by Mike -
RM Auctions will be auctioning some exceptional classic cars at Battersea in London on October 26. Here are some of my favorites.
1958 Lister-Chevrolet “Knobbly” Sports Racing Car
Estimate: £460,000-£590,000 ($731,000-$938,000)
RM says:
• Genuine three-owner Knobbly Lister-Chevrolet
• Single ownership since 1969
• Complete professional restoration
• Three-decade long career in CASC, SVRA and VSCCA historic events
• Outstanding historic racing candidate; a true D-Type, Chaparral 1 and “Birdcage” fighter!
352 cu. in. Chevrolet V-8 racing engine
1955 Ferrari 750 Monza Spyder by Scaglietti
Estimate: £1,550,000-£1,800,000 ($2,465,000-$2,862,000)
RM says:
Est. 260 hp, 2,999 cc DOHC four-cylinder engine, two Weber 58 mm DCOA/3 carburettors, five-speed manual transmission in transaxle, independent front suspension with unequal-length A-arms, coil springs and Houdaille shocks, de Dion solid rear axle with transverse leaf springs and trailing arms, four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes.
• Multiple race-winning, ex-Ernie McAfee against the likes of Hill and Shelby
• The sole 750 Monza Scaglietti Spyder built without a headrest
• Raced from 1956-63 by Masten Gregory and luminaries
• Restored in Modena to exact original specifications in 2000
• Multiple concours award-winner 2003-2006, including Cavallino Classic, Amelia Island and The Quail
• Ferrari Classiche certification
Great history, looks like it spent most of its life in the US. But no head rest? Maybe that will be a ding on the price.
1965 Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada
Estimate: £350,000-£400,000 ($557,000-$636,000)
The upper end of this price range puts this car in world record territory for a GT 5300 at auction.
RM says:
...this is believed to be one of the last early cars that shared design characteristics with the competition A3C cars, including four taillights, deeper vertical vents, slim door handles and a different and more sporting dash. Additionally, like the competition cars, it does not have bumpers, and most importantly, it is reported to be close to 200 kgs lighter than the later Bizzarinis...
I saw this car in Monterey in 2009 and wrote about it
here and
here. I am very happy that RM was able to get the marque and model correct.
Chevrolet Corvette 327 cid V8
1969 AC 428 Frua Drophead Coupé
Estimate: £120,000-£155,000 ($191,000-$246,000)
RM says:
345 bhp, 6,989 cc overhead valve V-8 engine, three-speed automatic transmission, independent coil spring front and rear suspension, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes.
• One of only 29 convertibles built
• Italian style, English engineering, American horsepower!
• Fresh from bare metal re-spray
These cars are rare and good looking.
1972 Lamborghini Miura SV
Estimate: £750,000-£900,000 ($1,193,000-$1,431,000)
RM says:
385 bhp, 3,929 cc transverse mid-mounted alloy DOHC V-12 engine, Weber twin-choke carburettors, five-speed manual gearbox, independent front and rear suspension with A-arms, coil springs with tubular shocks and anti-roll bars, and four-wheel hydraulic disc brakes.
• The ultimate-spec “SV” variant of the original Italian supercar
• Recently rebuilt V-12 with only an approximate 100 miles since
• Highly desirable and rare original features including A/C and factory fitted radio
• Very rare cloth upholstery and Alcantara dash
Wow, this is expensive. I know it is an SV but is it really worth twice as much as the first generation Miura? Especially with cloth upholstery and Alcantara dash - wouldn't you rather have leather?
1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB 'Tour de France' Berlinetta
Estimate: £2,000,000-£2,400,000 ($3,180,000-$3,816,000)
RM says:
250 bhp at 7,000 rpm, 2,953 cc SOHC alloy block-and-head V-12 engine, triple Weber carburettors, four-speed manual gearbox, independent front suspension with A-arms and coil springs, live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes.
• One of the most desirable competition-bred Ferraris extant
• Alloy coachwork and V-12 power
• Desirable covered headlamps; one of 36 “single-louver” examples
• Ferrari Classiche-certified and matching numbers
• Restoration by marque specialists in Italy
1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT by Touring
Estimate: £780,000-£880,000 ($1,240,000-$1,399,000)
RM says:
302 bhp, 3,670 cc twin plug dual overhead camshaft alloy engine with three Weber 45 DCOE carburettors, four-speed synchromesh alloy-cased close ratio gearbox, four-wheel coil-spring suspension, and four-wheel Girling disc brakes.
• One of 75 GT examples built
• Matching numbers, highly original RHD example
• Triple Weber carburetted, 3.7-litre engine
• Original colour combination of Goodwood Green over original Fawn interior
• Recent service and known history
This is one of the rare GT models and it is a great color combination - now if only the steering wheel were on the other side. I hope no one turns this into a DB4 GT Zagato replica.
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