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Auction

Rockstars are well known for two things, over-the-top parties and having an extensive collection of valuable cars. The latter is true today as a number of exotics, belonging to the late J. Geils of the band and his namesake.

The collection of cars and motorcycles will be put up for auction at the upcoming Mecum’s Daytime Auction in Monterey, which we have covered in a previous article. These vehicles will go onto the auction block on 19th August without reserve, mind you, but should still fetch a respectable amount of money.

A number of noteworthy vehicles in J. Geils’ collection include a blue and grey 1961 Ferrari 250 GTE 2, 1967 Lancia Flaminia 2.8 3C and a 1967 Fiat Dino Spyder. As for his motorcycle collection, the two-wheelers that stand out the most are the 1983 Benelli 900 SEI, a 1976 MV Agusta 125 SS and a 1970 Ducati 350 Desmo.

Even if you aren’t a fan of this rocker, there’s no denying that he had an exquisite taste when it came to cherry-picking his vehicles. Besides this, most of them were probably well looked after by the late rockstar or his garage’s custodian and technicians.

This is especially true with his 1961 Ferrari 250 GTE. It still has its original 3.0-litre V12 engine and 5-speed gearbox. Though this isn’t surprising considering its value, but vehicles from that era would usually have had some repair work or replacement parts swapped onto them at some point in time.

Mecum’s Daytime Auction will be taking place from August 16th to the 19th and will see 600 vehicles rolling on and off the showroom floor within that timeframe. There are several big name cars like the Ferari LaFerrari, Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita and 1958 Lister-Jaguar that will be part of the auction event.

So, stay tuned and we will let you know the outcome of this auction and whether any records were broken. High profile events such as these are bound to attract those from the upper echelon of society with deep pockets.

Classic American muscle cars are some of the most sought after vehicles in the world, especially in places like the US, Europe and the Middle East. Many of these cars change hands for exorbitant sums of money.

This was especially true at the recent Mecum Auctions in Harrisburg, USA where 858 vehicles passed through the auction floor at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex. The event achieved a total of $20 million(RM86 million)  in overall sales.

There were a huge selection of cars that were up for auction, but the muscle cars were the ones that stole the spotlight. Seven out of the ten most expensive cars at the auction were that from the muscle car era. That’s because, these cars were from a time that is considered the golden era of American design and ingenuity.

A 1970 Plymouth Hemi Superbird was auction off for a cool $415,000 (RM1,779,935), which is a lot higher than many of the other vehicles there including a 1991 Ferari Testarossa. It was a multi-award winning car that is considered a major collector’s item.

Having said that, here is the list of the top ten cars that sold for the most money at the Harrisburg 2017 Auction:

  1. 1970 Plymouth Hemi Superbird at $415,000 (RM1,779,935)
  2. 1969 Dodge Daytona at $215,000 (RM922,135)
  3. 2012 Ford Shelby GT500 Super Snake at $178,000 (RM763,442)
  4. 1971 Dodge Hemi Challenger R/T at $165,000 (RM707,685)
  5. 1968 Shelby GT500KR Fastback at $162,500 (RM696,963)
  6. 1970 Plymouth Superbird at $160,000 (RM686,240)
  7. 1969 Dodge Hemi Super Bee at $140,000 (RM600,460)
  8. 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 at $140,000 (RM600.460)
  9. 1991 Ferrari Testarossa at $130,000 (RM557,570)
  10. 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Split Window Coupe at $127,500 (RM546,848)

Despite these insane numbers, similar cars have sold for much more at other auctions. Some muscle cars like the original Ford Shelby GT500 have been sold for nearly two or three times the price of the Hemi Superbird in the aforementioned list.

Princess Diana ‘s 1994 Audi Cabriolet will go under the hammer at Coys auction at Blenheim Palace on the 15th of July. This is only fitting considering that the location was also the birthplace of Winston Churchill and is also considered a World Heritage site.

This particular Audi is expected to sell between RM 193,288 to RM 220,900 due to the fact that the car was previously driven by, arguably, one of the most influential female figures of the 1990s. It was loaned to Princess Diana for personal use by Dovercourt Audi of St Johns Wood and is now up for sale just a few days after another Audi, also used by her, went under the hammer.

The car is still registered as L541 GJD and has been storage for many years. In 2004, the car was purchased by the current owner and used as a daily driver to ferry the family around until 2009. Once he discovered the importance and significance of the Audi, the car was promptly kept away in storage, to preserve it until it was put up for sale.

It was been featured in several media images showing the Princess stepping in and out of the car with the number plate clearly visible. Despite the Audi’s relative importance, it will probably be overshadowed by the likes of the 1926 Bugatti Type 37 that will also go under the hammer during the auction. It is said that the car might fetch RM 2,209,000 to RM 3,313,500 because it is considered as one of three Type 37s supplied in 1926 to Bugatti agent and world speed record holder Malcolm Campbell.

How well both cars do remains to be seen. So, stay tuned and we will let you know later on, how much these cherished vehicles are sold for at the auction.

Several important classics and modern sports cars will go under the hammer at Coys auction, which incidentally will take place not far from Goodwood, in the gardens of Fontwell House on 29th June 2017.

One of the few cars worthy of mention, is a pre-production Ferrari 575M Maranello, a perfect example of an Italian Grand Tourer. It is considered one of the earliest pre-production cars made by Ferrari and carries the chassis number 123761. It was manufactured in 2002 but was never sold by the automaker until much later. In fact, it was kept in storage for a few years after being used for marketing and other promotional purposes.

It was only registered in 2006 and sold a couple of years later as a new car by the automaker to a VIP client. In total, the car has just 13,000km on the odometer and comes with a comprehensive paperwork to support the history of work/maintenance that was conducted on it as well as the original manuals. It is estimated that the car might fetch about £150,000 (RM836,205) to £200,000 (RM1,114,940), which is a lot of cash considering what that same amount of money can get you with newer sports cars.

Speaking of the Ferrari, Chris Routledge, CEO of Coys, said, “Coys are delighted to return to Fontwell House for a now-regular feature in our busy auction calendar. Just miles away from the action at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, enthusiasts and collectors will find at Fontwell House a fabulous selection of classic, sports and racing cars, including this pre-production Ferrari 575MM which represents a piece of Ferrari history and would be a valuable addition to any collection.”

The Ferrari 575M Maranello was the follow up model of the relatively identical 550 Maranello (style wise) safe for minor tweaks by Pininfarina. Compared to the 550, 575M had a different interior, bigger brake discs, a larger and more powerful engine, different weight distribution, improved aerodynamics, adaptive suspension setup, as well as a number of others.

Under the hood was a 5.7-litre naturally aspirated V12 engine that was either mated to a 6 speed manual or 6-speed eletrohydraulic gearbox. That coupled with a 1,853kg kerb weight, allowed the 575M to accelerate to 100km/h from a standstill in 4.2 seconds and reach a top speed of 325km/h.

The car was produced from 2002 to 2006 and was eventually superseded by the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, which features more sophisticated electronics, bigger and more powerful engine, as well improved driving dynamics.

One of the most valuable Type 2 VW camper vans in existence, which is worth £90,000 or RM490,671 will leave Windrush Car Storage (UK) for Goodwood where it will go under the hammer during the Goodwood Festive of Speed event.

Windrush is known for being a luxury spa for vehicles. There, automobiles are treated with the best care and detail service. Security is tight at the state-of-the-art Cotswold facility to ensure that only authorized personnel have access to these extremely valuable vehicles that are kept in a dehumidified and climate-controlled environment to maintain an optimum condition, which best suit their preservation despite the lengthy storage duration.

This Type 2 VW Camper was subjected to the very same treatment and has been kept in pristine condition at the facility for almost five years after its owner, Steve Quinn completed the vehicle’s meticulous restoration process.

Quinn acquired the rust-free, ex-California VW Camper in 2008. Back then, it didn’t have an engine and was in dire need of a makeover. Now, the vehicle has a new 100bhp 2.0-litre engine as well as a fully reworked interior that features wood paneling for the storage areas and chrome on the bumpers and rims and extensive white and blue paintwork.

There’s also modern tech features that include an Alpine surround sound system, DVD player and an internet connection. Since the completion of the restoration work, the vehicle has only traveled 2,897km, making it an extremely low mileage classic.

Regarding the storage of his beloved VW Camper, Quinn said, “The car was always kept in the very best condition and the team at Windrush even pointed out potential faults to ensure it continued running smoothly. I do love my Camper but it’s time to pass the torch. I’ll certainly be recommending Windrush to whoever is lucky enough to win at the auction!”

The Goodwood Festival of Speed takes place from 29th June to 2nd July and will play host to a number of spectacular motoring events including a vehicle display that consists of a number of vintage and modern Formula One cars. Till then, take a look at this impressive collection of pictures of Quinn’s VW Camper.

Today’s news might be of interest to classic car enthusiasts. Going under the hammer of Coys’ international auction, is a 1996 Mercedes-Benz SL500 which is set to sell for a considerable amount of money. Though the car isn’t rare or incredibly desirable, and the reason why it has gained so much popularity is because it has been left almost untouched since new.

Considered a modern day barn-find, this particular Merc was purchased brand new in 1996 as a birthday present for the owner and was only driven 129km. This was because shortly after it was purchased, the owner seemed to have misplaced its keys. And unlike the average person, she never bothered to order a replacement set. Instead, she had the car stored away in a garage.

It was left in storage for a good 21 years since and has only recently been given some TLC before hitting the auction block. Had the car been used as a daily driver, it wouldn’t have gained this much attention. Such a car could be purchased from a number of UK based used car websites for about RM27,000 to RM39,000. But, since that isn’t the case here, and due to its incredibly low mileage, it should fetch between RM248,000 to RM303,082.

The original keys were never recovered, but the car will come with brand new ones along with the original books, manuals along with other period correct items that were supposed to have come with it when brand new.

The Mercedes-Benz SL500 R129 roadsters were produced from 1989 through 2002, and they came with a number of impressive features such as electronically controlled damping and a hidden automatically extending roll-over bar as well as electric windows and mirrors.

This particular Benz has one of the most powerful and sought after powerplants of the M119 series and also has a number optional extras such as heated front seats, 6 CD multi-changer, upgraded radio and a wood-leather steering wheel.

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