Aston Martin Prototype, Lotus Elite, Here Come the Judge + Results!
THIS WEEK’S CARS
– THIS WEEK’S CARS –
Image Courtesy of RM Sotheby's
1957 Aston Martin DB4 Prototype
(RM Sotheby’s, Cliveden House)
This 1957 Aston Martin DB4 Prototype “DP114/2” features one-off bodywork that was designed in-house by Aston Martin. The personal car of the wife of famed Aston Martin Lagonda boss David Brown, it notably retains its matching-numbers straight-six engine. Presented in Almond Green over Fern Green leather upholstery, it boasts a fascinating history documented by a file containing a copy of its factory build sheet and further accompanied by a steering wheel and spare wheel. This represents an unmissable opportunity to acquire the only DB4 factory prototype of its kind.
Estimate: $550,000-$600,000 USD
Prediction: This is an undeniably interesting lot and almost certainly represents a once in a lifetime opportunity for somebody and I suspect that fans of the marque will show up excited. That’s not the reason I picked this car though. With Monterey car week coming up on the horizon here in the US, this car reminds me of an issue that a lot of auction companies tend to have in California specifically and this car has some similar issues but in the UK. When I was at Russo and Steele, we routinely would run cars in California sales, that would be “unable to be sold to California residents” due to environmental or DMV related issues. If the car was exceptionally special, this didn’t really matter so much, but when you’re in a state and you can’t sell something that’s on offer to people that live there, it’s never helpful. I’ll be the first to admit I’m not terribly familiar with how difficult it would be to sort out the VAT and customs issues that this car lists in its addendum, but I would think it can’t really help either. I think that this car is special enough to where it will sell, but this will end up hurting it and it likely falls to the lower portion or just below the estimate (if it sells). While I certainly understand why a seller would proceed the way that this one has, this may end up being an example of a situation where having all your ducks in a row and selecting your location accordingly makes the difference. Admittedly, this car may transcend that and this may be a situation where it’s more difficult than just going and getting a quick emissions test up the street someplace (if you’re selling in Monterey this year, do your due diligence where you can. There’s emissions stations that are accessible and are around town – especially if you’re at Mecum or RM) and that could be expected, but either way there’s a lot going on here and it should be fun to watch.
Image Courtesy of Bring-a-Trailer
1971 Pontiac GTO Judge Coupe
(Bring-a-Trailer, Online)
This 1971 Pontiac GTO Judge hardtop coupe was delivered new to Lemmen Pontiac & Farm Equipment in Coopersville, Michigan, finished in Canyon Copper with contrasting graphics. It is powered by a high-output 455ci V8 mated to a Muncie M22 close-ratio four-speed manual transmission, and equipment includes 15” Honeycomb wheels, Mickey Thompson tires, drum brakes, a body-color Endura front bumper, a Ram Air hood, a hood-mounted tachometer, an airfoil rear wing, power steering, and a quad-outlet exhaust system. The cabin is outfitted with a Hurst shifter and a red-dot AM/FM stereo. Acquired by the seller in 2022, this GTO Judge is now offered with PHS Automotive Services documentation and a clean California title in the seller’s name.
Estimate: Not Provided
Prediction: I’m not sure if I’ve somehow channeled this through having Albert King’s 1970 live album Blues Power (if you know you know….) on constant rotation as of late, but for some reason, I’m having a lot of these A-body GTOs come across my desk right now. I think that’s great. These are perfect poster children for the era and their combination of colorful eccentricities and raw power will never not be a lot of fun. This is a really interesting example too. An unrestored survivor car, these are rare under any circumstances, as one of just 374 produced for the year. There’s also some really interesting option choices on this as well. Of course you get the great Enduro bumper, hood mounted tack, Ram Air Hood, Airfoil spoiler, in great colors with fun graphics, but this car has a bench seat, 4-speed and drum brakes on all corners. Why on earth would somebody option a car like this? Is terrifying as it may sound, it’s almost assuredly because this car was intended to be a drag strip beast and this all breaks down to weight savings and saving those precious little tenths of a second. On the surface, that could potentially deter bidders, but on this example I don’t think that will be the case. Potential buyers for this car are likely to be collectors and Pontiac aficionados tend to be really knowledgeable and in tune with what the cars thereafter actually are. Pontiac was one of the better record keepers of the era at GM and PHS is one of the better organizations out there for tracking and verifying vehicles like this too (PHS docs are included with the sale). The buyers that are going to line up for this are people that are going to appreciate the rarity here and they’ll likely pay whatever it takes. I think this car does well. Although, without question, the market is down on cars like this right now, good, unique examples are doing well in pretty much every segment of this hobby, across the board. This appears to be one of those cars. I suspect this one pulls between $135,000 and $150,000.
Note: We love your suggestions, but on reader requests, please allow enough time for us to publish and make predictions prior to the end of the sale.
Image Courtesy of RM Sotheby's
1961 Lotus Elite Series II
(RM Sotheby’s, Cliveden House)
First owned by Honda Motor Company founder Soichiro Honda, this 1961 Lotus Elite Series II was the subject of a complete restoration by Bushell’s Restorations from 2018 to 2021. Featured in Classic & Sports Car magazine in December 2021, it is accompanied by a Lotus Classic Certificate of Vehicle Provenance and is eligible for the Goodwood Revival, Le Mans Classic, and many other historic events.
Estimate: No Reserve – $95,000-$105,000 (USD)
Prediction: These cars are really cool little cars and arguably the purest statement of Colin Chapman’s design philosophy ever available for the street. They also tend not to come up super often. Over the last couple of months however, there has been a little bit of a precedence set with these on our shores specifically and they seem to be pretty reliably sub $100k cars (or at least that’s what they’re bidding to). The interesting ownership history and media prominence I suspect will help this car. On the other hand, the no reserve tag doesn’t seem to get bidders as excited as it once did. I think this will split the uprights, but it’ll be towards the low end and somewhere right around $100k.
PLAY ALONG WITH US!
Last Week’s Score: 1/2
FEATURED RESULT
– FEATURED RESULT –
Image Courtesy of Bring-a-Trailer
1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SE Cabriolet
(Bring-a-Trailer, Online)
SOLD at $90,000
Description: This 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SE Cabriolet is one of approximately 1,390 examples produced between 1968 and 1971. The car was acquired by the current owner in 2001 and is finished in dark blue over Light Beige leather upholstery. Power is provided by a 2.8-liter inline-six paired with a four-speed automatic transmission, and equipment includes a tan convertible top, 14″ steel wheels with covers, power-assisted four-wheel disc brakes, a Becker Mexico cassette player, and air conditioning. Service since 2021 included replacing suspension and steering components, overhauling fuel system and cooling system components, replacing engine and transmission seals, and changing the oil and belts in June 2024. This W111 cabriolet is now offered on dealer consignment with service records and a clean Washington title.
Estimate: Not Provided
How We Did: We suspected that somebody was likely to get a really fair deal here and that appears to be exactly what happened. A nice looking, approximate number three example with a couple of little things to sort out and a fleeting bidder in a previous auction, we also suspected it wasn’t going to do quite as well the second time. Still though, we hit the nail on the head with this one and it hit our estimate exactly. Congratulations to the new owner!
