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Spyker C8 GT2-R Works for sale at RM Sotheby's Le Mans Auction

24-May-2023

The RM Sotheby's Le Mans Auction on June 9th 2023 features a unique Dutch racing car: a works Spyker C8 GT2-R. Spyker is one of the great pioneering names in motoring and was reborn in 1999. It returned to competition in 2002 with a racing variant of its C8 Spyder. Despite entering blue ribband events, the Double 12-R left room for improvement, and in 2005 the new and revised C8 Spyder GT2-R arrived, featuring a 3.8-litre version of the production car’s Audi V-8 mated to a Hewland six-speed sequential gearbox. Chassis 046 was part of the Works racing effort for 2005 and was campaigned in five races, among them the 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Le Mans. Tom Coronel, Marc Goossens, and Donny Crevels assumed driving duties for the debut race in the American Le Mans Series round at Sebring, where the car went up against a phalanx of Porsche 911 GT3 RSRs, a brace of TVR Tuscan T400Rs, and a lone Panoz Esperante GTLM. Unfortunately, the car suffered mechanical maladies, and was forced to retire due to a failed differential after just over seven hours of racing. A slightly altered all-Dutch lineup of Coronel, Crevels, and Peter van Merksteijn took up the cudgels at the Circuit de la Sarthe in June of 2005, supported by mechanic Donald Bramer (currently based at Tachyon Motorsport) and watched on by company owner Victor Muller. Starting from last place on the grid, the trio made quick early progress, overtaking no fewer than five of their GT2 rivals. Steering problems forced the car into the pits as dusk began to fall at around 8pm, and it lost a place to the Cirtek Ferrari 360 GTC. Spyker took the fight to its rivals for a further three hours before going out in a blaze of glory at the seventh hour, when an oil line burst as Crevels approached Indianapolis, causing a spin and starting a fire that brought out the safety car. ‘The engine was still running, but the oil caught fire on the hot exhaust pipe so I was forced to abandon,’ said Crevels. ‘It's a shame as the car was handling well so far.’ The season high proved an 11th-place overall finish and 2nd in class at the Motor City 500 Kilometres of Dubai in one of three appearances in that year’s FIA GT Championship. Spyker Squadron expanded its campaign for the 2006 season by entering all Le Mans Series races, and while its sister cars took up duties at the French classic, chassis 046 was raced at the 12 Hours of Sebring, Istanbul, Spa, Nürburgring, Donington, and Jarama rounds. Its best result came in Spain, where it scored a 3rd-in-class finish and 16th overall—a remarkable achievement for such a young team, in the face of stiff and well-funded competition from giants of the automotive world such as Porsche. Following the end of its competitive career, chassis 046 has been maintained by Dutch racing specialist Tachyon Motorsport, with responsibility for its care falling to chief mechanic and former employee of Spyker Squadron, Donald Bramer. The car is accompanied by spare wheels and original pit wall equipment from its early racing days. A rare racing variant of one of Europe’s most characterful supercars, this Spyker C8 GT2-R would make a rare and fascinating addition to any historic race grid or collection of endurance racing greats.

First two cars produced by Enzo Ferrari added

01-May-2023

Contributor Vincenzo Alba added the two first cars built by Enzo Ferrari to the database: the Auto Avio Costruzioni 815. A brief story about the car: In 1938, Ferrari left Alfa Romeo after running Scuderia Ferrari as their racing division. The agreement ending their association forbade Ferrari from restarting Scuderia Ferrari within the next four years. Ferrari then founded Auto Avio Costruzioni (AAC) in Modena to manufacture aircraft parts and machine tools for the Italian government. In December 1939, AAC was commissioned by Marquis di Modena, to build and prepare two racing cars for him and Albert Ascari to drive in the 1940 Mille Miglia. The resulting car was named the AAC Tipo 815. Only two of these straight-8 cilinder, 1,5 liter engine, driven cars ever got built. Both vehicles were successfully sold. One, chassis number 020, to that the Marquis, and the other, chassis number 021, to a young Alberto Ascari. Both were briefly raced as well. Most notably in the 1940 Mille Miglia (then named: Brescia Grand Prix), where the Marquis himself held the lead and set the fastest lap before breaking down.  The Marquis 815 (#020) the first of the two built, fell into the hands of his brother. But by 1958, was thought so obscure and worthless, that he scrapped it. The Ascari car (#021) though, has survived, and will happily accept fawning admirers today, at the Museo Enzo Ferrari in Modena. In 1947 Enzo Ferrari started the Ferrari car brand and the first model was the 12

Hagertys 7 Collector Car Price Indices Update

28-Apr-2023

The Hagerty Price Guide Indexes are seven stock market-style indexes that average the values of notable segment movers, or “component” cars: Blue Chip, Ferrari, British, German, Muscle Cars, 1950s American and Affordable Classics. They help provide a broad overview of how different segments of the collector car market are performing. In their article of 28 April 2023 the reflect on the first months of this year and discuss the the trends for this year. Hagerty: Buying and selling in 2023 is getting increasingly unpredictable What is the status of the collector car market after the first four months of 2023? With thousands of cars on offer in January in Kissimmee, Florida, and in Scottsdale, Arizona, along with higher-end offerings at February’s Rétromobile in Paris and at Amelia Island, Florida, in March, there is plenty of data to give a read on the market’s pulse. What’s that pulse telling us? The collector car market is less defined than it has been in a long time. Although some indexes presented no movement from the last time we discussed them in early January, others reversed previous losses or even gained ground. This illustrates just how nuanced the market is and often how difficult it can be to accurately predict where it is headed. With that in mind, let’s explore how the different segments performed with our last price guide update. Blue Chip Cars The end of 2022 was slow for the top of the market, but the beginning of 2023 saw renewed activity following the Scottsdale, Paris, and Amelia Island auctions. The results culminated in a one percent increase to Hagerty’s Blue Chip Index. This bump doesn’t tell the whole story of the top of the market, however. Results for component cars were active yet mixed, with seven vehicles posting gains and four of them losing ground. The largest increases were a 14 percent gain by the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing and a nine percent increase by the Alfa Romeo TZ-2, both at the very top end. The mid-range, meanwhile, saw a six percent gain by the Shelby GT350 and a 7 percent bump by the 1953 Corvette. Increases were tempered a bit by the 1967 Corvette 427/435, which lost 12 percent, and the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I, which lost four percent. What we’re seeing at the top of the market is indicative of what we’re seeing elsewhere—results are mixed but there is clearly still steam in the market. British Cars Following the previous quarter’s one percent loss for Hagerty’s British Car Index, the index settled in and stabilized to start 2023. But this doesn’t mean that nothing is happening with British cars, and the segment is far more active than the overall number suggests. In fact, of the 10 component cars, all but one saw a notable change. Most cars gained value, with the Austin-Healey 3000 leading the way with an eight percent increase, followed by the Series I Jaguar E-Type and Austin-Healey 100 BN2 Le Mans, with five percent and four percent increases, respectively. There was also more modest growth for the Mk I MGB as well as the Triumph TR3A and TR6. That broad range of modest increases, however, was tempered by a 10 percent loss to the Mk II Sunbeam Tiger and a five percent drop to the Jaguar XK 120. As with previous updates, the market for British cars remains strong, yet incredibly nuanced. Ferrari Cars Following a quiet end to 2022, Hagerty’s Ferrari Index posted a mild one percent increase this past quarter, partly thanks to the ramping up of auction season from January to March. Most component cars remained steady, while the ones that did move saw only modest changes. There were two clear winners, however—the 250 LM gained three percent and the Dino 246 GTS grew five percent. The 250 LM’s increase is due to the model’s first public offering in years, when one hit the block at Artcurial’s Rétromobile auction. Though the car went unsold, had it cut loose at the high bid of €20M ($22M), the total would have signaled an increase. The Dino’s rise comes from a handful of surprisingly strong sales at Amelia Island. What we see in the Ferrari market is similar to the broader Blue Chip market—inconsistent results but with a generally positive outlook. Muscle Cars On the heels of a one percent loss to Hagerty’s Muscle Car Index in 2022, results from Scottsdale and Kissimmee in January pushed the index up by two percent to a new all-time high. That said, not everything in the muscle car segment is looking up. Sure, some top-tier muscle cars posted truly impressive increases this past quarter, but the broader market is far more mixed, with some models only regaining value they lost late in 2022 and others continuing to trend downward. The biggest surprise was the 23 percent increase by the Buick GS 455. These cars have been lagging behind sister cars like the GTO and Olds 4-4-2 but have finally caught up. Another notable gainer was the 1969 Dodge Charger 500, which increased by 20 percent. Other leaders were the 1970 LS6 Chevelle, which climbed 12 percent after a weak showing at the end of 2022, and the Hemi Superbird, which posted a six percent increase. Several Superbirds came up for sale in January—at the risk of oversaturating the market—but the risk paid off, with strong prices almost across the board. Meanwhile, the 1965 Pontiac GTO continued its slide, losing another 14 percent. The 1970 4-4-2 also lost six percent, even as its Buick GS sibling surged. The takeaway here is that there is still strength in the muscle car market, but its many inconsistencies could point toward a rapidly-approaching ceiling. German Cars German classics were the clear winner with this price guide update, posting the strongest quarter-over-quarter gain, at three percent, and putting the German Index at a new all-time high. Results here were also less mixed than other market segments, with five component cars gaining value and just one losing. Standout movers were the Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing’s 14 percent increase, followed by the 280SL’s 12 percent gain. Porsche 356 coupes climbed at a more modest rate of two percent, while the BMW M1 posted a five percent increase. The one loss was the Mercedes-Benz 190SL, with a 10 percent drop. Outside of our component cars, much of the same story seen in the rest of the German market is being played out. Instead of wider gains or losses, movement is targeted and erratic, making the segment’s future much more uncertain than it might seem on the surface. 1950s American Cars American classics of the 1950s posted another positive quarter, gaining an additional percentage point. As with many of the other indexes, the gain comes as the result of very mixed movement. Following the January auctions in Scottsdale and Kissimmee, however, it is apparent that there is still room to grow for some vehicles. The 1957 Ford Thunderbird rose by an impressive 13 percent, while the less discussed Hudson Hornet gained 10 percent. Notable losses in this segment were the elegant Continental Mark II at a 10 percent loss and the Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner, which softened by seven percent. With seven component cars gaining value and six losing, there is nothing clear about the future direction of 1950s American cars. Affordable Classic Cars For the second update in a row, Hagerty’s Affordable Classics Index has posted no appreciable movement, proving that last quarter’s pause is no fluke. Though the term “affordable” in the context of the component cars has changed, the index’s rise since 2017 perfectly outlines just how much the market has expanded, especially since 2020. Surprisingly, many component cars posted modest gains. From the Corvair Monza’s five percent bump to the Studebaker Lark’s nine percent increase, eight of the 13 component cars saw growth. However, the Datsun 240Z’s slide continued, with a four percent loss, and the 1967 Volkswagen Beetle decreased by eight percent. These two decreases sucked away any forward momentum. Results are too varied to confidently predict a leveling off at the lower end of the market, but continued performance is hard to ignore.

Unique Barnfind 'Palmen Collection' with 230 classic cars will be auctioned in The Netherlands

24-Apr-2023

An unknown collection of 230 classic cars at an unknown location in the Netherlands has been discovered. The 'Palmen Collection'. Gallery Aaldering is auctioning this gigantic collection in cooperation with Classic Car Auctions. From Lancia Aurelia Spider to Mercedes-Benz 300S Roadster and from Alfa Romeo 2600 SZ to various Facel Vegas: the diversity is enormous. Dutch car collector Mr Palmen started collecting special classic cars about forty years ago and housed them in three different locations, two buildings and a church. The cars have been stored in good condition and have stood the test of time very well. The collection was hardly seen by anyone. Even neighbours on the industrial area had no idea what could be seen inside: “We have been at this location for about fifteen years and have regularly asked the owner if we could take a look inside, but it never came to a viewing.” Due to circumstances, Mr Palmen could no longer keep his collection and Gallery Aaldering recently became the owner of one of the largest barnfind collections in the world in recent years.  The collection is located in Dordrecht, where the cars from the characteristic church and the second building are now housed, so that the entire collection is now under one roof. Gallery Aaldering will sell the collection through a major international online auction: “This barnfind collection is truly a unique opportunity for car enthusiasts and collectors around the world to expand their collection,” said Nico & Nick Aaldering, of Gallery Aaldering. “We are very pleased to be able to auction these cars through Classic Car Auctions and look forward to seeing how much interest there is in this wonderful collection.” The large Barnfind collection contains special and beautiful classics. Bidding will soon be possible on various classic cars from Maserati, Lancia, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Jaguar, Aston Martin, BMW, Facel Vega and so much more. It is unlikely that anyone will ever see a collection of this caliber and in this condition again in their lifetime. Auction info: The Palmen Barnfind Collection by Gallery Aaldering Auctioned by Classic Car Auctions Direct information: Email: info@classiccar-auctions.com Phone: +31 (0)20 210 1201 Start online auction: Friday, May 19, 17:00 Viewing days: Soon it will be possible to register for the viewing days. Viewing the collection is only possible after registration. Saturday, May 27, 10:00-16:00 Sunday, May 28, 10:00-16:00 Monday, May 29, 10:00-16:00

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