Newsletter
Home Blog Page 830

Second Lamborghini concorso salutes architect Gae Aulenti

Larry Edsall
-
0
Second Lamborghini concorso salutes architect Gae Aulenti

Launched two years ago, the second Lamborghini & Design Concorso d’Eleganza is scheduled for September 19-21 in Venice and Trieste, Italy, and this year will celebrate the work of architect Gae Aulenti, Lamborghini has announced.

Around 30 classic Lamborghinis will participate in the event staged by the company’s Polo Storico classics department. 

The late Aulenti was born near Trieste and gained fame for representing Italian design and architecture with buildings in Europe, Asia and North America.

Lamborghini & Design concours is a rolling event that includes a rally and the judged car show

The rolling concours begins Friday in Venice with the cars being driven to Portopiccolo in Trieste. The formal concorso takes place Saturday morning.

“To celebrate the creative genius of Gae Aulenti, the inspiration for this year’s concours, the square facing the port of Portopiccolo will become an open-air museum displaying various objects related to her projects,” Lamborghini said in its news release. 

“The concours Lamborghini drivers will arrive in Piazza Unità d’Italia around lunchtime, and then in the afternoon will retrace the famous Trieste-Opicina hill climb road.”

The inaugural Lamborghini & Design concorso was staged in 2017 in Neuchatel, Switzerland and was devoted to the work of the architect and designer Le Corbusier.

Inaugural event was held in Switzerland in 2017

Star car sells pre-auction, but Bonhams still does $13.7 million at Goodwood Revival

Larry Edsall
-
0
Star car sells pre-auction, but Bonhams still does $13.7 million at Goodwood Revival

A 1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT was on the catalog cover for Bonhams annual Goodwood Revival Sale, but it didn’t cross the auction block this past weekend. Instead, it sold before the auction in a transaction Bonhams characterized as “by mutual agreement” and for an undisclosed sum.

But even without that star car, the auction generated £11 million ($13,744,500) in sales, led by a 1935 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante that sold for £1.499 million ($1.866 million), the auction house said.

“This beautiful and incredibly original example from the prestigious marque’s ‘golden era’ was one of only a very few surviving Atalante fixed-head coupés,” Bonhams added. “The Bugatti was the jewel in the crown of a stunning collection of the late Barry Burnett, acquired as a straight swap for a Delage from another collector in the 1980s.”

Aston Martin DBS Vantage from the Phillips collection

Also highlighting the sale during the Goodwood Revival vintage car racing weekend was the consignment of the late Peter Phillips, former owner of the Jones Bootmaker footwear chain of stores. All of the Phillips cars were sold, including a 1969 Aston Martin DB6 Mk2 Volante done to Vantage specification, a 1968 Aston Martin DBS Vantage sports saloon, a replica of the car used in the James Bond movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, (for £135,700), a 1915 Rolls-Royce 40/50 hp Silver Ghose Alpine Eagle tourer, and a 1956 Jaguar XK140 drophead coupe for £124,200.

A 1939 Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 B short-chassis spider formerly owned by Bill Jacobs and by Gene Ponder brought £408,250.

1939 Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 spider brings more than half a million dollars

In a charity sale, a 1961 Cooper Climax T55 raced by Jack Brabham sold for £244,375, that money going to Jackie Stewart’s Race Against Dementia effort.

“We were delighted to achieve a 100 per cent successful sell-through rate for both the Burnett and Phillips collections, underlying the interest and appetite for fresh to market collectors’ motor cars,” said James Knight, Bonhams Group Motoring chairman.

“The Bugatti Type 57 in particular received global interest and was a fantastic result, with a Continental telephone bidder competing — and succeeding — against a fellow European bidding in the room.”

Top-10 sales, Bonhams at Goodwood Revival 2019

  1. 1935 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante, £1,499,000 ($1,866,914)
  2. 1969 Aston Martin DB6 Mk 2 Volante to Vantage spec, £743,000 (925,362)
  3. 1939 Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B short-chassis spider, £408,250 ($508,450)
  4. 1960 Aston Martin DB4 ‘Series II’ sports saloon, £264,500 ($329,418)
  5. 1915 Rolls-Royce 40/50 Silver Ghost Alpine Eagle tourer, £264,500 (329,418)
  6. 1975 Ferrari 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer, £247,250 ($307,935)
  7. 1961 Cooper Climax T55 ‘Slimline’ Formula 1 racer, £244,375 ($304,354)
  8. 1924 Bugatti Type 23 ‘Brescia’ open tourer, £207,000 ($257,806)
  9. 1938 Lagonda V12 Le Mans Replica, £207,000 ($257,806)
  10. 1968 Lamborghini Countach 5000 Quattrovalvole coupe, £207,000 ($257,806)
  11. (Prices include buyer’s fee.)

Bonhams next sale is a Bonhams MPH event scheduled for September 26 at Bicester, England. It also has The Bonmont Sale in Switzerland on September 29 and a sale of collector cars October 7 at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia.

More than 70 years later, this midget-style racer awaits its first race

Larry Edsall
-
4
More than 70 years later, this midget-style racer awaits its first race

The Pick of the Day is something of a mystery machine. It’s a 1948 Kurtis Kraft-style midget race car offered with a full trailer and extra parts by a dealership in Hanover, Massachussets.

All of that appears fine and dandy in the photos that are part of the car’s advertisement on ClassicCars.com. 

The dealer notes that the car was built between 1947 and 1949, has been well-maintained, is powered by a 60 horsepower Ford V8 (presumably a flathead-style engine) with dual carburetors and Edmunds manifold and cylinder heads.

The car is built on a Model T frame with Model A front axle, in-and-out gearbox, and comes with both dirt-track and pavement tires.

The dealer adds that the trailer has been rebuilt with a new floor, tiers, lights, safety chains, wheels, etc.

But then comes the mystery: 

“Current owner did some research on this car and as far as he knows it has not been in any race,” the dealer reports.

But why would someone build such a machine and then never race it? The possibilities are intriguing and perhaps the next owner will be able to track down the history of “The Swallow,” which is the name on the car’s bodywork.

The cockpit

“If you are a race enthusiast or a beginner looking to get started, this is a nice piece of racing history from the ’40s,” the dealer suggests.

The asking price is $15,000 or best offer. 

To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.

 

Bonhams unveils star consignment for its 2020 Paris auction

Larry Edsall
-
0
Bonhams unveils star consignment for its 2020 Paris auction

It’s September, with many months and many auctions to take place before Retromobile 2020 in Paris, but Bonhams already is touting at least one consignment for its annual auction at the Grand Palais. 

The car is the 1932 Bugatti Type 55 driven as a works entry in the 24 Hours of Le Mans by Louis Chiron and Guy Bouriat-Quintart, and was displayed at Bonhams Goodwood Revival sale this past weekend.

Bonhams notes that the car is being offered at auction for the first time after 56 years of ownership by a British family. 

“Over the years, the family have resisted many offers,” Sholto Gilberton, director of UK Motor Cars for Bonhams, is quoted in the announcement. “Everyone will now have an equal opportunity to secure one of the most important motor cars to come to market in recent years.”

Bonhams is sharing the vehicle’s estimated value only with those likely to be bidding.

“Just as the modern-day Bugatti Veyron, Chiron and EB110 models are a contemporary car collector’s dream, so the Bugatti Type 55 in its day was a much-coveted automotive jewel,” Bonhams reports. 

“Even with the backdrop of The Great Depression, the most style-conscious glitterati all aspired to the Bugatti – which was aimed squarely at the most well-heeled clientele. With a chassis price tag of 110,000 FF ($7,500), only 38 examples of the Type 55 Super Sports model were produced between 1932 and 1935, 29 of which are known to survive.”

After racing at Le Mans, the car was rebooted with coachwork by Giuseppe Figoni | Bonhams photos

Bonhams said the Type 55 Super Sports were considered to be Grand Prix cars in sports car clothing. They were propelled by a supercharged 2.3-liter twin-cam inline 8-cylinder engine similar to those in the Bugatti Type 51 racing cars. 

“Even in 1932, its blistering performance boasted 0-60 mph acceleration in 13 seconds and the hitherto unheard-of top speed — for a road car — of 115 mph,” Bonhams says.

The Type 55 heading to the auction block was fitted temporarily with a 4-seat body to meet Le Mans regulations in place at the time. It ran only 3 of the 24 hours of the race, suffering a split in its fuel tank.

The 8-cylinder engine

After the race the car was sold to French magazine publisher Jacques Dupuy, who commissioned Giuseppe Figoni to create unique 2-seat coachwork with high-line doors with wind-up windows. Dupuy raced the car in the 1933 Paris-Nice Rally and displayed it in the concours d’elegance at Boulogne. 

After World War II, the car was taken to England by A.A. Morse and then acquired in 1963 by Geoffrey St John. It was restored in 1966, and then again 30 years later after it was damaged during a drive in France. 

Long and low, 1962 Thunderbird Sports Roadster revived two-seater styling

Bob Golfen
-
5
Long and low, 1962 Thunderbird Sports Roadster revived two-seater styling

Some people were still pining for the late, lamented two-seater Thunderbird in the early 1960s when Ford had the better idea of marketing a convertible version of the four-seat convertible with a fiberglass panel covering the rear seats to give the appearance of a sporty roadster.

The Pick of the Day is one of the originals, a 1962 Ford Thunderbird Sports Roadster in bright red that would be an immediate head turner on any cruise night.  The Schertz, Texas, dealer advertising the Roadster on ClassicCars.com says this is an authentic factory example, confirmed by its original trim tag that is still attached and other documentation.

Thunderbird

“This is an original genuine factory 1962 Sports Roadster,” the dealer says in the ad. “Many people claim to have a true Sports Roadster, but this is a genuine one.”

The limited-edition Sports Roadster was offered for only two years, 1962-63, and just 1,427 of them were sold in 1962 out of the 10s of thousands of Thunderbirds produced. As well as the rear-seat tonneau, which gave the car a very long, low look, the package included such premium trim as Kelsey-Hayes chrome wire wheels.

Thunderbird“The car was previously restored with correct Rangoon Red paint,” the ad says. “The interior had new seats, carpets. The rest is original and remarkable. The exterior chrome was all triple chrome plated including bumpers, vent windows, emblems, factory ford mirrors. Many FOMOCO parts were used during the restoration.

“Mechanically, this Sports Roadster runs and drives great. The engine is very smooth and powerful. The transmission shifts on the button. The car rides very nicely and is a very comfortable driving car.”

ThunderbirdThe Thunderbird is powered by the 300-horsepower 390 cid V8 which has been upgraded with a chrome package, the dealer notes.  Overall mileage is just over 52,000 miles, and the restoration was done on a solid, rust-free car, according to the dealer.

The rare Bird is priced at $44,888.

To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.

California governor gets bill that ends instant fines for loud exhaust

Larry Edsall
-
2
California governor gets bill that ends instant fines for loud exhaust

You may recall the upset earlier this year when drivers in California started receiving fines for having exhaust systems that were too loud to meet the requirements of a law passed in May 1998 that prohibited vehicle exhaust louder than 95 decibels.

Though the law had been on the books for more than 20 years, what changed was a bill passed in 2018 that required police officers to issue an immediate fine instead of the traditional 30-day repair notice.

Steps were taken in the California Assembly to stop the immediate fines and to return to the 30-day repair program, and SEMA reported this week that SB 112 has gone to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk for his signature.

SB 112 is a budget implementation bill that restores the “fix-it” ticket instead of levying an immediate fine, SEMA said.

“SEMA thanks Assembly Members Grayson, Boerner-Horvath, Ting, and Chen, and Senator Mitchell for their tireless work on behalf of the over 1,700 member companies based in the Golden State,” SEMA’s vice president for legal and government affairs Daniel Ingber, was quoted in the organization’s news release.

As for the people who equipped their vehicles with aftermarket exhausts systems, Ingber added: “Thanks to their efforts, enthusiasts in California will continue to be afforded due process under the law.”

Come for the cars, stay for the music

Larry Edsall
-
2
Come for the cars, stay for the music

In the mid-1990s, Ted Stahl’s business was growing and he needed more space for his new employees to park their cars. He approached a neighboring home owner about his property and they struck a deal: Stahl could buy the man’s old house, but he also had to buy the man’s 1930 Ford Model A roadster, and presumably promise to restore the car as well.

Stahl not only bought the property and the car, but he and his family restored the vehicle to the point that they entered it at Eyes on Design, the annual charity concours staged at the historic Edsel and Eleanor Ford estate on the shore of Lake St. Clair in suburban Detroit.

It was at that show that “the bug bit him,” said Terri Coppens, who for the past five years has been general manager of Stahl’s Automotive Collection, a quasi museum in Chesterfield, about 35 miles northeast of the Motor City.

Ted Stahl’s first collector car was this 1930 Ford Model A roadster, acquired when his business needed more room for parking and he bought an adjacent property
The ’30 Ford wears an “Uncle Augie” license plate in honor of its former owner who became an unofficial ‘uncle’ to the Stahl family

Stahl has always been a collector of vintage things, especially those mechanical. His grandfather, A.C. Stahl, created die-cast lettering and numbers in 1932 and GroupeSTAHL has contracts with the NFL, NHL, Major League Baseball and major retail arts and crafts stores to supply the insignia you see on sports uniforms and apparel. 

If you’ve watched the NFL Draft on television and wondered how the right team jerseys with the newly drafted player’s name can be ready so quickly, it’s because a team from Stahl is backstage and produces them with seconds of a draft choice being made.

Detroit may be known as the Motor City, but also as Hockey Town, and the annual Veteran’s Day fundraising effort includes an exhibition game between the Detroit Red Wings alumni and Stahl’s own team.

Technically, the Stahl’s Automotive Collection isn’t an official museum since it (a) doesn’t charge an admission fee, though donations are welcome and (b) it is open to the public only from 1 to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month, plus during Thursday evening cruise-in car shows during the summer and for Stahl’s annual Veteran’s Day gala. 

But while the facility may not be an official museum, its collection is certainly of world-class quality, and it includes more than Ted Stahl’s amazing car collection.

Coppens shared the story of how couples come to Stahl’s because the husband wants to see the cars and the wife arrives “kicking and screaming, they don’t want to be here, yet another car museum,” she said. 

But then they experience what else the museum has to offer and “they come back, with their friends but not their husbands.”

Largest of the mechanical music machines in the collection is this circa 1920 Gaudin 125-key dance organ, which towers over the 1911 Oldsmobile Autocrat ‘Yellow Peril’ racing car parked next to it
Another music machine in the collection is the 1922 Link Model AX orchestrion, which looks like a typical player piano until you open its stained-glass doors and discover it also includes a xylophone, mandolin, triangle, wood block, snare drum, tambourine and tom tom. Edwin Link founded the company. His son, Ed, applied the technology to produce early flight simulators and his company still produces simulators under the L3 Technologies banner

That’s because that, in addition to the automobiles, Ted Stahl has collected mechanical musical instruments, from player pianos to huge orchestrions that are large enough to require gymnasium-size wall space and generate sound that can fill an orchestra hall.

Just as Ted Stahl caught the car-collecting bug after taking his ’30 Ford to a concours, he became fascinated with the mechanical music machines after attending the Milhaus Collection auction in Florida in 2012, when the brothers Bob and Paul were selling the cars, music machines and other items they’d collected throughout their lives.

Stahl’s plays the instruments during its public hours and Coppens said women often return, sometimes bringing their knitting or such with them simply to enjoy the music.

Stahl’s Automotive Collection opened in 2006 in St. Clair Shores but outgrew that facility and moved to Chesterfield in 2011. But the building can hold only about half of Ted Stahl’s collection and he’s acquired neighboring land for potential expansion.

The current building is in a typical suburban industrial park and there’s only a small sign outside indicating you’ve arrived at Stahl’s, but entering the building is like opening a geode. The exterior may appear to be just another roundish rock, but the inside sparkles with crystals.

In the case of Stahl’s, those crystals are music machines and classic cars that are maintained in running order and are driven frequently. Stahl’s shows its cars at concours and shows and recently had six vehicles participating in The Great Race.

Automobiles and big music boxes aren’t the only mechanical items in the collection. This is Wendell, a mechanical elephant built in 1951 and later restored and, like the cars around it, still gets exercised from time to time

A friend, Jerry Drenzek, is a docent at the collection and has bugged me for several years to pay a visit. I finally listened, and am glad I did. I left wishing I’d paid attention to his suggestions much earlier, and am eager for an opportunity to return. I fully expect you’ll feel the same way after your visit to Stahl’s.

For more information, visit the Stahl’s website.

 

Nissan unveils Nismo GT-R racer for 2020

Larry Edsall
-
0
Nissan unveils Nismo GT-R racer for 2020

Few cars have sparked the interest of enthusiasts across the generations as has the Nissan GT-R, and now Nissan and NISMO, its motorsports division, have released a first look at the 2020-spec Nissan GT-R Nismo GT500 race car. The photos were released as the car began its development testing at Japan’s Suzuka racing circuit.

Based on the GT-R Nismo, the car will compete in the Super GT series in 2020. It is being developed to comply with new Class I technical regulations that will be shared by the Super GT and DTM (German touring car) series, Nissan said.

Wheel specialist Forgeline does pro touring Camaro build

Larry Edsall
-
0
Wheel specialist Forgeline does pro touring Camaro build

Forgeline Motorsports has been known for its 25 years of producing wheels for the automotive aftermarket, but it recently has completed the build of a complete vehicle, a 1970 Chevrolet Camaro done to pro-touring specification.

Such a car might usually be headed for the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas, but in this case the car already has been purchased by a resident of the Middle East so the car will be showcased instead later in November at the inaugural collector car show in Riyadh, capital city of Saudi Arabia.

“We’ve been dreaming about building our own world-class, pro-touring machine for several years,” Forgeline president Dave Schardt is quoted in the company’s news release. “We’re a long-time supporter of this segment of the performance aftermarket and have been the wheel of choice for many of the builders and the cars that have made these pro touring events so popular. But now, this year, it’s our turn to participate.”

“A quick tour of the paddock at any pro-touring event is literally a rolling catalog of Forgeline’s expertise in fabricating custom wheels that can stand up to the rigors of autocross, speed/stop and timed lap competitions, all while looking like forged and machined aluminum works of art,” the company noted. “So it really should be no surprise that Forgeline Motorsports’ ’70 Camaro is constructed using components from top-of-the-line manufacturers.”

The build, dones ?? with Smitty’s Custom Automotive in Tiffin, Ohio, includes a hydroformed subframe, tubular upper and lower control arms and Quadralink rear suspension and adjustable anti-roll bar and floating rear axle assembly from Detroit Speed.

Electronic RideTech Instinct shocks provide the proper stance and RideTech’s TigerCage stiffens the chassis while protecting the driver and passenger, Foregline said. Inside the BFG Rival S tires mounted on 18-inch Foregline GX3R open-lug aluminum wheels are Extreme 6R disc brakes from Baer Brakes.

Power is provided by a Lingenfelter-turned LT4 engine linked to a Bowler Transmission-modified Tremec T56 transmission outfitted with ZR1 gears and a Centerforce DYAD extreme-duty clutch.

Other components in the build include Optima Yellow Top battery, Vintage Air, Recaro seats, California Custom Sounds audio, Carbon Kustoms carbon fiber hood and fenders, Ring Brothers hood hinges, and D7Z Customs front spoiler.

Trent’s Trick Upholstery, another Ohio company, handcrafted the custom interior that includes RacePak digital dash, datalogger and power-distribution module.

After several unexpected delays in the restoration process, the Forgeline ’70 pro touring Camaro has made its debut. Visit the Forgeline website and Facebook page for more information and updates.

Ferrari 308 GT4 was its first with mid-engine V8

Larry Edsall
-
1
Ferrari 308 GT4 was its first with mid-engine V8

Wikipedia reports that Elvis Presley, Adam West and Gordon Murray each owned a Ferrari 308 GT4, so the next owner of the Pick of the Day would seem to be joining interesting company. 

The Pick of the Day is a 1976 Ferrari 308 GT4 Dino being offered for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private owner in Wittenberg, Wisconsin. The asking price is $30,000 — yes, just $30,000 for a Ferrari.

And not a typical Ferrari at that. 

The 308 was Ferrari’s first car with a mid-engine V8 and also its first production car designed by Bertone rather than Pininfarina. 

The bulging design was done by Marcello Gandini, though reportedly with much input from Enzo Ferrari himself. 

The 308, a 2+2 coupe, was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in 1973 with Dino badging and remained in production into 1980 when it was replaced by the Mondial 8. Dino 308 GT4s were offered for U.S. import only in one year, 1975.

The seller of this one, chassis Dino F 106 Al A 12 078, purchased the car in Europe in November, 2002. 

“When I purchased the (car) from Dr. Paul Kuhn (representing Ebb Tide Management), Dr. Kuhn provided the technical assessments of the vehicle from June 1986 through August, 2002,” the seller reports. “He also provided a statement that the 100 000 km service update included new clutch and fly wheel and leather seats.  

“Dr. Kuhn said the vehicle was inspected and serviced quarterly and the cam drive belts were replaced every 30,000 km (20,000 mi during the 24-years he operated the vehicle).

“The vehicle was housed in a heated garage with the other vehicles in his collection in Riehen, Switzerland.  From 1986-1991, the vehicle was serviced at Garage Mirolo… From 1992-2002, the vehicle was serviced at Wettstein Garage Grenzacherstr… I have attached the technical assessment dates and odometer readings of the vehicle during the emission tests from 1986 – 2002.”

After buying the Ferrari, the seller kept it in a heated garage beneath his apartment in Rienhen, Switzerland, until bringing it to the U.S. in 2004. Since its arrival in Wisconsin, it has been housed in the showroom of the Beversdorf Garage in Wittenberg, “where it remains to date.” 

“The car has been driven infrequently since it was relocated to the USA in 2004 (a couple miles once per quarter to maintain seals and bearings) with associated routine maintenance handled by Beversdorf Garage,” the seller says.

The car’s body was restored and repainted in 2011. Earlier this year, the constant velocity joints were reconditioned and outer axle bellows/boots were replaced, the starter was reconditioned and its steering linkage parts (outer/inner tie rod ends and rack) were replaced, the seller adds.

The 308 GT4s were produced with a V8 displacing 3.0-liters and providing 255 horsepower and were linked to a 5-speed manual transmission. 

To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.

 

1...829830831...1,690Page 830 of 1,690

Award-winning online automotive magazine with over 400,000 monthly readers.