Bentley was born racing, and while most of its 100+ years have been spent away from the track, the company is going back with one of the 1929 Bentley Blower Continuation Cars it has built. The car, created using blueprints and 3D scans of an original car in Bentley’s Heritage Collection, will compete at three major historic automobile races through September. Bentley is also celebrating the 20th anniversary of its sixth and final victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a limited-edition series of 48 “Le Mans Collection” Continental GT and GTC models.
While the “Imperial” and “LeBaron” names became diluted on mainstream Chrysler cars in more recent history, the two had once created great American luxury together. LeBaron was America’s most distinguished designer of the period, creating bodies for the world’s top luxury automakers. The early 1930s Chrysler Imperials designed by LeBaron are among America’s most beautiful classics. Marjorie Merriweather Post, who owned General Foods Corporation, must have thought so when she purchased this 1933 Chrysler Imperial CL Dual Cowl Phaeton. Bonhams is offering the car at its Amelia Island auction, with a $375K-$450K pre-sale estimate.
You might remember Lamborghini’s LM002. One of the first people to purchase an LM002 back in the 1908s was Sylvester Stallone, of “Rambo” movie fame, which inspired the vehicle’s “Rambo Lambo” nickname. Since that era, you may have always wanted to own this V-12, three-ton off-road monster that goes from 0-60 in under 8 seconds, and carries a 75-gallon fuel tank. At its Miami auction in December, RM Sotheby’s is offering a 1991 LM002, with under 6,000 miles on the odometer, which is #279 out of 328 made. Putting this Rambo Lambo in your driveway is guaranteed to make a statement to the neighbors.
RM Sotheby’s Scottsdale Auction next week will offer over 80 lots, including a rare 1993 Ciezeta V16T. Our Sales Managers picked their top pics, from Marques such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW.
This year, the Scottsdale Auctions will not all be in January, nor are all in Scottsdale. RM Sotheby’s and Bonhams will both be in Scottsdale in January, while Worldwide Auctions in Indiana in January. Additionally, Gooding & Company will be strictly online auctions this month. Read our itinerary for a full breakdown.
Have a holly, Jolly Christmas. The rare 1959 Fiat 600 Jolly has been driven by people such as US President Lyndon B. Johnson and renowned car collector Wayne Carini, though not at the same time of course. Estimates of the car are around $144,000, and this particular one was on the auction block for RM Sotheby’s in November.
There were only nine Alfa Romeo TZ3 Stradale ever made. According to RM Sotheby’s, each was built at a cost of $1m in 2010, and one of them sold at the Elkhart Collection auction in October for $489k. It was virtually a brand new car, with just over 200 miles.
At its expansive and eclectic Elkhart Collection auction in late October, RM Sotheby’s sold a special example of the rare 1937 Cord 812 Sportsman convertible for $257,600. Less than 3,000 of this model car were ever made.
The “Elkhart Collection” is no more. RM Sotheby’s offered all of them at no reserve and brought in $44.3m. The top sale was a 1952 Ferrari 225 S Berlinetta by Vignale, which brought in $2.8m, followed by 1953 Fiat 8V Supersonic by Ghia $2.04m.
