Leake Auction, Dallas, Texas, April 21-23, 2017

As with many auctions these days, Leake had a powerful contingent of late model cars.

99 of the 430 lots on offer were model year 2001 or later, 23% of the entire offering.

The late model vehicles were led, again in common with many recent auctions, by the sale’s top lot, 2014 LaFerrari s/n …205216, making up all by itself 36.4% of the lucre changing hands in Dallas.

Four of the top ten transactions were 2001 or later, their 40% forming a disproportionate share of the top transactions.

The interest in, and prices brought by, later cars feels like a trend, especially at the pointy end of the market where Ferrari, Porsche and McLaren hypercars attract both attention and generous bidding. An earlier auction’s performance might test the theory, something like Leake’s 2013 sale in Tulsa. There were 60% more cars but the total amount changing hands was comparable.

Back then, just four years ago, only 51 lots were 2001 or later. Adding four years to the cutoff, to 1997, so there is a comparable span of years, added only 17 lots and brought the total to 68, 9.9% of the sale’s consignments.

More telling, the top selling late model car brought just $66,000 (it was a 2006 Bentley Continental) and it was only the 29th highest transaction, not even close to the top ten.

As to why this shift is taking place, I think there are several reasons:

  • There is a compellingly fascinating group of high performance, limited production cars issuing forth from legendary marques as well as specialists like Pagani and Koenigsegg;
  • They get massive publicity when they’re announced, then another blast when they’re introduced, in other words, they go on dorm room walls and bucket lists;
  • The two decades from the mid-Seventies to the mid-Nineties were filled with crappy cars with somnambulant performance;
  • “Nothing to get excited about here, move along,” the car pundits said of that period, and still say, bottling up any semblance of enthusiasm for exciting cars for release later when regulation finally succumbed to technology.

Now that latent demand is being supplied by new[er] cars with all the earmarks of collectability: style, design, technology, performance, rarity.

People who aren’t on the Ferrari/Porsche/McLaren/Lamborghini/Pagani/Koenigsegg preferred client lists and couldn’t buy them from the factory, can access this largely closed and exclusive community in the secondary market. They have the resources and they are taking advantage of the opportunities.

That virtually guarantees that the trend will continue, although it remains to be seen if the second purchasers of limited availability hypercars will realize gains with second or third sales in the aftermarket.

In conclusion, yes, this is definitely a trend.

Here are the cars from the Leake Dallas spring auction, not including the LaFerrari, but what does anyone need to know about it? Like new, under 600 miles, Rosso Corsa over Black leather, in impeccable condition and $3.74 million dollars.

Onsite observations are by Andrew Newton; final content and comments are Rick Carey’s sole responsibility.

Lot # 143 1987 Nissan 300ZX Hatchback; S/N JN1HZ14S7HX217481; Red/Black vinyl; Unrestored original, 2- condition; Hammered Sold at $7,800 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $8,580. With Reserve. – 2,960/160hp, 5-speed, alloy wheels, all season tires, glass T-tops, rear spoiler, power windows, cassette stereo, air conditioning. – Small dent in the front of the hood. Original paint. A few chips in the nose. Fading on the mirrors. Some rub through on the tail. Otherwise quite well kept. Very clean wheels. Excellent original interior with barely any wear. It has been used, but this car has been babied from new and looks about half its actual age. Represented with new timing belt and water pump, complete records and 81,000 miles. – A straightforward, appropriate result for a non-turbo example in this condition with little or no originality premium. It’s a prescient buy, with nowhere to go in value but up.

Lot # 149 1961 Austin-Healey Sprite Mk I Bugeye Roadster; S/N 43482; Yellow/Red piped in White; Black top; Enthusiast restoration, 3- condition; Hammered Sold at $9,300 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $10,230. With Reserve. – 1098 engine with Weber carburetor, smooth case gearbox, aluminum radiator, hub caps, single wing mirror, side curtains. – Delaminating windshield with dry and cracking gaskets. Some Bondo work at the rear. The paint is a terrible, rushed job with uneven finish and orange peel. A badge is missing from the tail. Very good upholstery and newer top and top frame. A little curb rash on the right rear wheel. Small dent in the right rear bumperette. Surprisingly clean engine bay. What looks like a solid and sorted driver that is really let down by its terrible paint and odd color combination. – This has the potential to be a $15,000 car if it had a fresh, professional paint job, which really wouldn’t cost that much on a car this tiny. As it is, however, the seller should be grateful with this result.

Lot # 150 1961 Studebaker Champ Pickup; S/N E714384; White/Tan, Gray vinyl; Truck restoration, 3 condition; Hammered Sold at $15,750 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $17,325. With Reserve. – 289/210hp V8, 3-speed, hub caps and trim rings, Firestone whitewalls, dual mirrors, air conditioning, column shift, factory radio. – Used partially restored engine bay and lightly worn restored underbody. Touch up on the left front fender. Quick old repaint with masking issues and cracks around the windshield. Uneven gaps. A little paint coming off the wheels. Several chips on the tail, with some of them touched up. Sound mostly original interior other than older replacement upholstery. An old truck quality restoration in driver condition. – Rare, though, and V8 powered. This Champ has character and will make a statement even in this mediocre condition at any gathering of trucks. With a little more attention it will be a standout and is an astute acquisition at this price for someone who appreciates its character.

Lot # 159 1963 Triumph Spitfire Mk I Roadster; S/N FC21461L; Red/Black vinyl piped in White; Enthusiast restoration, 3 condition; Hammered Sold at $6,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $6,600. With Reserve. – Trim rings, store brand tires, wood shift knob, aftermarket exhaust, dual mirrors. – Rushed, cheap respray with orange peel and fairly uneven finish. Good newer seats and carpets but the rest of the interior is original. Discoloration on the left rear bumperette. Sound and maintained with some restoration work underneath. An early Spitfire is inherently attractive and eye-catching, but this is a driver and not a particularly good one. The paint is advertised as new, but it didn’t do this car any favors. – A driver quality car bought for modest driver quality money. The new owner doesn’t have much left over for another go at paint, which this car really needs.

Lot # 164 1969 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow LWB 4-Dr. Sedan; S/N LRX7147; Silver, Black vinyl roof/Black leather; Unrestored original, 3- condition; Hammered Sold at $11,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $12,100. With Reserve. – Wheel covers, narrow white walls, tinted glass, power division window, dual-zone air conditioning, wood dash and window trim, Kenwood cassette stereo up front, Motorola stereo in back, self-leveling suspension. – Maintained but dirty engine bay. Electrical tape around the intake hose. Lots of cracks below the windshield and vents behind the hood. Rocker trim is loose. Cracks and a few blisters on the nose. Long scratch on the front bumper. The rest of the paint finish is a bit dull. Very good, probably newer roof vinyl. Lightly but visibly worn original seats. Wood is good and sound. LWB model used as a limousine. Once an impressive, stylish automobile, this car is dated and tired today. It also has no represented service history, so it’s likely overdue for some serious shop bills. – The fate of elegant Rolls-Royce Shadows like this so often is to sit outside a pretentious restaurant as a talisman of undeserved refinement and quality. At this price it is for that purpose a reasonable business expense. As an automobile it needs so much that it has few positive prospects, but this is what it’s worth.

Lot # 165 1965 Ford Thunderbird Convertible; S/N 5Y85Z141532; Light Blue/Blue vinyl; White vinyl top; Unrestored original, 3- condition; Hammered Sold at $10,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $11,000. No Reserve. – 390/300hp, automatic, wheel covers, narrow whitewalls, fender skirts, console, column shift, power windows, dash clock, pushbutton radio, power top, factory air conditioning, power brakes, power steering. – Sound older, possibly original paint with a few chips on the nose and bubbles on the trunk lid. Scratches along the bottom of the driver’s door. Dirty replacement top. Oxidized original frame. Rusty screws on the windshield wipers. Mostly good original interior but all the metal parts are heavily pitted. Erratic fit on the trunk lid. Not exactly a terrible car, but it’s really tired and is a solid foundation upon which to do a straightforward restoration. – And at this price, the new owner has $30,000 or so left over to embark on such a project. It will require careful planning, budgeting and negotiating as well as weeks of zero cost owner labor, but success is not out of the question and the result will be rewarding.

Lot # 166 1996 Dodge Viper RT/10 Roadster; S/N 1B3BR65E6TV100389; White, Blue stripes/Black leather; Unrestored original, 2- condition; Hammered Sold at $25,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $27,500. With Reserve. – 488/415hp, 6-speed, Michelin Pilot Sport tires, hardtop, Kenwood CD stereo. – Very good original paint other than a long crack at the back of the hardtop. Very good, very lightly worn interior. A solid, very attractive example of the later and slightly more civilized RT/10. Showing 37,397 believable miles which the owner represents as original. – This is a low-mileage, 10-cylinder car with over 400hp that will get you looks and thumbs up everywhere you go bought for about the price of a new Camry with a few options. Used RT/10s have long offered a ton of performance per dollar, but this was an even better deal than normal. Vipers will someday reach the nadir of their value curve and this result suggests that day is close.

Lot # 429 1979 Toyota BJ40 Land Cruiser Hardtop 4×4; S/N BJ40026164; Blue, White roof/Dark Blue vinyl; Enthusiast restoration, 3 condition; Hammered Sold at $13,700 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $15,070. With Reserve. – 3.0-liter Mercedes diesel engine, roof rack, rear-mounted spare, Kenwood KDC-BT318U AM/FM/CD stereo with extreme sound system, Hella fog lights, tow hitch. – Good interior. Small dents in the hood. Cheap, uneven respray. Quickly undercoated chassis. Some light scratches in the glass. Chromed grille surround is incorrect. A mostly sound driver with a bad paint job. With the Mercedes engine and the metric instruments, it’s probably one of the Brazilian-built Land Cruisers. – Central and South America seems to have an endless supply of Land Cruisers, and a cottage industry freshening them to serve up to the nearly insatiable apparent appetite for them in the US. More seems to have been spent on the panel-rattling sound system than on the Land Cruiser itself. This is by any measure an inexpensive BJ40, which it deserves to be.

Lot # 432 1971 International Scout 800B Utility; S/N 882827G433351; Light Green, White roof/Black vinyl; Truck restoration, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $18,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $20,350. With Reserve. – 304/140hp V8, 4-speed, 4WD, wheel covers, bucket seats, pushbutton radio, replacement engine. – Represented as 48,791 miles from new. Slightly wavy bodywork. Beat up wheel covers. Very well kept underneath with undercoating. Good older paint with some orange peel on the roof and a few small cracks on the right rear. Cracked backup light lens. Dull but sound original upholstery and dashboard. The rest of the bare interior was painted at some point. Clean, partially restored engine bay. Never taken fully apart, but it’s gotten restoration when necessary. – Presented in substantially the same erratic condition as the BJ40 Land Cruiser that would also cross the block here, this Scout brought more money, reversing the pattern of recent Land Cruiser/Scout/Bronco values, a recognition of the enjoyment of the 304 V8 under the hood, perhaps. The Scout was a serious work truck with few compromises for comfort and dedicated to helping farmers, ranchers, roustabouts and wildcatters reach their remote projects. Few have survived generations of hard use and this is a realistic result for a sound if well-used one.

Lot # 1135 1996 BMW M3 Coupe; S/N WBSBG9326TEY72981; Black/Black leather; Unrestored original, 2- condition; Hammered Sold at $7,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $7,700. With Reserve. – 3,152/240hp, 5-speed, power sunroof, tinted glass, power windows, air conditioning, factory radio, wood shift knob. – Well cared for original paint with only a few tiny chips on the hood. Lightly wrinkled seats but mostly very good interior. Light road wear but tidy underneath. Unspecified mileage or service history, but this car at least looks like it has been cared for better than many second-gen M3s on the road. – Sold at Leake OKC back in February for $8,910, after not selling earlier in the sale at a $10k high bid. Under five figures is about the going rate for rougher examples with expensive needs. With unspecified mileage and a lack of documentation, we can probably guess why the seller let this car go for so cheap. Collector car auctions (“as is, where is”) are a hazardous place to buy late model cars without a clean CarFax, and this one didn’t have any CarFax at all. It’s “caveat emptor”.

Lot # 2407 1976 Oldsmobile Toronado Brougham Coupe; S/N 3Z57S6M723661; Light Blue, White vinyl roof/White; Unrestored original, 3- condition; Hammered Sold at $3,600 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $3,960. No Reserve. – 455/215hp, automatic, wheel covers, narrow whitewalls, column shift, cassette stereo, power windows, air conditioning, power seats. – Original paint with some blisters on the left side of the hood and above the trunk lid. Lightly pitted bumpers. Dry and cracked weather stripping. Discoloration on the seats. Water stains on the white headliner. Leaking oil. Pretty good for a 40-year-old used car, but it’s still a 40-year-old used car, and it’s not exactly worth enough to justify much of a restoration. – It’s hard to say what the new owner should do with this car, although the most sensible thing would probably be new paint, interior, light mechanical work and some new seals, all of which will cost more than what was paid here. It sold at Mecum’s April KC auction in 2013 for $6,500 and the seller got out from under it. Whatever the new owner decides to do, at least there isn’t a lot of money tied up in the ownership experience.

Lot # 2422 1973 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe; S/N 1Z37Z3S419721; Light Yellow/Brown vinyl; Visually maintained, largely original, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $15,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $17,050. With Reserve. – 454/275hp, automatic, Rally wheels, Radial T/A tires, power windows, pushbutton radio, air conditioning, Edelbrock carb, power steering, power brakes, aftermarket under dash radio. – Orange peel and masking errors on the T-tops. Gloppy finish on the filler cap. Otherwise quite good paint and chrome. Very good newer seats, steering wheel and carpet. The rest of the interior is original and the switchgear is fairly dull. Looks restored underneath. Smog equipment still in place. Not perfect, but good enough to drive and enjoy. – Sold at RM Fort Lauderdale in 2012 for $25,300, then sold at Mecum Houston a month later for $32,330. This year, it hammered not sold on a reported $30,000 high bid at Mecum Houston two weeks ago before coming up to Dallas and selling. The result here is a cheap but not insulting price for an automatic transmission ’73 big-block coupe. If there was money anywhere close to the high bid reported earlier in April, why it wasn’t gladly taken is a mystery.

Lot # 2425 1936 Ford Model 48 Deluxe Cabriolet; S/N 182906565; Beige/Brown leather; Older restoration, 2- condition; Hammered Sold at $25,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $27,500. With Reserve. – 221/85hp flathead, 3-speed, 2-speed Columbia rear axle, hub caps and trim rings, Firestone blackwalls, amber driving lights, dual mirrors, beige cloth boot cover, rumble seat, enclosed rear-mounted spare wheel, luggage trunk, banjo steering wheel, floor shift, dash clock, wood dash and door trim. – Very good paint other than orange peel right ahead of the rumble seat. Dull finish and chips off of the spare wheel cover. Very good interior other than very lightly wrinkled seats. A quality older restoration that looks like it has been enjoyed a bit, which is understandable because this looks like an enjoyable car. – I can’t be particularly objective about a Ford like this: My dad had one like it when my mom spotted him driving by in the years before WWII. This one, though, is lavishly equipped and despite its age is in very good condition. Some might not like the “boat prow” radiator grille, but the style of the Ford and the sound of its flathead V8 is enchanting. It is at least as much car as the moderate price it brought and the new owner should be rewarded with a fun car and an advantageous purchase.

Lot # 2437 1971 Chevrolet C10 Fleetside Pickup; S/N CE141Z653665; Green, White/Black vinyl; Truck restoration, 2 condition; Hammered Sold at $18,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $19,800. With Reserve. – 350/250hp, automatic, Rally wheels with trim rings, Radial T/A tires, Edelbrock intake, dual mirrors, wood bed, radio, column shift, aftermarket steering wheel, factory air conditioning. – Very good, fresh paint. Wood in the bed is brand new. Body side trim isn’t quite flush. Shiny fresh underbody. Very good restored interior other than original gauges. Restored but not overly detailed engine bay. Full restoration finished only back in January, so it’s still fresh, if only to pickup standards. – Almost 20 grand for an old C10 might seem a little crazy, but they’ve recently become desirable and valuable enough that people are starting to put serious money into restoring them. This is just about a brand new truck, and it brought an appropriate price.

Lot # 2454 1960 Chevrolet Impala 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N 01837B235099; White/White, Black vinyl with houndstooth cloth inserts; Recent restoration, 2- condition; Hammered Sold at $36,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $39,600. With Reserve. – 283/170hp, Powerglide, spinner wheel covers, whitewalls, dual mirrors, fender skirts, column shift, pushbutton radio, dash clock, heater, power steering. – Cracking in the badge on the nose. Uneven door gaps. Fantastic-looking paint, chrome and interior other than slightly foggy original gauges. Represented with less than 100 miles on a full restoration. Not represented as matching numbers (not that it matters with this boring engine/transmission combination.) Fresh underneath with older exhaust. Not restored to world class standards, but upon first glance it looks just about perfect and anybody would be happy to be seen in it. – Sold for $35,200 at Mecum Harrisburg last year and bid to $35,000 at Auburn Fall, these are two very strong prices that speak to the impressive quality of this restoration. The car itself, on the other hand, is without distinction in any significant way, one of 204,467 Sport Coupes built by Chevrolet in 1960 and with the standard 2-barrel smallblock. This is a generous price to pay for even such a well and fully restored Impala like this.

Lot # 2497 1938 Cadillac Series 60 Convertible Coupe; S/N 8271982; Yellow/Brown leather; Tan cloth top; Older restoration, 2- condition; Hammered Sold at $55,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $60,500. With Reserve. – Wheel covers, Firestone wide whitewalls, radiator mascot, amber driving lights, dual spotlights, rumble seat, column shift, dash clock, wood dash and door trim. – Paint rub through on the right front fender, a huge scratch above the right rear wheel well, a chip near the right taillight, and cracking around the radiator mascot. The paint finish is sound otherwise. Very good interior other than a few small cracks in the door trim. Very tidy underneath. An eye-catching, solid car done well, but it has too many flaws to be a show car. – Offered by Worldwide at Auburn in 2009 with a reported high bid of $52,00, it’s added 1,267 miles to the odometer since then but is in essentially the same very good condition, testimony to both the quality if its restoration and the care it has received over the past eight years. It may not be everyone’s definition of what a “Classic” car is with its bubble fenders, but is defined as a Classic by CCCA and that makes it eligible for all kinds of marvelous events and introductions to new, enthusiastic, friends. On that basis alone it is a reasonable acquisition at this price.

Lot # 2500 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 2-Door Hardtop; S/N 124379N590547; Hugger Orange, White stripes/Black vinyl; Recent restoration, 2 condition; Hammered Sold at $72,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $79,200. No Reserve. – 302/290hp, cross-ram dual quad intake, 4-speed, Rally wheels, Goodyear Wide Tread GT tires, M22 4-speed, hood pins, Hurst shifter, radio delete, heater delete, fiberglass cowl induction hood. – David and Laura Williams collection. Represented as an original cross-ram. Excellent paint and chrome. Interior looks new aside from a tiny crack in the console. Spotless underneath. A five-year restoration done to really high standards and with desirable equipment deletes. A great car. – Sold at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale in 2014 for $143,000. There are more bidders with fatter bank accounts at Barrett-Jackson and that was a different time and an inflated number, but at half that price just three years later? What a deal!

Lot # 2501 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible; S/N 194677S102306; Rally Red, White stinger/Red vinyl; White vinyl top; Older restoration, 2- condition; Hammered Sold at $94,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $103,400. No Reserve. – 427/390hp, 4-speed, power steering, power brakes, alloy wheels, Coker Classic red line tires, side exhaust, factory air conditioning, power windows, AM/FM radio. – David & Laura Williams consignment. Represented as matching numbers and NCRS Top Flight. Very good paint, chrome and interior. Two touch ups near the hood and another on the driver’s door are the only real flaws, and they’re easy to miss. The top is a little dirty but it isn’t bad. Exhaust shrouds are clean and shiny. A mostly excellent example of a loaded ’67 Roadster. – Nicely equipped and NCRS Top Flight judged, this is a car the new owner can have confidence in, confidence that is evident in the good but not excessive price it brought.

Lot # 2502 1968 Shelby Mustang GT350 Convertible; S/N 8T03J183082; Candy Apple Red/Black vinyl; White vinyl top; Visually maintained, largely original, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $82,500 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $90,750. No Reserve. – 302/250hp, 4-speed, 10-spoke Shelby wheels, Radial T/A tires, Paxton supercharger, power steering, power brakes, wood shift knob, Philco radio. – David and Laura Williams collection. Represented as matching numbers. Elite Marti report. Fully documented. Some microblisters, crazing and cracking in the nose and hood. Crack in the left rear. Sound mostly original interior. Worn original seat belts. Sound original top. Unrestored but really sound underneath with newer exhaust. Showing 76,791 believable miles. Receipts dating back to 1969. – Not sold at Leake Tulsa last year at a high bid of $82,500, then hammered sold here at the exact same number. Such an original and period supercharged car really deserves a lot more and probably wouldn’t have sold if it hadn’t been part of a no-reserve collection sale, but the seller’s loss is the buyer’s gain here.

Lot # 2505 1958 Imperial Crown Convertible; S/N LY16947; Black/Red leather; Black vinyl top; Older restoration, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $65,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $71,500. No Reserve. – Wire wheels, whitewalls, 392 Hemi replacement engine, factory air conditioning, power steering, power brakes, power seat, pushbutton automatic, pushbutton radio, power windows, dash clock, remote mirror. – From the Williams collection. Very good older paint and chrome. Perfect, brand new tight-fitting top. Dull and lightly pitted door handles. Very good original interior with nicely mellowed leather, although the lens for the left rear courtesy light in the back is broken. Older restored underneath. Somebody redid this car to appropriately high standards and started with a solid car, wisely leaving the original interior alone in the process. Rare convertible model. – Sold by World Classic at Danville in 1993 for $35,175 freshly restored, then by Russo and Steele at Monterey in 2011 for $86,900, and offered by Russo and Steele Scottsdale earlier this year with a reported high bid of $60,000. It is a quality car with a quality but now nearly quarter-century old restoration that is showing its age. This is a magnanimous price for it.

Lot # 2508 1960 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible; S/N 860P19666; Coronado Red/Red leather; White vinyl top; Visually maintained, largely original, 2- condition; Hammered Sold at $68,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $74,800. No Reserve. – 389/315hp, 4-speed, eight-lug wheels, hub caps and trim rings, Tri-Power, whitewalls, bucket seats, floor shift, tach, power windows, WonderBar radio, rear seat speaker, power seats, power steering, power brakes, power top. – David and Laura Williams collection. Represented as matching numbers, two owners from new with PHS documents and window sticker. Sound original chrome and brightwork. A little bit of crazing on the nose. Long scratch on the left rear. Slightly dirty older replacement top. Light road wear on a very sound unrestored underbody. Original leather has the perfect amount of patina and wear. The rest of the interior looks five years old. Not totally original, but preserved enough to be thoroughly impressive, and this is a remarkable car equipment-wise, loaded with just about every convenience and performance feature you could want in a car like this. – Sweetly original and lavishly equipped, there is absolutely n-o-t-h-I-n-g not to like about this Bonneville, not even the price. The Twenty-teens may be a sweet spot for picking up marvelous cars like this, a dip in their recognition for quality, luxury, performance and rarity.

Lot # 2510 1972 Jaguar XKE SIII V-12 Roadster; S/N UC1S20336; Red/Black vinyl; Black vinyl top; Older restoration, 2- condition; Hammered Sold at $60,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $66,000. No Reserve. – 4-speed, chrome centerlock wire wheels, Michelin XW4 tires, Pioneer cassette stereo, power steering, power brakes. – David and Laura Williams collection. Spotless restored underbody. Very good paint. Small dent in the rear bumper. Hood pokes out slightly at the bottom. Clean, tight-fitting newer top. Very good interior. Represented as matching numbers. Fully restored to high standards, especially for a Series III. – This SIII S-type is not perfect, but it’s close enough that the difference is ephemeral. V-12 E-Type prices shot up a couple of years ago after people got priced out of Series I cars. Values have started to retreat a bit, but this a heck of a deal. It could have brought another 10 grand or so without being expensive. Six years at Mecum’s Monterey auction it sold for only $39,750 and while it may have been fluffed since then it’s still a sound buy.

Lot # 2514 1959 Ford Galaxie Sunliner Convertible; S/N C9GC198139; Raven Black, Torch Red/Black, White, Red vinyl; Black cloth top; Older restoration, 2- condition; Hammered Sold at $27,250 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $29,975. No Reserve. – 292/200hp replacement engine, automatic, wire wheels, whitewalls, spotlight mirror, column shift, pushbutton radio, dash clock, heater, power top. – David and Laura Williams collection. Good older paint and chrome. Lots of small dents in the body side trim. Very good newer top. Upholstery and carpets were replaced, but the painted dash and gauges are original. Older restored underneath. No show car, but attractive colors and plenty of eyeball. – An appropriate discount for a slightly aged appearance and replacement engine. Sunliners aren’t worth that much less than their hardtop Skyliner cousins but they’re a lot less complicated. This modest money for a quality older restored Sunliner with a competent engine and the new owner should be exulting in a quality car at this price.

Lot # 2517 1965 Austin-Healey 3000 Mk III Phase 2 Convertible; S/N HBJ8L26650; Iris Blue, White/Dark Blue leather; Older restoration, 2- condition; Hammered Sold at $37,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $40,700. No Reserve. – Chrome centerlock wire wheels, Lucas driving lights, dual wing mirrors, blue vinyl boot cover, overdrive, banjo steering wheel, wood shift knob, wood dash, heater, aluminum radiator. – David and Laura Williams collection. Chips and cracks around the hood scoop. Two scratches on the right front fender. Otherwise very pretty, correct paint. Very good interior, upgraded to leather. Lobe on the right rear wheel has some hammer marks on it. Lightly run, restored engine bay. A mostly very pretty car and one that was lovingly restored and now only let down by inevitable cosmetic issues that come with age. – While this car was well and fully restored, there was no word as to who actually did the work, and that’s an important distinction for many Healey people. Either way, this wasn’t much more than beater money paid for an attractive car with no apparent needs. One of many deals in Dallas this weekend.

Lot # 2530 1962 Sunbeam Alpine I Convertible; S/N B9111144; Light Blue/Black; Modified restoration, 2- condition; Hammered Sold at $14,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $15,400. No Reserve. – 1,592/80hp, 4-speed, Minilite-style wheels, shaved door handles and trunk, custom bumpers, cut-down windshield, Moto-Lita woodrim steering wheel. – David and Laura Williams collection. There is a run on the right front fender and the flake in the metallic paint is distributed a bit unevenly, but there are no blemishes and the finish looks great to the casual eye. Very good chrome. Very good interior. Tidy but used engine bay. Restored underbody. Modified, but tastefully so and it looks really sharp, especially as an early Alpine with those tall upswept tail fins. – All of the mods on this car are apparently to enhance looks rather than performance, which is an odd choice, but Alpines are perfectly good little sports cars with essentially MG-like performance in a more distinctive package. This is a neat little driver, with a generous but not excessive price paid for its special features.

Lot # 2531 1951 MG TD Roadster; S/N TD13375; Dark Green/Black vinyl; Black vinyl top; Older restoration, 2- condition; Hammered Sold at $16,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $17,600. No Reserve. – Hub caps, Firestone tires, badge bar, dual wing mirrors, rear-mounted spare with cloth cover, woodrim steering wheel, wood shift knob and dash. – From the Williams collection. Lightly scratched grille surround. Small chip at the back of the hood and paint cracking around the edges of the doors but otherwise strong older paint and chrome. Tidy older undercoated chassis. An attractive, basic older restoration. – Sold for $14,300 at Leake Tulsa in 2015, then hammered not sold by Leake last year at a $22,000 high bid. Last year’s bid was a lot closer to the what the car really deserves than this result, which is average driver money paid for an above average car.

Lot # 2534 1968 Chevrolet Impala SS 2-Dr. Hardtop; S/N 164878F144190; Silver/Black vinyl; Older restoration, 2 condition; Hammered Sold at $16,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $17,600. No Reserve. – 327/275hp, Edelbrock carb, automatic, Rally wheels, Mastercraft tires, factory air conditioning, power steering, power brakes, under dash CD stereo with original Delco radio intact, bench seat, column shift. – David & Laura Williams consignment. Tidy restored engine bay. Very good paint and chrome. Very pretty restored interior aside from a presentable original dash. Nothing to write home about in terms of equipment, but it’s a strong older restoration. – This is a classy cruiser in very presentable condition and it brought a price appropriate to what it is.

Lot # 2536 1964 Mercury Montclair Marauder 4-Dr. Sedan; S/N 4Z58Z550049; Black/Red vinyl; Visually maintained, largely original, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $12,250 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $13,475. No Reserve. – 390/300hp with an Edelbrock intake, 4-speed, 3.55 gears, aluminum radiator, wheel covers, narrow whitewalls, bench seat, floor shift, Hurst shifter, pushbutton radio, dash clock. – David and Laura Williams collection. Unrestored but maintained engine bay. Good older paint and chrome. Light scratches and small dents in the window frames and body side trim. Light pitting around the taillight bezels. Two touch ups on the trunk lid. Microblisters on the left rear door. Newer upholstery and carpets, but the dash is unrestored with heavy pitting on the metal bits, and there’s a crack in the dash clock. Sound original underbody. An attractive but driver quality Marauder. The Marauder package, also available on the Monterey, S-55 and Park Lane, came with things like bucket seats and a console as well as a more attractive sloping roofline. – This car has relative rarity and performance as well as a cool name going for it, but prices for these and other Mercs of this age have stayed fairly cheap. This was a straightforward, appropriate price.

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