This past week we asked you, âIf you have young children or grandchildren, do you involve them in your car hobby?â
More than 60 percent of those responding said only âoccasionally, they only have limited interest.â Another 18 percent said âAlmost never, they have no interest.â
So sad.
Another 18 percent said their young children or grandchildren always like to help and learn, or at least enjoy going for a ride in the classic car.
Our question this week seeks your definition of what is a âmuscle car.â You can vote in the right-hand column of the Journal home page.
A group of specially bodied Italian sports cars are among the highlights of the docket for Gooding & Companyâs 15th annual Pebble Beach auction, scheduled for August 24-25 during Monterey Car Week on the northern California peninsula.
The cars present a showcase of the work of Carrozzeria Frua, Zagato, Pininfarina and Bertone, the auction house said in its news release.
âBetween the mid-1950s and mid-1960s, the art of custom coachbuilding reached its zenith in Italy,â David Brynan, senior specialist at Gooding, is quoted in the companyâs news release. âFirms like Pininfarina, Zagato, Frua and Bertone produced some of their finest work during this period, and their most extraordinary designs were realized for exclusive Italian manufacturers such as Ferrari, Maserati, and Siata.
âThe cars presented here perfectly capture this tradition, combining thoroughbred chassis with the finest custom coachwork.â
Topping the list, and expected to sell for $5.5 million to $6.5 million, is a 1955 Maserati AG6GCS/53 Spider with custom bodywork by Frua.
âThe man responsible for commissioning this remarkable car was Guglielmo âMimmoâ Dei, the official Maserati dealer in Rome who later founded the racing team Scuderia Centro Sud,â Gooding & Co. said in its announcement.
âThe last of three such examples commissioned by Dei, this A6GCS/53 Spider is widely recognized as Pietro Fruaâs greatest contribution to the art of Italian coachbuilding.â
Gooding called the car, in black with a cream stripe, âperfectly proportioned and possessing intricate details,â and noted that the car has been owned by a series of prominent collectors, was restored in 2010 and won best in class and the Coppa dâOro (peopleâs choice) award at the Concorso dâEleganza Villa eâEste.
1956 Maserati A6G-54 Berlinetta | Gooding photo by Brian Henniker
Also on the docket is a 1956 Maserati A6G/54 Berlinetta bodied by Zagato. Expected to sell for $4.3 million to $4.6 million, the car (chassis 2155) is the 17th of 20 with such lightweight alloy and double-bubble-roofed bodies.
âAfter being raced at the 1956 Mille Miglia, 1957 Trieste-Opicina Hillclimb and other period races, 2155 was re-bodied by Zagato in 1958 as a unique design study for the new 3500 GT model,â Gooding & Co. noted.
The car was restored about a decade ago and has been shown at Pebble Beach (2009), The Quail: A Motor Sports Gathering (2010) and again at Pebble Beach (2014 as part of a Maserati centennial celebration).
1967 Ferrari 330 GTC Speciale | Gooding photo by Mathieu Heutault
Pininfarina did the body on a 1967 Ferrari 330 GTC Speciale, chassis 09653 and one of only four such cars.
âFinished in Aurora Blue with black upholstery, this Ferrari was displayed on the Pininfarina stand at the 1967 Geneva Motor Show, and then delivered new to famed American heart surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey,â Gooding & Co. reported. âEventual owners included noted Ferrari collectors Norm Silver and John Mecom Jr., both of whom focused on limited-production coachbuilt Ferraris.â
The car was restored in 1991 and in 1992 won its class and the Luigi Chinetti Award at the Ferrari Club national meet and the Vintage Ferrari Concours at Concorso Italiano, but it has not been shown since that season.
The carâs pre-sale estimated value is $3.3 million to $3.8 million.
1966 Ferrari 206 GT Dino prototype | Gooding photo by Mathieu Heurtault
Also from Pininfarina is a 1966 Ferrari Dino Berlinetta GT, the second prototype for the Ferrari Dino production car.
âThis one-off Pininfarina show car featured a two-liter Dino engine, placed longitudinally rather than transversely, as seen in the production model,â Gooding & Co. notes. âIt was this car that inspired the final design of the subsequent 206 and 246 GTs, among the most revered production models in Ferrari history.â
Estimated to be worth $2 million to $3 million, âFor the past 25 years, this groundbreaking Ferrari has been a crown jewel in one of the most impressive private collections of postwar Italian sports cars ever assembled,â Gooding & Co. said.
âDuring this period, the Berlinetta GT has been featured in countless books and articles on Ferrari, Pininfarina, and the Dino model.â
1952 Siata 208 CS Corsa Spider | Gooding photo by Mike Maez
Also featuring custom coachwork on the Gooding & Co. docket are a 1952 Siata 208 CS Corse Spider not only bodied by but formerly owned and raced by Nuccio Bertone ($1.8 million to $2.2 million) and a 1949 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Super Sport cabriolet by Pinin Farina with special-order blue-metallic paint ($800,000 to $1 million).
1949 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Super Sport | Gooding photo by Brian Henniker
Silverstone Auctionsâ eighth annual sale at the Silverstone Classic vintage racing festival was the largest yet, generating ÂŁ6 million (nearly $7.86 million) with a 66 percent sell-through rate, the auction company announced.
The catalog included more than 120 collector vehicles.
Bidders, cars and spectators share space at Silverstone Auctions’ action during vintage racing weekend in England
The top sale of the auction was a 1958 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL roadster that sold for ÂŁ860,625 (nearly $1.13 million). The car had a pre-auction estimated value of ÂŁ700,000 to ÂŁ800,000 ($916,000 to $1.04 million). Prices reported include buyerâs fee.
According to Silverstone Auctions, âOne of the most anticipated lots of the sale, a 1975 Range Rover with royal provenance, was offered fresh from an exacting restoration and described as the finest Range Rover ever to pass through the auction house.â
The car sold for ÂŁ101,250 ($132,584), considerably more than its pre-sale expectations.
A 1972 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS with right-hand drive sold for ÂŁ343,125 ($449,310), considerably more than its pre-bidding estimated value.
1975 Range Rover with royal heritage goes for $132K
âThe modern-classics lineup was headlined by a rare 1992 Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II with just 34,000 recorded miles,â said Silverstone, noting âone of the most dramatic sales of the day, a passionate bidding war was eventually concluded with a winning bid (including commission) of ÂŁ158,750 ($207,877).â
In a special sales session to benefit the British Racing Driversâ Club Motor Sport Charity, Silverstone Auctions realized more than ÂŁ27,000 ($35,000) through the sale of 62 lots including a replica Ayrton Senna helmet, signed racing overalls and a limited-edition Silverstone Luffield chronograph.
The Pick of the Day is a 1964 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk, one of the final-year examples of the sporty Hawk coupe series that started in 1956 with the Golden Hawk.
For its final 1962-64 iteration, the Hawk was redesigned by Brook Stevens, who was going for a more European look. âHawk Monacoâ was his goal. Others saw elements not only of Mercedes-Benz but Ford Thunderbird and Lincoln Continental in the exterior styling.
For 1964, the grille and trunk lid were redone and a âsport roofâ was available in white or black.
Inside, Stevens and his studio provided a comfortable setup with large gauges. For 1964, new upholstery was available, the instrument panel was updated and an AM/FM radio was a factory option.
The Gran Turismo Hawk also was the car into which Andy Granatelli placed the 289cid V8 with a large one topped by Paxton superchargers and set speed records on the Bonneville Salt Flats.
The car featured as Pick of the Day is being offered on ClassicCars.com by a private owner who has had the car for 39 years.
âUpon discovering the car, I chased the previous owner, who was a long time Denver Studebaker collector, for a year,â the seller reports in the carâs advertisement.
The seller said the car was used as a daily driver for several years, then restored with some modifications between 1987 and 1991 and has been âgetting upgraded ever since.â
Changes include going from original Astra White to âa modern paint with clear coat that very closely matches the 1964 Studebaker golden Sand color.â
The carâs engine was replaced with a 1963 Studebaker 259cid V8 with 4-barrel carb.The various changes and updates to the car are detailed in the advertisement.
The car has factory air conditioning, 3-speed overdrive transmission, radio, tach, etc.The seller notes that new old stock was used for mechanical restoration and that the interior was done to factory-correct materials and patterns.
The car is located in Boulder, Colorado, and is being offered for $25,000.
Editorâs note: Follow all of the action and updates on our special Monterey Car Week page.
RM Sothebyâs Monterey auction will be awash with special Ferraris this year, including some rare early models that will complement the already-announced highlight of the sale, a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO race car said to be the most-valuable automobile ever offered at public auction.
Twenty-nine examples of the prancing stallion, spanning the decades up to the latest in high-tech hypercars, have been consigned to the auction, held August 23-25 at the Monterey Conference Center
âThe 29 Ferraris set for Monterey span key moments in the marqueâs history, from 1950s sports racing through to the most advanced supercars of today,â Gord Duff, global head of auctions for RM Sothebyâs, said in a news release. âWe look forward to uniting these special cars with Ferraristi from around the world at Monterey.â
The 1953 250 MM commemorated Ferrari’s Mille Miglia victory
The earliest Ferrari is a 1953 250 MM that was produced to commemorate Giovanni Bracco and Alfonso Rolfoâs victory in the 1952 Mille Miglia of Italy, just 18 of the 31 models were built with the newly minted fastback coachwork by Pinin Farina (before becoming Pininfarina). Chassis No. 0344 MM boasts period racing history and ownership by influential caretakers.
âHighly eligible for the most-exclusive touring and rally events, including the Mille Miglia Storica, California Mille, and more, 0344 MM is a pristine example of one of the post-war Scuderiaâs most desirable sports-racers,â according to the news release.
The Ferrari 250 MMâs estimated value is $7.5 million to $9 million.
Another recently consigned early Ferrari is a coveted 1960 250 GT SWB Alloy Berlinetta Competizione, No. 2163 GT, one of just 46 alloy-bodied short-wheelbase racing models and with a highly original body and chassis, having never been damaged or revised during its competition career.
The Ferrari LaFerrari is a gas/electric hybrid supercar
The Berlinetta, which recently received a cosmetic restoration in its original color of Rosso Chiaro (light red), is valued at a lofty $9.5 million to $13 million.
Also highlighting the sale is one of Ferrariâs latest triumphs, a 2014 LaFerrari hybrid performance machine that is in essentially brand-new condition, coming from a prominent private collection and showing only 150 test miles total. In Rosso Corsa with black highlights with a Nero leather interior, it is equipped with $4,965 in special-order options.
Best of all, the proceeds from the no-reserve LaFerrari auction will be donated to the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, one of the nationâs premier arts education institutions, with many of its graduates going on to careers in the automotive industry. The estimated value is $3 million to $4 million.
Some of the other Ferraris that will cross the auction block are:
⢠A 1954 Ferrari 375 America coupe, chassis no. 0327 AL, that is a unique creation by coachbuilder Vignale and the 1954 Geneva Motor Show car. Estimated value: $3.5 million to $5 million.
⢠A 1966 Ferrari 500 Superfast Series II, chassis no. 8459 SF, one of just 12 Series II cars built, and one of just eight equipped with right-hand drive. Estimated value: $1.75 million to $2 million.
⢠A 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Spider Competizione, chassis no. 15965, the only Competizione-specification 365 GTB/4 built as a spider and showcased by designer Michelotti at the 1975 Geneva Motor Show. A value estimate was not provided for this car.
âRM Sothebyâs has long been the market leader in the sale of important Ferraris at auction, and this yearâs Monterey offering certainly embodies our expertise,â Duff said in the news release. âLed by the incredible 250 GTO, our Saturday evening sale session will be dominated by Ferraris, with the 250 MM, 250 GT SWB Alloy, LaFerrari, and more, adding to the excitement.â
For more information about RM Sothebyâs Monterey sale, visit the auction website.
The Toyota Supra has garnered a fanatical group of owners over decades, and a group of lucky owners in the United Kingdom witnessed history during last week’s 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Supra chief engineer Tetsuya Tada showed up with the upcoming fifth-generation model, the A90, at a special event with dozens of local Supra owners.
It was here the fifth-generation Supra met its predecessors for the first time, all four of them. In total, 84 owners showed up to the event with the majority bringing the more famous fourth-generation model. Eight owners brought third-generation cars and four had second-generation cars.
There was also just one owner with the original Celica Supra, the first car to bear the Supra name. The Celica Supra present is thought to be one of only two examples in the U.K.
Tada drove the fifth-generation Supra into the undisclosed location, parked the sports car on a pedestal and proudly introduced his “new baby” to the crowd. Tada’s mentor, Isao Tsuzuki, famously led development for the highly coveted fourth-generation Supra, the A80.
Tada began work on the new Supra six years ago, and he said the recent Goodwood outing had been a tremendous time for him and the new car.
âIâm just so happy that weâve made it to this point. Iâve finally been able to reveal the car to the U.K.; itâs the happiest day of my life. And to drive it up the hill at Goodwood was a really exciting experience,” Tada said at the event. He earlier piloted the Supra up the famed Goodwood hill climb as part of the car’s dynamic debut.
With Goodwood come and gone, we patiently await for a true reveal of the new Supra, which should happen at the 2019 Detroit auto show.
Three âbarn-foundâ cars highlighted H&H Classicsâ recent collector car auction at Buxton, Derbyshire, England, where a 1962 Jaguar E-type roadster that had been in storage in Scotland for 35 years nearly doubled its pre-sale estimated value by selling for ÂŁ77,000 ($101,125), the auction company announced.
The car was found in original condition â H&H called it a âdelightful sleeping beautyâ â and with only 66,551 miles on its odometer. Its pre-auction estimated value was ÂŁ40,000 ($52,500) and it was offered for bidding with no reserve price.
âThe joy of this job is that now and then you stumble across a car that you just know is going to excite other car lovers as much as it excites you,â said Roger Nowell, the H&H Classics team member who discovered the car in Moray, Scotland.
Mini went into storage when owner became too weak to drive
Also beating its pre-sale estimate was a one-owner 1967 Mini 850 deluxe that had been in storage since 1983. The car, driven only 36,000 miles before being parked, sold for ÂŁ15,525 ($20,390).
âMy father purchased GBV121E brand new in 1967 for his early retirement,â the consignor told H&H Classics. âThe car was used mainly for holidays; my parents loved touring the Highlands of Scotland as well as North Yorkshire.
âMy father was diagnosed with ME (chronic fatigue syndrome) in the early â80s. The Mini was very little used and in 1983 it was taken off the road. It was sheeted and raised off the floor supported with wooden blocks under the sub frame to keep the weight off the suspension and wheels and never moved again until this year.â
Mercedes 300SE in storage since 1981
Also selling, for ÂŁ14,000 ($18,390), was a 1965 Mercedes-Benz 300SE coupe that had been stored in an underground garage in Manchester since 1981. The car was one of only 270 produced with right-hand steering.
The story wasnât so happy for another car sold at the auction. Brian Griffiths spent more than ÂŁ120,000 ($157,500) to restore the 1963 Rover 95 P4 that his father originally owned. The car sold at the auction for only ÂŁ17,365 ($22,810).
âOne can only surmise that he (the son) felt a great deal of sentimental attachment to the car and was in the fortunate position of being able to spend that sort of money on its refurbishment,â said Damian Jones of H&H Classics. âFor some enthusiasts the value of their car is measured in things other than money.â
Son spent six figures to restore car worth not nearly that much
South Africa has considerable history with the automobile, but it wasnât until 2016 that it was the site for a concours dâelegance. Now in its third year, Concours South Africa will add a major collector car auction to its list of attractions August 10-11 at the Steyn City golf complex in Johannesburg.
Coys will offer more than 100 collector cars and motorcycles up for bidding at its sale, which it says will be the largest of its kind ever on the African continent. Coys noted in its news release that many of the cars on the docket are coming from private collections based in southern Africa.
Among those are several cars from the Plit Portfolio, the collection of Wayne Plit, who told the Capetown-based WomenOnWheels website that his collection has grown to more than 250 vehicles, more than he and his five-person staff can maintain and exercise.
1950 Jaguar XK120 is believed to be the oldest in South Africa
âCoys has a long association with Africa going back decades and have been genetically associated with all of the great events over the last two decades, all of which we have supported to the hilt,â Coys managing director Chris Routledge was quoted in the news release.
âI have worked in Africa now for many, many years developing close associations with historic South African car culture; it is in my bones and in my veins. I am so excited that we are doing this and that the time is now.â
âI have been working on this event closely with the organizers of Concours SA and from what was initially a commercial event of modest aspirations we have now created an event for the African classic car market of global relevance,â added Nick Wells, Coys lead auctioneer.
Among the vehicles on the docket are a 1969 Ferrari 365GT 2+2 (one of only 52 with right-hand drive), a 1966 Ford cortina Mk 1 race car, a 1981 Porsche 924 Carrera GT, an all-original 1971 Porsche 911T, a 1950 Jaguar XK 120 that is said to be the oldest of its kind in the country, a 1954 Triumph TR2, a two-owner and still all-original 1968 Ford Shelby GT500, a 1955 Austin Healey 100 BN1 and a 1973 Renault Alpine 1600S.
The GT500 and XK120 are coming out of the Plit Portfolio, according to womenonwheels.co.za.
The 2017 concours included the induction into the South African Hall of Fame of famed racing drivers Sarel van der Merwe and Ian Scheckter. This year, they will be joined by another South African native, Formula One car designer Rory Byrne, who did Benetton and Ferrari racing cars driven by Michael Schumacher.
The concours weekend runs August 10-12. For more information, visit the event website.
Adrian Reed was passionate about vintage motorcycles, to the point of hunting around the world for original parts or crafting reproduction components to the original manufacturerâs standards.
âThe sale of Adrianâs collection is a celebration of motorcycle production in its finest hour,â James Stensel, head of Bonhams Motorcycle Department in the UK, was quoted in the auction house news release announcing that 40 bikes from the Reed collection will be offered at the Autumn Stafford Sale, scheduled for October 13 at the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show.
Reed on a ride
âThe collection comprises so many important British and American marques and models,â Stensel said, adding that Reed was âa fastidious engineer (who) had a unique ability to sympathetically restore these machines.â
Reed was born in 1947 and became fascinated with motorcycles at an early age. During his lifetime, he gathered a prestigious collection of motorcycles, parts and accessories.
âHe could often be found, covered in metal shavings, painstakingly creating unavailable parts on his lathe or riding with us at a rally,â a family member told Bonhams.
The bikes being offered include a circa 1930 Henderson Model KJ Streamline Four, a circa 1919 Henderson 1147cc Model Z Four, a 1914 Indian 7hp Power Plus, a circa 1923 Nut (Newcastle Upon Tyne) 498cc, a 1924/27 Nut 700cc, a circa 1918 Hazlewood 636cc Combination and a 1904 Ariel 500c.
Custom car creations for TV shows were a hot commodity in the 1960s, so naturally, the teeny-bopper fans of The Monkees were treated to a street machine befitting their rock ân roll heartthrobs. The Monkeemobilebecome as famous as the ersatz band itself, with millions of scale models sold and several full-size replicas built for special occasions.
The Pick of the Day is one of those replicas, a reputedly exact copy of the original Dean Jeffries creation that was professionally built to appear along with the surviving band members for the Monkees 45th Anniversary Tour, which took place in 2011.
The Monkeemobile was originally designed by famed customizer Dean Jeffries
The tour brought together Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones (who died of a heart attack in 2012) for the nationwide appearances, and their signatures appear on the carâs glovebox door, according to the Venice, Florida, dealer advertising the Monkeemobile on ClassicCars.com.
The original Monkeemobile â and there were two of these cartoons-on-wheels made, one for use on the TV show and one for promotional appearances for the show â was designed and built by Jeffries, an acclaimed West Coast customizer, using a pair of 1966 Pontiac GTOs supplied by the GM division, which was interested in gaining even more publicity for their already wildly popular muscle car.
The GTO emblem still appears on the grille of the Monkeemobile
The cars were built under Jeffriesâ contract with Model Products Corporation, which then had exclusive rights to build Monkeemobile scale models, of which they sold around 7 million.
The dealer advertising the Monkeemobile provides scant information about its history, aside from noting that it is the 45th Anniversary tour replica and powered by a small-block GM V8 and 4-speed manual transmission. The towering supercharger sticking out of the hood is most likely a prop â these cars were much more show than go â although from the photos accompanying the ad, the replica looks indistinguishable from the originals.
The Monkees perched here (three of them, at least)
One of the two original Monkeemobiles, the promotional version, was owned and showcased for years by California customizer George Barris, whose Burbank shop created many well-known custom cars for TV shows. In 2008, it sold for a resounding $360,000 at Barrett-Jacksonâs Scottsdale, Arizona, auction.
The 45th anniversary replica version of the Monkeemobile is not expected to approach that result, but the dealer selling the car asks to be contacted for the price tag.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
