Monthly Archives: January 2013

Alfa Romeo

1974 Alfa Romeo GTV 2000

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If ever there was an Italian cousin to the legendary BMW 2002, it would be this car: the Alfa Romeo GTV Coupe. These rear-drive coupes with their twin cam engines offer motorists classic Italian driving thrills in a tidy Bertone penned package. As with many desirable classics, prices have been strong for these coupes for quite some time. This GTV for sale in Colorado isn't perfect, but is offered at no reserve and looks great with the Panasport/Minilite style wheels.

1974 Alfa Romeo GTV 2000

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Up for sale is a 1974 Alfa Romeo GTV 2000. It is blue on tan, with Mini Lite replica wheels. It has a proper European Weber conversion, factory A/C, Centerline performance springs, European spec cams, Magnaflow exhaust, stainless steel brake lines, and polyurethane bushings. One of the most beautiful cars Bertone ever designed was the GTV, and this one looks the part. I have most of the records since new. I also have the original bill of sale, from Colorado and has been here since.

It was repainted at one point in its life and it was done at a commercially acceptable standard. It is not perfect but looks good at 10 ft. There is the typical rust in the wheel wells, the bottom of the windshield frame and in the rockers. It is minor but the paint is bubbling in some spots. The interior is in decent shape. The drivers seat bolster has wear, the door panels are wavy and the dash has a cap on it. The tachometer needs to be rebuilt, it reads high. The factory A/C blows ice cold, the gearbox shifts perfectly, the engine has good compression on all cylinders, it drives like a new car, no strange noises from the suspension, very few leaks (it’s Italian), fully serviced and runs like a proper GTV should.

If you are looking for a GTV that you can drive and enjoy this is the one. It can be driven in middle of the summer with the A/C blasting and cruising in style and comfort. It can then be taken to the track and enjoyed in all of its glory with its suspension and upgraded engine. The car is not perfect so you won’t have to worry about the occasional rock chip or scratch. If you want a GTV to use as it was intended to, this is the perfect car. It is mechanically very sound and I would not hesitate to drive it across the country tomorrow.

With no reserve, this GTV will probably reach into the low $20,000 range, as there are a few issues that need to be addressed. This is still a very drivable car, though, and with no reserve, represents a potential opportunity to get a GTV at a discount. GTVs in outstanding condition can reach into the $30,000 range these days, but this one will most likely fall short of that.

-Paul

Fiat

1970 Fiat 850 Spider

It might be the middle of winter for us East Coasters out there, but if you're thinking about a convertible for the summer, this is the time to buy. If you want a lot of fun on a budget, the Fiat 850 is a great choice for those seeking al fresco motoring. Based on rear-engined, Fiat 850 mechanicals, the 850 Spider had styling by Bertone that set it apart from its larger 124 Spider sibling. This 850 Spider for sale in New York is an original car except for the new convertible top that was recently installed.

1970 Fiat 850 Spider

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They are Only Origianl Once! 1970 Fiat 850 Spider Bertone Edition Convertible. Imported by Fiat Roosevelt Motors Inc. Sold New by Fiat Free World of Manhattan

Two owners, garage kept
63,269 original miles,
Original paint, original interior
Original window sticker, original owner manual
4 cyl, 4-speed transmission
Everything works, never in an accident
Normal expectations of original paint with nicks scratches
Fun to drive
New top installed
Two new window regulators already installed
Doors sag, door latches need adjustment
Air cleaner repainted
Lower front both fenders metal breaks
New Interstate battery
Paint is believed to be original as I see no over spray anywhere
Small minor dent passenger rear quarter

Look at the pictures carefully, for a northeast Fiat it is solid. There are areas in the floor sheet metal with rust on either side see the pictures. Really NOT TOO BAD for a Fiat of this year and it is in original condition. This sporty two-seater Fiat was designed and built by Bertone, the same Italian company that has built cars for Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Fiat, Lamborghini, Mercedes Benz, and many more!

For an 850 Spider out of New York, this has survived remarkably well. I really like the fact that this looks like an honest car, rust showing where you'd suspect, but not being too out of control. The asking price for this car isn't way over the top, but if you could have the seller knock about $1,000 off, it would be a good deal for summer motoring on the cheap.

-Paul

Lancia

1967 Lancia Fulvia Sport Zagato

Lancia was always an innovative marque, and the Fulvia Sport Zagato was no exception. While the Fulvia Coupe was a thing of automotive beauty, the Fulvia Sport Zagato cuts more of a butch look. A tad more ugly, but still beautiful in its purposefulness. The sharp lines of this early Zagato Sport for sale in California are set off nicely by the black paintwork and restored red interior.

1967 Lancia Fulvia Sport Zagato

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1967 Lancia Fulvia Zagato Sport, One of the first 600 Series-2 cars; 1.3 liter; alloy body panels; very nice inside and out and all original except for the interior was re-done; needs some minor tune-up but starts and runs fine; very minor paint blistering near the bottom of the doors and roof gutter but not very noticeable; aftermarket Panasport wheels no original wheels included but can be sourced; bought indirectly from the original owner's estate. Please be advised, this car is for sale locally and the seller reserves the right to cancel the auction if sold.

While the seller describes this as a 1967 model, I'm curious as to why this car has a five-speed transmission. Either it was swapped with a later gearbox or this is a later model Sport Zagato. That issue notwithstanding, the Fulvia Zagatos due command a bit of a higher price than the normal Fulvia coupe, but when it comes to a Zagato, this is about as cheap as they come. Zagato sports can range anywhere from $20,000 to $40,000, putting this one right smack in the middle of the range. I'd say this car may be just a tad overpriced, given the non-original wheels and some of the paintwork issues, but if the seller is open to a little negotiation, this would be a tasty little piece of Zagato history for the collector on somewhat of a budget.

-Paul

Ferrari, Modern Classic

1995 Ferrari F512M

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The mid 1990s were a time of change at Ferrari, as the company began favoring front engined sports cars once again. In 1995, we were witnessing the Testarossa's last stand in the form of the F512M. Only 500 of the "final" Testarossa were produced, this time with exposed headlamps, a revised front bumper resembling the F355, a restyled rear light cluster and power from the 4.9 liter flat-12 upgraded to 440 horsepower. Reviews were mixed with many enthusiasts preferring Pininfarina's original interpretation from 1984. This menacing black example for sale in Illinois has covered under 10,000 miles.

1995 Ferrari F512M

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A low mile rare 512M. Award winning ultra clean example we have serviced for many years. The ultimate example in the evolution of the Testarossa. Fresh belt service. All books and keys. A classic for the serious Ferrari collector.

A clean, low mileage, first generation Testarossa will run you between $50,000 to $75,000 or so, so the asking price of over $167,000 for what is a very similar car is a bit hard to stomach, no matter how showroom fresh. True, the F512M is worth more and this car has had its belt service, but some purists deride the styling over the earlier Testarossa and 512TR. Realistically, this car is worth somewhere around $100,000 to $130,000.

-Paul

Lancia

1975 Lancia Fulvia Safari

The Lancia Fulvia was the car that began the legendary run of rallying victories for Lancia. A rather unassuming, front-drive coupe, this little beast was a formidable adversary on the World Rally circuit and won the 1972 Championship for the manufacturer. A number of different varieties of Fulvias were made over a thirteen year time span. The Safari was a limited edition of the Series 3 Fulvia that was sans bumpers and included special trim and badging. A model that was meant to evoke the competition Fulvias, it cut a menacing and purposeful look. This Fulvia for sale in Germany is one of 900 of that limited run of Safaris.

1975 Lancia Fulvia Safari

Lancia Fulvia Safari, model 1975, original 47,000 km and rust free everywhere, one of only 900 cars build, the cars have an output of 90hp.

Fulvias can still be had for relatively reasonable amounts of money, with well kept Series 3 models bringing in between $15,000 to $25,000 on average. Given this is a limited edition and a low mileage, original example, I'd suspect we might be somewhere around the $25,000 to $30,000 USD equivalent. Even if I couldn't have a Safari, it makes me want to own a Fulvia someday. I'd have the bumpers off, get a nice Heuer stopwatch for the dashboard and do my best impersonation of Sandro Munari on the weekend.

-Paul

Uncategorized

1953 Cisitalia 33DF Voloradente

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Known for being one of the first seven automotive designs honored by New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Cisitalia 202 has long since epitomized the pinnacle of Italian design. It was also a revolutionary exercise in style, as the fenders, headlights and hood were all integrated into one smooth, flowing shape. While the 202 is the most well known of the Cisitalias, its successor wasn't as famous. Based on Fiat 1100 mechanicals, the 33DF Voloradente, or "low flying" in Italian, was capable of a 105 mph top speed, which was quite a feat for a four cylinder engine at the time. About fourteen or fifteen of these cars were ever produced, with five of them being aluminum bodied. This 33DF for sale in The Netherlands is one of those five.

1953 Cisitalia 33DF Voloradente

This car was driven by the 1971 Monte Carlo Rally champion for about 20 years. Only 5 of these aluminum versions were made. When Cisitalia intended to create a successor to their immensely successful 202 series Berlinetta it was not difficult to decide to use the brilliant Fiat 1100 ‘103’ series running gear as a basis for their new concept car. This reliable engine has a rich postwar automotive racing history as it was used in several small capacity competition classes: in saloon car racing and rallying the Fiat 1100 TV showed great potential, in GT and sports car racing it was often the basis of many Italian racing specials constructed by Stanguellini, Cisitalia, Nardi, Moretti and others. Even in the illustrious Formula Junior category it was the technology of choice as applied by Stanguellini, Volpini, Taraschi, OSCA and many other Italian racing car constructors!

As early as 1953 Cisitalia presented this 33DF Volo Radente, which means in translation more or less a 'sharp flight.' It was intended as a ‘Berlinetta da Corsa’ in the small capacity class of the early and mid fifties. Probably not more than 20 examples of various versions were constructed over the years. The responsible designer was Aldo Brovarone. With its small capacity engine it did 170 km/hr, an amazing performance for a comfortable coupe with an engine based on an 1100 cc four cylinder unit! But it was not only the speed that put it in a class of its own, also the brakes and suspension excelled assuring a perfect balance with a very sporty and almost unbeatable road behavior in its class, fully supporting the special name ‘Volo Radente’! The coachwork was quite advanced in 1953 giving ample space and lots of light inside the car using unusually large windows. Some interesting design features of the early Abarth 205/A Berlinetta were incorporated, like the large wrap around rear window, most unusual at that time. The luxurious appointed interior gave the driver and the passenger a feeling of sporty luxury, synonymous for the high quality associated with Cisitalia.

The racy 33DF was followed by the 35DF and finally the more luxurious and less sporty appointed 36 DF of which only a few examples were built before Cisitalia ceased production. Chassis number 00510 has a 1084 cc engine with two downdraft Weber carburetors, linked to the strong Fiat 4 speed gearbox with sporty floor shift. Valves, pistons, camshaft and porting have been reworked. The coachwork is made of all aluminum and also designed by Brovarone. The car is on alloy rimmed Borrani wire wheels and equipped with specially made alloy ventilated drum brakes.

The history of 00510 is fully known since its ‘birth’ and already as early as 1972 the well known 'Automotoclub Storico Italiano' (ASI) registered the car as a historical vehicle. On the early ASI papers the car is described with a total weight of 880 kg, including petrol and spare wheel. At that time it was owned by Felice Marchese of Voghera, Italy, the Rally Monte Carlo winner of 1971. Still on its original ‘black plate’ Italian number plates 326073 Mi chassis number 00510 is one of the very few surviving examples of this historically significant car.

Over the many years of its life it was entered in rally and hill climb competition. Sundry photos and documents show the car as early as 1976 in major Italian and Swiss historic events. The car performed extremely well, often making the magazine and even newspapers headlines. Quite a few original newspaper clippings witness this. Known drivers are Introzzi, Ganoglio and the mentioned Felice Marchese. Mr. Marchese owned the car for several decades, actually until his death. Later the car was the property of Gabriella Marchese and/or the son.

In recent years the car underwent a thorough body-off restoration in Italy. With the preservation of the original details the car was restored with great care and can now be considered to be one of the very few remaining 33DF’s in the world, ready for about any historic automobile event in the world, including the Mille Miglia where it will be a serious contender, feeling perfectly at home on the straights and on the twisty mountain roads! Asking price €190,000

Any time a manufacturer gets one of its cars exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, you know it's going to reflect favorably on the brand. Add into that the rarity factor we have going on here, and you have a car worth more than some of the priciest Abarths out there. This very Cisitalia was sold last year at Retromobile for €148,920 and was curiously advertised then as a 1954 model. It appears from my research that in fact it is a 1954 model according to the serial number and that the seller has misadvertised the vehicle. In less than one year, could such an obscure classic appreciate more than €50,000? In this market, probably not.

-Paul

Uncategorized

1973 DeTomaso Pantera L

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One of the most famous Italian-American vehicle collaborations, the DeTomaso Pantera succeeded the Mangusta and would go on to be a much more successful sports car, with over 7,000 produced. These cars would be sold through Lincoln Mercury dealers in the US, and it gave Ford something exotic to draw people into the showrooms. Powered by a Ford 351 Cleveland V8 and a ZF gearbox, these cars had a lot more pulling power from the low end as compared to their Italian competitors. Pantera imports to the US stopped in 1975, but the car soldiered on all the way until 1991. This 1973 example for sale in Arizona has aged well, aided by the relatively neutral dark silver hue.

1973 DeTomaso Pantera L

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1973 DeTomaso Pantera L

Body: The car was originally silver and was media blasted to bare metal and professionally painted by Finishing Touch Refinish in Fountain Hills Arizona in 2007. Aston Martin Tungsten Silver is now the cars color. Wheels are painted with a matte finish Mercedes Benz 744 Silver. Rocker panels and the exposed plastic portion of the door handles, generally black from the factory, are color matched to the car. This is a 1973 DeTomaso Pantera L which came from the factory with the large front rubber bumper and large projecting rear metal bumper. The rear bumper has been deleted from the car to give the body a nicer line and allow for the use of an original ANSA GTS header and muffler system. The rear bumper and mounts will be included in the sale. The Ford style rectangular drivers’ side mirror has been replaced by one from a Dino Ferrari which gives a nice line to the car. A Ford NOS drivers’ side mirror will be included with the sale. “Ghia”, “DeTomaso” and “Pantera” emblems were not installed on the car. Fresh DeTomaso / Pantera and original Ghia emblems come with the car. The car is badged with the front bumper DeTomaso “Family Crest” emblem and the “Powered By Ford” rear deck emblem. Clear bra added to rocker panels and rear haunches where tires could throw debris.

Engine: Numbers Matching 351CJ
Engine Rebuilt by Don Woodard, Phoenix, AZ October 2001.
Completely balanced, TRW pistons #L2379, SS valves, Crowler Cam #15242, Crowler roller rockers #73615, Gear Drive, Holley 700 cfm #0-4778C, Ford Drua-Spark Ignition with Ford Motorsport Ignition Module (made by MSD for Ford Motorsport), Pantera specific McLoud clutch, Jet Hot Coated ANSA GTS headers and mufflers, Carbon Fiber Air Cleaner Assembly. Ford high torque starter.

Transaxle: Numbers matching ZF 5 speed in excellent working order. New Spicer half-shafts and u-joints. Transaxle was inspected by Roy Butfoy in the late 1970’s.

Suspension: Powder coated A-arms, new bushings (non-polyurethane), freshly rebuilt Koni shocks with spring spacers removed. Fresh ball joints, front and rear wheel bearings. Chrome on springs and torsion bars.

Brakes: Stock Girling front brakes.
Upgraded 3 piston rear Girling Brakes (as used on Ferrari Lamborghini & Jaguar) and Brembo Emergency brakes. New master cylinder. Vented brake rotors. Fresh Front brake pressure reducer – not installed secondary to wheel and tire combination.

Wheels / Tires: Freshly painted (matte finish Mercedes Benz 744 Silver) Campagnolo Pantera Magnesium Alloy wheels.
Rear: 10 x 15 GTS wheels mounted to AVON CR6-zz 295/50R/15 (DOT approved tire)
Front: 7 x 15 front wheels mounted to TOYO Proxes RA1 225/50ZR/15 (DOT approved tire)
(also have the original 8 inch rear wheels)

Cooling: Fluidyne aluminum radiator and upgraded cooling fans, Ford GT expansion tank upgrade (modern cooling system), all new rubber hoses.

Electrical: Ford 100 amp 3G alternator, 12 volt relay switching to reduce current to electric windows, horn and headlight switches. Tachometer reworked by North Hollywood Speedometer to be compliant with ignition module.
Ammeter, included with sale, was removed and replaced by a period Veglia clock. (There is a potential fire danger when using a high amperage alternator with the Veglia Borletti ammeter.) Windshield wiper conversion to a single arm unit which parks on the passenger’s side. New Hella (H4) headlights and two color rear lights (orange blinker section).

Heater / AC: Blower box installed and wired, but AC and Heater hoses are not routed to the box. New AC condenser. Heater hoses and AC compressor and hoses are not installed on car but are included with the sale.

Interior: Fresh molded seat foams. Seating surfaces are from Wilkinson Pantera from the 1970’s and are in good shape with no tears. Radio delete plate with “DeTomaso” script. New floor and rear bulkhead carpets. New head liner (very rare snake bite pattern) purchased years ago and just installed fall 2011. Fresh, speaker delete, door panels. No tears in arm rests. Sun visors are tight - they will not drift down when driving the car. Fresh leather on a Vintage MOMO Steering wheel with a flush mounted MOMO center cap. Have a perfect stock steering wheel that will be included with the car. Window glass and stainless accents are in good to excellent shape. All stainless trim was polished when it was off the car.

Front Compartment: Old felt removed during restoration and final body color added to front compartment. Fluydine radiator, Optima Battery, highly detailed power brake booster, brake and clutch cylinders. Fresh weather-strip. All factory badges attached. Small area of paint blistering under windshield wash reservoir secondary to spillage of brake fluid.

Rear Compartment: Old factory coating removed during restoration and final body color added to rear compartment. All factory badges attached. Fiberglass cargo carrier has new felt and new locking Dzus style fasteners. Original spare tire. Original tool bag with original jack, jack handle and ratchet. Have replaced the wrenches with vintage HAZET’s. Wiring is routed through the body frame. Very few exposed wires in the engine compartment. Fresh rear deck shocks. Fresh weather-strip.

Undercarriage: Clean. Undercoating was not removed during restoration. Powder coated water tubes. New brake and clutch tubing. Rebuilt steering rack.

I purchased this car in 1976, sold it to my brother while I attended college and repurchased the car. Prior to being licensed in Arizona (2011), the car was licensed in Washington State. The last renewal date on the Washing tabs was in 1978. Prior to Arizona licensing and road testing in 2011, the car was inspected by Les Gray (current president of Pantera Owners Club of America). The car was appraised in November 2011 for 92,500 dollars by Penn Black of “Auto Appraisal Network”. The appraiser has a YouTube video of the car taken in Nov. 2011 under the title “PennBlack Pantera”.

The great thing about the Pantera is that you can get a lot of exotic Italian style with American reliability for not a lot of cash as compared to the usual Ferraris or Lamborghinis. At a shade under $45,000 to about $70,000 is the order of the day when it comes to Panteras of this vintage and I'd suspect this example would probably reach to the upper end of that range.

-Paul

Fiat

1959 Fiat Abarth 750 Zagato

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While they are small, the Abarth 750 Zagato "Double Bubble" coupe is rather mighty. These cars collected numerous victories on the track, everywhere from the famed Mille Miglia to the 12 Hours of Sebring. While its 750cc inline four cylinder engine with 48 horsepower might not seem like much, its lightweight and diminutive size more than made up for it. This 750 Zagato for sale in Connecticut has a race history behind it and wouldn't be a car you'd be afraid to use regularly in vintage racing.

1959 Fiat Abarth 750 Zagato

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1959 Fiat Abarth 750 Zagato Double Bubble Coupe. Runs and drives well. Has an extensive VSCCA race history. She has a Race Car paint job. Looks good from a distance, but nothing flash up close. Ideal for the track. I love these door handles.
Push the button, pull the handle. VSCCA Safety Inspection (scrutineering) Stickers. One for every race. A couple of things to note:

1. The seats are period, but not original. They come up on eBay occasionally.
2. The engine is correct, but not matching number. Not uncommon for a race car.

The paint is ideal for an old race car. The floors are original and in very good condition. Optional auxiliary radiator.

As we mentioned with the last Abarth 750 featured, good examples will run you around $80,000 to $100,000. Since this one is a bit rough, but nonetheless complete, I'd suspect somewhere between $65,000 to $75,000 might be a good estimate for its worth. As it sits, the patina on this car is great and a departure from the over restored examples you tend to see at auction. Let's hope the new owner keeps on racing it as originally intended.

-Paul

Maserati, Modern Classic

2005 Maserati Quattroporte

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The land of the affordable Maserati Quattroporte is getting bigger by the minute, and from the looks of this example for sale in Missouri, you might just be able to snag one from under $30,000 in good nick. The question still remains, though, will buying a high performance Italian super saloon be a pleasure, or break you?

2005 Maserati Quattroporte

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2005 Maserati Quattroporte 4dr sedan loaded with 4.2L V8 DOHC 32V engine, F1 shiftable automatic transmission, leather seats, power front seats, driver seat memory, massaging front seats, cooled front seats, heated (4) seats, front and rear Parktronic assist, wood steering wheel, wood interior trim, leather steering wheel trim, paddle shifters, cruise control, steering wheel audio controls, AM/FM/CD Audio, Bose sound system, navigation system, multi-zone climate control, power rear sunshade, power windows, power door locks, power exterior mirrors, power glass moonroof, 19" alloy wheels and four brand new tires. The car has 43,000 highway miles.

The big question with this car is whether the clutch has been replaced recently. If it has been, this Quattroporte could be a potential bargain. If it hasn't, then figure you've got a repair that might take you a shade over $30,000 in terms of vehicle cost. With these Italian super sedans now trading hands under the $30,000 mark, it is so tempting not to pull the trigger and enjoy a taste of the good life.

-Paul

Ferrari

1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spyder

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We always want what we can't have. With only 122 produced, few people will ever have the pleasure of driving a Ferrari Daytona Spyder, much less own one. Of course, this prompted kit car manufacturers to create look alikes in droves and even encouraged some coach builders to chop the roof off hardtop Daytonas. This numbers matching 1971 Daytona for sale in Arizona is said to have been converted by known coachbuilder Richard Straman and was recently restored.

1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spyder

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1971 Ferrari Daytona 365 GTB/4 Straman Spyder Convertible. Black Exterior with Tan Leather Interior. Hours were spent to make the car laser straight and all gaps to fit correctly. V-12 numbers matching engine that was freshly rebuilt and the MSD Ignition Boxes were added for reliability. Has large Borrani Wires that were completely redone with new Michelin XWX tires. This Ferrari was completely disassembled, cleaned, and restored. Looking under the hood and chassi of the car it simply looks new. It has the Euopean front marker lights and Amber/Red tail lights. Car was believed to have been converted by Richard Straman's Shop in 1979 to a Spyder in Costa Mesa California. This car was built in March 1971 and was delivered through Luigi Chinetti Motors of Greenwich, Connecticut USA. Spent some time in Southern California and was later for sale by Prancing Horse Collector Bob Bodin in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the early 1990's with 28,000 miles. Just completed a four year restoration in Scotsdale, Arizona. This car will be sold at Bonhams Auction Scotsdale Arizona on January 17th, 2013. Lot number is 392.

A real Daytona Spyder will set you back around $800,000 at the least, with most examples falling between $1.1 and $1.2 million. Even though this is a conversion Spyder by a well known coachbuilder, we're looking at a lesser value closer to the hardtop Daytona. It is curious this car is being advertised online as it will be offered at Bonhams at a few days, but perhaps the seller is testing the waters. Sadly, at over $1 million for a conversion Spyder, I would have to say with almost 100% certainty that it won't sell at this price.

-Paul