Presented by GAA Classic Cars – The Plymouth Road Runner Superbird may have had a short-lived production cycle, being produced just in 1970, but it still made quite the impact. Those equipped with the massive 426 HEMI engine had 425 horsepower on tap and were blisteringly fast.
Heading to the upcoming GAA Classic Cars April 2021 auction is an original, numbers-matching 1970 Plymouth Superbird. This example is well documented and comes with the original Chrysler Corporation Car Production Broadcast Sheet & window sticker. The previously mentioned 426 HEMI engine is also found in this Superbird, which is mated to a rebuilt Torqueflite transmission. As for accolades, this is one of 135 HEMI Superbird produced in 1970 and one of 36 known to be equipped with the automatic transmission. It shows 24,959 actual miles on its odometer and is finished in the correct Alpine White paint (repainted in 2000).
This 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Superbird will be auctioned off at GAA Classic Cars’ April 2021, which runs from the 22nd to the 24th. For more information about the event, click here.
Presented by GAA Classic Cars – The Dodge Charger Daytona, named after the city Daytona Beach, has long been a popular classic muscle car for many reasons. From its looks and power to its history, the Charger Daytona is a highly sought-after vehicle. At the upcoming GAA Classic Cars April 2021 auction, bidders will get their chance to own a very special example of the iconic car.
This example is finished in the striking F6 Bright Green Metallic paint and is one of only 34 to be finished in the color. Inside the cabin is a white and black interior with vinyl bucket seats. In between the seats is the shifter for the A727 Torqueflite automatic transmission. This transmission handles the 375 horsepower created by the 440 Magnum V8 engine. Laying all of the power down are Magnum 500 wheels shod in Firestone Super Sport Redline tires. It also comes with a Galen Govier Report and is also documented in the Chrysler Registry.
This 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona will be auctioned off at GAA Classic Cars’ April 2021, which runs from the 22nd to the 24th. For more information about the event, click here.
Amelia Island is a great place to find your next Porsche 911
The Bonham’s auction back in 2016 made waves around the world. It is there that Jerry Seinfeld’s incredible collection was opened to the highest bidder. He has decided to make more room, and his 2016 GT3 RS can be yours.
Loaded with options you never knew of, Liquid Chrome Blue Metallic interrupts every conversation. Inside you are treated to contrast stitching, leather everywhere, navigation, and the PDK transmission. Officially rated at 520 horsepower, this car carried a sticker price of $449,890 from all the “Special Wishes” requested by the original owner. The 991 series went out on top, and this example has only been outside for 1,500 miles. Estimated to bring upwards of $330,000, you need a new centerpiece for your collection. Tell us your favorite celebrity car in the comments below!
Images (C) Bonham’s
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Following World War II, Jaguar Cars wholeheartedly adopted a time-tested automotive sales strategy: Use feats of speed and competition success to market its civilian sports cars and luxury saloons. First came headline-grabbing speed trials in the XK 120, followed by the model’s success in circuit racing. The XK 120 was then developed into the swoopy C-Type racer; the C-Type’s wins at the 1951 and 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans demonstrated that Jaguar’s investment in motorsport was a very wise one indeed.
Yet if the C-Type represented an evolution of the XK 120, the machine that would follow—the Jaguar D-Type—was a radical leap into the future of performance. With its round haunches and small, oval grille, the D-Type presented a friendly face to the world; behind it, however, lurked a fierce competition car packed with advanced technology.
Unlike its rather conventional predecessor, the D-Type made use of a strikingly modern chassis configuration centered around a strong, lightweight monocoque body tub that enveloped the cockpit. An XK-type dual-overhead camshaft inline-six engine was cradled in a subframe assembly attached to the front of this monocoque; the car’s solid rear axle and rear suspension assembly were correspondingly fitted to the rear bulkhead. While materials and technology have evolved dramatically in subsequent decades, this basic design concept is used on race cars and exotics to this day.
Further forward-looking elements included four-wheel disc brakes supplied by Dunlop, first deployed on the C-Type, and a compact, slippery body that minimized frontal area to reduce aerodynamic drag—an effort aided by the XK engine’s dry-sump configuration and slightly canted orientation, which afforded a lower hood height. Finally, an asymmetric vertical fin positioned behind the driver’s headrest, developed to add stability on circuits with long, high-speed sections (and later added to many initially finless cars, this chassis among them) lent the D-Type an unmistakable profile.
Introduced in April 1954, the D-Type soon earned success in competition: After victory at the 1954 Sebring 12 Hours and strong second-place finish at 1954 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Jaguar works team achieved a first at Circuit de la Sarthe in 1955; Ecurie Ecosse notched a privateer win there the following year. Racing technology evolves quickly, however, and faced with slowing sales, Jaguar decided to use the D-Type chassis it had on hand to build the very similar (though finless) XKSS road car.
D-Type and XKSS production suffered a crippling blow on 12 February 1957, when a fire tore through Jaguar’s Coventry works. Five D-Types were destroyed in the blaze, as well as important tooling and materials. Final D-Type production numbers tallied 17 works race cars (including 11 “long-nose” variants), plus 54 “short-nose” D-Types intended for customers; of that latter group, five were lost in the fire and four were dismantled for parts. A further two of these production D-Types were later converted to XKSS models.
Yet despite the Coventry catastrophe, D-Type’s story was far from over. Notably, five privateer D-Types were entered in the 1957 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. They ultimately took the top four places, in addition to sixth place, with the Ecurie Ecosse D-Types famously reprising their 1956 first-place finish and achieving second place to boot. The sleek Jaguar’s place in motorsport history had been secured.
CHASSIS NUMBER XKD 518
Dispatched 29 December 1955 and delivered new to Henlys of Manchester, England, XKD 518’s appearance immediately distinguished it from the already rarified D-Type set. Painted Red with an interior trimmed to match, it was one of a very small number of D-Types (perhaps as few as two or three examples) to be so finished when new. One historian suggests, somewhat humorously, that this unexpected livery was selected by Jaguar in hopes of breaking into the Italian privateer racing market.
Whatever the motivation may have been, the car remained in England, and racer Peter Blond became its first private owner—having purchased the car for £3,500 from a certain Bernie Ecclestone, who had taken the car on after Henlys failed to find a buyer. Blond soon put it to good use in club racing, achieving second and first place finishes at Snetterton in June 1956, along with another first at Snetterton in September. Other appearances in busy 1956 and 1957 seasons included Aintree, Silverstone, Oulton Park, and Goodwood, where Blond competed in the Goodwood Trophy race and finished ninth.
Blond sold the car to Jonathan Sieff in August 1957; Sieff continued to race the car with Blond, with a best recorded finish of second at Full Sutton in July 1958. Following the 1959 racing season Sieff sold to the car to Monty Mostyn of Speedwell Garage, and after a brief period in the hands of John Houghton, it was acquired by racer Jean Bloxham. Bloxham brought the car to Goodwood in March and April of 1961 and raced the car at Silverstone in May, finishing third in one of her outings.
XKD 518 returned to John Houghton in around 1962, and around 1967 it was sold on to John Coombs and Richard Wilkins. Under the care of its next owner, Clive Lacey, it attended the first International E-type Day at Donington Park in 1974. Following Lacey, this D-Type was purchased by Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant.
The car crossed the Atlantic in 1982 after its purchase by American collector George Stauffer, who retained the D-Type until 1996. From Stauffer it passed to Chris Cox, then in 1998 to Roger Willbanks, before being acquired by Bill Jacobs in 2005. It has resided in the collection of its current owner and consignor since 2008. Importantly, there are no known breaks in XKD 518’s record of ownership or gaps in its history, and the car is included in authoritative marque and model texts including Jaguar Sports Racing Cars: C-Type, D-Type, XKSS and Lightweight E-Type and Jaguar C-Type. D-Type & Lightweight E-Type Register.
Painted British Racing Green at some point in its past, XKD 518 has since been returned to its factory Red. Inside the remarkably low-slung cockpit, the correct red interior upholstery found on the lap belt-equipped seats continues on the transmission tunnel. The car’s two seats are a separated by a divider, a feature eliminated on the XKSS road cars; a purposeful wood-rimmed steering wheel—all D-Types were right-hand drive—sits in front of a suite of Smiths gauges. A black tonneau cover provides a degree of weather protection when parked.
Initially built with a narrow windscreen and no tailfin behind its headrest, XKD 518 was, as car engaged in regular racing, upgraded as D-Type design was honed by competition. Currently, the car is fitted with a full-width windscreen, a configuration shown in some period photographs; precisely when it gained its distinctive tailfin remains unknown.
Underneath the car’s aerodynamically sculpted bonnet, fittingly secured by leather straps, sits the numbers-matching 3.4-liter dry-sump XK engine (both block and cylinder head are stamped E 2028-9). Fed by triple Weber carburetors, breathing through passenger-side-mounted exhaust, and mated to four-speed transmission, this combination was rated at 245 horsepower when new. Meanwhile, at the very tail of the car, a full-size spare wheel is hidden away in small boot; the fuel filler cap is similarly concealed from sight in a compartment behind the driver’s headrest at the base of the tailfin.
Advanced in design and construction and highly successful in competition—while also distinguishing itself as one of the most aesthetically pleasing racing machines ever devised—any Jaguar D-Type is an important and notable vehicle. Beyond its distinctive color combination, XKD 518’s particular appeal lies in its well-documented provenance, including a healthy record of in-period racing. Further, despite ample time spent on circuits, it has survived to the present accompanied by its original engine, cylinder head, and bodywork. Needless to say, not all competition machinery from racing’s golden era has been so lucky.
A compelling centerpiece for any serious collection of significant sports and racing cars, XKD 518 is also a worthy candidate for vintage competition at the highest and most prestigious levels; it awaits a dedicated owner prepared to carry on the legacy established by racers and enthusiasts in the decades since this special D-Type first left Coventry.
This vehicle will be offered at RM Sotheby’s 22nd annual Arizona sale, kicking off its 2021 auction calendar at the OTTO Car Club on Friday, 22 January. It will join approximately 80 blue-chip motor cars, and the sale will be a live event with limited attendance; online and phone bidding options are available by contacting RM Sotheby’s.
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While the Roadmaster, Invicta, and Electra were the top models, Buick decided to build something to fill the gap between their luxury models and the entry-level Special. What once was a trim level arrived as an all-new model in 64. Riding on the same chassis as the Chevelle, the Buick Skylark focused on comfort. Because the bodies were stronger and more insulated, the springs and shocks were more relaxed than the Chevelle or the Cutlass.
This car was built to show and to go. While it is as clean to eat off of, the underside of the floors and frame have been restored to factory condition. The Moser 9″ is a modern replacement for the weak 10-bolt. This was needed to handle the power from the big block 461 stroker. Built by Phillips & Wilkerson Racing Engines, the dyno sheet verifies 492 horsepower and 527 lb-ft of torque. It is backed by a Tremec T5 HD 5-speed and an SFI bellhousing.
While other brands sold cars on horsepower, every Buick in the 60’s was advertised on its torque. Carroll Shelby said it best “Horsepower sells cars, torque wins races!” Given the curb weight of 2,900 lbs, this car has a better power-to-weight ratio than an F-18 fighter. Aside from the headers, people will easily see the Stage 1 Air Cleaner and assume it is a base model Grand Sport. But once you are done at the car show, it will run single-digit times in the quarter-mile. It may look like your grandma’s car but it also will run down anyone with ease.
This lot is one of the vehicles offered at GAA Classic Cars’ upcoming auction in Greensboro NC November 5-7, 2020. Register to bid online or in-person today!
Fiat’s most legendary, significant, and storied production model, the 8V, was aptly described by Road & Track in 1952 as being “the biggest surprise of the year.” Although Fiat traces its roots to 1899 and built competition cars both massive and magnificent in the early twentieth century, after World War II the company was known largely for its mass-produced automobiles for the common man, such cars like the tiny “Topolino” that put a nation on wheels and had become among the most popular in Europe.
Therefore, it came as a shock to the automotive world when Fiat suddenly introduced a powerful sports car with an advanced overhead-valve light alloy V-8 engine, Siata-fabricated chassis, and four-wheel independent suspension, which could be and was successfully raced by privateers all over the world.
Like most sophisticated chassis of the time, the 8V lent itself handsomely to custom coachwork, which Fiat encouraged. Carrozzeria Ghia of Torino accounted for approximately 30 to 40 of the 114 8V chassis built, of which the most striking were the 15 bodied to Giovanni Savonuzzi’s stunning Jet Age design, known, simply and appropriately as the “Supersonic.”
The Supersonic design had originally been proposed for an Alfa Romeo racing car, which Savonuzzi gave a steeply raked, long windshield; a curved nose that formed a straight-through beltline, ending at small tail fins flaring off lights intended to resemble jet afterburners; and a low, glassy greenhouse.
Similar styling on an 8V chassis was subsequently ordered by American designer Paul Farago, and 14 more examples followed, all of which had detail differences but remained largely true to Savonuzzi’s original and dramatic design. They are considered the most sought-after and desirable 8Vs, as they boast the best combination of avant-garde design from the Jet Age. Even today they are stunningly modern and dramatic and turn heads wherever they go. Few cars are so capable of stopping concours crowds in their tracks.
THE LAUVE SUPERSONIC
General Motors designer Henry de Segur Lauve, a concept artist behind the original Corvette prototype and other significant cars, attended the Supersonic design’s official debut at the 1953 Paris Auto Show. Mr. Lauve was struck by the styling of the new model and placed an order for his own, which, finished in white with a blue interior, was shipped from the Genoa docks aboard SS Constitution. Typical of the 8Vs, the car featured exquisite hardware throughout, including the interior with an elaborate Ghia-badged speedometer behind the wood-rimmed steering wheel.
Mr. Lauve contacted Fiat roughly a year later, complaining about difficulties with the engine of his car in everyday use. He received a rather amusing response from the Italian automaker, reproduced in Tony Adriaensens’s book Otto Vu, noting their surprise that he had tried to use the car as a “daily driver,” as it was intended for use by wealthy amateur racing drivers!
Nonetheless, Fiat agreed to supply a new engine, no. 000188, and its ancillary components, on the condition that Mr. Lauve return the original engine, no. 000039. Interestingly, that engine was never returned to Fiat and was subsequently fitted to another 8V Supersonic. At some point before the new engine was installed, Mr. Lauve ran the car with a Chevrolet 283 V-8 under the hood, as remembered by his fellow GM designer Robert Cumberford, who enjoyed many memorable high-speed rides in it through the Detroit suburbs. During this time, the treatment of the car’s flanks was appropriated for the new 1958 Chevrolet, reflecting the attention paid by Mr. Lauve and his fellow designers.
Apparently the 8V Supersonic, with whatever power plant, pleased Mr. Lauve, as he and his family maintained it faithfully longer than almost any other original 8V owner. During their tenure it was refinished in silver, as featured in Otto Vu. It was finally sold by the Lauves in 1991 and was later owned in 1994 by Eric Nielsen of California. The car was subsequently restored in this rich garnet-over-tan combination, with a correct 8V engine, no. 000060, tucked under the hood. The work was beautifully detailed, with the color showing off the elaborate curves of the body and fabulous touches such as smoked glass sun visors and Borrani chrome wire wheels.
Following long-term ownership in a prominent Swiss collection, the car was acquired for the current collection and has remained well maintained since, alongside two other superlative 8Vs. It would certainly be suitable for either enjoying on vintage rallies, such as the California Mille, Colorado Grand, or even the Mille Miglia, but could also be lightly freshened for happy exhibition at further shows and concours.
Few Supersonics have such a well-known, colorful, and fascinating history as the Henry Lauve car—preserved and maintained by a legendary Detroit designer, a man who appreciated the exquisite and advanced styling when he saw it. It is among the greatest treasures of this collection.
This vehicle will be offered without reserve in RM Sotheby’s Elkhart Collection, taking place 23-24 October as a live and online sale. View additional lots and register to bid online at RMSothebys.com.
