Author Archives: Noah Joseph

Elegant classic Ferrari and Talbot-Lago to headline at Pebble Beach

Posted on by Noah Joseph

Filed under: , , , ,

1955 Ferrari 410 Sport Berlinetta and 1938 Talbot-Lago Teardrop Coupe

RM Auctions only just finished pulling in record numbers at its event in Monaco, but it’s already gearing up for the next event set to take place during Pebble Beach weekend in Monterey, California.

Headlining the Canadian specialist auctioneer’s catalog for the August event are the rare 1955 Ferrari 410 Sport Berlinetta and the timelessly elegant 1938 Talbot-Lago Teardrop Coupe pictured together above.

Considered by some to be one of the world’s most desirable Ferrari classic road car, this particular 410 Sport Berlinetta is the second of just four built and the only fixed-roof coupe. Chassis 0594 CM features bodywork by Scaglietti in ivory with blue leather. It will be making its first appearance both in North America and at auction, having only traded hands a few times between private European collectors until now.

The Talbot, meanwhile, is one of only five of its kind built (of four remaining) and the only such coupe built upon a four-seat chassis. The winner of several concours, this particular example of French art deco in motion is expected to fetch $2.5 to $3.2 million. Scroll down for the full press release and peruse the high-resolution images of the two cars together in Monaco for a sneak preview.

Continue reading Elegant classic Ferrari and Talbot-Lago to headline at Pebble Beach

Elegant classic Ferrari and Talbot-Lago to headline at Pebble Beach originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 May 2012 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

1957 Ferrari Testa Rossa sells for $6.4M in Monaco

Posted on by Noah Joseph

Filed under: , ,

1957 Ferrari 625 TRC Spider - studio image

Few marques get auto collectors riled up quite like Ferrari, and of classic Ferraris, few are as highly sought-after as the legendary Testa Rossa. We’re talking, of course, about the 50s-era roadster (as opposed to the 80s-era cheesegrater supercar), and the originals continue to fetch top dollar (or euro) whenever and wherever their fortunate owners are willing to part with them.

That when and where came this past weekend in Monte Carlo during the Historical Grand Prix of Monaco where RM Auctions sold some highly desirable classic metal. Topping the list was the rare 1957 Ferrari 625 TRC Spider you see here, one of only two built, which sold for a whopping €5,040,000 – equivalent to over $6.4 million at today’s exchange rates. That’s considerably more than the $4m four-cylinder 500 TRC that RM auctioned last year, but substantially less than the record $12m it garnered for a 250 TR in 2009.

Of course the Testa Rossa wasn’t the only car sold at the event, which brought in an astonishing €33.5 million (~$43m) in sales on 87 percent of all lots sold. In fact it wasn’t even the only Ferrari represented there, though it was the most expensive by a wide margin. A 1966 Ferrari 206 S Dino Spyder and a 1952 Ferrari 225 Sport Spyder ‘Tuboscocca’ (one of only 12 Vignale Spyders produced) each fetched €2.5 million ($3.2m), a rare factory Daytona Spyder brought in over €1 million ($1.3m), the car which Michael Schumacher drove to the 2000 Formula One World Championship and that Ferrari hydroplane each brought in over €800k (about a million greenbacks).

Other notable racing machinery sold at the auction included a Peugeot 908 LMP (which won several Le Mans Series races), a Lamborghini Gallardo LP600 GT3 (raced by Blancpain CEO Mark Hayek in the Super Trofeo series), a Ferrari FXX Evoluzione and a pair of Ducati Desmosedici MotoGP racing bikes. Follow the jump for all the juicy details and scope out the headline Testa Rossa in the high-res image gallery above.

Continue reading 1957 Ferrari Testa Rossa sells for $6.4M in Monaco

1957 Ferrari Testa Rossa sells for $6.4M in Monaco originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 May 2012 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Aston Martin opens new Works shop at old Newport Pagnell site

Posted on by Noah Joseph

Filed under: , ,

Aston Martin Works at Newport Pagnell

It’s been five years since Aston Martin shifted production to its new facility in Gaydon, Warwickshire, but after years of operating at Newport Pagnell, it could never shake the legacy of its historic home. So while the current model line is produced an hour away (probably less if you’re actually driving an Aston), the company has inaugurated a new facility at its spiritual home.

Actually, truth be told, the old factory at Newport Pagnell was kept as-is under historic preservation laws, so the new facility is actually situated across the street. Its showpiece is a 10-car showroom that will serve as Aston Martin’s flagship dealership. If you’re thinking that Aston doesn’t offer ten different models, well… it actually offers nine, between the DBS, DB9, Virage, V8 Vantage, V12 Vantage, V12 Zagato, Rapide, Cygnet and the One-77 (although we hear they’ve sold out of the latter). And even more if you take the V8 Vantage S variant and five convertible versions into account. But the showroom will also be displaying a variety of hand-picked and pristine classic Astons for sale, too.

That’s because the space is attached to Aston Martin Works, which has spruced up its operations as well. The division is charged with restoring and servicing Astons old and new with its staff of over 60 employees, handling some 2,500 cars every year for everything from an oil change to a full restoration. It also handles the company’s own fleet of historic vehicles and the catalog of new Q by Aston Martin accessories. Scroll down for the full press release and a breakdown of Aston Martin Works’ activities.

Continue reading Aston Martin opens new Works shop at old Newport Pagnell site

Aston Martin opens new Works shop at old Newport Pagnell site originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 May 2012 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

McLaren celebrates 40th anniversary of Indy win

Posted on by Noah Joseph

Filed under: , ,

McLaren's first win at Indy

When McLaren was bringing its new MP4-12C to the United States, there were fears that Americans wouldn’t recognize the name. After all, the team from Woking is known principally for competing in Formula One, which has had a spotty presence in the U.S. at best. Those fears proved to be misplaced, as customers in the States have been snatching up all the McLaren supercars they can get their hands on. And part of that might come down to the days when McLaren didn’t only race in America, it dominated.

The bulk of McLaren’s victories on this side of the Atlantic were notched up in the Canadian-American Challenge Cup, a radical form of sports-prototype racing campaigned in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, which Bruce and company won five times in a row. But Can-Am wasn’t the extent of McLaren’s success in America.

In 1970, the team entered into the Indianapolis 500 with its own car design. The following year, McLaren came back with a radically different design that scored pole position and finished the race in second place. And the year after that, the legendary Mark Donohue piloted his McLaren M16B fielded by the Sonoco-Penske team – complete with its Offenhauser four-cylinder turbo engine producing upwards of 700 horsepower – to the checkered flag.

Not only did McLaren win at Indy that year, but it also won races in Formula 1, Formula 2 and Can-Am, entering the history books as a force to be reckoned with. It would go on to win at Indy twice more in 1974 and 1976, and became the first car to exceed 200 miles per hour on the famed oval in 1977.

Now forty years later, McLaren is celebrating the first of its Indy by showcasing the #66 Sunoco-Penske car at the second annual Celebration of Automobiles in the speedway’s infield. There it will be displayed alongside the current MP4-12C to showcase just how far the company has come since then. You can check out the historic high-resolution images in the gallery and the details in the press release below for more info.

Continue reading McLaren celebrates 40th anniversary of Indy win

McLaren celebrates 40th anniversary of Indy win originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 May 2012 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Aston Martin finally sells out of One-77 supercars

Posted on by Noah Joseph

Filed under: , , , ,

Aston Martin One-77 production line

If you were waiting for those savings bonds to mature so you could get your hands on an Aston Martin One-77, we’re afraid we have some unfortunate news for you: they’re all gone.

According to the reports circulating the interwebs, all 77 examples of the range-topping, seven-figure Aston Martin supercar – complete with its specially-built 7.3-liter, 750-horsepower V12 engine – have been spoken for. That’s after the last example was apparently sold since reports surfaced in February indicating there was still one left.

Don’t worry too much, though, as Aston should still have a few examples of its new top-of-the-line model up for grabs. Production of the V12 Zagato is pegged at 150 units – barely more than twice that of the One-77 – with a sticker price of £330,000 – roughly half a million dollars, or a quarter the price of the One-77. Of course if you’re hell-bent on spending over a million on a new supercar, there are some gentlemen in Modena and Molsheim who’d be glad to help you out.

Aston Martin finally sells out of One-77 supercars originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Pagani supercars selling for double their million-dollar list prices?

Posted on by Noah Joseph

Filed under: , , ,

Pagani Huayra

A few years ago, we brought you a report on the speculative values of Pagani supercars. Whether as investments or frivolous purchases, those with the means, it seemed, were paying well above list price to get their hands on one of the rarest supercars on (or off) the market. But that was just as the world was on the brink of financial collapse. Surely with the global economy still in the drink years later, nobody’s paying those kinds of figures for something as extravagant as an exotic supercar… right?

Wrong. In fact, it seems, the value for Pagani models has only gone up. According to Evo magazine editor-in-chief (and Zonda owner) Harry Metcalfe, buyers with the means are paying as much as double the already grandiose list price to get their hands on a Zonda or Huayra. Apparently the white Huayra that Pagani displayed at the Geneva Motor Show never reached the Middle Eastern buyer who ordered it a year prior and was supposed to take delivery after the show, having flipped it to another buyer who was willing to pay him an astounding 1.8 million euros for the car. That’s $2.35 million in American greenbacks, or twice the 900,000 euro ($1.18m) list price.

Think that was an isolated incident? Hardly. A Zonda F Roadster (said to be the last ever made), a 2008 Zonda F coupe and a used Zonda C12S were all, according to Metcalfe’s sources, recently sold for double their MSRPs. So if you’ve been scrimping and saving every dime to get your hands on a Pagani, better keep saving.

Pagani supercars selling for double their million-dollar list prices? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Rolls-Royce Hyperion for sale at Abu Dhabi showroom

Posted on by Noah Joseph

Filed under: , , , ,

Rolls-Royce Hyperion by Pininfarina at Prestige Cars, Abu Dhabi

It’s not much of a stretch to imagine plonking down the six figures it would take to drive home in a Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe, assuming your pocketbook were so well endowed. After all, when it comes to boulevard cruisers, it doesn’t get much more luxurious. That’s what most might do, but Roland Hall is not most people. Instead of simply dropping by the local Rolls dealer and ordering his DHC, he commissioned Pininfarina to build him something more unique.

The result was the the Hyperion – a one-off Rolls-Royce convertible penned by no less regarded a talent than Jason Castriota. The car was rumored to be up for sale off and on, but has now popped up at a showroom in Abu Dhabi where it is for sale at an undisclosed price. Previous reports put its MSRP at around $6 million, and if anyone has that kind of scrap to blow on the ultimate status symbol, they probably live nearby.

Rolls-Royce Hyperion for sale at Abu Dhabi showroom originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

1968 Alfa Romeo T33/2 Daytona racing to the auction block in Monaco

Posted on by Noah Joseph

Filed under: , , ,

1968 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/2 Daytona

By the early 1950s, Alfa Romeo had grown tired of dominating (and spending huge sums of money on) grand prix racing, and shut down its program. Along with it, a program to develop a small-displacement two-liter V8 was aborted. But Alfa couldn’t keep away from racing altogether for very long, and by the early 60s the factory noticed that its customers were competing in endurance sportscar races and set about fielding its own works effort.

Development of the high-revving 2.0-liter V8 picked up again, finding its way into a variety of prototypes and GTs, but this was arguably the most alluring. Shortly after its debut in 1967, the T33/2 scored an impressive 1-2-3 class finish (and 5-6-7 overall) in the 24 Hours of Daytona, giving the car its nickname. And while Alfa and its racing partner Autodelta kept notoriously sketchy historical records on their racing cars, chassis 75033.029 is believed to be one of the most successful.

The extensive history of the vehicle you see here – regarded as one of the most desirable of racing Alfas of an era that stretches from the 1960s through the 70s – includes victory at the 500 km of Imola in 1968, punctuating a series of races campaigned by the works Alfa/Autodelta team and various privateers that followed. You can read more about the Tipo 33/2 Daytona in the text after the jump ahead of its consignment to the RM Auctions event in Monaco next month, or you could let the pictures in the high-res image gallery speak for themselves.

Continue reading 1968 Alfa Romeo T33/2 Daytona racing to the auction block in Monaco

1968 Alfa Romeo T33/2 Daytona racing to the auction block in Monaco originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

1970 Porsche 917/LH makes rare trip from Porsche Museum to New York

Posted on by Noah Joseph

Filed under: , , , ,

1970 Porsche 917/LH

There have been a number of iconic racing liveries over the course of history – JPS and Gulf spring immediately to mind – and every historic racing fan has his or her favorite. But few are as downright awesome as Martini. The Italian vermouth label has sponsored everything from Lancias to Fords, but many of its very awesomest have been Porsches. Like this bitchin’ 917/LH.

This long-tail version (Langheck in German) of the all-conquering 917 racer was fielded twice at Le Mans: once by Porsche Salzburg in 1970, and once by Martini Racing (which gave it its enduring paintjob) in 1971. It qualified first and second at those respective runnings, but proved fragile over the course of the 24-hour race and failed to finish both times.

The overall results don’t mean that this isn’t a devastatingly beautiful example of motor racing history, or that it’s anything less than priceless. Better check it out in our gallery of images from the show floor before it’s secreted back off to Porsche Museum in Stuttgart.

1970 Porsche 917/LH makes rare trip from Porsche Museum to New York originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles opens Oldtimer division for the classic Bus

Posted on by Noah Joseph

Filed under: , , , ,

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Oldtimers

Arguably more than any other mainstream automaker, Volkswagen is serious about its heritage. So much so that it appointed Franz-Josef Paefgen – former chief executive of Audi, Bentley and Bugatti – to head up its classics program. In this capacity, Paefgen oversees the heritage departments of each of the group’s brands, but while its commercial vehicles operation may seem the least likely to preserve its past, today’s announcement proves that assumption wrong.

The Oldtimers department of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles just recently moved into a new 7,000 square-meter facility in Hannover, Germany, where its staff of 13 dedicates itself to the restoration and preservation of old VW Buses. Although the garage has been active for several years, working on the company’s own vehicles, the Oldtimer department has now opened its doors for private owners to bring in their vehicles for any degree of service.

Have an old Bus in need of some TLC? Click through the jump for the press release for further details and check out the gallery of high-resolution images for a closer look inside the workshop.

Continue reading Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles opens Oldtimer division for the classic Bus

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles opens Oldtimer division for the classic Bus originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Mar 2012 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments