Ferrari Superamerica, Mercedes Cabriolet, An L88 Corvette Door (?) + Results!
THIS WEEK’S CARS
– THIS WEEK’S CARS –
Image Courtesy of Bonhams Cars
2005 Ferrari 575 Superamerica
(Bonhams Cars, The Bonmont Sale)
Delivered new on 3 August 2005 in Switzerland, this 575 Superamerica, endowed with the optional F1 gearbox, bears the iconic Rosso Ferrari livery, combined with a Tan Daytona leather interior with a black upper dashboard. The steering wheel is two-tone Tan and black. With only 13,800 km from new, the car is still registered in Switzerland and has been in the hands of its previous owner for 11 years. It is accompanied by its documentation and a Swiss registration document.
Estimate: $310,000 – $370,000
Prediction: I’ve got a bit of a history with the 575 Superamerica. I’ve come across quite a few of these over the course of my career and basically every time I see one coming, I start to cringe. Yes, I get that the Superamerica name is important and meaningful, I get that it’s a limited edition, front engine V12 Ferrari with a removable top, I get that it at one time was the fastest convertible in the world and I get that all that stuff is definitely cool. Unfortunately, for whatever reason it never seemed to translate over to value. These used to walk in the door in one capacity or another and sellers always seemed to want to be in the neighborhood of $500,000 with them. I never saw that happen. They always bid out somewhere in the general range of the mid to high 300s on a good day and that was it. Yet, there was some idea floating around that these were always worth more than they were actually selling for. There’s no doubt that these are incredibly nice cars and check a ton of boxes, so this was always really frustrating to see. This said, it does seem that people are finally coming to reality with these, they are being appropriately priced and they are starting to change hands pretty freely now. This example is from decently long-term ownership, comes in iconic colors and by all intents and purposes looks like a really nice car. The only real concern here is there appears to be a lack of service records (or at least they’re not noted in the description, which they definitely should be). Bonham’s records team tends to be really good, so I suspect there’s more to this car that will be available for bidders on site. Either way, I think this car hits estimate, but probably towards the lower end. I suspect that gets the deal done too.
Image Courtesy of Bring-a-Trailer
1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SE Cabriolet
(Bring-a-Trailer, Online)
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
Prediction: Simply put, these are fabulous cars. Big, luxurious with amazing materials and built like tanks, 280SEs of any kind are about as good as you’re going to get if you’re looking for a classic cruiser. Admittedly, not the shimmering star that are the 3.5 V8 examples (which the market reflects), a 6-cylinder cabriolet like this one is still an awful lot of car. Although recently serviced and appearing to be well cared for, this car’s got some knocks on it. Primarily, mileage is not identifiable, there seems to be a color change at some point and there appears to be a couple of electrical gremlins, so I suspect somebody probably gets a pretty good deal on this. The car hammered sold a couple of weeks ago for $104,500 (wherein the buyer failed to deliver) and I think it’s pretty likely that it gets back in that territory. Somewhere between $90k and $105K seems like a likely outcome on this one.
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 Bring-a-Trailer
Chevrolet C3 Corvette Door Wall Art
(Bring-a-Trailer, Online)
This door panel was sourced from a Chevrolet C3 Corvette and refinished by the seller in 2024 in the style of the 1968 Owens-Corning L88 race car. The door is painted red and white. Additional details include black vinyl #12 decals, a side mirror, a door handle, and three illuminated lights. This wall art is now offered at no reserve in Jefferson, Georgia.
Estimate: No Reserve
Prediction: Somebody sent me an email a couple of days ago with this attached thinking it was cool and they’re definitely right. It really, really is. I love the way that the seller did this up, I love that they picked the car that they picked and I think the lights are an awesome touch too. I have to be honest, I have absolutely no idea what this thing is going to sell for, but I hope it’s a lot. I would love to see the seller make more of these and turn this project into a business. I have a couple of cars in mind and I legitimately want one!
PLAY ALONG WITH US!
Last Week’s Score: 2/3
FEATURED RESULT
– FEATURED RESULT –
Image Courtesy of PCarMarket
1973 Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS Touring
(PCarMarket, Online)
NO SALE at $565,000
Description: Regarded as one of the greatest sports cars ever built and the epitome of the air-cooled Porsche 911, the Carrera RS 2.7 was created as a limited production homologation special, enabling Porsche to compete in the Special GT class of Group 4 racing. The Carrera RS is based on a lightened 911S platform featuring a fuel-injected 2.7-liter flat-six engine, revised suspension, larger brakes, rear fender flares, and a ducktail rear spoiler. One of only 1,580 units produced in total, this 1973 example was originally delivered in Berlin, finished in Grand Prix White with red accents and specified in Touring configuration with an optional electric sunroof. This car is believed to be the only RS restored by the Porsche Classic Center in Stuttgart, Germany, which began in 2004 at the factory’s historic Werk 1 building. Senior craftsmen completely dismantled and examined the car, painstakingly cleaning, repairing, or replacing every component with a genuine factory part. After completion in 2006, the car was driven approximately 2,500 miles by its owner in Luxembourg over the next 18 years before it was acquired by the seller in June 2024. Accompanied by extensive photos and documentation, this factory-restored and numbers-matching Carrera RS 2.7 is now being offered for auction out of Illinois.
Estimate: Not Provided
How We Did: I didn’t think this car was going to quite get there and unfortunately it didn’t, but it was definitely exciting to watch. It jumped a lot over the last couple of days that it was live and I was really cheering for PCarMarket here. I think more or less they brought the money too. If this car wasn’t as special as it is, they probably would have gotten it done, but I think everybody aimed pretty high and rightfully so on this one. A valiant effort by everybody involved. There’s probably a deal here but it’s likely to be made behind the scenes.
