The Ford Mustang II doesn’t get a lot of respect. They were born during an oil crisis and when they debuted as 1974 models, they did so without a V-8 engine option. Still, their styling, size, and fuel economy made them a sales success. While their ‘70s engines and suspensions don’t do them any favors when compared to more modern Mustangs, the underlying design is worth celebrating.

Brett Behrens used a fastback from the final year of Mustang II production, 1978, to show what could be done with a lot of vision and even more talented fabrication. Now in its second iteration, this custom street machine is up for sale at Mecum’s Tulsa Auction set for June 8.

The custom build, handled by A-Team Racing in Bend, Oregon, used a C6 Chevrolet Corvette suspension front and rear, a totally custom interior, a host of body modifications, and a custom chassis. A 12-inch stretch to the wheelbase is the most striking change. It made a massive difference to the Mustang II’s troubled proportions, righting one of the most egregious wrongs in the car’s original design. The rear wheel opening was enlarged and looks like it was shifted back a bit, but most of the change came by coaxing the front wheel opening forward. The increased wheelbase drastically shortened the front overhang and had a huge impact on the car’s balance, as the engine is well behind the front spindles.

Despite plenty of custom bodywork, including new wheel openings and flares inspired by the fifth-gen Mustang, this ambitious custom still has the best bits of ‘70s style that the original Mustang II offered. The result is a purposeful stance that looks appropriate for a sporty car and it still works well 10 years after it was completed, not an easy task for a custom car this ambitious.

When this car was first built, it was painted Kona Blue and powered by a 6.8-liter Ford V-10, the kind you’d find in a Super Duty truck. The iron-block engine made a statement and although we never got to hear it driven in anger, it had to make a unique sound as it produced just shy of 400 horsepower. This version of the car is a more iconic Mustang color, Grabber Blue. We think it suits it nicely and better highlights all of the custom bodywork. The other welcome change is the switch to Coyote V-8 power. Yeah, the V-10 was interesting, but the Coyote is shorter, lighter, and more powerful. That’s tough to argue against.

We hope this car finds a new owner who will appreciate its interesting melding of Mustang styling trends and can inspire others to put some effort into rehabilitating some unloved classics, Mustang II or otherwise. It’s already got us thinking about how this sort of treatment could transform a Chevy Monza Spyder or even an AMC Gremlin. What other Malaise-era coupes would you consider?

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Dr. Karl E. Peace, a biostatistician, author, and philanthropist who has worked in public health for decades, has donated his 32-car collection to benefit Georgia Southern University. One of Dr. Peace’s previous contributions, an endowment in honor of his late wife, Dr. Jiann-Ping Hsu, allowed the university to establish a college of public health in her name.

Hagerty Marketplace is hosting the auction of The Dr. Karl Peace & Georgia Southern University Collection, the majority of which are Studebakers.

We can’t remember the last time we saw so many of South Bend’s finest under one roof. While there are a couple of post-Studebaker Avantis, a Chevy, a Buick, a Mercury, and a couple of Fords among the collection up for sale, let’s take a look at some of our favorite Studebakers that we’ll be paying particularly close attention to as the auctions come to a close starting on June 11.

1953 Studebaker Champion Regal Starliner

The 1953 model year marked the first year of the low, sleek Starliner coupes, penned by Robert Bourke at Studebaker’s design studio, which was headed by the legendary Raymond Loewy. Studebaker coupes of this era are a favorite among land speed racers because they perform much better than their peers, and it’s easy to see why: Their streamlined shapes were unlike anything else on the road. Later Studebaker Hawk variations expanded on the theme with fins and extra trim—we’ll be highlighting some of those as well—but the original Starliner is one of the best iterations and proves that sometimes less is more.

1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk

Studebaker’s most powerful and prestigious model at the time, the Golden Hawk debuted in 1956 with 352 cubic inches of Packard V-8 power, showing the fruits of the brand’s merger with Packard two years prior. For 1957, a Studebaker 289 replaced the larger Packard mill, but the output was the same 275 horsepower as before thanks to a centrifugal supercharger. These luxurious winged coupes are a rare treat, and because a 1956 model participated in the famed Mille Miglia, this one in particular could also be eligible for entry, adding another reason why a collector might see this Golden Hawk as the prize of Dr. Peace’s collection.

1960 Studebaker Champ Pickup

Studebaker didn’t have the deep pockets of its Big Three rivals, so it had to get creative in the late ‘50s when the brand needed to replace its aging pickup truck line that had been in service since 1949. Using the same chassis and stepside bed as its previous light-duty pickup, Studebaker cobbled a truck cab together by shortening a Lark sedan. We’ve gotta say, for something built on a shoestring budget, the styling works pretty well. 1960 marked the final year of a 170 inline-six as a flathead; it got an overhead-valve cylinder head in 1961. These pickups are a rare sight and would likely gather quite a crowd at any car show. Combine that with its fantastic gold paint and this one was an easy pick for our list.

1962 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk

The Gran Gurismo Hawk represented the final evolution of the sleek Starliner coupe into a more formal and stately touring car. The prominent grille might be a bit brash, but the new greenhouse gave the Gran Tursimo Hawk an all-new profile that matched its more upscale ambition. Inside, a plush interior kept up the theme. This one is powered by a 289 V-8 and a three-speed manual. Membership to the Brown Car Appreciation Society is complimentary.

1964 Studebaker Avanti

Plenty of Studebaker’s designs were vastly different from anything else on the market, yet we can’t help but think that the Avanti was perhaps the most ambitious effort the brand ever made. Its sleek fiberglass body is unmistakable. Studebaker-produced Avanti models were powered by 289-cubic-inch Studebaker V-8s, some with optional Paxton superchargers like the Golden Hawk. This one is naturally aspirated and backed by a four-speed manual transmission. Finished in blue over a blue and white interior, this example looks fantastic in photos, although a few mechanical and cosmetic issues need sorting out. It’s still a well-preserved example of a sporty personal luxury car bursting with style.

1964 Studebaker Daytona Convertible

Like the Champ pickup we mentioned previously, the Daytona used a lot of the mechanical underpinnings of its predecessor. In this case, that was the compact Lark, the same car that served as the basis of the Champ. Renowned designer Brooks Stevens was responsible for completely redesigning the Daytona to compete with rivals like the Dodge Dart, Chevy Nova, and Ford Falcon. We’d say he succeeded, as the lines look clean and sharp, even today. Just 416 Daytona convertibles were built in South Bend before production moved to Ontario, so this represents one of the last U.S.-built Studebakers in the company’s history.

There are plenty of other Studebakers in the Dr. Karl Peace & Georgia Southern University collection—plus the odd Chevy, Ford, and Buick. If you’ve got room in your collection for a bit of American car history outside of the Big Three, then you might consider one of South Bend’s stylish alternatives and help Georgia Southern University in the process.

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Welcome to This Week on Hagerty Marketplace, a new and recurring recap of the previous week’s most noteworthy cars and significant sales from the Hagerty Marketplace online auctions.

The bulk of cars sold with Hagerty Marketplace over the last seven days come from a collection out of Boca Raton, Florida. Vintage luxury was the dominant flavor, with the occasional Ford hot rod, Cobra replica, and Beetle convertible thrown in for good measure. It wasn’t all Florida flavor, though, as we witnessed some JDM charm crossing the virtual auction block as well. Here are the standout sales:

1969 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE Coupe

Sold for $48,150

Mercedes-Benz sold the W111 platform in numerous versions from 1959-71, an era when the company delivered some of its most timeless, handsome models and constructed them like tanks. The two-door 280SE is the arguably best-looking, most well-known, and most highly prized of the series; this two-tone coupe is reportedly a U.S.-market car upgraded to European spec with single-piece glass headlights and removed side reflectors. It moved for solid, condition #3+ (Good) money.

1937 Rolls-Royce 25/30HP Park Ward Landaulette

Sold for $41,302

The 20/25 was the bread-and-butter Rolls-Royce from 1929 to 1936. And although it was technically the entry-level model, it was still a Rolls-Royce. As such, many examples received wild bodywork from premier coachbuilders. This one was skinned by Park Ward of London as a landaulette (sometimes written as landaulet), which is a closed car over the front seats but has a folding roof over the important folks riding out back. It also has a sliding division window, rear jump seats, and vanities. Vintage Rolls-Royces are rarely cheap, but even ones with rare, interesting coachbuilt bodywork like this can be surprisingly inexpensive to buy.

1991 Nissan Figaro

Sold for $17,120

There aren’t many cheaper ways to turn heads than one of these quirky, retro-styled JDM gems. Available exclusively to Japanese customers over three batches in 1991, the Nissan Figaro was deliberately old school with its wide grille, circular headlights, soft curves, thin steering wheel, and vintage-style gauges and switchgear. It was so popular that Nissan sold all 20,000 units via a lottery system. Since turning 25 years old and therefore gaining exemption from U.S. import restrictions, American enthusiasts have gotten to enjoy the Figaro, too.

Figaros were available in four paint colors to represent the seasons: Topaz Mist (autumn), Emerald Green (spring), Pale Aqua (summer), and Lapis Grey (winter). This one wears the wintry Lapis Grey with a white retractable top. Figaros are easy to fall for and their prices are up a remarkable 68 percent over the last five years, but the $17K sale price here shows how unusual, fun cars are still out there at entry-level prices.

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With a new world record sale on Bring A Trailer of $109,200 including fees, the Honda S600 has officially entered the hall of collectible Japanese legends. The 1965 roadster in question had an exceptional pedigree: A comprehensively restored example that won best in show at the 2014 Japanese Classic Car Show in Long Beach, California, it had also been displayed at The Petersen Automotive Museum. But all S600s are special: effervescent to drive, advanced for their time, and of outsized historical importance.

The diminutive S600 casts a long shadow. Not only was it the first production car exported by the brand, but the coupe also was developed in a way that speaks to the speed with which Honda was reacting to the rapidly changing automotive industry in Japan. Launched in 1964, the design of the S600 is impressive even today: fully independent suspension at all four corners, a curb weight of under 1600 pounds, and an all-aluminum, 606cc four-cylinder engine with a redline of 9500 rpm and a power output of nearly 100 hp per liter.

In its day, the S600 should have shocked the world with its capability. But this was the mid-1960s, long before the fuel crises of the ’70s would send buyers flocking to Honda dealerships. Though fictional, the Mad Men episode “The Chrysanthemum and the Sword” captures the sense of the bemusement with which U.S. buyers must have received an export-specification S600: His firm having won the chance to compete for Honda’s planned automotive business, Roger Sterling mentions the sky-high redline of the little Honda, a figure to which Don Draper responds with, “What?” The S600 is dismissed as more motorcycle than car.

But that is the importance and the appeal of this tiny roadster: It is the bridge between Honda’s early motorcycle success and the brand’s ascendancy as an automaker. At the same time, S600 embodies the mercurial nature of Soichiro Honda, the founder of the company. The sports coupe wasn’t the first passenger vehicle produced by Honda. With most of Japan’s population getting around via bicycle or train in the 1960s, the company first built the T360, a tiny but practical pickup truck. Dr. Honda, however, wanted more.

A longtime racing fan even before WWII, Soichiro wanted Honda to build a sports car. Shown next to the T360 in 1962, the S360 prototype roadster was a bold effort. The color of its paint involved a rather public fight: Honda wanted his first sports car to wear bright red. At the time in Japan, red and white were reserved for emergency vehicles. Soichiro wrote newspaper columns about how ridiculous this restriction was and generally made such a nuisance of himself that the Japanese government relented. The production version of the S360, the S500, launched in a bright crimson that remains Honda’s official corporate color.

You could call the S500 a production car, but with just over 1300 made, it’s as rare as a Ferrari F40. The S500 also suffered from various mechanical issues due to the high-strung nature of its quad-carbureted 531cc engine, which made 44 hp at 8000 rpm. After a year, the S600 arrived with a bored-out, 57-hp version of the same engine, now supported by reworked cooling and oiling systems.

Honda’s sports car wasn’t perfect yet. In the summer of 1964, journalist and founder of Japan’s Car Graphic publication Shotaro Kobayashi bought a brand-new S600 and shipped it to Europe. The official purpose of the trip was for Kobayashi to attend Honda’s first foray into Formula 1, at the Nürburgring, but he also turned the expedition into a 7500-mile tour of all things automotive in Europe. Kobayashi hit up Monza and Spa, crossed over the Alps, stopped in at the Porsche factory to see the then-new 901 (later 911), and even managed to let Colin Chapman have a go in the S600.

On the way back from the German Grand Prix, disaster struck. Piston three seized and the connecting rod went through the block. The culprit was a torn hose leading to one of the four Keihin carburetors. Luckily Honda just so happened to have a replacement engine in Belgium. (Rumor has it that Honda was so worried about the failure of Kobayashi’s well-publicized trip that the company had a car tucked away, on standby.) A reinforcement was applied to all subsequent production cars to prevent this tearing.

Honda built roughly 11,000 S600s between 1964 and 1966, with periodic revisions for greater reliability. Each one had that 9500-rpm, four-cylinder hummingbird of an engine, and vestigial motorcycle features like twin chain drives, one for each independently sprung rear wheel.

On the road, the main experience is a lack of inertia. If properly set up and tuned—something perhaps best left to a motorcycle mechanic—the four-cylinder engine doesn’t so much crank as it does switch on like a modern Honda generator. The curb weight is near that of a Lotus Elan, although the suspension is a little softer. The brakes are drums at all four corners, but shedding speed is easy with so little weight on the move.

Recalibrating your brain to the sky-high rev range takes some getting used to. The tendency is to short-shift at 7000 or even 8000 rpm; to have the most fun, you learn to keep your foot in it. Placing the car on the road is ridiculously easy, as it’s ten inches narrower than an original Miata, and anyone over six feet tall will loom out of the cockpit like one of Richard Scarry’s anthropomorphic bears driving a shoe car. Everything in a S600 smells and looks like the 1960s, but the car drives as you hope it will: like something far more modern.

The temptation is to liken the S600 to the equally revvy S2000, but you have to put both cars in context. The 21st-century screamer is the product of a fully mature Honda, a company that was still pushing the engineering envelope, but one that had an established global market share and broad product portfolio to back it up. The S600 was breathtakingly audacious in its time, and the way it screams through those quad-carbs near redline lets any S2000 know that Grandpa Honda is not one for a quiet retirement.

Soichiro’s follow-up to the S600 was the larger, front-wheel-drive Coupe 9, which ended up being a bit of a disaster in terms of company morale. The boss kept changing the car on the production line, and the engineers eventually rebelled. The later N600 hatchback (and of course the Civic), which was most Americans’ introduction to four-wheeled Honda products, was a lot more practical and easy to live with day-to-day.

S600s did make their way outside of Japan, arriving in Europe as official exports, and also into Canada. Canadian cars were sold through motorcycle dealers, and the first batch was likely shipped to Toronto in the summer of 1965. S600s are not common in Canada by any means, but since keeping one on the road requires some pretty skilled mechanical knowledge, and because parts were hard to come by in the pre-internet age, barn finds are not unheard of.

The other way to get into a left-hand-drive S600 is via Okinawa, which remained under U.S. administration until the late 1970s. There, unlike in mainland Japan, cars drove on the right side of the road. There’s also a strong following for the S600 in Germany, buoyed by specialists like Michael Ortmann.

Arguably, the S800 that followed the S600 is an easier collectible to own and keep on the road: Later models ditched the rear chain drives for a more conventional axle. You can also get a later S800 with disc brakes up front, although you can also fit the discs to an earlier S600.

With values solidly established, bagging a bargain S600 is probably off the table these days. Finding and restoring one is a theoretically more accessible path, but these little cars are so delicate and precise that a lot of patience is required. The S600 might be the grandfather of the Honda Civic, but it’s not a Honda Civic.

Against contemporary Japanese icons of the 1960s, the S600 punches well above its weight. It is less outlandish than the Mazda Cosmo, thought the Honda equals its Japanese compatriot for technological advancement. An S600 is nowhere near as rare and expensive as a Toyota 2000GT but shares its elegance and restraint.

The S600 offers a genuinely unique driving experience, a thrill that is laced with Soichiro’s maverick glee for speed. Six decades later, the coupe is a clear link in the bloodline running between the Super Cub and the NSX. The first car Dr. Honda sent out into the world may have been tiny, but it left a mark.

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Exactly 66 years since it made its racing debut the very first Lotus Formula 1 car is to return to Monaco. This time, however, a top price at auction will be the prize.

The 1957-58 Lotus-Climax Type 12 chassis number 353 is the very car driven by Graham Hill on the streets of Monte Carlo, where he briefly led before retiring with a halfshaft failure. The Type 12 had previously tested its mettle (and metal) in Formula 2, but to compete in the top tier Coventry Climax enlarged its four-cylinder engine from 1500 cc to 1960 cc. It was underpowered compared to 2.5-liter rivals, but the lightweight Lotus showed promise on twisty circuits where top speeds were lower.

Unfortunately reliability was not a strength and Hill also failed to finish in the Netherlands and Belgium, while teammate Cliff Allison had slightly better luck finishing six out of seven races in 1958, with a best finish just off the podium in fourth place at Spa.

The Type 12 may not have taken a checkered flag, but it did set Lotus on course for no less than seven Formula 1 Constructors’ World Championships and six drivers’ titles for Graham Hill, Jim Clark, Emerson Fittipaldi and Mario Andretti. In total Lotus achieved 74 Grand Prix victories during its Formula 1 years.

Chassis 353, meanwhile, was sold to privateer John Fisher and campaigned in 1959 by Britain’s Bruce Halford and glamorous Italian lady racer Maria Teresa de Filippis. The car was subsequently bought by Australian Frank Gardener and raced in the land down under. Between 196 and 1991 the car had four further owners before being fully restored by its current keeper.

 “I wish that every Team Lotus racing car could have such a wonderful record of its life,” declared Clive Chapman, head of Classic Team Lotus in a foreword to a 2006 book Lotus 12 Chassis No. 353: The History.

With its superbly-documented and illustrious past the Type 12 is estimated to sell for €290,000-€390,000 ($313,500-$421,600) when it crosses the block at Bonhams’ Les Grandes Marques à Monaco sale on May 10.

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Bill Shea is at it again. The Massachusetts collector, who specializes in automotive, movie, and World War II items, is the winning bidder for a very rough 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am that was used as a stunt vehicle in Steve McQueen’s final film, The Hunter.

The dilapidated Poncho set Shea back $99,750 including fees, which is about six times the average value of a similar model in #4 (Fair) condition, proving once again the power of McQueen’s stardom—and Shea’s love for Hollywood icons. In 2011, he paid more than $500,000 for a 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 that appeared in all three segments of the Back to the Future trilogy.

“I’d buy more,” Shea said in a six-year-old YouTube video about the DeLorean, “but I like being married.”

Shea, who owns several McQueen motorcycles, wrote “HELL YEAH BABY!” in the comments section when the McQueen Firebird auction closed and he was declared the winner. Congratulatory messages from other users followed, as did notes of surprise from some about the amount that Shea was willing to pay for a car in that state, McQueen-adjacent or otherwise. This is just the latest sale among many that shows how strong the McQueen factor can be—as we’ve noted in the Hagerty Power List. This Trans Am was, after all, the last special car associated with the noted-car-guy actor; The Hunter was released in August 1980, and McQueen died three months later.

According to Bring a Trailer, VIN #29N100008 remained in the Pontiac Motor Division show car fleet following its assembly in November 1978, but it was sold a year later to Paramount Pictures and used as a stunt vehicle in the McQueen film. It was one of two cars used for an explosion scene, explaining its condition (including missing body panels and burns to the passenger side of the dashboard), and it was gifted to a farmer in Illinois as compensation for aiding the crew in the production of the movie. The Firebird was stored in the farmer’s barn for nearly 40 years before it was obtained by the seller in 2018.

Among the car’s features are a non-running 403-cubic-inch V-8 mated to a three-speed automatic transmission and Safe-T-Track limited-slip differential, along with the WS6 Special Performance Package, which added power-assisted four-wheel disc brakes, a quick-ratio steering box, and a larger sway bar.

The Firebird’s camel-colored vinyl dash features a 100-mph speedometer, a 6000-rpm tachometer, auxiliary gauges, inset analog clock, and a five-digit odometer that shows 1300 miles. The Firebird also has bucket seats and snowflake-style, 15-inch wheels with gold accents and 225/70 Goodyear Polysteel Radial white-letter tires. (The seller notes that the front right tire does not hold air, though we expect that’s not a major concern.)

Originally painted Nocturne Blue, the car was repainted black for The Hunter; the factory paint is visible on the rear fascia. The frame rails were modified with slides, hooks, and chains at the firewall to prepare for the explosion scene. After filming was complete, the car was stripped of its rear spoiler, side mirrors, wheel center caps, and badges. Other defects include a damaged three-spoke steering wheel (which is missing its adjustment lever), rust holes in the floor, and rodent damage to the rear bench seat. The car is also missing side panels, carpeting, overhead lighting, seat belts, and AM/FM radio. Of course, these are all likely of little concern, as restoration is probably not on the docket for this car.

Sale of the Firebird includes the build sheet, a copy of the original window sticker, documentation from Paramount Pictures and Pontiac Historical Services, a 30-foot-long dual-axle trailer, and large vinyl banners and cardboard cutouts of McQueen, which the previous owner displayed at car shows.

The Firebird does not have a title, but it likely won’t need one, since its “as-is” movie condition is likely of considerable value to Shea, who is clearly thrilled with his new acquisition. “We love our movie crash cars!” he wrote, to which one BaT commenter joked, “Good luck with your wife.”

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One of the most diverse collector car auction weeks in history has wrapped, with $183.8M trading hands across 468 vehicles offered spanning 121 years of automotive history, leading to the highest sales total for the March Classic Auctions. RM Sotheby’s was notably absent from Amelia Island this year, instead opting to hold a two-day auction the same weekend in Miami. However, we will include this auction in our writeup as part of the March Classic Auctions, as the sale nonetheless helps inform the market.  

Main Themes:  

• This weekend set a record total for the March Classic Auctions at $183.8M, exceeding the previous record of $177.7M set last year 
• 119-year span in the top ten sales – the collector car market shows collectability isn’t bound by age  
• Wide range of big sales, from new hypercars to turn of the 20th century racers   
• The median final price to condition appropriate Hagerty Price Guide value was +10 percent, down from +15 percent last year.   
• After 16 months of softening market activity extending into late 2023, with encouraging results from the March Classic Auctions and January sales, the market has turned the corner. 

Highlights:  

• A 1903 Mercedes-Simplex 60 HP ‘Roi des Belges’ sold for $12,105,000, becoming the most expensive pre-1930s car ever sold at auction.   
• A 1967 Ford GT40 Mk I road car sold for $4,405,000.   
• The first 2022 Hennessey Venom F5 to be offered at public auction sold for $2,205,000.  
• A 2005 Ferrari 612 with a gated manual transmission sold for $467,000, setting a record for the model.  
• A 1988 Porsche 959 SC Reimagined by Canepa set the record for a 959 road car at $3,085,000.   

Top Sales  

The weekend’s top sale was Gooding’s 1903 Mercedes-Simplex 60 HP ‘Roi des Belges’, which brought just over $12 million, making it the most expensive pre-1930s car ever sold at auction. A 1967 Ford GT40 Mk I road car took the second spot at $4,405,000, and a 1953 Ferrari 250 Europa followed closely behind at $4,295,000. A 2022 Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport set a record for the variant at $4,047,500—the 119-year range of vehicles in the top 10 shows car collectors aren’t bothered by age.   

Porsche Market Pauses   

Only one Porsche made the overall top 10—a 2018 918 Spyder Weissach Roadster that sold at Gooding for $3,525,000. Another one, a 1988 Porsche 959 SC Reimagined by Canepa, was a strong sale, setting the record for a 959 road car at $3,085,000. Other Porsche sales were less confident even though March has long been associated with significant Porsche sales. Two notable early Porsche racers didn’t sell on the block, instead transacting after the auctions concluded: The 1959 Porsche 718 RSK Spyder at Broad Arrow and the 1961 Porsche RS61 from Gooding, which sold for $3,100,000. 

What’s more, some Porsches that crossed the $1M threshold did not quite meet expectations. A 1996 Porsche 911 Remastered by Gunther Werks sold for $1,022,500 after reaching a high bid of $1.15M and not selling on Bring a Trailer in late 2023, while a Porsche Reimagined by Singer went unsold with a $1,225,000 high bid. RUF, the only Porsche modifier considered a manufacturer and comprising its own class at Amelia on Sunday, went 4 for 6. The top sale was a 1998 RUF Turbo R selling for $1,517,500 in Miami. However, these modified Porsches had a lower sell-through rate than their stock counterparts—67 percent vs. 81 percent.   

Stability Returns   

Stability has returned to the collector market, and results show a less speculative nature. The median return on a car bought since 2020 and sold this week was zero percent. The median premium to Hagerty Price Guide condition-appropriate value fell to 10 percent this year from 15 percent last year, indicating a return to rationality. This resurgent stability brings traditional classics to the forefront, and a shift in priorities to how much joy and passion the vehicle can provide to a collector rather than return on investment.   

Prewar Performance  

It wasn’t just a few big sales. Overall, the prewar segment performed in line with or better than vehicles built after World War II. 82 percent of prewar cars sold, while the sell-through rate for postwar vehicles trailed at 80 percent. This is the first year since 2019, when the brass-era Don C. Boulton Collection was offered at Bonhams, where prewar cars had a higher sell-through rate at the Amelia Auctions. Postwar cars performed worse compared to auction house estimates as well. 75 percent of Postwar cars sold with a hammer bid below their low estimate, while only 69 percent of prewar cars did. On top of that, prewar cars were twice as likely as postwar cars to sell above their high estimate (16 percent vs. eight percent). Even as car collectors get younger, with most not even alive when these cars were new, there is still a tremendous appreciation for these antique automobiles.     

March Classic Auction Results through March 3rd, 2024 

Listed below are the raw results Hagerty Automotive Intelligence team members witnessed during live auctions, as well as after-sales reported to Hagerty by the auction companies. Results may not include all post-sale deals that have occurred. These numbers include the appropriate buyer’s premiums. 

Overall through Sunday from all auction companies 

• Cumulative Total: $183.8M 
• 383/468 lots sold: 82% sell-through rate 
• Average Sale Price: $479,899 

2023 Cumulative Results through Sunday 

• Cumulative Total: $177.7M 
• 389/453 lots sold: 85.9% sell-through rate 
• Average Sale Price: $456,792 

Overall Top 10 Sales from all auctions through Sunday: 

1. 1903 Mercedes-Simplex 60 HP Roi des Belges sold for $12,105,000 (Gooding & Company) 
2. 1967 Ford GT40 Mk I Road Coupe sold for $4,405,000 (Broad Arrow Auctions) 
3. 1953 Ferrari 250 Europa Coupe sold for $4,295,000 (RM Sotheby’s)* 
4. 2022 Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport Coupe sold for $4,047,500 (Broad Arrow Auctions) 
5. 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider sold for $3,995,000 (Gooding & Company) 
6. 1930 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Disappearing Top Convertible Coupe sold for $3,855,000 (RM Sotheby’s)* 
7. 1972 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider sold for $3,635,000 (Gooding & Company) 
8. 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder Weissach Roadster sold for $3,525,000 (Gooding & Company) 
9. 1990 Ferrari F40 Coupe sold for $3,360,000 (RM Sotheby’s)* 
10. 1973 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider sold for $3,305,000 (Broad Arrow Auctions) 

*Miami                                                                                                      

Results broken down by Auction Company: 

GOODING & COMPANY 

• Cumulative Total through Friday: $66.2M 
• 106/126 lots sold: 84% sell-through rate 
• Average Sale Price: $624,253 

2024 Top 10 Sales: 

1. 1903 Mercedes-Simplex 60 HP Roi des Belges sold for $12,105,000 
2. 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider sold for $3,995,000 
3. 1972 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider sold for $3,635,000 
4. 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder Weissach Roadster sold for $3,525,000 
5. 1961 Porsche RS61 sold for $3,100,000  
6. 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 Coupe sold for $2,920,000 
7. 1931 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Convertible Coupe sold for $2,645,000 
8. 1938 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante Coupe sold for $2,260,000 
9. 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster sold for $2,012,500 
10. 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 Coupe sold for $1,985,000 

2023 Cumulative Results 

• Cumulative Total: $72.7M 
• 148/155 lots sold: 95% sell-through rate 
• Average Sale Price: $491,055 

BROAD ARROW 

• Cumulative Total through Saturday: $62.6M 
• 136/149 lots sold: 91% sell-through rate 
• Average Sale Price: $460,394 

2024 Top 10 Sales*: 

1. 1967 Ford GT40 Mk I Road Coupe sold for $4,405,000 
2. 2022 Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport Coupe sold for $4,047,500 
3. 1973 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider sold for $3,305,000 
4. 1988 Porsche 959 SC Reimagined Coupe sold for $3,085,000 
5. 2021 Lamborghini Aventador Sian Coupe sold for $2,645,000 
6. 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster sold for $2,260,000 
7. 2022 Hennessey Venom F5 sold for $2,205,000 
8. 2020 McLaren Speedtail Coupe sold for $2,067,500 
9. 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe sold for $1,545,000 
10. 1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K Norrmalm Cabriolet sold for $1,435,000 

*Does not include lots sold post-auction 

2023 Cumulative Results 

• Cumulative Total: $28.6M 
• 82/108 lots sold: 76% sell-through rate 
• Average Sale Price: $348,797 

BONHAMS 

• Cumulative Total through Thursday: $6.7M 
• 52/79 lots sold: 66% sell-through rate 
• Average Sale Price: $129,297 

2024 Top 10 Sales: 

1. 1904 Napier L48   sold for $742,000 
2. 2005 Ford GT Coupe sold for $409,250 
3. 2008 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Convertible sold for $387,250 
4. 2007 Honda NSX-R GT Coupe sold for $368,000 
5. 1994 Ferrari 512 TR Coupe sold for $335,000 
6. 1953 Mercedes-Benz 300S Coupe sold for $332,250 
7. 1967 Aston Martin DB6 Mk I Saloon sold for $263,200 
8. 1965 Shelby Cobra CSX4000 – 427 S/C Roadster sold for $257,600 
9. 1996 Porsche 911 Turbo Coupe sold for $246,400 
10. 1929 Stutz DV-32 Brisson sold for $224,000 

2023 Cumulative Results 

• Cumulative Total: $12.8M 
• 80/102 lots sold: 78% sell-through rate 
• Average Sale Price: $160,044 

RM SOTHEBY’S (MIAMI) 

• Cumulative Total through Saturday: $48.3M 
• 89/114 lots sold: 78% sell-through rate 
• Average Sale Price: $542,625 

2024 Top 10 Sales:                                                                                                              

1. 1953 Ferrari 250 Europa Coupe sold for $4,295,000 
2. 1930 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Disappearing Top Convertible Coupe sold for $3,855,000 
3. 1990 Ferrari F40 Coupe sold for $3,360,000 
4. 2010 Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Convertible sold for $3,085,000 
5. 1963 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster sold for $2,260,000 
6. 1966 Porsche 906 Carrera 6 sold for $2,205,000 
7. 1939 Mercedes-Benz 540K Sindelfingen Cabriolet A sold for $2,205,000 
8. 2005 Porsche Carrera GT Coupe sold for $1,721,000 
9. 1998 RUF Turbo R Coupe sold for $1,517,500 
10. 2017 Ferrari F12tdf Coupe sold for $1,242,500 

2023 Cumulative Results 

• Cumulative Total: $63.6M 
• 79/88 lots sold: 90% sell-through rate 
• Average Sale Price: $805,203 

The post March Classic Auction Report: Age Is Just a Number, and a Stable Market is Back appeared first on Hagerty Media.

There’s nothing quite like a concept car—the promise it holds, the way it can capture the imagination. The seeds of enthusiasm and inspiration it can spread to all corners of the automotive landscape. Even more dramatic is when such a visionary project amounts to more than a pure flight of fancy; a running, driving show car that looks near-ready for production only heightens the thrilling sensation that the future is right around the corner.

Chrysler built a legendary run of concept cars in the first half of the 1950s, perhaps none more dazzling, promising, and seemingly production-ready than the 1954 Dodge Firearrow IV roadster concept. Chrysler big-wigs ultimately did not green-light the car for the masses—a missed opportunity to take on the Corvette and Thunderbird that Hagerty senior auction editor Andrew Newton considers one of the greatest automotive “what-ifs” of the 1950s. A one-off sold to a buyer in Venezeula, this phenomenal show car survived. Now, 70 years later, it’s crossing the block with Broad Arrow at this weekend’s auction at The Amelia in Florida.

The Firearrow IV was the final so-named two-seater concept, following the first, Firearrow I, which debuted at the Turin show in November of 1953. (That first Firearrow was a static display car.) Based on the standard production Dodge Royal 119-inch-wheelbase chassis, these cars were coach-built by Italy’s Carozzeria Ghia, whose ties with Chrysler and “Forward Look” designer Virgil Exner began in 1951 with the Chrysler K-310 concept. Exner’s influence on Chrysler styling in the 1950s and beyond was far-reaching, and such “Idea Cars” were essential for testing public reaction to new design language as well as specific features. Spectacular, iconic ’50s designs ranging from the Chrysler 300 to the De Soto Adventurer and the ’57 Imperial owe much to Exner’s “Forward Look,” a gutsy effort to inject some life into Chrysler’s stalling postwar momentum.

Facing declining sales and a reputation for stodginess in the late 1940s, Chrysler’s big bet with the “Forward Look’s” was to establish the automaker as a design leader. It was a risky tack given that the company was still a bit gun-shy following the flop of the design-intensive Chrysler Airflow in the 1930s. The concept cars of the early 1950s proved immensely popular, however, and part of their appeal was that—unlike many of Ford and GM’s exercises at the time—they were mostly drivable.

Firearrow IV was the most production-ready of the Firearrow series, incorporating functional elements like a manually foldable convertible top, roll-up side windows, and exterior door handles. More fanciful were the quad exhaust tips that poke through the rear fenders, as well as the eye-popping black-and-white diamond-pattern interior scheme. There was even a 16-jewel, Swiss-movement “Dodgematic” clock positioned in the steering wheel. The hardware was all state-of-the-art, incorporating the top shelf of performance technology Chrysler had to offer: 150 horsepower from a “Red Ram” 241-cubic-inch Hemi V-8 with a four-barrel carburetor, a then-new PowerFlite two-speed automatic transmission, Safeguard hydraulic brakes, Oriflow shocks, and Safety Rim wire wheels.

Though there is plenty of chrome to elevate the sense of glamour, the Firearrow IV’s fundamental beauty is its smooth shape and clarity of design. The four-seater’s prominent front fenders rise above the curved hood and create a line that extends the full length of the car, terminating in subtle rear fins. The square-ish, grid-pattern grille evolved to be wider and more trapezoidal in shape in Chrysler’s later production cars, but the effect here is sophisticated when framed in a ring of chrome between four recessed headlights. In the Firearrow IV, European taste and craftsmanship meets American exuberance.

Though Firearrow IV was never produced en masse, the general idea of it did reach limited production. Businessman Eugene Casaroll purchased the rights to the design from Chrysler and contracted with Ghia to build the Dual-Ghia. Between 1956 and 1958, Ghia made 117 of them at a hefty price of $7646 (about $88,000 today). As writer Richard Dredge noted, “the V-8-powered Ghia soon became the luxury car of choice for the wealthiest film stars, with Frank Sinatra and Ronald Reagan each buying one of these drop-tops.”

What came of the Firearrow IV show car is a tale all its own. Following its U.S. press tour, the car was apparently sold to a dealer in Venezuela and on to a private owner in late 1954. A decade later it found itself on a used car lot in Caracas, after which it appeared for sale in the pages of the December 1964 issue of Motor Trend. It vanished for a bit after that, resurfacing in the 1980s at a hacienda about 90 miles outside of Caracas. The images below show it in that era finished in silver with a tan convertible top, along with years of dust and from being stored—complete—in a barn. Once rediscovered, Firearrow IV received a comprehensive restoration in the early ’90s that brought back its original Regimental Red paint scheme and diamond-patterned interior. From there it bounced around between several noted collectors, got another round of extensive mechanical restoration, and won the Chairman’s Award in Memory of David L. George II at the St. Michaels Concours d’Elegance in September of 2021.

Broad Arrow estimates that Firearrow IV will sell for $1.5–$2M. For context, Hagerty senior auction editor Andrew Newton points out: “Back in 2007, Barrett-Jackson sold Firearrow IV as a package with Firearrow II for $1.1M. Firearrow III sold in Monterey in 2011 for $852,500, and Firearrow II sold again in Monterey in 2021 for $1,050,000.”

This is a one-of-a-kind car, with the flash and panache of a chromed 1950s concept but the utility and drivability of a real car from the era. For a passionate fan of Italian coachbuilding, post-war American optimism and automotive leadership, or Chrysler design in particular, the Firearrow IV is an utter dream machine. Seven decades after it first appeared, it promises to inspire considerable admiration when it drives up on the stage at The Amelia this weekend.

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The post The 1954 Dodge Firearrow IV Concept Could’ve Been Chrysler’s Most Beautiful Production Car appeared first on Hagerty Media.

Mopars5150 is a shop that brings muscle cars back from the brink, restoring barn finds and other neglected vehicles to their former glory and beyond. Eleven vehicles from its collection are heading for sale at Mecum’s auction in Glendale, Arizona, March 5–9. Of those 11, six are Dodge or Plymouth muscle cars, as you’d expect, but the remaining five are also worth highlighting. Here are the five non-Mopars from oldest to newest.

1963 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible

What it is: The first year of Chevrolet’s second-generation Corvette brought a host of changes including a gorgeous new body and a new chassis with, for the first time, an independent rear suspension.

Why we like it: What’s not to love about a Riverside Red 1963 Corvette convertible with a four-speed and a numbers-matching, 300-hp 327? The fact that it’s not a coupe means you get open-air driving and don’t pay the Split Window tax, which roughly doubles the price. Still a stunner with the top down or with the optional removable hard top—which we’d be tempted to track down—any midyear Corvette is tough to beat.

1964 Impala SS 409

What it is: The 1964 Impala has remained one of the most iconic mid-‘60s Chevy models thanks to its elegant styling inside and out. It also marked the end of an era, as the Mark IV big-block would debut in 1965 and take the top performance spot in the Impala lineup. Still, the 409 was a formidable piece and looks amazing as well with its scalloped valve covers.

Why we like it: This sleek and subtle coupe packs a dual-four-barrel 409 under the hood and a four-speed shifter on the floor, making it the most powerful Impala SS available in 1964. The brawny and brightly painted muscle cars that followed took a lot of the attention away from the early ‘60s full-size cars that packed serious power of their own. We’d be hesitant to call an Impala SS a sleeper, but we still think that it would surprise quite a few onlookers with the power of its W-series big-block.

1968 Chevrolet C10

What it is: Chevrolet’s truck lineup, new for 1967, brought a clean, muscular design. The 1968 models kept the same grille and sheetmetal but added federally mandated side-marker lights. They’ve become a favorite of customizers, particularly in short-bed, fleetside configurations like this one.

Why we like it: This understated custom features a supercharged 6.0-liter LS V-8 that’s force-fed via Magnuson’s big 2.3-liter blower. The interior is wrapped in brown leather upholstery that features diamond-quilted inserts in the seat, door panels, and the headliner. It also sports an Air Ride suspension that allows for an adjustable stance. The new suspension and wide tires no doubt transformed the pickup’s ride and handling, and the V-8 is sure to pack a mean punch. Besides a few custom touches to the exterior, most of the trim is intact. Cruise it as-is or swap the wheels for some steelies and fly under the radar.

1970 Chevrolet Chevelle

What it is: Chevrolet’s 1970 Chevelle was the brand’s peak muscle car, with the 450-hp LS6 offering the highest horsepower rating of any Bow Tie big-block. This version takes that up several notches. Its body was removed from the chassis, which was stripped, powder-coated, and rebuilt with Ride Tech control arms. The interior was restored and remains close to factory specs, as does the sheetmetal. Those OEM looks belie its much-improved performance, though.

Why we like it: An original SS 454 car is a rare and expensive beast. This muscle-bound homage brings even more horsepower to bear thanks to a host of aftermarket equipment. The bored and stroked big-block now displaces 496 cubic inches and is topped by aluminum heads and a single-plane intake manifold with a Dominator carb. Most street-going V-8s opt for a dual-plane intake to maintain low-end torque, but when there’s that much displacement on tap, low-end torque isn’t an issue.

1970 AMC Rebel Machine*

What it is: The Rebel was AMC’s stylish mid-size car that came in coupe, convertible, sedan, and wagon body styles. For 1970, the coupe got a totally different roofline that changed the car’s look entirely. The Machine was the muscle car variant that swung directly at the Big Three with bold graphics, a big hood scoop, and a 390 V-8 powerplant.

Why we like it: A garden-variety Rebel will stand out at any car show. The brash, patriotic color scheme of the Machine makes it one of the most recognizable muscle cars ever. This example, with its original steel wheels, unique to the Machine, and four-speed manual, seems like a fantastic time capsule.

* Some might argue that an AMC is a Mopar, as Chrysler Corp. purchased AMC in the 1980s. By that logic, a Stratos is a Mopar, now that Stellantis has Lancia and Dodge under the same banner. We’re not buying it. Fight us about it.

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The post 6 Non-Mopars from the Mopars5150 Collection appeared first on Hagerty Media.

I’m trying something new this weekend and would appreciate your help. As part of The Amelia— Hagerty’s Concours d’Elegance and all-around automotive celebration on the northeast Florida coast—Jason Cammisa and I will be commentating live during the Broad Arrow classic-car auctions. You can watch, for free, in one of two ways:

1. Via the Broad Arrow YouTube channel;
2. On Samsung TV Plus Channel 1194, the Hagerty Channel.

Don’t own a Samsung TV? Not to worry: Just go to this website.

The auction starts at 11 AM Eastern (8 AM Pacific) on Saturday and runs for most of the afternoon. Please feel free to comment on the cars, the pageantry, and our performances as emcees via the article link below. Thank you in advance.

I’m looking forward to the auctions and everything else happening at The Amelia. Saturday morning on the golf course, a massive cars and coffee event runs alongside RADwood, the always-entertaining celebration of 1980s and 1990s automotive culture. This year’s seminars, emceed by NASCAR championship crew chief Ray Evernham, will celebrate 40 years of Hendrick Motorsports with Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Jeff Gordon, Ken Schrader, and Terry Labonte. Wow! The whole weekend is a chance to commune with car folks and I always come back with new ideas, friends, and learnings. If you make it to Amelia Island, be sure to say hello.

Back home in Detroit, a different kind of car show, Autorama, is happening inside a convention center. Autorama is like the Oscars for hot rods, with the world’s best builders submitting gorgeously detailed custom cars in hopes of winning the coveted Ridler Award. The contestant cars, which arrive in Detroit after thousands of painstaking hours of fabrication and painting, are usually displayed with mirrors underneath so everyone can see that not one millimeter was overlooked for modifications and new finishes. Ridler Award contenders run well into the millions to build as we documented in a case study of a winner called Cadmad. There’s even a special lingo, which we defined here. Check back regularly to Hagerty.com/media for the latest Autorama debuts.

Can’t make it to Florida for The Amelia? Here’s the latest from Hagerty Media to fuel your car passion.

• This week’s Never Stop Driving podcast is an invigorating discussion with designer Richard Vaughan that delves into why new cars look so similar, the inner workings of the car industry, and a debate over our 2024 Bull Market picks. Listen on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.

• Jason Cammisa explains the wildest SUV ever built, the Lamborghini LM002

• This remembrance of Canadian hockey player Tim Horton and his death 50 years ago in a DeTomaso Pantera was our most-read story of the past week. 

• Clean your car with ice!

Thanks for reading! If you’d like to support us, please share our material and join the Hagerty Drivers Club.

Have a great weekend!

Larry

P.S.: Your feedback is very welcome. Comment below!

Please share this newsletter with your car-obsessed friends and encourage them to sign up for the free weekly email. The easy-to-complete form is here. And if you’d like to support the efforts of Hagerty Media, please consider joining the Hagerty Drivers Club.

The post Never Stop Driving #88: Car Show Kickoff appeared first on Hagerty Media.

Pop artist Peter Max’s 36-car Corvette collection was one of the most well-known barn-find phenomena among Corvette aficionados. The odd collection of one Corvette per year of production from 1953-1989 (the 1983 model never reached dealership floors) was initially used as a promotion for the TV channel VH1. Max had planned on using them in an art exhibit but they languished in a New York parking garage for decades until they were purchased and given away as part of a Corvette Heroes charity sweepstakes to raise money for military families. Now, the 1973 Stingray is up for sale, by itself this time, and is up for auction this week on Hagerty Marketplace.

There were myriad interesting changes to the automotive landscape in the early 1970s, and the 1973 Corvette shows off one of those developments via the contrast in front and rear fascia and their respective bumpers. The front of this model Corvette wears a painted urethane bumper, reflecting NHTSA’s requirement that vehicles be able to withstand a 5-mph impact at the front without damage. In 1974, the rear of the Corvette followed suit, leaving 1973 as the lone model year seemingly caught in two eras. The egg-crate fender vents were also gone for 1973, which combined with the deletion of the chrome bumper to make the front end a bit less busy. Thankfully the bold, swooping lines of the fenders remained intact.

This example was originally equipped with the well-known 210-horsepower, L82 version of the 350 small-block V-8 and a three-speed automatic. After its long hibernation,  Corvette Heroes treated the Stingray with a GM crate engine and gave it new, digital gauges so that it was ready to hit the streets once the winner took possession. Since then, the current owner has also refreshed a few things, including replacing some brake and exhaust components and installing a Bluetooth audio system with Hertz speakers and a JL Audio subwoofer. The seller also notes that the rear bumpers and luggage rack have been re-chromed. Inside, the black interior and red seatbelts seem to have survived their slumber quite nicely.

With just over a week to go, budding has hit $20,500. Even putting aside the strange ownership history, we’ve got a feeling that the allure of a red Stingray will bring more bids as the time dwindles.

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The post Peter Max’s Barn-Find 1973 Corvette Resurfaces for Auction appeared first on Hagerty Media.

So, as expected, the presale estimate of $25,000 to $35,000 that Christie’s placed on Elton John’s 1990 Bentley Continental was miles out. Bidding at the February 21st live auction in New York finished with a total price, including fees, of $441,000.

The car itself was cool, even without Elton’s stamp of approval. Black coachwork over black leather perfectly offset the silver alloy rims and a walnut dash. This two-door, 6758-cc convertible is also of the era that is just so “now.” Frankly, this car would have sold well whoever the owner was.

But let’s not pretend that Elton John’s ownership didn’t make this an uber-collectible car. The singer is known for his love of cars, and he was especially passionate about this one, driving it regularly in California before having it shipped to Europe and using it there, describing it as his “Beloved” Continental and gushing over how wonderful it looked. It does indeed look wonderful, and this provenance gave it a massive boost when it hit the rostrum.

Hagerty tracks the value that celebrity ownership adds to cars through the annual Power List, and this will be the 18th sale of Elton’s cars that our valuation team has tracked (which, coincidentally, is the third highest number, behind just Steve McQueen and Paul Walker). The average increase of Elton John’s other cars over a standard equivalent has been 115 percent. This sale result was nearly five times the Hagerty price guide #2 (Excellent) value of $93,500. That’s a big number.

The post Elton John’s Continental Shift appeared first on Hagerty Media.

The go-anywhere Unimog is an odd truck with an odd name, but it’s much more than an automotive oddity. The German-built utility vehicle, designed shortly after World War II as a self-propelled agricultural machine, is part truck and part tractor. And more than 75 years after the first model rolled out, it’s still going strong—and evolving.

The Unimog (pronounced YOU-nuh-mog) gets its name from the motivating force behind its design; it’s an acronym for the German word “UNIversal-MOtorGerät,” or universal motor carrier. Developed as a highly adaptable vehicle that could serve all the needs of a farmer—including, most notably, possessing the ability to flawlessly transition from field to the road—the demand for the vehicle increased along with its uses. Boehringer began production in 1947 and built the Unimog for four years before Mercedes-Benz took over in 1951 and continues to build them to this day.

According to the 2016 book Der Unimog: Arbeitstier und Kultmobil [in English, The Unimog: Workhorse and Cult Vehicle], the Unimog was designed with rear-wheel drive and switchable front-wheel drive, along with equal-size wheels, in order to be driven on roads at higher speeds than standard farm tractors. With high ground clearance and a flexible frame (which is essentially part of the suspension), Unimogs are not designed to carry as much load as regular trucks, but buyers have been sweet on classic and modern versions of the rig for years.

That brings us to this fully restored 1959 Mercedes-Benz U411 Unimog, which is listed at Broad Arrow Auctions’ sale at The Amelia, taking place on March 1–2.

A copy of the original Data Card shows that this particular U411 completed production in Gaggenau, Germany, on April 9, 1959 and was designated for export to the United States. The truck is powered by a correct 1.7-liter OM636 inline four-cylinder diesel engine, mated to a six-speed manual transmission, featuring standard synchronized gears. The original, numbers-matching block is also included.

It is believed that this Unimog (chassis 411.110.9500596) and one other were initially sold to equipment dealer A. Fassnacht & Sons of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The seller purchased the truck, which had already received a mechanical rehab, in Georgia in 2012, and immediately began a complete cosmetic restoration. The vehicle received bodywork and rust repair from Chris Radbill Automotive of West Chester, Pennsylvania, and was given a new grille, doors, cab floors, front and rear fenders, front wheel arches, cab sides, and battery box. The frame, axles, and transmission had been painted black prior to professional painting of the wheels (red) and body (DB 6286 Unimog Green). New oak boards in the bed (painted on the outside, with natural stain on the inside) offer an attractive contrast. Similar contrasting colors were used in the interior, with the seats reupholstered in black vinyl and the surfaces finished in matching Unimog Green.

In addition, the vehicle received a new folding canvas roof, and numerous factory labels were reapplied in yellow to indicate towing capacity on and off-road, as well as the operation of each lever just to the right over the driver. The Unimog also received a new wiring harness, headlights, taillights, clutch, starter, oil bath air cleaner, and door windows, while the front portal axles were rebuilt with new seals and bearings. The truck is outfitted with the optional wide 18×10-inch wheels, which wear 10.5-18 BKT tires.

The odometer shows only 462 kilometers (287 miles), all since completion of the restoration. Actual mileage is unknown.

When outfitted with a camper for overlanding, Unimogs can easily climb into the six-figure range; without them, they go for much less. This 1959 Mercedes-Benz U411 Unimog is being offered at no reserve and has a pre-auction estimate of $50,000–$60,000, a number that reflects a first-generation truck in freshly restored condition. However, if two eager collectors at The Amelia are both looking to fill a hole in their Mercedes-Benz collections, it could go higher.

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The post This 1959 Mercedes-Benz U411 Unimog Is a Farmer’s Dream Machine appeared first on Hagerty Media.

A 2018 Jaguar I-Pace originally bought by King Charles III will soon be going under the gavel at Historics Auctioneers.

The top-spec EV400 HSE  reportedly arrived painted in Eiger Grey, but, at the King’s insistence, was sent back to Jaguar to be repainted in his favorite color, Loire Blue. The cabin is trimmed, appropriately, in Light Oyster Windsor leather. The sticker price, when new, was around £60,000 (roughly $84,000).

Well-known for his environmental conscience, Charles has previously converted an Aston Martin to run on bio-fuel, but the Jag was his first electric car.

It wasn’t, however, the first EV to feature in the Royal Family garage. At the turn of the 20th century, the Royals were remarkably carbon-neutral, with Queen Alexandra owning a 1901 Columbia, which was capable of achieving 40 miles on a single charge. “Her Majesty is delighted with the ease and simplicity of control and manipulation,” said The Autocar at the time.

That car is now on display at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu and is unlikely to hit the road again.

Meanwhile, the King’s EV has seen plenty of use. Charles drove it for some 3,000 miles before returning it to Jaguar in 2020, after which it was sold through Jaguar North Oxford.

The current owner, Karen French of Bampton, had no idea of its royal provenance when she bought the car and it didn’t stop her from covering an additional 30,000 miles.

“This I-Pace was exactly what I was looking for and pretty much on my doorstep,” she said. “It was only when I agreed to buy it that I discovered its extraordinary history—I was absolutely thrilled.”

She will, no doubt, be even more thrilled if the car achieves its estimate of £55,000–£70,000 ($69,400–$88,300) when it goes to auction at Ascot Racecourse, where royal fans also have the chance to bid on a 2003 Bentley Arnage R that was bought new by Princess Anne. With a presale estimate of £26,000–£32,000 ($32,800–$40,300), it’s less than half the price of the King’s Jag as well!

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The post King Charles’ Royal Jaguar Is Up for Grabs appeared first on Hagerty Media.

Consigning interesting and varied live auction lots can be a tricky business these days, especially in the mid-range of the market that has been so dominated by online sales over the last few years. Which is why Iconic Auctioneers’ Race Retro sale catalog is so refreshing.

The sale takes place February 22–23  at Stoneleigh Park, Coventry, in the UK, and Rob Hubbard and team have brought together a fascinating collection of cars both on day one, which focuses on competition vehicles, and on day two, which caters to mainstream classics.

For anyone still looking for an appropriate car for the Hagerty Hillclimb on May 11, there are some tempting prospects. A 1999 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI with hillclimb championship wins in 2017–18 looks like a lot of car for the £23,000–£27,000 ($29,000–$34,000) estimate, but if you have a little more in the bank, a 1987 ex-works Peugeot 309 GTi (estimate £70,000–£80,000, or roughly $88,400–$101,000) that gave Richard Burns his first “factory” seat at the 1991 RAC Rally would certainly draw the attention of the Shelsley crowd.

If fast Fords are your thing, Iconic is offering a great selection, from a seemingly very usable 1972 Escort Mexico fitted with a red-top Vauxhall 2-liter engine mated to a Quaife five-speed gearbox (estimate £18,000–£22,000, or $22,700–$27,800), right up to an ex-Valentino Rossi/Henning Solberg 2007 Focus M-Sport WRC (estimate £340,000–£380,000, or $429,350–$479,850).

If you’re more inclined toward Hagerty’s RADwood, a celebration of 1980s and ’90s turbo-era cars, the Saturday sale is for you. There are a couple of Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworths and even an unused factory engine to go with them. Estimated at a strong, although not unexpected), £120,000–£140,000 ($151,500–$176,800), there is also an extremely low-mileage, one-owner 2004 BMW (E46) CSL that could easily set a record. One of the five Mitsubishi Evo VI RS Tommi Mäkinen Monte Carlo Edition cars, possibly the ultimate Evo, is also for sale, with an estimate of £100,000 to £120,000 ($126,300–$151,500), as is one of Hagerty UK’s 2024 Bull Market picks: a low-mileage 2002 Honda S2000 GT that Iconic believes may hit £40,000.

But they’re only the teasers. The 1998 Subaru Impreza 22B-STI, number 29 of 400, may have been given a tempting low estimate of £190,000 ($240,000). For those whose pockets are not quite so deep, there’s also an Impreza P1 and an STi 555 Version 2 on offer. There are famous cars, too, including an ex-Richard Burns 1998 Mitsubishi Lancer GSR Evo V with fewer than 800 miles on the odometer (estimate £100,000, or $126,300) and a 1996 Honda NSX-T that was the UK press car. It is described as being in excellent condition, but its high estimate of £85,000 ($107,350) is still lower than the top Hagerty Price Guide value.

Then there’s an ultra-rare 1984 Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 (estimate £235,000–£275,000, or $334,650–$347,300) and—for me—the star of the show, the #002 1987/2001 BMW E30 M3 Enhanced and Evolved by Redux. As anyone who follows Redux on social media knows, these cars have been re-engineered to a phenomenal level, and this is the very first time one has hit the open market. Currently the lone UK-registered road version, this may be the only opportunity to buy one (estimate £200,000–£250,000, or $252,550–$315,700) given that Redux’s order book is reportedly full. Stoneleigh Park may be a busy place.

But in amongst these modern-day collectible icons, a very unusual car also caught my eye. Tucked away in the competition sale is a kit car, a Formosa 120GR, estimated at a fair £22,000 to £26,000 ($27,800–$32,800). Based on a 2-liter 1963 Triumph Vitesse and clad with a fiberglass body, “kit car” seems unfair, as the lines on this thing are superb, reminiscent of an HWM Jaguar or even a Ferrari 750 Monza. Created by a team who cut their teeth building Sunseeker yachts, it’s the sort of car that would draw attention whenever you drove it, for all the right reasons. I love the look of it; we’ll see if bidders agree.

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When spring comes to Paris the humblest mortal alive must feel that he dwells in paradise. – Henry Miller

Henry Miller was close to the mark. Paris in the first week of February is paradise for any classic car enthusiast, many weeks before the first shoots of spring have erupted along the Champ de Mars in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. Rétromobile isn’t just the most important car show in France, nor is it merely the European season opener; it’s now undoubtedly the preeminent historic vehicle event outside of the USA.

Paris is the perfect location for such an extravagant celebration of collector vehicles. An easy train ride from London, still a powerhouse of the historic vehicle market, home to some of the most important dealers in the world, and within easy reach of the rest of Europe, the city offers spectacular historic venues for the satellite events that take over the place for a week. Everyone who is anyone in the industry is in the city, visiting the auction halls, dropping in to the stands at the show, and making deals over dinner.

Three major auction houses hold their landmark European sales here – RM Sotheby’s in the Salles du Carrousel at the Louvre Palace, Bonhams at the Grand Palais Éphémère, and Artcurial at the Rétromobile event itself, hosted at a sprawling exposition center at the Porte de Versailles. Here’s what happened:

RM Sotheby’s: Slow but steady

RM Sotheby’s was the first event of the week, on Wednesday, January 31. After announcing a flurry of forthcoming new European sales, chief auctioneer Sholto Gilbertson’s night began relatively easily, the near-50 per cent rate of no-reserve lots meaning that the less expensive cars pretty much all sold, although some did take their time. A few lots exceeded expectations by some way, notably a very pretty 1989 Porsche 930 coupe in Linen Grey Metallic that sold for a strong €172,500 ($187,249), followed by a 1993 911 Turbo that sped past its €225,000 ($244K) top estimate, finishing at €511,250 ($554,962), including fees. Bidders were apparently happy to forgive its 116,000km odometer reading and instead valued its extraordinary color combination of Oak Green Metallic over a Sherwood Green interior.

As the estimates rose, however, things got a little more difficult. A 1950 Ferrari 195 Inter coupe by Ghia was bid unsuccessfully to €620,000 ($673,010), although the next lot – a 1973 Dino 246 GTS – sold for €635,000 ($689,293). Fifteen years ago, if you had told someone a Dino would outperform a 195 Inter at auction, they’d have suggested a quiet lie down.

Then, a trio of big Porsches – a 1991 962C, a 993 GT2, and a 918 Spyder Weissach – were all bid up to more than €1M ($1.09M) but failed to sell. Modern hypercars struggled, too: A 2017 Bugatti Chiron, a 2003 Ferrari Enzo, and a 2018 Lamborghini Centenario LP770-4 roadster were all bid to well over €2M ($2.2M) but still didn’t fetch their reserves.

Finally, the headline lots came into view. One of just a dozen Maserati MC12 Corsa models sold for a mid-estimate €3,042,500 ($3,302,634), and a very rare alloy factory-bodied Ferrari 275 GTB/6C returned an over-estimate €3,211,250 ($3,485,812). Then, it was the turn of the star: the ex-Chinetti/Grossman 1960 Ferrari 250 SWB Competizione. Bidding was painfully slow – Gilbertson at one stage even apologized to the room – and toward the end it broke down to a two-way battle rising in increments of €25,000 ($27K) with the sale finally happening at €10,158,125 ($11,026,645) including fees.

Bonhams: No-reserve bargains

The Bonhams auction took place on the following day with a mixed catalogue of enthusiast cars and a few more expensive lots. A 1969 Lamborghini Miura P400 S sold mid estimate for €954,500 ($1,037,065), as did its younger sibling, a 1981 Countach LP400S that made €621,000 ($674,717). Two modern classic Ferraris – a 1988 Testarossa and a 1996 F512M – both sold over top estimate, and a stunning black 2004 Enzo returned the highest price of the day at €3,910,000 ($4,248,215).

There were a few big misses, too. A 2005 Porsche Carrera GT didn’t reach its low €1.1M ($1.2M) estimate, nor did a 1933 Maserati 8C 3000 Biposto, nor a 1931 Invicta S-Type low chassis. Other prewar cars struggled as well. A group of no-reserve Amilcars sold for an absolute song, including a 1927 CGSS Voiturette, estimated at €70,000 to €100,000, that changed hands for just €27,600 ($29,987) with fees. Although an unfinished project, this was a huge amount of car for the money and one that has the potential for prewar racing when finished.

Artcurial: Big misses

Prewar cars fared slightly better on Friday, February 2, at the Artcurial auction. Bugattis did well – as they tend to at this venue – with four of the five selling; only a 1936 Type 57 Stelvio by Gangloff, with complex history, failed to meet reserve. But a 1929 Avions Voisin C14 Charteuese and a 1933 Hispano-Suiza Junior Berline by Vanvooren both sold without reserve for well under estimate.

But the top lots had a bad day. All four Ferraris estimated at over €1M ($1.1M) failed to sell, including the star lot, a 1958 long-wheelbase, covered headlight Ferrari 250 California Spider, which was bid up to €7.8M ($8.4M) against a presale estimate of €8.5M ($9.2M) to €11.5M ($12.4M). There were misses also on a 2021 Lamborghini Sian, a 2020 McLaren Speedtail, and a 2018 McLaren Senna.

Trends: Modern, more expensive cars struggled

When the results of the three auctions were analyzed together, Hagerty spotted some interesting trends. By year of manufacture, three decades performed worse than the others: The very earliest pre-1900 cars, models built in the 1940s, and the latest 2020-onwards cars. That said, there were only two 1890s cars and just five from the 1940s – the two decades with the fewest entries at the sales. The 2020s were represented by ten cars, of which four failed to sell, and the average low estimate of the four was €1.58M ($1.71M).

Examining sell-through rates across the different price points reinforces the suggestion that less expensive cars made all the running at Paris this year. A remarkable 98 percent of sub-€100,000 cars sold, as did 75 per cent of those priced €100,000–€500,000, despite these two price categories accounting for 94 percent of the total lots.

Looking at it another way, the average sale price achieved by the three auctions compared to the average no-sale price shows a huge delta: At all three sales, the cheaper cars sold better than the more expensive ones. Although they were helped by a significant number of no-reserve instructions, this suggests that the pre-auction estimates and the bidders’ enthusiasm to purchase were both very strong at lower levels, less so at the top end. That’s pretty much a reversal of last summer, when the top of the global market was carrying the lower end. This is an encouraging sign for a healthy market.

But the show itself was superb. Romain Grabowski has been director of Rétromobile for fewer than 18 months, but his fresh approach has already made an impact, with a wonderful 100th anniversary celebration of MG that included bringing two speed record cars – EX181, which was piloted by Stirling Moss and Phil Hill, and Goldie Gardner’s EX135 – out of the British Motor Museum and across the channel for the first time in many decades. Other trade stands were just as impressive. As Hagerty reported, both Girardo & Co and Kidston both displayed Ferrari 250 GTOs, with Girardo’s 1963 model (and the nine other classic Ferraris surrounding it) attracting the attention of the Scuderia’s Charles Leclerc. Indeed, Rétromobile 2024 will undoubtedly be remembered for the show itself rather than for any remarkable auction results.

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At Barrett-Jackson’s marquee Scottsdale auction last month, two trends stood out. They both have to do with custom cars. First, the sheer quantity of customized vehicles was overwhelming. Second, the customs consistently brought more—sometimes much more—than their stock year/make/model counterparts, even ones restored to factory specifications. Tradition dictates that modifying your car doesn’t add value to it and indeed often detracts from its value. The results at Barrett-Jackson, particularly for several vintage Corvettes, seem to fly in the face of that tradition.

First, some background. The term “custom car” has evolved over the past twenty years. In the past, it referred to re-imaginings in the tradition of Ed “Big Daddy” Roth. They were extravagant, fanciful, and creative. They displayed little of the original car they claimed as a starting point and nodded more to cartoons than to anything seen on the roads of the real world. Over the past couple of decades, those customs have merged with a new and increasingly popular category called “restomod.”

Coined by the team at Barrett-Jackson—Craig Jackson, Steve Davis, and Gary Bennett—in the mid-2000s, restomod refers to cars that are mostly stock-appearing on top (aside from a lower stance and large modern wheels) but have completely new underpinnings. Twenty-first-century drivetrains, upgraded suspension and brakes, and comfort features like modern air conditioning are the main ingredients. The end product is supposed to feature the performance, safety, and reliability of a new car while retaining the style and presence of a classic. These make up the majority of “customs” today, which have little connection with the creations of “Big Daddy” Roth.

Where buyers buy, builders build. For buyers and builders of restomods, Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale has increasingly been the go-to auction event. This has set up a contrast between the “customs” and their restored, stock-configured counterparts. The customs are winning the battle of the bids, and they were ubiquitous at WestWorld.

Custom Corvettes were particularly abundant, and two pairs exemplify the contrast between factory-correct and thoroughly customized. The customs are fresh, professionally built, and gorgeous, but the restored cars aren’t slackers, either, and both the stock Corvettes sold at prices appropriate to their condition, options, and documentation. In each case, though, the customs won out by a large margin.

First, the pair of 1958 Corvettes—Lots 1108.1 (stock) and 1338.1 (custom). Lot 1108.1 was a factory-correct black-over-blue car with a 283 cubic-inch, 270-hp dual-quad engine, four-speed manual, hardtop and soft top, heater, and radio. An older restoration, it showed some age and miles but was still close to showroom condition. It sold for $220,000.

Lot 1338.1, meanwhile, was painted in Cashmere over Linen leather and although it had a 1958 Corvette VIN, the chassis underneath was a modern frame by noted builder Art Morrison. It also featured a 6.2-liter LT1 engine from a 2023 Corvette as well as an automatic transmission, adjustable coilovers, 19-inch alloy wheels, Wilwood disc brakes, and air conditioning. Aside from some fit issues with the windshield and door posts, it was a gorgeous, comfortable, and surely exhilarating ride. It sold for $440,000—double the final price of the factory-correct ’58.

Then there were the 1963 coupes, lots 1363 (stock) and 1363.1 (custom). Lot 1363 was a Sebring Silver over black vinyl split-window coupe restored to like new. Not only that, it was a rare Z06 Competition model, which in 1963 got you a 327 cubic inch, 360-hp fuel-injected engine, Positraction rear end, heavy-duty shocks, larger front anti-roll bar, and upgraded brakes. It was Bloomington Gold certified and has been awarded NCRS Top Flight. A genuine Z06 is among the most valuable early Corvettes, and this one sold for $330,000.

Lot 1363.1, the very next car across the block in WestWorld, was another split-window coupe finished in black over red leather. Its modern drivetrain was made up of a Wegner LS9 block, an LT4 crankshaft, a Magnuson supercharger, and a Tremec T56 6-speed manual. It rode on a low chassis frame, also from Art Morrison, as well as coilovers and a multi-link suspension. Other upgrades included Wilwood brakes, Schott alloy wheels, Vintage air conditioning, and Recaro seats. It sold for $412,500.

The contrast goes beyond price because these are of course very different vehicles despite sharing the same year/make/model. The restomods are fresh and beautiful but also up-to-date in their performance and luxury equipment. They are each unique statements of style and exclusivity. Their appeal is immediately apparent, though they may only be driven a few miles to a show or in a parade, then exquisitely detailed to remove all traces of dust, dirt, or—God forbid—mud. But as they age, even with limited and careful use, their “edge” will soften. Patina is not the friend of the restomod. A digital touchscreen from 2024 in a 1964 Corvette may look awkward and out of place in 2044.

Factory-correct restored cars age and lose their edge, too, but to a far lesser extent. Should the restored cars get used to the point where they show patina, the act of re-restoring them can also help boost their value once more. Owning one of these Corvette customs is surely a satisfying experience, not only for the feeling behind the wheel but also for possessing a singular, intricately assembled, and detailed creation with a special combination of style, power, technical sophistication, and performance. Owning one of the carefully restored original configuration Corvettes is less distinctive, but also less subjective and more historically relevant as an authentic, unmolested piece of the era that produced them.

Different versions of the same car for different buyers, then. But the collector car market, which has long favored authentic factory-correct above all else, is now embracing custom creations with open arms.

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The world lost a musical great last year when Jimmy Buffett passed away at the age of 76. While he was known for songs about a laid-back life on the water, he was also a big fan of cars and pickups. One piece of his fun car collection is currently up for bid on GAA Classic Cars. Buffett’s 1963 Ford Falcon Sprint convertible looks ready for top-down summer cruising and features some interesting modifications.

When it was purchased in 2002, the Falcon reportedly had just 8578 miles on the odometer. In the 20 years since, it has racked up only 3300 more. The listing doesn’t specify, but we assume that with that mileage the engine is the original 260 that came with the car when new. The Falcon was not offered with any rowdy powerplants in 1963; those would come later as the 289 debuted for 1964.

The small-block convertible was hot-rodded by Buffett, who added a four-barrel intake and a matching Holley carb for a bit more power. The most noticeable addition to the car is a roll bar that serves as a surfboard rack, proving that you don’t need a surf wagon, or even a hardtop, to bring your board to the beach. On that subject, a board is included in the sale, as pictured on the car. We sort of expected Buffet to be a long-board guy, so maybe we shouldn’t have judged a surfer by his chill beach music. Buffett also added a sound system, with a trunk-mounted amplifier and subwoofer. A Fender Squier Stratocaster with Buffet’s autograph is also a part of the auction.

A look at the Hagerty Price Guide shows 1963 Ford Falcon Sprint Convertible prices down just a bit over the year, with a #2 (Excellent) condition worth $27,800 currently. That said, this car’s provenance should come into play. We asked valuation specialist and Hagerty Price Guide Publisher Dave Kinney to weigh in. “Jimmy Buffett might not be remembered as a car guy in the same vein as Paul Newman or other celebrities, but he was, through and through,” Kinney said. “That, and since Parrotheads are an enthusiastic bunch, I expect bidding for Buffett’s Falcon is likely to go well above its condition value.”

This well-kept convertible seems to be ready for another surf-loving owner, and we hope it goes to one of Buffett’s many fans who will appreciate it, as we’re sure he would have wanted. We fully expect the custom stereo system to be put to proper use playing Buffett’s expansive catalog of albums.

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Bonhams concluded its first automotive auction of 2024 at its usual spot—the Westin Kierland in Scottsdale—with 68 cars selling for a total of just over $12M. More than 40 percent of that total was down to just one car.

Not counting the Covid-complicated Scottsdale auction in 2021, this year saw the fewest Arizona lots offered by Bonhams so far this decade. As usual for this auction, however, there were interesting and unusual cars to choose from, including several scruffy but charming oddballs consigned from the Maine Classic Car Museum and a group of prewar cars from the collection of late author Clive Cussler. Bonhams also sold the oldest car of Arizona Auction Week—a 1907 Mitchell Model E Runabout—for $33,600. And although overall results were down this year, Bonhams sold Scottsdale's most expensive car for the second year in a row. In 2023 it was a glorious 1912 Simplex for $4.845M. In 2024 it was an also glorious but very different 2022 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport for $5.175M.

We were on the ground in Scottsdale this year and looked over some of the sale's most interesting and significant cars. They're written up in detail below.

1973 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS

Sold for $431,250

Chassis no. 05710. Visually maintained, largely original, #3 condition

Nero over tan leather

Equipment: 2418-cubic-centimeter/195-hp V-6, five-speed transmission, Cromodora wheels, Michelin Defender tires, Momo Prototipo steering wheel, air conditioning, power windows, books, and tools

Condition: Sold new on the West Coast. Represented with a recent drivetrain rebuild. Older, 2015 repaint with numerous small scratches and chips on the nose. Heavy wear to the seats. Several blemishes on the wheels. Engine overhauled in 2015 as well. Driven regularly over the years and used in events like the Copperstate 1000. Never restored but got major attention when necessary. A driver Dino.

Bottom line: In 2024, this is what a driver Dino costs. Pre-pandemic, this money would have bought you the best 246 GTS in the world, but Dinos have come very far since then.

Lot 14: 1970 Volvo 1800E

Sold for $21,280

Chassis no. 18445131472. Visually maintained, largely original, #3 condition

California White over red

Equipment: 1986-cubic-centimeter/130-hp I-4, four-speed transmission, Bendix radio

Condition: Represented with single-family California ownership, and as largely original. Dirty but reasonably well-maintained engine bay. Clean paint and chrome with a few blemishes. Age and scrapes on the wheels. Track scratches on the windows. Remarkably well-preserved interior with only the slightest wear and age present. An honest car that has clearly been used but loved the whole way. It’s still attractive, and as a Volvo 1800 it could very well have hundreds of thousands of miles left in it despite the 129,911 on the odometer. Sometimes "single family ownership" means neglect by at least one generation of that family. Not here.

Bottom line: The 1800E was the last iteration of Volvo's sexy P1800 coupe, with "E" denoting the Bosch fuel injection that feeds the unburstable B-series four-cylinder engine. Volvo 1800s are great classic cars in that they are easy to drive and built like tanks, not to mention having sexy looks. They used to be solidly in entry-level value territory, too. People have caught on to Volvo's best-ever looking car and they're no longer cheap, but they're still a good value. Barely 21 grand for this one, which has had caring ownership and needs nothing serious, shows that.

Lot 59: 1966 Maserati Mistral 4000 Coupe

Sold for $98,000

Chassis no. AM1091118. Visually maintained, largely original, #3- condition

Red over dark red leather

Equipment: 4014-cubic-centimeter/255-hp I-6, Lucas injection, five-speed, Borrani wire wheels, Michelin XDX tires, Ansa exhaust, wood rim steering wheel, added air conditioning, original AM/FM radio, power windows

Condition: Reasonably tidy engine other than some paint peeling off the cam covers. Some rust on the wheel spokes. Cracking and crazing in the paint that is mild but widespread. Heavily worn leather, but there are no rips or cracks and it still feels reasonably soft. Good chrome, brightwork, and weather stripping. Good configuration on a handsome Maserati, but the inconsistent presentation raises some questions not answered in the catalog.

Bottom line: A replacement for Maserati's 3500GT, the Mistral—named after the strong wind blowing from southern France—started the Maserati tradition of wind-themed appellations for its road cars. Maseratis of the '60s are generally undervalued compared to the equivalent Ferraris and Lamborghinis, but a Mistral in this spec and even in mediocre condition can expect a six-figure price. Despite having a reserve, though, the seller was apparently happy to let go of this one at a hefty discount to the new owner.

Lot 10: 1966 Wolseley Hornet

Sold for $7840

Chassis no. WA2S2829260. Older restoration, #3 condition

Glen Green and Spruce Green over Porcelain Green leather

Equipment: Right-hand drive, 1098-cubic-centimeter/38-hp I-4, synchro four-speed transmission, wheel covers, Kumho tires, wing mirrors

Condition: From the Maine Classic Car Museum Collection. Good paint and even gaps but there is surface rust on the door hinges and around window frames. Tidy underneath. Heavy wear on the front seat upholstery. Cute as hell even if a little more awkward than the Mini on which it’s based, and in clean, usable driver condition.

Bottom line: Ouch. This car sold in late 2020 for $25,760 at the RM Sotheby's Elkhart Collection sale, an auction held right in the pandemic boom that was full of above-market, sometimes inexplicably high prices. This result, 66 percent off from the 2020 result, was the opposite. It's half the low estimate and a cute, fun, usable, and dirt-cheap car for the new owner. The Riley Elf/Wolseley Hornet were luxury spin-offs of the original Mini. They're rarer than Minis while also generally being worth less, but not this much less.

Lot 42S: 2022 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+

Sold for $5,175,000

Chassis no. VF9SW3V32NM795009. Original, #2 condition

Black and orange over black with orange stitching

Equipment: 7993-cubic centimeter/1578-hp quad-turbo W-16, seven-speed dual-clutch transmission

Condition: One of 30 built and eight sold in the U.S. Represented with 255 miles. Like new, and pretty much is new.

Bottom Line: After hitting nearly 305 mph with a pre-production model in 2019, Bugatti released these aptly named 300+ models that are supposedly identical in spec to the record-breaking car, albeit wearing speed limiters. This was the first 300+ model offered publicly in America. Another one sold at auction in London in 2022 for £4,195,625 ($4.7M). This was also the most expensive car of the week and is currently the second most expensive Bugatti Chiron sold publicly, after the one-off Chiron Profilée sold for €9,792,500 ($10,690,854) in Paris last year.

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The post Auction Recap: Bonhams Scottsdale 2024 appeared first on Hagerty Media.

Immediately following its blockbuster Kissimmee, Florida event (now the largest collector car auction in the world), Mecum Auctions held its 33rd Annual Vintage and Antique Motorcycle Auction at the South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

This has become the largest motorcycle auction in the world, with the 2024 event featuring some 2000 motorcycles.

One of them, a 1974 Kawasaki Z2 750RS, was among the auction’s modern-era stars, with a Mecum-estimated price of $75,000 to $95,000. That estimate was spot on, with the Kawasaki selling for a gavel price of $85,000.

Though Mecum is scrupulous about vetting the vehicles it sells, shortly after the Kawasaki was sold, questions were raised about the motorcycle’s authenticity.

But first, why did this bike sell for so much? Because the Z2 was a Japanese-only motorcycle, sort of the little brother for the 900cc Z1 widely sold in America beginning in 1972. Japanese law prohibited bikes with larger than 750cc engines, so Kawasaki built the Z2 for its domestic customers. It went on the market in March of 1973.

According to a 2017 story in Motorcycle Classics magazine, many American military servicemen stationed in Japan during the 1970s bought motorcycles there for fun and for transportation, and some brought their bikes home after their tour of duty ended. A Kawasaki collector quoted in the story suggested that as many as 25 to 50 of the 69-horsepower Kawasaki Z2s made it back to the States. Fewer than that have survived, making the Mecum-sold Z2 a legitimate collector’s item.

But the same day the Z2 sold, questions arose. The story broke with a YouTube video posted by CycleDrag.com, titled “Inauthentic Vintage Motorcycle Sold for $85k at Auction?” The description said, “Following the auction it was discovered that the VIN was ground down and was not legible, something that would drastically impact the value of the motorcycle and its proof of authenticity.”

The video showed the Vehicle Identification Number, or at least where the VIN ought to be, on the left side of the headstock of the Kawasaki. It showed a bumpy black surface, with the only part of the VIN legible being the number 75, which looked as though it might have been struck recently. Mecum listed the full VIN, and the last two numbers were indeed 75. The video’s host, CycleDrag’s Jack Korpela, said the Z2 was “one of the most acclaimed bikes here at Mecum, and now there are some serious questions about it.”

According to YouTube, the CycleDrag channel has 580,000 subscribers. It wasn’t so much the video, which is reasonably balanced, but the 500-plus comments posted about the video that are, by and large, profoundly critical of both Mecum and the seller, identified in a CycleDrag.com story and photos as Marcus Swan.

Said one comment: “This is on Mecum. For the fees they charge, they should be on the hook. They should be validating everything. This isn’t eBay.”

Another: “I can’t believe Mecum didn’t verify the frame/number before the sale.”

Still another: “This is not some backyard auction, how could someone show up with that bike and not think the grinding of the numbers wouldn’t be noticed?”

The same day of the sale, Mecum refunded the $85,000 to the buyer, and shipped the Z2, at Mecum’s expense, back to the seller, who had left the auction following the sale.

We reached out to Director of Mecum Motorcycles Greg Arnold for comment, and it was enlightening. “Unfortunately,” he said, “we’re not happy having the story out there that we sold a motorcycle with the VIN ground off. It’s just not true.”

The explanation: “The frame had been powder-coated and that had obscured the frame VIN,” Arnold told Hagerty Insider. “So we asked the seller, before the auction, to remove the powder coating either by grinding or sanding to expose the frame number. He did that at our request and sent us a photograph of it. It’s not great, because of the process he had to go through to get the powder coat off. But there is a frame VIN. So we looked at it and decided that it was passable, and we ran it in the auction.

“We have the photograph of the bare-metal frame VIN, and it corresponds to what the title was. After he did that, he spray-painted over it again, so it wasn’t bare metal. The pictures we see on YouTube, he just painted over the numbers again. Which is certainly understandable.

“Now, after the sale, the buyer had a representative there, someone who I know from past dealings, and he had been alerted by CycleDrag, though certainly he would have questioned it himself. He said, ‘I’m not sure I like this.’ And we said, ‘You know, we’re not going to make anybody take this bike, on this basis, so you talk to your boss and if he doesn’t like it, we’ll be happy to unwind the deal. We’ll send it back to the seller.’

“That’s the long and the short of it. The report that the serial number was ground off is not accurate,” Arnold said. “I think the seller was acting in good faith.”

The YouTube video also questions whether or not the engine VIN should have a small ridge in front of it, which the 1974 Z2 in question does, suggesting that the ridge first appeared on 1975 models. “I have a guy who is very deep into Kawasaki history,” added Arnold, “and he said, ‘No, that ridge is OK.'”

“Here’s the thing,” Arnold said. “It’s a 50-year-old bike. As we all know, there were running changes constantly. It would be hard for me to say this motorcycle is inauthentic. I’m not a 1974 Kawasaki expert, I freely admit that. But if the owner can raise the VIN on the frame, I think he’s got a legitimate motorcycle,” which is what the seller says he’ll do in the CycleDrag.com story.

The bike, Arnold said, should be a “featured piece in someone’s collection.”

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Top-end Ferraris, it turns out, are just like London busses. You wait ages for one to turn up, then suddenly many appear at once.

Last November, RM Sotheby’s sold a 1962 Ferrari 330 LM/ 250 GTO for an open-market marque record of $51.7M. It was an unusual event, just the third public auction of one of the 37 examples of the 250 GTO in the past 10 years, and it drew a great deal of media attention from motoring press and national news outlets alike. It seems that a select element of their readership – including owners of the very top Ferraris – may have taken note.

First to show their hand was the owner of s/n 3527GT, a Series I 250 GTO, who placed their car for sale with British dealer Tom Hartley Jnr just before Christmas, right around the same time as the Ferrari movie hit cinemas. Previously offered by Hartley Jnr four years ago when reportedly owned by philanthropist Irvine Laidlaw, and more recently entered in various top U.S. concours events by Dr. Rick Workman, the car is recorded as retaining matching numbers.

At Mecum’s season-opening auction extravaganza in Kissimmee, Florida, two of Workman’s other cars crossed the block. A 1963 Ferrari 250 California Spider sold for $17.85M, well in excess of the top Hagerty Price Guide value, and a 1967 275 GTS/4 NART Spider was bid up to $23.5M and reportedly sold in a post-auction deal. A third eight-figure Ferrari, a 275 GTB “Le Mans Speciale” was bid to $23M but failed to sell.

Next, Sotheby’s announced a 250 Testa Rossa, the pontoon-fendered 0738TR, which would be sold through its “Sotheby’s Sealed” auction process in late February. Not to be outdone, Gooding & Company announced on January 26th that it had brokered the sale of another Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, the extremely original 0704TR ex-Scuderia Ferrari works car that was driven in period by some of the biggest names in motor racing, including Phil Hill, Peter Collins, and Mike Hawthorn. The sale price wasn’t announced, but the car ticks all the boxes that point toward Hagerty’s top ‘concours’ price of $46M.

Then came Rétromobile Paris. Rumors indicated there would be some special cars at the show this year, and visitors were not disappointed. Girardo & Co unveiled 250 GTO s/n 4675GT on its stand, one of an extraordinary group of nine cars. Previously owned by British DJ Chris Evans, the car has not been displayed in public since it was shown at Ville d’Este in 2014. Later that day, the ex-Roy Salvadori/ Graham Hill/ Jack Sears 250 GTO, s/n 3729GT, was unveiled by Simon Kidston on his stand. Kidston had previously displayed the car last autumn at the Hampton Court Concours of Elegance.

Three 250 GTOs for sale simultaneously through British dealers is extraordinary, but it doesn’t end there. At the Paris auctions, the tale continued with RM Sotheby’s offering a 1966 275 GTB/6C alloy long-nose and a 1960 250 GT SWB, while Artcurial had another 275 GTB and a 1958 long-wheelbase California Spider, plus a 250 Pininfarina and a 250 Lusso. Meanwhile, the Classic Motor Hub announced the sale of 250 SWB s/n 2177GT, a steel-bodied Competizione car.

That’s a heck of a lot of big Ferraris for sale at the same time and, other than the Mecum cars, they’re all on the European side of the Atlantic. Sure, the auctions of The Amelia are shaping up to adjust that balance in March, but this still doesn’t reflect the U.S. powerhouse that usually drives the top of the market. So, what’s going on?

First, public auction sales, while strong, haven’t reached the realms of the unheard-of. Although we’ve seen the highest number of elite Ferraris offered in the months of January and February since 2017, there have been two other years when the number was higher (2014 and 2015). And, as Hagerty recently reported, the Scottsdale auctions, once the winter yin to Monterey’s summer yang, have changed direction recently, with six of the top 10 cars sold there this year built since 2005. It may be that Kissimmee and The Amelia have become the early events attracting the older Ferraris.

But what makes 2024 particularly unusual are the number of top Ferraris being sold publicly by dealers. These are the sorts of cars that tend to change hands out of the glare of publicity, but this year it seems sellers are happy to show their hand. Previous strong public results may be a motivation behind this trend, according to Max Girardo. “Good prices achieved for other top cars can suggest it’s a good time to sell,” he told me. “Many top cars are selling well, especially those that have competition history but are able to be driven on the road.” Other dealers suggest that the age of the current owners may be a factor. “Many of these cars have been owned for a long time,” Martin Chisholm of the Classic Motor Hub told me. “They have had their fun in them and have driven the cars; they may consider it a good time to sell now and pass them on to the next generation who can enjoy them.”

Fundamentally, though, it probably comes down to where a seller is most likely to receive the best return, and what the top dealers do very well is publicity. Look at the fanfare surrounding the unveiling of the 250 GTOs on both the Girardo and Kidston stands at Rétromobile and the extraordinary social media buzz they created, reaching tens of thousands of followers and prompting discussions on WhatsApp groups and forums. That buzz builds confidence, which in turn attracts other sellers of similar cars, and that allows the dealers to be selective. Such freedom enables them to push the deals harder, gaining higher prices… and the circle continues.

So, what of the outlook? Old rivals Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, and Bugatti (especially with more modern cars) make up a European trio where values of the very best models seem to be immune to the financial worries of the rest of the world. This strong start to the year suggests more is to come. Will another Ferrari sell for more than $50M on the open market this year? I wouldn’t be surprised.

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January was a busy month for auctions, with more than six thousand lots offered at live venues in Arizona and Florida along with the ever-flowing online pipeline of cars. Our team took a look at all the public sales from January and then we gave each of us a theoretical stack of $50k to spend. These were the cars we would have taken home. Which would you pick—or did another sale catch your eye last month?

1969 Chevrolet Corvette 427/390, $38,500

Predictably, I’m gonna pick a C3 Corvette, just like I did last year. This one’s a bit different, though. While I usually couldn’t care less about originality, this one is cool because of its period modifications from Motion Performance. As much as I know black cars are a nightmare, the Stingray’s lines look fantastic and the tan interior is the perfect match. Oh, and did I mention it’s a 427-cubic inch with a four-speed?—Brandan Gillogly, senior editor

1960 Volkswagen 23-Window Microbus, $44,800

Big surprise—I’m going with a van. But really, how could I pass this up? $44,800 is a steal for this 1960 VW 23-window Microbus at Worldwide Scottsdale. Even if it’s a conversion and not a real 23-window bus (which I don’t think is the case here), $45k is still way too low. It sold for 26 percent below #4 condition value despite being conditioned by our team as a solid driver #3- car. In fact, this same bus sold at Scottsdale 2020 for $77k and then again in Las Vegas last year for $55k. Knowing I bought this for such a discount would just put a bigger smile on my face while driving my new bus at 15 mph over mountain passes.—Adam Wilcox, senior information analyst

1973 Volvo 1800 Wagon, $23,100

I thought about going my usual route and picking from several questionable old Lotuses that sold in January. Instead, I went in a (slightly) more practical direction with this fairly clean 1973 Volvo 1800ES. I’ve loved these cars forever. They’re practical, they’re built well, and they have the best backside per dollar of any vehicle ever made. Dark red isn’t the best color, but this one sold about where it should have at $23,100, leaving me with enough money left over that I’m having second thoughts about the Esprit Turbo that sold a few hours earlier.—Andrew Newton, senior auction editor

1966 OldsmobileVista Cruiser Wagon, $49,500

I’ve been meaning to get rid of my Odyssey, because I’ve grown pretty tired of the efficiency and near-perfect execution of the thing. I’d need to replace it with something equally family haulerish, obviously, and what better rig to suit that purpose than this gorgeous 1966 Olds Vista Cruiser, which sold for $49,500 at Barrett-Jackson? The whole thing has been upgraded for improved driving comfort, so it’s basically a pro touring family truckster that looks stock. Pretty hard to argue with that. —Stefan Lombard, senior editor

1967 Lancia Flavia, $23,520

In the category of “what is this doing here,” I would have gladly taken home this Lancia Flavia 1800 MFI for $23,520. —John Wiley, manager of valuation analytics

1985 Toyota Land Cruiser, $44,000

Boy do I love a good deal, and my dream vintage Toyota Land Cruiser with modern 4Runner drivetrain was half off for one day only… This same car sold for $84.7K in April 2022 and garnered only $44K this month. It has everything: a 2015 Toyota 1GR-FE engine swap (the same one FJ Company supercharges and swaps into their $250k builds) and 4Runner suspension, disc brakes and A/C. Put a few vintage accessories and wheels on it—perfection. But most importantly, if no one else validates my purchase I can at least tell myself I got a good deal, and that’s all I need.—James Hewitt senior information analyst

1965 Pontiac Catalina, $38,325

Lord, this thing looks mean. This would be such a killer cruiser for summers in Detroit. Flowmaster noise, hulking presence, but that pillarless silhouette is still elegant. 421 with some upgraded internals would be a treat. Definitely not a perfect example, but a little sign of well-loved ownership speaks to its history of being driven, not rubbed with a diaper. I would drive the hell out of this thing, park it wherever, and enjoy the good life.—Eric Weiner, executive editor

1959 Edsel Villager Station Wagon, $29,120

This is one of my favorites from Scottsdale. You don’t often see an Edsel wagon and for that reason alone I feel like I must have it. Coming from a museum collection and likely spending many years static, when I witnessed it in person, it did need a bit of TLC but not an excessive amount. At $29,120, it is a lot of cool for the money. I’d aim the remaining $20,880 from my budget at correcting any issues, cosmetics and gas (because I’d intend to drive the hell out of it).—Greg Ingold, Hagerty Price Guide editor

1972 Chevrolet Camaro Z28, $45,100

Early second-gen F-Bodies have always had a piece of my heart. Understated in a handsome Sequoia Green with sporty white stripes, I could stare at this 1972 Camaro Z28’s perfect proportions for hours. Sure, by ’72 the 350 wasn’t as strong as in years past, but few people nowadays are buying cars from the ’70s to go fast. It’s got the attitude, the manual transmission, and the V-8 soundtrack for my summer evening needs.—Eddy Eckart, senior editor

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To paraphrase the popular refrain from Zoolander, the greatest movie ever made about male models: “That Trump is so hot right now.”

The former president and current frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination has a unique tendency to dominate news cycles, and that makes him a magnet for observers far and wide. Last week, in Scottsdale, Arizona, that tendency reached a frenzy on the auction block at Barrett-Jackson, when Trump’s 1997 Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster sold without reserve for $1,100,000, including the 10 percent buyer’s premium. It is a world record for the model.

The current Hagerty #1 (Concours) value for the very best of these Italian stallions is $506,000, so a result more than double that figure is noteworthy.

Just 132 Diablo VT roadsters came to these shores between 1997 and 1999. Trump special-ordered this one in ’97 in a pretty Blu Le Mans paint over a black and cream leather interior. As a final bit of personalization, a small “Donald Trump 1997 Diablo” plaque is affixed to the door. Like all Diablos of this ilk, the car is powered by a 5.7-liter 48-valve V-12 that makes 492 hp and 430 lb-ft of torque. Power is put to the rear wheels (and sometimes the front, thanks to that viscous traction system) through a five-speed manual transmission. Trump sold the Diablo in 2002, and it’s unclear how many miles he put on the car, but between his ownership and the two owners since, the odometer shows 15,431 miles.

This isn’t the first time a car once owned by Trump has come to auction. At its 2021 Kissimmee auction, Mecum sold his 2007 Ferrari F430 F1 coupe, which had also been purchased new by the real estate magnate. That car had no such custom touches, but Trump’s touch was enough to take the selling price to $330,000, more than 2.5 times the $121,000 #1 value at the time.

The effect of celebrity (a broad term, but for these purposes, we mean general “famousness”) ownership on collector car values is nothing new, of course. Witness any number of rock star–owned vehicles that have brought bigger-than-normal money at auction: Queen rocker Freddie Mercury’s 1974 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, in merely #4 (Fair) condition, is a prime example. It sold in London in November 2022 for £286,250 ($340,500), though it was otherwise a $5000 car; this was a 3717 percent spike. Similarly, Princess Diana’s peppy but pedestrian 1985 Ford Escort RS Turbo, in #3 (Good) condition, sold for £722,500 ($873,000) in August 2022, when anybody else’s would have struggled to hit $30,000. And in 2015, RM/Sotheby’s sold the 400th and final Ferrari Enzo, a gift from the Italian carmaker to Pope John Paul II, for $6.05 million, against a #1 value at the time of $2 million. And he never even drove the thing!

Presidential cars—both their personal machines and the limos in which they were chauffeured—always have a certain appeal with collectors. After he left office, Harry Truman owned and drove a 1955 Chrysler New Yorker Deluxe, an elegant ride perfectly suited to a former president’s daily runabouts. That car has been for sale via Classic Auto Mall for at least 18 months now, offered first at $83,500 and now reduced to $69,000. Although the Truman premium isn’t so striking as that of Trump’s Diablo, it’s still more than double our #2 (Excellent) valuation of $30,700. And, in November 2022, the 1964 Lincoln Continental convertible driven by LBJ at his Texas ranch sold on Bring A Trailer for $172,000. The figure was nearly $100,000 over our #2 value for a similar Conti without the presidential connection.

As in real estate, one important factor associated with any car’s ability to bring maximum bucks is location, location, location. Selling a car in the wrong place, at the wrong time, can severely impact its return. “This sale shows how much difference the right venue can make,” says Brian Rabold, Vice President of Automotive Intelligence at Hagerty. “Trump cars haven’t traded at such a high premium in the past, and this one reportedly sold on eBay in 2016, before he became president, for $460,000. Barrett-Jackson’s bidders were clearly the right audience for the Trump name.”

@thestradman Crazy price for a Diablo VT Roadster #Lamborghini ♬ original sound – TheStradman

Clearly. Video from the sale captures the electricity in the room as the car was quickly bid up past its average sale price and into record territory until it was SOLD! SOLD! SOLD! to raucous applause. Whether the buyer will ever be able to recoup the investment—or even make some profit—is anyone’s guess, but with the Trump name forever linked to this Blu Le Mans Diablo, we wouldn’t be surprised at any trajectory this car takes in the future.

The post Celebrity “Trumps” Reason in Ex-President’s World-Record Diablo VT Sale appeared first on Hagerty Media.

Ordinarily what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but somehow a custom Cadillac commissioned by Dean Martin has ended up in Australia where it’s now for sale for less than the price of a used Prius.

The 1969 Eldorado Custom Sport Wagon was built by George Barris for Martin, who was well-known for having a soft spot for big Caddies. He was a particular fan of wagons, having also ordered a rare Castilian Fleetwood Estate in 1976.

Before that, however, was this Eldorado. According to the book Barris: Kustoms of the 1960s the legendary car customizer originally pitched the idea of a Cadillac station wagon to Dean Martin in 1970, calling it “Casa de Eldorado”.

Eldorados of this era were powered by a 472 cubic-inch (7.7-liter) V-8, sending 375 hp through a slushbox with an immensely long 3.07:1 final drive. This was no sports wagon, designed instead for cruising long desert highways between Rat Pack hangouts in Las Vegas, Hollywood and Palm Springs.

Classic Barris touches include wood-style vinyl coachlines and a pair of somewhat ungainly faux wheel humps atop the front fenders. These look so badly applied that they could easily be removed, however. That’s not the only work that the next owner may wish to undertake. Now described as being in “barn find condition” the vinyl is peeling, there are rust spots, loose wiring and an interior that may have been lived in by an altogether different rat pack.

The car will go under the hammer at Donington Auctions in Melbourne, Australia on February 25.

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The time has come—you kept your powder dry through the market boom, and now that prices have softened, you’ve begun to think about making your next collector car purchase. But where to shop? Though the vast majority of transactions remain private, public auctions continue to increase in popularity. If you’re considering looking toward the auction world, the marketplace has changed dramatically in the last few years, and the answer of where to look—online or live auctions (the IRL, or “in real life” referenced in the headline)—depends largely on your taste in vehicles.

Most people’s first inclination would be to take to the keyboard, and that makes sense. Everything’s available online, right? Well, yes and no. It’s understandable that there’s a massive buzz surrounding the rise of online auctions in the collector car space. In 2016, online auctions accounted for $42.45M worth of collector car sales, but by last year, that number was a staggering $1.65 billion. The car you want has to be out there in the ether, right?

It very well could be, but if you’re looking for an older car, you might want to consider heading to a live auction, too. Even with the dramatic increase in online auction sales within the last decade (47,842 collector cars sold online in the U.S. in 2023 vs 28,751 in-person), it turns out that some differences still exist between the in-person and virtual forums, and one key factor is the average age of the cars offered.

The average model year of a car headed to a live auction at the end of 2023 was 1977, while that of cars listed online was 1990. To a degree, this isn’t surprising. If you’re looking to sell your 1912 Simplex, you’re going to meet the buyer on their turf, and that still happens to be at a live event with a real person holding the gavel. Conversely, certain cars, like Nissan Skyline GT-Rs, have done well live but tend to thrive on places like Bring a Trailer. For all the promise of a marketplace at your fingertips, buyer behaviors and preferences still dictate optimal forums for where to sell a car, and live auctions continue to be dominated by older cars.

There are a couple of takeaways from this differentiation. The first is strategic, and plays into how you want to buy. You can go to where you’re most likely to find a great example of the car you’re seeking, or you can try to jiu jitsu the logic in an effort to get a deal by finding a car that’s potentially mismatched with its audience. Think of a ’90 Lotus Esprit bought at Mecum, or a ’50s Cadillac on Bring a Trailer. Given the rise in percentage of no-reserve auctions, a bit of gamesmanship might well pay off, but you’ve got to be willing to bide your time to find the right opportunity.

The second is that this widening age gap between sales forums is one sign among several that live and online auctions are beginning to carve out niches for themselves. This is apparent in business models, and even recent tactics—in keeping with the interest of online buyers, Carsandbids.com focuses on modern enthusiast cars. On the other side of the coin, Mecum recently made an upscale push at their live Kissimmee sale. As the market continues to settle and online sales platforms mature further, the two are likely to get more specialized and coexist with less market overlap than we see today. Just one more thing to think about when you’re planning your next purchase.

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Over 2000 vehicles are expected to change hands at the 2024 Arizona auctions at the end of the month. Most of them will be classic muscle cars, vintage trucks, resto-modded muscle cars, or resto-modded trucks (joking aside, there is quite a bit of interesting and high-dollar kit crossing the block this year, which you can read about here). One of the best parts about an auction event this big, though, is the unusual stuff that pops up in between all the mainstream collector vehicles. Scottsdale always brings out some weird and wonderful, and 2024 is no different. Here’s the stuff that caught our eye.

1989 Daimler DS420 Limousine

While Jaguars of the ’50s and ’60s had the whole “Grace, Space, Pace” thing down pat, their Daimler cousins sometimes struggled with that first one. Particularly the 1968-92 DS420, with its matronly body work and its awkward bustle-back trunk, never had much in the way of “Grace.” “Space” was never a problem with the DS420, though, and these English limousines have shuttled around important people for decades.

Including, in this car’s case, Queen Elizabeth II. She reportedly used it on her 50th Anniversary tour of New Zealand in 2002, following the car’s apparent six-figure restoration. It then sold to an owner in the U.S. who is a “devoted DS420 collector,” of all things.

Given Elizabeth’s 70-year reign, there are lots of cars out there with a Queen connection. Prices have been as varied as the vehicles themselves, but perhaps the latest and closest comp was a 1966 Vanden Plas Princess Limousine the Queen used on an official trip to Jamaica. It sold in 2022 for $110,000.

1957 Reliant Regal MkIII

That Daimler limo may have been fit for a queen, but the only thing regal about this Reliant is its name. Built by Reliant, the company best known for its budget three-wheeled Robin and nifty Scimitar sports estate, the Regal was one of the company’s first postwar models. It was also the follow-up to the similarly ironically named “Regent” and “Prince Regent.” Available as a saloon, van, estate or pickup, Regals also came with various engines, all of them tiny. To drive one, all you needed was a motorcycle license, which in Britain was a significantly cheaper way of motoring.

As a Mark III, this one has an ash-framed fiberglass body and a 747-cc side-valve four-cylinder churning out 16 eager horsepower. According to Bonhams there is currently no soft-top included with this tripod, but can you imagine driving it in the rain? For Scottsdale, it has a $10,000-$15,000 estimate.

1969 AMC AMX “Banacek”

Ever heard of a show called Banacek? I haven’t, but I have heard of George Barris, who turned his customizing skills to this AMC AMX two-seater for the 1970s detective series. What started as a standard 1969 390/315hp automatic AMX had its top chopped, windshield moved further back, and its bodywork lengthened with that massive schnoz. The rear is even cooler, with louvers that run all the way down the back window and just keep going, right until they run into the rear bumper. Chrome side pipes, Ram Air scoops, Cragar SS wheels, and tri-color Murano Pearl/Tangerine Candy/Copper paint complete the picture.

If you like oddball AMCs but want something a little less outrageous and expensive, there’s a ’72 Javelin SST Alabama State Police car crossing the block at the same auction.

1961 Panhard PL 17 Sedan

An unusual sight in this country, the Panhard PL 17 was a rather popular car in Europe. Similar to another French people’s car, the Citroën 2CV, the Panhard embraced a front-engine, front-wheel drive layout with its air-cooled parallel twin laid way out in the front of the chassis.

While aimed at the same kind of customers as the Volkswagen Beetle, the PL 17 never made the same kind of financial or cultural waves as the VW. Its 848-cc engine was both smaller and had half the cylinders of the VW, and it was never priced competitively, either. But the Panhard punched above its weight. With 50 horsepower from the top-spec Tigre engine (which this example reportedly has) it made more grunt than a 1192cc Type 1 Volkswagen, and despite their size and the unusual layout of their drivetrains, PL 17s took the top three places overall at the 1961 Monte Carlo Rally. Panhard’s flat-twin engine would also find success on track in small displacement classes, powering Deutsch-Bonnet’s (DB) race cars in Europe and Bill Devin’s earliest race cars here in the States. The PL 17 sedan on offer in Scottsdale has a $20,000-$30,000 presale estimate.

1971 Citroën Ami 8

Like the Panhard, this Citroën isn’t such an unusual sight on a cobblestone street in the French countryside, but it certainly is in the deserts of Arizona. The Ami (which, adorably, translates to “friend”) came about in 1961, and was loosely based on the 2CV. With France recovering well from the war, Citroën perceived a need in the French market for a car that was still affordable but larger, more practical and a little more powerful than its everyman 2CV.

Amis were built from 1961-78 and came in various body styles that included vans, estate wagons, fastbacks sedans and even an extra-odd notchback sedan with a steep, reverse-raked rear window. This one is a 1971 wagon model—one of the more conventional-appearing Ami body styles—that still doesn’t look like anything else on the road. It is represented as an older restoration with a 1998 engine rebuild and 2012 repaint. There is no presale estimate, and we don’t carry the Citroën Ami in the Hagerty Price Guide, but our colleagues in the UK do, at least in saloon form. They currently put a ’71 Ami at between £2000 and £10,000 (about $2500-$12,700).

1960 Hillman Minx IIIA Convertible

Looking a little bit like a ’56 Ford that shrank in the wash, this Hillman Minx is part of a family of mid-size family cars sold in various forms from 1931-70. Part of Britain’s Rootes Group, Hillman was sister-companies with Singer, Sunbeam and Humber, and cars built on the Minx’s platform included the Singer Gazelle, Sunbeam Rapier, and Humber 80. One version even sold in Japan, produced and sold there as the Isuzu Hillman Minx. A left-hand drive MkIIA convertible, the blue one on offer in Scottsdale has a very attainable $10K-$15K estimate.

2006 Hummer H1 Alpha

If you like the look of an H1 Hummer with its monster size and macho angles but the wheels are just a little too…round, then look no further. This one rides on custom Mattracks Tracks attached to upgraded suspension. And if an H1’s 300-hp turbodiesel just doesn’t do it for you, this one also spins its wheels tracks with 500hp thanks to a new turbo and exhaust. Other mods include (but are not limited to) all-LED lights, full WARN recovery accessory kit and 16,500-pound rear winch, brush guard, air lift hooks and bezels, and a windshield light bar hoop.

1952 Beechcraft Model 18

You at least need a driver’s license to actually use almost all the vehicles that Barrett-Jackson sells. Occasionally, you’ll also need a motorcycle license, or for certain car, even a racing license to use them as intended. This auction, however, is one of the rare occasions when you’ll need a pilot’s license.

Sold new by Kansas aircraft company Beechcraft to the Canadian military, this Beech 18 entered civilian use in the early 1960s and reportedly has a detailed history since. The most interesting parts of that history, though, start in the 1980s, with its use in movies and TV shows. It seems this thing was the go-to plane for production companies that needed a ’50s or ’60s aircraft in the background. The credits include episodes of Unsolved Mysteries and House, as well as the films Amelia Earhart: The Final Flight (1994), Terminal Velocity (1994), Man on the Moon (1999), All the Pretty Horses (2000), and even Ford v Ferrari (2019). It has also done commercials for Pepsi, Honda, and Bud Light.

Remarkably, this isn’t the first airplane offered in Scottsdale. Barrett-Jackson sold a 1929 Ford 4-AT-E in 2009 for $1.21M, a 1958 Cessna in 2016 for $66K, and a wild 1954 Taylor Aerocar in 2020 for $275K.

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It’s a who’s who of hypercars at a brace of upcoming auctions in Paris. Think of a headline-grabbing machine from Modena, Stuttgart, Molsheim, Detroit, or Woking and you’ll find it on the roster. Collectors with a need for speed will be spoiled for choice as the star cars of the last two decades all go under the hammer.

Topping the bill at RM Sotheby’s, by estimate at least, is a Ferrari LaFerrari (top) that is classified as still brand new. Built in 2016, it wasn’t registered by its keeper until 2018 and has been driven fewer than nine miles. It’s finished in Bianco Avus with a Nero Alcantara interior that adds contrasting Rosso stitching and seatbelts for a dash of color. Seemingly every option was ticked when the car was specified including a sports exhaust, front suspension lift, telemetry, and track packs. Behind black 21-inch rims sit red brake calipers. The very limited mileage would appear to be mostly down to regular servicing, which has included the fitment of a new hybrid battery and an upgraded lithium-ion auxiliary battery. One of 499 LaFerraris built between 2013 and 2016, the 6.3-liter V-12 hybrid hypercar is estimated to sell for up to €4.8 million ($5.2M).

If you fancy its forebearer then, as luck would have it, there’s a 2003 Enzo up for grabs for €3–3.5M ($3.3–$3.8M). It’s had a bit more use than the LaFerrari, with around 9,000 miles on the clock, but it does come with Rosso Corsa paintwork, a Nero leather cabin, and a Ferrari Classiche “Red Book” certifying its origins. If you miss out at RM, then another Enzo will be on the block at Bonhams in Paris just a day later, although the 2004 Nero black example (one of just 12 in this hue) is pitched to hit as high as €4.5M ($4.9M),

The related Maserati MC12 Versione Corsa from 2007 cuts quite the dash in its bright orange hue. It’s one of just 12 streetable versions of Maserati’s GT1 racer. Unhampered by FIA racing rules, the roadgoing MC12 was able to eke 745 horsepower out of its six-liter, dry-sump V-12 motor. It cost a cool one million Euros when new, but is now expected to match the Enzo and sell for up to €3.5M ($3.8M).

Just down the road at Sant’Agata Bolognese Lamborghini had some celebrating to do in 2018. To mark 100 years since the birth of founder Ferruccio, the company launched the Centenario. Only 20 coupes and 20 roadster versions, based on the venerable Aventador, were built and it’s an open-topped edition that’s being offered by RM Sotheby’s. The one-owner car has a shade over 40 miles on the odometer and comes in a fetching combination of Rosso Efesto, Nero Ade Alcantara, and Rosso Alala. Anticipated to sell for between €3-€4M ($3.29-4.38M), it is described as “an unblemished example of arguably the most extreme and advanced Lamborghini ever produced.”

For similar outlay by RM’s estimate, you could become the keeper of a 2017 Bugatti Chiron ‘La Mer Argentée’. It’s quite the bobby dazzler with its factory chrome wrap covering an original Nocturne over Argent Metallic color scheme. The car had some $130,000 spent on a Performance Package in 2019 and the owner actually made some use of the upgrades as the Molsheim monster has covered almost 3,000 miles. It should fetch somewhere between €2,750,000 and €3,500,000 ($3–$3.8 M) according to the auction house.

Next to these, a 2014 Porsche 918 estimated at €1.6–€1.8M ($1.75–$1.97M), a 2005 Carrera GT at €1.3M ($1.42M), a 2015 McLaren P1 at €900,000–€1.2M ($985,000–$1.3M) and a 2022 Ford GT Carbon Series at €750,000–€1,000,000 ($821,000–$1.1M) seem almost like bargains.

Porsche fans could face an interesting conundrum as two 1990s rarities vie for bidders’ attention. Racing aficionados will be tempted by a 1991 962C that finished tenth at the 1991 Le Mans 24 Hours and is expected to achieve up to €1.5M ($1.64M), but hot on its heels is a 1996 911 GT2 that’s just been fully restored. One of 194 road cars built, it has had just two owners and is tipped to sell for up to €1.4M ($1.5M).

Step further back in time and there’s plenty of fascinating machinery under the million-dollar mark. For €300,000–€400,000 ($328,000–$438,000) you could pick some pre-war coachbuilt excellence in the form of a 1930 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A Transformable Cabriolet or a 1934 Hispano-Suiza J12 Coupé Chauffeur. Perhaps a Rolls-Royce is more to your taking, in which case a 1920 40/50 HP Silver Ghost Tourer, a 1936 Phantom II Saloon, or a 1933 Phantom II Continental Berline could all be yours.

Other highlights of these sales include awesome oddballs such as a 1980 BMW M1, a 1991 Alfa Romeo SZ, and a 1981 Rolls-Royce Camargue. and even a 1994 Lamborghini LM002. If Porkers with flat-nosed snouts are up your strasse then you can pick from a one-of-a-kind 928 GT from 1989 or a 1986 911 Turbo Flachbau. Choices, choices.

Of all the eclectic and exotic on offer, however, it’s two Italian oddities that have captured our hearts. A 1958 Fiat 500 Spiaggina Boana beach car is simply bellisimo. Only two were built by Mario Boano and this stunning original example was first registered to none other than Gianni Agnelli himself. If it gets to its €290,000 ($317,500) estimate, that will be a lot of money for not a lot of metal. A 1955 Alfa Romeo T10 Autotutto camper is a delightful deviation from the de rigeur VW buses. Powered by a two-cylinder supercharged diesel engine, it is anything but ordinary, which is reflected in the price estimate of €90,000–€110,000 ($98,500–$120,400).

The bidding for all of this automotive art begins on January 31 at RM Sotheby’s at the Salles du Carousel in the Louvre Palace of Paris and on February 1 at Bonham’s sale at The Grand Palais Éphémère.

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One thing you can likely expect when you buy a car once owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan: The driver’s seat probably goes way back.

You have an opportunity to bid on two vehicles that once resided in Jordan’s garage, one of them rarer than the other. That car, on Bringatrailer.com, is a 1991 BMW 850i with a six-speed manual transmission. The other vehicle, on Ebay.com, is a 1999 Land Rover Range Rover 4.6 HSE.

First, the Range Rover: It’s a two-owner vehicle, being sold now by an exotic car dealer in Illinois. It has 115,598 miles but received a new dealer-installed 4.6-liter V-8 engine 500 miles ago. The transmission is a four-speed automatic. The exterior is bright red, with a tan leather interior. It appears to have most every feature that was available on a 1999 Range Rover. Jordan, the listing says, was the first owner.

The BMW has a 5.0-liter, 296-horsepower V-12 engine, which breathes through a Magnaflow exhaust. A previous owner added some AC Schnitzer body components, and it also has 17-inch two-piece Schnitzer wheels. It has 30,000 miles on the clock, of which 22,000 were added by the present owner. Paint is Mauritius Blue Metallic. The air conditioner apparently needs work.

“This E31 is offered by the seller on behalf of the owner with documentation bearing Michael Jordan’s signature, manufacturer’s literature, a stamped service booklet, a clean Carfax report, and a clean Illinois title in the owner’s name,” says the listing.

Bidding on the BMW ends on Monday, and on Tuesday for the Range Rover. At this writing, the high bid on the Rover is $25,900, and $60,023 on the BMW.

We all know Jordan is an avid car collector; he recently dropped $3.5 million on a Hennessey Venom F5 roadster. So how potent is the Michael Jordan past-ownership? Pretty potent, if we’re judging from the 1996 Mercedes-Benz S-class S600, which sold through the Beverly Hills Car Club in 2020 for a then-record $202,200. That was more than five times the previously-recorded high bid for an S600.

So you have two chances to own a genuine MJ vehicle, one likely expensive, the other less so. If you want to “Be Like Mike” (a reference to a 1991 Gatorade advertising campaign, for you youngsters), happy bidding.

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Mecum’s annual sale in Kissimmee, Florida, is both the world’s largest collector-car auction and typically the very first sale on the calendar. In addition to moving a lot of metal, this two-week extravaganza helps set market moods for the rest of the year. It’s more than 60 acres of automotive spectacle, with multiple buildings and tent after tent protecting the thousands of auction vehicles from the Florida sunshine and occasional rain. Even if you didn’t bring your checkbook, Kissimmee is worth the trip for the car-spotting alone.

Mecum is celebrating the auction’s 25th anniversary in 2024. In both 2022 and 2023, the sale topped $200M. Though it remains to be seen whether that will happen again this year, the consignment list is certainly full (Mecum is claiming nearly 4000 cars) and full of good stuff, too. Below are the most significant cars we’ll be keeping an eye on.

1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda Convertible

Rarity is a relative term in the classic car world, especially in American muscle cars. A couple hundred units might be a pretty good run for a 1960s Maserati, but for a particular pony-car configuration, “a couple hundred” is supremely scarce. A Hemi Cuda convertible, though, is rare by anybody’s definition. Plymouth sold just 14 of the soft-top Hemis in 1970, and just a dozen in ’71. There aren’t many American muscle cars worth seven figures, but a Hemi Cuda convertible is one of them.

Values have had their ups and downs, and this Lemon Twist car sold at Mecum Indy in 2019 for $1.98M before heading to Kissimmee in 2022, where it remained unsold at a $2.1M high bid. Even so, Mecum has a higher $2.5M–$3.0M estimate this time around.

1963 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider

As a short wheelbase (SWB) California Spider with covered headlights, this car is widely considered the most attractive version in a universally attractive series of cars (there are long-wheelbase and open-headlight cars—all are gorgeous) and finished in the classic combo of red over tan.

It’s represented as the very last of the 106 total 250 GT California Spiders built from 1957 to ’63, and according to online Ferrari resource barchetta, it was delivered in red over black. The car stayed with its original Minnesota owner until 1972 before selling to a Californian who paid $4500 (!) for the used, nine-year-old convertible. Eventually restored from 1999 to 2001 and shown extensively since at prestigious concours like Pebble Beach and Amelia Island, it doesn’t have a presale estimate, but an eight-figure high bid is pretty much a guarantee. Our current values range from $12.95M to $17.1M.

1967 Ferrari 275 GTS/4 NART Spider

An even rarer open-air classic than that Holy Grail Hemi Cuda is this NART Spider. While 25 NART Spiders were planned, just ten genuine cars were ever built. One raced successfully at Sebring and one co-starred with Steve McQueen in The Thomas Crown Affair. This particular NART is the ninth one made.

Sort of a spiritual successor to the California Spider above, this drop-top version of the 275 GTB/4 was made possible by New York Ferrari dealer and owner of the North American Racing Team (NART) Luigi Chinetti, who commissioned the cars with his wealthy clients in mind. Road & Track called it “the most satisfying sports car in the world” and featured it on the cover, but when a hardtop 275 GTB cost less than 10 grand, the Spider’s $14,400 price was steep even for the bigwigs in Chinetti’s Rolodex.

NART Spiders have only gotten more expensive, however. The last NART to sell at auction was in 2013, when chassis 10709 sold for $27.5M. This Kissimmee car, chassis 10749, reportedly sold to the consignor on the private market in 2014 for $28M.

Harley Earl (1963) and Bill Mitchell (1964) Chevrolet Corvette “Styling Cars”

Other than Zora Arkus-Duntov, the two biggest names in the history of the Corvette are designers Harley Earl and Bill Mitchell. These two “Styling Cars” not only had famous designers as owners, they also came packed with unique features.

GM gave Earl the 1963 car as a retirement present, and he reportedly drove it regularly around Palm Beach in his golden years, even lapping Daytona in it in 1965 when he served as Grand Marshal of that year’s 500. Its metallic blue paint wasn’t available in the showrooms in ’63, and neither were the dual-circuit four-wheel disc brakes—those didn’t arrive until 1964. The passenger’s side gauge cluster with altimeter, accelerometer, and two thermometers is a neat touch, as are the four-branch, polished stainless-steel side pipes. The only thing ordinary about the car is the mid-range 327-cubic inch/300-horse small-block, but at least it’s backed by a four-speed manual. Barrett-Jackson sold it in 1999 for $152,300, then Mecum sold it in 2010 for $980,500 and again in 2013 for $1.65M. Mecum paired it as a single lot with the Bill Mitchell car in 2019, though the pair failed to sell with a high bid of $1.7M. The Earl car has a $750,000–$1,000,000 estimate this time around.

Speaking of Bill Mitchell, he was GM’s design boss when the C2 Corvette came to life in 1963, and since being the boss has its perks, he had a 1964 Corvette specially built to his liking for personal use. The special flourishes are a little more subtle than Earl’s car, but the 327/365 V-8 is more potent, and Corvette spotters will notice the eggcrate grille, unique chromed centerlock wheels, chromed side vents, and six taillights. Blue leather covers not just the seats but also the dash, glovebox, and door panels. For Kissimmee, it has a $500,000–$600,000 estimate.

First (1967) and last (1969) Chevrolet Corvette L88

Selling auction cars as a pair is an unusual and somewhat risky move. The entry point is significantly higher, which naturally shrinks the pool of potential bidders. And it takes a very specific kind of buyer who really wants both cars. Auction companies have pulled this off before, however, and Mecum is trying it with this offering of the first and last L88 Corvettes built.

The L88 hardly needs an introduction, but this special-order race-ready package offered from 1967 to ’69 resulted in the fastest and most collectible of all classic production Corvettes. Not that there was much production: Chevrolet built just 20 in 1967, 80 in 1968, and 116 in 1969.

The Tuxedo Black 1967 car is represented as the first production L88, and it was an SCCA race car in 1967–68, finishing second to a 427 Cobra in the 1967 Runoffs. We’ve seen it at auction before—a $1.55M no-sale in 2007, a $1.325M sale in 2010, a $1.7M no-sale in 2019, and a $1.8M no-sale in 2020.

The Fathom Green 1969 car, meanwhile, is comparatively unremarkable other than its build date, but being the bookend for such a famous part of Corvette history counts for a lot. We’ve seen this one before, too. It sold for $242,000 in 2006, was a $235K no-sale in 2012, sold again for $280,500 in 2013, and was a $430,000 no-sale later that year.

1967 Chevrolet Corvette L88 Coupe

For someone who needs just one L88 in their garage, this one-of-20 Rally Red 1967 coupe is still plenty exciting. Maybe more exciting, even. It currently holds the title of most expensive Corvette of any kind ever sold at auction, a status it’s held for nearly a decade. Barrett-Jackson sold it in Scottsdale in 2014 for $3.85M. Setting a new benchmark in 2024 seems unlikely, though. Mecum’s estimate for the car this time around is $3.4M–$3.8M.

1948 Tucker 48

Preston Tucker’s ill-fated automotive venture caused a tsunami of publicity in postwar America, but construction of the actual car—the Tucker 48—amounted to a trickle. Just 51 examples were completed in the former B-29 bomber plant Tucker used for a factory. But thanks to the Hollywood-worthy story and innovative features like a rear-engine layout, directional headlamp, and forward-thinking safety-oriented construction, the Tucker 48 is a well-known and highly valued car.

Only one or two Tuckers pop up for sale per year, if that, and this one has never crossed an auction block. Represented as largely original and as having appeared in the 1988 film about the company, it has a $1.7M–$1.9M estimate.

1990 Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe by Singer

Singer Vehicle Design might be the most well-known and sought-after company when it comes to “reimagining” (read: restomodding) air-cooled 911s. As such, the wait list for one of its bespoke creations is a long one. The only real way to skip the line is to buy one of the few Singers that pop up on the second-hand market. It seems a little odd to open up your wallet for somebody else’s bespoke interpretation of a 911, but other people have paid over $1M at auction for the opportunity, and this 7700-mile car has a $1.2M–$1.3M estimate.

1966 Ford GT40

Known for its exploits on track, we usually see the GT40 in multi-colored racing liveries with numbers slapped on its doors. Even rarer than the race cars that got the glory, though, are the 30 GT40 MK Is built for street use. Slightly tamed for normal driving, they came with wire wheels, a nicer interior, and softer suspension.

This one sold new to a buyer in Rome who ordered his Le-Mans-winner-for-the-road with race exhaust and race-spec oil pump. Racing driver Umberto Maglioli bought it in 1968 but it was never raced, and it soon sold on to Germany. RUF, of Porsche modifying fame, eventually treated it to a concours-quality restoration. Though Mecum did not provide an estimate, a Mk I sold at Amelia in 2016 for $3.3M.

1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/LM Competizione Speciale

If it sells, this will be the most expensive car in Kissimmee and one of the most expensive cars sold all year. One of three specially built competition versions of the then-new 275 GTB and essentially the successor to the 250 GTO, this is the sister car to the Ferrari that finished third at Le Mans in 1965. This chassis, however, lived its life as a road car, first in Italy and then in France, where it stayed for 25 years. At some point early in its life, it also had three GTO-style nose vents cut into the bodywork. Eventually, the temptation to take it to the track became too strong, and subsequent owners actively vintage-raced it. It has since been restored and last sold at the Monterey auctions in 2014 for $26.4M.

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Though we tend to skew toward the data-driven here at Insider, regular input from industry professionals helps inform and give context to the trends we observe. At the beginning of 2023, those who we interviewed noted a return to normalcy and movement away from the less rational, superheated market behavior that marked much of 2021 and 2022. As this year has unfolded, those first steps toward a cooling market have coalesced into some clearer themes. Heading into 2024, here’s what our panel of professionals had to say.

A decelerating but stable market 

From broad, overarching perspectives to a tight focus on prices to consideration for what’s selling, our discussions present sober takes on a market that is stable but retreating.

“Things are a lot softer than they were, but the bottom is not falling out as some people are saying,” notes Derek Tam-Scott, co-founder of OTS, a collector car dealer in Berkeley, California. “The last cars to go up explosively have generally been the first to come down—we’ve seen that with younger cars and classics that haven’t yet fully established themselves. Prices for blue-chip cars, on the other hand, are moving more slowly.”

For Ken Ahn, president of Hagerty Marketplace, changes in the rate of growth for numerous metrics are front-of-mind as he considers the state of the market. “I would characterize the overall collector car market as ‘cautious’ as we sit here at the end of 2023. I say cautious because for the first time in the last few years, we have seen a slowdown in the growth of overall auctions (both live and online), with the growth of average transaction values decelerating and sell-through rates declining. Those have, however, been offset by the increased number of cars offered.”

To better understand the newer end of the collector market, we reached out to Harald de Bruijn, who runs Fourwheel Trader, a YouTube channel that specializes in depreciation analysis of sports and supercars that range from new to about 20 years old. He’s laser-focused on evolving prices, and has noticed a split similar to what Tam-Scott mentioned. “When we saw the prices top [in 2022], we also observed that there started to be a divergence in the market. Some cars topped and may have declined a little bit, but their prices remained more or less stable. We saw other cars, many of which were newer, for which prices really started to come down.” In 2023, that drop began to settle somewhat: “We started to see a flattening of the depreciation rates—not completely flat trends—but a return to more normal rates.” He notes that for the cars he tracks, this depreciation rate is now generally in the range of seven to nine percent a year. “That happened quicker than I expected,” he added.

At DriverSource, a collector car dealer in Houston Texas, sales manager Jose Romero reports that “the market has corrected, but it’s hard to assign just how much. Porsche 911s, certain BMWs, certain Ferraris from the ’50s and ’60s all have a smaller audience now, and they take a little longer to sell. But overall, the market is healthy,” he said, adding that he had just sold a Ferrari Dino for a dramatic price.

Spencer Trenery, owner of Fantasy Junction, a collector car dealer in Emeryville, California, adds that trends are not necessarily consistent across segments. For instance, while many sports cars from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s have lost value, others are bucking that tide. “275 GTB and GTS Berlinetta Ferraris continue to have upward price adjustments since the beginning of COVID—those cars have advanced quite a bit,” he says.

Stratification

During the last year, the gap between the truly special and cars merely in excellent condition has widened. “Buyers have become more selective, leading to a broader stratification in the market based on quality and provenance,” says Trenery. “More common cars are struggling.”

Romero agrees. “A great car, one with a solid history and unique specification, no miles, and either fully restored or totally original, has only increased in value,” he says. “Take the same car, but in average condition or an average color, or maybe it’s been at three or four auctions in the last ten years, and it’s worth dramatically less.” He also observed that run-of-the-mill cars can take longer to sell, and are more likely to require a price break to move off the showroom floor.

An ongoing evolution in what’s hot

Ascendant ’80s through 2000s supercars feature prominently in our discussions. “We’ve seen early Mercedes AMG, Lamborghini Diablos and Countaches, and Ferraris from the ’80s and ’90s all become the flavors of the month,” says Romero. “That’s what people are craving—as well as Porsches from the 2000s, and anything considered analog. On the other hand, cars that aren’t as user-friendly, like those from the ’50s and ’60s, have suffered.”

User-friendliness is also a common theme, and one that Trenery highlighted in a prominent relative newcomer segment among cars he sells: “We previously sold sports cars and European cars almost exclusively, but American restomods have quickly earned a place. These cars don’t rely on their historic background [for their value] and are returning a higher percentage of the cost to build them,” he says. “People don’t want to drive a drum brake, four-speed car anymore. These cars look like what buyers remember, but have air conditioning, later-model seats, and a reliable crate engine—all things the buying population puts a lot of value on.”

Certain cars in particular are forging their own paths. Tam-Scott and Trenery both picked out the declining values of the Jaguar E-Type as a bit of a head-scratcher, especially in context of some of its contemporaries. “I would chalk this up to generational shift, but Gullwings are strong and E-Types are not,” says Tam-Scott.

Substitution models—cars that saw a significant rise in popularity, and corresponding bump in value due at least in part to other, more desirable models getting out of reach—remain a popular choice. De Bruijn has noted that some cars, like the 996-generation Porsche 911, saw values go up significantly in 2021, and have only receded slightly since then. Trenery similarly points out 996- and 997-generation 911s, along with the Ferrari 308 GT4 as another model that’s quietly crept into collector status.

The impact of expensive money

“Increased rates haven’t been an issue since most clients are cash buyers,”says Tam-Scott, “but more costly financing has had some impact on online auctions, and it’s driven speculation from the market.” This sentiment was shared by the others—though interest rates increased 11 times over the course of 2022 and 2023, very few buyers of $100k-up cars look to banks for financing. As a result, it’s the less expensive cars, and perhaps most interestingly, the top of the market that are most effected.

“For me, the biggest surprise, which makes sense in hindsight,” says Ahn, “compared to prior cycles, was how much the high end of the market softened compared to the sub-$250K segment during the second half of 2023. We were trying to sell an $8M car over the summer to a client, who ultimately decided not to pursue. His rationale was that he could put the $8M to work in money market or short-term treasuries and earn $400K in annual interest, with the principal backed by the U.S. government. It’s hard to argue with that rationale, especially if rates remain high.”

Changing demographics are showing up in transaction behavior

Though generational change in the collector market has been a hot topic for a while, 2023 offered evidence that this shift is beginning to snowball. “We sold 185 cars this year,” says Romero, “and of those, 112 were to new clients. Their average age was 52—much younger than in the past.” Trenery shares that in his experience, baby boomers, while still very active in the market, were more likely to be on the seller side of the equation.

These anecdotes feed into evolving buying and selling trends. Those interviewed affirm that online consignments have offered a healthy amount of throughput. Says Trenery: “We’ve had more first-time clients under 50 years old this year, and they’ve primarily come through our auctions on Bring a Trailer and online transaction forums. They’re typically professionals who don’t desire to travel to buy a car. The model of purchase that appeals to them is one where they can absorb information online over the course of the auction, then block out an hour where the auction is closing to complete the transaction. It’s less personal than it once was.”

Romero rounds out the other side of the same coin: with buyer preferences that are increasingly remote and visual, it’s often easier to consign a car than for sellers to do it on their own. “They could do it themselves, but in the current market, you need a strong social media presence, 300 photos, and videos, so they look to folks like us who have an established reputation to get the best value.”

Maturing competition between marketplaces

The meteoric growth of online auctions has often prompted questions about the degree to which they are a threat to in-person auctions. Ahn, who oversees Broad Arrow Group’s live auctions as well as Hagerty Marketplace’s online listings, shares that as their coexistence has matured and stabilized, the two have begun to carve out clear identities.

“Both are growing and both matter,” says Ahn. “We’re seeing that more lower price-point, less unique/desirable cars are increasingly finding their way to online auctions, while on average, higher-valued cars are making their way to live auctions. That makes sense not only from a unit economics standpoint, but also when you think about the business model. For example, on the Monterey Peninsula in August, you’ll probably have the world’s greatest concentration of potential buyers of the Ferrari F50 and 250 TdF, Talbot Lago, and Duesenberg within a 15 mile radius over five days. An online auction platform would have hundreds of thousands if not millions of audience, but not the concentration of buyers. In contrast, if you have a 65K-mile, mechanically sound, beautifully-detailed BMW E39 M5 like I have, it will likely not make it onto a catalogue for a live auction in Monterey, but it will surely draw dozens of bidders online.”

Ahn also notes increased collector car supply at auctions, something that Romero has also observed, particularly when watching online sales. “Over the last six months the online market became a lot more saturated,” says Romero. “Online listings are a third higher if not more in total quantity, and the amount of auction watchers has shrunk, in my observation.” Ultimately, this has contributed to downward price influences on more common cars.

Going forward

When it came to looking forward to 2024, our discussions veer toward reminders of the market’s cyclical nature, and the opportunity that exists in a collector world that’s in a very different part of the cycle from 18 months ago.

De Bruijn reminds us that precision is critical: “It’s important to not think of the market as a homogeneous group,” he says. “Different segments in the market have different price trends. Stating that the market is crashing almost never holds unless there’s a big, broader economic crisis.” He’s somewhat optimistic about the future of newer collector cars in the U.S. market, as well: “Based on the data, the biggest drop is behind us. Of course, I cannot look into the future, but price decreases are not accelerating.”

Beyond the numbers, Tam-Scott is mindful of how times like these can facilitate fresh experiences for enthusiasts. “A hot market makes accessibility difficult,” he says. “A flat market enables buyers move more freely between cars—you won’t necessarily get priced out of a quickly-appreciating car. The hobby part of it returns.”

Ahn agrees. “An exceptionally hot market can be worrisome—it rewards more irrational behaviors, more people believe they are astute investors in cars, and some borrow to get cars that are no longer attainable—all things that could lead to a drastic turn,” he says. “A flattening market can bring more rationality. Remember, it’s a highly cyclical industry. Each year, more new cars are added to the ‘collector’ segment than are destroyed, and more collectors appear to be entering the hobby. When I think about the long-term future of the hobby and the industry, I am very optimistic.”

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After unprecedented growth and routinely broken record prices in 2022, things mostly looked calmer in 2023. That’s not to say the auction market was sleepy, though. Total sales over North American collector car auctions (live and online) observed by Hagerty are likely to fall within two percent of last year’s $3.5B total. The Monterey auctions had their second-highest sales totals ever (after 2022), while online auctions grew over last year in terms of both dollar total and vehicle count.

The super-expensive stuff, however, is still reserved for the large live auctions. Some mouth-watering, wallet-draining cars crossed the block this year; here are the 10 most expensive.

1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB

Sold by Gooding & Co. for $9,465,000

The successor to the 250 Tour de France (TdF) and the precursor to the 250 GTO, the 250 Short Wheelbase (SWB) was a true GT that could be driven to the track, take the checkered flag, and driven back home again. Ferrari built barely 160 examples and they’re all special.

This one lacks race history but makes up for it in originality. A four-owner car, reportedly never before offered for public sale and almost entirely original, it sold for just shy of eight figures but also slightly over its condition #1 (Concours) value.

2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Roadster

Sold by RM Sotheby’s for $10,235,000

With just 20 coupes and six roadsters built, Mercedes-Benz’s CLK GTR isn’t just a thinly-veiled FIA GT Championship-winning, 6.9-liter V-12-sporting race car for the road. It’s also one of the most rare modern exotic cars—there are four times as many McLaren F1s as there are CLK GTRs.

They come to auction very, very infrequently, and when they do, each sale price is drastically higher than the last. Eleven years ago, a coupe sold for $1.1M. The last roadster to sell at auction was in 2015, and it brought $1.9M. Then, another coupe brought $4,515,000 in 2018. At $10.235M, this 170-km (106-mile) roadster is the new benchmark until another one of the 26 CLK GTRs comes out of hiding.

2022 Bugatti Chiron Profilée

Sold by RM Sotheby’s for €9,792,500 ($10,691,569)

The word “unique” gets tossed around a little too much in the collector car hobby (how many times have you heard “my Corvenbahn 7000GTN is one of one in Testosterone Blue over Matte Crimson Emu hide with Stereosonic speakers that was built on a Tuesday”), but this Bugatti is truly quite different from the rest. While based on the already-exclusive Chiron, it has a different shape than the standard car as well as special interior features like woven leather for the dash, door panels, and center console.

Bugatti had planned to sell a special version of the Chiron like the Profilée, but when the original run of 500 build slots for the “regular” Chiron quickly sold out, the company canceled the plans and just the one Profilée was completed. It blew past its €4.2M–€5.5M estimate window as bidders battled for a chance to secure the last Bugatti with the acclaimed W-16 quad-turbo engine. In the process, it also became the most expensive “new” car ever sold at auction.

1972 Ferrari 312 PB

Sold by RM Sotheby’s for €12,042,500 ($13,028,780)

It’s a multi-race winning Ferrari, campaigned in a year when the company won its last World Sportscar Championship. It has a Formula 1-derived flat-12 engine so it sounds great, and it doesn’t look half bad, either. In other words, it’s no surprise that this 312 PB was one of the most expensive cars sold anywhere this year.

The final evolution of Ferrari’s “P” series of cars that dated back to 1963, the 312 PB was also one of the most successful of that series. The chassis won every race it entered in the 1972 World Sportscar Championship (Scuderia Ferrari skipped Le Mans that year), and this car was a big part of that effort. It won the Buenos Aires 1,000 Kilometres and the Nürburgring 1,000 Kilometres, and also took second at Sebring and third at Monza.

1957 Jaguar XKSS

Sold by RM Sotheby’s for $13,205,000

Little more than a Le Mans-winning D-Type race car with bumpers and a windshield, the XKSS is one of the prettiest, rarest, and most valuable road cars around. Jaguar built it to offload the expensive cars and parts that littered the factory after it pulled back from factory racing in 1956, and had enough stock to build 25 units. The infamous fire at the factory meant that just 16 were completed.

Like most of the 16 original XKSSs (Jaguar has since completed those missing 9 cars as XKSS “Continuations”), this one sold new to North America but it eventually passed through several U.K. collectors, one of whom snagged the registration plate “JAG 1.”

XKSSs tend to stay in long-term ownership and are rarely seen at auction. The last real one we saw cross the block was in 2017, and that car failed to sell at an $11.9M high bid. This one’s $13.2M final price puts it right within its $12M–$14M estimate range.

1964 Ferrari 250 LM

Sold by Artcurial for €15,771,200 ($17,120,268)

With just 32 built, the 250 LM is a very rare car, even rarer than a 250 GTO. It’s also a pretty car. One of the prettiest, really. It gave Ferrari its last overall win at Le Mans until the company’s triumphant return in 2023. Important and expensive, then, but the sale of this car was surprising not for how high it was—it was surprising for how low it was.

This car, chassis #5901, crossed the block in February, failed to meet reserve at a €20M reported high bid, and then went back home. French auction house Artcurial then brought it out for its own single-car sale in July. At this smaller affair, the high bid that eventually won the car was lower than where bidding opened back in February. In USD, it’s also less than the last 250 LM sold at auction, which was a $17.6M sale way back in 2015. Chassis #5901 boasts its original body, engine and gearbox, and certainly looks great, but it never raced once in period. In the bidders’ eyes, glory (or lack thereof) apparently trumped originality.

1962 Ferrari 250 California Spider

Sold by Gooding & Co. for $18,045,000

This was the most expensive car at the Amelia Island auctions this year by a factor of more than three. And for good reason, as it’s a short wheelbase (SWB) California Spider with covered headlights, which is the most attractive configuration and quite rare with 37 built. It’s also reportedly the only one finished in Azzurro Metallizzato, which is a shame because it’s a stunning color. There aren’t any major market implications here, just a top-quality car deservedly bringing top dollar.

2013 Mercedes-Benz W04 F1

Sold by RM Sotheby’s for $18,815,000

Modern F1 cars have been showing up at collector car auctions more often over the last few years. Top-quality cars with a good history are also bringing more money. With the sport more popular now than ever (thanks Netflix!), modern F1 cars broke into the top three auction sales in both 2022 and 2023. That’s never happened before. In 2022, the car on the podium was Michael Schumacher’s 2003 title-winning Ferrari F2003-GA, which sold for $14.9M. In 2023, it was Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes W04 from 2013, his first season with the team. While another Mercedes—Juan Manuel Fangio’s 1954 W196—is still the most expensive Formula 1 car ever sold at auction, Hamilton’s is now the most expensive F1 machine of the modern era.

1967 Ferrari 412P

Sold by Bonhams for $30,255,000

The most expensive and most beautiful lot of the Monterey auctions, this 412P caused little commotion on the auction block and sold for about what most people thought it would. That said, it’s still an incredible car for an incredible sum of money.

The 412P came about at the height of the Ford/Ferrari wars in 1967. After a disappointing 1966, when Ferrari’s 330 P3 played second fiddle to the GT40, Ferrari clawed back some glory in 1967 by finishing first, second, and third at the Daytona 24 Hours, along with securing the World Sportscar Championship title. While the factory team was racing 330 P3s/P4s, Ferrari built four of these 4.0-liter prototypes to customer specs for private teams and called them 412Ps. This one sold new to British team Maranello Concessionaires and wears the team’s signature red with light blue stripe livery. It had decent but unexceptional results in period with its original body and then with temporarily-fitted spyder bodywork, and eventually made it to the West Coast where an owner registered it for street use(!) before selling it on to somebody for just 10 grand(!).

Total production of the 412 P, 330 P3, and 330 P4 series numbers fewer than a dozen examples, so not many have been seen for sale. One of the P4s, cut up and modified for Can-Am racing in period, came to auction in 2009 and was a no-sale at a €7,250,000 high bid. The last confirmed public sale of one of these beauties was in 2000 when Christie’s got $5.6M for a P3.

1962 Ferrari GTO SII 330

Sold by RM Sotheby’s for $51,705,000

After last year’s shocking $142M sale of a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut coupe, things came back to normal in 2023, with an Enzo-era Ferrari taking the top auction spot of the year. And what a Ferrari it is.

It’s the first GTO to come to auction since 2018, when a car with less desirable bodywork but a clean history sold for a then-record $48.4M.

This car is one of a handful of cars fitted in-period with a larger 4.0-liter engine, which technically made it a “330 LM” despite its GTO bodywork. After some decent performances as a factory car, though, it was sold to private Italian owners, converted to 250 GTO spec, and then raced as a 250 GTO, hence RM Sotheby’s labeling it as a “330 LM/250 GTO.” It has since been shown in a featured GTO class at Pebble Beach and taken part in the ultra-exclusive 250 GTO Anniversary Tour, so it’s part of the club.

Other GTOs have reportedly sold for more on the private market, but this is now the most expensive Ferrari ever sold at auction and the second most expensive car sold at auction, ever.

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You might think this one comes way out of left field. The only good reason to think that is because, well, it does. It’s a controversial pick and I’m pretty sure it won’t be a popular one, but the twisted $1.875M hunk of Ferrari absolutely is my choice for Sale of the Year, 2023 edition. But I’m not choosing it just to be different. I genuinely think it was a great buy.

The car, which at one time was a Ferrari 500 Mondial, put a smile on my face when I first read about it. An even bigger smile appeared when I first saw it in person. But the idea of actually buying and restoring it? It sounds both stupid and savvy, impossible and life-affirming, wrong on every level yet just so right. It’s a moonshot, but also one with all the roadmaps firmly in place. It’s a picture of destruction, but also that of a path to redemption. It’s like an O. Henry story, a Dickens story, and a Hemingway story all wrapped up in an old Italian race car.

To be specific, it’s a 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Series I by Pinin Farina, serial number 0406 MD. It crashed heavily sometime in the early 1960s, and it sold out of the “Lost and Found” collection at RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction this August for $1,875,000.

First, a little bit about this “Lost and Found” collection, which belonged to Florida real estate developer Walter Medlin. In 2004, Hurricane Charley gave the Sunshine State a Category 4-sized smack, and among the casualties was the barn housing Medlin’s 20 Ferraris (including the Mondial). The structure collapsed, raining debris down on the cars. Later relocated to Indiana and stored for another decade, the cars were finally brought out for sale in Monterey.

The sort of living diorama, set up by the RM staff to display the cars outside the Portola Hotel in downtown Monterey, certainly played to a “Lost and Found” theme. It gave off vibes of a desert island, a long-forgotten post in the outback, or an abandoned junkyard in a remote clearing. Placed as far away from the main viewing area as was possible, it nevertheless served as a celebration of the rundown and wrecked nature of what was on offer. In the Mondial’s case, however, it wasn’t so much wrecked as it was utterly demolished.

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Across the internet car world, memes abound depicting sellers who “know what they’ve got,” imploring any interested parties not to make low-ball offers. Of course, this is regardless of whether their vehicle is exceptional, or whether the asking price has any bearing in reality.

There’s more than a kernel of truth behind these jokes—we’ve all seen those ads, and during the boom, several consignors I interviewed stated that many sellers were insistent on setting very ambitious and sometimes overly ambitious asking prices. The tactic paid off for many, but one bit of data—the sell-through rate (STR)—shows how buyers have been slowly influencing reduced asking prices as far back as the beginning of 2022.

Sell-through rate is exactly what it sounds like: the percentage of lots that transact successfully in a given auction or time period. Hagerty analysts include both reserve (auctions that have a minimum bid threshold for the car to sell) and no-reserve auctions when tallying up this data, as doing so paints a more complete picture of public auction activity.

What does sell-through rate tell us? Take a look at the chart below. During the market’s ascendancy, buyers were eager to get in the game and willing to meet or exceed the reserve prices set by sellers. This meant more cars found new homes, driving up the sell-through rate. When buyers eagerly pay what sellers are asking, sellers are naturally emboldened to keep pushing prices upward.

That can’t last forever, though, and the 84 percent sell-through rate in the first two months of 2022 would prove to be the highest percentage for combined online and in-person auctions in the last eight years. It was at that point that buyer behavior began slowly exerting a downward influence on prices.

When the buyers’ analysis of a vehicle’s value is less than the expectation of the seller, cars go unsold, reducing the sell-through rate. We see this in the data—the STR dropped quickly through 2022, and though its rate of decline slowed somewhat over this year, it remains on an overall downward trajectory.

The effect of this dissonance between buyer and seller may be immediate for someone who fails to sell a car at their desired price, but the impact on the market is delayed. Sellers take time to reset their analysis of their car’s market value because they rely on backward-looking data and may be hopeful that their car can still fetch an ambitious price. Buyers, on the other hand, look forward to what might happen to the market and are far less willing to move upwards to a seller’s reserve when they know they can go elsewhere or wait for a deal.

When we observe a return to relative stability in the sell-through rate (like the slow movement shown on the graph from 2016 through 2019), we’ll know that the days of exuberant pricing are fully behind us. Till then, the buyers are truly the ones who know what the sellers have.

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From 1963 through 1967, Chevrolet built 117,966 of its second-generation, or C2, Corvettes. And while they all look like a million bucks, the vast majority have always been generally accessible to mere mortals. Some, however, either because of the way they were spec’d from the factory or because of owned them, have always remained out of touch.

The 20 race-ready 1967 L88 Corvettes, for example, are a prime example of such stratospheric positioning, with their 427/430 engines and suite of heavy-duty go-fast bits. They consistently populate “most expensive Corvette” lists, and indeed the most expensive Corvette ever sold at auction was a ’67 L88 coupe, at Barrett-Jackson in 2014, for $3.85 million.

As for the Corvettes that bring big money because of their ownership history, welp, the two listed here are hard to beat, and both are on the docket for Mecum’s 25th annual sale in Kissimmee, Florida, January 2–14, 2024.

1963 Harley Earl Styling Car

Outside of Zora Arkus-Duntov, no one was more influential in bringing the Corvette to life than Harley J. Earl, who served as head of the Art and Color Section (later renamed the Styling Section) at General Motors from 1927 until his retirement in 1958. Well-known in the Corvette world, including within the hallowed halls of Bloomington Gold, this car was gifted to Earl as a retirement present, and he drove it regularly around Palm Beach, Florida, in his golden years, even lapping the Daytona Speedway in it in 1965 when he served as Grand Marshal of that year’s 500.

The car is finished in metallic blue paintwork (not offered in ’63) with a white stripe starting at the “stinger” and running the length of the car. It is complemented by a matching blue-and-white leather interior. And though Earl’s Corvette is fitted with a rather tame 327/300 V-8 and four-speed manual, this unique car sports dual-circuit four-wheel disc brakes (not offered until ’65) as well as a passenger-side gauge cluster with accelerometer, altimeter, and two thermometers. The most notable custom touch, however, are the pair of fantastic four-branch polished stainless steel sidepipes, which were never offered on production Corvettes.

This car is not new to market. It sold at Barrett-Jackson in 1999 for $152,300, and then also 11 years later, at Mecum Indy, for $980,500. In 2013, it sold again, this time for $1.65 million, at a Mecum auction in Chicago. Then it failed to sell for a high bid of $1.7 million in Kissimmee in 2019, when it was paired with another famous blue C2 styling Corvette once belonging to another famous GM designer…

1964 Bill Mitchell Styling Car

Bill Mitchell was hired on at Art and Color by Harley Earl in 1936, and when the latter retired in 1958, Mitchell succeeded him as head honcho of GM design. As such, it was Mitchell who breathed life into the 1963 Corvette (through the pencil of Larry Shinoda). Mitchell had a 1964 Corvette constructed to his liking, which he then drove as his personal car.

Though less flashy than Earl’s simply for its lack of sidepipes, the Mitchell Corvette does not lack for custom touches. Outside, the car is finished in special Bright Blue Metallic paint, with unique chrome knock-off wire wheels and an egg-crate grille, while the doors lack wing windows. The side vents are chromed, and the rear end features six taillights rather than the standard four. Inside, the entire interior—seats, dash, glovebox door, door cards—is clad in blue leather.

Underhood is a 327/365 V-8 putting power to the rear wheels through a three-speed Turbo Hydramatic 400, which didn’t make its way into production Corvettes until the 1969 model year.

The upcoming Kissimmee auction presents a great opportunity for Corvette collectors looking for something different. There will be dozens, if not hundreds, of Vettes among the 4000 cars consigned, but these two styling cars, with their impeccable ownership histories and their special connection to two greats of GM design, could anchor just about any collection of Corvettes, or American cars, or sports car, or one-off cars.

The Earl Corvette is estimated at $750,000–$1,000,000, the Mitchell Corvette at $500,000–$600,000. If you had the means to bring one home, which would it be?

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It’s Corvette Jeopardy! Here are your answers: Riverside Red. Ermine White. Silver Blue. Tuxedo Black. Sebring Silver. Saddle Tan. Daytona Blue.

The question: What are the seven colors Chevrolet painted its 1963 Corvette Split-Window coupes?

We mention this because, at the Corvette-heavy Mecum Kissimmee auction to be held January 2–14 in Florida, one of the most coveted groups of cars among the 4000 to be sold features seven Split-Window coupes, one in each available color. Mecum is calling it the Colorama Spilt-Window Collection, but we hesitate to call it a collection because it’s basically a group of Corvettes assembled by a dealer, ProTeam Corvette Sales, to sell through Mecum as individual lots. But the cars are getting a lot of traction in the Corvette-centric media, and with good reason.

Bill Mitchell’s design team, which included talented designers such as a very young Peter Brock and Larry Shinoda, designed a fastback Corvette that looked—well, marvelous. For the rear window, they decided to use two pieces of glass, split by a few inches of body-colored fiberglass and framed by aluminum strips. That was in 1963. For 1964, the split window was replaced by a solid piece of curved glass, thus making the 1963 Split-Window an immediate collectors’ item. They dubbed it the Sting Ray (two words; it wasn’t one word until 1969).

Some 10,594 Split-Window Corvettes were built, as well as roughly the same number of convertibles. There have been plenty of collectible Corvettes built in the car’s 70-year history, and the Split-Windows are near the top of the list.

So what kind of money are we talking about here?

The most expensive of the seven Split-Windows is likely to be the Daytona Blue one. It has the coveted Z06 performance package, as well as an interesting backstory: It was exported new to Australia, where it was converted to right-hand drive. All the Colorama Corvettes have some version of the 327-cubic-inch V-8 and four-speed manual transmissions; this one has 360 horsepower. (The 327 also came in 300- and 340-horsepower versions, and all are represented in this group.) Mecum is valuing the Australian Z06 at $450,000–$500,000.

The Riverside Red Split-Window carries Mecum’s lowest estimate at $225,000–$275,000. It’s a lovely numbers-matching car, with low-mileage (47,844), and was the subject of a body-on restoration and an engine rebuild. However, it doesn’t have fuel injection (four of the seven cars do), and it doesn’t have the provenance the rest have, such as a Bloomington Gold certification.

The remainder of the cars are valued slightly higher than the Riverside Red representative, and less than the Z06. Perhaps the most interesting of that lot is the Ermine White model ($250,000–$275,000). It was a present from Jesse James (West Coast Choppers, Monster Garage) to actress Sandra Bullock, presumably during their marriage, which lasted from 2005 to 2010. Bullock subsequently donated the Corvette to charity (sigh). As for James, he is currently married to adult film star Bonnie Rotten. Bullock never remarried.

Click here for the Mecum listing of the Colorama Split-Window Collection. You can also click here to look at the spilt-window Corvettes that ProTeam Corvette Sales has in stock, starting at $149,000 for a Riverside Red model.

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Turn back the clock to about 2000. Now imagine that you’re a car company looking to promote your latest frugal, front-wheel drive, fuel-sipping four-banger hatchback. Naturally, your first call is to a racing outfit to completely re-engineer and beef up the little car, yanking out the four-cylinder up front in the process and stuffing a V-6 in the back. You then rush the car to market, sell it in small numbers at a surprisingly low price (which can’t have been profitable), and run a one-make racing series with it for a few years to promote the regular model.

The plan sounds awesome, not to mention completely unnecessary, but Renault used its Clio hatchback to bring this imagined scenario to life from 2001 to ’05. One of the original track cars just sold this week at a sinister $66,666 winning bid ($69,999 with buyer’s premium), which seems like plenty of rarity and track day fun per dollar.

Renault started selling the Clio in 1990, and while we’ve never been able to buy one here in the States, it is consistently one of Europe’s best-selling cars and is a popular commuter car in South America as well. It’s sort of like a French VW Golf. The second-generation Clio debuted in 1998, and at the Paris Motor Show that year, Renault trotted out a sporty mid-engine Clio hatchback as a concept car. It was a clear reminder of the R5 Turbo rally racers of the 1980s, which were themselves reworked mid-engine versions of the Clio’s predecessor, the Renault 5.

Encouraged by the concept car’s reception, Renault worked with British firm Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) of Le Mans–winning and Jaguar XJR-15 fame to develop the car for two purposes. The first was a one-make racing program called the Renault Clio V6 Trophy series. The second was a road-going version of the racer, and TWR built the early road cars at its facility in Sweden. The entire rear of the Clio was reworked, and the inherent practicality of a hatchback was wiped away by the 3.0-liter V-6 borrowed from the Renault Laguna family car that got dropped in place of where the rear seats and cargo space used to be. A six-speed manual was the only available gearbox, and new suspension (MacPherson up front, multi-link in the rear) was added. A Clio V6 is wider, lower, and longer than the standard model, with a squat stance and big butt. Launched in late 2000 and selling for less than £30,000 in the UK, this pocket exotic seemed like a bargain.

But it wasn’t perfect. The TWR connection was reassuring, and having a big engine stuffed into the middle of small car is often a recipe for fun, but early reviewers were a little disappointed and sometimes frightened. First, the Clio V6 was over 600 pounds heavier than the standard Clio, so despite the 227 hp driving the rear wheels, it wasn’t as much faster than the regular front-driver as you might think. The 0-to-60-mph sprint came in a little over six seconds.

Then there was the scary handling. The engine provides plenty of oomph and makes a nice throaty sound, but it sits high up in the chassis. The high center of gravity plus its short wheelbase made this spunky Clio a bit unpredictable. According to Autocar, the “approach to corners went grip, grip, grip, grip, gone,” and the Clio V6 is “at its absolute best when parked.” Andrew Frankel later remembered that people “always bang on about early Porsche 911s as being the trickiest road cars to drive on the limit, but in my experience they’re not even close. A Ferrari 348 is worse than that and worse than the 348 was that Clio.” Ouch.

After about 1500 Clio V6 road cars sold, a new Phase 2 model came out. Production moved to France at the Renaultsport factory in Dieppe, and a facelift ditched the narrow, grin-like grille for larger grilles split by the Renault diamond in the middle. Improvements to the suspension, stiffer subframes, and a longer wheelbase made it friendlier to drive, while different gear ratios and more power thanks to reworked induction and cylinder head made it a little quicker, too.

Even so, Renault stopped selling this imperfect but undeniably cool car after 2005. Only about 3000 examples of the Phase 1 and Phase 2 models were built. If you’re of a certain age, you probably drove one of these in a video game with your thumbs, but Clio fans in the States will have to keep waiting for the real thing—you can’t import one till they’re 25 years old.

As for the race cars, they effectively replaced Renault’s previous one-make championship, the Renaultsport Spider Trophy series, which wrapped up in 1998 before the Clios debuted at Jarama in 1999 (Renault’s 100th birthday year). Compared to the road cars, the Clio V6 Trophy versions had more power (281 hp) and a six-speed sequential gearbox instead of the standard manual.

If the Clio V6 was a flawed road car, that doesn’t mean that it made a perfect race car. The rear end was prone to hopping and there are plenty of reports of poor reliability, though participants noted good support from Renault, and the series attracted talent like Philippe Siffert and Anthony Beltoise (both sons of F1 greats), as well as current F1 safety car driver Bernd Mayländer. It was also a not-so-expensive way to go racing—a new car for the 2003 season cost €45,800. The series tackled famous European tracks like Monaco and Nürburgring, and even served as a support race for the 1999 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The Trophy car sold this week is represented as #79 of the 159 Trophy versions built by Renaultsport. No race history is represented, but it was imported from Japan earlier this year, and the build date is believed to be 1999. Track-prepped with OMP seats, Sparco six-point harnesses and aluminum pedals, digital dash, roll cage, fire system, brake-bias adjuster, and Cromodora wheels, it does not have a title as it is a track car, but it does have a Japanese-assigned VIN.

Like any race car, this eccentric little French hatchback probably needs sorting before being driven in anger. It does run and drive, though, and looks like a very fun way to annoy some Porsches at your local track day. Hopefully the owner does just that. Since he “can’t wait to see it parked next to my street legal Clio V6 =)” he certainly knows what he just bought.

The same seller sold another Japanese–imported Clio V6 Trophy last year for $78,750. This $67K sale price is closer to what good Phase 2 road cars sell for on the other side of the pond, and seems like a decent value. There are certainly more expensive and slower ways to go racing.

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Tony Ierardi knows a thing or two about celebrity cars, having restored the iconic Countach from Cannonball Run for his friend Jeff Ippoliti. Now Ierardi and his team at DeLorean Motor Company in Orlando are back in the collector-car spotlight with their latest project, a 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 that once belonged to Tonight Show legend Johnny Carson.

The car, available on Hagerty Marketplace, is the first of two company DMC-12s that John Z. DeLorean shipped to Carson in appreciation for his $500,000 investment in DeLorean’s automaking venture. This one (VIN SCEDT26T8BD002439, generally referred to as 2439) is notable because Carson accidentally locked himself inside it shortly after it was delivered to his California home. (His second DeLorean, VIN 4523, made headlines when Carson was pulled over while driving it in 1982 and charged with drunken driving. That DMC sold for $115,000 on Bring a Trailer almost three years ago.)

Ierardi, who owns one of three official Classic DeLorean sales and service centers in the U.S. (the others are located in Texas and California), has owned five Lamborghini Countachs in his life, but he fell in love with DeLoreans at an early age, years before the car became a time-traveling legend in 1985’s Back to the Future.

“When the first one came out, I was 12. For me it wasn’t about sports and girls, it was about this cool car. I always dreamed of owning one,” Ierardi says. “I know they say don’t meet your heroes, but meeting the DeLorean has been a great experience. The movie was great and brought a lot of attention to the car, but I already loved it before that. It was always about the car.”

This particular car was one of those “special” DeLoreans on Ierardi’s list. It all started when he joined the DeLorean Owners Association in 1990; four years later, Ierardi bought his first DMC-12. In 2003, after meeting DeLorean Motor Company CEO Stephen Wynne, who purchased DeLorean’s entire stockpile of parts and resurrected the company name in the mid-1990s, Ierardi opened the Florida location of DMC in January 2005. His shop is not affiliated with the original car company started by John Z. Delorean.

“We’ve been buying and selling DeLoreans for almost 19 years, and we have a VIN list of what we consider special cars,” Ierardi says. “This one was actually auctioned through a heavy construction equipment site (Vantage Auctions Inc.), and the guy who won it kind of threw out the idea that since he had two DeLoreans he’d be willing to part with one. So, when we saw the VIN and realized it was the first Carson car, we offered to buy it directly from the auction company ourselves.”

The deal was done on September 19, 2022, and Ierardi and his team were in a quandary about their next move.

“We knew it deserved a restoration, but we were trying to decide: Should we sell it as-is and let someone else restore it, or restore it ourselves? So we worked on it in between jobs for six months, then we kind of changed gears and said, ‘Let’s do it all.’”

Engineered in part by Lotus, with an angular form styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro, this particular DMC-12 was completed at the DeLorean Motor Company plant in Belfast, Ireland, in July 1981 and delivered to Carson a short time later.

It features DeLorean’s instantly recognizable brushed stainless-steel body and gullwing doors, as well as an optional gray leather interior, louvered rear window, Dolby sound system, air conditioning, power windows, power door locks, power side mirrors, and early digital clock. It is powered by a 2.85-liter V-6 engine—located in the rear—that’s rated at 130 horsepower with 153 lb-ft of torque and mated to a manual transmission. It sits on cast-alloy wheels (14 inches in front, 15 inches in the rear).

The car comes with a 6000-mile or six-month warranty on all the parts, which were sourced directly from DeLorean Motor Company. There are 89,680 miles on the odometer.

In addition to this car and the previously mentioned Cannonball Run Countach, Ierardi has restored DeLorean Prototype-1 (designed by Bill Collins), which resides at the AACA Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania; the twin-turbo DeLorean; and the third-built 1983 Delorean DMC-12 Gold Edition.

With more than a week remaining in the Hagerty Marketplace auction, Johnny Carson’s first DeLorean (one of fewer than 9000 DMCs built) has been bid to $31,000. The auction closes on Friday, December 8, at 3 p.m. EST.

“DeLorean is a great car, and had it not been for a couple of missteps, I think it would have made it,” Ierardi opines. “I’m glad it lives on though. I had a five-year-old kid in here the other day who said, ‘I’m going to own one of these someday.’ It definitely has lasting appeal for people of all ages.”

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Though Honda’s pivot to turbocharged engines for its sporty offerings took place over six years ago, enthusiasts still fondly remember the company as a manufacturer of screaming, 8000+ rpm four-pots. In fact, the lust for these mellifluous engines and their peaky, naturally aspirated powerbands only seems to increase with time. That’s why, even in a cooling market, this week’s very strong sale of a low-mile 2008 Honda Civic Mugen Si for $42,525 (including fees) on Bring a Trailer didn’t entirely surprise us.

Back in 2008, Honda fans in America were used to getting short shrift. Sure, the Acura Integra Type R made it stateside, but more than a decade had gone by since the raucous Civic Type R debuted abroad, and U.S. buyers had to make do with the entertaining but less-capable Si model. In an effort to meet some of that pent-up enthusiasm, Honda sent a limited-run tuner car our way in the form of the Honda Civic Mugen Si.

Mugen is a household name among those who modify Hondas. For those not in the know, it’s an engine tuner and parts manufacturing company co-founded in 1973 by Soichiro Honda’s son, Hirotoshi, and racer Masao Kimora. Since its inception, Mugen has been closely linked with Honda, and the partnership has built a rich auto- and motorcycle-racing history as well as several special-edition cars (almost all of which have become very sought-after in the collector market). Mugen was a natural choice, then, to co-create a special car for an American market that was brimming with excitement for anything performance-oriented from Japan.

The Mugen Si wasn’t a powerhouse by any stretch. Though equipped with a throatier cat-back exhaust, power figures held steady at 197 hp and 139 lb-ft of torque from its 2.0-liter K20Z3 engine. Mugen’s tuning instead focused on handling: re-valved dampers, shorter and stiffer springs, lighter wheels, and grippier tires amplified the little Civic’s roadholding and made it much more capable. A body kit and exclusive Fiji Blue Pearl paint added some tuner-car flair to the package.

“The Mugen Si wasn’t any faster than the standard Civic Si sedan, but it sure looked and sounded like it was,” says ’08 Civic Si owner and Hagerty Price Guide editor Greg Ingold, who is also a regular contributor to this site. “Essentially, the Mugen Si was a glimpse into what a quality ‘tuner’ could be like. In 2008, the Japanese tuner world was still coming off of the gaudy ‘auto salon’ era that everyone associates with the Fast and Furious movies. Buyers were likely going to perform these upgrades to their Si anyway, so getting all the tweaks from a name like Mugen right at the dealership was a great selling point.”

The $29,500 MSRP did give a lot of potential buyers pause, however, and quite a few of the 1000 made ended up sitting on dealer lots.

Fifteen years on, the eighth-generation Civic Si remains a well-rounded and engaging car to drive in just about every aspect. Headlined by an engine that begs to be revved all the way to its 8000-rpm redline, it’s also the final generation to make its power that high—the redline dropped to a mere 7200 revs with the introduction of the ninth-gen car in 2012.

The regular Civic Si isn’t in the Hagerty Price Guide, but clean, lower-mile examples are plentiful and can still be had for under $15,000, with top-flight cars coming in around the $25K mark. With that context, the fact that this Mugen Si sold so well is likely to make plenty of eighth-gen Civic Si owners perk up.

“This potentially points to the future collectibility of the eighth-generation Civic Si as a whole,” says Ingold. “I don’t expect the market to explode for these cars overnight, but it may be an indication that the generation is gaining attention.”

Indeed, this sale does highlight the healthy outlook for certain modern front-wheel drive cars as collectibles (one look at the record for an Integra Type R, set earlier this year, is enough to confirm the strength of this sub-segment). It also took place at a crossroads of an ascendant Japanese segment and a slowing market. As we’ve noted recently, strong sales of in-demand cars are no longer a given, but this Mugen Si is a reminder that great-condition cars mixed with a little rarity can still make for an impressive number when the clock runs out. If you’re a fan of high-revving front-wheel drive Hondas, the Si is the one to modify and enjoy, while the Mugen Si looks like it may have begun to be the one to collect.

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Richard Griot, of Griot’s Garage, is an avid F1 collector. His credo for collecting is fairly simple. “I want a car that won in a championship year and won a race in that championship year, and I have had the opportunity to collect those cars.” But there’s one other lesson: Griot wants cars he can drive, and he has learned through bumps and bruises—and a bit of terror—that cars from about 2000 and newer are very hard to pilot if you’re anything shy of a professional driver.

Griot once owned chassis number 203, the car that Michael Schumacher piloted to win the Canadian Grand Prix back in 2000. That was the beginning of Schumacher’s incredible five drivers’ championships at Ferrari, and Griot acquired the car in the teeth of the Great Recession. “Things don’t always go up for people. Sometimes they go sideways and that’s when to buy.”

Griot drove that car at Ferrari’s Fiorano test track, a notoriously difficult circuit for mere mortals to manage.

He had help: Ferrari’s F1 Clienti program provided an entire crew, which is absolutely necessary. Starting the ignition on an F1 car from the late 1990s or early 2000s requires between 1.5 and 2.5 hours of prep. Precise tolerances mean the engines need to be pre-warmed. A swath of sensors across the engine reports to period-specific computer software. And that’s just getting the car started. Specialized parts are another story, with steering wheels, wings, and fuel tanks that cost tens of thousands of dollars. Depending on the era, these drivetrains may not have even been designed to last more than a grand prix or two.

Then there’s you—actually fitting in the car. “I’m not exactly F1-sized,” Griot says with a laugh. “I’m 6 feet tall with a 32-inch inseam.” Griot said the techs had to unbolt the seat, and he ran his laps belted to the floor of the car because he couldn’t get inside otherwise. Somehow he managed to clock over 170 mph, and he’s happy to have the experience—but he sold that Ferrari. Griot regularly drives Formula 1 cars from the 1970s and early 1980s in the Masters Historic Racing series, but the Schumacher car is just too new to be able to run without a dedicated crew. “You could probably figure some of this out, like supposedly there’s a way to start the car from the steering wheel, but then there’s the constant hassle of it, and it’s at least a $100,000 mistake if you do it wrong—you could implode the engine pretty quickly.”

Not to mention, even with Griot’s considerable training in older Formula 1 cars, the fitness required to drive something newer stunned him. “This was a decade ago, and it was so taxing on my body. The g’s in those cars—I think I spent all my energy trying to brace myself.”

Griot hasn’t stopped chasing the modern F1 dream. “I have Ayrton Senna’s 1992 MP4/7, chassis number seven that he won the Monaco Grand Prix with,” he says, adding, “I haven’t driven that car yet, but I’m getting in better shape to do that.”

Not because they are easy, but because they are hard.

Griot’s experience highlights all the challenges of collecting a modern F1 car yet also, perhaps, the appeal. Anyone with a certain level of wealth can buy that Ferrari F50 at auction. Only a select few have the wherewithal to buy, own, and operate a modern F1 car. They are, in essence, the moonshot of car collecting (although the Apollo spacecraft have nothing on modern F1 cars when it comes to complexity).

Formula 1 has long been one of the world’s most popular sports. Until relatively recently, however, the cars of the modern era—loosely defined as those produced since the mid-1980s, when turbocharged engines supplanted venerable Cosworth DFV V-8s on the grid—earned little interest from collectors.

That seems to be changing. As we experience a broader F1 renaissance, which includes a hit series on Netflix, record attendance, and a pivot in dominance to Red Bull and three-time champ Max Verstappen from Mercedes and its star driver, Lewis Hamilton, more and more modern F1 cars have come up for sale and, lately, selling for surprisingly high prices. Not just at collector car auctions, either, but fine art and luxury sales as well. “There’s been quite a jump in prices, and one thing I’ve noticed is a lot of people want a Schumacher car, for obvious reasons,” said Colleen Sheehan, sales manager for Ferraris Online.

At an RM Sotheby’s “Luxury Week” sale in November 2022, Michael Schumacher’s race-winning Ferrari F2003-GA from his sixth championship-winning season sold for CHF 14.6M ($14.9 million), setting a new bar as the most expensive modern F1 car ever sold publicly. RM Sotheby’s used its sealed-bid process to sell another Schumacher car, the third modern F1 car offered for sale publicly in the first four months of 2023. That’s a marked uptick from just a decade ago, when we rarely saw more than a couple of these cars appear at auction, where they often failed to break seven figures.

F1’s ongoing rise in popularity has driven even more special cars to market. Just this past weekend at an auction timed with F1’s return to Las Vegas, RM Sotheby’s broke the record again, this time with Lewis Hamilton’s 2013 Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 W04. Sold for $17.1M ($18,815,000 including fees) against an estimate of $10-$15M, enthusiasm for these provenance-rich cars is as strong as ever.

Similar to RM Sotheby’s choice of venue, Bonhams is leveraging this week’s season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with an auction of their own, where they are offering two modern F1 showpieces: Kimi Raikkonen’s 2006 McLaren-Mercedes-Benz MP4/21, and a Schumacher show car. Though not considered part of the modern cohort, Mario Andretti’s ever-recognizable John Player Special-liveried championship-winning 1978 Lotus 79 will also cross the Bonhams block and is sure to draw attention. While these cars are unlikely to match the Hamilton W04’s price, they each bring an alluring bit of F1 history and add to the regularity with which we’re beginning to see these cars cross the block.

Yet modern F1 car ownership is a particular experience, given the complexity, specialized parts and systems, plus intensive labor involved. The choices (and prices) are surprisingly varied. You can pay as little as five figures for an F1 car or you can pay as many as eight. And you can do anything from hang it on your garage wall or park it in the lobby of your business to drive it through the tunnel at Monaco with other grand prix greats.

That wrinkle—what might be drivable versus a static display—makes it nearly impossible to build a price guide for old F1 machinery. Then there’s the fact that there are only a half-dozen cars per year per team (a bunch of which are crashed), and on top of that, the ones that survive rarely come up for sale. More often than not, they sell privately, if at all. Teams don’t offload their current crop of cars until after they’ve been off-track for a few years, since each car contains intellectual property that costs tens of millions of dollars to develop.

Different teams also treat their stables differently once they’ve completed a season. McLaren, Williams, and Red Bull tend to hang on to their own stuff, while Ferrari sells many of its cars to private customers (although it reportedly will disable the battery hybrid system on the 2014-and-later cars). And then there’s the endless churn of teams changing ownership or going bust, many of whose cars go into private collections or museums.

A further twist: Even if a car is theoretically “drivable,” some old F1 chassis are sold without a drivetrain, the car’s most expensive component. Static display is the fate of most F1 cars, and there’s even a secondary market for “show cars,” essentially 1:1 replicas used by teams for show and promo purposes.

Per Griot’s advice, one facet that guarantees collectibility is provenance. Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull will clearly get a lot more attention than Vitaly Petrov’s Caterham.

Speaking of which, Griot offers an extra nugget: “Any McLaren, any Ferrari, even if it wasn’t a championship year, if it won a race….” He trails off. “But then again, if that race was won by the second driver, then you know, that kind of notches it down.” Even so, he admits he has never lost money on any F1 car.

That doesn’t mean F1 cars always rise in value. In September 2022, two months before the then-record-setting Schumacher sale, a 2011 Force India with neither a drivetrain nor any history to speak of went for only £69,000 ($78,800) at Bonhams’ Goodwood Revival auction. You could purchase a regional rental car fleet—189 Force Indias—for the same money as the single Schumacher Ferrari, though, naturally, the latter car is the one to lust after.

Other winning Ferraris driven by Schumacher have sold at auction for $7.5M, $6.6M, and $6.2M; several older, less successful rides from Scuderia Ferrari’s rich history include Jean Alesi’s 1991 Ferrari 643 for €3.7M ($4M) as well as his 1994 412 T1 for £1.5M ($1.9M); Nigel Mansell’s 1989 Ferrari 640 for €3.6M ($3.8M); Mario Andretti’s 1982 Ferrari 126 C2 for $2.1M; and Michele Alboreto’s 1987 Ferrari F1/87 for €666,667 ($797,000).

Curating vs. Driving

To make clear just how much of a premium history brings, consider cars like Ayrton Senna’s Toleman-Hart from 1984. Toleman was not a successful team; it operated for fiveyears and never won a race. But because Ayrton Senna started his F1 career with Toleman in ’84, had a breakout performance that year with a second-place finish at Monaco, and then went on to become one of the all-time greats, his ’84 Toleman brought €1.6M ($1.9M) at auction back in 2018. There’s a similar story with Michael Schumacher’s 1991 Jordan-Ford. In performance and design, the car is nothing special, but it’s also the car in which Schumacher made his controversial debut before going on to win seven titles, so it brought €1.5M ($1.6M) at auction last year. Similar cars without that kind of provenance bring much, much less. A 1990 Arrows sold for €161,000 ($182,200) in 2021, a 1989 Lola sold for £110,255 ($143,400) in 2019, and another Jordan, this one from 1996, sold for €241,250 ($274,500) in 2019.

If you wanted a Senna car with better pedigree, Richard Griot has that Monaco-winning 1992 MP4/7—but it’s not for sale. In fact, Griot even has mixed feelings about abiding by his own ethos of always collecting what he can drive “and not being ‘that guy.’ You know, I don’t want to be the first one that rolls this up into a ball and destroys that history. I also want to be able to go to work on Monday.”

The other premium goes for usability. The hard truth is that running an F1 car as an individual—even an individual with deep pockets—is nearly impossible. “These collectors have cars which can cost upwards of $2 [million] to $4 million [in value], which they can pay to run privately at some of the world’s iconic racing locations. The car could do one lap and an issue with a component can arise—anything from the tiniest leak to a total part failure—wiping out their track time and grounding the car, in some cases for over a year, while a new part is sourced or reverse-engineered,” explains Adam Wright, global director for TDF, a U.K.-based firm that helps collectors drive modern F1 cars.

In the realm of cars you can actually drive, Scuderia Ferrari, despite its current struggles on track, has an apparent advantage. The company’s Corse Clienti program, specifically the F1 Clienti, makes driving an F1 Ferrari at speed a real, albeit expensive, possibility if you’re fortunate enough to own one.

F1 Clienti can run single-seaters from 1970 to as recent as two years prior to the current season, and Ferrari will store, maintain, transport, and support the cars at designated track days. Since Ferrari has the tooling, designs, parts, and (for modern cars) software for its cars and the personnel to make it all happen, it’s a much easier process than being on your own, trying to figure out how to run a car from a long-defunct team. Ferrari is mum on the costs of these programs (and they surely vary), but we hear a single event can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

McLaren retains most of its old greats in its fabled “Unit 2” facility and has released far fewer into private hands. The company declined to comment for our story but has, we hear, a similar but smaller and newer pro-gram than Ferrari that currently services six to eight customer cars for track events. And although Lotus is no longer one of the 10 teams on the Formula 1 grid, Classic Team Lotus operates a stable of vintage Lotus grand prix cars and will service historic Lotuses that are in private hands. You do have to note Griot’s caveat with all of the above, which is that when and where you drive isn’t entirely in your control.

Let’s say you have one of those old cars from a defunct team, however, drivetrain and all, and don’t want it to be merely expensive garage art. You’re not necessarily out of luck. There are private firms, like TDF, that will run your midpack Arrows, Minardi, or Sauber for you—although Wright cautions that his crew “Is not keen on running cars that we haven’t done the due diligence on,” including crack testing and a fastidious mechanical inspection, “because we have a huge duty of care for our clients when we are trackside.”

If that all sounds overly complicated, TDF offers something called the TDF-One, which takes a Formula 1 chassis and combines it with fewer fragile, temperamental parts and a less highly stressed engine. No preheating, no ancient laptops. It essentially mimics the experience of driving a modern F1 car without needing a team of engineers to do so—Wright says two technicians can handle pit duties and says costs are comparable “to running any GT product from any manufacturer.” They will implement subtle tweaks to the braking and steering, too, to make them a bit more approachable and will even dress your car in custom livery. Still, these aren’t cars to collect, and the cost to participate starts at about £1.25 million (more than $1.56 million).

Subtract complexity, add nostalgia

To avoid the headaches and pitfalls of F1 car ownership but still get that exhilarating, historic experience, you may need only turn back the clock a few years—to the 3.0-liter era of the late 1960s up to the mid-1980s. Compared with cars from the turbo era to today, the 3.0-liter-era cars are less complex and aren’t computerized. The vast majority spin their rear wheels via a Cosworth DFV V-8 and Hewland five-speed gearbox, which are more common, as well as easier and cheaper to maintain. And they don’t cost much to buy. Niki Lauda’s 1975 Ferrari 312T sold for $6M at Pebble Beach a few years ago, but it’s much more common to find a ’70s F1 car in low-six-figure territory.

Cars of this era also have aero/downforce and 400–500 horsepower, which is plenty thrilling, but the cars are also simple enough that mere mortals with some racing experience can drive them near their limits.

Modern-era machinery

Cars from the 2000s onward aren’t just way more complicated and highly computerized. They take near-superhuman levels of talent and fitness to drive in anger, something that no car collector—or anyone other than an elite-tier professional racing driver, for that matter—has. “These things are tremendous stores of value,” Richard Griot says, “and they’re works of art. There’s nothing—nothing—more beautiful than a Formula 1 car on white displayed in someone’s home or garage.” And that, in his mind, is what the most recent F1 cars are for: exhibiting and collecting, not driving. “You know, only a maniac would want to drive one.”

There are a few limited avenues beyond F1 Clienti where you can try your hand with somewhat newer cars. Formula Legends 3.5 is a historic series that brings together cars from the 3.5-liter era (1987–94). There is also Ignition GP, which was set up in 2021 and brings together F1 cars from 1989–97 “with some special guests up to 2005,” and BOSS GP (Big Open Single Seaters), which permits almost any top-level open-wheel car from the 1990s and 2000s, including F1, GP2, and Indy cars.

But these are more demonstration runs than anything else, where drivers can’t push their cars to the limits and aren’t really racing each other, which is why Richard Griot prefers events like the Masters Historics. Since 2004, this series has brought together Formula 1 cars from 1966–85 for wheel-to-wheel racing at nine events throughout the U.K., Europe, and North America. Entry fees are £1950/€2245 per event, and it is real racing. “When you get out of the car, you really feel like you’ve mastered something. It is an incredible experience to say, ‘Yes, I just drove a Formula 1 car. Maybe I finished last, but I pushed myself to what I consider is my own threshold.’ That, to me, is what makes life worth living.”

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A 1962 Ferrari 330 LM / 250 GTO has sold for $51.7M (including buyer’s premium) at a Sotheby’s auction in New York, adding a few more gold stars to the car’s already impressive resume. It’s the most expensive auction car of the year and the second-most expensive car sold at auction, ever. It could have brought more, and other examples of this Holy Grail Ferrari have reportedly sold for more privately, but for now the car is the most expensive GTO sold at auction as well as the most expensive Ferrari ever sold at auction.

After its announcement in August, the GTO—Chassis 3765 LM—has been the most anticipated and talked about auction car since last year’s sale of a one-of-two 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe. The Merc became the first car to break nine figures, doing so in dramatic fashion with a world record sale at $142M. That record is likely to stand for quite some time, and if the Mercedes was a “once in a generation” sale, a Ferrari 250 GTO is one of those “just a few times in a generation” transactions. Still exciting, still significant.

A Ferrari 250 GTO receives that characterization because, really, it’s a lot more than just a car. It’s on the very short list of eight-figure automobiles, sure, but it’s also one of the most beautiful and influential designs on four wheels and many consider it to have become more art than vehicle. It’s a piece of history, as well: GTOs have an enviable racing pedigree achieved during some of the best years for a company known for entire eras of greatness at the race track. It’s also a ticket to the most exclusive events in the world—no car show, concours, historic race or rally, or museum exhibition is going to turn away a real-deal GTO. The famous GTO “Anniversary Reunion,” where every five years or so a cluster of GTOs meet up in some postcard-worthy region for a drive, is only open to the three dozen GTOs built. Finally, bringing home a GTO means you’ve reached the peak of car collecting: if you’ve had one, there’s little else to hunt down. And they do take hunting. GTOs tend to stay with their owner for a long time, and just three, including Chassis 3765, have come to auction over the past ten years.

Developed for the 1962 racing season, the GTO was homologated (the “O” stands for Omologato) as the latest and greatest evolution of the well-proven and successful 250 GT. Among its many differences from its predecessor, the 250 GT SWB, was its improved bodywork. Aside from being very easy on the eyes, the more aerodynamic body allowed for higher top speed than the SWB, which was useful at high-speed tracks like Le Mans. The 3.0-liter Colombo dry sump-lubricated V-12 engine also sat lower in the chassis, which helped in the corners. Even against stiff competition from the powerful Shelby Cobras as well as E-Type Jags and Aston Martins, the GTO took Ferrari to the top spot in the over 2.0-liter class of the World Sportscar Championship for 1962, ’63, and ’64.

Just two GTOs have crossed an auction block in recent memory before this week, both for all-time record prices at the time. Bonhams sold one with the more desirable Series I bodywork in Monterey in 2014, and despite a fatal in-period crash and a complete rebuild following, it sold for $38.1M. Four years later in Monterey, RM Sotheby’s sold one with the less desirable Series II bodywork but a cleaner history for $48.4M. Behind closed doors and away from the curious eyes of the public auction world, several GTOs have allegedly changed hands at prices ranging from $40M to $90M.

Like the GTOs sold in 2014 and 2018, and like many old race cars, 3765 has a few caveats. The primary factor is that it is one of a handful of cars fitted in-period with a larger 4.0-liter engine—technically, that makes it a 330 LM—despite its Tipo 1962 GTO body. With that engine, Mike Parkes and Willy Mairesse drove it to a class win at the Nürburgring 1000 KM. After that, its three-carb engine was replaced with another 4.0-liter mill for Le Mans, this one fed by six Webers for an estimated total of 390 hp (90 more than the 3.0-liter 250 GTO). At the 24-hour French race, 3765 started 4th but Parkes locked up the brakes early in the race, slid into the sand, and spent half an hour digging the car out with a shovel. Though he got the car going again, a little past the six-hour mark, the engine overheated and gave up.

After those two races with Scuderia Ferrari, it then sold to private Italian hands, was converted to 250 GTO specs and raced as a 250 GTO, hence RM Sotheby’s labeling it as a “330 LM / 250 GTO.” The Targa Florio in 1965 ended in a DNF, but numerous first, second, and third place finishes made 3765 the runner-up for that year’s Sicilian Hillclimb Championship. In 1967, after the GTO’s competitive racing career was over and before they got crazy-expensive, 3765 sold to a California owner who had it painted yellow. In 1973 it sold to engineer and Ferrari Club of America (FCA) chairman Fred Leydorf. In 1985 he sold it to Jim Jaeger of Ohio, who had it restored in the ’80s and owned the car until this week. It has won its class at the Cavaillino Classic as well as awards at the FCA National Concours d’Elegance, Meadow Brook Concours, and at the Amelia Island Concours, and taken second in the GTO class (out of 23 cars) at Pebble Beach. It also participated in the 250 GTO 45th Anniversary Tour in Sonoma, California. So, despite the naming confusion, the people whose opinions really matter appear to have long since accepted this car as a proper 250 GTO.

Auctioneer Oliver Barker opened bidding at $34M, and over the next several minutes bids arrived in $1M and $2M increments until settling at a $47M winning bid, making for a $51.7M final price. A record-breaking Ferrari, then, as well as the most expensive auction car of 2023 by far—well over the $30,255,000 achieved by the 1967 Ferrari 412P sold in Monterey back in August. But not a blowout price, either. As mentioned, other GTOs have allegedly sold for more privately, and if you account for inflation, 3765 actually sold for less than the Series II-bodied GTO from 2018.

It would be a stretch to call anything dubbed a “world record” price and anything that costs nearly $52M a bargain or a good value. But this car does get into the same races, rallies, and events as those alleged $60M, $70M, and $90M GTOs at a hefty discount.

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For those of us who remain perpetually chin-deep in the metrics of the collector car market, RM Sotheby’s surprise Monterey announcement of its forthcoming 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO sale had us scrambling for our smelling salts. It is, for a lack of a better phrase, a Very Big Deal.

Headlines and social media detonated at the news, pegging this as the most significant sale since last year, when RM Sotheby’s sold a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe for a world record $142M.

And with good reason. After all, we’re talking about a 250 GTO here! For many, that jumble of three numbers with three letters signifies wealth supreme. It’s a billionaire’s toy, best approached as a hefty—or often not so hefty—slice of an asset portfolio or historical artifact, and not as something so reductive as a “car.” Having broken multiple sale records over the years and enough times to make headlines not just in car media but mainstream news, the 250 GTO has transcended car culture into global awareness.

In the last 25 years, 250 GTO ownership has become one of the most exclusive clubs in the car collecting world, albeit one without an official charter, website, or publication. Every five years or so, a cluster of GTOs converge on some requisitely picturesque region for the vaunted “Anniversary Reunion.” It’s a status exercise even among those with high status, a car and an experienced that represents a sort of “final boss” of car collecting. For some in this sphere, from the moment you park one in your garage, you’ve won. There’s nowhere else to go other than down.

People understandably tend to hold onto their GTOs for quite a while. Including RM Sotheby’s example crossing the block next week, only three of the 36 built have come to auction in the past ten years. Given the GTO’s bluer-than-blue-chip status, rarity, and position as a weapons-grade investment asset, this one could very well land among the top three public sales of all time if it sells. Regardless of sale price, it will very likely be the crown jewel in any collection or museum it lands.

How high will the hammer strike? We’ll have to wait and see.

Like most 1960s cars that turned a wheel in anger, there’s a lot to unpack about chassis no. 3765LM. Or 3765GT, depending on the document. It gets confusing. But before we go further, let’s get one thing straight—regardless of anyone’s view, 3765 is a fabulously special car.

As the 250 GTO is one of the most written-about, studied, and documented series of cars in history, we’re not going to do a deep dive into what makes it so desirable beyond some broad strokes—there are much more comprehensive and elucidated GTO histories to be found. We suggest starting with Jess G. Pourret’s seminal The Ferrari Legend: 250 GT Competition from 1977, a book widely credited as heavily contributing to the GTO’s rapid ascendance into myth.

Ferrari developed the GTO—or Gran Turismo Omologato—for the 1962 race season as an uprated and heavily revised evolution of the highly successful 250 GT SWB. The GT struggled to breach much beyond the 150-mph mark due to aerodynamics, while powerful Shelby Cobras and slippery Jaguar E-Types were proving quite the challenge in the 250 GT’s popular Group 3 class. The resulting Scaglietti-penned GTO was far more aerodynamic, its top speed now reaching a reported 174 mph.

For three seasons, Ferrari’s new Goat was a force. The GTO claimed the FIA’s International Championship for the over 2000cc class in 1962, 1963, and 1964. In addition to winning the 1963 and 1964 Tour de France, class wins and second-place overall finishes were clocked at 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Le Mans.

That sultry, swooping body made it not just fast, but also drop-dead gorgeous. This, along with stellar competition history during some of the company’s best years put the GTO at the center of the Ferrari Venn-diagram, elevating it in some collector’s eyes as the quintessential Ferrari.

Of course, not all GTOs are considered equal. If you seek the best, you’re going to want one of the 33 Series I cars built between 1962 and 1963. They’re the prettiest and most recognizable of the two series, and carry a hefty price premium over the later Series II.

A true Series I hasn’t come to public auction since Bonhams sold number 3851GT in 2014, breaking the then-sales record at $38.1M. Impressive, but consider 3851 was the subject of a fatal in-period crash, and was completely rebuilt following the tragic accident. The next GTO auction sale moved through the RM Sotheby’s 2018 Monterey sale, dropping jaws with a $48.4M final price for no. 3413. Though lauded as quite original, 3413 is also a Series I rebodied in-period to Series II bodywork, very likely lopping of more than a few mil from that final result.

A few months prior to that Monterey sale, there was also the not-so-private private sale of no. 4153 (an important Series I) that allegedly traded short of $80M. Since then, a handful have also allegedly traded off-market for figures ranging between $50 million and $90 million.

So, it’s more than 10 years since a Series I 250 GTO without an asterisk has crossed the public auction block—and the upcoming sale of number 3765 isn’t going to change that.

Chassis 3765 is one of three 250 GTOs built with a larger 4.0-liter V-12, a full liter up on the standard 3.0-liter heart found in the rest of the family. Designed for a new 4000cc class briefly introduced for Sebring, the Targa Florio, and the Nürburgring 1000 KM, these monsters were officially labeled as 330 LMs, not GTOs. That last bit right there is quite the contentious statement, but hey—we’re just going off of what documentation and Ferrari says, as outlined on its historical website.

To accommodate the larger engine, 330 LMs were built on Ferrari’s type 538 chassis, more colloquially understood as a shortened version of 400 Superamerica frame. Going off of nut-and-bolt DNA, the only thing “GTO” about the original 330 LMs was that bodywork, and outside of 3765, even that isn’t identical. The earliest history of 3765 is a bit murky, but RM Sotheby’s claims it was built as a 250 GTO, and subsequently had its triple-carb 3.0-liter removed for the larger 4.0-liter. Some wonder why would Ferrari use the beefier 538 frame in place of a “true” GTO’s tipo 539 if the car was destined to be a 3.0-liter from the get-go.

In any case, RM Sotheby’s says Ferrari converted 3765 to “true” 250 GTO specs soon after its obsolescence in 1962. A shunt during its run at Le Mans blocked a radiator and caused the big block to overheat, so the subsequent replacement 3.0-liter currently sold with the car is considered its third engine.

For much of its life, 3765 and its fellow large-engined siblings were widely referred to as either 330 LM or 330 GTO, with the shift toward 250 GTO nomenclature occurring sometime in the 1980s and early 1990s. A wildly special car, but it’s not hard to imagine an informed collector car magnate in search of a “true” Series I 250 GTO without caveats or asterisks to remain picky. And despite the GTO’s avoidance of the public auction limelight, it’s been strongly substantiated that there are between one and three 250 GTOs on private offer during any given year, and we’re sure a thick enough checkbook could wrest most GTOs from their hiding places if the “want” is strong enough.

So, is 3765 really “The One” as RM Sotheby’s claims?

Well, we’re happy to report that cognoscenti indeed consider it to be within the fold, and there’s more going for 3765’s potential moonshot sale than against it.

3765 is the only 4.0-liter GTO—or is that 330 LM?—fielded by Scuderia Ferrari itself. A class win and second-overall finish at the 1962 Nürburgring 1000 KM, an appearance at Le Mans, and a string of localized Italian victories gives it serious motorsports pedigree. We know this as, aside from questions about its early life, 3765 is impressively well-documented thereafter—another plus.

If the argument is to be made that this isn’t a “real” 250 GTO, why did it take home a second-place class finish out of 22 250 GTOs at the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance’s GTO class? A few months later, it took home the overall win for Amelia Island Concours d’Sport, a field that included a cluster of fellow 250 GTOs. Furthermore, 3765 is on record as a participant in the GTO 45^th Anniversary Reunion in 2007.

That’s some serious provenance, too. Couple this to 3765’s status as new-to-market after 38 years of ownership, and there’s bound to be some really heavy bidding in the room.

Now, how does 3765—or any 250 GTO—stack up against the seemingly indomitable 300 SLR “Uhlenhaut?” It’s definitely apples and oranges, but if we look at it as a numbers game, there were 36 (or so) 250 GTOs against just two 300 SLR coupes. Until last year’s blockbuster sale, Mercedes-Benz was the sole owner of both cars, whereas all GTOs reside in private hands and have for a long time. There may be just too many GTOs puttering around to approach the singular private SLR’s stratospheric water mark. Strange thought, isn’t it?

Then again, consider a public shot at a GTO is a rare chance to ensconce yourself in car collecting lore. You’re paying the most expensive club initiation fee in the world, you might as well make it hurt. As we’ve seen time and time again, it only takes two over-enthusiastic bidders to create an outlier sale.

Our prediction? More than a dollar, and less than a billion. We’ll be watching with champagne on ice.

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It was built on a stretched 427 Cobra chassis, powered by a big-block Ford V-8, and styled by a talented Torinese designer. It competed with the elite European GT cars of the late 1960s, and yet the AC 428 (aka the AC Frua) is more footnote than famous in car history. One of these obscure Anglo-Italo-American hybrids sold online this week for $417,000, and that’s a ton of money. In fact, we’ve never seen one sell for more. Compared to similar all-Italian cars or a later Shelby Cobra with a similar engine, however, it almost looks like a bargain.

The 1960s were a golden age for high-performance long-distance touring cars, including hybrids like Chrysler-powered Bristols and Chevrolet-powered Iso Grifos, and thoroughbreds like the Aston Martin DB5/DB6 and Ferrari 330. AC Cars of Thames Ditton in England had the lovely Ace/Aceca sports cars and enjoyed providing the basis for Carroll Shelby’s Cobra for several glorious years, but it was hard for the company to ignore the lucrative opportunity that the gran turismo market offered. The 428 was AC’s foray into that crowded segment.

In a lot of ways, the 428 made a lot of sense. The tubular chassis, hand-fabricated on the jigs originally used for the Cobras, was a race-proven unit that AC stretched by 6 inches for added space and stability. Independent suspension on all four corners helped keep the car planted. The engine was a 7-liter V-8 borrowed from Dearborn’s Ford Galaxie and rated at 345 hp and 462 lb-ft of torque. Because Italian styling is almost never a bad idea, AC enlisted the services of Pietro Frua, who had penned the Renault Caravelle, the Swiss Monteverdi, and the Maserati Mistral. Frua did recycle a lot of his ideas from the Maserati, to the point that a 428 and a Mistral are difficult to tell apart, but you know what they say about imitation and flattery. The vehicles are both gorgeous.

The 428, then, offered the looks and performance of a Ferrari, the running costs of a Yankee commuter car, the interior trimmings of an English luxury GT, and a legendary race car chassis. Other than complaints of heat seeping into the footwell from the monster Ford engine, the press gushed. Motor said the 428 “surges away into the middle distance with the silken surge of seemingly infinite torque,” and Autocar remarked that it “responds to the throttle like no other car we know and for normal sedate motoring it takes only a touch on the throttle to make the speedometer swing upwards at an unbelievable rate.” But despite all that, it wasn’t exactly a winning recipe. Labor unrest in Italy and challenges securing engines from Ford meant that AC’s two main suppliers were unreliable.

And even when things were going right, the 428 was expensive to build—a common problem with cars bodied in Italy but assembled somewhere else. After finishing the 428 rolling chassis, AC sent them to Frua in Turin. Frua welded on either Spider or Coupe bodywork and then shipped them back to England for AC to trim, paint, and install the drivetrain. These logistical costs resulted in the 428 being comfortably more expensive than an Aston Martin DB6 and roughly twice as much as an E-Type Jaguar. The energy crisis in 1973 also hit Britain fairly hard, and a 16-mpg high-dollar performance car was a tough sell. In the end, only 81 examples of the AC 428 left Thames Ditton.

Most were coupes and most came in right-hand drive. A decent number of 428s also came with a three-speed automatic rather than the standard four-speed manual. Which makes this example—a left-hand drive stick shift Spider with Halibrand wheels—quite special. One of about 30 Spiders, it spent time in the UK and Switzerland before being restored in the U.S. during the 1990s and winning its class at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 1995. It has the nicks and blemishes inevitable on a 30-year-old restoration, but still looks lovely and to our eyes like a car in #2- (just shy of “excellent”) condition.

Yet it sold for 55 grand over its condition #1 (concours, or best-in-the-world) value in the Hagerty Price Guide. Credit the desirable configuration, and the fact that good examples of a car this rare don’t exactly pop up every week. Almost all of the 428s to hit the market over the past couple of years have been coupes, automatics, RHD, in scruffy condition, or some combination of the above. The closest real comparable sale was a $302,000 Spider that sold at the Monterey auctions in 2021, but even that was a RHD automatic.

Even at this market-leading result, though, it’s a lot of car for the money. Let’s just consider the condition #2 prices of the cars this green-over-tan beauty competed against in 1970. An Aston DB6 Volante is worth $1.25M. The visually similar Maserati Mistral, which has two fewer cylinders and 90 fewer horsepower, is worth $741,000. As for the Shelby, with which the 428 shares so much of its DNA, a 428-powered Cobra is a $1.1M car. Sometimes, the footnotes of automotive history can be the best buys.

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An open letter to the buyer of Mecum Auctions Las Vegas Lot 104, the 2024 Chevrolet Trax Bandit Outlaw Edition:

Sorry, but we really can’t be friends anymore.

We tolerated you wearing lampshades for hats, insisting that American Idol singer William Hung was “pretty darn underrated,” and for saying that you like your sauerkraut “the sauerer the better, ha ha ha!”

But we must draw the line at your new Chevrolet Trax Bandit Outlaw Edition. If our feet were severed in a horrible accident, we’d turn down a ride to the hospital in your car; we’d just hobble there on our bloody stumps. If Sally Field (she’s still alive, correct?) beckoned from the back seat, we’d just wave her on by. If Kim Kardashian was driving—well, we’d say that’s about right.

Really, what were you thinking? That “no reserve” was in reference to your will power?

And what was the creator thinking? That it would be funny to make a Smokey and the Bandit tribute out of a 1.2-liter, three-cylinder, Korean-built SUV? That it would be ironic? A commentary on our petroleum-dependent society? That you could flip it for a profit? Or just flip it, period? We’d like to ask the builder, who appears to have signed his or her name on the one-of-one certificate that came with the car as Srgspae, but we have had zero luck in locating a customizer by that name.

Don’t you see the problem, dude? There’s no CB radio. 10-4?

Sad.

Sincerely,

Everybody

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RM Sotheby’s is selling 20 ultra-low mileage cars, 17 of which are Ferraris, at its upcoming London auction.

The rarest of the breed is undoubtedly a 1995 512 TR Spider (above), which is one of just three ‘Special Production’ vehicles built by Pininfarina for the Brunei Royal Family. The Blue Cobalto example was the only one produced in this color, came with matching blue leather interior and was kept by Alfred Tan who was Ferrari’s Singapore importer. The car was put on show in Rome for Ferrari’s 50th anniversary and it has done many more air miles than on the road. It currently shows just 570 km (354 miles) on the odometer and is estimated to sell for between £2.1 and £2.7 million ($2.6-$3.3 m).

Fans of Ferrari’s redheads will also have the chance to pick up a 1992 512 TR built to U.K. specification that has covered only 3,904 miles in the last 30 years, and a 1990 Testarossa with less than 100 miles (162 km) on the clock. The former is estimated at £260,000-£320,000 ($319,000-$393,000) and the latter £150,000-£200,000 ($184,000-$245,600). Another 1992 TR which has done almost 55,000 km (34,161 miles) is valued at £225,000-£275,000 ($276,000-$337,700).

A 1973 Dino 246 GTS is being offered in right-hand drive with 581 miles which has, nonetheless, been subject to a major restoration at a cost of £85,000 ($104,400). That’s predicted to sell for £350,000-£450,000 ($430,000-$552,600) as it’s one of just 1,274 Spiders made.

You’ll also find a 2001 550 Barchetta for £280,00-£350,000 ($343,800-$429,800) that still needs running in thanks to only being driven 220 km (138 miles), while a 2010 California has covered a paltry 79 km (49 miles) and can be yours for £100,000-£150,000 ($122,800-$184,200).

The outliers in the mostly Maranello collection are a 1991 Bentley Turbo R Drophead Coupe by Pininfarina which was also commissioned and owned by Alfred Tan (741 km/460 miles and £375,000-£475,000/$460,500-$583,300), a 1993 Jaguar XJ220 that has 46 miles (£375,000-£425,000/$460,500-$521,900) and a 1969 Jaguar E-Type Roadster that appears to have only been driven 95 miles from the factory to a dealer in Sheffield, which could be yours for £150,000-£180,000 ($184,200-$221,000).

This impressive time capsule collection is to go on sale at RM Sotheby’s in London on November 4. We’d like to think that the new owners might actually take to the road in these immaculate machines, but, the reality is they’ll simply be swapping one climate-controlled storage facility for another while accountants calculate asset appreciation.

The post Factory-fresh Ferraris lead barely-driven auction appeared first on Hagerty Media.

A not-so-surprising thing happens when you shop online for gifts for a 50th anniversary, as everything has a gold theme thanks to traditions forged in central Europe. But the Swedes clearly wanted none of this for their golden anniversaries, as Saab chose not to gild its 9000 CSE Anniversary for the 1997 model year. But this isn’t a story of an uprated trim package for a commemorative edition; rather, it’s about a gentleman named Per Ekstrøm and his creation known as the Saab EX.

The notion of chopping a roof down came from a need in motorsport, but this chop-top Saab was more about making a big impression for a special occasion. Called the 1997 Saab EX, it looks like a custom bodied derivative of the GM2900 platform that Saab used for the 1994–98 900. But according to Bonhams (who is currently auctioning this vehicle), it’s registered as a 1987 Saab 9000 hatchback, one that’s clearly been modified by Per Ekstrøm with newer Saab parts. The auction includes extensive documentation proving he had “dialogue with the Saab factory” during the process.

Which is impressive, but this isn’t Per Ekstrøm’s first custom-bodied Saab. His first was the Saab CX of 1992, based on an older Saab 99 but with parts from both the 900 and 9000 series, along with a significant reduction in wheelbase and roof height. Clearly Ekstrøm has a recurring theme in his custom creation, but the level of OEM integration in the Saab EX almost justifies Bonhams’ assertion that this is a “prototype.” (To clarify, Per Ekstrøm is likely not a Saab employee; as Saabplanet.com suggests, he’s a body shop guru living in nearby Oslo.)

No matter the provenance behind the Saab EX, the end result looks quite impressive. Commemorative emblems and engravings abound in an interior heavily based on the 1987 Saab 9000 donor car. The only item that might not be lifted from a factory parts bin is the motorized screen for the Alpine audio system.

Per Ekstrøm clearly wasn’t messing around when it came to this custom body, as his quick sketches turned into a clay model that foretold of a future vehicle worthy of a golden anniversary. While I am far from a Saab expert, the Bonhams auction lists some very believable-looking modifications:

• The hatch is a modified 900 II unit, and rear glass is from the 900 cabriolet
• The roof is “lowered by 7cm”
• The tailgate lock cylinder was deleted in favor of a back-up camera
• The gas filler cap is relocated above the right rear wheel arch
• The wheel arches came from a Saab 9000 CS to widen the body

And it all makes a rather stunning design, something that Saab could have made for production after Ekstrøm and his shop spent a reported 3000–4000 hours in labor to create the Saab EX. He did a lot of the hard work, though Saab would likely need to create a less aggressive roof chop to ensure the EX appealed to more people. But that’s irrelevant for this singular vehicle and the gifted souls who made it.

While we are bullish on the Saab 900, there’s no way to determine just how high the bidding will go on the Saab EX. But it might just fare as well as Callaway Corvettes, perfect Integra Type Rs, or perhaps even a Bondurant-fettled cop car. Start your engines, Saab fanatics!

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Bonhams, the auction house, is presenting a sale in Belgium next month with a roster containing the usual interesting stuff: A Bally Harley-Davidson pinball machine, a 1929 Bugatti Type 37 Grand Prix Two-Seater, a pair of Ferrari suitcases, a 1963 Bentley S3 Continental Drophead Coupé, eight matching orange Aston Martins.

Come again, with that last one?

Yes, a highlight of what is being called the Zoute sale has eight orange Astons, none with more than 235 miles on the odometer. They are all 2010 or 2011 models: a DBS coupe, a DBS Volante, coupe and convertible versions of the DB9, a four-door Rapide, and a V-12 Vantage coupe. And rounding out the collection: A V8 Vantage coupe and roadster.

“This is a truly incredible and bespoke offering and I envisage collectors wanting to secure the entire collection with many others trying to win a particular favorite. Whatever the outcome, the new owners will own a unique part of motoring history,” said Gregory Tuytens, Head of Sales at Bonham Cars Belgium, in a fashion that most European auctioneers employ for public sales.

Exactly what part of motoring history a post-millennium suite of glossy-pumpkin Aston Martins celebrates is not especially clear. The cars were apparently commissioned by a Swiss collector, who specified the tangerine color and matching leather interior, but apparently never drove them any distance. Perhaps the sight of orange Astons simply cheered him up: It’s as valid a reason as any to buy a car. Or eight.

Nonetheless, Bonhams’ sale estimates, given in U.S. dollars, aren’t as stratospheric as, say, the 1959 Ferrari Berlinetta, expected to go for up to $7 million.

The predictions for the orange Astons range from up to $64,000 for the V8 Vantages, to $130,000 each for the pair of DBS models. If everything goes for the maximum predictions, you could conceivably buy the lot for $729,000 on the top end, or $480,000 on the low end of the estimates. They’ve all been freshened up, by the way, by Stratton Motor Company in eastern England.

Here’s a promise: If an American buys the entire lot and lets us come see them all together, we’ll send a writer to do a story. He or she is likely to ask only one pertinent question: Why?

The Aston auction is no-reserve and ends October 8, 2023.

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Mazda has always been a little quirky. In 1961, the company licensed Felix Wankel’s rotary engine, and through sheer determination, it perfected the design when other, larger automakers failed. Beginning in 1979, Mazda would use the RX-7 sports car to showcase its mastery of the funny-looking triangles rotating in a figure-eight-like housing. But 1995 brought dark times for rotary heads, as the third-generation (FD) RX-7 had left U.S. showrooms for good.

Fans would have to wait eight long years for a successor: In 2003, Mazda introduced the RX-8, a more practical take on the rotary sports car. Unlike the two-seat FD, the RX-8 had a unique four-seat arrangement. Two smaller, rear-hinged clamshell doors made it easy to get in and out of the RX-8’s back seats.

If you’re looking for a four-door rotary sports car, check out our auction pick of the week; this example from 2004 is offered without reserve.

Mazda learned its lesson with the FD’s complicated, temperamental sequential twin-turbo setup (look up the turbo vacuum diagram). Instead, the RX-8 was equipped with a heavily revised, naturally aspirated 238-horsepower engine dubbed the Renesis. While not as powerful as its 255-hp predecessor, it was enough to propel an RX-8 with a six-speed manual to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds.

Our featured car was used as an autocross toy, and thus, it has a few performance goodies. A Racing Beat intake and exhaust make the rotary’s chainsaw noises even angrier. Tein Flex coilovers and Mazdaspeed strut braces focus the already excellent RX-8 chassis. And finally, lightweight SSR Comp H wheels shod in Michelin PS2 tires help put the power down.

Cosmetically, our 41,493-mile Brilliant Black example is a nice-looking driver. There are some rock chips in the genuine Mazdaspeed front bumper and a few small dings on the body. The black leather eight-way power driver’s seat—only available on fully loaded Grand Touring models—shows minor wear. But if you’ll be tossing this RX-8 around cones, you probably don’t want a concours car.

If you’re an autocross weekend warrior, a rotary fan, or just looking for a practical sports car, this 2004 Mazda RX-8 should be right up your alley. Just make sure to get your bids in. The auction ends on Thursday, September 28, at 4:00 p.m. EDT.

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We’ve written before that if some automotive enthusiasts were stuck on a remote island since, say, 1960, and came back to civilization, there would probably be only two vehicles they’d recognize: The Jeep and the Porsche 911.

Well, we should have added one more to that list: the Morgan Plus 4 roadster. Like the other two, it’s a classic shape, and it has evolved, but there’s so much of the original left that it is genuinely a timeless design. The basic car went into production as the 4/4 in 1936, before it was slightly lengthened into the Plus 4 in 1950, when Harry S. Truman was president.

This is a mint 1961 model, properly cared for mechanically and cosmetically. Inside, it has classic leather upholstery, and an instrument panel with simple gauges (fuel, water temperature, oil pressure, speedometer, and tachometer) and refreshingly, not a hint of anything digital, plus there’s that large wooden steering wheel. It’s listed by Broad Arrow on Hagerty Marketplace.

This is a factory left-hand drive example, originally sold through Fergus Motors of New York. It was restored in 1992 using a factory-remanufactured chassis and ash wood frame, and finished in an appropriate two-tone green and black livery.

New models, now styled as Plus Four, have a BMW-sourced 2.0-liter four-cylinder; this 1961 model has a 2.0-liter four-cylinder from a Triumph TR3, a gutsy, 90-horsepower engine with ample pulling power. Transmission is a Moss four-speed manual. Brakes are hydraulic Girling front discs and rear drums. Suspension is a sliding pillar design up front, and a leaf spring design out back with a solid axle.

The sculptured bodywork is aluminum, with dual Brooklands windscreens. The wire wheels are painted gloss black to match the lower bodywork. The chrome accents, including the prominent radiator grille, set off the car’s substantial and welcoming personality. Side curtains are included.

Barely a year ago this Plus 4 received a $4000 service session in preparation for the sale, work that included a brake system bleed with new rear wheel cylinders, fresh Vredestein Sprint Classic tires and tubes, a new battery, a fuel system drain, new spark plugs, a distributor adjustment, a new ignition coil, a valve adjustment, ignition timing adjustment, carburetor balance and mixture adjustment, an oil change with filter, and a road test, and tune. The only known imperfections are some chips and swirl marks in the paint.

This 1961 Morgan Plus 4 roadster is available for bid here through 3:50 p.m. ET on September 28. It’s listed at no reserve. Someone is going home with the epitome of the proper British sports car.

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Last year, we ran a feature for Insider on a 1952 MG TD titled “There Will Always Be An MG TD.” David Zenlea, who wrote the piece, was not wrong; with nearly 30,000 built over four years, and almost 80 percent of them shipped to our shores, they’re around, and so are the parts to keep them going.

Of course, today the TD is nobody’s idea of quick, but they’ve always been nimble and charming, and they succeeded brilliantly at getting Americans hooked on small, lithe sports cars from across the Atlantic. The car from the 2022 story sold for $17,850, “about the right money for what looks like a driver-condition TD,” Zenlea wrote. He went on to lay out his thesis: When adjusted for inflation, TDs cost today roughly what they did a decade ago—and a quarter-century ago, and a half-century ago. For investment-minded collectors, such a trajectory isn’t so attractive. “For us, however, it’s a reminder that some things never change, and a welcome sign that not all fun classics are appreciating out of reach.”

Our Sale of the Week is a very different 1952 MG TD, and it is easy to appreciate just how fast this fun classic can indeed get out of reach. The car sold on Bring A Trailer on September 6; between 2:45 p.m. and the auction’s end 58 minutes later, 42 back-and-forth bids took it from $35,000 to its selling price—$92,000.

“Not your grandpa’s MG,” one person said in the comments. No, no it is not.

The seller acquired the TD in 2007 and immediately transformed it into what he called a “resto-rod.” From a distance, even from a few feet, the car looks like every other TD you’ve ever seen, and quite fetching in its dark green paint over a tan interior. Only when your eyes fall on the tires, fat BFGoodrich G-Force Sports on 16-inch steel wheels, do you begin to wonder. “Almost looks stock,” said another commenter, “except for the big meats on the corners and the two bazookas jutting from the rear.” Right, those. What better outlet for the 383 V-8 handily tucked up front, eh?

The engine is a stroked Chevy small-block fitted with Edelbrock fuel injection and sending all of its noise to those bazookas through custom headers. The V-8 is backed by a Tremec TKO five-speed transmission, and its prodigious power (undisclosed, but c’mon) is translated to said tires through a Salisbury Power Lock differential. A Jaguar independent rear suspension holds up the back end and a Chassisworks independent suspension maneuvers the front, with Wilwood disc brakes all around to put a stop to this thing. Kirkey aluminum racing seats are tastefully upholstered in vinyl—and heated, too!—and there’s even a pair of cupholders just ahead of the shifter. A removable roll bar bolts in.

“This guy wins,” wrote another commenter. “I don’t care what the contest is, he wins.” More digging through the comments confirms that claim, in fact, because it turns out the seller, “RaceFace,” once built a 1953 Studebaker into a land speed racer called “The Guam Bomb,” took it to Bonneville, and on his first run earned himself a spot in the “200 Club.” If you squint, you can juuust make out a small blue oval sticker in the lower right corner of the TD’s windshield attesting to the fact: “Bonneville 200mph Club Life Member.” There are bonafides baked into this retro-rod TD, in other words. The seller knew exactly what he wanted to build, he knew exactly how to build it, and he built it, exactly.

These cars continue to sell well; despite the number of TDs offered for sale at auction doubling from 2017 to 2022, sell-through rates shot up in the same period, from 72 to 82 percent. It would seem we can’t get enough of them, though certainly it helps that average prices continue to hover around the fairly accessible $21,000 mark.

All that said, there is absolutely nothing average about this TD. The price paid—the fourth highest ever for a TD and firmly in the top 100 MG sales of all time—seems like a just reward for a job well done. RaceFace—and Mrs. RaceFace, who gleefully joined in the comments herself—should be over the moon with this result. And the buyer, who very clearly wanted this car, can have no complaints. With just 4000 miles on the odo since the build, this 1952 MG TD is barely broken in. From stoplight to stoplight, from turn to turn, it should put itself—and its giggling new owner—quite easily out of reach of all comers for a very long time.

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Big, loud, boisterous, hilarious, a little obnoxious, always entertaining, Nineties icon—all words and phrases that describe funnyman Chris Farley. But they also describe his car, this 1995 Dodge Viper RT/10.

The 11,000-mile, 10-cylinder terror finished in Viper Black paint sold online this week for $84,000. It’s a hefty sum for the miles, plus bumps and bruises, but it’s not an outrageous price considering the SNL legend’s star power, either. Let’s just say the new owner won’t be living in a Dodge down by the river. And by the way, no, the car doesn’t wear Callahan brake pads, as far as we know.

Unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in 1989, the Viper famously broke Chrysler out of its K-Car convention and was probably the most exciting new American car in a generation. And even though it was only America’s other sports car, this hungry snake absolutely ate the Corvette’s lunch at the time with the Viper’s 8.0-liter V-10 pumping out 400 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque. For ’90s kids, both the original roadster (called the RT/10) and the subsequent coupe (called the GTS) were childhood poster cars. Seeing one always makes me do one of these:

The early RT/10s are very basic cars, equipment-wise. They didn’t come with a real top or side windows, and hot, skin-searing side pipes run right underneath the long doors. Air conditioning (which Farley’s car has) only became a factory option in 1994. Although you don’t need the flexibility of a Beverly Hills Ninja or a Chippendale’s dancer to get inside, the cockpit is a bit tight, too, and given the monster power plus lack of driver aids, they quickly gained a (somewhat unearned) reputation for being easy-to-crash danger machines.

Which is why it’s a little surprising that Chris Farley chose to buy a Viper in 1997, right at the height of his stardom. A commenter on the auction chimed in that his dealership was the one that sold the car to Farley, and that “I had to teach him how to drive a stick. He could barely drive it as his stomach hit the steering wheel. He called me a hour later and said the car would not start. I told him to push the clutch in!” I really hope that’s true. Maybe he should’ve considered a Cadillac.

It isn’t clear how much Farley drove the Viper (he died the same year he bought the car, 1997), but there is a photo of him in the car being pulled over by Santa Monica police, and the seller claimed that just 500 miles have been added to the car since 2008. Aside from the usual wear and age of an almost 30-year-old sports car, there are scrapes on the bottom of the front lip but no other major issues are apparent.

The original 1991-95 RT/10 may be the first of the breed, but it is also something of the Black Sheep of the Viper family. The subsequent 1996-2002 cars are better-built, more refined, faster and arguably better-looking. RT/10s, like all Vipers, have appreciated sharply in recent years and #2 (Excellent) values in the Hagerty Price Guide are up 26 percent over the past five years, but at a slower pace than the later cars, which are up 39 percent.

So, for someone to blow $84,000 on this one doesn’t seem too crazy. It’s almost exactly the car’s condition #1 (Concours, or best-in-the-world) value. High, then, but it didn’t exactly make me spit out my Colombian decaffeinated coffee crystals. Super-low-mile, like new RT/10s have sold for well over $100K before.

“Ex-Chris Farley” isn’t something we see too often in our business (neither was ex-Dennis Rodman), but a shabby ’67 Plymouth Satellite dressed up to look like a GTX and used in the movie Tommy Boy sold for $66K at auction a couple years ago. As far as we can tell, then, this is the most expensive Chris Farley car ever sold. An odd record, but at least the new owner gets to picture Chris Farley smiling down from heaven, saying:

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Most every year, Monterey’s auctions do a good job of making people say, “Someone paid how much for a [insert car, usually a Ferrari, here]?” 2023 was no different, with several cars transacting for north of $5M, including a 1967 Ferrari 412P that brought home $30.2M. That’s a lot of money, and as it turns out, that 412P is now the fifth most expensive car ever to sell at auction. But people spend a lot on collectibles that aren’t cars, and we wanted to see where these automotive sales fit in context of the bigger picture. Let’s dig into the numbers behind five top collector markets.

Cars sit second in the world of high-dollar collector markets, just above the most valuable watches but looking well down at sports memorabilia and trading cards. Our favorite bits of sculpted automotive machinery still pale in comparison to art, however.

At dollars per ounce, watches are a big spend compared to collector cars. The two mechanical passions have been closely linked since the first car race made car nuts realize they would benefit from a precise timing device. That tie-in continues today, from Rolex-sponsored race series to the simple activity of watching people’s wrists at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

The most valuable watch ever sold is a Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010, sold for $31.2M in 2019 at Christie’s. If that watch had four wheels and an engine it would be the fourth most expensive car to sell at auction—edging out the 1967 Ferrari 412P that Bonhams sold for $30.2M only weeks ago. Patek Philippe makes up all but one of the top ten watch sales—the sole outlier is Paul Newman’s own “Paul Newman” Rolex (there’s that racing association again) Daytona Ref. 6239, which sold for $17.75M at a 2017 Phillips auction. That’s more than the 25th-most expensive car, a 1964 Ferrari 250 LM sold by RM in 2015 for $17.6M. The tenth most valuable watch ever sold still slots in at a hefty $6.2M.

Watches are small. What’s smaller? Trading cards. Yeah, the kind you had as a kid and then threw out when you moved out of your parent’s house. It’s a shame you did—among them could have been the inked piece of cardboard that would cover the down payment on a massive house. At $12.6M, a 1952 Mickey Mantle rookie card is the most valuable trading card ever sold. That’s expensive enough to put it in the top 100 most valuable cars ever sold at auction, just above the $12.4M price paid for a 1957 Ferrari 250 TR at an RM auction in 2009—the world record price for a car at the time. Together, the top ten most valuable trading cards equate to a value of $54.8M, or $6M more than the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO sitting in the second slot.

Dwarfed by collector cars and sitting well below watches, sports memorabilia sits in fifth place. The most valuable piece of sports memorabilia sold at auction, Michael Jordan’s last dance jersey, sold for $10.2M in 2022. It’s funny how even at $10M, this jersey is the cheapest top sale of the bunch. In car terms, that number is outside the top 100. Of note in the memorabilia market is the smooth progression of sales and lack of outliers at the sharp end of the list—the top ten sport memorabilia sales progress relatively evenly from a $2M Mickey Mantle jersey to Jordan’s record singlet.

Heading to the opposite end of the collector spectrum, the most valuable piece of art ever sold—at $450M—is Salvator Mundi by Leonardo da Vinci. (As an aside, this painting was bought for $1175 at a public auction in 2005. Talk about a return on investment.) That staggering $450M price puts the painting at $22M more than the top ten sales of collector cars combined. For the same price as Salvator Mundi you could have the second through 18th most valuable vehicles ever sold at auction plus enough left over for a $10M house, $5M vacation home, one Ferrari Enzo, and a Mercedes 300SL.

Even the tenth-most expensive art sale sits at $180M, the price paid for two pendant portraits of Maerten Soolmans and Oopjen Coppit, painted by Rembrandt—$38M above the record-holding $142M 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé.

Accumulating trinkets that appeal to us seems to be in our, ahem, collective DNA, regardless of bank account size or the flavor of our passions. That’s perhaps the logic that’s best to remember when watching these sales. The funds for a painting that’s perfect for a gallery owner could be better allocated according to a vintage racer, while a baseball fan would spend them altogether differently. But the next time a prized Ferrari crosses into otherworldly territory at Monterey, remember there’s always bigger fish.

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Curve-averse designer William Towns is best known for the angular Aston Martin Lagonda, but alongside one of the most expensive cars in the world, he also penned one of the cheapest: the Hustler.

The unusual greenhouse-on-wheels, with its innovative, sliding glass “windoors” was only available in kit form after Towns wasn’t able to persuade Jensen to put it into production.

Based on Mini underpinnings the Hustler came in a variety of practical shapes and sizes all based around a modular design. There was a hatchback, a pick-up known as the Hobo, a sporty Sprint, a flat-bed truck, a beach car and even a camper.

Perhaps the most unusual of the lot, however, was the Hustler 6 – named for the number of wheels. Most Hustlers came with fibreglass bodies over their steel monocoque floorpan, but several, including this example, were made in wood.

Bristol-based John Brazier, a former woodwork and metalwork teacher, who had also worked for Rolls-Royce, constructed his Hustler over three summers in the 1980s, using plywood and ash. Two Mini subframes sustain running gear, although Brazier pushed the boat out and fitted a 1.6-litre engine from an Allegro and squashy seats from the same car.

Brazier’s woodworking skills are especially apparent inside a cabin that looks like a suburban living room, complete with deep pile carpet and shiny cabinetry. Thanks to the extra wheels it can seat up to eight people

One of only around 400 kits sold, the Hustler was Brazier’s daily driver for more than 13 years and has always been dry stored, although it hasn’t run since the early 2000s when it was parked up with a flat battery.

“I’d love to occasionally see it being driven around but I just hope it goes to a good home,” he says.

Brazier’s Hustler is up for auction in Bath and is estimated to fetch £2,000-£3,000.

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The five collector-car auctions leading up to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance are not for bargain hunters. With an average price knocking on the door of half a million dollars, everything is expensive, and the Monterey auctions where many of the priciest and prettiest cars we see all year change hands.

Though total sales and sell-through rate were down from 2022, drawing that distinction is like saying real estate is crazier in Manhattan than it is in Miami. They’re both off the charts. Here’s this year’s cream of the crop—the most expensive cars sold in 2023’s biggest week of expensive cars.

1912 Simplex 50 HP Toy Tonneau

Sold for $4,075,000 at Gooding & Company

There hasn’t been a Simplex automobile company for over a century, but these New York- and New Jersey-built motorcars were alive and well in Monterey this year, with three examples on offer. That there was a relative rush of Simplex consignments after the surprise $4.845M sale of one in Scottsdale this year is probably not a coincidence.

Like the car in Scottsdale, this one had that timeless combination of performance, design, and a good story. The 50 HP was ordered in February 1912 (when the Titanic was still afloat) by Pennsylvania rich guy William P. Snyder. After having it fitted with this Quinby Toy Tonneau body, he drove it onto the Long Island Ferry where he met his future wife, who also happened to be driving a Simplex 50 HP. Supposedly they raced after getting off the ferry, and she won. They nevertheless used his car (this one) on their honeymoon. It has been in the same family since new, 111 years ago. It must be a great car to hang on to it for that long. Or to pay $4.1M for it.

1995 Ferrari F50

Sold for $4,240,000 at Broad Arrow

The top sale of day one in Monterey was this euro-spec Ferrari F50 with 11,500 km (7150 miles). Other F50s have sold for more (including the one Broad Arrow sold here last year for $5.175M), but $4M–$5M has been the going rate for these cars lately. In the not-too-distant past they were worth half this much, but analog hypercars from the ’90s have come on big since 2020.

1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Cabriolet

Sold for $4,515,000 at Gooding & Company

Clothed in glorious Castagna coachwork and restored by Paul Russell and Company, this Alfa 8C won its class at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 2008. The following year, it sold at Gooding’s Pebble Beach auction for $4.18M. The market for high-dollar prewar cars isn’t always the most active or talked about, but results like this show that it is stable.

1914 Mercer Type 35-J Raceabout

Sold for $4,735,0000 at Gooding & Company

If you were a sporting gentleman in pre-WWI America and wanted the fastest thing on four wheels, a Mercer Raceabout would have been on your list. When it was introduced in 1911 it didn’t bring home the first Indy 500 victory, but it won nearly everywhere else. A spartan thing with no doors or compartments and very little bodywork, but with ample power from a thumping 300-cubic-inch T-head four, it will easily cruise at modern highway speeds. There aren’t many centenarian sports cars that can do that.

This Raceabout is a later model with the desirable four-speed gearbox, and was reportedly driven by the great Ralph De Palma in the 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Old-Timer Race. At this price, it is also the most expensive Mercer ever sold at auction, beating the previous record, a $2.53M car sold here nine years ago, by 89 percent.

1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4

Sold for $5,395,000 at RM Sotheby’s

Delivered new to Steve McQueen and driven by the movie star for his commute to the set of Bullitt, this Ferrari 275 GTB/4 was restored by Ferrari Classiche from 2010 to 2013. Then, in 2014, it became one of the biggest-ever examples of a “McQueen premium” when it sold for $10.175M. At the time, the price was over triple what a 275 GTB/4 owned by anybody else named Steve would have been worth.

Nine years later the car was back in Monterey, and it sold for only a little more than half as much. Why the big drop? Well, there is no exact science to pricing celebrity cars, but in this case it was probably a combination of bidders getting carried away the first time combined with the fact that when a high-profile auction car causes a stir, there tends to be less excitement around it the second time it comes to market.

1937 Bugatti Type 57 SC Tourer

Sold for $5,395,000 at RM Sotheby’s

Out of a dozen Bugattis on offer this year, this Type 57SC was the priciest. Ordered new by Bugatti’s London outfit and bodied by London coachbuilder Corsica, it started life as a 57S but early on was upgraded to the special “SC” specs with a Roots-style supercharger. At some point the Corsica four-seat tourer coachwork became separated from the rest of the car, but they’ve thankfully since been reunited.

RM Sotheby’s sold this car in Scottsdale two years ago for $4,735,000, then the buyer immediately turned it over to RM Auto Restoration for a full restoration that took a reported 6000 hours and $700K to complete. Although the car was rewarded for the restoration with this higher price, given all the shop bills, auction fees, etc., there wasn’t really a financial upside. The odometer shows just seven more digits since it was last sold, probably test miles, so the restoration is fresh and ready to be enjoyed.

1959 Ferrari 410 Superamerica

Sold for $6,605,000 at RM Sotheby’s

An earlier 410 Superamerica with some, um, assembly required sold for $2.81M earlier in the week, but this later Series III car doesn’t need a thing. Restored in 2020, it’s the fourth of 12 Series III examples built, and reportedly one of only seven cars factory-equipped with covered headlights. That restoration somewhat rewarded it, because it sold here back in 2017, still wearing an old resto from the ’70s, for $5.335M.

1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB

Sold for $9,465,000 at Gooding & Co.

A gentleman’s GT that could be driven to the track, win, and then driven home again, the 250 Short Wheelbase (SWB) was built at the height of Ferrari’s sports car racing dominance in the early ’60s and each of the 167 examples built is special.

This one didn’t boast race history, but it makes up for that in its originality. Sold new in Italy, it’s a four-owner car and had never been offered for public sale before Pebble Beach. It’s almost totally unrestored, which is rare in a world of top-shelf classic Ferraris that is full of concours queens. The bidders were big fans, because this price exceeds the #1 condition (Concours, or best-in-the-world) value for a SWB in the Hagerty Price Guide.

1957 Jaguar XKSS

Sold for $13,205,000 at RM Sotheby’s

While it was born of a practical need to offload inventory (expensive, hard-to-sell D-Type race cars), the XKSS is now Jaguar’s most sought-after production model. If you can even call a 16-car run “production,” that is. They don’t often come to market, and the last XKSS we saw at auction failed to sell at an $11.9M high bid in 2017.

Because it’s been so long since we’ve seen a real-deal XKSS at auction (there are replicas and continuation cars), it’s no surprise that this one broke the record to become the most expensive model to ever sell publicly.

1967 Ferrari 412P

Sold for $30,255,000 at Bonhams

Assuming it met its reserve and sold, this was always going to be the most expensive thing at Monterey Car Week. It had the potential to be the most expensive car sold at auction all year, at least until a Ferrari 250 GTO was announced for auction coming up this November.

The 412 P was essentially a customer version of Ferrari’s 330 P3 and P4 prototypes that were taking the fight to the Ford GT40 during the companies’ famous mid-’60s feud. Aside from being drop-dead gorgeous, the 412 P is rare—just four were built, and total 412 P/330 P3/330 P4 production numbers less than a dozen. This one’s best major result was a third-place finish at Spa, but it also ran at Le Mans and Brands Hatch, earning valuable points to help push Ferrari to the top of the 1967 World Sportscar Championship. It raced at non-championship events in Europe and Africa as well. Then, an American on the West Coast modified it for street use before he turned around and sold it for $10,000.

Fast forward to 2023, and it entered the room to an opening bid of $27M, and after a surprisingly quiet few minutes sold at a $27.5M winning bid ($30,255,000 with premium). Not much excitement on the auction block, then, but that’s enough to make it the fifth most valuable car to ever sell at auction and the fourth most valuable Ferrari.

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Monterey has always been the bellwether event setting the tone for the collector car market, particularly for top-tier cars as the market closes the year. Compared to 2022’s record-setting sales, this year has been down, but that’s all relative. We still witnessed the second-best Monterey auction tally of all time. And while many sales were a bit more restrained than last year, there were still plenty that caught our attention.

Sifting through the outliers (cars with exceptional provenance or ultra rare specifications), quite a few sales bent our Price Guide-based predictions, and they did so in one of two ways. First, there are the breakers—cars that broke our Price Guide with sales that soared past our condition-appropriate values but aren’t necessarily indicators that the market has changed. Breakouts, on the other hand, are the sales that eclipsed our Price Guide and we believe set a new market level (i.e., are repeatable).

Breaker: 1964 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso

Sold for $2,810,000 Broad Arrow

#1 condition (Concours) $1,850,000

Ferrari’s bigger and more luxurious version of the 250 GT, the “Lusso,” literally translates to “Luxury.” Often overshadowed by other prancing horses carrying the 250 moniker, the Lusso is significant in its own right for helping add upscale cred to Ferrari’s sporting status. Despite its size and available equipment, the 250 Lusso kept its two-seat layout, leaving 2+2 duty to the 250 GTE.

$2.8 million is a strong result for this 250 Lusso. Then again, this car had a lot going for it: a skilled restoration, a one-of-one color combination of Grigio Fumo over a blue interior, and a long-term ownership of 20 years. With all the boxes checked, the car created a perfect storm worthy of a substantial bid. Objectively speaking, this sale doesn’t mean that all 250 Lussos have jumped $1 million over #1 (Concours) value, but it does show that the best cars can still command top dollar. Despite this and some other healthy sales of ’60s Ferraris at Monterey, this result is more an indication of the segment’s longevity rather than a signal of a bullish trend.

Breaker: 1969 Datsun 240Z

Sold for $132,000 Mecum

#1 condition (Concours) $79,600

Datsun’s once-affordable sports car is a hot commodity among collector car enthusiasts. And for good reason: These cars offered a nimble and sporty alternative to the Corvette when new, and they grew quite popular over the 240Z’s total production run. The 240Z has led the charge among Japanese classics, becoming one of the earliest of the mainstream collector cars from the Japanese segment to crack the $100,000 barrier with a handful of exceptional examples in recent years.

Speaking of exceptional cars, Mecum offered this one alongside a number of other Z-cars. As one of just 538 cars produced in 1969 for the 1970 model year, it’s among the earliest production examples available. Coupled with an eight-year restoration, this car really brought home the bacon in what has been a softening market for early Zs. Remember, one significant sale doesn’t set a market, and a few of the other Zs Mecum offered fell short of their marks. For now, this one is in the breaker column, but we will keep an eye out to see if the 240Z market is back on the upswing.

Breakout: 2012 Lexus LFA

Sold for $1,105,000 RM Sotheby’s

#1 condition (Concours) $988,000

Lexus’ engineering tour de force was a difficult sell when new, but it’s now become a collector car darling. It’s easy to see why—the LFA was obsessively, exhaustively designed. From every minute detail of the body to an engine so well balanced it could rev from idle to 9000 rpm in 0.6 seconds, it represented (and arguably still does) Toyota’s ultimate vision of a modern supercar. No wonder enthusiasts have come around to them in a big way.

While LFAs equipped with the far less common Nürburgring package are solid seven-figure collector cars, standard LFAs had only flirted with the $1 million mark until Monterey. RM Sotheby’s offered what can only be described as a new, in-wrapper car. You’re not going to find a closer-to-new LFA than this. While on its face that might suggest this car’s sale is a one-off, given how long the model has been approaching seven figures, this was simply the right car to cross the threshold. Now that that’s happened, don’t be surprised if other exceptional examples start to sell in this range.

Breakout: 1972 Alfa Romeo Montreal

Sold for $168,000 Gooding & Company

#1 condition (Concours) $149,000

The Montreal is arguably one of the most handsome cars to come out of Italy in the 1970s, full stop. This GT coupe was blessed with a beautiful Bertone body and a 2.5-liter V-8 engine derived from the Tipo 33 Stradale’s powerplant. The Montreal went and sounded as good as it looked. In fact, if the Italians built a car to emulate the American muscle car, this would have to be it.

Following a weak showing for the model toward the beginning of the year, this sale of what we rated as a #2 (Excellent) condition car surprised us by surpassing our estimates for a #1 (Concours) quality example by $19,000. While not a huge amount, given how infrequently these come up for sale, a strong amount is more influential to the Montreal market than would be the case with a more common car and points to a likely turnaround for Montreal values.

Breakout: 1973 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS

Sold for $775,000 RM Sotheby’s

#1 condition (Concours) $715,000

Yet another car that’s been on a tear lately, the Ferrari Dino is certainly a car that went from snubbed to beloved, and in relatively short order. Few will now deny it as a mainstream Ferrari collectible. In fact, we called it out as a car to watch in our 2022 Bull Market List.

With this sale, it appears that the Dino trajectory still has room to grow. This very nice driver-quality car with the popular “chairs and flares” option blew way past condition-appropriate value, fetching a staggering $775,000. We’ve said it before, but these cars are now reliably more expensive than the ’70s flagship Ferrari Daytona. If Monterey has proven anything to us, it is that the classic Ferrari market is still thriving despite continued proof that the collector car market is softening.

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America’s sports car was in sorry shape during the disco era. The later third-generation (1968–82) Corvette, although a strong seller, was not the performer that it used to be. In 1975, the once mighty Vette was down to just 165 horsepower due to new emissions regulations.

However, in 1984, Chevrolet made big strides to resuscitate Corvette performance with the release of the fourth iteration of America’s sports car. The C4, as it is known to enthusiasts, was the first all-new Vette since 1968. With its sleek styling, modern suspension, and stiff chassis, the C4 represented a clean break from the Duntov-designed C3.

The car was a phenomenal handler—Car and Driver clocked 0.95 g on the skidpad in a period test—but early examples lacked power. However, Chevrolet remedied the lack of grunt later in the C4’s 12-year production run.

By 1996, the final year of production, Vettes equipped with the ZF six-speed manual received a hopped-up small-block dubbed LT4. The engine was good for 330 horsepower and 340 lb-ft of torque, making a 5.0-second sprint to 60 miles per hour possible. Compared to the 1984 model’s paltry 205 horsepower, this was a big upgrade.

The later cars with the LT4 are more desirable, with Excellent condition (#2) examples being valued at $30,200 according to the Hagerty Price Guide. That brings us to our auction pick of the week, a one-owner 1996 Corvette convertible with a desirable engine and transmission combo.

Our striking yellow-on-black feature car has only seen 14,ooo miles since new. It’s a well-appointed example, equipped with the optional Delco/Bose Gold Series sound system, six-way power-adjustable driver and passenger seats, and electronic air conditioning. Unsurprisingly, the Vette is highly original—down to the as-delivered Goodyear Eagle GS-C tires—and in excellent condition. Really the only minor flaws are faded sun visors and light creasing in the upholstery.

If you’re in the market for a top-down Corvette experience, this one is hard to beat. Just slap on some new tires, and enjoy the V-8 soundtrack and six-speed gearbox for many miles to come. The auction ends Thursday, August 31 at 3:40 p.m. EDT, so make sure to get your bids in.

***

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Now that the dust is settling (literally, it’s dry out here) at the Monterey auctions, we’re looking at nearly $400M in total sales, including over 150 vehicles sold for over $1M and the fifth-most expensive car ever sold at auction—the 1967 Ferrari 412P—for $30.255M. Significant, sure, but that sultry piece of rolling sculpture just didn’t bring much excitement or bidding on the block, and it sold at the price point everybody expected it to. Instead, there’s another piece of Ferrari racing lore that’s got people buzzing over the past three days. Something a little … rougher. It’s a 500 Mondial from 1954 (or at least it used to be), and it brought $1.875M.

That’s 17 percent over the car’s high estimate. Bent, burnt, incomplete, and ugly, is this another case of barn-find mystique, of emotions triumphing over financial sense? Or is it what publisher of the Hagerty Price Guide Dave Kinney calls “a savvy buy?”

Those questions are enough to make this 500 Mondial the most interesting sale at the 2023 Monterey auctions.

The 500 Mondial hails from the company’s early days of sports car racing success in the 1950s. Though everybody loves the roar of a V-12 Ferrari, the bark of a four-cylinder Mondial or Monza took plenty of checkered flags. Designed for Grand Prix racing by Aurelio Lampredi, Ferrari’s first four-cylinder engine powered the 500 F2 to World Championships in 1952 and 1953. Then, Ferrari fitted a detuned version of the alloy four into a sports car, called it the 500 Mondial (meaning “world” or “global”), and offered it to customers. Just 13 of these Spiders were originally built by Pinin Farina.

This Mondial, chassis #0406, is reportedly the second one. Sold new to a Milan-based dealer, it was driven by Franco Cortese (who had driven the first Ferrari to the company’s first victory in 1947) to second in class at the 1954 Coppa della Italiana. He drove it again to a fourth in class and 14th overall at the Mille Miglia, and after being rebodied by Scaglietti it finished eighth at Imola. More races at Imola, Oulton Park, Monza, and the Targa Florio followed, and by 1958 it had sold on to America, where it racked up some West Coast race appearances. By 1963 the Lampredi four-banger had been replaced by an American V-8 of unknown origin (it was just a cheap old race car at this point, remember) and then at an unknown time it crashed and suffered fire damage. Must have been some shunt, by the looks of it. After passing through a few owners, the battle-scarred Ferrari was sold to Florida real estate developer Walter Medlin in 1978.

Which brings us to the twenty-first century. In 2004, Hurricane Charley gave Florida a Category 4–sized smack and caused $16.9B in damage. Among the casualties was the barn housing Medlin’s 20 Ferraris (including the Mondial). The structure collapsed, raining debris down on the cars. Later relocated to Indiana and stored for another decade, the cars were finally brought out for sale in Monterey, arranged in a sort of diorama-like “as found” display during the preview, and given an appropriately fancy, auction catalog–worthy name: “The Lost & Found Collection.”

The group also included a 1956 410 Superamerica (sold for $2.8M) with missing trim, no steering wheel, and exhaust dragging the ground, as well as an alloy-bodied 275 GTB (sold for $3.3M) with great history but ghastly appearance. There was also a 365 GT 2+2 (sold for $118K) with the roof caved in, and a 308 GTB Vetroresina (sold for $78,400) with a busted windshield. Compared to the 500 Mondial, they all looked showroom fresh.

Aside from the mangled bodywork and frame, the Mondial comes with its factory-issued chassis plate as well as rear-axle corners, matching numbers five-speed gearbox, a 3.0-liter four-cylinder engine sourced from a similar 750 Monza, and a long future of shop bills.

That last one isn’t explicitly spelled out, but the people bidding on a $2M car aren’t stupid. They know a seven-figure restoration is the next step. Maybe there’s something reassuring about starting from the bottom.

“I know it sounds crazy, but this Mondial represents the ultimate blank slate,” says Kinney. “You’re buying a wadded-up pile of parts, so there can be no surprises. No panic about missing parts, because, frankly, most of them are. What about prior damage after taking the car apart? Not a problem here, it’s all damaged.”

As for the restoration, it’s certainly not something an owner can tackle with his buddies on weekends, but it’s still a relatively simple decision. “Take it to Ferrari for a full factory restoration or have any one of perhaps 25 name-brand shops restore it. There can be no corner-cutting, no ‘I got a friend in Des Moines who can get you a deal on chrome.’”

As they say, all it takes is money. “Remarkably similar to the price paid at the auction” is Kinney’s guess.

What’ll it be worth when it’s done? Well, old race-car prices can vary widely depending on history and originality, but 500 Mondials have sold before. One sold here last year for $2.1M, and that was a running and driving race winner. However, another one brought €3,717,500 ($4,162,485) in 2019, and in 2018 two others brought $5,005,000 and $4,455,000, respectively.

Once restored, chassis #0406 will also be eligible for top-level events like the Mille Miglia, and probably any concours up to and including Pebble Beach. That’ll be one hell of a before-and-after photo.

***

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The post Even crashed and burnt, this barn-find Ferrari is worth millions appeared first on Hagerty Media.

This story is being updated throughout the week.

Posts and analysis: From Thursday, the beginning of the auctions, click here. To start with Friday’s posts, click here. For Saturday’s coverage, click here.

Results overview: For Thursday’s results overview, click here. Our quick take on the Ferrari 412P sale is here. Friday’s results overview is here. Saturday’s results overview is here.

The car world is set to descend on the Monterey peninsula in its annual pilgrimage to celebrate the automobile. Not just any automobiles, but some of the rarest, most story-laden, and unique pieces of machinery around. And those are just the ones on the street—the cars filling the consignment lists for this year’s auctions at Monterey Car Week have genuinely gotten the car community excited after a year in which the collector market has seen a steady, if gradual, retreat.

Monterey is often considered a heat check for the collector market as a whole, and it’s no wonder why: nearly every other year for the past 35 years, the annual sales record takes place here. On top of that, it’s more than just the top cars drawing attention, though several find themselves on the cusp of eight-figure paydays—including a Ferrari 412 P that stands a good chance to be the top sale of the year. The wide array of cars consigned—a new record number of well over 1000—includes significant cars from all corners of the market, from Ferraris to the growing Japanese segment, to American standard-bearers. The sales over the course of Car Week should help define whether certain market segments will remain flat, how buyer and seller sentiments are trending, and what cars are poised to be the next big movers.

Early projections suggest this year’s auctions will approach a healthy $400M showing, placing 2023 between 2022’s record and the previous high water mark of 2015. Our own John Wiley dives into his predictions at length here, including how Monterey’s seller demographics have evolved dramatically, the impact of the strong share of $1M+ cars coming to sale, and how these sales are poised to contribute to auction sales as a whole in 2023.

Stay tuned here for additional analysis ahead of the auctions, as well as detailed coverage throughout the course of the week.

Saturday, August 11th

Keep an eye on the classic Ferraris. Many enthusiasts are descending on Monterey to get an eye on some of the most valuable cars in the world, and that’s not just on the Pebble Beach lawn. Two of the most valuable Ferraris in the world, a Ferrari 412 P being sold by Bonhams and a Ferrari 250 LM being sold by RM Sotheby’s, will be on public display before hammer time. Just how valuable are they? If they sell for their auction house estimates they will become the second and seventh most valuable Ferraris ever sold at auction. Not bad for a side show to the main show on the lawn. – James Hewitt

Monday, August 14th

How will the Japanese segment stars shake out?

The headline cars and million-plus-dollar Ferraris grab all the attention, but it’s the data behind some of the Japanese Domestic Market cars that intrigues me the most. Take a look at the demographics behind two JDM “youngtimer” cars: the Acura NSX and Acura Integra Type R. Based on insurance quotes sought by buyers, the Integra Type R has a far younger buyer pool than the NSX (an Integra Type R buyer is twice as likely to be a Millennial or younger than an NSX buyer is likely to be).

That preference to younger buyers steers where the cars come up for auction: all but two Integra Type Rs that have come up for auction have been sold at online auctions yet the world record price was set at Broad Arrow’s Amelia 2023 live auction. Quite the risk to take it there, but it clearly paid off.

The Acura NSX is a different story. They’re split between live and online auctions, as expected for a car with an older demographic, yet the world record price was set at a Bring a Trailer auction.

So for those of you wondering if you should sell a “youngtimer” car online or at live auction, it’s increasingly a gamble!—James Hewitt

What is originality worth?

The collecting car world has come to embrace the phrase “It’s only original once.” It wasn’t always that way. Concours in the 1980s, including Pebble Beach, featured cars that had become over-restored gems rather than representative examples of what they were as new. Gradually, restoration goals shifted away from better-than-new to preservation and originality.

The originality movement received official recognition by the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 2001 when it featured its first preservation class. In the two decades since, the market for unrestored cars has slowly improved to the point that original cars often sell for much more than a concours-condition restored car. This year 11 pre-1970, running, original vehicles are on offer at the Monterey auctions.

An original car’s rarity and the historical information it contains helps explain why these cars can be worth so much. One such example of originality is coming up for auction in Pebble Beach is a very early example of a 1956 Citroen DS19 crossing the block at Gooding without reserve. It’s estimated a $120K to $150K. For comparison, the Hagerty Price Guide for the DS19 starts with the 1957 model year, and the condition 1 value is value $75,400.

Why so much more? The DS19 offered by Gooding is chassis 004086, and it is likely one of 50 surviving first-year cars. It is also one of the initial batch of 180 cars Citroen exported to the US, and those are a story unto themselves, but this one sat in a Sacramento garage for 50 years after it was sidelined in 1960 with 52,000 miles. Will this car sell for $120K or more? There aren’t a lot of unrestored cars sold at Monterey, but when they do, they sell for an average of 147 percent more than the price guide condition-appropriate value.

Will this early Citroen DS19 do better? We’ll be watching on Friday to see.

—John Wiley

Wednesday, August 16th

10:05 AM: A lot of Porsches are on offer this year: 120 total, 17 more than 2022 and accounting for 10% of the 1205 total lots. Let’s dig into some numbers behind two of the most valuable, a 2015 Porsche 918 on offer at Broad Arrow and a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT on offer at RM Sotheby’s.

Values of Porsche Carrera GTs peaked around 2022.

Which is clear when looking at sales prices at auction:

Oh yeah, the buyer of that Porsche 918? There’s a nearly 1 in 2 chance they also own a Carrera GT. Or maybe that buyer will get both cars this weekend to keep that stat going… — James Hewitt

12:32 PM: Saturday could be a big day for Datsun 240Zs. Mecum is selling two from the Mike and Debbie Rogers Datsun Collection, and the high estimates place them in world record territory. The record is currently held by this 21k-mile 1971 Datsun 240Z sold for $315k (with fees), a staggering $145k over second place. The 1969 Datsun 240Z at Mecum has an estimate of $200k-$300k and the 1972 Datsun 240Z from Nissan’s 1990s Vintage Z restoration program has an estimate of $150k-$250k. That same car was bought for $106,240 in 2019. — James Hewitt

1:25 PM: Shift your price expectations higher when these 6-speed Ferraris sell. The manual transmission was cheaper when new but it doubles the value of the 575 now.

• 2005 Ferrari Superamerica Low estimate 147% higher than the F1 transmission #1 Hagerty Price Guide value
• 2005 Ferrari Superamerica Low estimate 114% higher than the F1 transmission #1 Hagerty Price Guide value
• 2005 Ferrari 575M Maranello Low estimate 121% higher than the F1 transmission #1 Hagerty Price Guide value
• 2002 Ferrari 575M Maranello Low estimate 106% higher than the F1 transmission #1 Hagerty Price Guide value

— James Hewitt

4:05 PM:

Weighing 2310 pounds and putting down 600 horsepower, I bet Mecum’s Ultima GTR is the fastest car per dollar all week. Fastest vehicle per dollar at the auctions? That might be the Ducati 1199 Panigale at a 2.12 pounds per horsepower power to weight ratio all for $10k-$15k. — Andrew Newton

6:41 PM:

Consensus among a few JDM fans I talked to today is that the variety of JDM cars at auction here this year is excellent. Standouts include the Subaru Impreza 22B-STI and the Nissan Skyline R33 GT-R “Tommykaira” at Bonhams, and the Honda NSX Type R at Broad Arrow. Significance of the cars aside, there is also a question about whether the Monterey clientele fully understand and appreciate these JDM heroes. Perhaps these models are now widely recognized as stars and will sell for all the money, or perhaps they will go unnoticed and sell for a steal. — Greg Ingold

Thursday, August 17th

10:16 AM: The first car sold in Monterey is not a Porsche, nor a Ferrari, but a Plymouth. It’s a 1965 Satellite convertible, upgraded with a 426 Street Wedge, that brought $33,000 at Mecum. —Andrew Newton

10:47 AM: Showing that Monterey can be a place for both extremes of the market, the 1985 Ferrari Mondial 2+2 Cabriolet that just sold for $24,200 at Mecum set the record for the lowest price paid for a Ferrari at a public auction in 2023. The highest sale of a Ferrari this year will likely also take place this weekend. —Adam Wilcox

11:43 AM: Not all cars are up a staggering amount in value over the last several years. For example, this 1973 Volkswagen Thing just sold by Mecum for $30,800 today was a repeat seller from their 2021 Monterey sale, when it transacted for $31,900. Showing only 135 more miles, that’s quite the horizontal move. So far only two of twelve vehicles that have a prior auction in their history, no matter how long ago, have hammered above their previous hammer price. The best performer? The 1965 Plymouth Satellite pictured above sold for 43% more than its 2018 Scottsdale sale price. — James Hewitt

2:43 PM: You never know what you’re going to see in Monterey. This, um, enthusiastically modified 1971 Jaguar E-Type sold for $55,000, about its condition #4 (Fair) value.

— Andrew Newton

4:19 PM: Broad Arrow’s auction is underway. Can’t make it to the event? Follow the livestream here. —Brian Rabold

4:53 PM: At $632,000, Broad Arrow’s NSX R sale takes the model’s record to new heights, smashing the prior record of $305,993 by an NSX R sold on Bring a Trailer:

5:44 PM: The third auction in today’s triple-header, RM Sotheby’s 26th Monterey auction, is underway. Livestream is here for those who want to follow along at home. The event started with a cameo of 1962 Ferrari 330 LM / 250 GTO s/n 3765 and an announcement that it will be part of Sotheby’s November 13 Modern and Contemporary Art auction in New York. Here we go… —Brian Rabold

6:21 PM: Just throwing this out there: people spend too much time talking about AMG engines, and not nearly enough time talking about AMG radios. (Also, the 1984 500SEL AMG in which said radio resides sold at RM Sotheby’s for $84,000.) —Brian Rabold

6:33 PM: Broad Arrow sells a Series IIA Land Rover for the second highest price ever. $151,200 might be light to set a record compared to prices paid for exotica crossing the block this weekend, but Series Land Rovers represent massive value for money. Here’s a look at prices paid for all Land Rover model years since 2015.

—James Hewitt

7:04 PM: At $1,039,000, this 2011 Ferrari 599 GTO at RM set a record for the model and is the first 599 GTO to sell for seven figures. —Adam Wilcox

7:21 PM: Keith Richard’s Ferrari 246 Dino GT sells in a long 27-Ferrari run at RM but didn’t get a celebrity premium, achieving only the #3 Hagerty Price Guide value. That’s surprising given his #4 spot on the Power List—James Hewitt

7:29 PM: Here’s a lesson for many of the enthusiasts watching an auction: prices are never stable, and a high bid that didn’t meet reserve doesn’t set the value. This 1996 Nissan R33 GT-R sold for $57,200 at Mecum today yet was only bid to $35,000 41 days ago. —James Hewitt

7:50 PM: Not everything is up during COVID. In the case of a 1965 Citroën DS 21 Chapron Concorde sold by Broad Arrow today for $78,400 (against a low estimate of $125,000), it’s actually down 50%. The same car sold for $159,500 in August 2020 at the start of the collector car boom. —James Hewitt

8:10 PM: This 6.8-mile 2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition sold for $764,000, placing it fourth in all-time public sales of ’05-’06 Ford GTs. 17 of the top 20 sales are Heritage Edition cars.

9:20 PM: RM’s “Lost & Found Collection”, consisting of 20 rare Ferraris left untouched for decades in barn-find condition, sold for some surprising results. All offered without reserve, the sales totaled $16,756,160 with an average premium of 22.6% over low estimates. Eight of the 20 sold below low estimate. On the other end of the spectrum, the top sale of the group was a 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB/6C Alloy at $3,305,000, which was 32% over the high estimate and within 12% of condition #1 value. Another strong sale was a 1968 Ferrari Dino 206 GT at $456,000, 30% above high estimate. The roughest car of the group, a 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider which has been preserved as just a mangled body and chassis after it was crashed in a race almost 60 years ago, managed to still sell for 17% above high estimate at $1,875,000. —Adam Wilcox

9:22 PM:

The 500 Mondial was one of the more intriguing lots from the “Lost and Found” collection. Crashed, burned, and battered, then left to the salty sea air for ages, $1.875M all-in bought one commendable collector an opportunity to begin a lengthy, extensive, and expensive restoration. Cheers to them for the journey they are about to undertake; we’re all looking forward to seeing this car in motion at a concours in the future. —Brian Rabold

10:01 PM: The first-gen Ford GT Heritage sale at Broad Arrow was the fourth-highest sale ever for the model. These top sales are getting very close to the lowest second-gen Ford GTs. Will they reach and then pass them?

—James Hewitt

Thursday auction results overview

Auctions kicked off Thursday with Broad Arrow, Mecum, and RM Sotheby’s beginning their sales. The day lagged 2022, with total results down to $59.8M from $99.8M last year, although the difference is not as dramatic as it may appear. Despite attempts to make comparisons as direct as possible, the cars still vary from year to year, and fewer cars were listed in the $1M+ range on this year’s opening day compared to last year (24 compared to 31 in 2022). Last year, four cars sold for $5M+ on day one, while none did this year, and more than one-third fewer $1M+ cars sold on Thursday, yielding the $40M delta. We expect this gap to close in the following days.

Thursday’s top sale was a 1995 Ferrari F50 sold by Broad Arrow for $4.24M, demonstrating that the market for analog supercars is still rolling despite recent indications of a slow-down. A record-setting Honda NSX R sold at Broad Arrow for $632,000, highlighting the ever-stronger Japanese segment. All of RM Sotheby’s top five lots came from the “Lost and Found” collection of barn-find condition Ferraris, including an incomplete 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial in rough shape that sold for $1.875M, including buyer’s premium. Clearly collectors are still drawn to the prospect of bringing a car back to life.

All houses will be active on Friday, with Gooding & Company beginning its two-day sale and Bonhams holding its single-day sale, headlined by the 1967 Ferrari 412P.

Listed below are the results Hagerty observed during the live auctions as well as any post-sale deals that were reported by the auction companies to Hagerty. Numbers include buyer’s premiums.

Overall Top 10 Sales from all auctions through Thursday: 

1. 1995 Ferrari F50 Coupe sold for $4,240,000 (Broad Arrow Auctions)
2. 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO Coupe sold for $3,910,000 (Broad Arrow Auctions)
3. 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB Alloy Coupe sold for $3,305,000 (RM Sotheby’s)
4. 1964 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso Coupe sold for $2,810,000 (Broad Arrow Auctions)
5. 1956 Ferrari 410 Superamerica Coupe sold for $2,810,000 (RM Sotheby’s)
6. 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder sold for $1,985,000 (Broad Arrow Auctions)
7. 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe sold for $1,930,000 (Broad Arrow Auctions)
8. 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Spider sold for $1,875,000 (RM Sotheby’s)
9. 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Pinin Farina Berlinetta sold for $1,655,000 (RM Sotheby’s)
10. 1978 Ferrari 512 BB Competizione Coupe sold for $1,490,000 (RM Sotheby’s)

Friday, August 18th

7:38 AM: Following their announcement last night that they were bringing to a November sale the only factory-owned Series I Ferrari GTO to have been raced by the Scuderia, RM Sotheby’s brought the car out for viewing:

10:11 AM: Mecum is first off the line this Friday. Livestream here. —Brian Rabold

11:14 AM: The Bonhams auction is underway with livestreaming here. It will take a few hours for the week’s star lot (number 67), the 1967 Ferrari 412 P, to cross the block, but it should be a good show when it goes. —Brian Rabold

11:45 AM: The 1996 Nissan Skyline R33 GT-R Tommykiara found a new home for $134,400, 24 percent over the vehicle’s #1 condition value. Though this might be a bit of a niche car for Monterey buyers, given how special this car is, the price is on the money. —Greg Ingold

11:57 AM: Bonhams has set a new record for a Panoz, known by many Millennials from Gran Turismo video game fame, at $428,500 for a 1999 Panoz LMP1 Roadster that finished 11th at the 1999 Le Mans 24 Hours. This bested the previous Panoz record of $235,200 for a 2007 DP01-Cosworth. Compare this to the 2007 Porsche RS Spyder Evo LMP2 car offered at Broad Arrow that failed to sell and is now asking $5.1M. That Porsche will run a couple seconds per lap faster at Road Atlanta, Panoz’s home track, for a $4.6M premium. That’s the difference between buying to race and buying to collect. —James Hewitt

12:25 PM: Another example of one price not setting a market. This 1972 Pontiac GTO was bid to $28,500 on AutoHunter 100 days ago and hammered at $70,000 today. Still, that wasn’t enough to get it sold against an estimate of $90k-$110k… Next time could be higher, lower, or the same, and I wouldn’t place bets on it. —James Hewitt

12:35 PM: It’s a wash when it comes to profits and losses for cars bought during the last two years. So far today we have seen 24 cars cross the auction block that we previously saw offered at auction within the last two years. 12 of those hammered for more than they did previously, 12 hammered for less. Guaranteed flips appear to have cooled off. —James Hewitt

12:44 PM: Proving that pre-Great War cars aren’t dead, a 1909 Lorraine-Dietrich Grand Prix Two-Seater with a massive 16.4-liter 4-cylinder just sold for $1,270,000, more than doubling the previous record for the marque. This sale was also a surprise for the auction house, as it sold for 59% over the high estimate of $800k and beating the healthy $1,127,000 sale of the more well-known ’32 Duesenberg Model J that followed it.—Adam Wilcox

1:00 PM: Broad Arrow auction kicks off its second (and final) day Monterey of sales now. Stream it here.—Eddy Eckart

1:13 PM: Mecum’s alloy six-carb longnose 275 sells for $3.41M all-in, just topping yesterday’s $3.305M example from RM Sotheby’s.—Brian Rabold

1:30 PM: A double martini at the auctions: Bonhams lot 37, a Lancia Delta HF Integrale Martini 5 sold for $159,040, flying past RM Sotheby’s Delta Integrale Martini 6 edition that sold yesterday for $117,600.—John Wiley

2:29 PM: Sometimes the venue makes all the difference. The 1948 Divco Twin Coach Half Ton that just sold for $184,800 at Broad Arrow, sold for only $76,680 at a GAA auction in February earlier this year. That’s a 141-perent increase in only 6 months. By the way, this sale broke the record for a Divco. —Adam Wilcox

3:09 PM: The 1937 Terraplane 72 Super Convertible Brougham at Broad Arrow just set the record for a Terraplane at $117,600.—Adam Wilcox

3:19 PM: A strong showing at Mecum for this 1954 Sunbeam Alpine Mk I Roadster: its $176,000 sale is 60 percent over high estimate.—James Hewitt

3:20 PM: $7k over high estimate for this 1907 Cadillac Model M Coupe at Broad Arrow. There have been a number of surprising results for these early cars in the last year or two. Brass era cars would logically be a slowing market considering they have limited use and less appeal to younger generations, but auction results continue to exceed auction estimates as these cars prove to be timeless. The record for a Model M was set in 2012, and this 2023 sale is now the second highest. Third place sold in 2018 and fourth in 2004. That’s a near 20-year spread in the top four sales. I can’t think of any other era car that would have that kind of high-sale distribution. —James Hewitt

3:31 PM: This Zagato-bodied 1957 Lancia Appia GT Berlinetta just captured a record with its $280,000 sale at Bonhams.—Eddy Eckart

3:35 PM: While we are waiting for action on the Ferrari 412P, the 1954 Olds F-88 GM Concept just sold for a less-than-expected $1,765,000. While that sounds like a lot, the last time it sold in 2005 at Barrett-Jackson, it brought $3,240,000 and set a record for Oldsmobiles.—Adam Wilcox

3:48 PM: Entering the room at $27M and selling at $27.5M ($30,255,000 with premium), the 412P did not see intense bidding. It was well bought and well sold at this number. I’d hate to say this is going to sound cheap in the next ten years, but it’s a really good buy over the next five. More importantly, Bonhams had one job to do and they got it done, which bodes well for the weekend, the week, and the year.—Dave Kinney

3:50 PM: The Bonhams 412P is now the fifth most expensive car to sell at auction. Check out the company it keeps in the top 30 list here.—Eddy Eckart

4:25 PM: Not nearly as stratospheric, but a strong sale nonetheless was this $3,410,000 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/6C Alloy Berlinetta at Mecum. It fetched a full $460k over #1 condition value.—Eddy Eckart

4:30 PM: A number of cars have sold stunningly well above the #1 Hagerty Price Guide value. Here’s a look at where the top 10 stand up to this point. The listed Ferrari 250, 275, and Porsche 356 are notable for being cars that all have been said to have “peaked” or be cooling off. —James Hewitt

5:01 PM: Enthusiasm for the Japanese segment has been strong this weekend, but not quite strong enough to take home the 1997 Subaru Impreza 22B-STI Prototype at Bonhams. Bidding stalled out at $365,000. For context, that would’ve put it among the strongest Subaru sales at auction:

5:02 PM: Gooding & Company’s Pebble Beach auction begins shortly, streaming here.—Eddy Eckart

5:14 PM:

Gooding’s first lot of Pebble Beach is a 4489-mile, original 1974 Jaguar E-Type Roadster with the good options (4-speed, wire wheels, air conditioning). Ambitiously estimated at $175-$225K, it still brought a healthy premium for its originality at $156,800.—Andrew Newton

5:30 PM: RM Sotheby’s is beginning their second day of sales shortly. You can stream it here.

5:57 PM: Feeling Frisky? This little car sure is. Sold at RM Sotheby’s for $84,000, this 1959 Frisky Convertible Special is a record for the little brand. The bar is low, though, as there’s only one other public sale prior to this one.—Eddy Eckart

6:30 PM: Earlier this week, we used this 1956 Citroën DC19 Berline to discuss the increasing value of originality. It sold at Gooding for $100,800, $25k over #1 condition value, further confirming that the market appreciates an all-original car as much as, and sometimes more than, a fully-restored example.—Eddy Eckart

6:41 PM: RM’s $87,000 sale of an F40 Junior is higher than the sales of five actual Ferraris that sold so far this weekend—Adam Wilcox

6:49 PM: Another pre-great-war car sets a record! The 1913 Lozier Type 72 Meadowbrook Runabout at Gooding just set a record for the marque at $1,765,000 – beating the previous record of  $1.1M by 60%.—Adam Wilcox

6:54 PM: I’m starting to sound like a broken record (pun intended), but the next lot at Gooding, a 1914 Mercer Type 35-J Raceabout just broke the record for a Mercer at $4,790,000 – this time beating the previous record by 89%.—Adam Wilcox

7:21 PM: Group B cars continue to be popular and push the valuation envelope. RM’s sale is a record for a Ford RS200 at $615,500.—Adam Wilcox

7:26 PM: Unlike Group B, 1950s American cars are not a segment setting the world alight in terms of dramatic increases. Someone forgot to tell this 1958 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, though, as it just set the record for Cadillac Eldorado sedans.—Adam Wilcox

8:43 PM: This week has so far proven cars from every decade can surpass expectations and smash auction estimates. The cars that have been bid to at least 25 percent over their high estimate cover every decade since 1900 except the 1910s, 1940s, and the 2000s. The oldest comes in at 1909, median at 1965, and newest at 2015—James Hewitt

8:56 PM: Maseratis are still an attainable way to get into ’60s Gran Turismos. This 1961 Maserati 3500 GT Coupe sold for $106,400, less than #4 condition value and less than half the low estimate. It’s a solid #3/3+ car so I think safe to call it a steal. Think of what ANY Ferrari of that vintage sells for.—Andrew Newton

9:15 PM: Dinos have been capturing a lot of attention over the last few years, but this is the other Dino—the 308 GT4. Gooding’s record-setting 1973 example—the first production 308 GT4, shown at the 1973 Paris Motor show—suggests an emerging acceptance and enthusiasm for the Gandini-designed successor to the 246. It sold for $450,500, trouncing the prior $225,000 record from a 2022 Bring a Trailer sale.—Eddy Eckart

Friday auction results overview:

With day two of three complete, Friday’s Monterey auctions featured the week’s headlining car: the 1967 Ferrari 412P at Bonhams’ single-day event. It sold for $30.2M, making it the fifth-most valuable car to ever sell at auction. Gooding also began their auction, and Broad Arrow concluded their two-day sale. Total sales continued to lag last year but the gap narrowed from $40M yesterday to $16.2M today, with several high-dollar sales across all the auctions contributing. The 68% sell-through rate is still down from last year although the average sale price of $435,171 has begun to approach 2022 levels.

Despite a cooler market than 2022, buyers have still demonstrated that they will ante up for the best vehicles regardless of type or era, as witnessed by these sales above HPG #1 value:

Rare marques and models—especially those with interesting condition, provenance and event eligibility—are selling well. A 1909 Lorriane-Dietrich Grand Prix car with a 16.4-liter 4-cylinder engine sold for $1,270,000 at Bonhams, well above the high estimate of $800K. Gooding sold a 1914 Mercer Type 35-J Raceabout for a record $4.8M. RM Sotheby’s sold a 1959 Frisky Convertible Special for a record $84,000 and a Lancia Hyena Zagato for $246,400. Broad Arrow sold a 1937 Terraplane Series 72 Super Convertible Brougham for $117,600, which was a record for the marque. A vehicle that really stands out appears to command attention—and a premium.

Three of the five companies continue Saturday, with Gooding, Mecum, and RM Sotheby’s concluding their auctions. High-profile cars we’ll be watching include the 1933 Bugatti Type 55 Roadster at Gooding, Mecum’s 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4, and RM Sotheby’s presentation of a 1964 Ferrari 250 LM.

Listed below are the results Hagerty observed during the live auctions as well as any post-sale deals that were reported by the auction companies to Hagerty. Numbers include buyer’s premiums.

2023 Cumulative results through Friday’s sales

Cumulative total: $258.5M

594/876 lots sold: 68% sell-through rate

Average Sale Price: $435,171

2022 Cumulative results through Friday’s sales

Cumulative total: $274.7M

580/726 lots sold: 80% sell-through rate

Average Sale Price: $473,665

Overall Top 10 Sales from all auctions through Friday: 

1. 1967 Ferrari 412P Berlinetta sold for $30,255,000 (Bonhams)
2. 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Coupe sold for $9,465,000 (Gooding & Company)
3. 1914 Mercer Type 35-J Raceabout sold for $4,735,000 (Gooding & Company)
4. 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Cabriolet sold for $4,515,000 (Gooding & Company)
5. 1995 Ferrari F50 Coupe sold for $4,240,000 (Broad Arrow Auctions)
6. 2003 Ferrari Enzo Coupe sold for $4,075,000 (RM Sotheby’s)
7. 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO Coupe sold for $3,910,000 (Broad Arrow Auctions)
8. 1972 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV Coupe sold for $3,580,000 (Gooding & Company)
9. 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/2 Longnose Alloy Coupe sold for $3,410,000 (Mecum Auctions)
10. 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB Alloy Coupe sold for $3,305,000 (RM Sotheby’s)

Saturday, August 19th

10:00 AM: The final day of Mecum’s auctions has begun and can be live streamed here.

11:05 AM: Gooding’s Saturday auction can now be live-streamed here.

11:49 AM: The first car raced by the great Phil Hill, this 1948 MG TC sold at Gooding for $179,200. While a substantial premium for a TC, this still represents a great value for the provenance considering Carroll Shelby’s first race car was also a TC and sold for $539,000 in 2015 out of the Ron Pratte collection at Barrett-Jackson.—Greg Ingold

12:19 PM: Here’s a look at the largest annualized returns for cars we have seen at auction before. The 1948 Divco delivery van of all things tops out as #1 after being bought for $77K six months ago and sold for $185K this weekend, showing the right venue at the right time can make or break your auction success story.

Next up I’ll share a look at the largest dollar gains so far. This one shows the value of timing—getting in before a car pops—and the long hold.

—James Hewitt

12:35 PM: Pre-Great War is still doing well over at the Gooding tent—this 1912 Simplex 50 hp Toy Tonneau comes from 111 years of single family ownership, selling for a hefty $4,075,000 to huge applause from the room.—Greg Ingold

That’s not far from the $4.85M Simplex that was the star of Scottsdale 2023. Looks like the success of the Scottsdale car brought good Simplexes out of the woodwork because there are three in Monterey this year. Which, in Simplex terms, is quite a buffet.

1:01 PM: The Z-cars that crossed the block at Mecum yielded a mixed bag. This Nissan-restored 1972 Datsun 240Z at Mecum was bought for $106,240 with fees on Bring a Trailer in September 2019. Since then the Hagerty Price Guide value has increased 63%. Yet today’s sale was only $66,000, a decrease of 38%, showing that an increase in Price Guide value since the original purchase it doesn’t always mean a vehicle will sell for higher this go-round. On the other hand, the 1977 Datsun 280Z ZZZap edition, bought for $42,900 at Mecum’s 2021 Orlando auction, fetched $71,500 today. Even more noteworthy, the $231,000 sale of this 28-mile 1980 Datsun 280ZX 10th Anniversary and $297,000 sale of this 1969 Datsun Fairlady Z432 were both near the upper end of Nissan/Datsun all-time sales highs.—James Hewitt

1:20 PM: Mecum just hosted two motorcycle records in a row. The first, lot S104, a 1915 Indian 8-Valve Board Track Racer, claimed the new top spot for Indians at $313,500. Lot S105, a 1918 Henderson Model H Four, took home the top Henderson honors with a sale price of $302,500.—Eddy Eckart

2:01 PM:

The 1980 Datsun 280ZX 10th Anniversary became the 27th highest Datsun/Nissan sale at auction and crushed any previous Datsun 280 sales. The last low-mile 10th Anniversary car we saw sell was on Bring a Trailer two years ago for $47,250 with 3000 miles. Today it appears 2972 fewer miles are worth an extra $183,750.—James Hewitt

2:30 PM: One expensive ticket to Pebble Beach. This 1936 Hispano-Suiza J12 Cabriolet by Saoutchik was invited to be shown on the lawn tomorrow, and the buyer paid $2.04M to take it there.—Andrew Newton

3:32 PM: This 1952 Ferrari 340 America Berlinetta went unsold at Mecum Monterey during the pandemic boom in 2021 for $3.1M… Today it sold at Gooding with a hammer price of $2.8M ($3,085,000).—Adam Wilcox

4:33 PM: Second-generation Corvettes are still going strong. At $263,200, this well-documented and award-winning 1963 Chevrolet Corvette 327/360 Fuel-Injected Coupe at Gooding sold for $50k above #1 condition before taking options into account.—Eddy Eckart

4:35 PM: One of the weird and wonderful cars we flagged ahead of Car Week, Bonhams sold the one-off 1969 Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 6.3 Coupe by Pininfarina after the auction for $350K.—John Wiley

4:53 PM: Seen cruising around Pebble Beach today, the Creighton Brown chassis number 029 McLaren F1 was sold by Gooding here in 2021 for $20,465,000—John Wiley

5:03 PM: It appears McLaren Speedtail expectations aren’t what they used to be. RM’s Speedtail was offered on Bring a Trailer in Dec 2022, reaching a high bid of $2.75M but not selling. The same car sold for a final price of $2.32M today. That’s nearly dead on its $2.29M MSRP and the lowest price paid publicly at auction for a Speedtail.

Mecum’s Speedtail was offered at their Glendale auction (which has since been removed from their website) where it didn’t sell for a high bid of $2.4M. Friday it reached a high bid of $2.2M and didn’t sell. That is the second-lowest high bid on a Speedtail. Second to… you guessed it, the Speedtail at RM from this weekend. —James Hewitt

5:34 PM: RM Sotheby’s has begun the final auction of the week. You can stream it here.

6:03 PM: Max Balchowsky and his creations are well known among aficionados of Postwar American sports car racing. His “Ol’ Yaller” specials, of which he built nine, took on Ferraris, Aston Martins, and Porsches and defeated them regularly. RM sold Ol’ Yaller VII tonight for $307,500, $75k over high estimate. It’s often hard to price unique cars, much less unique race cars, but this one did fare better than its younger sibling, Ol’ Yaller IX, which Bonhams sold two years ago for $162,400, and seems a good price for a rare piece of American racing history.—Eddy Eckart

6:30 PM: This 2019 Porsche 911 Speedster went 25% over high estimate to sell at $582,500 and set a new record for the model. It was well-spec’ed, but for context, there are 13 991 Speedsters on cars.com for a median price of $388k and a range from $349k to $490k. Every Bring a Trailer sale in 2023 has been between $330k-$394k. The right car found the right room. —James Hewitt

7:04 PM: Very disappointing weekend for Citroen. Several rare examples from the French automaker’s mid-century peak were offered this weekend, and only one managed to sell above its low estimate—the 1972 Citroen ID20 wagon, which brought $42,000 at Bonhams. The other six sold for an average of 21% below low estimate. The 1965 Citroen DS21 Chapron Concorde sold for 37% less than low estimate and less than half of what it transacted for at Monterey in 2020. The 1972 Citroen SM sold for 43% below low estimate.—Adam Wilcox

7:15 PM: At $2,260,000, this 1953 Fiat 8V Supersonic, first owned by Briggs Cunningham, just set the record for a Fiat. That might not last long, however, as a Zagato-bodied 1953 Fiat 8V Berlinetta rolls across the block 20 lots from now.—Adam Wilcox

7:46 PM: These two cars will have people “remastering” auction estimates and “reimagining” future sale prices. The 1997 Porsche 911 Remastered by Gunther Werks sold for $1,501,000, well above its $1.3M high estimate. What’s more, a Gunther Werks hasn’t sold publicly before, so this sale sets the reference going forward. The second car, a 1991 Porsche 911 Reimagined by Singer – Classic Study, sold for $1,407,500, setting a public sale record for Singer. —James Hewitt

8:15 PM:

The 1953 Fiat 8V Supersonic designed by Ghia and originally owned by Briggs Cunningham did well at $2,260,000, but it was beaten by 1953 Fiat 8V Berlinetta bodied by rival Zagato, which sold for $2,900,000.—John Wiley

8:21 PM: The 250 LM is popular this year, although not selling particularly well. There have been 3 at public auctions in the last 7 months. A 1964 Ferrari 250 LM that failed to meet its reserve with a €20M high bid in February, sold five months later for €14M ($17.12M). Now at RM, another 250 LM just left the block unsold with a $17M high bid. Will we see it again in with-in the year? Who knows. But prior to this cluster of 250 LM’s, the most recent public sale was back in 2015.—Adam Wilcox

8:33 PM: That’s a new record set by the 1957 Jaguar XKSS at RM: $13,205,000 with premium. The prior record hammered at $11.9M in 2017.—Adam Wilcox

9:17 PM: Beating its estimate by $205,000, this 47-mile 2012 Lexus LFA sold for $1,105,000. It’s the first base LFA to crack into seven figures.—Eddy Eckart

9:20 PM: RM reports that it has sold the 1960 Ferrari California Spider after initially crossing the block as a no-sale at $8,250,000.—Eddy Eckart

Saturday auction results overview:

The Monterey car week auctions concluded Saturday with the second highest total in car week history. As always, we’ll check for aftersales over the next 24 hours. Look for a report of each auction company’s results in our final recap on Monday morning.

The 1,200+ vehicles and 150+ $1 million vehicles offered across five auctions resulted in total sales of $396.7 million and a sell-through rate of 68 percent. That falls short of the nearly $473 million in sales from 2022 and a sell-through rate of 78 percent.

The cooling market we’ve observed for the past 15 months finally reached the Monterey auctions after having little impact last year. Hagerty Automotive Intelligence is observing and hearing about several factors stemming from the first season of Monterey auctions in a full inflationary environment: increased discipline at the higher end of the market, weakening demand from new collectors, and higher prices that have given pause to buyers at the upper end of the market.

The top of the market has proven resilient until recently, as demonstrated by slowing prices for Ferrari prototype racecars from the 1960s. Bonhams sold the 1967 Ferrari 412P for $30.2 million after a sale that left observers wondering why it didn’t get more bids. The following day, RM Sotheby’s offered a 1964 Ferrari 250 LM which didn’t sell on a high bid of $17 million.

Listed below are the results Hagerty observed during the live auctions as well as any post-sale deals that were reported by the auction companies to Hagerty. Numbers include buyer’s premiums.

2023 Cumulative results through Saturday’s sales

Cumulative total: $396.7M

836/1,225 lots sold: 68% sell-through rate

Average Sale Price: $474,519

2022 Cumulative results through Saturday’s sales

Cumulative Total: $472.8 million

799/1023 lots sold: 78% sell-through rate

Average Sale Price: $591,768

Overall Top 10 Sales from all auctions through Saturday: 

1. 1967 Ferrari 412P Berlinetta sold for $30,255,000 (Bonhams)
2. 1957 Jaguar XKSS Roadster sold for $13,205,000 (RM Sotheby’s)
3. 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Coupe sold for $9,465,000 (Gooding & Company)
4. 1959 Ferrari 410 Superamerica SIII Coupe sold for $6,605,000 (RM Sotheby’s)
5. 1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Tourer sold for $5,395,000 (RM Sotheby’s)
6. 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 Coupe sold for $5,395,000 (RM Sotheby’s)
7. 1914 Mercer Type 35-J Raceabout sold for $4,735,000 (Gooding & Company)
8. 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Cabriolet sold for $4,515,000 (Gooding & Company)
9. 1995 Ferrari F50 Coupe sold for $4,240,000 (Broad Arrow Auctions)
10. 1912 Simplex 50 HP Toy Tonneau sold for $4,075,000 (Gooding & Company)

Repeat sales can be profitable but it may require a longer hold.
 

***

 

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Seminal French house duo Daft Punk released their final album, Random Access Memories, in 2013. Some critics prefer the group’s earlier albums like Homework or Discovery, but many regard the group’s last record as their magnum opus. So what does electronic dance music made by two guys dressed as robots have to do with cars? Well, like Random Access Memories, Porsche’s fourth-generation 911, codenamed 993, was the last of its kind. And while Stuttgart’s earlier air-cooled cars are great, the last iteration is arguably the best one.

Introduced in 1994, the 993 was the most refined 911 yet. It received a completely new aluminum chassis complete with a multi-link “Weissach” rear axle, which made the 993 less sketchy in the corners than earlier 911s. Also new to the all-wheel-drive Carrera 4 models was use of a viscous coupling that could send up to 40 percent of power to the front wheels. Compared to its predecessor’s computer controlled hydraulic unit, the viscous system was less complex and saved on weight.

The 993’s engine was more of an evolution than a revolution. Porsche took the 964’s air-cooled flat six, punched it out to 3.6 liters, added lightened connecting rods and pistons, extended the intake ports, and added lighter and larger valves. All this work was good for 272 glorious-sounding horsepower. Power is channels through a six-speed manual transmission. Car and Driver clocked an impressive 4.7 second 0–60 time with this combination.

Unfortunately, Porsche’s air-cooled engines couldn’t meet upcoming emission standards, and 1998 was the last year for not only the 993, but its unique power plant as well. The 993’s successor, the 996, ushered in Porsche’s water-cooled era.

Porsche produced a total of 68,881 vehicles of the Type 993. Our auction pick of the week is a well preserved Carrera 4 wearing paint-to-sample Silver Metallic over a Classic Grey partial leather interior. Fresh Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires are installed on this 993’s 17-inch Cup II aluminum wheels. Both the interior and exterior show minor wear from traveling an indicated 98,140 miles.

There’s no reserve on this Carrera 4, so make sure to place your bids on the last of the air-cooled 911s. The auction ends Thursday, August 24th at 3:30 pm ET. Maybe you’ll get lucky.

***

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Yep, Monterey Car Week is expensive. From $400 rooms at Motel 6 to $1000 tickets for The Quail, it’s a tough event to navigate on anything remotely resembling a budget. Nothing, however, is more expensive than the very reason people make the pilgrimage to Monterey each August—the cars.

We see many of the most valuable cars sold all year at these auctions. It’s where records are often set, and serves as one big heat check for the very top end of the collector-car market. We will see more than 130 cars worth seven figures crossing the block in Monterey this year, but here are the handful that could cross into eight-figure territory.

1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB

Gooding & Company, Lot 40

The successor to Ferrari’s 250 Tour de France (TdF) and the precursor to the 250 GTO, the 250 Short Wheelbase (SWB) competed at the peak of Ferrari’s dominance in international sports car racing. And in true GT fashion, it could be driven to the track, win, and then driven back home again. Barely 160 were built. They’re all special.

What this car, chassis 3507GT, lacks in race history it makes up for in originality. Sold new in Italy, it has only ever had four owners, has never been offered for public sale, and is almost entirely original.

Sparkling, show-winning restorations are great, but something is only original once, and a 60-plus-year-old Ferrari with mellowed original finishes and fasteners is arguably better. That’s why this car has a $9M–$11M estimate, which is just over the SWB’s condition #1 (Concours, or best-in-the-world) value in the Hagerty Price Guide.

1957 Jaguar XKSS

RM Sotheby’s, Lot 351

The term “race car for the road” gets tossed around way too often, both by automakers trying to sell you something and by auto writers running out of metaphors. But in the case of the Jaguar XKSS, the term really applies.

When Jaguar pulled back from factory racing in 1956, sales of its Le Mans-winning D-Type racing car ground to a halt. Unsold, expensive-to-build cars and parts littered the factory. What to do? Slap on some bumpers and a windshield then sell it for the street, of course! Jaguar had enough stock for 25 examples of its road-going D-Type, called the XKSS, but the infamous fire at Jaguar’s Browns Lane facility meant that just 16 were completed (Jaguar since finished those nine missing chassis numbers and sold them as XKSS “Continuations”). Most XKSSs sold to North America.

This car, chassis 707, was ordered new by an American racer who lost his life in another car prior to delivery, so #707 was sold to another owner in San Francisco instead. He kept it until 1973, after which it passed through several UK collectors, one of whom was able to snag the registration plate “JAG 1” for it. Just 25,535 miles show on the Smiths odometer. With the exception of the rear bulkhead, the chassis, suspension, and monocoque are all original, and the bonnet has been replaced.

Although it was born of the practical need to offload excess inventory, the XKSS has since become the most sought-after Jaguar production car. They tend to reside in long-term collector ownership and don’t trade hands publicly very often. In fact, the last real XKSS we saw at auction was in 2017, when chassis #716 failed to sell at an $11.9M high bid. More than six years later, this one has an estimate of $12M–$14M in Monterey.

2001 Ferrari 500 Maranello Prodrive

RM Sotheby’s, Lot 261

In the early 2000s, Ferrari was too busy steamrolling everybody in Formula 1 to care much about sports car racing, so many of the 550 “Maranello” race cars that took to the circuits back then weren’t actually prepared in Italy. The most successful of them came from British outfit Prodrive, which already had experience running title-winning teams in rallying and touring car racing.

In turning Ferrari’s V-12 coupe into a winner, Prodrive trimmed over 1000 pounds in weight, grew the engine, and reworked the suspension and body. All normal stuff in the course of building a race car, but Prodrive’s preparation and management were superb, and the car was a winner. The 2003 season was its high point, with the 550 GTS winning its class at Le Mans as well as securing multiple wins in the American Le Mans Series and the FIA GT championship.

Prodrive built ten 550 race cars in period, and this is the third. It won five races, took 14 podiums, and recorded 10 pole positions out of 34 starts. A second-place finish in the 2003 American Le Mans Series and third in the 2005 Le Mans Endurance Series are highlights on its resume, but it also ran at Le Mans five times in a row. According to RM Sotheby’s, that makes it “the single most-raced 12-cylinder Ferrari in the world’s most famous endurance motor race.” The 2004 race was its strongest finish, with rally master Colin McRae driving it to third in class.

The last 550 Prodrive to sell publicly, which arguably has an even better race history, sold for $4.29M in an online auction three years ago. But this one could bring twice as much in 2023, with a presale estimate of $8.0–$9.5M. At that level, it would only take a few extra bids to push it into eight figures.

1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider

RM Sotheby’s, Lot 354

It was originally aimed at wealthy West Coast American buyers and today it’s mostly known for its eye-popping beauty and Ferris Bueller hijinks, but Ferrari’s 250 California Spider also took to the race track at top-level international events.

Cal Spiders come in several flavors—long wheelbase (LWB) or short wheelbase (SWB) with open headlights or closed headlights. This one is an SWB (more desirable) with open headlights (less desirable), but more important than its configuration is its history, which includes an exhibition on the Ferrari stand at the 1960 Turin Motor Show and a third in class at the Targa Florio in 1962. Represented as the second of the 56 SWB California Spiders built, it sold new with Blu Medio paint over red leather and was restored from 2013–16. RM Sotheby’s estimates it will bring from $9.5M to $11.5M.

1933 Bugatti Type 55 Roadster

Gooding & Company, Lot 139

Nearly a fifth of this year’s Monterey consignments were built before World War II. Among these prewar prizes are Duesenbergs, Hispano-Suizas, Isotta Fraschinis, a Mercer Raceabout, and, of course, Bugattis. The most expensive of them is this Type 55.

Really an amalgamation of grand-prix car parts wrapped in Jean Bugatti’s lovely cutdown-door roadster body, Type 55 roadster production was extremely limited. Just 16 of the 38 total Type 55s built got roadster bodies from new. This one, chassis #55231, is represented as the first of three Type 55 Roadsters completed in 1933.

It sold new in Algeria and was put to use doing what Bugattis of the era did best—driving quickly. In 1935 it won the Bouzaréa Hill Climb near Algiers. It underwent refurbishment during the 1950s, but after its engine failed in 1960, it headed back to France. Ralph Lauren bought it in 1986, had it restored in England, and added it to his collection before selling it in 2003. At Pebble Beach, it could sell for $8.0M–$10M.

1964 Ferrari 250 LM

RM Sotheby’s, Lot 341

With Ferrari’s much-publicized win at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, its first since 1965, it’s no big surprise that cars from the Scuderia’s glory days are coming out of the woodwork. Among them is the 250 LM, which was the last car wearing a Ferrari badge to win the 24-hour French classic.

Prior to 2023, the last 250 LM to come up for auction was in 2015 (chassis 6105, sold for $17.6M). This year, though, we’ve seen two of these mid-engined marvels at public sale. One of them sold in Paris just last month for $17.2M. That car had no competition history whatsoever, but the one on offer in Monterey does.

Represented as the 22nd of the 32 copies built, it was campaigned by British driver George Drummond, who racked up wins at Brands Hatch, Snetterton, and Silverstone. Drummond then enlisted Innes Ireland and Mike Hailwood to drive with him at Le Mans in 1966, but gearbox trouble took them out after 90 laps.

The car also raced in Austria and Africa before selling in 1968 to another Brit whose 250 LM had wrecked badly at the Targa Florio. He swapped in the engine and gearbox from the wrecked LM into this car, painted it dark blue with a white stripe, and entered it at Le Mans. On the 99th lap, gearbox trouble struck again and took the car out of the race. It has since passed through collections in the U.S. and Japan and has been restored twice, the most recent of which took place at the Ferrari factory from 2018 to 2021. It has an $18M–$20M estimate for Monterey.

1967 Ferrari 412 P

Bonhams, Lot 67P

If it sells, the Ferrari 412 P consigned by Bonhams could be the most expensive auction car of 2023.

Built at the height of the Ford vs. Ferrari slugfest in the mid-1960s, the 412 P was essentially a customer version of Ferrari’s latest factory prototypes—the 330 P3 and P4. This one’s best major result was a third-place finish in its debut race at Spa in 1967 with Lucien Bianchi and Richard Attwood on driving duty. At Le Mans, Attwood and Piers Courage ran just outside the top 10 until retiring with oil pump failure. Then, its seventh-place finish at Brands Hatch yielded valuable points to help Ferrari push to the top of that year’s World Sportscar Championship. A string of non-championship races in Europe and Africa followed, then its sold to a wealthy West Coast American who was either crazy enough or cool enough to modify it for street use. He then sold it to another American for 10 grand. $10,000!

But that price is of no relevance whatsoever in 2023. What in the ’70s may have just been a finnicky, old, obsolete race car is now eight-figure royalty for a few reasons. First, just look at it. Then, there’s the rarity: Just four 412 Ps were built, and total production of the 412 P/330 P3/330 P4 family numbers less than a dozen. And even though a later 312 PB from 1972 brought €12,042,500 at auction this year, earlier P-series cars just don’t pop up for sale. One of the P4s cut up for Can-Am racing in period was a no-sale at a €7,250,000 high bid way back in 2009. To find an actual public sale we have to turn the clock back even further, to 2000, when Christie’s got $5.6M for a P3 in Pebble Beach. Even those numbers, though, aren’t all that informative in today’s market and there are more recent comps to look at. This 412 P’s contemporary—a more common, slower, and not quite as beautiful 250 LM with no race history—just sold for $17M. It’s not a stretch to assume that the 412 P will bring significantly more.

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While the Monterey Car Week auctions attract an enormous amount of European exotica—especially Ferraris—many bidders also pack their checkbooks and money orders to browse an overwhelming selection of rarefied American cars. And while there’s an expected share of traditional mid-century muscle cars, hot rods, and restomods, plenty of blue-chip Americans are also on parade.

So fly the flag, grill a burger, and cut an extra slice of apple pie—it’s time to get patriotic.

1993 Vector Avtech WX-3 Prototype

Broad Arrow, Lot 111

If you really, really must stand out at Monterey’s Exotics on Broadway, consider placing a high bid on this terrifically teal Vector. Even for Vectors, this is about as ’90s as you can get—it’s not so much frozen in amber as it is caught in a hardened block of Crystal Pepsi.

Vector founder and frontman Jerry Weigert developed the WX-3 as the long-awaited follow-up to the sensational W8 supercar, offering the same outlandish futuristic aesthetics and outrageous (claimed) performance as the 1980s icon but with updated tech, interior appointments, and further engineering development.

The program was nearly complete, with the prototype duo shown at the 1993 Geneva auto show to public acclaim. An ill-timed hostile takeover from Megatech forced Wiegert and the WX-3 out, with the new owner instead slapping the Vector badge on a run of modified Lamborghini Diablos. In the interim years, Wiegert kept both WX-3s, showing them at a wide range of events in Southern California.

Wiegert finally unloaded both WX-3s at the 2019 Arizona Auction Week, where this teal coupe brought a then-impressive $615,500. Then, according to the current sale listing, roughly $300,000 was invested in restoration between 2019 and 2021. As is the case with most 1980s and 1990s supercars, Vector values have risen significantly since then, so we’re eager to see what kind of cash this teal terror brings. Quite a bit, if its $1.5M–$2M estimate is accurate.

1934 Cadillac V-16 Fleetwood Aerodynamic Coupe

Broad Arrow, Lot 258

Completely different but just as stunning is this Cadillac V-16 Fleetwood coupe. It might not have the Instagram panache and 1000-hp dyno sheet of the Vector, but this colossal Caddy packs twice as many cylinders plus oodles of elegance.

Cadillac’s legendary V-16 series is arguably the grandest of all cars from the automakers we now know as The Big Three, matched domestically only by the rolling art from Packard, Pierce-Arrow, and Duesenberg. Over the course of its ten-year production span, the V-16 chassis could be had in a number of body configurations, ranging from stretched limousine to four-door convertible and all the way down to a (still massive) two-door coupe.

All are noteworthy, but few match the splendor of the Aerodynamic Coupe. Twenty were built, and only eight were laid on the long wheel-base V-16 chassis presented here. Of those, only five are known to remain.

The early history of this Sixteen isn’t well documented beyond factory notes, but its eventual purchase by William T. Walter, Sr., of Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania saved the Aero Coupe from the ignominy of its wartime occupation as beer delivery vehicle. Those fleet service records must have been a sight to behold.

Wearing a well-preserved restoration, it has a $750,000–$1M estimate for Monterey.

2020 Ford GT Mk II

RM Sotheby’s, Lot 270

The past five years have shown that genuine production Ford GTs of any generation or configuration are globally desirable collectibles, regardless of whether it packs a supercharged V-8 or a twin-turbo V-6. In America, they’re superstars; by our count, there are ten GTs hitting the Monterey auctions. But this 2020 Mk II is one of the more intriguing GTs of the weekend. It’s one of just 45 Mk IIs built, each track-only special sold to pre-existing GT buyers with a whopping $1.2M price tag.

What’s interesting here is the track-only status. Regular, road-legal second-gen GTs routinely go for over $1M, but track-day-only specials have more limited opportunities for use and can be a tougher sell. Even so, other Mk IIs at auction have sold well and this one carries an estimate of $1.0M–$1.25M.

1971 Chevrolet Corvette ZR2

Mecum, Lot S97

While not quite on the level of Corvette unobtanium as the 1969 ZL1 that sold in Arizona earlier this year, this ZR2 is still a rare, low-production, built-to-order big-block. Only instead of the ZL1’s aluminum-block L88, the ZR2 gets an iron-block 454.

Still, ZR2s don’t come up for sale often, and this is likely the hottest Corvette available in Monterey. The Brands Hatch Green convertible is one of just two built out of twelve total ZR2s. The odo shows only 8795 miles and according to Mecum, the car remains unrestored and in original condition. That goes a long way in explaining its $975,000–$1M estimate.

1954 Oldsmobile F-88 Concept Car

Broad Arrow, Lot 244

Speaking of Corvettes, this ain’t one. Despite the obvious C1 profile, this was Oldsmobile’s Motorama vision of what an Olds sports car might look like, and gave showgoers a preview of what was to come from the marque.

Indeed, the only Corvette DNA in the F-88 concept is the C1 chassis found underneath the fiberglass bodywork. Everything else not experimental is pure Olds, right down to the 5.3-liter (324 cubic inch) Super 88 V-8. It caused quite a stir at the time of its Motorama debut, and as Chevrolet wasn’t quite sure what the future held for the slow-selling Corvette, production considerations were explored for the F-88 before the Corvette picked up speed and resources were allocated elsewhere.

In addition to the original show car, two extra F-88s were built for GM execs. One is presumed to have been dismantled in-period, while the other was rebuilt into the F-88 Mk II show car, and subsequently lost to time. Thus, Broad Arrow’s gold example is the only known example and is strongly believed to carry most of its components from the original Motorama appearance.

Among American show and concept cars from the ’50s, the F-88 is among of the most recognizable. Expect a mix of Corvette and Oldsmobile superfans to bid it up to the $2M–$3M estimate.

1954 Cunningham C-3 Coupe by Vignale

RM Sotheby’s, Lot 340

Contrary to its Euro-centric Vignale coachwork, this gorgeous Cunningham C-3 is an American thoroughbred. The life and career of sportsman and C-3 namesake Briggs Cunningham is far too fascinating to cram into this nutshell, so here’s a fuller history of that founding father of car collecting.

More than a decade before Ford turned its sights on France, Cunningham long pined for an American to sit at the top of the Le Mans podium. He leveraged his sizeable fortune and racing know-how to create the B. S. Cunningham company, an outfit dedicated to developing bespoke American race cars to take on La Sarthe.

For his gorgeous and rather distinctive race cars to barrel down the Mulsanne Straight, ACO regulation dictated a roadgoing production Cunningham for homologation. The subsequent C-3 fulfilled this obligation, but it was far from just a compliance car. In essence, the C-3 utilized a modified chassis from the earliest Cunningham Le Mans car draped in fine touring coachwork and interior appointments, and like most of his race cars, power comes from a Chrysler V-8. In this case it’s a 5.4-liter FirePower good for 220 hp.

These were hand-built, hand-finished cars, and while it was never going to be cheap, production woes nearly doubled the purchase price by 1951. Even for the era, this was a hard sell; records indicate only 27 C-3s were built between 1952 and 1955. Rarity, Cunningham’s celebrity, fine coachwork, and racing provenance keep the modern Cunningham market strong, so this one’s $950,000–$1.2M estimate seems high but realistic.

1965 Shelby GT350 R

Broad Arrow, Lot 127

One of just 36 GT350 Rs built, this is likely the peninsula’s prime pony.

It likely won’t break the record previously set by the famed “Flying Mustang” GT350 R driven to glory by Ken Miles, but chassis SFM5R212 does carry in-period competition records including an official showing at the 1966 24 Hours of Daytona, where it took second in the GT 3.0 class and 18th overall. The car was reportedly raced extensively in the mid-1970s and beyond, with appearances at SCCA and IMSA events hosted at Lime Rock, Watkins Glen, Cumberland, and Mid-Ohio.

So, not the winningest Shelby—but a significant Shelby nonetheless. Genuine GT350 Rs are shoo-ins for a wide variety of popular vintage racing events around the globe, not to mention top-billed attendees at any Ford gathering. The estimate for this one is $900,000-$1M.

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As we approach the Monterey Car Week auctions for 2023, we find ourselves in a similar situation to 2022. Last year, the market was beginning to cool, but despite this, we saw record sales (the final tally was nearly $473M). Fast forward to now, and the market has continued to cool in 11 of the past 13 months, but total sales at the Monterey auctions may reach another $400M year: we expect between $392M and $457M in total sales for 2023. At the low end, that would be third best behind 2022 and 2015. At the high end of that range, only 2022 would be greater.

How is that possible?

Monterey auctions attract the best cars. Typically, every other year, the annual global-auction high sale happens on the peninsula. Simultaneously, the top-selling car at auction every other year tends to be a Ferrari. We’re likely to see both of those patterns renewed at the Monterey auctions this year.

We’ll see nearly 133 $1M+ vehicles offered at the Monterey auctions in 2023, down from 149 in 2022. We expect to see slightly more cars than last year’s record 1025 listings—a few late entrants are still trickling in.

The top five lots all have the potential to be eight-figure cars, which is notable because we’ve only seen four cars sell above that level all year. Based on estimates or likely value, the top five in ascending order are:

1. A 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta offered by Gooding & Company with an estimate of $9M to $11M.
2. A 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider offered by RM Sotheby’s with an estimate of $9.5M to $11.5M.
3. A 1957 Jaguar XKSS offered by RM Sotheby’s with an estimate of $12M to $14M.
4. A 1964 Ferrari 250 LM offered by RM Sotheby’s with an estimate of $18M to $20M.
5. A 1967 Ferrari 412P offered by Bonhams without estimate.

How do we know the 412P is more valuable than the 250 LM? The former is rare: only four were constructed and two survive, while 32 examples of the 250 LM were built. We also rarely see one at auction. It was way back in 2000 when one last sold—for $5.6M—at Pebble Beach, too.

Beyond those top five, we’ll have our eyes on cars with ties to Le Mans. It was a big year for the storied race, which celebrated its 100th anniversary and resulted in a Ferrari victory for the first time since 1965. As a consequence, there’s been a recent uptick of interest in cars with Le Mans history. 12 vehicles that have run the race will be consigned to the auctions, and reflect the innovation and variety across some of racing’s great eras. The dozen range from a front-wheel drive 1928 Alvis at Bonhams to a 2001 Ferrari 550 by Prodrive at RM Sotheby’s.

More broadly, nearly 200 vehicles listed at the Monterey auctions this year have previously sold at auction in the past ten years. The average time between these auction sales is just over 3.5 years—we may start to see what happens when pandemic purchases are unwound at scale. Also, assuming the vehicles sell at their low estimate, the average return would be 14 percent, a two-point drop from last year. That suggests that this year’s estimates are more realistic.

The ratio of no-reserve lots is up to 39 percent this year from 33 percent in 2022. Despite the auctions boasting more no-reserve lots with more realistic estimates, with the cooling market, we still expect the sell-through rate to dip slightly, from 78.0 percent to 77.7.

The demographics of owners with vehicles consigned to the auctions show Monterey is unlike the rest of the market. In the past few years, 61 percent of sellers at auctions were born before 1965 (boomers and older). However, this year, their share of consigned vehicles is 80 percent for the Monterey auctions.

With the Monterey auctions typically representing 20 percent of the total sales for live auctions each year, and with the first half of 2023 in the rearview mirror, we can compare how this year’s market is performing against past years. Reflecting the cooling market, total sales at live and online auctions will likely be slightly less than 2022’s record-setting pace.

In the meantime, we look forward to seeing all these exceptional cars cross the block in a few weeks. We’ll be covering the action in a live blog on Insider, so please follow along for our latest insights.

*Hagerty has a joint venture with Broad Arrow Group. You can read more about it here.

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VanDerBrink Auctions is hosting a massive collection of mostly Pontiac Firebirds, including more than 30 Trans Ams, at an online and in-person sale taking place in Waverly, Iowa, on August 5. The auction also boasts a pair of 1969 Camaro projects, some G-bodies, a few third- and fourth-generation F-bodies, and some trucks and farm equipment. However, the main attraction is clearly the abundance of second-generation Trans Ams with their decals and shaker-scoops.

The collection boasts nearly one of every year of second-generation Firebird production, with multiple copies of several years, with an even dozen 1979 models and ten 1981 models, with some of the best preserved of the bunch being Turbo Trans Ams. Two of the 1980 Turbo Trans Ams are Indy pace car editions, while a pair of the similarly equipped 1981 Turbo Trans Ams are NASCAR editions, which are also a relatively rare find, with just 2000 produced.

Plenty of the cars are rough and in need of serious, subframe-off restoration, as the worst examples do have rust damage, and the photos don’t sugarcoat it. Many of these cars will take major investments, while others, like the aforementioned Turbo Trans Ams, need more of a cosmetic freshening and mechanical once-over.

The collection has something for just about every second-gen Firebird fan, although the early models are less represented than the quad-headlight style popularized by Smokey and the Bandit. Still, there are legit early Trans Ams, including a 1970 Ram Air III, as well as a 1973 Super Duty clone. Fans of Formulas and Esprits will also be interested.

Our favorite might be the 1973 SD 455 clone, currently painted white, which was originally Brewster Green. We’d love to see this four-speed, 455-powered car returned to its original color, as we’re sure that many of the Firebirds, stored for years, will be making their way back onto the street where they belong. If any Hagerty readers happen to nab one of these ’70s beauties, be sure to drop us a line and keep us posted. Happy bidding!

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The 2023 Monterey Car Week is officially a month away. The auction schedule is set, the catalogs are almost full, and plenty of big consignments have already been announced. Yet Bonhams dropped big news today, announcing a 1967 Ferrari 412 P (chassis 0854) as the headliner of this year’s sale at the Quail Lodge. “When the right car meets the right owners and the right drivers, it’s time to pay attention. This is one of those instances,” says Dave Kinney, appraiser and publisher of the Hagerty Price Guide. “This looks like a Monterey not to miss.”

If you read our recent rundown of the 30 most expensive cars ever sold at auction, you might want to check back on it in about four weeks. This eight-figure road racer has the potential to shuffle things around a bit, and it just might be the biggest auction news of the year.

The early 1960s were a time of immense change in sports car racing. For Ferrari, they were a time of almost complete dominance. Ferrari adopted mid-engine design into its sports racers with V-6 Dino power in 1961, soon followed by the first mid-engine V-12, the 250 P, which was the first mid-engine car to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This “P” series of Ferrari prototypes continually and quickly evolved, carrying the torch for the Prancing Horse through the early 1970s.

Where the 412 P fits into the timeline is right at the height of the Ford/Ferrari wars (stories of which, for some reason, always portray the world’s third largest corporation at the time as the underdog) in 1967. The P series had grown into a 4.0-liter car dubbed the 330 P, which in turn evolved into the 330 P2, then the sleeker, Lucas fuel-injected 330 P3, and finally the 330 P4.

The P3 had a disappointing season in 1966. With an embarrassing loss to Ford at Le Mans, the Scuderia’s stranglehold on the world’s most famous endurance race was broken. Ferrari only managed to find victory lane twice that year. The P4 was Ferrari’s successful attempt to claw back some glory in the ’67 season. Its engine used a three-valve head similar to the one in Ferrari’s Formula 1 mill and relocated the fuel injection system to produce a full 450 hp, up from 420 in the P3. Sweet, sweet revenge came in February when three red Ferraris swept the podium at Daytona, Ford’s home turf. By the end of the year, P4s had helped push Ferrari to the top of the World Sportscar Championship, which it won by two points over Porsche.

Meanwhile, in 1967, four Ferrari prototypes were built to customer specs for private teams to race. Called 412 Ps, two of them were converted P3s built for NART and Scuderia Filipinetti, while the other two were built new for Ecurie Francorchamps and Maranello Concessionaires.

This car, chassis 0854, is the car raced by British team Maranello Concessionaires and finished in the outfit’s signature red with a light blue stripe. Its best World Championship result was third in its debut at Spa with Lucien Bianchi and Richard Attwood on driving duty. At Le Mans, Attwood and Piers Courage ran just outside the top 10 until early Sunday morning, when an oil pump failure took them out of the running. Then, in the season-ending Brands Hatch 6 Hours, Attwood and English racer David Piper notched a seventh-place finish in 0854, gaining valuable points that helped Ferrari snag its World Championship title.

Rule changes for 1968 seriously limited where 4.0-liter prototypes like the 412 P could compete, so Maranello Concessionaires sold 0854 that year to Piper. The privateer painted it green and raced it around Europe and South Africa in non-championship races. He racked up numerous victories and podium finishes in the car, sometimes sharing seat time with Jo Siffert. At some point in 1969, 0854 raced with open spyder bodywork, according to online Ferrari resource barchetta. Later that year it retired from competition and sold to an American who was either crazy enough or cool enough (but probably both) to modify it for street use on the West Coast. L.A. traffic may have gotten the best of that owner, though, because he reportedly sold it the next year to another American owner for just ten grand. Oh, to have a time machine.

A string of collector owners followed, including Sir Anthony Bamford and Bruce McCaw, and in 2005 it was purchased by its current owner. Following a restoration to its original 1967 appearance, 0854 appeared at the Quail in 2015.

It may have never won a major race, but this Ferrari is big news for several reasons. First off, just look at it. “It’s classic beauty, from right before the time when aerodynamics took over racing car design,” says Kinney. “The motor car equivalent of Gina Lollobrigida,” according to auction contributor Rick Carey. Even though there’s a Jaguar XKSS and a slew of Bugattis on offer in Monterey in 2023, nothing on offer is prettier than this Ferrari.

Then there’s rarity, both in terms of production and number of appearances on the market. Just four 412 Ps were built, while total production of the 412 P, 330 P3, and 330 P4 is less than a dozen examples. More people have walked on the moon. And although a later 312 PB from 1972 sold earlier this year for €12,042,500, earlier P-series Ferraris scarcely make an auction appearance. One of the P4s cut up and modified for Can-Am competition in period popped up at an auction in Italy in 2009, but was a no-sale at a €7,250,000 high bid. To find an actual public sale, we have go to all the way back to 2000, when Christie’s got $5.6M for a P3 in Pebble Beach.

Needless to say, the collector car market looks a lot different now than it did 23 years ago, and if a much more common 250 LM with no race history can bring $17M in 2023, this 412 P could bring significantly more. It may very well be the most expensive vehicle we report on this year.

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You are looking at a unique opportunity: A zero-mile, first-gen Viper V-10 crate engine is up for sale. The engine, built as a factory replacement, was ordered by mistake in 1996. As the story goes, a dealership employee ordered a bottle of red touch-up paint but, as they transcribed the part number, miswrote a single digit. Instead of a bottle of paint, the dealer received a $10,000 Viper engine—and no Viper.

The dealership sold the engine to a customer, who had plans to swap the V-10 into a first-gen Dodge Dakota pickup. Once that plan fizzled, the powerplant made its way back to a dealership employee, who displayed it in their garage. The current owner, a long-time Viper fan, purchased the V-10 from that employee in 2021, with the idea of turning the engine into a coffee table or desk. Evidently, those plans were never realized.

Listed for sale on Bring a Trailer, the engine comes complete from the twin throttle bodies down to the oil pan with the factory accessory drive, which includes an alternator, A/C compressor, and power-steering pump. With its cast exhaust manifolds, starter, oil filter housing, clutch, and even engine mounts, the engine looks ready to drop into a first-gen Viper.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn1RSxzD6qg

This 27-year-old engine is in a strange position—is it a collectible or a ready-to-use powerplant? The first-generation Viper V-10 was a game-changer. Dodge combined modern lightweight aluminum castings with a proven, simple pushrod design to create a hot-rodded small-block V-10 with 8.0 liters of displacement that could churn out 400 hp, an impressive output for the time. However, by 1996, when this engine was ordered, Dodge was already building a 450-hp version of the V-10, and bigger, more powerful iterations were in the pipeline. While it’s strange to say that a Viper V-10 was ever practical, the engine would have been a novel way to get a potent powerplant in a mid-’90s build. Today, however, 400-hp is a junkyard V-8 swap away: It’s tough to see this engine as a great swap candidate for most projects, because Viper V-10 parts are nowhere near as common as V-8 parts; Dodge didn’t make that many Vipers.

While 400 hp is not as impressive as it was when the Viper debuted in 1996, this engine wasn’t meant to be a coffee table or a desk. We’d love to see the V-10 bring life back to a first-gen Viper that’s been driven hard. Barring that—and perhaps because we’ve just seen Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny—the engine belongs in a museum where it can be put on display as a testament to Mopar’s ingenuity. We just hope the next owner won’t set their drink on it.

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Ever since its founding in 1929, the Academy of Art University has championed the premise that nothing should preclude a student from developing their artistic skills. “When my grandfather established the school, he believed that regardless of a student’s race, socioeconomic class, country of origin, or anything else that might qualify a student as diverse, they should be given the opportunity to explore and grow their talents,” explains Dr. Elisa Stephens, the president of the Academy of Art University.

“His philosophy was that the world benefits by allowing all to become creative leaders. My dad, who succeeded my grandfather in leading the school, built on that philosophy by creating strong ties to the creative industry. We believe that working professionals are the best instructors for a student population wishing to turn their creative dreams into creative success. Our students build their skills and portfolios instructed by those who practice the skills that they teach, which includes professional artists, car designers, and auto restorers.”

Of the 126 different programs the Academy offers, the automotive-design program distinguishes itself by being one of only three such curricula in the country. Located in the heart of San Francisco and with a total enrollment of 10,000, students enjoy a cosmopolitan, larger-school experience not found at other institutions.

“San Francisco is so culturally rich, and artists love San Francisco because she’s so beautiful,” enthuses Dr. Stephens. “Every place you look, you’re inspired. We believe that it’s important to inspire the creative person into action and into working, and to keep them inspired. The environment in San Francisco does that.”

In addition to the design program, the Academy offers a degree in automotive restoration. Academy of Art University is the only professional art and design university to offer both design and restoration programs.

Wayne Barnes, the Academy’s automotive advisor, adds, “Most important for students in our automotive programs, we are surrounded by car culture. Everybody thinks of Los Angeles as the center of California’s car culture, but in San Francisco, we drive everywhere. We have great collectors in Silicon Valley. We’ve got great collectors in the North Bay, great collectors in the South Bay. We host the Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance, which is fabulous. We have a tremendous car culture here, and one of the reasons we started the car design program and the museum is that we felt San Francisco deserved it.”

The Academy of Art University Automotive Museum was founded in 2005 by Dr. Stephens’s father, Dr. Richard A. Stephens, to give students a design perspective that they would not be able to receive anywhere else. With access to a museum of rare and classic vehicles totaling more than 120 cars, students can study design and apply that sense of craftsmanship to their own artistic pursuits. Cars in the collection include design icons from Bugatti, Cadillac, Duesenberg, Packard, and more.

“Bringing in these classics helps train the eye of the students in car design and restoration,” says Dr. Stephens. “Students can see where automotive design originated and how it evolved. We live in a three-dimensional world, so it’s important that students can feel the car, walk around it, and not be constrained to the two-dimensional world of drawing, essential as that may be. The older cars expose the students to craftsmanship and design elements that we want them to realize and then improve upon for their own designs.” The museum is open to the public; to book a tour with a docent, please visit https://academyautomuseum.org/visit/.

The collection is constantly seeking new paths and as such, must constantly evolve. “As time marches forward, newer, more recent cars are now becoming classics,” says Dr. Stephens. “We want to diversify the collection to bring in cars that our students admired when they were young. For example, we get a lot of requests for the Datsun 240Z. We get requests for the first-gen Mazda Miata. Wayne and I want to broaden the collection and add these newer cars before they disappear.”

To realize this vision, the difficult decision was made to bring several of the collection’s cars to the Broad Arrow auction at Monterey in August. “It’s been an incredibly difficult decision, because we’re so deeply attached to them,” says Dr. Stephens. “It’s not always logical, because we’re drawn to cars emotionally.”

The standout of the group is the 1930 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Convertible Sedan. Its notable early ownership includes Academy Award–winning set designer, Cedric Gibbons, the designer of the Oscar statuette. The 1937 Bugatti Type 57C Atalante, chassis no. 57557, is one of the most famous designs on the Type 57 chassis.

Equally impressive and incredibly rare is a 1932 Stutz DV-32 Weymann Super Bearcat. The “Stutz SSJ,” as it is often referred to, was built on a unique short-wheelbase chassis.

Rounding out the group is the stunning 1934 Cadillac V-16 Fleetwood Aero-Dynamic Coupe. This highly important aerodynamic design is one of just five known surviving examples on the V-16 chassis. “Finding the vehicles that will replace these is our goal now,” says Barnes. “That’s a major focus for us, so that the students feel that there is forward motion.”

Aiding the Academy’s forward motion is its integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in its curricula. “We use AI across many departments, including advertising, industrial design, and game design,” notes Dr. Stephens. “We look at AI as an important tool in processing a vast amount of data to analyze consumer trends. But it won’t ever replace this creative spark necessary to design a pair of shoes for a woman that she falls in love with, or a chair that you want to dive into.”

Tom Matano, the creator of the Mazda Miata and head of the Academy’s industrial design program, agrees. “The thing about design is that humans are illogical, and our emotional attachment to the products that we use, the clothes we wear, the cars we drive, can’t be created by a machine.”

Another important aspect of the Academy’s mission is ensuring that the widest diversity of students has access to a creative education. “We do that by offering free pre-college art and design classes, starting with teens as young as 14, and regardless of prior experience,” says Dr. Stephens. “That allows everybody an opportunity, no matter their budget, to explore their artistic potential. We offer courses both online and onsite and make it easy for them to access us online.

“People always ask me, ‘What does the future of creative art and design look like?’” concludes Dr. Stephens. “My answer is that everything changes all the time, but it’s the emotional connections created by great works of art and design that are most significant. At the Academy of Art University, we are building on the strong foundation established by my father and grandfather to carry us into the twenty-first century.”

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Wire wheels, a convertible top, a six-cylinder engine, sharp styling, and even sharper handling. During the golden era of British sports cars, Austin-Healey combined those ingredients to create an instant classic.

If you have a hankering for top-down British motoring, check out our Hagerty Marketplace auction pick of the week, this 1967 Austin-Healey 3000 BJ8 Mk III.

The 3000’s story began at the Earls Court Motor Show in 1952. Designer Donald Healey unveiled the Healey 100, denoting the car’s top speed of 100 mph. It was a hit, and Healey had to partner with BMC, the owners of Austin, to keep up with orders.

Austin-Healey dropped in a six-cylinder engine in 1956 to make the 100/6. The displacement increased to 2902 cc in 1959, and the 3000 was born. Known as the Big Healey to differentiate it from the smaller Sprite, the 3000 racked up 43,000 sales during its eight-year production run, with most cars sold in the U.S. market.

By its final production year of 1967, the Big Healey was in its third iteration. The Mk III introduced improvements to the interior, like a wood dashboard and a 2+2 seating arrangement. The car’s 2.9-liter inline-six, breathing through two SU carburetors, was good for 148 horsepower and 173 pound-feet of torque. All 3000s came with a four-speed manual, and most North American cars were equipped with a finicky Laycock de Normanville overdrive.

Our feature car is a 1967 model that has been owned by the same family since October 1971. The 3000 is finished in Metallic Golden Beige—a one-year-only color for the 3000—with a red leather interior with a black folding soft top. To make the Austin-Healey more usable in modern traffic, the car has a few upgrades: The transmission has been changed to a Toyota W58 five-speed ‘box, a popular swap for these cars. Also, the radiator fan has been upgraded to an electric push-fan for more reliable cooling.

The Big Healey was treated to an extensive restoration in 2011. Since the work is now 12 years old, the car wears a few flaws: The paint is chipping in the driver door jamb, stress-cracking in the paint is present around the hood, and minor pitting is visible on the chrome bumper and wire wheels. The good news, however, is that the undercarriage is remarkably clean.

Twisty roads, tweed jackets, and a straight-six-cylinder soundtrack are calling. Don’t miss out on this Austin-Healey 3000. The auction ends on Monday, June 19, at 4:20 pm EDT.

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An all-Ferrari auction took place this week. It happened in what is surely the best location for an all-Ferrari auction—Monaco. Held at the Place du Palais overlooking the Port of Hercules, the sale by MonacoCarAuctions was held in conjunction with “Top Marques Monaco,” a fancy car show where the manufacturers show off their latest and greatest exotics each year at the Grimaldi Forum. The place to be, in other words, if you’re supercar shopping. Online bidding opened for a total of 39 Ferraris, including a one-off 365 beach car by Michelotti, a 488 GTB ice racer, and Fernando Alonso’s Enzo.

But just as Scuderia Ferrari didn’t shine in Monaco at the Grand Prix a couple of weeks back (P6 for Leclerc, P8 for Sainz), collectible Ferraris weren’t exactly red hot at this sale, even though MonacoCarAuctions called it “L’AstaRossa” (the red auction). Only 18 of the cars were red, and, more importantly, just 15 of them met reserve and sold. Fernando apparently decided to hang on to his Enzo when it failed to meet the €5M low estimate. The funky gold beach car didn’t go to a new home, either. The top sale, however, is still pretty neat.

One of 14 Ferrari 250 GTs wearing alloy skin by Carrozzeria Boano, it sold for €1,350,000 (about $1.46M, and not including up to 12 percent buyer premium plus possible VAT). It was also driven in-period by a mysterious wealthy Dutchman with one of the coolest names I’ve ever heard—Jan de Vroom—who not only raced cars (how could you not with a name like that) but also sailed boats, collected vintage watches, consorted with a Rockefeller heiress, and, finally, wound up murdered in his New York apartment.

In 1954, the newly formed Carrozzeria Boano snagged a contract to build the 250 GT for Ferrari. Although the company was only around for three years, the coachbuilder founded by Felice Mario Boano and his son Gian Paolo produced bodies for Fiat-Abarth, Chrysler, Lincoln, and Alfa Romeo. The Ferrari 250 GT Boano, however, is their most prolific and best-known work, although it was tweaked from an original Pinin Farina shape. Over two years, about 70 to 80 “low roof” coupes were built by Boano, and 14 received alloy bodies intended for competition.

This one, chassis 0569GT, was sold via Luigi Chinetti in the U.S. and competed at the Bahamas Speed Week races in 1956, where it was driven by the aptly named de Vroom to unremarkable results.

Speaking of de Vroom, his racing career appears to have only spanned 1956–58 and includes a string of DNFs and mediocre results, but he did race Ferraris at Sebring and Le Mans. He was also an early financial backer of Luigi Chinetti’s legendary North American Racing Team, aka NART. How de Vroom paid for his expensive hobbies isn’t clear, but at some point he had befriended the generous Margaret Rockefeller Strong de Cuevas (yes, that Rockefeller), and with her connections got into the import business.

According to a 2008 Vanity Fair piece about Strong (which really is worth a read), the “unsavory Jan de Vroom … was a tall, blond adventurer who dominated drawing rooms by sheer force of personality rather than good looks.” De Vroom evidently used that to his advantage, as the story adds that, “through Margaret de Cuevas’s bounty he soon owned a sleek sailing boat, a fleet of Ferrari cars, a Roll-Royce, and—briefly, until it crashed—an airplane.”

By the ’70s he was still involved with her but had gotten a little too into pills and booze. In November 1975 a houseguest found him stabbed to death in his apartment. It was a botched robbery and embezzlement attempt, hatched by a group of former friends and lovers.

The story of the Ferrari, meanwhile, has a happier ending. After racing in the Bahamas, there isn’t much record of its history until it was restored in the 1980s by DK Engineering in England, partially using parts from another 250 chassis, according to online Ferrari resource Barchetta. It sold a few times in the ’90s, and last brought €401.500 at an RM auction in 2009. Carrying Ferrari Classiche and FIVA certification, it’s eligible for the Mille Miglia and surely any event to which the new owner would wish to take it.

MonacoCarAuctions is a brand new company based in, you guessed it, Monaco. This was their first sale, so the mixed results are understandable. But even though the low-roof Boano coupe does wear an older restoration, it sold for about 100 grand more than its Condition #1 (“concours”) value in the Hagerty Price Guide and more than the last alloy Boano offered at auction, which sold for $1.35M two years ago.

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This year marks one full century since the first running of the 24 Hours Grand Prix of Endurance, aka the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The world’s most important sports-car race has some serious history behind it, and several pieces of that history will be up for grabs at an RM Sotheby’s auction held at the French circuit in conjunction with the race.

A small, curated group of 21 race cars (plus one very cool 1963 Ferrari safety car) will cross the block on June 9. Each is worth checking out, and all but one raced at Le Mans. Below are our favorites.

1996 Chrysler Viper GTS-R

It wasn’t the first time American muscle made the trip to Le Mans, but Chrysler’s effort with the Viper was certainly one of the most successful.

Vipers took three class wins at Le Mans from 1998 to 2000, with the French team ORECA building and campaigning the cars. The first seven racing Vipers, however, were home-grown cars constructed by Chrysler in Detroit. This white and blue one is one of those Chrysler-built cars, and it ran its first race in 1997 for Viper Team Oreca at the 24 Hours of Daytona. After a 15th place finish there, it went to Le Mans with Justin Bell, John Morton, and Pierre Yver driving. That trio took it from 38th to 14th overall and fifth in class behind a quartet of Porsche 911 GT2s.

Before the 1998 season, it sold and was subsequently run in the British GT Championship, where it scored a handful of wins and helped secure the GT2 class championship. The year after that, it won a race in the Spanish GT Championship. Its last big performance was a class win at the 2008 Britcar Snetterton race, and its last competitive outing was at the 2008 Britcar 24 Hours of Silverstone, where it finished 5th in class.

Now, this piece of Viper Racing history has a €600,000–€700,000 ($650,000–$750,000) estimate. That’s not much compared to the seven-figure estimates of some of classics crossing the block in this sale, but if this GTS-R sells, it will become the most expensive Viper ever sold at auction. The current record holder is a 2017 ACR Voodoo II Edition sold for $418,000 earlier this year.

1991 Jaguar XJR-12 LM

The 1990 Le Mans race saw Jaguar take its last win at the French classic. The XJR-12—with its monster 7.0-liter V-12, rear fender skirts, and flamboyant, purple and white Silk Cut cigarette livery—was the car with which the British marque did it. For 1991, the Group C formula that had defined sports car racing for the past decade was replaced, but older Group C machinery was still allowed to compete. Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR)/Jaguar ran the XJR-12 LM again, this time with an even larger 7.4 liter 12-banger.

This one ran the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1991, finishing second and fourth, respectively. At Le Mans that year, Derek Warwick, John Nielsen, and Andy Wallace brought it home in fourth behind the winning Mazda 787B and the two other Silk Cut Jags.

Other Group C–era Jags that have crossed the auction block before include a Silverstone-winning 1990 XJR-11 that sold for £1,191,000 ($1,540,000) five years ago and a Daytona-winning 1988 XJR-9 that sold for €1,917,500 ($2,070,000) last year. This one could go even higher: It carries an estimate of €2,500,000–€3,000,000 ($2.7M–$3.2M).

1967 Alpine A210

Known mostly for the rally-winning A110, the modern model of the same name, and its current Formula 1 team, Alpine (pronounced Al-peen) also has a long history in sports car racing. This car especially so—it’s a three-time Le Mans veteran.

Started by Jean Rédélé in 1955, the French firm had a Shell-sponsored race program going by 1962 and built steadily quicker pocket-rockets with Gordini/Renault power, lovely blue paint, and high rear fins. The A210 of 1966 followed the same formula, with a range of rear-mid-mounted, Gordini-tuned Renault twin-cam fours underneath the blue fiberglass bodywork. Only eight A210s were built, and this is arguably the most desirable of the bunch.

At Le Mans in 1967, it finished ninth overall and won its class with a 1.3-liter engine. It then finished seventh at Kyalami in South Africa with 1.5-liter power and in fourth at the Nürburgring 500km race in 1968. At Le Mans ’68 it won its class again, this time with a 1.0-liter engine, and won the Index of Performance—an award for efficiency that favored small (and, typically, French) cars. It returned to Le Mans in 1969 but sadly couldn’t pull off the hat trick, retiring after two hours with head-gasket failure.

Like many old race cars, this Alpine wound up unceremoniously stuffed into a shed, in this case for four decades. Pulled out in the 2010s, the dirt-covered racer sold for €872,800 ($949,800) at auction in 2016 and has since been cleaned up and mechanically sorted but not restored. Another A210 sold in 2015 for €476,800, but for the Le Mans auction this class-winner has a much higher estimate of €1,200,000–€1,500,000 ($1,300,000–$1,600,000).

1984 Lancia LC2

Like the Alpine, this Group C car is an endurance racer built by a company known for its rally cars.

Lancia withdrew from sports-car racing in the 1950s, but its rally success in the ’70s with the Fulvia and the Stratos encouraged the Italians to get back to the circuit. First came some class success with the Beta Monte Carlo silhouette racer (though it looked like a production car, the race version was significantly different on a mechanical level.) Then there was the spyder-bodied prototype LC1 designed by Gian Paolo Dallara. After a short competition life, it was replaced by the LC2.

The LC2 still featured a Dallara chassis, and its carbon fiber/Kevlar body was similarly shaped to that of the LC1, but now the race car had a roof. Lancia also ditched the LC1’s small, turbocharged four-cylinder for a Ferrari V-8. Based on the 32-valve engine from the 308 QV, the new mill was downsized to 2.65 liters and fitted with two KKK turbos.

The LC2s were always quick, but the reliability just wasn’t there, and on virtually every grid the Group C Lancias were far outnumbered by Porsches. At Le Mans in 1983, for example, there were three LC2s up against nine Porsche 956s. This one for sale took both pole and fastest lap at Le Mans in 1984, but couldn’t keep the pace and eventually finished eighth . . . behind seven Porsches.

It did, however, win the 1000-km race at Kyalami and found the podium at Silverstone. One of nine total LC2 chassis constructed for the 1983–86 World Sportscar Championship seasons, it has a €2,200,000–€2,400,000 ($2,350,000–$2,550,000) estimate for the Le Mans auction.

1936 Delahaye 135 S by Pourtout

Built in 1936, this competition-spec Delahaye was entered in that year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. Due to labor unrest, however, the organizers canceled the event that year. The car did finally get to Le Mans in 1938, and it finished second overall behind another 135-chassis Delahaye and ahead of a Talbot-Lago T150SS. Despite the German stranglehold on Grand Prix racing in the late 1930s, the home team still held its own at Le Mans. At the 1938 race, French cars, all driven by French drivers, took the first five places.

After the war, the Delahaye got a new, barchetta-type body in 1951 and raced at the 1954 Tour de France. In 1955 it was rebodied again as a cabriolet. From 2005–8, it received a full restoration to its period Le Mans specs, including a rebody in the correct Pourtout style. It has a €1,500,000–€2,000,000 ($1,600,000–$2,150,000) estimate.

1955 Ferrari 121 LM

The 1955 Le Mans race is remembered for two things: Jaguar’s victory with its D-Type, and Pierre Levegh’s Mercedes launching into the grandstands and killing over 80 people. It was worst disaster in motorsports history.

This Ferrari was there, keeping pace with the eventual winner until it retired in the 10th hour with engine failure. It also ran at another famous race—the 1955 Mille Miglia—which saw Stirling Moss’s legendary performance in the winning Mercedes-Benz 300SLR. The Ferrari actually led that race for a time, but eventually suffered an oil pump failure. Sold at the end of the 1955 season, it raced in North America and underwent restoration from 2018 until earlier this year. One of just four Ferrari 121 LMs are left, this one sold in Monterey six years ago for $5.72M. For this trip across the auction block, it has an estimate of €5,500,000–€6,500,000 ($6,000,000–$7,000,000).

Works Ferrari race cars from the ’50s can be eight-figure cars, but a couple of things are keeping this car well below that threshold. First, the 121 LM is a straight six–powered car, which is generally less desirable than one with a V-12. Second, this chassis was involved in a fatal accident at the Pebble Beach Road Races in 1956.

1985 Porsche 962

Campaigned by the Rothmans Porsche factory team in the 1985 and ’86 World Championship seasons, this 962 was driven in period by a who’s who of ’80s sports car racing: Derek Bell, Al Holbert, Jacky Ickx, Klaus Ludwig, Jochen Mass, Vern Schuppan, John Watson, and Hans Stuck.

It debuted at Le Mans in 1985, qualified fifth, and ran in second place behind a Porsche 956 for over 12 hours before this 962 suffered a crankshaft failure. At Le Mans the next year, it qualified on pole but retired. It then sold on to the factory-supported Joest Racing team and took second at the 1987 Nürburgring 1000 km. Over the course of its competition career it raced at Hockenheim, Mosport, Spa, Monza, Silverstone, and Kyalami—quite the resume.

Its predecessor, the Rothmans-sponsored 956 that won Le Mans in 1982, sold for $10.12M back in 2016, but without a win at La Sarthe to its credit, this 962 has a presale estimate of “only” €6,000,000–€9,000,000 ($6,500,000–$9,500,000).

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The era of massive personal luxury coupes was coming to an end in the late 1970s. A couple of fuel crises made smaller more economical cars very appealing, and most manufacturers downsized their full-size offerings. But Lincoln was not most manufacturers.

Ahead of the 1977 Continental Mark V release, Lincoln proudly announced that “Our standard cars are full-sized in every sense of the term as are our luxury offerings.”

At over 19 feet long and the largest iteration of the Continental, the Mark V made good on Lincoln’s promise. If you need a car that’s as big as a whale or can seat about 20, check out our auction pick of the week, this 1979 Continental Mark V Bill Blass Edition offered with no reserve.

The Mark V was arguably the apex of the ’70s personal luxury coupe craze. Unleaded fuel and crude smog controls ended the golden era of performance, so manufacturers pivoted to very large, plush cruisers.

This giant slab of American steel is powered by an equally giant 400cid V-8 backed by a three-speed C-6 automatic transmission. With an 8:1 compression ratio, the V-8 only put out 179 hp, but the engine’s 329 lb-ft of torque made for effortless boulevard cruising.

As a continuation of its predecessor’s Designer Series, the Mark V offered four exclusive editions designed by either Bill Blass, Cartier, Givenchy, or Pucci. Each special edition embodied the style of its designer namesake through the use of exclusive paint schemes and interior appointments.

Our feature car is a well-preserved Bill Blass edition with just over 5000 miles on the clock. Exclusive exterior flourishes include a blue-over-white two-tone paint job, gold pinstriping, and Blass monogramming on the white vinyl carriage top and the rear decklid. The interior is finished in plush white leather with midnight blue accent straps, piping, and components.

The car has a few minor imperfections, including minor paint chips in the driver-side rear quarter panel and driver’s door. There is also a minor dent in the driver- and passenger-side rear quarter panels. But the car is mechanically sound. Recent maintenance includes new Hankook Kinergy ST tires in 2022, and an oil and filter change performed in April 2023 at 5,008 miles. The cosigner reports that the air conditioning is fully functional—perfect for summer trips to the local ice cream shop.

Regardless of how much this Mark V sells for, the price-per-inch will be unmatched. Get your bids in on this beautiful boat now. The auction ends on Tuesday, June 6th at 4:30 p.m. EDT.

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We dedicated the May/June 2023 issue of Hagerty Drivers Club magazine to the deep connections between music, musicians, and cars, including several fun lists featuring your favorite car songs. Come back often or click the Music & Cars tag to stay up to date on these stories as they roll out online. You can also jam with our custom Music & Cars playlist on Spotify, available here.

Celebrity ownership of classic cars is often a huge driving factor in their big sale prices at auction, and fans have paid thousands of times over the odds to buy cars once owned by their musical heroes. From high-buck supercars to fairly conventional machines with morbid histories, here’s a rundown of the musicians whose cars have fetched big percentages over similar cars.

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Keith Richards

The Rolling Stones rocker’s cars regularly outsell their normal counterparts, but his 1965 Bentley S3 Continental Flying Spur provided the biggest bang, selling in 2015 for £763,100 ($1.18M), or 304 percent over any other example.

Elton John

Sir Elton is a frequent seller, with 17 different sales over the years. But when it comes to pure profit, his 1956 Bentley S1 Continental fastback at £196,250 (around $283,000) in 2001 accounted for a 341 percent markup.

Elvis Presley

The King’s cars always bring big money, and his 1975 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham is a standout, after reaching £66,083 (around $81,500) during an online auction in January 2022—a 518 percent premium over any other Caddy of the same ilk.

Freddie Mercury

The Queen frontman’s 1974 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow sold last November for $322,861, an astonishing 3871 percent over any other example.

Notorious B.I.G.

In 2017, the 1997 GMC Suburban in which Christopher Wallace, aka Biggie Smalls, aka the Notorious B.I.G., was shot to death sold for $1.5 million, an increase of 18,650 percent compared with a similar Suburban.

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When a Fast & Furious movie hits the theater, as Fast X does today in the U.S., it’s guaranteed to be a globetrotting adventure with wild, car-centric action. It’s also sure to rake in the dough.

The film franchise is Universal Studios’ most lucrative, with more than six billion dollars in gross revenue. Yes, $6,000,000,000. That kind of appeal can bring acclaim not only to the actors but also to the films’ star cars, elevating the status and value of on-set vehicles far above that of their behind-the-camera peers.

We took a look at all of the public sales of four-wheeled stars in the Fast franchise to see which ones were most elevated by their star power. Here are the top seven auction results, all of which brought six-digit results.

To compare each car used on-screen with its “normal” version, we’ll be using data from the Hagerty Price Guide, which uses a 1-to-4 rating scale to evaluate a vehicle’s condition. The definitions are broken down here.

Paul Walker’s R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R

Sale price: $1,357,000

Besides its beautiful Bayside Blue paint, widebody conversion, and Volk wheels, this 2000 (R34) Nissan Skyline GT-R also features a host of performance mods that double the factory-rated output of its twin-turbo inline-six to 550 horsepower. Even better, all of the upgrades were personally selected by the late Paul Walker.

Walker commissioned the car to be built by Kaizo Industries, who imported the Skyline, sans engine, into California with plans of retrofitting the car to comply with U.S. Department of Transportation regulations. This was the hero car in the franchise’s fourth film, 2009’s Fast & Furious. While other RWD stunt cars and prop replicas were used in filming, this was the only actual GT-R on-screen; the rest of the Skylines were lower-performing, GT-T models dressed up as GT-Rs.

After filming wrapped, U.S. Customs impounded the car: As a model not originally sold in the states, it is not legal for import until 2025. After a drawn-out legal process, the car was shipped to Germany where it has been on display ever since, reportedly with the seat left in the position Paul Walker left it. Its recent sale earlier in May 2023 makes this the most expensive Skyline ever sold at auction.

1994 Toyota Supra Turbo

Sale price: $550,000

Paul Walker drove this car in the original The Fast and the Furious (2001) and it made an appearance in 2003’s sequel, 2 Fast 2 Furious. This car set the record for the highest price paid for a Supra at auction. Its impressive sale price, far above a ’94 Supra Turbo’s #3 (Good) condition value of $91,800, is due to its well-documented use on-screen with Walker behind the wheel.

Famed movie-car builder and car customizer Eddie Paul built the Supra for the first movie and repainted it for a new role in the sequel. Before its record-breaking sale in 2021, the car was returned to its most recognizable and famous configuration, with those iconic Troy Lee graphics it wore for its movie debut.

1993 Toyota Supra

Sale price: $203,000

While this Supra is not a Turbo, and its nitrous oxide bottles—”actually, let’s make it two”—are not attached, it was the stunt car used in the 2001 movie’s finale. The status greatly adds to its appeal in the eyes of collectors. Like its nearly identical hero-car counterpart, this Supra is equipped with an APR wing and Bomex body kit and was fitted with a roll cage.

The $203K it brought at Mecum’s 2015 Indianapolis sale vastly exceeded the value of a naturally aspirated Supra at the time, and the current #3 (Good) value, while up more than nine percent year-over-year, is still about a quarter of this famous car’s sale price.

1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse

Sale price: $155,000

Like a lot of the cars featured in the Fast movies, this Eclipse got a lot of movie magic and creative filming to make it appear far more exotic and powerful than its build sheet says it is. This four-speed automatic model is neither a turbocharged GS-T (Grand Sport Turbo) nor a GSX (Grand Sport X, for all-wheel drive) variant, but it is one of six Eclipses used to fill the on-screen role of Brian’s—played by Paul Walker—street-racing machine. Sometimes, movie magic matters more.

All of the car’s signature graphics are preserved. So are its diamond-plate floorboards, which are miraculously intact, as is the intake manifold, which we have been assured is no longer in danger.

1969 Chevrolet Yenko Camaro re-creation

Sale price: $132,000

You might recognize this LeMans Blue Camaro from 2 Fast 2 Furious, in which it was driven by Paul Walker.

The sale price of this Yenko-lookalike, big-block Camaro would not be quite this high without its movie pedigree, despite the extensive work done to restore it. A real Yenko Camaro is a rare and valuable piece of muscle-car lore and commands huge prices: Even in less-than-perfect condition, a genuine Yenko is worth more than $300,000.

Another ’69 Camaro built for the movie, but with a 350 small-block in place of the 427, sold for just $37,000.

1970 Dodge Challenger 426 Hemi re-creation

Sale price: $112,200

This is the first vehicle on the top-sales list that wasn’t driven by Paul Walker. Instead, this car was driven by Tyrese Gibson in 2 Fast 2 Furious. Since Vin Diesel and his character Dominic Toretto’s supercharged Dodge Charger were both absent from the sequel, this Mopar pony car helped give the franchise another serious dose of muscle car alongside the aforementioned “Yenko” Camaro.

A rotisserie restoration, from the car’s powder-coated subframe up, left the car in better shape than new; no offense to Tyrese, but this car would have brought nearly $112,000 even without its Hollywood connection. Were it an original Hemi car, its #3 (Good) condition value would be $186,000. There’s just something about a Hemi E-body …

1965 Ford GT40 re-creation

Sale price: $110,000

Have you priced a decent GT40 replica lately? Even in 2014, this was well-bought. It’s powered by a 347-cubic-inch small-block “stroker,” an engine that likely makes it every bit the handful as the original, FE 427 GT40. The right-hand-drive replica wears a fiberglass body and was modernized with a five-speed manual transmission but otherwise very much looks the real deal. After appearing in Fast Five in 2011, this car was given a nut-and-bolt restoration. The work was completed in 2014, just prior to its sale.

With most of the most valuable Fast cars coming from the early movies and the top five having a connection to the late Paul Walker, we don’t expect this top-seven list to change. However, as a Pontiac fan, I can see the first Fiero in space potentially cracking the list. If so, we’ll have to write another, expanded version.

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During the Roaring Twenties, high-end car manufacturers were in a cylinder-number arms race to attract buyers. More cylinders meant more, smoother power. Cadillacs only had V-8s at the time, so in order to keep up with the competition, development started on a line of new V-12 and V-16 engines in 1927. The new models powered by these engines would be the pinnacle of Cadillac. Just as the development of these new powerplants was finishing up in late 1929, the stock market crashed, sending the economy into a tailspin.

The Cadillac V-12 and V-16 were introduced in 1930. Oops.

If you have an appreciation for prewar excess or bad timing, check out our Hagerty Marketplace Auction pick of the week, this stunning 1931 Cadillac Series 370A V-12 Phaeton.

In reality, most people who were able to afford a new Cadillac around the time of the Great Depression didn’t feel its effects the way the working class did. Nevertheless, it was still an era of belt-tightening, and even the rich had to curb some aspects of their extravagant lifestyles. The Cadillac Series 370 V-12 far outsold its more expensive V-16 counterpart.

The 370 suffix denoted the V-12’s 370 cubic inches of displacement, while the A signifies an early model. From that voluminous displacement, the twelve channels 135 horsepower through a three-speed synchronized manual transmission.

Like a lot of high-end prewar cars, the Series 370A could be had with a variety of custom and semi-custom bodies, with the standard models being designed by a young Harley Earl.

Our featured car has a Phaeton body by Fisher (one of Cadillac’s in-house coachbuilders at the time) draped over a 140-inch wheelbase. The term Phateon is taken from the pre-automobile era, where it referred to a dangerously fast, lightweight, four-wheeled carriage. The term was then adopted by car manufacturers to mean a sporty four- or five-passenger automobile with a convertible top. Other exterior touches include dual side-mount spare wheels, a radiator stone guard, and a goddess hood mascot.

The two-tone maroon-and-white paint presents well, but it’s not perfect. This car was restored in the late 1990s, and there’s a minor scratch on the front bumper on the passenger side, a minor paint crack in the passenger front fender below the spare, a paint chip in the rear passenger corner pinstriping, and flaking paint on the lower passenger corner of the trunk. But this beast should be driven, not locked up in a museum.

These cars cemented Cadillac as the “Standard of the World.” Don’t miss out on this piece of prewar history. Bidding ends on Tuesday, May 30, at
4:20 p.m. EDT.

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“Dana Mecum’s Spring Classic” auction—aka Mecum Indianapolis—is one of the largest auctions of the year, and there is always something for everybody. Last year’s sale featured over 2000 vehicles, and prices ranged from $1100 to $2.2M. Quite the spread.

Given the venue and the timing of this 36th annual event (May 12–20, the week before the Indy 500), rare muscle and significant racers always fill the docket. These include a group of Ram Air IV Pontiacs, Bruce Springsteen’s Chevelle, and a bunch of Shelby Mustangs, but below are the cars we’ll be keeping a close eye on.

1965 Chevrolet Chevelle Z16

The Z16 is a significant step in the Chevelle story. Marking the first time a big-block made its way into showroom Chevelles, the Z16 arrived in mid-1965 as a two-door hardtop that was hot on the heels of Pontiac’s GTO. With its 375-hp 396-cubic-inch V-8, it was potent but expensive and not actively promoted, so Z16 production only amounted to 200 units. In addition to the big-block engine, Z16s came with a Muncie M20 wide-ratio four-speed, a 12-bolt rear, heavy-duty suspension, a front sway bar, a rear stabilizer bar, 11-inch drum brakes, and stiffer frame rails. This Z16 is represented as one of just three in Crocus Yellow over white and has been body-off restored. It has sold before, first for $89,100 at Mecum Kissimmee two years ago, then for $165,000 in Scottsdale the year after. For Indy, the estimate is even more ambitious, at $250,000–$275,000.

1969 Chevrolet Corvette L88/ZL1

Built by GM as an L88 coupe, prepared by legendary Corvette racer John Greenwood, and decked out in stars and stripes by his brother Bert, this big-block bruiser is a race-winner and record-breaker. One of three built by Greenwood and sponsored by BFGoodrich to promote its new line of T/A radial tires, it was initially meant for promo duty, but the crash of another one of Greenwood’s Corvettes meant that it was pulled off the bench and prepped for racing.

Part of that prep involved swapping the already-potent L88 engine for a race-spec aluminum ZL1 mill. Driven over the course of its career by John Greenwood, Bob Johnson, Dick Smothers, and Don Yenko, it won its class at the 1972 Watkins Glen 6 Hour race. It also ran at Sebring and Daytona. At Le Mans in 1973, it set the GT class speed record of 215 mph on the Mulsanne straight, before engine trouble took it out of the running at the four-hour mark. Given a concours restoration more recently, it’s one of the most in-your-face American cars to ever lap Le Mans, which celebrates its centenary this year.

1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

While that Greenwood Corvette was lapping road courses, other ZL1s like this Camaro were burning up the quarter-mile. Ordering the ZL1 in your Chevrolet pony car, COPO 9560 in GM-speak, got you a race-derived aluminum 427 that the factory rated at 430 hp, but in reality it likely made quite a bit more.

Just 69 ZL1 Camaros were sold, and this Fathom Green car is one of the 50 that went through Fred Gibb Chevrolet in Illinois. It has a mostly unknown early history but was restored with correctly dated and numbered parts and sold at auction in 2007 for $603,750. At Indy, Mecum estimates it will bring between $700,000 and $900,000.

1969 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham “CadMad”

Named for promoter Don Ridler in 1963, the Ridler Award is essentially best-in-show for the annual Detroit Autorama, and it’s something that every hot rod builder dreams of winning. This Cadillac, built by the team at Super Rides by Jordan in Escondido, California, and known as “CadMad,” won the Ridler in 2019.

A 16-year project that reportedly cost $2M, it started life as a 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham but now has a tube frame chassis, no rear doors, and a Chevy Nomad roof. It has go to match its show, too, with a 632-cubic-inch twin-turbo big-block V-8 that makes a reported 1025 hp. Auctioned off in 2020 for $302,500 (and profiled by us here), it has a $350,000–$450,000 estimate at Mecum Indy.

1971 Chevrolet Corvette ZR2 Coupe

To the uninitiated, classic Corvettes all look pretty similar, but the right combination of letters and numbers can really peg the price meter. “ZR2” is certainly one of those combos. In 1970, the Corvette got an optional “LT1,” a saucy small-block with solid lifters and 370 hp. A “ZR1” package combined that engine with beefed-up suspension and brakes, an aluminum radiator, and an M22 “Rock Crusher” four-speed, while deleting air conditioning, the radio, and power steering/windows. For 1971 only, Corvette added the “ZR2,” which was essentially a big-block LS6-powered version of the ZR1. The solid-lifter 454 was rated at 425 hp, and just a dozen ZR2s were produced.

Built at the St. Louis plant and delivered new in Toronto, this car is reportedly the last of that dozen. The coupe, in Brands Hatch Green over a dark green interior, last sold in Scottsdale nine years ago for $495,000, and at Mecum Indy it has an estimate of $475,000–$600,000.

1970 Dodge Challenger “Black Ghost”

Although it’s primarily “legendary” if you were part of the Detroit street racing scene 50 years ago, this Hemi Challenger is nevertheless famous enough to be in the National Historic Vehicle Register, and for Dodge to name one of its “Last Call” Hemi models this year. That it is being sold from the same family that bought it new has also caused quite a buzz in the car media world.

The “Black Ghost,” as this triple-black Challenger R/T SE Hemi is known, haunted Woodward Avenue in the first half of the 1970s, beating lesser cars between the lights and then disappearing into the night. The disappearing act was partly because the owner was a police officer who wanted to keep his street racing hobby on the down low and avoid a super-awkward traffic stop. He stopped racing it in 1975, and in 2015, just before his passing, he signed the title over to his son. The current condition #1 (Concours) value in the Hagerty Price Guide for a ’70 Hemi Challenger R/T four-speed is $414,000, but an unrestored and very famous example like this could bring a hefty premium.

1960 Chevrolet Corvette

Casner Motor Racing Division, given the Italianate name “Camoradi,” was the outfit of American airline pilot Lloyd “Lucky” Casner. Camoradi’s best achievements were with its Maserati Birdcage, which won at the Nürburgring twice, but the team also campaigned with America’s sports car, the Corvette. Camoradi was allocated two factory-prepared Vettes for 1960, which supplemented the three given to fellow American sportsman Briggs Cunningham’s team. On its maiden outing in Cuba, this car won the GT-only race in Havana and three days later won its class at the Cuban Grand Prix (Stirling Moss won overall in Camoradi’s Maserati).

At Le Mans, it finished second in class behind Cunningham’s Corvette and 10th overall, but it didn’t actually cover enough distance to be officially classified. At the Swedish Grand Prix GT race, this Camoradi Corvette took the checkered flag but, while in Sweden, it got into a nasty wreck that smashed up the front end, hardtop, and windshield. The engine somehow wound up powering a speedboat in New Zealand, but the rest of the car remained in Scandinavia until the 1990s, when it was brought back to the U.S. and restored. Another piece of Le Mans history up for grabs during the race’s centenary, it has an oddly specific presale estimate of $2.0M–$2.1M.

1970 Plymouth Cuda 440 Rapid Transit show car

In 1970, Plymouth launched its “Rapid Transit System Caravan” promotion and toured the country with “Supercar Clinics” in partnership with the Sox & Martin drag racing team. A big part of the party were the four customized Plymouths given wild paint jobs and body modifications. Three of them wound up in the collection of Steven Juliano, whose estate sold them via Mecum in 2019 for $236,500, $264,000, and $341,000. Juliano tried to buy the fourth one, this wild Cuda 440, but its owner would never budge, and it has only recently seen the light of day after almost 50 years in a garage.

Designed by Harry Bradley and built by Chuck Miller at Styline Customs, the Rapid Transit Cuda has a custom steel grille and lower fascia, as well as a custom rear and a little electric motor that rattles the shaker hood for car shows. Originally finished in red, it was painted green, blue, and white for the 1970 Rapid Transit System program and got its current red, orange, and white job with that lovely fade in 1971.

It was then purchased by a private owner who drove it around for a bit, didn’t like all the attention he got (what did he expect?), and stuffed it in the garage. The odometer shows just 976 miles. This marvelous Mopar has a $500,000–$750,000 estimate for Mecum Indy.

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There’s a reason why the first-generation Mustang is so revered. With styling that will go down as one of the all-time greats, the affordable, sporty notchbacks, convertibles, and fastbacks flew off dealership lots. Performance variants, like the Shelby GT350, Boss 302, and Mach 1, further cemented the ‘Stang’s legendary status.

But what if you want a Mustang that’s a less common sight at the local car show and a bit more luxurious? This 1970 Mercury Cougar, our Hagerty Marketplace auction pick of the week, might be for you.

Released on September 30th, 1966 as a 1967 model, the first generation Mercury Cougar was positioned as a more luxurious alternative to Ford’s pony car. Indeed, the Cougar was essentially a Mustang under the skin, but it had a nicer interior, rode on a three-inch-longer wheelbase, and came with more standard equipment. Its handsome, European-inspired sheet metal replete with hide-away headlights had minor updates year-to-year until first-gen Cougar production ended in 1970.

Unlike the Mustang, a six-cylinder was not an option. The Cougar’s front shock towers were designed to accommodate Ford’s FE V-8 from the jump. In 1970, the base engine was a 250hp 351-cubic-inch V-8, but the monstrous 428 Cobra Jet with ram air induction was an option to satiate the speed freaks.

Our featured car is a Medium Ivy Green example that is in good driver condition. It was resprayed in 2017, but it retains its original green dashboard, carpet, and vinyl seats. Like a vast majority of first-generation Cougars, ours is equipped with an automatic transmission. But the car’s base engine is more suited to cruising the boulevard than it is ripping up a race track.

The car is not without flaws, however. There are slight rust spots on the rear bumper, the rear trim has a small dent, and the door locks are malfunctioning. The upside is that you don’t have to fret about putting some miles on it. The car is mechanically sound. When it was purchased in 2017, it reportedly had its brake system serviced, among other maintenance items. Under its current ownership, the gas tank was replaced and the rest of the fuel system was given a once-over.

The first-generation Cougar sold well but never caught on like its Mustang sibling. Total sales for the first-generation Cougar came in at 437,000. That sounds like a lot until you realize that the Mustang moved 467,000 units in 1967 alone.

Those numbers mean the Cougar stands out more at today’s car shows because it’s less common. If you want a Mustang that’s not a Mustang, this one’s for you. Make sure to get your bids in. The auction ends on Monday, May 8th, at 4:30 pm EDT.

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With spring in session and summer on the horizon, now is the time when military vehicle enthusiasts wake up their engines. Owning a wartime classic opens up a whole slate of commemorative events and reenactments to participate in, including Memorial Day and Independence Day parades. Beyond all the pomp and circumstance, however, it’s the subtle day-to-day joy of having a military classic around that often gets overlooked.

Hagerty member Rob DiNuzzo knows not to overthink it when it comes to his 1964 GAZ 69M and why it works so well amid the ranks of his family’s eclectic collection, “It will drive over anything. It’s super fun. It sits up high. It’s loud. My kids love it.” What more do you need it to do?

Finding retired military vehicles to buy isn’t difficult. Targeting those that have been restored or maintained appropriately is another matter entirely. Well-vetted examples will pop up for sale on occasion, but certainly not as often as your common muscle or sports car. Five vehicles of WWII-era militaria currently on Hagerty Marketplace are rare examples of well-cared-for machines that stem from a single collection—a history buff’s passing of the torch if you will—and each will make immediate enjoyment for the next steward(s) even easier.

1941 White Scout Car

Hey friend, want to man the .50? Sorry, this one is obviously a de-militarized prop, but don’t let that stop you and your closest pals from rumbling around in this fully kitted M3A1 Scout Car searching for era-appropriate play dates.

Produced by the White Motor Company of Cleveland, Ohio, and deployed in the Pacific and European theaters during WWII, the M3A1 Scout Car grew out of the previous M3, with more refinement and an extended wheelbase. As the scout car designation implies, it was outfitted primarily for reconnaissance use, with space for up to eight personnel. A front-mounted roller may give it an awkward face, but that advancement helped the M3A1 unstuck itself when going over narrow trenches and pits. Power is supplied from a 320-cubic-inch Hercules JXD inline-six making 110 hp, enough for a tolerable, 55-mph cruising speed with a stiff wind at your back. So avoid the interstate, Private, and let it shine in a different arena.

The seller bought it locally in the Colorado Springs area in 2019 (along with the rest of the collection). Prior to his ownership, in the 1990s it underwent a head-to-toe restoration, with either original or new old stock parts sourced as much as possible. As you’ll see in the gallery below, there’s no shortage of goodies to play around with.

The other four vehicles up for grabs in this party are all mil-spec WC-series Dodges, from 1941–42. Looking to expand on its prior VC series, Dodge manufactured its half-ton WC series trucks in over 38 different configurations, with 30 of them being 4×4-equipped. The chassis was incredibly popular for serving a variety of roles, as WCs became closed-cab pickups, open-cab pickups, weapons carriers, command cars, radio cars, and ambulances, to name a few.

1941 Dodge WC-3 and WC-21 Weapons Carriers

Trailing only Jeeps, Weapons Carriers are quite popular in WWII collector circles, with these two featuring less common open-cab layouts. At one point, these Dodges were even informally referred to as “jeeps” by some G.I.s, before Willys and Ford quarter-ton 4x4s arrived on the scene and mainstreamed the nickname.

The WC-3 here wears the newer restoration of the pair, finished in 2009 to “motor-pool-ready” operating standards. It even got a repaint that involved stripping the entire truck down to the metal, rare treatment for a vehicle of its type. Both feature 230-cubic-inch flathead inline-six engines and four-speed manual transmissions. The WC-3’s six burbles out 85 hp, while the WC-21 can make 90 hp from its correct, T-211-coded engine. Unfortunately, no prop guns are included with these, but nearly anyone can use some more jerrycans, shovels, and axes in their arsenal. Both trucks tote up to eight passengers and are true-blue body haulers.

1941 Dodge WC-6 Command Car

Only produced in 1941 by Dodge, this WC-6 made for a great candidate to go after some hardware. Restored in 1974 to award-winning shape, four years later it took home best in show at the inaugural Military Vehicle Preservation Association convention in Denver, Colorado. Later ditching the standard 230-cubic-inch flathead engine, this truck received a 251-cubic-inch Chrysler “Spitfire” transplant in the late ’80s, which gave it 30 additional hp, from 85 to 115. WC-6s have a rear storage compartment and seating for up to six. Inset tools and spare tires, along with swooping ingress/egress dips, give the body an unconventional shape in the world of utilitarian military cars.

1942 Dodge WC-54 Ambulance

It’s hard to resist staring at the eye-catching big red cross. Once manned by the best who saw the worst, this WC-54 ambulance got the restoration treatment in the ’80s and has only seen 94 miles on the ticker since. Unoriginal to the WC-54 is a two-speed transfer case that came from a WC-62, a later one-and-a-half-ton Dodge. Creature comforts like a matrix cab heater and the fully enclosed rear box make this historical relic a real life-saver during shows when inclement weather rolls in.

By 1942, Willys and Ford quarter-ton 4x4s were more abundant and had begun rooting into the Jeep nomenclature, so naturally the larger half-ton Dodge trucks were affectionately dubbed Beeps, for big Jeeps. The moniker didn’t stick, however, and the Power Wagon brand grew out of the Dodge military truck lineage on the civilian side of the fence. Pushing this WC-54 down the road is a 320-cubic-inch flathead six that generates 92 hp. Stretchers and all, this ambulance is in resplendent shape. We do suggest calling up the real thing in case of emergency, however, as this one will get you to the E.R. at a rather uncomfy 55-mph max. If only style could heal.

Happy bidding or browsing, and always, support our Veterans. Auctions will end on Friday, May 12, at 4:00 pm EDT.

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More than any other brand, Subaru has built its sporty image on the dirt, gravel, snow, and tarmac of the World Rally Championship (WRC). The sport is even in the name of the car that built Subie’s reputation: WRX stands for “World Rally eXperimental.”

Though it has been 20 years since Japan’s sixth-largest carmaker won a WRC title (driver or manufacturer)—the brand withdrew from the WRC in 2008—Subaru has been a strong rallycross competitor since. The heritage and enthusiasm from Subie’s time on the big stage remains, however. For fans of a certain age, the image of a blue and yellow Impreza leaping and sliding across the dirt is as memorable as Michael Schumacher bombing around Monaco in a red Ferrari.

More and more Subaru rally cars of older vintage have been coming to market. Why? The sport’s historical legacy is gaining recognition, and historic rallying is growing in popularity, especially in Europe. So, even as Mecum and Barrett-Jackson conducted large, muscle-heavy auctions mid-April, our attention turned across the pond to the Bonhams Goodwood Members’ Meeting sale. There, a 1999 Impreza WRC99 driven by one of the sport’s all-time greats, Richard Burns, was among the highlight lots.

Piloted to a stage win at Monte Carlo in 2000 and now fully restored, this World Rally weapon brought £448,500, or $556,902, including fees.

By the time this car hit the special stages, Subaru’s trophy case was already packed. After a modest competition start in the 1980s with the Leone, Subaru contracted with the British racing outfit Prodrive in 1989 to prepare its cars and run the Subaru Rally team. The initial weapon of choice was the Legacy, which was moderately competitive but not a title contender. Then, for 1993, a smaller, lighter, more nimble, and more promising choice arrived—the Impreza.

Subaru finally came out on top in 1995, with Colin McRae clinching the driver’s title and Subaru taking the manufacturer’s title in an Impreza decked out in the now-famous blue and yellow of British cigarette brand 555.

Subaru followed up with another manufacturer title in 1996 (Mitsubishi’s Tommi Mäkinen won the driver title). Looser homologation rules were introduced for the 1997 season to attract more teams to the WRC, but Subaru still managed to secure its third manufacturer title that year. The streak was broken in 1998, though, as Mitsubishi and Mäkinen took both championships.

Which brings us to 1999. Colin McRae departed the Prodrive-run Subaru team for Ford. Englishman Richard Burns, who had driven for Subaru in the early ’90s, returned to take McRae’s place. It was second place for both Burns and the team that season, during which he won the rallies at Acropolis, in Australia, and in Britain, and took second place in Finland and China. The car profiled here, chassis PROWRC99.011, was Burns’ mount for the Monte Carlo Rally, where he and codriver Robert Reid took second in three stages and took first in another before ignition issues forced the car’s retirement.

After Monte Carlo, Prodrive sold the car to a privateer who won several rallies in the French and Belgian Championships up until 2003. It wasn’t done, though, and sold to another owner who won the French Gravel Championship with it in 2004. A gravel regular for the next several years, it finally retired from competition in 2011 and was then restored in France over the course of five years.

Its original builders at Prodrive fully inspected it earlier this year. Included in the sale were lamp pod lights, a second set of wheels, and even the old Windows laptop that serves as its programming computer.

As for Richard Burns, he was runner up in the 1999 and 2000 seasons before finally taking his first driver’s championship in 2001, edging out Ford’s McRae by 2 points. Sadly, though, he died in 2005 of complications from a brain tumor. He remains the only Englishman to have won a driver’s title in the WRC.

At the Goodwood sale, Burns’ Monte Carlo Subaru fell within its £430,000–£520,000 presale estimate, bringing it in line with other Subaru greats that have crossed the auction block in recent years. In general, historic Subarus tend to sell for more than other modern rally cars. Some have brought prices in the low six-figure range, but more historically significant ones have brought quite a bit more.

In 2017, Colin McRae’s 1996 WRC test car sold for £230,625 (nearly $300K at the time), but in 2021, Petter Solberg’s 2004 Rally Japan–winning Impreza sold for £369,000 ($522K), and a barn-find Impreza driven by both McRae and Carlos Sainz Sr. sold for $360K worth of Bitcoin in Australia in 2020. Ex-Burns Imprezas have included one of his 2001 cars that sold for £392,500 ($462K) last August and his 2000 Rally GB–winning car that sold for £610,000 ($865K) nearly two years ago.

Represented as “the most original WRC car in the world,” that is the most expensive Subaru ever sold publicly, but this 1999 car is a clear runner-up. Consider the price paid as evidence that interest in 1990s rally cars isn’t a fad but a maturing part of the market.

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In the waning years of the golden era of muscle cars, Chrysler Corporation was on a roll. Cars like Plymouth Hemi ‘Cuda and the Dodge Challenger R/T captivated gearheads then and now with their ground-pounding performance. However, due to their reputation, ‘Cudas and Challengers have long been priced out of reach for many enthusiasts.

But A-body cars, like the Dodge Dart and the Plymouth Scamp, are still an affordable way to get into classic Mopars. That’s why this 1973 Plymouth Scamp, offered with no reserve, is our auction pick of the week.

The Scamp name first showed up in 1971, when Chrysler Corp. decided Plymouth needed to spice up the image of the conservatively styled Valiant. The Dodge Dart Swinger two-door hardtop was a success, so why not make a Plymouth version? Never one to pass up an opportunity for badge engineering, Mopar used an amalgamation of Plymouth Valiant and Dart Swinger sheet metal to create the Scamp’s muscular styling. The Scamp, and other cars using the compact A-platform, utilized unibody architecture with a torsion bar suspension setup up front.

The Scamp was a modest performer in base trim. The standard engine was Mopar’s indestructible but uninspiring 198 cid slant-six, but owners could select the venerable 318 cid V-8 for a performance bump. Additional options like the heavy-duty suspension and locking rear differentials were available for those seeking more performance. While a four-speed manual was available, most Scamps, like our feature car, came with a three-speed automatic.

The current owner’s father purchased our feature car in 1972, and it has been lovingly owned by the same family ever since. If your favorite color is green, you’re in luck. This Scamp is finished in Forrest Green Metallic with a complementing green vinyl roof and interior. The car looks extremely clean and presents well. It was reportedly treated to a complete body-off restoration totaling in excess of $120,000 by Paul’s Rod and Restos in Long Island, New York.

This Scamp has been lightly restomodded to make it more drivable in modern traffic. Originally equipped with the slant-six, the car was upgraded to the 318 V-8 which exhales through dual exhausts. Other modifications include upgraded brakes (discs up front and larger drums out back), and Cragar Magnum wheels.

If you’re looking for an entry into the “Mopar or no car” club, but don’t have Hemi ‘Cuda money, get your bids in on this Scamp. The auction ends on Wednesday, May 3, at 4:30 p.m. ET.

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When it comes to pricing classic automobiles, celebrity ownership does not always translate to big money. Sometimes, though, it really, really does—like when it’s a car owned by Steve McQueen. After making headlines at auction nine years ago, the King of Cool’s 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 will again cross the block at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale this August.

While there’s no actual science to it, celebrity premium does depend on things like how famous the owner was, their connection to the car in question, and how big of an enthusiast they were. Naturally, we track this sort of thing. The Hagerty Power List breaks down the most influential celebrities as they relate to the classic car market. As you might imagine, Steve McQueen is toward the top of the Power List’s movie star segment.

That makes sense; McQueen ticks all the celebrity car boxes. The lead in hit action films of the 1960s and 1970s, he was famous and classically cool in that “women want him, men want to be him” kind of way. He was also big into cars and motorcycles, plus he had good taste in both. Which is why, along with the vehicles of other car-crazy stars like Paul Newman or Paul Walker, McQueen-owned automobiles tend to be in a sort of market of their own, from his $1.95M Porsche 930 to the $3.74M Bullitt Mustang. More expensive than either, however, is this 275 GTB/4.

In the 1968 film The Thomas Crown Affair, McQueen’s character and an associate pass a 275 GTS/4 NART Spider, which they refer to as “one of those red Italian things.” Meanwhile, real-life McQueen was impressed enough to order his own red Italian thing. Unfortunately, his NART Spider got damaged in an accident on the Pacific Coast Highway and was laid up for repairs for several months. While waiting for it, he bought this 275 GTB/4, chassis number 10621.

The 275 GTB was an important car for Ferrari, with the company’s first production transaxle and fully independent suspension. McQueen’s car is a later GTB/4 that features upgrades like a four-cam, dry-sump version of the 3.3-liter Colombo V-12 engine and minor improvements to the suspension. Ferrari built 330 examples.

The actor’s Ferrari arrived painted in the factory shade of Nocciola (Hazelnut), but that just wouldn’t do, so McQueen had it painted in a specially mixed color called Chianti Red. He also swapped in Borrani wire wheels and a bespoke wing mirror. He drove it around San Francisco while filming Bullitt and used it regularly until 1971, when he sold it to Zorro and Lost in Space star Guy Williams. It stayed with Williams until 1976, then got some rear-end damage and sat in a body shop for several years.

A trucking magnate bought it in 1980 for $32,000 and commissioned Richard Straman to convert the closed GTB into an open NART Spider and had it painted yellow. While it would be blasphemous to cut up a 275 GTB today, it wasn’t unheard of back in the ’80s, when these cars weren’t worth the seven-figure sums they are today.

The now-roofless Ferrari passed through several more owners before going to 1983 Le Mans winner Vern Schuppan in 2009, and then went back home to Ferrari Classiche in Maranello for a full restoration back to its original McQueen specs.

Which brings us to 2014. One of the headline cars at the Monterey auctions that year, McQueen’s GTB sold for $10.175M. It was the fifth-most expensive car of the week (behind four other Ferraris, including a $38M 250 GTO), but it made big news since no McQueen-owned car has ever sold for more at auction. And since the condition #1 (concours, or best-in-the-world) price for a GTB/4 in the Hagerty Price Guide was $3.3M at the time (it’s $3.4M today), the sale showed just how big the King of Cool premium could be.

In the words of our colleague Rick Carey after the sale, “This is at best a $4 million four-cam, but on this day, in this place, the bidders added more than $5 million, despite the off-again, on-again roof, for the long-reupholstered butt prints of Steve McQueen in the seat. Amazing.”

Monterey 2023 is months away, but it has already been announced that McQueen’s Ferrari will again be among the headliners at the world’s most high-profile auction event. That said, the movie-star magic may have worn off a bit on this one. RM Sotheby’s estimate for it for this trip across the block is a more modest $5M–$7M.

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By draping a cute, fiberglass body over durable and inexpensive VW running gear, Bruce Meyers started a beach buggy craze. Meyers’ creation, dubbed the Manx, was a defining symbol of the carefree Californian lifestyle.

Volkswagen took notice of this craze and wanted to get in on the Manx’s market. In 1971, Dr. Henry Braner, Volkswagen of America’s Director of Market and Product Planning at the time, had an idea: Take the civilian-spec drop-top Type 181—which was already on sale in Europe and Mexico at that time, paint it fun colors, and market it to Californian surfers and free-spirit types. Thus the VW Thing, as it came to be known in America, was born.

If you’re in the hunt for a military beach cruiser born from a military vehicle, check out our Hagerty Marketplace auction pick of the week, this 1974 Volkswagen Type 181 Thing.

By the mid-1960s, NATO’s Europa Jeep project had stalled, but the West German Army was still in need of a small, all-terrain troop transport vehicle. To quickly meet military demand, Volkswagen slapped together the Type 181 in 1969 with parts it already had lying around. It utilized a reinforced floor pan from the Karmann Ghia, rear-swing axle suspension from the Type 2 Transporter van, and the air-cooled flat-four and manual transmission from the Beetle.

It didn’t take long for VW to realize that there was also public demand for a more rugged vehicle that could handle the terrain in Central Europe and Mexico. In 1971, the first civilian versions hit dealerships.

The Thing made its stateside in 1972 as a 1973 model. It was initially only available in three colors, but more followed in 1974. By the time the Thing had reached the U.S., VW had upgraded the Type 181 to have independent rear suspension. Sadly, it was ultimately dropped from the U.S. lineup in 1975 because it couldn’t meet that year’s more stringent crash test standards. For such a short tenure on the market, the Thing sold pretty well. The total production tallied 28,930 units.

Our featured Thing presents well with its Bright Sunshine yellow paint, chrome steel wheels, and black leatherette upholstery. The car has lived in South Carolina for its whole life, but the seller notes that the floor pan has had rust repaired. There are a few flaws in the paint, like a crack above the engine cover hinge, and a run in the rare, optional factory hardtop.

Summertime is fast approaching. This Thing would make the perfect fair-weather cruiser. Take off the doors, drop the top, fold down the windshield, and enjoy the open air. The auction ends on Thursday, April 13, at 4:30 p.m. ET, so make sure to get your bids in.

The post Auction Pick of the Week: 1974 Volkswagen Type 181 “Thing” appeared first on Hagerty Media.

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Abschreibungen. If Google Translate is to be believed, that’s German for “depreciation.”

Funny, I always thought it was Phaeton—but as it turns out, that’s French by way of ancient Greek for “vintage touring car,” and not “ultra-luxe W-12 VW sedan sells for 5.76-percent of inflation-adjusted MSRP on Cars and Bids.”

Well. I never was any good at foreign languages in school—let alone riting gud in Englush—but you learn something every day. Oh, I already knew the Phaeton was cheap, but $7445? Shoot, if anything goes awry—and that’s a hysterical inevitability with the Phaeton W-12—you could make that back and more if you part the car out.

Yes, it looks like the Phaeton takes its Bentley roots a bit too seriously. Like the Continental GT and Continental Flying Spur that share VW’s D1 platform, the Phaeton clearly presents an opportunity for your dollar to go a long way—just make sure there are plenty more where the first buck came from, as you never really pay off a W-12 Phaeton, you just transfer the loan note from the bank to your local VW specialist.

According to the Cars and Bids listing, this 2004 VW Phaeton originally sold new for $81,690, or around $130,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of this writing. Envisioned as a stealthy, comfort-oriented limo alternative to the sportier A8, the Bentley-based Phaeton never sold in healthy numbers aside from Germany and China, where enough moved to justify refreshes and updates until final discontinuation in 2016.

Just over 84,000 Phaetons sold globally, but only roughly 3400 moved into the States, and only 500 of those carried the wild 6.0-liter W-12 in place of the standard 4.2-liter V-8. Conceptually, they’re quite fascinating cars; VW Chairman Ferdinand Piëch decreed 10 engineering parameters to the development team that the nascent Phaeton must match prior to entering production. The full list isn’t public, but we know one of them was the car must be able to cruise at 186 mph with an exterior temperature of 122°F while the occupants relaxed in 72°F perfection.

It was over-engineered—scratch that, excessively engineered—without much thought to durability or serviceability. As a result, Phaetons are extraordinarily maintenance-intensive, and the costs do not reflect the Volkswagen badge on snout and tail. Cars and Bid’s example has managed to cover an impressive 180,000 miles since new, incurring over $50,000 in repairs since 2011 alone.

Even with that substantial investment, this Phaeton isn’t perfect. The sale notes a number of exterior scratches, dings, undercarriage rust, and wear present on interior trim. We don’t track Phaetons in the Hagerty Price Guide, but considering we maintain an average guaranteed value of $12,100 for our Phaeton policies in the U.S., this looks to be bought right in line with the market when taking into account condition and mileage.

Now, when are we going to see this type of depreciation in Golf Rs? If they perform anything like the first-gen R32, I’m screwed.

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Is this Ram’s Maverick-fighting, new Dakota?

Intake: With small trucks returning to the market after a lull, Stellantis is getting back into the act with the truck seen here, wearing far less camouflage than we’ve seen in the past. We’re expecting it to be named something like Ram 1200, since it’s smaller than the existing 1500 half-ton. That said, Ram could also bring back the Dakota name. We’re looking for a four-cylinder engine, possibly from the European stable of Stellantis, who owns Ram, though our spy shots show dual exhaust pipes along with a coil-spring rear suspension. We’re also expecting the transmission to be a nine-speed automatic, possibly with four-wheel-drive standard. The overwhelming and unexpected success of the Ford Maverick has definitely spurred production by Ram, and we expect to see the product as early as by the end of this year.

Exhaust: Most everyone gave up on small trucks, when Ford killed, then upsized the Ranger, and GM went larger with the Chevy Colorado and the GMC Canyon, and Mazda and Mitsubishi stopped building their own pickups. Dodge was well-positioned with the Dakota, but the price became so close to the 1500’s during the glut of pickups that there wasn’t enough price separation between the two products. Nissan forged ahead with the Frontier, which is set to take over for the Titan, and Toyota roughly stayed the course with its pricey Tacoma, as our last tester listed for $50,000. There’s definitely a market for a smaller, cheaper pickup, as the mad dash for a Maverick illustrates. Let’s see if Ram prices its new truck comparably, meaning in the mid-to-high $20,000 range. If it’s in the mid-$30,000 range or higher, Ram may be missing this newly discovered sweet spot of the market. — Steven Cole Smith

Watch Gordon Murray sign off on the T.50 hypercar

Intake: The Gordon Murray T.50 is ready for the road after its designer took it for a final drive on his favorite route. In the last video of a series on the car’s development test driver Dario Franchitti takes the finished T.50 to Murray’s home where he takes it out on the very roads that he drove when working on the McLaren F1. During hundreds of thousands of miles of testing the naturally aspirated V-12 machine has been put through its paces in the heat of the desert and the cold of the arctic. It’s been hurled around race tracks and tested on roads all over the world, but it’s this one drive through narrow English lanes that is the most crucial of them all. Enjoy the video.

Exhaust: “This really is the next F1 and that was my intention four years ago,” concludes Murray. “I didn’t really want to deliver a car that was in another world from the F1, it just had to deliver what that car did, but just better.” — Nik Berg

Presidential Imperial limousine hits eBay

Intake: A rare piece of mid-century American history has surfaced on eBay, with around 15,000 miles on the odometer and a lifetime of stories. This 1964 Crown Imperial Ghia Presidential Limousine was used by the JFK and Johnson administrations. The seller has accumulated various media items showing this Imperial in action as a presidential limousine and offered a host of photos to prove its stellar, museum-quality condition. The limousine currently has a “Buy It Now” price of $300,000, with the chance to make an offer to the seller instead.

Exhaust: Presidential connection aside, all Ghia-bodied Imperial limousines are far more exclusive than their Cadillac Fleetwood Series 75 counterparts. While starting life as a “mere” Imperial, these were shipped to Ghia’s coach building factory in Turin, Italy, for a unique wheelbase, body, roofline and doors. According to ch300imp.com, only 10 Crown Imperial Ghia limousines were made in 1964. Rarer than any Cadillac, then … but only one such Imperial has become automotive royalty. — Sajeev Mehta

Alfa Romeo’s Tonale is ready for America

Intake: We’ve seen, and driven, the similar Dodge Hornet, but now Alfa Romeo has started production of the North American–specification Tonale. In Sprint trim the compact SUV will be priced at $42,995, the Ti will be $44,995, and the range-topping Veloce will be $47,495 (plus $1595 destination charge). The Tonale’s MSRP thus fits neatly under that of its bigger SUV brother, the $46,200 Stelvio, and Alfa says that drivers who opt to lease the Tonale will be able to take advantage of the $7500 federal EV tax credit, since the Tonale is only available as a plug-in hybrid. A 1.3-liter four-cylinder turbo engine is supplemented by a 90-kW electric motor for a total of 285 horsepower, which Alfa claims is the best in its class. The Tonale can travel 30 miles or more on electric power alone thanks to its 15.5 kWh battery and comes with all-wheel drive. Among other innovations is a rapid-response Frequency Damping Suspension system that dynamically adjusts to the road and driving style. Pre-orders are open now with the first deliveries in June.

Exhaust: The Tonale breaks new ground for Alfa. Not only is it the first compact SUV from the Italian firm, it’s the first step on its road to electrification. Will this stylish but small SUV capture the heart of America? — NB

Another outdoorsier Subaru en route

Intake: Subaru vehicles are already known for their outdoorsy, go-anywhere schtick. Though all the brand’s vehicles, with the sole exception of the BRZ sports car, have full-time all-wheel-drive, Subaru isn’t above dialing up the aesthetic to attract more buyers. The Wilderness nameplate does exactly that, and we’re about to meet the third Wilderness-ified Subaru. First introduced in March of 2021 on the Outback, then on the Forester the following September, the Wilderness variant adds more (yes, more) texturized plastic body cladding, badass five-spoke matte-black wheels, copper-colored accents, and the beefiest roof rack Subaru’s yet offered—700 pounds max on the Outback, 800 on the Forester. It’s slightly more than looks, too: Each of those Wilderness models gets white-lettered Yokohama Geolander tires, a slight (less than 1 inch) suspension lift, a re-tuned (continuously variable) transmission, and the most powerful of Subaru’s generally adequate four-bangers. In just a few days, at the New York auto show, we’ll meet the third vehicle to be Wildernized.

Exhaust: These upgrades don’t make sense for the lower-slung vehicles in the Subaru portfolio (Legacy sedan and Impreza hatch), and the Crosstrek just got a shiny new generation for the 2024 model year, so it doesn’t need more hype. The Ascent could use some excitement: In five years, the three-row SUV has gotten … a bigger grille and a black-out trim package. — Grace Houghton

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I ’ll admit it, we highlight a lot of expensive cars. From Paul Newman’s $80,000 brick last week to Mercedes-Benz’s $142M 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe last year, a spit take–inducing dollar figure tends to grab attention. But we like cheap cars, too, and there are some weeks when a low price stands out more than a record-breaking one.

Such is the case with this Toyota Crown: 3700 pounds of pillowy soft, range-topping JDM luxury magnificence with V-8 power, rear-wheel drive, and even an air purifier to keep back-seat passengers breathing clean as they enjoy their sprawling fields of legroom.

Expensive, no?

In fact, it changed hands on Cars&Bids for $6314. That figure sounds more like a few months’ budget for groceries (thanks, inflation) than the winning bid for a rare, vintage luxury car, but here we are.

The vehicle in question is a 1995 Toyota Crown Majesta. The Crown has been Toyota’s mainstream domestic (read: native to Japan) sedan for decades. In fact, it’s Toyota’s longest-running model and one that spawned other royal headwear-themed models like Corona and Tiara. Corolla even means “small crown” in Latin, and Camryis derived from a Japanese phrase for “little crown.” The “Majesta,” however, is the upmarket version and Toyota’s flagship model in many countries.

The second-generation Majesta, also known as the S150, debuted in 1995 with the looks of a Lexus LS 400 that got rear-ended by a Cadillac, and it carried over Toyota’s 4.0-liter 1UZ V8 from the previous-generation Crown Majesta (and the Lexus LS). Just about any Toyota powertrain is robust, but there’s a twin-turbo version of the 1UZ that’s one of very few road-car engines certified by the FAA for use in an airplane.

How’s that for reliability?

Speaking of aviation, this thing really flew under the radar at just above six grand. Sure, it isn’t perfect. At 106,700 km (66,300 miles), it shows the expected bumps and scrapes. There are splits in the dash top, the paint on the left side doors doesn’t match, and the tires need replacing. The car also has air suspension, and though no issues are reported, any air-suspension system is expensive to repair.

But let’s move on to the “pros” column.

This Majesta already has a U.S. title, so there’s no confusing import paperwork. Being a high-spec cruiser, it is also remarkably well-equipped, especially for the ’90s. Wood interior trim, power-adjustable front and rear seats, all-digital gauges, head-up display, automatic climate control with oscillating front vents, rear audio and climate control, and the aforementioned air purifier are all there to enjoy.

And just look at that interior, draped in more industrial gray carpet than a convention center. OK, maybe that upholstery choice is more of a con than a pro, but at least it’s in very good shape, and the floor mats do have a nifty wave pattern on them.

There also don’t appear to be any modifications to the car.

Bottom line: We like the car and we like the sale result. In a collector-car market (especially for Japanese classics) that is coming out of a superheated couple of years, it’s always nice to see a bargain, even if for a car that most people on the road see as just an old, refrigerator-white Toyota with the steering wheel on the wrong side.

The new owner, though, has a fun, usable, comfortable, and downright interesting classic with JDM street cred, all for the price of a project car.

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The post $6314 for Toyota’s Eldorado? Majestic! appeared first on Hagerty Media.

The original Thunderbird was a stylish, Detroit-built coupe with sporting credentials that was beloved by many in the 1950s. But, by 1980, the T-bird had morphed into an ungainly box that was more suited to cruising the boulevard than it was to carving corners. Sales suffered as a result, and a change was needed.

After studying its European counterparts and spending some time at the gym, the Thunderbird came back as a leaner, more sophisticated GT car. It ditched the landau roof and excessive chrome, adopted a fuel-injected and turbocharged four-cylinder engine, and a chassis focused more on handling.

If you want a turbo T-bird of your own, check out this 1985 Turbo Coupe offered on Hagerty Marketplace at no reserve.

The ninth-generation Thunderbird was the first North American Ford to feature the Blue Oval’s then-revolutionary aero styling when it debuted in 1983. A slippery o.35 coefficient of drag made for both an economical street car and a bad-fast stock car that dominated NASCAR’s high-speed ovals. Like its predecessor, this generation was based on the Fox platform that underpinned Fairmonts and Mustangs.

Unlike its predecessors, the top-of-the-line T-bird, the Turbo Coupe, was not powered by a burly V-8. Instead, a turbocharged, Pinto-derived 2.3-liter four lived under the hood. The non-intercooled engine ingested 10 pounds of boost to output 145 horsepower—more than the 5.0-liter V-8 offered in lower-trim T-birds.

By 1985, Ford increased the engine’s output to 155 horsepower and 190 lb-ft of torque. If you’re so inclined, the stout, all-iron four banger can take a lot more boost.

When equipped with the venerable BorgWarner (later Tremec) T-5 five-speed manual transmission, the Turbo Coupe could hit 60 miles per hour in around 9 seconds. Not exactly fast by modern standards, but the turbo noises will keep you entertained.

Our feature car is a ’85 Turbo Coupe finished in a two-tone Silver Clearcoat Metallic over Medium Charcoal Clearcoat Metallic. The odometer shows an indicated 100,805 miles, but it looks to be in great shape. This T-bird has only had two owners (the original owner had the car for 37 years) and it’s lived in California for its entire life. Recent maintenance includes a replaced alternator and accessory drive belts as well as an oil change.

There are a few minor condition flaws, like a scuff on the front bumper, stone chips, and clearcoat failure around the antenna. However, the car presents well and would make a good weekend driver.

If you like ’80s Fords and turbochargers, but want something a little more sophisticated than a Mustang SVO, this Thunderbird Turbo Coupe is for you. Be sure to get your bids in, the auction ends on Wednesday, March 29 at 4:30 pm EDT.

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