7 classic cars to watch at Bonhams' Greenwich auction

Rare European machinery set for another cozy sale in Connecticut

Auction house Bonhams is gearing up for another annual sale held concurrently with the Greenwich Concours d'Elegance held in the tiny Connecticut town which has ten times as many hedge funds as fast food joints, with the sale once again set to take place on the tiny peninsula of Roger Sherman Baldwin park. 

Last year's sales topped $8 million, with 93 out of 100 lots finding new homes. The top sale in 2014 was a stunning blue 1975 Lamborghini Countach periscopica that brought $1.21 million, though the biggest surprise of the sale was perhaps the $92,400 realized by the 1973 Volvo 1800ES shooting brake with just 13,000 miles on the clock. Perhaps the most emotional sale of 2014 was the Fitch Phoenix designed, built, owned and driven until very recently by the late John Fitch, who was a frequent visitor to the concours and to Lime Rock Park. The Phoenix brought $253,000, selling to a local car collector, with the sale drawing cheers from bidders who were glad to learn that the car would be staying in the area.

Bonhams' Greenwich sale will take place next Sunday, May 31, with a preview day scheduled for Saturday May 30.

Here are a few lots we'll be keeping an eye on that Sunday:

This Jalpa shows a claimed 500 kilometers on the odometer. Photo by Bonhams

The days of semi-affordable Lamborghini Jalpas offered for sale in the back of car magazines are quickly coming to a close as collectors take note of this oft-overlooked Lambo. Bonhams will offer this 1988 example at the upcoming sale. Powered by a 3,485 cc V8 engine fed by four 2-barrel Weber DCNF carburetors, this particular Jalpa is said to be one of the last examples built out of a total production of just 410 cars. A rarity even in the heyday of Countaches, this Jalpa shows under 500 claimed kilometers on the clock, and is estimated to bring between $70,000 and $100,000 on auction day. Sorted examples are tough to find, and the Jalpa remains a gap in many large collections.

This DeSoto Fireflite Indianapolis Pacesetter is one of about 30 remaining examples. Photo by Bonhams

A rare convertible, the DeSoto Fireflite Indianapolis Pacesetter is a car that we see at auctions -- they just don't change hands that often. This 1956 example is stated to have been in single-family ownership since new, and is powered by a Hemi V8 engine connected to a three-speed Powerflite pushbutton automatic transmission. Said to be one of just 400 Indianapolis Pacesetters built and 30 remaining, it's pegged to bring between $60,000 and $80,000. The modest estimate is partially a reflection of the limited market for this model, as the people who want one have to be in the room, on the phone, or on a yacht watching the bidding on an iPad. But this will be the right crowd for this car, even though Arizona in January would have brought it greater publicity.

Car Life Lamborghini Countach LP400 breaks $1 million sale barrier

A 1975 Lamborghini Countach LP400 "Periscopica" sold for $1.21 million at the Bonhams auction held in conjunction with the Greenwich Concours d'Elegance on Sunday, June 1, setting a record for the ...

The interior of this 1963 BMC Technical Support Vehicle features an open floor plan, to use a realty term. Photo by Bonhams

This is a 1963 BMC Technical Support Vehicle, used by the company to tour around the U.K. teaching mechanics. Last seen at the 2011 Fairfield County Concours d'Elegance, this BMC bus has also been featured on "Chasing Classic Cars" with Wayne Carini. Around 20 were built and fewer remain, as you would imagine. We had an opportunity to examine this vehicle at length, no pun intended, a few years ago, and were disappointed to find it wasn't configured to hold cars in its interior -- even though the interior is largely empty and can carry at least a couple of Austin Minis. Having said that, it could be be modified to accept a car or two if the "trunk" and rear window were reconfigured to open in a clam-shall manner, which would make it infinitely more useable as a collector vehicle. Bonhams estimates this 6.1-liter Perkins diesel-engined bus to bring between $75,000 and $100,000 at auction. If you own a brace of small British roadsters, this may be the racing support vehicle for you.

This 1957 Pontiac Star Chief Safari Sport Wagon is one of just over a thousand examples made. Photo by Bonhams

Interest in classic American station wagons is showing no signs of abating, and Bonhams will offer this 1957 Pontiac Star Chief Safari Sport Wagon at next weekend's sale. This three-door V8-engined wagon is one of just 1,291 produced (which is why you probably haven't seen one at your local cruise-in) and is stated to have received a complete restoration. Bonhams expects this rare wagon to bring between $35,000 and $45,000, and the top estimate may seem like a bargain in a few years.

Car Life Scottsdale auctions blow through last year's totals

The Scottsdale, Ariz., collector-car auctions have wrapped up a busy week of sales, and as part of producing an up-to-date price guide for classic cars, Hagerty has released the final totals from all ...

This 1968 Mazda 110S Cosmo Sport Coupe is a rare rotary bird in the States. Photo by Bonhams

Japanese classics are attracting more and more interest from North American collectors every year, and Bonhams will offer this 1968 Mazda 110S Cosmo Sport Coupe next weekend. A 982-cc twin-rotor Wankel-engined coupe, the Cosmo looks like something from the Jetsons, and was never been offered in the U.S. even though some examples have found their way here. This example, painted in a very '60s color, is estimated to bring between $150,000 and $200,000 on auction day.

This 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Stelvio convertible by Gangloff is estimated to bring between $900,000 and $1.1 million on auction day. Photo by Bonhams

The top sale of the auction will likely be this 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Stelvio convertible by Gangloff, if it ends up changing hands on auction day. Powered by a supercharged inline-eight engine, this particular example wears original coachwork and remained in France during its early years. This 57C later settled in the collection of Miles Coverdale who kept it for 40 years until his passing in 2002. This car is estimated to bring between $900,000 and $1.1 million on auction day.

Car News Greenwich Concours Europa 2014 surprises with an eclectic mix of cars

On Saturday, the crowds of the Greenwich Concours Americana almost rendered the field standing-room only. On Sunday, the thousands of car fans who descended upon the small park in the seaside ...

This 911 RS 2.7 M472 Touring may bring between $550,000 and $700,000 on auction day Photo by Bonhams

Porsche 911 Carrera RS values are rocketing upward, and Bonhams will take stock of this model's current value when it offers a 911 RS 2.7 M472 Touring from 1973. Claimed to be a numbers-matching Series 1 RS Touring that was originally delivered to Brazil, of all places, this particular RS is fitted with a number of factory options like a heated rear window and a power antenna, electric sunroof and windows, air conditioning and fog lamps, all which are believed to have been fitted at the factory. Bonhams estimates this restored example to bring between $550,000 and $700,000 on auction day. Yes, it's too late to get in on these -- all that's left to do is watch them jump and touch the rim of the $1 million barrier a couple of years from now.

Visit the auction website to view the full list of lots as well as the schedule for the upcoming sale.

Read more »

BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage evokes classic 1970s Bimmer design

BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage evokes classic 1970s Bimmer designImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMWImage Credit: BMW2007 MMSRP$52,100ShopReviewsMore PhotosBMW S1000 R custom by Deus Ex Machina for Orlando BloomBMW i Apple Watch AppBMW W3 Engine Patent2015 BMW 220d xDrive Gran Tourer: Geneva 2015BMW 220d xDrive Active Tourer: Geneva 20152016 BMW Alpina B6 xDrive Gran CoupeChris Bruce

BMW enjoys taking advantage of the annual Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este as an opportunity to re-imagine some of company's vintage shapes in modern ways with concepts like the M1 Hommage, 328 Hommage, Concept 90 motorcycle, and even last year's Mini Superleggera. This year's event on the shores of Lake Como is no different, and the Bavarian brand is celebrating one of its great sports coupes from the 1970s with the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage.

Bathed in a shade called Golf Yellow that perfectly evokes the era of the original, the Hommage's design seems to incorporate a few cues from the current 6 Series into the classic look of the 3.0 CSL. However, the front end is actually a little ungainly to our eyes due to the massive grille, and the fenders that fold up over the hood. The laser headlights are a great touch because their X-shaped centers are inspired by old racecars.

The design improves significantly in profile and really starts to show the inspiration from the original 3.0 CSL. This concept has some beautiful rear haunches, and the big, creased fenders lead the eye to the massive rear wing. The back end also maintains much of the vintage design, including the roof spoiler, but the shape gets modern touches. So while the source of this inspiration was a bit angular, the lines have been gently curved for the Hommage.

Of course, a CSL must be lightweight, as signified by the last letter in its name. Where the original uses aluminum and Plexiglas to shed pounds, the Hommage uses carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic parts throughout the body.

The interior is also made from CFRP, and occupants sit in quilted racing buckets. An especially cool touch is the V-shaped cross-member at the back that evokes the look of a roll cage, while being a bit more artistic.

The only indication that BMW is giving about the 3.0 CSL Hommage's powertrain is that it uses an inline six with eBoost, but as a concept the engine doesn't really matter, anyway. Get a good look at the whole design in the gallery above.Show full PR textBMW 3.0 CSL Hommage.

Racing flair with a touch of class.

Munich/Cernobbio. Amid the audacious design studies and automotive beauties from a bygone era gathered at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, the BMW Group presents its new BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage – and in the process makes a pretty formidable statement of its own. This model is the BMW Design Team's tribute to the 3.0 CSL, a timeless classic and iconic BMW Coupé from the 1970s.

"Our Hommage cars not only demonstrate how proud we are of our heritage, but also how important the past can be in determining our future," says Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design. "The BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage represents a nod to the engineering achievement exemplified by the BMW 3.0 CSL in its lightweight design and performance. With intelligent lightweight construction and modern materials, the 3.0 CSL Hommage brings the character of that earlier model into the 21st century, showing it in a new and exciting guise," he says, summarising the approach the design team took with the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage.

Lightweight design past and present.

"CSL" stands for "Coupé Sport Leichtbau" (coupé, sport, lightweight). With its aluminium bonnet, boot and wings, Plexiglas windows and equipment rigorously pared down to the bare essentials, the old BMW 3.0 CSL tipped the scales around 200 kg lighter than its sibling model, the BMW 3.0 CS. Unsurprisingly, then, it was predestined for a career on the race track. Whereas the material of choice in the 1970s was aluminium, today carbon fibre – or carbon-fibre- reinforced plastic (CFRP) – offers the optimum weight-to-strength ratio. These high-strength fibres are even lighter and stronger than aluminium. And the
BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage makes generous use of the high-tech composite, reinterpreting the concept of lightweight design for the modern age. Wherever CFRP is used, it is also visible – rendering the lightweight design principle tangible both inside and out. The BMW Group is a world leader in the production and application of CFRP in automotive design and can already boast many years of experience in series production of CFRP structural parts for the BMW M and, in particular, the BMW i.

The exterior: power and elegance.

Karim Habib, Head of BMW Design, explains the thinking behind the design of the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage: "For BMW designers like us, the BMW 3.0 CSL is a style icon. Its combination of racing genes and elegance generates an engaging aesthetic that continues to win hearts even today.

The BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage celebrates many of those characteristic features, but without copying them. Indeed, some of the parallels are not immediately obvious. We wanted people to sense the family resemblance rather than see it straight off."

The BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage is a vision of pure athleticism: the elongated body is set off by distinctive air deflectors, powerful wheel arches and prominent spoilers to the roof and tail. Despite its size, the aerodynamic elements are key in enabling air to flow optimally along the sides of the vehicle. The front air deflector serves to vent the engine compartment, while wings over the rear wheels ensure optimum airflow around the vehicle. Small rear-view cameras serve to further reduce aerodynamic drag. The large rear spoiler increases downforce on the driven rear axle and in so doing improves power transmission. The Air Curtain and Air Breather systems guarantee optimum ventilation of the wheel housings. And the sheer self-confidence and sporting prowess of the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage are perfectly summed up in the original colour of its spiritual predecessor – Golf Yellow.

The front end – muscular athleticism.

Boasting one of the broadest and lowest front ends of any vehicle in the BMW Group, the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage's front exudes pure power and athleticism. At the centre, the characteristic BMW kidney grille stands tall in citation of the more upright styling of the kidney grille of yesteryear. The size and spatial depth of the kidney grille symbolise the output of the powerful six-cylinder in-line engine with eBoost. At the same time, the finely wrought geometry of frame and kidney struts lends the front end an air of quality and exclusivity. The characteristic four-eyed face gives a contemporary, hexagonal interpretation of front-end sportiness. Laser light and LED technology facilitate slender, state-of- the-art lighting graphics, and the flat contours of the headlamps generate that characteristically focused BMW look. A stylised "X" inside the lights divides the lighting functions and conjures up memories of the X-shaped headlamp stickers once used in long-distance racing. Horizontal LED strips create a visual bond between headlamps and kidney grille while at the same time emphasising the broad, flat impact of the front end. A large carbon-fibre front splitter reduces the gap between road and front end and, in combination with the kidney grille, offers a modern interpretation of the earlier car's highly distinctive shark nose. Two circular openings and a series of elongated slots pay tribute to other elements featured in the earlier car, but offer a new interpretation for the 21st century.

The sides – contrapuntal elegance.

The vehicle sides are in elegant counterpoint to the marked athleticism of front and rear. The long wheelbase and elongated bonnet appear to stretch the Hommage's silhouette. A continuous, horizontal line encircles the vehicle by way of paying tribute to a distinctive stylistic feature of the earlier BMW 3.0 CSL: its all-round chrome trim. In combination with the black highlight beneath, the continuous line intensifies the flat, elongated appearance of the sides.

A particular detail of the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage is the roofline. Consciously subdivided into three, the line recalls the distinctive upper section of the BMW 3.0 CS – one of the first coupés to feature a roof that did not flow into the tail. Compared with the ubiquitous fastback coupés of the day, this was both an innovation and a design statement, a feature that exuded athleticism and elegance in equal measure. In keeping with the BMW 3.0 CSL, the Hommage features a BMW logo on each of the C-pillars.

The all-round shoulderline is also the starting point for the subtle, finely sculpted surfaces of the sides. It follows the development of the shadowy areas behind the front wheel all the way to the lit surfaces above the rear wheels. This interplay between light and shade lends movement and dynamic intensity to the generous surfaces of the vehicle's sides. Dark CFRP areas narrow the gap between the sides and the road, again paying tribute to the consistent lightweight design of the BMW 3.0 CSL. In combination with the black graphic accents, the dark lightweight elements reduce the perceived height of the vehicle and further emphasise its flat silhouette. The black 21" alloy wheels in matt and high-gloss bi-colour versions offer an additional unique highlight. Air control blades in the interstices of the wheel rims, meanwhile, serve to further optimise aerodynamics.

The rear end – a muscular presence.

As with the front end, the vehicle's tail is broad and muscular in design. Generous surfaces generate presence, horizontal elements emphasise width. A particular highlight is the styling of the rear lights: an LED strip above the spoiler links the two lights, thus giving the rear end a formal framework. The powerfully sculpted rear apron with CFRP diffusor creates a visual impression of the BMW 3.0 CSL's raw power. Even viewed from above, the BMW 3.0 CSL is extremely dynamic. From kidney grille to headlamps, the bonnet traces a broad "V" – a nostalgic throwback to a distinctive and dynamic element of earlier BMW coupés.

The interior – purist elegance.

Pared down to a minimum, the interior of the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage puts its lightweight design on show and renders its racing character elegantly tangible. All interior elements are there out of absolute necessity, every part has a high- quality design, structural or drive-related function. In the all-CFRP interior, the only wood-like presence is the "instrument panel" – a cross-member and purely structural element. This is a clear reference to the interior of the earlier
BMW 3.0 CSL, which featured an all-round wood trim throughout the interior. In the new version, only the small central eBoost charging display interrupts the wooden instrument panel. Infotainment is equally minimalist in concept: a central display on the steering column informs the driver of the current gear, speed, revs and shift point.

Racing genes and lightweight design with finesse.

Other racing features include bucket seats with high-quality stitching, a six-point belt and red anodised safety features such as the outlet nozzles for the extinguishing foam, the fire extinguisher itself, and the two switches on the centre console for the emergency shut-off and fire extinguishing mechanism. The only elements in the rear of the vehicle are two helmets integrated into the transmission tunnel. These are held in place by a belt when not in use. In the place of a rear seat bench, there are only covers for the eBoost energy accumulators. Special reflector technology in combination with LED strips create an impressive 3D effect on the covers.

In its use of cutting-edge materials and detailed solutions, the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage displays technical sophistication and subtlety of form. Meticulously crafted aluminium sleeves add high-quality accents at the junctions between individual structural elements. The door design is as minimalist as it is expressive: precise, clean surfaces trace an arc rearwards, lending the door element a flowing, dynamic quality. The door openers combine a DTM-style pull strap with the elegant handle-integrated opener of the earlier BMW 3.0 CSL, resulting in the hybrid solution of a nylon pull strap located directly behind the grab handle in the door. As with the interior as a whole, this detail lends expression to the unique character of the BMW 3.0 CSL Hommage: a winning combination of lightweight design, athleticism and elegance.Featured GalleryBMW 3.0 CSL Hommage Concept

Read more »