My Car Quest: My Favorite Classic Cars For Sale At The Scottsdale Auctions

by Mike -

Toward the end of January thousands of classic car lovers will descend on Scottsdale, Arizona looking to buy a special car or two at one of the auctions.

Today I am presenting my favorite cars that are scheduled to be up for auction by Gooding & Company on January 21 and 22, 2011 in Scottsdale.

1966 Ferrari 330 GTC - Estimate is $250,000 - $300,000 WITHOUT RESERVE

40,000 miles - sliver with red interior - a great combination. The 300 GTC is one of the best looking Ferraris of the 1960s and will always be appreciated by Ferrari lovers. This car has been in the movies!

It has a 4 liter V12 Engine with three Weber carburetors producing 300 bhp through a 5-speed manual transaxle. Oh yeah.

1967 Jaguar E-Type Series I Roadster Race Car - Estimate is $125,000 - $150,000 WITHOUT RESERVE

"Fully equipped for vintage racing" according to Gooding. This car just looks good and with a 4.2 liter 6-cylinder engine producing 380 bhp it will move fast as well. Look good and go fast, that's what I want.

1959 Aston Martin DB4 Series I Lightweight Race Car - Estimate is $250,000 - $325,000 WITHOUT RESERVE

Another vintage race car - "Overall Winner of the 1992 Rallye Monte Carlo Historique". Also at 380 bhp it is quick. It has a 4.2 liter 6-cylinder engine with three Weber carburetors and a 4-speed manual transmission. It also has disk brakes on all 4 wheels. This car has style and speed.

1965 Ferrari 275 GTB - Estimate is $700,000 - $800,000

One of the most desirable Ferraris ever - the 275 GTB is a timeless classic. This one in Fly yellow with tan interior was restored in 2002. A V12 engine with 3.3 liter capacity and three Weber carburetors produces 280 bhp through the 5-speed manual transaxle. I love yellow and am glad to see it is not red.

1958 AC Ace Bristol - Estimate is $250,000 - $325,000

This looks like a Shelby Cobra but it is the predecessor to the Cobra and is driven by an inline 6-cylinder 2 liter Bristol engine with 128 bhp. So, it is not as fast as a Cobra but it looks just as good and is much cheaper than a real Cobra. These cars are very much appreciated by collectors today and the price range set by Gooding reflects that interest.

1967 Ghia 450 SS Convertible - Estimate is $100,000 - $130,000 WITHOUT RESERVE

Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro this car has a 273 cid Chrysler engine putting out 235 bhp through an automatic transmission. It has lived its whole life in Southern California and was restored in 1988. This car is not a high performance car but is a good looker for cruising on a summer day to the beach, or anywhere.

1964 Porsche 904 Carrera GTS - Estimate Available Upon Request

This beautiful classic Porsche has a 1,966 CC 4-cylinder engine putting out 185 hp through a 5-speed ZF transmission. This is one of the best looking Porsches ever and this car has a successful race history.

Gooding says "One of the earliest Carrera GTS models built, chassis 904-017 is an exceptional car that possesses a brilliant racing record, a documented ownership history from new and a level of authenticity matched by few of these dominant Porsche race cars."

"Estimate Available Upon Request" is code for "very expensive".

1964 Shelby 289 Cobra - Estimate is $525,000 - $625,000

A 289 cid Ford engine with a 4-speed transmission delivering 271 bhp. This is a rare unrestored, real Shelby 289 Cobra. It is unusual to find one of these cars that has not been modified in some way over the years and then to find one that has not at least been restored is fantastic. They are original only once - I hope this car goes to a good home and lives a long unrestored life.

1965 Shelby GT350 R - Estimate is $650,000 - $850,000

Wow, a real R code 1965 Shelby GT350! The R stands for race and this is a race car with a great history that includes drivers Pedro Rodriguez and Freddy Van Beuren and a national championship. I have written about Shelby GT 350s before so I won't repeat myself here.

1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV - estimate is $850,000 - $950,000

I am a huge fan of the Miura, however, I am not sure why the P400 SV commands a 100% premium over the P400 but it does, so who am I to argue with market forces?

This car has a 4 liter alloy V12 engine (originally designed by Giotto Bizzarrini), four Weber carburetors producing 385 bhp with a 5-speed manual transmission. It has had a full restoration by marque experts. There were 751 Miuras produced of which only 148 were the SV like this one.

1969 Porsche 911 S 2.0 Coupe - estimate is $90,000 - $120,000 WITHOUT RESERVE

This car has a 1,991 CC boxer 6-cylinder engine producing 170 hp with a 5-speed manual gearbox. This model is rare and one of the most desirable of the early 911s. This car is an award winner and has been fully restored.

I owned a 1967 911 many years ago that looked very much like this car but not as nice.

1963 Aston Martin DB4 Series V Vantage GT - Estimate is $650,000 - $750,000

This Aston has a 4.2 liter inline 6-cylinder engine with three Weber carburetors putting out 304 hp using a 4-speed manual transmission. This car has had a complete restoration by Aston Martin Works Service with some performance upgrades. This car is set up to go either way - road or race. This is a rare car and the only problem for me is that it is right hand drive (this would be OK on the track but I would not like it on the road). But still a great car.

1963 Lotus Elite SE - Estimate is $60,000 - $80,000 WITHOUT RESERVE

This car has a 1,460 CC inline 4-cylinder engine with twin Weber carburetors putting out 108 bhp using a 4-speed ZF transmission. It also has 4-wheel disc brakes. These cars are much loved by Lotus fans but they can be difficult to live with if you do not understand them. If you want an Elite this one sounds like a great one to own based on the Gooding description.