Million-dollar babies: 10 automotive rarities go under the hammer at Bonhams auction

6 August, 2015

A 1954 Bugatti 101C coupé, a 1972 Maserati Boomerang, and a 1951 Lancia Aurelia B52 coupé are among 10 incredibly rare vehicles headlining the inaugural Chantilly Sale on September 5 at the famed Bonhams auction house in England. The 10 cars are estimated to sell for a mind-bending total of €7,990,000, or NZ$13,339,273.

The 1972 Maserati Boomerang, a one-off fully functional concept car, tops the estimated valuations, weighing in at up to €4 million (NZ$6.6 million). Penned by renowned Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, who only retired from design in 2015, the Boomerang made its debut at the 1971 Turin Motor Show. With the 4.7-litre V8 engine from the Maserati Bora under the bonnet, the Boomerang produced 310bhp, which could propel it to a reported top speed of 300kph. But the Boomerang’s crowning feature was always its distinct looks, with many of its triangular and straight-edge–laden elements, inside and out, remaining constant in Giugiaro’s automotive work for decades to come.

One of the other more generously priced cars present will be the Bugatti 101C coupé, with an estimated value of up to €1.8 million (NZ$3 million). Initially slated for a production run of just 50 cars, only six 101s were ever produced. This range-topping C-model version comes with a supercharger, and a body built by well-known coachbuilder Jean Antem. The car is currently owned by actor Nicolas Cage (of Face Off and Gone in 60 Seconds fame), but expect that to change at auction …

A 1938 Bugatti Type 57 Cabriolet, a 1968 Maserati Mexico 4.7-litre coupé, a 1951 Lancia Aurelia B52 coupé, 1961 OSCA 1600 GT coupé, a 1937 Bentley 4¼-litre ‘Aerofoil’ Sports Saloon, a 1937 Bentley 4¼-litre Drophead Coupé, a 1959 Alfa Romeo 1900C Super Sprint Coupé, and a 1996 Aston Martin Sportsman Shooting Brake complete the list of ten unique standout cars to appear at the auction.

This is the second time in 2015 that the Bonhams auction house has made headlines, after selling off one of the world’s most desirable Jaguars — a quarter-million–pound XK 120 — back in June. For more images of some of the stars, check out the gallery below:

ROTARY CHIC

6 September, 2024

Kerry Bowman readily describes himself as a dyed-in-the-wool Citroën fan and a keen Citroën Car Club member. His Auckland home holds some of the chic French cars and many parts. He has also owned a number of examples of the marque as daily drivers, but he now drives a Birotor GS. They are rare, even in France, and this is a car which was not supposed to see the light of day outside France’s borders, yet somehow this one escaped the buyback to be one of the few survivors out in the world.
It’s a special car Kerry first saw while overseas in the ’70s, indulging an interest sparked early on by his father’s keenness for Citroëns back home in Tauranga. He was keen to see one ‘in the flesh’.
“I got interested in this Birotor when I bought a GS in Paris in 1972. I got in contact with Citroën Cars in Slough, and they got me an invitation to the Earls Court Motor Show where they had the first Birotor prototype on display. I said to a guy on the stand, ‘I’d like one of these,’ and he said I wouldn’t be allowed to get one. Citroën were building them for their own market to test them, and they were only left-hand drive.”

Tradie’s Choice

30 August, 2024

Clint Wheeler purchased this 1962 Holden FJ Panelvan as an unfinished project, or as he says “a complete basket case”. Collected as nothing more than a bare shell, the rotisserie-mounted and primed shell travelled the length of the country from the Rangiora garage where it had sat dormant for six years to Clint’s Ruakaka workshop. “Mike, the previous owner, was awesome. He stacked the van and parts nicely. I was pretty excited to get the van up north. We cut the locks and got her out to enjoy the northland sun,” says Clint. “The panelvan also came with boxes of assorted parts, some good, some not so good, but they all helped.”

Million-dollar babies: 10 automotive rarities go under the hammer at Bonhams auction

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