1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Cabriolet Sets New Record at RM's Sporting Classics of Monaco

RM Auctions just wrapped up its very first Sporting Classics of Monaco to the tune of €33,235,917 (~$45,101,139). Out of the 105 vehicles up for new homes, 88 of them (86%) swapped owners; of those 88, five scored €2,000,000+ sales and two of those set new world records.

Record-setter number one was a 1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Cabriolet Pininfarina SWB. With a sale price of €2,800,000 (~$3,799,600), it has become the priciest Superamerica ever.

Record-setter number two was a 1960 Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage, coming in at €2,464,000 (~$3,343,648), an all-time high for a Birdcage.

The remaining three €2,000,000 busters were: 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta (€2,632,000 / ~$3,571,624); 1957 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Tour de France (€2,352,000 / ~$3,191,664); 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder (€2,072,000 / ~$2,811,704).

The Sporting Classics of Monaco auction, according to RM, was a huge success. With registered bidders from 33 countries and a swarm of first timers (28% of registrations), the sale was watched by more than 3,000 people online.

Max Girardo, Managing Director for RM Europe, says, "Our Monaco sales results underscore RM's undisputed leadership position in the investment-grade segment of the collector car market...[We have] set a new standard for collector car auctions not only for the high quality of cars, but also for its impeccable presentation and client experience."

Scroll down for some drool-worthy (video) pics.

By Phil Alex

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Bound for Gotham City: Bugatti and Delahaye Hybrid Bugnotti Type 57S Roadster

Terry Cook (owner of Deco Rides in New Jersey, a company that creates Generation II Boattail Speedster bodies) wanted something special, something along the lines of a Bugatti and Delahaye. The catch, other than price, was that he wasn't willing to cut up an original.

"Starting with one of his composite bodies,...he radically modified the design incorporating styling ideas from a number of different cars, [while] the body itself was designed eight years ago for Cook by top hot rod builder/designer Chip Foose."

The enclosed pontoon fenders are drawn from '30s Delahayes, while the grille is a chopped copy of an original Type 57's grille. On top of the radiator resides a copy of a Hispano Suiza stork, and the vents on the rocker panels were stamped in steel and then bonded into place.

Power and drive train duties for the Bugnotti Type 57S Roadster come from GM's LS1 V8 hooked up to a 4L60E automatic tranny, while underneath the voluptuous curves of the boattail is a Fat Man Fabrications frame.

As for why the car is asymmetrical in profile (stainless trim on one side, pumpkin seed-shaped fender detailing on the other): "Cook loved both of the designs and figured you could only see one side of the car at a time."

Damn, is this thing pretty or what?

By Phil Alex

Via: Seriouswheels & Delahaye USA

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Bound for Gotham City: Bugatti and Delahaye Hybrid Bugnotti Type 57S Roadster

Terry Cook (owner of Deco Rides in New Jersey, a company that creates Generation II Boattail Speedster bodies) wanted something special, something along the lines of a Bugatti and Delahaye. The catch, other than price, was that he wasn't willing to cut up an original.

"Starting with one of his composite bodies,...he radically modified the design incorporating styling ideas from a number of different cars, [while] the body itself was designed eight years ago for Cook by top hot rod builder/designer Chip Foose."

The enclosed pontoon fenders are drawn from '30s Delahayes, while the grille is a chopped copy of an original Type 57's grille. On top of the radiator resides a copy of a Hispano Suiza stork, and the vents on the rocker panels were stamped in steel and then bonded into place.

Power and drive train duties for the Bugnotti Type 57S Roadster come from GM's LS1 V8 hooked up to a 4L60E automatic tranny, while underneath the voluptuous curves of the boattail is a Fat Man Fabrications frame.

As for why the car is asymmetrical in profile (stainless trim on one side, pumpkin seed-shaped fender detailing on the other): "Cook loved both of the designs and figured you could only see one side of the car at a time."

Damn, is this thing pretty or what?

By Phil Alex

Via: Seriouswheels & Delahaye USA

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VIDEO: BMW 328 Kamm Coupe and Winning Maserati from the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2010

At this year's edition of the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, BMW showed off a 328 Kamm Coupé replica that was built in-house by BMW Classic. The original model, named after the German aerodynamics pioneer Wunibald Kamm, disappeared without trace back in 1953.

If you follow the jump, you can check out two videos of the BMW racing car replica as well as general views from the event and shots from the Maserati A6GCS Spider Fura that won the "Best of Show" award.

The prestigious annual show was organized under the patronage of the BMW Group and was held on April 23-25.

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Rolls Royce Silver Shadow II Krug Champagne Van Returns Home

When you're in the business of selling premium champagnes to the rich and famous, you can't go promoting your goods in a Bedford van. With this in mind, Krug Champagne, one of the one of the crown jewels in the LVMH (Moët Hennessy - Louis Vuitton) wine division, ordered this bizarre Rolls Royce "bread van" for commercial purposes back in 1984.

The car was eventually sold by the company but has now returned to the House of Krug in Reims, the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, as a museum piece.

The Rolls Royce is a 1979 Silver Shadow II Sedan converted into a three-door commercial van with front seats for driver and one passenger and an open rear compartment fitted with two refrigerators. The vehicle bears the Krug crest and logos while it also gets a special cork key ring.

Via: Autoblog.it & Autoblog.nl

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Peugeot 406 Coupé Club Celebrates Three Anniversaries with Special Meeting

This year marks the Peugeot brand's 200th birthday, the 80th birthday of Pininfarina and the fifth anniversary of the UK based Peugeot 406 Coupé Club. In celebration of these three anniversaries, the 406 Coupé Club announced today that it will be holding a special meeting on Sunday, 23rd May, in the grounds of the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu.

David Bater of the 406 Coupé Club said: "This special birthday meet at Beaulieu is shaping up to be the biggest ever, even beating the French 406 Coupé club's record. We already have over 70 cars signed up, coming from France and Holland as well as theUK, and are hoping the final total may reach 100."

The 406 Coupé was the result of the collaboration between Peugeot and Pininfarina and was built from 1997 to 2003. It was based on the 406 saloon sharing the same engine range, platform and most parts of the interior, but with a unique exterior design penned by Pininfarina. It was replaced by the 407 Coupe.

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Found on eBay: 1981 Pontiac Firebird Formula Drop-top

Pontiac never made a 1981 Firebird Formula convertible (or any kind of '81 Firebird Convertible, for that matter), but that didn't stop a lot of people from going out and chopping the tops off of these post-oil-crisis Ponchos anyway.

Usually when cars that were never meant to be convertibles get their brains blown out, it turns into quite an unattractive mess.

While this version - originally done by Coach Works and featuring a manual top and boot - doesn't look too shabby with the top down, I'd have to see it with the top up to get a better idea of what we're dealing with.

With conversions like this, looks aren't the only issue. Rigidity has always been a problem when it comes to lopping off a significant chunk of hard metal; good thing that's been thought of, to an extent: "The sub frame has been beefed by tying the front to the rear. It also has door jamb alignment wedges so the car feels solid going down the road."

At a current bid of just over $8,500 and no reserve, anyone think it's worth it?

By Phil Alex

Link: eBay , Via: Cardomain

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