point, but somewhat later they
surrounding the Shelby and Mustang brands. I use went back and assigned 5R001 and 5R002 to the racers
that word advisedly, as Merraim-Webster defines it and 5R003 to the street car.
as “images or symbols associated with a subject and
especially a religious or legendary object.” You get the The work was pretty basic — sometimes crude.
idea — as a symbol, being “real” and “the first” are The race engines were hot-rodded, front suspension
immensely important. pick up points were revised with Koni racing shocks
installed and an aluminum T-10 transmission
Let’s set up the backstory. In mid-1964, Ford replaced the stock Ford gearbox.
introduced their sportier alternative to the Falcon —
the Mustang. Its long hood/short rear deck concept Every possible pound of weight was torn out. Spring
was well-accepted and cute, but Ford brass were rates were increased front and rear and the inner

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fenders were air-chiseled to make room for more stripes, bulges, and grumbly exhaust that reimagine
wheel and tire. Nobody at the time thought they were the original Shelby GT350.
building an icon or collector piece — they were just
quick-and-dirty race cars. The collective desire and fantasies that originated
back in 1965 remain immensely powerful.
The first car out the door (5R002) was completed
for an introduction in late January 1965, followed by But in the beginning, there were only three. It had
its first race in mid-February. Shelby and his team to start somewhere, and these three cars were the
had done the job right, and the new racing GT350R beginning. Everything that followed was derivative.
ran away from the field, winning everything and being These were the original inflection points, and they
photographed in the air off a bump in what was to reflect the genius of the people who created and drove
become one of the most iconic Shelby promotions them: grubby, rough, and utterly uninterested in the
ever: the “Flying Mustang.” fame and notoriety they engendered. Real.

Iconic originals Of the three, 002 is the best — even though a
very long history has cost it much of its original
We all know the rest of the story: the Shelby brand componentry. 001 doesn’t have quite the history, and
became almost mystical, the Mustang became 003 was a street car (and they are both in long-term
incredibly successful, selling well over 10 million collections).
examples, and the GT350 became an enduring
symbol of virile American masculinity. Even today, 55 If you just want the experience, you can do a replica
years later, probably one in 10 Mustangs sold has the for very little money. If you wanted the iconic GT350,
though, this was the option, and this was what it took
to have it.

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AUCTION SNAPSHOT GOODING & COMPANY

Passion
to Pounds

Hubert Fabri’s collection broke records at
Gooding & Co’s first international auction

by PAUL HARDIMAN

“Passion of a Lifetime,”
Gooding & Company
September 5, 2020

14/15 cars sold | $45,139,331

ON SEPTEMBER 5, Gooding & Co’s very first sale
outside the United States took place during the
Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace.
This one-off sale was solely to disperse 15 of the
cars diligently collected over more than 30 years by
Hubert Fabri. All of the cars were significant for their
provenance, rarity and originality.

Fabri’s lifetime’s achievement was displayed in
the walled courtyard of the Palace in west London,
once home to Henry VIII and the Tudor dynasty. The
auction was staged live on a windy day in front of 48
socially distanced bidders, although that was more
than could be said of the concours crowd, which
strained for a look over the picket fence that separated
them.

Gooding’s regular auctioneer Charlie Ross once
again brought his idiosyncratically British charm to
the rostrum, hammering many of the cars slightly
below their estimates while setting six world records,
mostly to phone bidders.

After the market had been treading water for most
of 2020, this was a landmark sale that set a $3.2M
average price per car — a new record high for a classic
car auction.

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1928 Bugatti Type 35C   some of the seat leather may of scrutineering stickers stuck Patina
be the original, but don’t let inside the body testifies that With Pride
THE BASICS:   the carefully cultivated air it has been raced regularly,
Red with black leather. of dilapidation fool you – including at the Goodwood Lot 10, #4 condition
mechanically, this car has Revival in 2014. S/N: 4871
1,991cc supercharged I-8 been completely gone through Sold price: $5,216,711
makes 130 hp. Very original, by leading Bugatti specialist This was estimated at “in
mechanically restored. Two Ivan Dutton Ltd. It is UK excess of £3M” and it was much it would over-run. The
owners since 1958. One of 30.  road registered and a sheaf always going to reach that — answer was a winning bid of
the question was by just how £3.5M, which when premium
HARDIMAN SAYS: was added, increased for this
What makes this car special? sale to match the UK norm
of 15% on the first £500,000
Chassis 4871 had a pretty good bid, meant £3.95M all in — or
start, being the works entry for $5.21M. If anyone tries to paint
the 1928 Targa Florio before a it they need shooting.
Grand Prix career in the hands
of various private owners.
What stands it out today is
its unrepeatable originality
and preservation following
ownership by three major
Belgian collectors. Fabri is the
most recent, having acquired
the car in 1998. 35C is the
factory designation for a 2-litre
supercharged car: 35B is a 2.3
(140 hp/45 made).

The paint is now peeling
(it’s always been red) and

1934 Bugatti Type 59

A World factory teams, it was developed
Record with revised bodywork as a
sports car sans supercharger
Lot 4, #3 condition and later sold to King Leopold
S/N: 57248 III of Belgium.

Sold price: $12,640,747 This is probably the best
known 59, having appeared at
THE BASICS: HARDIMAN SAYS: reinforced wheels replaced the the Goodwood Festival of Speed
Black with brown leather, The ultimate Bugatti GP racer. cast alloys. a number of times, and it’s also
just about the ugliest (Ralph
3,257cc I-8 makes near This is essentially a Type 54 with This was the factory racer Lauren’s, with its traditional
200 hp unblown (250 hp a Swiss-cheesed chassis and in 1934-35, winning the ’34 horseshoe grille, looks more like
supercharged). Mechanically smaller 3.3-liter engine, down Belgian GP with René Dreyfus. a real Bugatti). Still, that didn’t
restored by Duttons. One of six from the 54’s 4.9. The motor is After Bugatti withdrew from stop it getting close — once you
or seven according to Bugatti derived from the Type 57’s but GP events due to being unable add the buyer’s premium — to
Trust. is dry-sumped, and piano-wire- to keep up with the German the £10M ($13.2M) predicted
before the sale.

Actually, the top bid was
£8.5M, which was £1.5M below
the “in excess of £10M” widely
touted before the sale, but the
final £9,535,000 price ($12.6M)
was near enough, and a world
record for a Bugatti at auction.

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1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV Speciale

THE BASICS: It seems the Miura was a who don’t. Chassis 4878 was The Best of
Gold with black leather, revelation for the Lamborghini built uniquely and to special the Miuras
people. Why bother with (pure) order for industrialist Jacques
3,929cc transverse V-12 makes function if (sexy) form sells?” Dembiermont, fitted with Lot 2, #2 condition
375 hp. Best in the world? One dry sump and LSD like Bob S/N: 4878
of one (and 150 SVs) Fabri liked to drive his Wallace’s development car. It Sold price: $4,258,896
cars so these considerations was restored in its original Oro
HARDIMAN SAYS: won’t apply so much to folk Metallizzato, and here it simply
Not just any old P400, but ran away with itself in a fierce
bout of bidding, ending up (on
an SV, and a very special one the phone) at more than double
at that: “It blew my 13-year- the £1.6M pre-sale estimate at
old mind when it came out,” £3,207,000 ($4.26M). Speciale
Fabri has said. “It would be indeed.
many years before I would own
one, arguably a very special
car indeed, a gold car with the
dry-sump engine block of the
only true Jota. It has a wonderful
engine in sound and action
with a never-ending flow of
power, but the rest is somewhat
crude and neglected: the driving
position, the visibility, the precise
yet somewhat lifeless steering
and the peculiar handling.

1961 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato

THE BASICS: for 35 years, and it was so The Market £6.3M ($8.37M) according to
Maroon with black leather, unmolested it looked almost Speaks the auctioneers, which was too
wrong, with deeply hooded air far behind the £7M ($9.3M)
3,670cc I-6 makes 302 hp. intake and narrow Borranis. Lot 7, #3 condition lower estimate to be let go — but
Largely unmolested, 20 That contrasted with the DB4GT S/N: DB4GT/0176/R Aston dealers and pundits say
originals built, 19 left (or 19 Zagato “2 VEV,” which sold the price would have been right
originals built, one twice). at Bonhams Goodwood for No sale high bid: $8,372,382 for condition.
$13.2M in 2018. That car looks
HARDIMAN SAYS: rather different today than it does in period photos — and So I think we can say the
Fabri had owned this car not just because it was rebuilt to market has spoken on his one.
super-lightweight spec after a big Remember, there are only 19
accident in 1962. originals, all subtly different,
though the works has made at
This was the only lot in the least six more Sanction II and
sale that failed to find a new Sanction III cars, as well as the
home, even though a post- multitudes of freelance copies
sale deal was confidently that have been executed since,
expected. The high bid was with varying degrees of success.
This is the real deal, and it’s still
for sale.

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1955 Aston Martin DB3S developed under David Brown. Gorgeous, Europe, England, and New
Designed by Frank Feeley and But With Zealand during 1955 and 1956,
THE BASICS: featuring a twin-cam, straight- Stories with the most notable result
Green with black leather, six 3-liter engine, the DB3S was being second place at the 12
raced by the Works team, while Lot 13, #2- condition Hours of Hyères.
2,922cc I-6 makes 225 hp. 20 were sold to privateers. This S/N: DB3S/102
Wrecked and rebuilt, historic- is one of those cars. Fitted with a Perspex canopy,
raced since. One of 31. Sold price: $3,991,745 in 1957 it set a new Australian
HARDIMAN SAYS: These are slightly funny old Land Speed Record, averaging
things. Though not as heavy DB3 was when new, they’re no 143.19 mph over a dirt road, but
The DB3S replaced the and uncompetitive as the D-type, and a C-type is better to was then wrecked at Bathurst
DB3 in 1953 as Aston’s first drive and costs much the same in 1960 before being restored in
purpose-built sports racing car money. the 1970s and used in historic
racing. It’s running a twin-plug
Chassis 102 is one of three DB3 engine, but the original
customer cars ordered for (VB6K/102) accompanied it on
the Kangaroo Stable — the a stand.
Australian racing team led by
David McKay and Tony Gaze. Estimated at £3M-£4M
It was campaigned throughout ($3.9M-$5.3M), it stalled at
£2.4M with a bidder seated in
the room. At the last minute,
two new bidders upped the
stakes to £2.65M and then
£2.675M, which was just under
$4M all in. More than fair for
a car with a rather convoluted
history that’s unlikely ever to be
a winner.

1935 Aston Martin Ulster

THE BASICS: the 1935 Tourist Trophy with a bought it, requiring a lot of new Better
Blue with black leather, burst oil pipe. bodywork and a replacement Provenance
engine. The original parts Than Racing
1,481cc I-4 makes 80-85 hp. The car did take a class win remain with the car. History
Ex-Bira, restored. One of 21 at the 24 Hours of Spa in 1936
customer cars (plus up to 10 with its second owner after Works Ulsters (team car Lot 11 #2 condition
works cars). being rebuilt by the Works. It chassis numbers start LM) S/N: G5/588U
was dismantled in the late ’40s rarely come to market, but the
HARDIMAN SAYS: and only restored in the mid best of the 21 customer cars Sold price: $2,098,615
This didn’t have much period ’90s by Ecurie Bertelli after Fabri should be expected to crack
$2M, most recently in 2017
competition history, but its ($2.1M for A5/537/U with
first owner was “B Bira” — Bonhams at Retromobile,
Prince Birabongse Bhanudej and $2.2M for B5/549/U with
Bhanubandh of Siam, who with RM at Monterey). Against a
his cousin Prince Chula operated £1.6M-£2.2M ($2.1M-$2.9M)
the White Mouse stable of some estimate here, final price was
of the best racing cars in the ’30s. £1,583,000 — or just under
$2.1M.
The overhead-cam engine
is only a 1500 but confers over
100 mph in a car weighing well
under a ton. Bira, who favored
chrome for the radiator shell and
suspension parts rather than
the factory painted finish, didn’t
keep this one long, perhaps
disheartened by failing to finish

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AUCTION SNAPSHOT GOODING & COMPANY

1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante

A Barn-find. A later owner fitted
Would You a supercharger in the
Believe It? ’40s, bringing it up to SC
specification, but shortly after
Lot 15, #3+ condition changing hands again in 1955
S/N: 57502 it was put away in a barn
for 50 years until the owner’s
Sold price: $10,413,536 death. It was disinterred in
2008 and acquired by Fabri
THE BASICS: looking car, but another that Only 17 originally carried at Bonhams’ Retromobile
Black with tan leather. has been completely gone Jean Bugatti’s swooping auction in 2009 for €3,417,500
through by the Duttons. This Atalante coachwork; this one ($4.43M), then handed over to
Supercharged 3,257cc I-8 was the pinnacle of Bugatti’s was originally delivered to the Duttons who carried out one
makes 160 hp. Sympathetically road car production, with racing driver and president of of their trademark “invisible”
restored. One of 17 Atalantes “S” standing for surbaissé, or the Bugatti Owners’ Club Earl restorations, keeping its
(710 total 57s) lowered. Lighter, faster, and Howe. Following an accident, fabulous external patina.
more technically advanced than he replaced it with a Type 57 C
HARDIMAN SAYS: the already superb Type 57. Atalante in 1945. With an estimate “in excess
Another very original- of” £7M, it hammered for that
figure on the nose, just enough
to get the job done, and a final
price of £7,855,000 ($10.4M), a
world record. Like all of Fabri’s
cars, find another...

1924 Vauxhall 30-98

THE BASICS: compensator ahead of the unkindly termed them, these Thinking Man’s
Gray with brown leather, radiator, used after front-wheel will generally have the legs on Alternative
brakes arrived in 1924. a 4 1/2 Bentley, as well as the 3 to a Bentley 4½
4,224cc I-4 makes 115 hp. Tick Litre that was its rival in period. Litre
all the boxes. One of 12. With a 4,224cc overhead-
valve engine mounted in a With probably its original Lot 12 Cond 2-
HARDIMAN SAYS: lighter chassis than WO’s coachwork and leather, and S/N: OE183
Considerably rarer than a “lorries,” as Ettore Bugatti rather presented in splendid order Sold price: $1,653,174

4 1/2 Bentley – especially in throughout, this well-known
lightweight-bodied Wensum car ticked all the boxes for the
form – and named after 30-98 fancier, and went on
the river in Norfolk where to sell for a price that would
Vauxhall’s then works manager buy you three 4 1/2 Bentleys.
kept a speedboat. Of the 313 World record for a Vauxhall at
overhead-valve OE 30-98s, only auction.
a dozen or so were bodied like
this, the wooden-decked skiff
style nominally having three
seats but really being suitable
only for two.

The nautical style extends
to the vee windscreen and
chunky instruments, and this
car also sports the earlier low-
radiator style, as well as the
so-called “kidney box” brake

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AUCTION SNAPSHOT GOODING & COMPANY

1927 Bentley 3 Litre Speed Model

THE BASICS: but the final price was near Splendid, and for three decades by a founding
Gray with blue leather, 4 1/2 Litre money. Average 3 Original Numbers member of the Bentley Drivers
Litres struggle to get much over Club. And so far, everyone has
2,996cc I-4 makes 82 hp. Orig- £200k ($265k) in the UK right Lot 1, #2 condition resisted making it into a 3/41/2
inal chassis, body and motor, now, which was the opening S/N: BL1620 — a popular modification as
restored. One of 513. offer on this one. It finished on a Sold price: $457,374 Cricklewood Bentley engine
round £300k bid. numbers are stamped on one of
HARDIMAN SAYS: dition, but it retained all of its the engine bearers integral with
This missed its lower estimate What marked this car out original major components: the crankcase, therefore increas-
was not just its splendid con- chassis, coachwork and engine. ing capacity with a new cylinder
like most of the cars in the sale, Even the factory would mix block that does not change the
and match parts in period, for car’s identity or matching-num-
example when cars came back bers status.
in for repairs.
The Vanden Plas fabric
It’s the desirable short-chassis body was recovered using
Red Label Speed Model, owned original-type Rexine during
restoration in Fabri’s ownership
(from around 2012), taking the
opportunity to change the color
from black back to something
like the original blue, though
it originally may have had tan
leather, later red.

Slightly pricey, but expected.

1959 Lancia Flaminia 2500 Sport

THE BASICS: and had been enjoyed by Fabri This sold for £310,500 Cheapest Lot,
Silver with black leather. on events such as the Tour including premium against a But a Cutie
Auto Optic 2000 (what used to £400k ($530k) lower estimate. It
2,458cc V-6 makes 140 hp. be called the Tour de France was “on the market” at £270k, Lot 8, #2 condition
Fairly original, repainted/ before those cycling types got all where it attracted a bid just S/N: 824.00.1369
retrimmed. One of 344. possessive over the name). sufficient to buy it. The cheapest Sold price: $411,636

HARDIMAN SAYS: car in the collection, this was
Three Lancias in this sale overshadowed by multi-million
dollar Bugattis setting world-
balanced up the three Astons record prices, but still good
and the three Bugattis, and money — and a nice thing to
they were all intelligent and have.
informed choices: Lambda,
which pioneered independent
front suspension and a unitary
body, European-market Aurelia
B24S Spider America and this
Zagato-bodied Flaminia.

This car was not the ultimate
model as you might expect but
the earliest, a Series 1, with
the smallest engine. Supplied
new in white with red leather,
it’s otherwise largely original

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MARKET MOVER 1937 BUGATTI TYPE 57S ATALANTE

Try to Find Another One

Bugatti Type 57S Atalantes are automotive royalty, but long history
and a sympathetic restoration made this one worth a royal ransom

by DONALD OSBORNE

Chassis number: 57502 WHEN DOES A car that does not set the record for a
$10,413,536 marque at auction deserve to be discussed? Bugatti.
Lot 15, Gooding & Company Type 57. Surbaisee. Atalante. One of 15. An aristocratic
Passion of a Lifetime, racing driver, silk racing overalls.
Hampton Court Palace, UK,
September 5, 2020 Top all of this off with a fascinating approach to
“restoration,” and the ingredients all come together in
122  Linkage 001 an intriguing dish.

Any Bugatti is worthy of attention — some much
more than others. All can agree that what Jean Bugatti
created for the Type 57 was remarkable and marvelous
to appreciate — and slightly tragic in retrospect.

The Stelvio cabriolet and the Ventoux, Atalante and
Atlantic coupes were by any standard among the more
attractive cars of the 1930s, and the fact that they were
“factory” designs make them all the more remarkable.
Jean Bugatti’s designs for them captured the spirit of
Bugatti with his pen that is emblematic of so many of
the most memorable and important automobiles.

Pretty — but not delicate

Jean Bugatti’s coupes in particular possess
a combination of elemental tautness and lean
muscularity that is also elegant — and I dare say
“pretty” — which is a word generally used dismissively
when referring to something of importance. But what
allows these cars to be pretty — while avoiding any
sense of the superficial or superfluous — is that their
delicacy is the tasty icing over great hidden strength.

Simple, unadorned lines with subtle detailing give
the elegance, while the well-defined haunches of the
rear fenders and the long-hood, short rear proportions

All images copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company. Photos by MATHIEU HEURTAULT

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MARKET MOVER 1937 BUGATTI TYPE 57S ATALANTE

underscore the performance capabilities of the Type to keep pace when it came to developments such
57 coupes. as hydraulic brakes, independent suspension and
double-overhead-cam engines. Sometimes he won,
They look like powerful big cats about to pounce but most often his father put him off. But he was not
from rest. deterred. The Surbaisse model, with its sophisticated
lowered chassis, was Jean’s brainchild.
The physical beauty of these cars rest on
mechanicals that cash the check the body wrote. The It enabled the Type 57 to have road holding
Type 57 was capable of nearly 100 mph in basic form, capabilities beyond those of many of the competition
and well over that in tuned form. There was a good — perhaps not to the level of Alfa Romeo, whose
deal of “fast” styling happening in the 1930s, with sleek 6C 2300 and 8C 2900 boasted independent front
and aerodynamic bodywork covering thoroughly suspension, hydraulic brakes and superb steering
pedestrian powertrains. geometry. The Bugatti was, however faster on average.

This car has the styling and the performance. Of course, I am a committed tin-top enthusiast,
and I would argue that while Jean Bugatti designed
Jean Bugatti’s legacy some lovely open cars, his true masterpieces are these
coupes.
Jean Bugatti was the key reason that the company
was able to hold its place in the performance car Magnificent history preserved
pantheon after the late 1920s. Like Henry Ford before
him and Enzo Ferrari afterwards, Ettore Bugatti This example, sold at Gooding & Company’s long-
became notoriously averse to pioneering engineering awaited “Passion of a Lifetime” sale, could only
later in life. Like Edsel Ford, another son often have been “improved” by the addition of a factory
thwarted by his father’s intransigence, Jean often supercharger. As it is, the car tells a wonderful story of its
faced resistance to his ideas. life well lived with the conservation of the aftermarket
Marshall supercharger installed by a later owner.
Jean pushed relentlessly to move the company
forward, if not in advance of the competition, at least

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For me, the story of this car is extremely appealing. almost all the modifications that had been made to the
I find continuous history as compelling as strict car by its few owners — including the aforementioned
originality — and it is certainly preferable to a car supercharger. He also added a few of his own for
which has had all traces of its past life erased in a take- drivability, including the latest in high-tech heat
no-prisoners, ground-up restoration. Of course, there suppression insulation.
are very good reasons for a total restoration, and for
me, most of those involve the previous loss of original The result is an 83-year old car that produces a
materials, specification and an unstoppable presence genuine 200 horsepower — and usable on modern
of deterioration and decay. highways if necessary — but with all the character
and characteristics that you want to have in a Bugatti
The Bugatti Type 59 that was also in this sale was the Type 57. It’s small wonder that the car brought such
record setter — selling for £9,535,000 — $12,356,000 a massive price, as it would be difficult — if not
at the exchange rate of £1=$1.295. It was the most any impossible — to replicate.
Bugatti had ever sold for at an auction sale and quite
well deserved. As a note, I recall this car quite clearly from its
appearance at Bonhams’ February 2009 Rétromobile
The Type 59 is rare, and the example sold in sale, when it was offered in “garage find” condition
London had a remarkable and complete history, with from the estate of its fifth owner. It was captivating
interesting racing results from the most noted Bugatti then, and I could not have imagined a more effective
drivers of the era. It is also preserved in a remarkable and appealing resurrection than that done by the
state of “as-is” cosmetic condition, even though it got a seller in London.
comprehensive mechanic rebuild. This is just what so
many understanding collectors and experienced and If I had anything at which to cavil, it would be that in
capable restorers prize. repainting it I would have chosen Lord Howe’s original
black-over-blue color scheme.
The seller had the same sensitivity with the Atalante,
but here it was taken even further. The seller retained Otherwise, it is a terrific example of a wonderful car,
unrepeatable and correctly bought.

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AUCTION SNAPSHOT WORLDWIDE AUCTIONEERS

Classics in Auburn

Worldwide hits a home run over Labor Day weekend

by B. MITCHELL CARLSON

The Auburn Auction, WORLDWIDE AUCTIONEERS’ AUBURN auction Ludlum — three specially fabricated stainless steel
Worldwide Auctioneers was their first live event since their pre-COVID- Ford Motor Company cars, all sold together as one
September 5, 2020 era Scottsdale auction in January. Held over Labor group.
Day weekend at Worldwide HQ in Auburn, IN, the
57/65 cars sold | $6,945,400 company offered 65 automotive consignments Still, a local car led all sales: a 1935 Auburn 851 SC
alongside several hundred pieces of automobilia. Speedster, which sold at $1,072,500.

Three no-reserve collections helped the bottom Overall, with one post-block sale included, 57
line here: 15 restomods from “The Pristine cars here brought $6,945,400, including a 10%
Collection of Eric McConnell,” seven Corvettes buyer’s fee. That’s approximately $3M more than
from “The Red Collection,” and most notably, “The last year, and that event had more cars. So even with
Stainless Steel Trifecta” consigned by Allegheny “the new normal” of the pandemic, there are live
auction success stories — and this was one of them.

1970 Dodge Super Bee 440-6 2-dr hard top

THE BASICS: Pack rear and the Ramcharger interior vinyl had been replaced Full Retail
Sublime with white vinyl cold air intake. 2007 isn’t as over two decades ago, but it was
recent as you might remember, aging better, looking bright and Lot 6, #2- condition
bucket seats and console. and the paint was showing clean. VIN WM23V0G155059
Options include Six Pack 440, some of that age via some visible Sold price: $85,250
4-speed, power brakes and AM cracking here and there. All the Generally, Mopar muscle has
radio. Several Mopar Nationals been stable to stagnant in the market until this year, yet cars
awards after 2007 resto. with more desirable features
and powertrains (such as the
CARLSON SAYS: Six Pack carburetors) have been
This is pretty much second or moving up lately. The sale here
pretty much represents full retail.
third place of what comes into
one’s mind when one thinks of
a Mopar muscle car (I think the
ultimate epitome of that is a
Plum Crazy 1970 Hemi ‘Cuda
convertible).

This car had a good look, a
warranty replacement 440-6
with a pistol-grip 4-speed, Track

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AUCTION SNAPSHOT WORLDWIDE AUCTIONEERS

1931 Cadillac Series 355 V-8 Victoria coupe

THE BASICS: Reasonably
Blue metallic with black Good Deal

leatherette top and gray Lot 8, #4+ condition
broadcloth bucket seat interior. VIN 808532
Long inside storage, but it’s
mostly original other than Sold price: $38,500
some repaint work. 353-ci 95-
hp flathead V-8 with floor-shift excuses driver, giving it a proper closed-body Full Classics have
3-speed manual. repaint, just enough cosmetic been rather lackluster in the
reconditioning to remove damage market, this was still a reasonably
CARLSON SAYS: and put the shine back into this good deal despite the work to
The seller said this car was Standard of the World. While keep it a viable in the future.

mostly original, but also that it
had some paintwork before it had
been stored away 65 years ago.
Due to the piecemeal and flaky
old repaint, this isn’t really the
Survivor-grade original that some
probably feel it is.

Still, it’s worthy of sorting out its
mechanical issues to make it a no-

1935 Packard Eight Series 1201 Dual-Cowl Phaeton

Expensive
Resto, Free
Packard

Lot 38, #2 condition
VIN 1201-206

Sold price: $176,000

THE BASICS: brightwork and color change are somewhat oddly sized rubber for your dually truck
Silver with black cloth top repaint as part of third owner’s — they are smaller than the was expensive!
restoration. fronts. Despite having factory
and leather interior. 320-ci dual side-mount spare tire Considering that the
I-6 with “cane shift” 3-speed. CARLSON SAYS: equipment, a spare tire/wheel restoration cost was likely the
Thought to be the only 1201 Due to the shorter wheelbase assembly is in the trunk. And purchase price here and you
with a factory dual cowl you thought a complete set of get a complementary one-of-
body. Expert body work, of the 1201 than the 1202 and one Packard that has never
larger Packards, the rear doors been judged, this was well
bought. That’s especially true
if you appreciate open-bodied
Full Classics — a segment of
the market that has seen some
increases in sales and values.

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AUCTION SNAPSHOT WORLDWIDE AUCTIONEERS

1966 Chevrolet Corvette 427/425 convertible

THE BASICS: Well Bought
Rally Red with white top and
Lot 20, #2- condition
red vinyl interior. L72 427/425 VIN 194676S104689
V-8 and 4-speed. Optioned Sold price: $99,000
with knockoffs, sidepipes,
deluxe seatbelts and AM/FM car, yet it seems to all check proven conclusively that it was
radio. Frame-off restored but out. Well bought as a real- partially made-up. Still, hard to
not yet shown anywhere. deal example, yet it would be go wrong with a well-restored
a market-correct if it can be 427 drop-top for under $100k.
CARLSON SAYS:
This midyear was part of the

Red Collection, and I chose to
profile it because I think 1966s
are the underappreciated
middle-child between the 1963
Split-Window coupe and the
often-imitated 1967 427/435
Tri-Power.

I think serious bidders were
wary of the authenticity of the

1960 Chevrolet Biscayne 2-dr sedan

Cheaper
Than a Build

Lot 43, #2 condition
VIN 01111T157097

Sold price: $101,750

THE BASICS: chassis and Wilwood brakes. Nobody will confuse this with like a stock example (which, to me
Pearl white with black Ten miles since completion. a stocker, but all the work done at least, means tasteful — even if
looks well thought-out and it seems odd to call a 1960 Chevy
leather/herringbone bucket CARLSON SAYS: skillfully fitted. “tasteful”). A set of stock-style
seat interior. Lingenfelter-tuned A high-quality build in all steelies would look right at home
supercharged LT4 V-8 with This was the one car from the here.
Tremec 5-speed. Original six aspects: body prep, panel fit, paint no-reserve “Pristine Collection”
car now done up as a restomod application, chrome plating, and of 15 restomods that looked most To build a car to this level takes
complete with an Art Morrison fitment of the custom interior. about what was spent to buy
this one — which is likely what
most realistic bidders were also
thinking.

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1935 Auburn 851SC Speedster

THE BASICS: hp, all fed through a floor-shift A Rising Full since. Across the highway
Light yellow with tan cloth 3-speed manual. Restored in Classic from Worldwide, RM Auctions
the ’90s. An Auburn-Cord- also had an 851 SC Speedster.
top and burgundy leather. Duesenberg Club Category Lot 42, #2 condition Theirs was slightly down in
280-ci Lycoming flathead I-8 1-certified car, with all original VIN GH3669 condition from this car, yet was
with Schwitzer-Cummins major components. (Legal VIN on the title is the hammered sold as their high
supercharger is good for 150 engine number, actual serial sale at $770,000. Compared to
number of the car is 32573E) that car, while more on-the-
Sold price: $1,072,500 button, Worldwide’s example
was still somewhat strong. Still,
CARLSON SAYS: over the past couple of years,
Here we have the top sale of they’ve been among the few Full
Classics to really start taking off
the auction. This had originally in value. I bet next year it will
been sold new in England, but seem well bought.
was then repatriated in 1960
and has had multiple owners

1941 Chrysler Newport Town & Country 4-dr sedan wagon

THE BASICS: What’s Old is New
Polo Green and wood with — and Expensive

brown leatherette bench Lot 48, #2 condition
seat. 241-ci flathead I-6 with VIN 7716612
column-shift Fluid Drive auto.
Professional better-than- Sold price: $286,000
original resto includes wood,
paint, and chrome. be a wagon due to the barrel- working full time on his own to
back rear with Dutch doors restore this car couldn’t afford to
CARLSON SAYS: that opened to the whole of the get it to the level that it is today.
Excellent example here — interior. Hey, what’s old is new The selling price here was likely
again — just take a gander at just the cost of a nice dinner
the only exception being some today’s BMW X6. for four beyond the cost of the
light pitting on the original restoration.
inset CHRYSLER letters in the Today, even a carpenter
dashboard marbled plastic trim.

This is the all but unknown
older brother to the 1946-1950
Town and Country convertibles,
except that these are more
labor-intensive to restore, with
few available parts and less
general interest. This might look
like a fastback sedan, but it
was considered by Chrysler to

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AUCTION SNAPSHOT WORLDWIDE AUCTIONEERS

The Allegheny Stainless Steel Ford Collection

Stainless 1966 Lincoln Continental 1936 Ford Deluxe Tudor 1960 Ford Thunderbird
Surprise 4-door convertible sedan 2-dr hardtop

Lot 60 Lot 60.3. #3+ condition Lot 60.1. #3 condition Lot 60.2. #3+ condition

Sold price: VIN 808532 VIN 3222132 VIN 0Y71Y170331
$1,045,000 combined
THE BASICS: THE BASICS: THE BASICS:
Stainless panels, carbon Stainless body, tan mohair Only the exterior panels are

steel structure. Stock 462-ci interior. Stock 221-ci 85-hp stainless; the rest is regular
FE-block V-8 with automatic flathead V-8 with floor shift carbon steel like a standard
transmission. Bodywork has a 3-speed manual. One of six production car. Original
few light dings from handling at made at the end of the 1936 moderately worn red vinyl
trade shows over the years. One model year, as the harder interior. This and the other
of three total examples built. stainless steel panels were stainless T-bird are historically
tough on the stamping dies. significant as the first cars
The restoration — done 60-odd built new with a stainless steel
years ago — is starting to come exhaust system.
loose at the edges. Even the
stainless panels have some
scuffing and a few light dings.

CARLSON SAYS: the Crawford Auto-Aviation $300,000 to $600,000; factoring auctioneer give and take, but
A total of 11 of these stainless Museum in Cleveland, OH. Only $100k to $250k for the Lincoln, eventually the cars did hammer
a pair of the 1960 Thunderbirds $100k to $200k for the T-bird, for more than most folks
steel demonstrator cars were were built, so there can only be and $50k to $150k for the Ford realistically thought they’d bring.
built for Allegheny Ludlum Steel, two complete sets. Tudor. In reality, bidding opened
which was attempting to expose at $300,000 and quickly spiraled One thing is for certain: now
the public to the new metal. Most in-the-know folks and to $900,000 in under a minute. the Crawford museum knows
This is one of only two complete armchair analysts figured that Beyond that, it was a lot of how much insurance to carry on
sets. The other set is part of the cars would sell between their set.

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MARKET MOVER 1982 FERRARI 308 GTSI
134  Linkage 001

Is Magnum’s Ride
Riding a Rising
Swell?

RM Sotheby’s sale of this Ferrari 308 GTSi may signal
a wave of higher-priced 308s, 328s and even Mondials

by ROB SASS 

VIN ZFFAA02A3C0041493

$70,400

Lot 111, RM Sotheby’s Online Only
SHIFT/Monterey
August 14-15, 2020

THE FERRARI MARKET is no stranger to volatility.
Enzo-era cars have settled down quite a bit in the last
five years, and so have the V-8 cars, which seemed to
peak around 2014 or so. Lately, though, there have
been signs of renewed interest in 308s, 328s and
Mondials, and this sale may be indicative of a nascent
trend — although for now, I think it was very well sold.
Here’s why.

Like any popular collector car, there’s a pecking order
among 308s. Closed cars or Berlinettas (which for the first
several years was the only 308 body style) are generally
more desirable than Spiders. The early fiberglass or
“Vetroresina” cars sit at the top, followed by the earliest
steel carbureted cars. Next come the injected four-valve
(Quattrovalvole) cars, and bringing up the rear are the
two-valve injected cars — the 308 GTBi and GTSi.

THEODORE W. PIEPER ©2020 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

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MARKET MOVER 1982 FERRARI 308 GTSI
Personally, the only thing I find less
cool than Hawaiian shirts, porn
staches, and Detroit Tigers caps is
responding to the inevitable witless
comments about all of that when
driving a red 308

136  Linkage 001

This is one of those final-tier cars. They’re not bad cars record, all 308s have low miles and all 308 odometers are
by any means, but they combine a super rust-prone non- suspect, so bear that in mind.
galvanized steel body shell with the least powerful 3-liter
V-8 engine. All that accounts for their spot at the bottom It is of course red, but rather than a black or a tan
of the pyramid.  interior, this one has an unusual brown interior. Let’s call
that a curiosity, but it’s not exactly a value-add. 
Magnum’s revenge
Ahead of the market
As much of a cliché as it seems to a lot of us, there
is something undeniable about the appeal a red 308 It seems like just yesterday a car like this could be
to many buyers. It’s far from the most flattering color bought in the high $30k range — I bought an equally nice
for the car, but a large subset of buyers respond to the Blue Sera 19,000-mile 308 GTS Quattrovalvole in 2011
whole “Magnum P.I.” thing. Personally, the only thing I for $42,000. Still, fair market for this car today should be
find less cool than Hawaiian shirts, porn staches, and in the mid- to high-$50k range at best. Considering that,
Detroit Tigers caps is responding to the inevitable witless we could be looking at Magnum power here, or perhaps
comments about all of that when driving a red 308, but I the market is starting to move on these cars again.
digress. 
At over $70,000, the seller should have been thrilled.
An elderly gentleman owned this car, and that makes RM Sotheby’s seems to have tapped in on the Bring-a-
the 22,000 miles shown actually seem credible. For the Trailer mojo with this sale, delivering an above-market
result via an online auction.

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AUCTION SNAPSHOT RM SOTHEBY’S

Shifting the Focus

In-person Monterey sales may have been canceled, but RM Sotheby’s
still brought people and machines together in August

by SAM STOCKHAM
photography ©2020 Courtesy of RM SOTHEBY’S

RM Sotheby’s Online Only WITH ON-SITE MONTEREY Car Week events a no-go
SHIFT/Monterey in 2020, auction companies found themselves forced to
August 14-15, 2020 drive into the digital age in order to conduct business.
RM Sotheby’s had been working toward this goal for a
81/109 cars sold | $31,258,650 while already, so they were in a good position to pivot
their traditional Monterey sale to an all-online event,
known now as SHIFT/Monterey.

In total, the company brought together 109 cars for
this digital event, which totaled just over $31M. The
top sale was the stunning Prodrive-built 2001 Ferrari
550 GT1 #2 at $4,290,000. It came with significant race
history in GT1 and a championship in 2004 — and
became the most expensive car ever sold at an online-
based car auction.

Once the bidders had logged off, 81 of the lots had
sold. This amounts to a sell through rate of about 74%,
and proves that buyers are still willing to step up for the
right cars and the right presentation — regardless of the
format.

REMI DARGEGEN, courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

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1972 Porsche 916 Brutus’s
Little Sister
THE BASICS:
Hellgeb (Light Yellow) over Lot 151, #2+ condition
S/N: 9142330011
Paisley corduroy and chestnut
leather interior. Factory Sold price: $957,000
prototype special ordered for
Louise Piëch. 2.7-L flat six JASEN DELGADO, courtesy of RM Auctions
makes 210 hp. One of 10.
famous 916, fitted with an RSR History and rarity obviously few years ago, but even as that
STOCKHAM SAYS: motor that Porsche tuned up drove this price, but good luck trend cools a little, the best of
Many of you out there are to nearly 350 hp. Brutus was finding another one. Brutus sold the nameplate will still come
Ferdinand’s personal car, which at Artcurial’s 2019 Retromobile to the top. Even though the 914
probably asking how the sheep he eventually gave to his wife. auction for $1.052,909. Since doesn’t hold the clout of the
in wolf’s clothing that is the His sister however, wanted one this was the little sister, it got golden-child 911, Porsche fans
914 reached almost a million too, and thus was born the a slight haircut in price. The understand the significance
bucks. Well, when the head of yellow car you see here. Porsche market went crazy a here.
Porsche gets an idea, he builds
it, whether or not it makes
financial sense. The 914/6
almost made financial sense,
but in the end only about 3,300
of the 914/6 were built, while
the 4-cylinder 914, soldiered on.

The 916, however, made no
sense at all, and only a few were
built for members of the Porsche
inner circle. Brutus is the most

1994 Porsche 911 Turbo 3.6

THE BASICS: STOCKHAM SAYS: Big Money 964 successor to the 930 in the sense
Rare black on black. One of The Turbo Porsche is not only that it was still rear wheel drive
Lot 144, #2+ condition and at first, carried over the 3.3
466 US-spec cars built. 3.6-L flat one of the most successful and S/N: WP0AC2962RS480381 Liter engine. All-wheel drive for
six is turbocharged to 355 hp. longest running track cars out Sold price: $308,000 the Turbo was available with
5-speed manual. Under 15,000 there, but also one of the scariest the 993.
miles. cars to drive at the limit. These cars’ capabilities outweighed
the abilities of mere mortal men, The 1994 Turbo 3.6 fits into
especially when the tail end that model purgatory between
swapped with the front as the the iconic 930 and the sleeker,
turbo came on mid-corner. more polished and all-wheel
drive 993 Turbos. This car
The 964 platform was the was also not the rare Turbo S
model or the ultra-exclusive
“Flachbau,” but those cars are in
different price categories.

This car had engine mods that
totaled about $30k and only
14,745 miles on the clock, but
still, this result was very strong
— other examples have brought
about 35% less. This could be a
look into the future.

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2017 Ford GT

THE BASICS: STOCKHAM SAYS: Beauty in Red team of Ford lawyers on your
Liquid Red Tri-Coat with Car people are watching the case — at least until you were
Lot 153, #1 condition done parading it around for
Froze White Stripes. 3.5-L new GT carefully for a couple S/N: 2FAGP9CW4HH200097 two years.
EcoBoost twin-turbo six makes of good reasons. First, this is Sold price: $858,000
647 hp. 1,300 miles. One of only a great looking and highly Now that some have come
138 built for 2017. capable track car regardless of how you feel about the V-6. to market, prices have come
Second, the GT has a great down to what looks like a
racing legacy, which promotes current norm. I think this is a
value. Third, if you were one great car, but even though the
of the first people to buy one, V-6 puts out 600+ hp, there are
you couldn’t sell it without a still plenty of people who feel
cheated out of two cylinders,
despite winning many trophies
in IMSA, World Endurance and
at Le Mans. Only time will tell
if these continue to depreciate.
Just ride the wave down and
back up again until Ford stops
production. If nothing else,
this car’s color combo will
be fantastic garage art in the
meantime.

2014 Pagani Huayra most are still commanding $2M Personally, I think the interior Move Over
plus. The color combo on this should have been its own color DaVinci
THE BASICS: was a bit sedate, if there is such too. The red inserts on the seats
Exposed clear black a thing on a Pagani. I think that may not match the exterior Lot 154, #1- condition
if the wheels were aluminum stripe, and that was the only S/N: ZA9H11UA4ESF76056
carbon body over Malevic versus blacked out the contrast hint of red in the interior, which Sold price: $1,848,000
and Ametista leather. 6.0-L might have given it more class. is subtle.
twin-turbo V-12 by Mercedes I’m a fan of the colored
makes 730 hp. Comes with carbon on the exterior of other
$160k worth of optional factory Paganis, and I’d bet most other
equipment. Fewer than 5,500 Pagani fans are as well judging
miles. by the vibrant colors we’ve seen
at sales in the last couple years.
STOCKHAM SAYS: Great value here.
There are days that I would

love to put a car poster on my
bedroom wall again, but at
almost 45 years old, I don’t
think I can do it. But if I did, in
my room, the Pagani would get
the thumb tacks.

These cars are true works of
art. No two are alike and each
one sucks you in. You want
to get really close to it — close
enough for a harassment
lawsuit — but these are built for
just that.

This one sold a bit cheap, as

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2001 Ferrari 550 GT1 Prodrive #2

THE BASICS: Bet on the
Successful modern racer Stallion,
Not the Pony
from Prodrive. Ready for the
Historic circuit. The second of Lot 240, #3 condition
12 built, and the final front- S/N: ZFFZR49B000108418
engine V-12 Ferrari to win a
24-hour race overall. Sold price: $4,290,000

STOCKHAM SAYS: REMI DARGEGEN, courtesy of RM Sotheby’s
Race cars are difficult to
decided to go racing, and won the championship in 2004. non-factory backed racer, but its
value, as each example is he formed Care Racing The engine that was used at success in racing, its traditional
different. It comes down to not Development. He had Prodrive Spa in 2004 is being rebuilt by layout, and the popularity of the
only the badge on the nose, but build him 12 550 Ferraris for Prodrive and will be reunited racing series is what drove the
also success on the podium, the effort. The 550 GTO, as they with the car in preparation for sale price. This was the high sale
notable drivers, the popularity called it, was successful over the historic racing circuits. for the auction, but was well
of the series, etc. the next five racing seasons and deserved.
This is a fantastic result for a
Back in the early 2000s, GT
endurance racing was again
gaining the global spotlight,
and FIA rules allowed privateer
racers to be competitive in
the series by eliminating the
dominant factory-backed cars
that nobody could beat.

During that time, wealthy
businessman Frederic Dor

1970 Ferrari 365 GT 2+2 owners looking to build their Bargain V-12, the 365 GT 2+2 here sold for,
own knock-off Californias. The Sounds which is a huge testament to the
THE BASICS: refinement and production of Included dislike Ferrari guys have for the
Rosso Nearco over black the 330 GT 2+2 in 1964 made 2+2 cars. This sentiment is still
the rear-seat Ferrari desirable Lot 208, #2 condition prominent today, with the steep
leather. U.S. example with enough to respect on its own. S/N: 12777 depreciation of the late-model
factory a/c. 4.4-L V-12 makes FF and the GTC/4 Lusso that
320 hp. The 330 GT had growing Sold price: $176,000 exceeds the drop in price for
STOCKHAM SAYS: pains too, especially with two-seat variants. The lesson,
the google-eyed front end of was solved with the 365 GT if you want a front-engine
Ferrari decided to get into the the 1964-65 models. The rear 2+2, introduced in 1967 with V-12, 5-speed transmission and
family car business in 1960 with differential was still shared with independent rear suspension. a/c that is pure 1960s Ferrari,
the 250 GTE. It was received a late model rickshaw, but that the 365 GT 2+2 is perfect for
well enough, but a lot of them The 365 GT 2+2’s styling looks the experience without the
later served as parts sources for like a pleasant mash-up of the astronomical insurance bill.
330 GT and the 500 Superfast,
with a low slung, sloped rear Unfortunately, the mere
tail, triple round taillights and proletariat Ferrari of the 1960s
the Superfast nose with exposed is not going to shoot up in value
headlights. anytime soon, as we have seen
the peak and decline over the
The 500 Superfast now sells past five years. This was a nice
for many multiples of what example and the price was
fair considering the pricing
trendline.

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2000 Acura NSX-T

THE BASICS: more we like Japanese vehicles. Blue By-you run, even as annual production
Rare original Monaco Blue In the early years they were remained in the mid-hundreds.
missing the soul and the history Lot 212, #2 condition So many Honda models owe
over black leather — one of 21 that made American iron S/N: JH4NA2161YT000065 their drivetrain engineering,
in that combination. 3.2-L V-6 and Italian exotic beauty so specifically VTEC, to the NSX.
makes 290 hp. 6-speed. Only enticing to drive. Here’s the deal Sold price: $102,300
18,500 miles. folks, the Japanese have made It was cutting edge in the
an art form of perfecting the has been focused around early 1990s, but by the mid
STOCKHAM SAYS: commuter appliance. The ethos reliability, performance and 2000s, similar Honda V-6s that
The older we get and the for the Japanese car makers character, which were typically used some of the tech developed
afterthoughts at best — until the here were being stuffed into
more practical we become, the 1990s. everything from the sporty TL
sedan to the Honda Pilot SUV
The Acura NSX was the first that all have the sex appeal of
offering from Honda into the my dishwasher. But that’s the
supercar market, and they point. They might be appliances,
wrung ever last dollar out of but they don’t break and that
this platform over the 15-year is what we love about Japanese
cars — especially when they
look this good and shed the
dad-bod. The NSX price tag is
going nowhere but up. However,
this was really good money, as
they generally don’t bring six
figures. Still, just you wait...

1954 Buick Roadmaster Convertible

THE BASICS: Garage Queen
Matador Red with Ivory Rings the Bell

leather and Kelsey-Hayes wires. Lot 230, #2+ condition
322-ci “Fireball” V-8 makes S/N: A2009328
200 hp. BCA Gold winner and
National Best of Show. Resto Sold price: $83,600
settling in.
their marketing. Apparently Buick oddity was always the to have scored a perfect 400
STOCKHAM SAYS: a million dollars in 1954 feels stomp-on-the-gas-to-start-it twice at the Buick Nationals.
The Roadmaster was the like a tuna boat at sea. Bring feature that worked well to I don’t know when that
Dramamine. knock un-oiled rod bearings happened, however, and my
symbol of affluent middle out when you failed to get off feeling is that this car has spent
America in the 1950s and with The electro-hydraulic the gas once the engine fired. a decade or so under the lights
all that chrome and thick steel, power windows became a The Fireball V-8 was all-new for of a garage, rarely seeing the
why shouldn’t it have been? head-scratcher when your 1953, so it was still pretty fresh open road. Values have been
The Roadmaster was top of the car suddenly displayed a for the Roadmaster in ’54. flat for a couple years now, but
pecking order in terms of size transmission fluid leak from this one actually got the money.
and sheer stature. If you didn’t bottom of the door. My favorite This particular car was said
have that all-important 4th
porthole, you were nobody,
unless you had the Skylark,
which was too cool for
portholes.

Buick loved to brag up the
“Million-Dollar ride” in all of

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2003 BMW Z8 Alpina Roadster

THE BASICS: in the lineup, and the halo Very Retro, appearance only slightly from
Black with red leather and Z8 was no exception. Just Very Bavarian Fisker’s good judgment.
555 examples were produced
optional hardtop. One of 450 in 2003, and most came to Lot 253, #2 condition When new, the Z8 sold
delivered to the U.S. Less than the U.S. Alpina is not known S/N: WBAEJ13443AH62320 for around $130,000 and
10k miles from new. All records for making cars go around Sold price: $247,500 depreciated by the minute. By
and accessories. the Nürburgring faster, but the time 2011 rolled around,
rather make them more unusual for Alpina to actually and we were all in the middle
STOCKHAM SAYS: comfortable while bombing lighten spring rates and soften of the great recession, prices
Alpina is known for tuning down the Autobahn. It’s not dampening to make up for low- had fallen on garden variety
profile tires. Z8s to below $50,000 for most
some of the best BMW models in moderate shape. Shoulda,
The Z8 was penned by woulda, coulda, because many
Henrik Fisker in an attractive of those mid-range cars today
retro-nod to the legendary are bringing $150,000 plus.
507. Alpina didn’t mess with
a good thing and only added Step back in time three
the 20-inch wheels, altering the months and an 18k-mile
Alpina sold on BaT for $185k,
making this sale look like an
absolute windfall for the seller
— but I think the BaT sale was
cheap. The Alpina will always
bring a premium just because
of rarity and exclusivity. I
figure because of age this still
falls into the modern classic
category and has room to grow
in popularity and thus price.

1953 Fiat 1100 Cabriolet By Allemano

THE BASICS: Fuhget
Blue with red vinyl and About It…

ivory cloth top. One of four Lot 225, #1- condition
built, with two known to exist. S/N: 019195
1-1-L inline four with 4-speed
manual. Restoration managed Sold price: $158,000
by Donald Osborne.
as long as three people in the like the frenched-in bumpers have been ahead of its time
STOCKHAM SAYS: world have the love of obscure and unibody construction considering this is a 1953 car.
When I say “Fuhget about Italian derivatives, there will be with leaded panels, the details
a market for this car. speak for themselves. Even if I am sure the purchase price
it” in a stereotypical New York you don’t like the scrunched-up plus restoration must come
accent, what I really mean is With only two of these left, 1956 Chrysler 300B front grille pretty close to the value, so with
that the world may as well it’s hard to put a value on this dubbed a “Shark-nose,” it might rarity on his side, I can’t see
have forgotten about any car one. With cool body details how the buyer went wrong.
that Turin-local Carrozzeria
Allemano ever produced —
there were so few of them.
Allemano were the kings of
one-off and production runs in
the low double digits.

The good news is that two
of the four of these Fiat 1100
Cabriolets survived, and so

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Feeding the
Addiction

BaT has become a daily routine for car
people. Here are 10 reasons why

by NICK JAYNES

AH 2020, THE year of Zoom, curbside pickup and
streaming content. But we’re car people here, so in
addition to all that, add in the drab four walls of your
garage, your own reflection in much-polished paint,
and don’t forget Bring a Trailer, too.

BaT is not new, but it was uniquely positioned
for a car auction world turned remote. While other
auction houses were scrambling to become digital
in nature, BaT was already up and running with a
devoted following. As such, their influence within the
car world has only grown since March.

But it’s not just high-profile and high-priced sales
that bring car addicts back BaT daily — it’s the range
of things that pop up there, including weird stuff,
crazy pricing or just unrepeatable deals.

In that light, here are 10 lots recently offered on the
site that I thought were worth a second look.

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1983 Jeep CJ-7 Laredo

Perfection — it’s a word I don’t throw around lightly

or often. But there’s no better word to describe this CJ-7.

If you’d asked me a couple weeks ago to picture a

perfect CJ-7 — one worth $52,500 — I

would’ve had a hard time conjuring Jeep
something this good. Perfection

Paint, stripes, decals, interior. All

perfect. It’s old without being too dated,

and modern without being too new. It’s
tall enough to fit 35s without looking Sold price: $52,500

stupid, and stepping up from the factory Lot 36380, #2 condition
six-cylinder to a 360 V-8 backed by a T5 9/14/2020
five-speed was a perfect pick. S/N: 1JCCM87E2DT063721

There aren’t many American cars from

1983 I’d actually want to own, but this

CJ-7 is a rare exception. While coupes,

sedans, and wagons were neutered by the Big Three’s

1994 Ford F-150 SVT Lightning apparent race to the bottom, 4x4s like the CJ-7 were a

rare outlier that didn’t suffer the same sad fate as the rest

of the U.S. automakers’ fleet. This restoration improves

Just a second slower to 60 mph from a dead standstill upon that platform with tasteful upgrades that marry the

than the 1994 Mustang LX, the SVT Lightning was charm of a grumbly American V-8 with the timeless style

always an impressive performer. It’s the perfect storm of and charm of a CJ-7. Expensive, but the money should

modern-ish American performance. be repeatable.

It has the kind of plush but THE GOOD: The looks are on-the-money, as are the mods
from stock.
Super Price utilitarian interior that working-
Supertruck class folks dream about — regular THE BAD: Expensive, at least until you try to build another
but fancy. It has boxy, slab-sided one.

bodylines that are currently making

Sold price: $17,500 a comeback in modern automotive FINAL THOUGHT: Incredibly well built and bought. Right
design. And, for its era, it has money, right rig.

Lot 36688, #3 condition enviable performance. The 351-ci
9/21/2020 V-8 churns out 240 horsepower and
S/N: 1FTDF15R0RLB07025 340 foot-pounds of torque. Backing
that up is a limited-slip differential

by way of a four-speed automatic

transmission. It’s a set-it-and-forget-

it ‘90s supertruck.

It’s a winner in every category. So, why haven’t more

American muscle-truck fans glommed onto it? I’m not

a Ford guy. Even to me, though, this Lightning was well

bought.

THE GOOD: Big V-8, old-is-new styling, everyone will be
your friend.

THE BAD: Tube bumper, smoked headlights and the
window tint have to go.

FINAL THOUGHT: A great buy — the market will wake up to
these.

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