Category: 2012 markets

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Market 436: 1956 Sprint Veloce Alleggerita 750 E 02239

Update 8/23/12: $310,000 hammer has members of the exclusive club known as ‘early lightweight Sprint Veloce owners’ all calling their insurance agent to up the agreed value, and then thinking about whether or not they really need that jewel in their jewelry box at that price.

8/11/12: Giulietta Sprint 750 E 1493*02239, 1315*30135, Bertone body number 77117.  This car will be auctioned by Russo and Steele next weekend with an expected hammer around $200,000.  With a high expected price comes high praise and/or high scrutiny.  d’Amico and Tabucchi list this chassis number as a 1956 Sprint Veloce 750E, good enough for me!  It has been magnificently restored to a semblance of ‘last raced’ specification, with lightweight seats, a lack of bumpers and other details deviating from stock.  It is doubtful it wore the Borrani wire wheels shown since -not only have I never seen a period picture of a Giulietta racer with wire wheels, they were very likely heavier than the usual Fergat or Borrani wheels due to the required extra splined hub adapter.

A lot of the ‘lightweight’ treatment was replacement of chrome-over brass parts with aluminum.  Body fits together with the typical Bertone precision.  Would be nice to see it wear it’s original, most likely lost 50 years ago aluminum bumpers.  I have read they are available -I know ClassicAlfa and Alfastop list a few of the aluminum parts, not sure if they have bumpers.

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Market 434: Winning-est Giulietta racer Spider 750 03083 ‘Sophia’

Update 8/23/12: Sold for $72,450 including premium.

Update later the same morning:


I got this picture taken at Road Atlanta circa 1983 from Michael McClure, then owner of the brown Giulietta racer and wearing the gold race suit talking to Martin Krilanovich (in green sleeves). The red car is Sophia with Phil Mason in white racing suit leaning over it talking to his crew chief Jerry.  Time flies. 

Giulietta Spider 750D 1495*03083, 1315*41849.  The late Al Leake Jr. raced Sophia to much success on the west coast.  I can remember seeing them many times at Sear’s Point and Laguna Seca -always out front or nearly so -even against cars that on paper ought to have gotten around the track faster -even if driven by lesser drivers.  I don’t remember where I heard/read it, but I seem to recall that Sophia is one of the winning-est race cars in history.  Lineage includes prior ownership by Phil Mason and connection to H. B. Luginbuhl, who some say had a lot to do with development early on.  Anyway, Sophia is being auctioned by Bonhams this coming Monterey weekend.  Estimate is $65,000 – $85,000.  It’s too bad the seller chickened out and omitted the rubber chicken that used to be seen dangling from the trunk -oh well, maybe that rubber chicken is a stuffed trophy over someones mantle now next to a 12 point buck or buffalo head.

Tasteful for a dedicated race car.  Development started in the mid-70’s and by the late 80’s Sophia was a potent machine.  Fiberglass grill and trim?

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Market 383: 10120 Sprint Speciale at Hyman

Update 8/21/12:  Sold for $138,000.  Well, er, bought and sold.  The journey continues.

Update 2/13/12:  It is the same car -the vin has been verified.  Sold for about €38,000 in 2006.  Market has changed!

Update 2/12/12: I heard from a previous owner of this car -the vin is 10120*177259.  He sold it into Spain 6 years ago.  He’s not positive it’s the same car, but pictures indicate it most likely is.

Silver grill -yes.  Same tires?  I think so.

Definitely looks like the same engine to me.  There you have it -a piece of the past puzzle of this car.

Giulietta Sprint Speciale 10120.  This car is listed by Hyman Ltd, in St. Louis.  No asking price, vin or other info is provided, but judging from the pictures it’s a nice car and knowing Hyman’s MO, it will undoubtedly be expensive.  I looked through my files but was unable to find this car.  Anyone know it?

Like Fantasy Junction and their brick wall, Hyman uses this stage to good effect.  I wonder if it’s set up all the time?  I’m helping a friend listing a ton of Jaguar parts from the 50’s and 60’s on eBay and we plan on setting up a permanent photo area.  Note the screen behind the grill is in silver (or possibly chrome) -not original (if you care).  Windshield wipers are parked on the opposite side form usual.  Nice looking car!

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Market 433: Spider 10103 171827 auctioned by Gooding & Co

Update 8/22/12: So I was wrong -this car only made $41,800.  That ought to keep every 101 1300 (and 1600 too methinks) Normale owner with a clean example from getting too big a head over their car.  Of course -I heard from some in-person inspectors that it was more tired than it ought to have been…

8/2/12: Spider 10103*171827.  At the Pebble Beach weekend this year Gooding will possibly be attempting to set a record for the sale of a Normale 1300 Spider.  The car is very nice and it’s easy to say it could use some detailing, but I imagine improvement would be difficult without major expense.  It is for the most part a preserved car by the description, but a lot has been replaced -even so, this is the kind of car I prefer -lightly used and well maintained.

Tidy little creature.  Great shut lines and good trim alignment.  Wheels appear to be Borrani’s.

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Market 438: Spider Veloce 750F 04699

Giulietta Spider Veloce 750F 1495*04699, 1315*31090.  This car is on eBay right now.  Has it weaknesses and strengths.  No surprise why it’s on eBay this particular week.  Here’s an idea: you provide the captions, I’ll add them.  Just say which picture your comment is for.  Hint: B- or C+…

Scott’s intro: “Looks like a few of the cars that have come up for sale in the last year. Fix a few details and it would sell for a fair bit more.”

Craig’s overall: “She could use a little rust cleanup in the engine bay,a set of the green Cavis ignition wires, white plastic on the horn ring, seat repair, proper exhaust system, gauge inserts and a Veloce tach. Nothing to bad here I give her a B.”

Mike I says: “First photo. As per Mr Hamilton: nice complete trim. Good shut lines correct borrani wheels. Good stance, with shiny paint……”

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Market 437: Sprint Veloce Alleggerita 750 E 03819

Giulietta Sprint Veloce ‘Alleggerita’ 750 E 1493*03819, 1315*30348. This 1957 Sprint Veloce is available now out of Italy. It is a good comparison with yesterdays lightweight Veloce, especially in the interior -would be a great comparison if I knew how much they were asking.  They made about 600 lightweights if my vin/body number math is sound.  Not horrifically rare as far as rare Italian cars goes, but these being very potent machines in their hey-day, frequently vanquishing their own class and placing very high outright in races against competitors with 2 or 3 times the displacement, and being constructed from lots of impossible to find special parts, they have all the cache one could want in a 50 year old Italian car.  Oh -and they are beautiful and easy to drive -even among modern traffic.

Hood fits very well.  I like the extra lights -looks like 1 fog and 1 spot.  Marchal’s?  Bumper, eyebrow trims and headlights all look like aluminum to me.  Nice car.

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Market 435: Spider Veloce 750F 04191 NLA

Giulietta Spider Veloce 750F 1495*04191. This car was on eBay for about 30 hours before being pulled and declared No Longer Available.  Someone with a spare Veloce block must have made an unrefuseable offer.  I guess we will have to keep waiting to see what a 750 Veloce goes for without a Veloce engine…  Will the new owner please step forward!

A fine looking example, without much to be done.  I like them like this -no worry driving them around.  Hood spear gone?  165 series tires?

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Market 432: SS 10120 00392 ‘no longer for sale’

Giulietta Sprint Speciale 10120*00392.  This car is currently listed on eBay out of Haverhill, MA and sits at $45,000.  A note has been added at the end of the auction that it’s no longer available.  Must have received an offer too good to pass up, while being spooked by the presence of a nicer Giulia SS on eBay at the same time.

The car itself is rough around the edges, but needs mostly light cosmetics and some missing original parts sourced to be taken to the next level.  What level is that you ask?  Nice driver maybe…

There is a gray spot on the roof with a corresponding exit wound in the headliner.  They do look sweet without bumpers.  Looks very nice!

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Market 424: restored 1965 SS in Toronto

Update 8/12/12: Not surprisingly it failed to meet reserve and sell. It’s probably a nicer car than can be told from the pictures, but only better pictures will tell.

Update 7/21/12: Giulia Sprint Speciale 10121*380813, 00121*00914. As expected this car has turned up on eBay with slightly more comprehensive pictures and vin numbers. I’m sure there are excited emails and phone calls going on right now between Drivers Source/Classic Invest and probably other ‘opportunity spotters’ and the seller as I type. Car looks good. Better pictures are required.

Giulia Sprint Speciale. This car is on Craigslist right now out of Toronto.  There is no real information about the car other than the pictures where it looks pretty good.  Appraised at over $100K?  I guess that’s where to start the negotiation.

Nothing to complain about here.  Bosphorus blue?  Dutch blue?  Hood fits great.  Is that a 128 and a Yugo in the back ground?  I think so…  Good to know this car has been in austere company.  Grill doesn’t look right.

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Market 430: Spider Veloce 750F 03454 use or restore

Update 7/21/12: No takers. Ended at $31,000. Reserve was probably closer to $40K.

Giulietta Spider Veloce 750F 1495*03454, 1315*32930 (unsure if original to car).  This car is on eBay right now from a seller who frequently has interesting early Giulietta’s and Giulietta stuff.  It’s a running driving car with a 1600 installed, but comes with a ’58 Veloce engine.  It’s unclear whether it’s the original engine.  Pictures are few, but it looks pretty good.

Looks pretty good.  Hood fit is a bit off.  No bumper over-riders.  Good start or use as is!

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