From Le Mans to Monterey
Plus – Bugatti Atalante sells well, mementos of Jenks and a stunning DB4GT
That Monterey bonanza of Pebble Beach always pulls in interesting machinery. A 1952 Allard J2X should be a highlight of Bonhams and Butterfields’ sale at Quail Lodge on August 17; it was raced at Le Mans by Sydney Allard and Jack Fairman and has been in the same family since 1953. There is one major change from its original racing spec, in that the Chrysler V8 engine was replaced in 1953 with a Cadillac V8. Estimated price is £350-450,000.
Gooding & Company is to sell a fascinating early Indy racer at Pebble Beach on August 19. The 1910 National is reckoned to have raced in the first meetings after the Brickyard was paved, driven by Arthur Greiner. It is expected to fetch £250-350,000.
The ‘barn find’ 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Atalante Coupé we mentioned in June exceeded all expectations and made well over the estimate of £150,000, selling for £433,000 through Christies.
Meanwhile, a Le Mans class-winning 1981 Lancia Beta Monte Carlo was among the exciting lots at Bonhams Monaco sale. The ex-works, Martini-liveried Lancia changed hands for £152,000. Brightwells will be selling Jenks memorabilia on July 11 in Leominster. The items all originate from the estate of Denis Jenkinson and include personal photographs of him with Stirling Moss and Ayrton Senna, racing licences, membership cards, invitations, press credentials and driving licences from 1947 to 1971, one including an endorsement for speeding! Individual items start at £20.
RM will be among many of the auction houses at Monterey from August 17-19, with its sport and classic car auction. It will be offering a 1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT in desirable ‘Factory Lightweight’ spec. The estimate is £800,000 to £960,000.
H&H’s July 25 auction will include a 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 Fastback Racer with NASCAR and UK HSCC pedigree. Powered by a Ford 427ci (7-litre) V8 engine, it last raced in HSCC specification. In one of its last outings it led the inaugural Top Hat one-hour race by 14 seconds until fuel starvation problems intervened. It is estimated to fetch from £40,000 to £45,000.
Around the dealers
Interesting competition cars currently for sale here and abroad
Porsche 908 Spyder
This car started life in closed 908L form as a factory race car and was driven in the 1969 Daytona 24 Hours by Udo Schütz, Gerhard Mitter and Richard Attwood. It was classified 24th although a driveshaft failure stopped it on lap 483. Converted at the factory to spyder spec, it was later sold to Japanese racer Hiroshi Kazato. It remained in Japan for 30 years before being sold to America and later to Europe and current owner Manfred Freisinger. For further details: www.freisinger-motorsport.de or call 0049 (0)7 21 55 49 26 27.
Alfa Romeo GTAm, 1970
This started life as a 1750 GTV, but was converted into a GTAm by Autodelta in 1974. It was raced for three years in Europe before moving to the USA. It has more recently been used extensively in historic racing in Europe. It is fitted with a 105 series 2-litre engine, but the pukka GTAm motor also comes with the car. Contact: Marcel Roks on 0032 14 478 900. Price: £92,000.
Lotus 49
The Lotus 49 featured on the cover of the July issue of Motor Sport is now for sale. Chassis 49/R4 was the last to race in green and yellow livery and was driven by Jim Clark to his last grand prix victory in South Africa. It was sold to Rob Walker and crashed by Jo Siffert at Brands. It was later rebuilt with the permission of Rob Walker. Contact David McLaughlin 01483 271796. Price: call for details.
Aston Martin DBR9
Chassis number 102 is a 2005 model. Its uprated engine is significantly more powerful, by around 75bhp, than the standard engine of that time. It has a non-standard high-downforce aero package and is fitted with a standard DBR9 gearbox with pneumatic semi-automatic paddle shift system. Contact: Oakfields 01256 760256. Price: £587,411.