Every vintage racecar has a story. Some of the more compelling ones are those intrinsically linked to a marque’s formative years. “The Admiral’s Ferrari,” a 1955 Series II Mondial, is one. This August, after 58 years in one owner’s hands, the car will go in search of a new steward at the Gooding & Company auction in Monterey.
In a market overflowing with 600-horsepower sports cars and sedans, it can get a little too easy to forget how much fun 120 horsepower can be. Take your pick, convertible coupe with a true “landau” roof or the rakish roadster with side curtains. Either way, can you see yourself cruising along the Coast in the Pebble Beach Motoring Classic in these time machines?
Owning a Bugatti is about having something rare and desired and experiencing a thrill that no other car in the world can deliver. Bugatti makes such cars because it is possible, and car enthusiasts of all stripes and demographics admire the car.
It is entertaining to read Rolls-Royce marketing materials, but good-natured ribbing aside, it appears the crew in Goodwood has built something quite unique for the high-end SUV category. The Cullinan arrives next year, starting at around $325,000 before options, of which there will be plenty.
Ferrari 458 Italia reset almost every measurement bar one could apply to a high-performance sports car. Editors at Motor Trend magazine wrote: “The 458 Italia surrounds you so completely with its talent, it almost feels an organic extension of your senses… This Ferrari turns mere mortals like you and me into driving gods.”
The Ferrari 550 Barchetta Pininfarina provides a more accessible version, one that bears watching for rising values. At its January 2018 Scottsdale sale, RM Sotheby’s will offer a 2001 example (Lot #266) showing just 9,500 miles, with a pre-sale estimate of $475,000-$525,000.
RM/Sotheby’s is offering a 1960 Giulietta Sprint Speciale in a beautiful shade of dark blue, with a pre-sale estimate of $125,000-$175,000. The value rise for these cars has been most dramatic since around 2010.
Undoubtedly one of the most original Cobras in in the world, this time machine is being offered at the RM/Sothebys Monterey auction with a pre-sale estimate of $1.2-$1.4 million.
A 1969 Mazda Cosmo Series II will be auctioned off at Monterey, showing 17,650 miles. Gooding & Company’s pre-sale estimate is $110,000-$130,000.
