Auctions America Hilton Head 2016 – Auction Report
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Auctions America, Hilton Head, South Carolina, November 5, 2016
It is nothing short of amazing that four weeks after Hurricane Matthew pummeled Hilton Head Island with 100 mph winds and ten or more feet of storm surge on October 8, the Hilton Head Motoring Festival and Auctions America’s Hilton Head Island Auction took place.
Residents who (wisely) evacuated ahead of Matthew were barred from returning until well into the week after the storm blew itself out.What they found upon returning was a mass of limbs, brush and trees, many of them snapped like matchsticks and others uprooted from the island’s sandy soil. The Port Royal Golf Club, site of the Motoring Festival, and adjacent Westin Hilton Head Island Resort and Spa where Auctions America put on its show were especially hard hit. It took grit, determination, dedication and nearly ceaseless effort to clean up the devastation and put on the events.
During the Festival week there were as many tree crews and double-bottom trailers of brush and logs on the Hilton Head roads as there were Festival participants. The roads were lined with stumps peering out from piles of branches and stacks of logs that had blocked the roads only a few weeks before and had yet to be hauled off the island to be ground up into mulch.
The Hilton Head Motoring Festival has grown into a major event with a week-long calendar that culminates with Auctions America’s sale on Saturday and the Concours on Sunday. It was Auctions America’s second Hilton Head event and presented an eclectic mix of new, old and in between. The cars were generally driver caliber but ranged from freshly and accurately restored to dusty, grimy barn finds.
The latter included the star of the show: The 1957 Porsche 356A Speedster barn find that brought $665,500, triple its low estimate and nearly double the price fetched by another barn find 356A Speedster at RM’s Hershey auction a month before.
Here are the numbers:
[table id=169 /]
Although the sell-through was down from 2015, the average sale (boosted by the Speedster, a post-block sale of a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT for an eye-opening $800,000 after it died on the block at $650,000 and a rebodied, modified 427 Cobra for $726,000) was up substantially. Even with the lower sell-through the total was up moderately and, if anything, attendance was hampered by concern over the effects of Hurricane Matthew. Several people I talked with on-site had decided to come to Hilton Head only a day or two before they arrived; how many others decided to stay home?
Auctions America Hilton Head 2016 – Auction Report
Lot # 105 1950 Lancia Ardea 4-Dr. Sedan; S/N 12313; Grey/Grey cloth; Estimate $15,000 – $25,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 4+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $13,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $14,300 – RHD. 903cc/30hp V4, 5-speed. – Ex-Martin Swig, 2013 California Mille competitor driven by his sons. Repainted assembled. Dull aluminum trim, lightly soiled seats, cracked dial faces, dead body and window seals, orderly but aged engine compartment and grungy chassis. Doors close solidly. A marginal but sound driver. – Easily one of the most intriguing cars at Hilton Head this weekend, whether it was here or one the show field on Sunday. Cosmetically it isn’t much (although the paint isn’t much) but it should run OK and who would spend a lot on an Ardea’s restoration, anyway? Guaranteed to start conversations and bought reasonably enough for its rarity, history and condition.Lot # 109 1984 Ferrari 400iA 2-Dr. Sedan; S/N ZFFEB06000048611; Silver/Beige leather; Estimate $15,000 – $25,000; Original, modified for competition or performance, 3- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $28,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $30,800 – Blaupunkt cassette stereo, twin turbochargers, air conditioning. – Clearcoat buffed through on the roof. Water damaged package shelf covering. Sound, cushy original interior. Frightening spaghetti mass of tangled wiring under the dash. Surprisingly orderly engine compartment that shows care and thought put into the conversion. A scary mess of problems waiting to cost money to fix. – The consequences of owning this twin turbo 400iA are frightening to contemplate, a constant succession of issues face the new owner, with no owner’s manual, no workshop manual or any other reference to try to solve them. A Chevy LS crate engine under the hood sounds good, but at this price why bother? It is underwater until the day it dies (which may not be very far off.)Lot # 126 1966 Alfa Romeo Giulia Duetto Spider, Body by Pininfarina; S/N AR660062; Red/Tan vinyl, Red piping; Beige cloth top; Estimate $45,000 – $60,000; Cosmetic restoration, 3+ condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $33,000 – Headlight covers, alternator, no radio. – Very good fresh paint, chrome and upholstery. Orderly engine compartment with a rubbing fan belt from a misaligned alternator. Fuel leak in the trunk. Old undercoat in the wheel wells. Cosmetically restored to make on good first impression but needs to be finished. – The Hilton Head bidders weren’t deceived by this superficially restored Duetto’s cosmetics, instead looking more deeply at the level of restoration and contemplating what else would need to be done to bring the rest of the car up to the level of the cosmetics. The answer is quite a bit, and not inexpensively either, and the bid was appropriate for the Duetto.Lot # 129 1979 Ferrari 308 GTS Spider; S/N 27895; Red, Black vinyl roof panel/Black leather; Estimate $130,000 – $150,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3+ condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $72,000 – Pioneer cassette stereo, air conditioning, Pirelli P6 tires. – Good repaint, recently replaced upholstery. orderly unrestored engine. Clean, original underbody. A clean, well maintained cosmetically redone car that claims a full service including belts, but doesn’t say when it was done. – The Hilton Head bidders were just not spending generously on Ferrari this weekend, holding back to wholesale prices, or below, while the sellers were expecting full retail. This was one of the better examples and it should have brought considerably more.Lot # 135 1984 Ferrari Mondial QV Cabriolet; S/N ZFFUC15A1E0049975; Red, Black leather/Black cloth; Estimate $40,000 – $50,000; Unrestored original, 3+ condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $24,500 – Sony cassette stereo, Kumho tires, air conditioning. – Sound original paint with a few edge chips. Sound original upholstery with a scuffed driver’s seat bolster. Dirty original engine compartment and underbody. Top is sound except for two scuffs from folding on the left side. Worn old side window seals that will ensure good ventilation. – A Mondial is one of the most reasonable ways to drive a Ferrari, but not as reasonably as the Hilton Head bidders wanted it to be. While it has noticeable flaws it is sound and ran well and should have brought over $30,000.Lot # 140 1963 AC Aceca Coupe; S/N AEX796; Engine # CRB2456WT; Light Blue/Black leather; Estimate $75,000 – $100,000; Unrestored original, 4+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $70,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $77,000 – 1991/90hp 3-carb AC six, 4-speed with overdrive, body color wire wheels. – Dirty and original with a terrible old, peeling repaint that was crudely touched up upon arrival in the auction’s check-in. Rusty chrome and a sound interior. Runs, but doesn’t stop except on the hand brake. Two owners from new, most recently since 1967. Nasty and neglected. – This clearly qualifies as a ‘barn-find’ and it could be, given recent enthusiasm for Acecas, a $200,000 car after restoration. For the moment it’s probably better to make it run, stop and drive reliably and safely, exploit its barn find-ness and then restore it. The bidders loved it, even though it didn’t quite make its low estimate. Now the fun begins.Lot # 143 1956 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible; S/N E56S003018; Engine # 0612839 F56GE; Red, White coves/Red vinyl; Beige vinyl top; Estimate $90,000 – $120,000; Older restoration, 3+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $72,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $79,200 – 265/225hp, dual quads, 3-speed, WonderBar radio, spinner wheel covers, whitewalls. – Originally a 265/205hp single quad GE-code engine. Good older paint, chrome interior and top. Thin windshield frame trim chrome and cracked, stiff windshield gasket. Road grimy chassis. A sound but aged and driven old restoration. Its claim to fame is that in 1987 Zora Arkus-Duntov selected it for a Lion Award at Meadow Brook, signed by Zora and exhibited at a Duntov tribute SAE meeting later the same year. – That distinction has worn off, as well as the glint of the 20-year old restoration and the seller should be very satisfied to get this much for it.
Auctions America Hilton Head 2016 – Auction Report Page Two
Lot # 146 1960 Maserati 3500 GT Coupe, Body by Touring; S/N AM1011038; Burgundy/Black leather; Estimate $275,000 – $375,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $202,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $222,750 – Silver steel wheels, Vredestein tires, Blaupunkt radio, halogen headlights. – Decent older repaint applied with some trim still attached. Sound original interior with wear appropriate to the odometer reading of 42,245 km. Driver’s seat needs new padding. Underbody is clean and original. Engine has been out and cleaned up but the compartment is old and scabby. Good chrome but the front bumper is wavy. A sound and usable driver. – The Hilton Head bidders were right on the money with this result for a competently presented 3500 GT that doesn’t appear ever to have been neglected. As exclusive as a Ferrari 250GT Pf Coupe, just as fast, and believed by many to be better built than its contemporaries from Maranello. The twin plug six has GP roots and looks beautiful.Lot # 150 1954 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster; S/N E54S003068; Polo white/Red vinyl; Beige cloth top; Estimate $50,000 – $60,000; Older restoration, 2- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $48,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $52,800 – Powerglide, WonderBar radio, wheel covers, wide whitewalls. – An older high quality paint job but there are some minor scratches and stress cracks in the front grille and headlight area. Bumpers and brightwork are re-chromed and very good. Older restored interior has some light wear to the seats. Undercoated underbody. Aged muffler. Engine bay is restored to factory condition with light signs of use. A used older restoration but still in better than driver condition. – Looks as good here as it did at Auburn Fall two months ago when it no-saled at $50,000, or at Ft. Lauderdale in April when it was reported bid to $60,000. The seller got realistic and realized giving it a ride to Scottsdale was unlikely to help its appearance or its value. ’53 Corvettes are worth a fortune; ’54s by comparison are common and worth this much.Lot # 155 1955 Austin-Healey 100/4 Roadster; S/N BN1L224877; Engine # 1B224877; Ice Blue/Blue leather; Dark Blue leatherette top; Estimate $80,000 – $95,000; Recent restoration, 2 condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $77,000 – 3-speed, overdrive, silver painted wire wheels, Dunlop radial blackwalls, badge bar, BMIHT certificate documented. – Restored like new and still very close with very good and consistent cosmetics. – Reported sold by Auctions America at Ft. Lauderdale in April in comparable freshly restored condition for $88,000. The 4-cylinder Healey market hasn’t gone down since then, but it hasn’t gone up either, and the bid here even though it meant a material loss for the seller was not unreasonable.Lot # 157 1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427/435 Roadster; S/N 194677S113139; Tuxedo Black, Dark Teal Blue stinger/Teal vinyl; Black vinyl top; Estimate $125,000 – $150,000; Older restoration, 2- condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $110,000 – 427/435hp with L89 aluminum heads (added during restoration), 4-speed, 4.11 Positraction, power brakes, power steering, power windows, AM-FM, F41 suspension, side exhausts, alloy wheels. – Blank engine number pad. Very good older paint, chrome, interior and top. Stinger is poorly masked. Underbody and engine compartment were restored like new and then driven but not very far. A quality older restoration albeit without documentation of its original configuration and no notes of judging or awards. – The information poster in the car says ‘This is the first time for this Corvette to be shown or offered for sale in over 21 years’ but then how come it was reported sold at Barrett-Jackson in Palm Beach in 2007 for $170,500? For that matter, it was at Auburn Fall two months ago where it was bid to $115,000. That result and this one pretty conclusively and accurately represent its current valueLot # 159 1968 Shelby Mustang GT 350 Convertible; S/N 8T03J180337-02981; Acapulco Blue/Black vinyl; Black vinyl top; Estimate $90,000 – $110,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $76,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $83,600 – Automatic, Pioneer cassette stereo, 10-spoke wheels, Radial T/A tires, power steering, power brakes, air conditioning, Tilt-Away steering column, Marti Report documented. – Modern Sanden rotary air compressor. Poor old repaint with cracks and chips, cracked hood scoop. Aged but orderly engine compartment and unrestored underbody with some paint loss and surface rust. Sound chrome. Old seat belts and rusty buckles. Stiff, cracked window seals. Mostly original and tired. – This result is appropriate for this GT 350’s aged and used condition. One of 404 built, it is not the ‘muscle Mustang’ of earlier GT 350s but rather a Ford with Shelby body pieces and a J-code 302 up-rated to 250hp like rested under the hood of so many Fairlanes.Lot # 162 1950 Willys Jeepster Phaeton; S/N 651BA110104; Primrose Yellow/Black vinyl; Black vinyl top; Estimate $30,000 – $35,000; Cosmetic restoration, 3- condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $27,500 – Two wheel drive, overdrive, hubcaps, trim rings, blackwall tires, Road Gear cassette stereo, full weather equipment, vinyl covered rear mounted spare, chrome bumpers, grille guard. – Sound older paint, weak trim chrome, sound upholstery with frayed original interior panels. A sound but aged and enjoyed island cruiser. – Bought for $16,050 at RM’s auction in Boca Raton in 2004 and could have been sold with only limited regret today at the reported high bid.Lot # 165 1959 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible; S/N 59F095796; Pink/Paik, White leather; White vinyl top; Estimate $80,000 – $120,000; Older restoration, 3+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $65,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $71,500 – Leather wrapped steering wheel, air conditioning, wheel covers, whitewalls. – Very good older paint, chrome and upholstery with some miles since but conscientiously maintained. Doors fit well. Upholstery is lightly soiled, surface creased and missing the caps on some buttons but overall and considering how expensive these cars are to restore and maintain this is a good one. – Sold by RM in Arizona in2002 for $49,500 in comparable but not quite as aged condition and sold here for a modest but not unreasonably inexpensive price. The new owner can make it better by attending to some of the more obvious issues and it is a good value at the price.
Auctions America Hilton Head 2016 – Auction Report Page Three
Lot # 166 1962 Mercedes-Benz 190SL Roadster; S/N 12104010025586; Black/Red leather; Black cloth top; Estimate $140,000 – $160,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3- condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $92,500 – Hubcaps, trim rings, whitewalls, Solex carbs, no radio. – Sound but superficial old repaint with corners not attended to and cracks under the windshield posts. Good upholstery but worn old carpet. Good chrome and new top. The engine has been redone but not the compartment it sits in. Cracked fuse box cover. Underbody repainted over old undercoat. A superficial, rushed old cosmetic redo. – Hastily restored to look good from 20 feet away, the closer you get the more issues appear and up really close they are myriad. The estimate range reflects a fully restored car, which this isn’t, and even the reported high bid here is generous.Lot # 169 1965 Jaguar XKE SI 4.2 Roadster; S/N 1E11151; Engine # 7E4456-9; OE White/Tan leather; Tan cloth top; Estimate $165,000 – $185,000; Recent restoration, 2+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $149,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $163,900 – Chrome wire wheels, narrow whitewalls, Blaupunkt multiband radio, JDHT certificate documented, JDHT certificate documented. – 37,880 miles from new. Excellent fresh paint, chrome, interior and top. Spotless engine compartment. New seatbelts. Crisp gauge faces. Freshly and attractively restored to showroom condition. – This has to be about as good as a SI 4.2 E-type gets, done to high standards and beautifully and accurately presented. This also has to be an appropriate price for it, even with the low miles (which have been effectively erased by the comprehensive restoration.)Lot # 171 1967 Shelby Cobra 427 Roadster; S/N CSX3308; Red/Black leather; Estimate $800,000 – $1,000,000; Modified restoration, 2- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $660,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $726,000 – 427 side oiler cast in 1966, aluminum heads, dual-plane intake, oil cooler, remote oil filter, 36-gallon tank, and more. Chrome side exhausts, centerlock black-center starburst wheels, Comp T/A tires, black paperclip rollbar, woodrim steering wheel, Talbot outside mirror, 5-speed, aluminum radiator, electric fan, quick jack pickups. – Rolled and put away in wrecked condition early in its life, restored with a Brian Angliss S/C-style body and many performance upgrades in the 80’s. Good paint, chrome and lightly stretched upholstery. The top of the engine is clean and orderly; the bottom is used. The firewall and dash are covered in Shelby event plaques. – This is a real 427 Cobra, but one that didn’t leave Shelby anywhere near like its present configuration which makes it something of a quandary for Shelby collectors. A caricature of a Cobra, with exaggerated hips and many doo-dads, its key to value is the original CSX VIN tag and traceable history and the price it brought balances the competing issues.Lot # 172 1958 Jaguar XK 150S 3.4 Roadster; S/N T83181DN; Engine # VS1690-9; OE White/Black leather; Black leatherette top; Estimate $135,000 – $170,000; Cosmetic restoration, 3+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $114,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $125,400 – Chrome wire wheels, Michelin X tires, dual outside mirrors, overdrive. VS1675-9 cylinder head, JDHT certificate documented. – Mediocre older repaint with small cracks at stress points. Good lightly creased upholstery. Road grime on the frame and suspension. The engine compartment is orderly but shows use and age; the cylinder head number is different from (but close to) the block number. A competent older cosmetic restoration that has been driven. – While this isn’t the best XK 150S out there the things that detract from its presentation also show that it can, and has been, driven some distance and may be concluded to be in decent running and driving condition. That’s something that most fresh restorations can’t boast and makes it a good value at this price.Lot # 173 1983 Ferrari 512 BBi Berlinetta, Body by Pininfarina-Scaglietti; S/N ZFFJA09B000044232; Red, Black sills/Tan leather; Estimate $180,000 – $220,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3 condition; With Reserve; Post-block sale at $159,091 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $175,000 – 5-spoke centerlock alloy wheels, TRX tires, Pioneer cassette stereo, air conditioning. – Good repaint with minor masking oversights. Good original surface cracked upholstery. Clean original underbody with a light coating of road grime. – Described as original, which it is except for the repaint, and in good condition this is a moderate price even for a fuel injected and smogged 512 BBi in this reassuringly largely original condition.Lot # 174 1965 Shelby Replica Cobra 289 Roadster; S/N CSX8039; Silver/Red; Estimate $115,000 – $130,000; Facsimile restoration, 2 condition; With Reserve; Post-block sale at $104,545 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $115,000 – 289, slab side body, leaf spring suspension, chrome wire wheels, Bridgestone blackwall tires, woodrim steering wheel, wind wings, sun visors, Raydyot outside mirror. – Like new, because it is. – Sold at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale earlier this year for $143,000, no-saled at Auburn Fall two months ago for $110,000, this is a replica that is so new it doesn’t appear even in the 2008 Shelby Registry, and one generously bought even in this post-block transaction for the lack of any history.Lot # 175 1987 Ferrari 328 GTS Spider, Body by Pininfarina-Scaglietti; S/N ZFFXA20A0H0069509; Oro Chiaro Metallic, Black vinyl roof panel/Cream leather; Estimate $50,000 – $70,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3 condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $54,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $59,400 – Boss CD stereo, air conditioning, TRX tires. – Good repaint in the original color. Good, lightly creased original interior with worn driver’s seat bolster. Clean engine and underbody. A good driver if you can get by the color. – Built in quantity at the beginning of Ferrari’s industrial era, there is little exclusive about this 328 GTS other than the color, which stands out like a bad tooth and makes Rosso Ferraris in their profusion look good. On the other hand at a Ferrari meet in rows of Rosso cars it will stand out. Its condition is sound and apparently consistently maintained which may account for the ample price it brought.
Auctions America Hilton Head 2016 – Auction Report Page Four
Lot # 180 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Coupe; S/N 11102612001771; Silver-Blue/Dark Blue leather; Estimate $100,000 – $125,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $75,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $82,500 – Automatic, Behr air conditioning, power windows, Becker Europa AM-FM, fog lights, wheel covers, Michelin narrow whitewall tires. – Good repaint except for two blemishes on the front of the hood. Bright major chrome; badly pitted side window and vent frames. Clean and detailed engine in an unrestored compartment. Good refinished interior wood and new upholstery. Clean underbody. A competent superficial cosmetic redo to presentable driver condition. – 111-series Mercedes are wonderful driving machines but this example is only superficially redone to look good from ten feet and deserves no more than the price it brought here.Lot # 181 1979 Porsche 911 Turbo Coupe; S/N 9309800708; Silver/Black leather; Estimate $75,000 – $95,000; Unrestored original, 3+ condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $69,000 – CD stereo, sliding sunroof, black center Fuchs wheels, Michelin tires, underbumper fog lights. – Good original paint, interior and engine compartment. Clean, driven underbody. – Offered at Ft. Lauderdale in April with a reported high bid of $105,000, then at Auburn Fall two months ago where it was reported bid to $80,000, the consignor is running hard to keep up with a declining market although the bid here is no more than parsimonious. The results, though, do describe the Porsche Turbo market in the past year as numbers of cars come into commerce following a bubble in values.Lot # 182 ; S/N ZFAA100835937B; Red/Black leather; Estimate $110,000 – $130,000; Unrestored original, 2- condition; With Reserve; Post-block sale at $83,636 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $92,000 – Alloy wheels, Dunlop tires, air conditioning. Assembly #07248, – Good, clean, orderly original car. Unblemished paint, lightly stretched original seat cushions. – The estimate range accurately reflects recent Testarossa values, but there is an almost inexhaustible supply of them out there, many in clean, largely original condition like this. This post-block result reflects the current accommodation between Testarossa supply and demand.Lot # 184 1957 Porsche 356A 1600 Speedster, Body by Reutter; S/N 83119; Aquamarine Blue/Beige vinyl; White vinyl top; Estimate $200,000 – $250,000; Unrestored original, 4+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $605,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $665,500 – Hubcaps, cast headlight guards, bumper overriders, coupe seats, Kardex documented. – Put away in 1975 with the top up, includes side curtains and the original upholstery. Original engine and gearbox, new carburetors. Dirty, dusty but probably recoverable original paint, sound, stiff, original upholstery. Rusty battery box and one bubble in the back of the right front fender. Clean, crisp gauges. Crusty engine compartment. A sound, complete barn find that runs but doesn’t stop. – We thought 83643 sold by RM at Hershey last month for $341,000 was a staggering result but it turns out that only set the stage for this one, effectively twice as much. It will require less (but not much less) work to make this one shine but, as some sage noted at Hilton Head, ‘when restored it’ll be worth $400,000.’ The logic of this result is thoroughly obscure.Lot # 186 1966 Jaguar XKE SI 4.2 Roadster; S/N 1E12049; Engine # 7E11651-9; Red/Black leather; Black cloth top; Estimate $145,000 – $165,000; Cosmetic restoration, 3+ condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $127,500 – Chrome wire wheels, Michelin blackwall tires, grille guard. – Head and block numbers match. Good paint except for the right door which shows some orange peel. New top. Good chrome and older upholstery. Clean, mostly detailed engine compartment. An enthusiast’s car in presentable and drivable condition. – Sold by Auctions America in Ft. Lauderdale in 2012 for $51,7000, then by Worldwide in Houston in 2013 for $85,250, by Mecum in Houston in 2014 for $89,640 and by Mecum in Kissimmee in January of this year for $100,000. It’s been detailed and refreshed since then, but still doesn’t fit the definition of restored and the seller was deluded not to accept the high bid here or anything close to it, especially when the freshly restored (Lot # 169) SI 4.2 Roadster sold earlier went on a hammer bid only $21,500 more.Lot # 187 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300c Cabriolet D; S/N A1860336500040; Grey/Beige leather; Beige cloth top; Estimate $120,000 – $150,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $93,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $102,300 – 4-speed, wheel covers, no radio, wide whitewalls, Bosch fog lights. – Decent repaint, sound older reupholstery and top. Weak, pitted trim chrome. Bad steering wheel with pitted, peeling chrome. Driver’s door window fit is uneven. Old, dirty underbody and chassis. Superficially cosmetically refreshed, but that’s all. – While this 300c isn’t a paragon of presentation it has most of the important correct pieces that make restoring one such a challenge. It is disappointing, but no more than the modest price it brought. The new owner got, assuming an intelligent approach to its restoration, a rare and high quality car that is a good value.Lot # 191 1967 Porsche 911S 2.0 Coupe; S/N 308181; Engine # 961873; Ivory/Parchment vinyl; Estimate $100,000 – $125,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $100,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $110,000 – Fuchs wheels, auto store tires, 5-speed, Kenwood CD stereo. – Chipguarded nose, dull Fuchs wheels, original undercoat in the wheel wells. Sound old repaint, good chrome and upholstery. Foggy gauge lenses, wrapped steering wheel rim. Sound body. Orderly engine compartment with loose sound deadening mat. The engine has been out, neatly rebuilt and put back in a lightly refreshed compartment. – A sound and largely original car but with enough done that it has lost most of the originality appeal, it was bid to $160,000 at Ft. Lauderdale in April and $130,000 at Auburn Fall two months ago. The seller has been chasing the market for this desirable 911S down and finally got realistic and took this adequate price. The new owner got a car with many obvious needs but they can be progressively dealt with while enjoying it, a result that is fair to both.
Auctions America Hilton Head 2016 – Auction Report Page Five
Lot # 192 1939 Ford V8 Deluxe Convertible Sedan; S/N 185062392; Black/Brown leather; Black cloth top; Estimate $50,000 – $55,000; Older restoration, 3 condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $40,000 – Banjo spoke steering wheel, clock, radio, heater, skirts, hubcaps, trim rings, wide whitewalls. – Sound old repaint with touched up edge chips and buffed through right front window sill. Scuffed window frame chrome; good major chrome. Clean older restored underbody and chassis. Good top and older interior with some age. A quality old restoration with age and touring miles. – This is a rare (only 3,561 built) body style that offers collectors a valuable combination of accommodations for six, open top driving on good days and roll-up window weather protection when it’s nasty. The well-used condition of this older restoration suits it for touring and weekend jaunts and suggests it actually works as intended by Ford. A satisfying car, it is hardly a surprise that the consignor decided to keep it.Lot # 194 1966 Cadillac DeVille Convertible; S/N F6254623; Light Blue/White vinyl; White vinyl top; Estimate $40,000 – $45,000; Older restoration, 2 condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $31,000 – Tilt steering column, bench seat with canter armrest, AM-FM, air conditioning, wheel covers, narrow whitewalls, power everything. – 2010 AACA Grand National winner. Excellent paint, chrome and interior. Like a one year old, babied, creampuff. – It’s hard to imagine how to have more fun with an old car for a price close to this than driving around, right hand on the steering wheel, left one casually on the vent window frame, top down and cruisin’ in this gigantic Cadillac. It couldn’t have taken much more than the reported high bid here to separate it from its consignor, nor should it.Lot # 195 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible; S/N VC56A077702; Matador Red, Adobe Beige/Beige vinyl, Red cloth; Beige vinyl top; Estimate $50,000 – $55,000; Older restoration, 3 condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $39,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $42,900 – Powerglide, 4-barrel, dual exhaust, power steering, wheel covers, whitewalls, pushbutton radio, heater, wheel well molding. – Sound old repaint not applied in the engine compartment corners. Old sound deadener inside the hood. Clean, unrestored underbody. Decent chrome, upholstery and top. A presentable driver quality older restoration with plenty of miles. – Offered at Auburn Fall a year ago and bid to $50,000, then sold by Auctions America at Santa Monica in June of this year for $49,500. ’56 is the forgotten year of Tri-Five Chevys with blocky styling, no fins and 265 small block V8s, but not as forgotten as this result indicates. This is a good value.Lot # 196 1949 MG TC Roadster; S/N TC6753; Engine # XPAG7496; Dark Green/Black vinyl; Black vinyl top; Estimate $34,000 – $38,000; Cosmetic restoration, 3 condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $26,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $29,150 – RHD. Silver painted wire wheels, badge bar, Lucas fog light. – Titled by the engine number. Edge chipped but sound and presentable old paint. Sound upholstery and top. Aged, faded old dash and instrument panel. Cracked headlight lens. Dead, stiff, cracked windshield and bonnet seal, delaminating windshield. Cosmetically restored to a price with plenty of subsequent use and years. – This result tracks directly to the Hagerty Price Guide, a serendipity that needs no further explanation.Lot # 198 2000 Ferrari 456M GTA Coupe; S/N ZFFWP50A1Y0117689; Titanium/Black leather; Estimate $75,000 – $85,000; Unrestored original, 2- condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $59,000 – CD stereo, Pirelli tires, air conditioning. – A clean, solid original car with a few small bumps and scratches, mostly under the trunk lid. – Largely overlooked today, the 456 represented Ferrari’s return to a front-engined V-12 (with a 65 degree vee-angle like the Dino V-6.) Spacious and comfortable, it is a true gran turismo with room for (short legged) rear seat passengers and the luggage and golf clubs that probably scuffed up the rear bumper of this one. It represents a realistic, affordable chance to join the Ferrari club at modest cost, cost that was adequately represented in the reported high bid here for an automatic transmission GTA.Lot # 202 1979 Porsche 911 Turbo Coupe; S/N 9309800720; Red/Black leather; Estimate $110,000 – $130,000; Cosmetic restoration, 2- condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $85,000 – Black center Fuchs wheels, Pirelli P7000 tires, factory cassette stereo, air conditioning, power windows, power sunroof. – Very good new paint and original interior. Crisp freshly polished wheels, new tires and fresh, clean engine compartment. Impressively well kept and presented. – Offered here with an estimate range $10,000 less than it had when it was at Ft. Lauderdale in April, it brought a bid (appropriately) $10,000 less than it did then. This is a good car, but the owner is running downhill trying to catch the avalanche of Porsche Turbo values in the face of an improbably large supply of them (there were three here, all no-sales.) Good luck in Kissimmee, or wherever the next auction is.Lot # 207 1961 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible; S/N 861K5641; Engine # 212741 BB; Light Yellow/Gold, Brown vinyl; Beige vinyl top; Estimate $42,000 – $48,000; Cosmetic restoration, 3 condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $28,000 – 389/303hp 4-barrel engine with Tri-Power, automatic, 8-lug wheels, whitewalls, power steering, power brakes, pushbutton radio, power windows. – Good paint, chrome, interior and top. Orderly unrestored but cleaned up and top detailed engine compartment. Grungy, road grimy chassis; clean wheel wells. Even panel gaps and flush fits. A attractive cosmetically restored driver. – The last car in Auctions America’s Hilton Head sale, its result means nothing except that the bidders had gone to dinner or at least that the ones left didn’t recognize what a cool car it is. It’s worth $10,000 more than the reported high bid here.
