Showing all items for OLDTIMER GARAGE AUSTRALIA P/L

Details: Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale an Australian delivered, factory right hand drive Ferrari 328 GTS. The service book confirms this car was sold through John Cant Ferrari in Brisbane, Queensland and it was delivered new on 29th October 1987. The first owner is noted as a company based in Bundaburg, Queensland. The service book notes the VIN as well as the engine number and therefore we can confirm that this car retains its original matching numbers engine. The first entry in the service book is dated 22nd December 1987 stamped by John Cant Ferrari. The car did not stay in Queensland for long. It found its way down to Victoria in either late 1988 or early 1989. There is an entry in the service book for the 10,000 km service dated 15th February 1989 and that service was executed by Lance Dixon Saab-Ferrari in Melbourne. The subsequent 20,000 km service was executed by Lance Dixon on the 4th January 1990. This was an annual service based on time passed, not mileage. This Ferrari 328 GTS then found its way to Sydney, NSW and to the suburb of Narrabeen on the northern beaches. The car was registered in NSW as JH326. The car was subsequently serviced by Scuderia Veloce Motors with numerous entries in the service book through until 2005. Italia Motori serviced the car in 2006 and again 2008. From 2009 through until 2022 the car was maintained by Cavallino Motorsport in Brookvale, Sydney. The car changed hands in mid to late 2022 and its next owner used the car sparingly. As a result of a health issue he sold the car to Oldtimer Australia in June 2023. We had the car checked over and serviced. The work included a general service, timing belt service, the radiator was recored and overflow tank repaired. The car was quickly sold to one of our long standing clients based on the Gold Coast. Today the odometer reads 60,459 km. This car has an impeccable service history which unequivocally confirms the mileage to be genuine. The 308 GTB/GTS and 328 GTB/GTS is one of Ferraris most successful and recognisable models. There are lots of nice cars out there, but this is one is particularly good and it ticks all the boxes. First impressions of this car are really good. This car has a real presence about it and everything is just so crisp and clean. The rosso corsa paint on the car is in very good condition. It may have had the odd touch up here and there, but it looks to be essentially original and beautifully preserved. It has retained a strong depth of colour and nice gloss finish. If you look underneath the car you will see the bottom of the front spoiler has a few chips and there are a few scrapes from unfriendly speed bumps! Even the underside is well presented for a 37 year old car. The prancing horse shields were added by us at the request of the current owner at the time of sale. All of the external trim is similarly well presented. The iconic Ferrari and 328 badges are particularly well presented. The targa roof often shows wear on the GTS Ferraris, however, on this car is in excellent condition. There are no scratches, wear marks or any signs of discoloration. The glass is also in excellent condition. The rear window and the side windows appear to be all original. The front windscreen has probably been replaced at some stage. The round tail lights on a Ferrari 308/328 are a real feature and the lenses on this car are in very good condition. The same can be said of the headlights. The parking lights/indicator lenses are often cracked and/or show stone chips but on this car they are also in very good condition. The original wheels are shod with Bridgestone Potenza tyres all around. The fronts are 205/55 ZR 16, date stamped 0523 (week 5, 2023) and the rears are 225/50 R16, date stamped 1323 (week 13, 2023). The tyres were fitted when the current owner acquired the car and have only travelled 1,000 km. The wheels are in excellent condition with no signs of any curb rash or damage. With the targa top removed, you are able see inside the cabin and like the exterior of this car first impressions of the interior are very positive. Open the door and you are welcomed by a very inviting interior. It is immediately obvious this is a very well cared for example. The seats are in very good condition and there are no cracks/tears in the leather or any obvious wear to the seat bolsters. The door cards, centre console and the dash all present beautifully. Even the carpets are in very good condition. Another indictor on how well an eighties Ferrari has been cared for is the condition and presentation of the switches on the centre console and in the doors. More often than not, including low mileage examples, you will often see that the symbols show signs of wear. Fortunately, on this car this is not the case. They present like new and appear to have hardly been used. The front compartment is in excellent original condition. Most notably, the original plastic liner is not cracked or damaged as you often see on these cars. The spare wheel looks to have been sparingly used, if at all. The engine bay is also very original and very well presented. The devil is in the detail and all the finishes all look to be correct, the rosso corsa paint sticker on the underside of the engine cover is like new and the boot cover is in excellent condition with a working zipper. With a car like this it is all about the drive and we cannot wait to take this 328 GTS out for our test drive. The car starts easily even from cold and quickly settles into a smooth idle. The engine sounds fabulous with a lovely exhaust note. Just sitting in the car waiting for the engine to warm up puts a smile on your face. Once the engine warms up and the temperature gauge starts to move, it is time to hit the road. The first task and a rather enjoyable one at that, is to select first gear in that shift gate. The clutch is light and notch . . . you are in gear and quickly away. Even if you could see nothing else you immediately know you are in a Ferrari! Out on the road this car is a real pleasure to drive. Like all Ferraris of this period the gear change improves considerably as the car warms up to operating temperature. It is actually fine when cold, but it is an absolute delight once warm and the gear changes are smooth and precise. The engine revs willingly and there is loads of power on tap. The steering is direct and surprisingly light. The brakes stop the car quickly and in a straight line when needed. All the instruments in the car appear to be in good working order and the air conditioning has recently been regassed and it blows cold air. All too soon our test drive comes to an end and we return the car to our showroom where it sits peacefully, eagerly awaiting its next owner. This car has a complete book set, including a fully stamped service book, in its original pouch, a spare wheel, a tool kit (which still looks like new), a jack, the often missing courtesy light and the almost always missing targa top cover. The current owner acquired this car back in August 2023, however, as a result of him losing his available storage space he has made the difficult decision to sell. This car was last serviced less than 12 months ago, new Bridgestone tyres were recently fitted and this just stunning Ferrari 328 GTS is ready for its next owner to use and enjoy. The Queensland private number plate 328 GTS is available to be purchased either separately or with the car. Highlights: - Australian delivered, factory right-hand drive, matching numbers example. - Beautifully presented in the right colour scheme. - Low mileage, with only c60,000km. - Books, including a stamped service book, history file, spare wheel, tools, jack, courtesy light and targa top cover. - All tags and stickers in place. - Recently serviced and new tyres fitted. - Beautifully presented and drives superbly. Price $209,950 Background: Apple, Coca-Cola, McDonalds and Nike are brands recognisable the world over. So is Ferrari and interestingly the iconic Italian luxury sports car manufacturer was named The Worlds Strongest Brand in the 2019 Brand Finance Global 500 Report. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1939 out of Alfa Romeos race division as Auto Avio Costruzioni the company built its first car in 1940. The Second World War halted Ferraris dream, which was finally realised in 1947, when the first car bearing his name, the Ferrari 125 S, was built. From that day on Ferrari race cars dominated the world over, winning race after race and many world championships in Formula One, sports car racing and endurance racing. Ferrari built exclusive sports cars for the road too, but in the early days, this was primarily to fund his motor racing! The Cavallino Rampate or prancing horse was the symbol chosen by Ferrari and like the golden arches it is recognised by just about every man, woman and child on the planet! The Ferrari road cars from the 1940s and early to mid-1950s were built in very small numbers and it was not until the introduction of the 250 series cars that production numbers increased. Almost 1,000 Ferrari 250 GTEs were built from 1959 1963. The 250 series also produced some of the most special Ferraris ever built, including the Ferrari 250 LM, 250 SWB, 250 California Spider and of course the 250 GTO. The 250 series cars were superseded by the 275 series cars, the 330 series cars and later the 365 series cars. The nomenclature designated the cubic capacity of each cylinder. So a Ferrari 330 was powered by a 12 cylinder engine of 3967cc capacity. Ferraris iconic Dino was first shown to the world as a prototype at the 1965 Paris Motor Show. The car morphed into the 206 GT of which only 150 cars were built from 1967 to 1969. In 1969 the 246 GT was released, which whilst a similar looking car in many ways was actually quite different. The car sat 3 taller than its predecessor and the body was now built from steel. Mechanically the new car was powered by a 2418cc V6 engine. Enzo was keen to tackle Porsche head on and to do this he needed to increase production. The Dino was a hit and circa 4,000 of these cars (both the 246 GT and 246 GTS) were built from 1969 to 1974. The Ferrari 308 GTB was introduced at the 1975 Paris Motor Show, essentially to replace the 246 Dino GT. The car was designed to fit between the top of the range 365 GT/4 Berlinetta Boxer and 2+2 308 GT/4. The car was released to critical acclaim and its sweeping Pininfarina design was admired by everyone who laid eyes on it. Originally the car was manufactured with a glass reinforced plastic (fibreglass) body to keep the weight down and it was powered by a three litre V8 engine with a dry sump. Only circa 800 fibreglass cars were built before Ferrari reverted to a more conventional steel body construction in 1977. Most markets also reverted to having a wet sump engine. In 1977 Ferrari introduced the 308 GTS, which was essentially the same car with a targa roof. The car was made famous through its appearance on the TV show Magnum PI. The model evolved into the 308 GTBi / 308 GTSi in 1980 when Bosch K-Jetronic mechanical fuel injection replaced the traditional Weber carburettors. Two years later thefour valves per cylinder Quattrovalvole or QV was introduced. The 308 was an incredible success and circa 12,000 cars were built from 1975 to 1985 before the 328 was introduced. The 328 GTB / GTS was essentially an updated version of the 308 with the same engine as its predecessor, but with an increased capacity of 3,185 cc. The styling remained similar though its overall profile was somewhat softer and the car featured colour coded front and rear bumpers. By mid-1988 ABS brakes were available and these cars were fitted with convex shaped wheels. Interestingly 328 GTS production out numbered 328 GTB production by a factor of five to one. In total Ferrari built 7,412 328s, comprising 6,068 328 GTS and 1,344 328 GTBs throughout 4 years of production.

Details: Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale this magnificently restored Autodelta prepared 1968 Alfa Romeo GTA Junior 1300. According to documentation on file from Centro Documentazione Alfa Romeo, this particular car has a production date of the 7th May 1968 with a delivery date of 31 December 1968. It was finished in biancospino (white) with a skai nero (black) interior. This US market car was part of a batch of Autodelta prepared cars sold by distributor Don Black Alfa Romeo in New Jersey. The car was sold through dealer Tom OBrien to its first owner Eugene Strandberg from Iowa. The car was raced at over 50 SCCA meetings between 1968 and 1980 at tracks including Road America (Elkhart Lake), Road Atlanta, Daytona, Indianapolis, Mid Ohio, Bridgehampton, Summit Point, Mid America (Wentzville), Brainerd (Donnybrooke), Phoenix, Nelson Ledges, Blackhawk Farms and Lake Afton. In 1969 Strandberg won the SCCA C Sedan class in this car in the Mid West division, setting several lap records. The car competed three times at the SCCA National Run Offs the American Road Race of Champions with three different drivers. Strandberg was 10th in this event at Daytona in 1969, Bobby Henson was 4th at Road Atlanta in 1971, and Jerry Wannarka (later SCCA Board Chairman) was 7th at Road Atlanta in 1974. The car was also raced by Gerry Strickfaden, George J Cichon and Larry Sterenberg. After being campaigned throughout the 1970s at various race meets, the car was involved in an accident at Indianapolis in May 1980. After being (poorly) repaired it raced again at Indianapolis in April 1981 and for a final time at Elkhart Lake in June 1981. It is understood that the car was painted red after it was repaired. With its racing career concluded, the car was acquired by collector John Murphy (of Alfa Legends). Murphys collection went to auction in Atlanta in 2004 from where it was acquired by Judge Parker of Richmond, Virginia, who then commenced a restoration. In 2013, Parker sold the partially assembled car and parts to New York classic car dealer, Daniel Rapley. The current owner acquired this Alfa Romeo GTA Junior 1300 from Daniel Rapley in September 2014 and subsequently imported it into Australia. There is an Import Approval on file dated the 9th September 2014. The car arrived into Sydney in April 2015. The current owner made the decision to restore the car to present exactly as it was when it first raced. He engaged the services of highly respected Alfa Romeo restoration specialist Zoo Autocraft (Tim Doyle) from Bowral to restore the car. Tim was ably supported by Vin Sharp who rebuilt the engine, Mick Mitchell from Corse Automotive who completed other mechanical works, AA Panelcraft who painted the car and Steve Busitill who did the trim. Where possible the original parts from the car were repaired and reused, however, as a second choice original replacement parts were sourced. As a last resort replica parts were acquired from the likes of Classic Alfa and Alfaholics in the UK. Unfortunately, the car had been separated from its original engine which was sold off from Murphys auction in 2004. By an incredible stroke of good fortunate Tim Doyle had purchased a number of parts from the Murphy auction, including what turns out to be the original engine block from this very car! There is a document on file, provided by Don Black, listing both the chassis and engine numbers for the Alfa Romeo GTAs that he sold. Alfa Romeo did not record engine numbers for the 105 series cars making Blacks list, confirming this cars original engine number, as very rare and unique. The owner decided to restore the car with a replacement block to preserve the original block which will accompany the car. As the car was to be used on the track, the current owner decided to install a high quality roll cage. In his words . . . the alloy body doesnt provide much more protection than cardboard. An FIA approved kit built by Custom Cages in the UK was purchased from Alfaholics. One of the many challenges was to quieten the car to comply with track noise limits while still using the correct side exhaust. The Corse Automotive team came up with an ingenious solution whereby a hand built muffler runs laterally underneath the car another work of art! The restoration was finally completed in November 2019, just in time for the Alfa Romeo Owners of Australias (AROCA) annual concorso. The end result is just spectacular and a credit to the current owner, Tim Doyle and everyone who was involved with the project. Later that month, the GTA returned to the track at the Historic Sports and Racing Car Associations (HSRCA) Summer Festival at Sydney Motor Sport Park. The car was presented in the livery in which it first raced some 50 years earlier. It ran in regularity and true to the HSRCA motto As it was it shall be, it ran on the correct Dunlop CR65 cross ply tyres! The car looked spectacular and to the relief of its owner it ran faultlessly. The car has been used sparingly since it was restored. It has been driven very carefully in regularity at various track days. Today it presents essentially as a fresh restoration. The biancospino paintwork is in excellent condition. The devil is in the detail and all the pop riveted aluminium panels are the giveaway that this car is not your every day 105 series. The panel gaps are excellent. The external trim is minimalistic, however, it is all in good condition. We love the delicate door handles which are a real feature on this car and fit for purpose to open the feather weight doors! The interior is beautifully presented and in excellent condition. The beautiful Alfa Romeo GTA wheels are shod with Dunlop Racing 5.50 M-14 tyres all around. Unfortunately, we didnt get the opportunity to drive the car as it is not road registered, however, the owner reports that it drives every bit as good as it looks. When rebuilt, the engine was tuned on a dyno and it develops 140 bhp at 7700 rpm, with torque of 91 lbs/ft. This is similar to the original Autodelta cars. The car weighs 800 kg, which is slightly more than the original, mostly because of the roll cage, hidden muffler and alloy wheels instead of mags. The power to weight ratio is still impressive and this little Alfa Romeo performs exceptionally well. According to the owner, the engine really comes on song above 5,000 rpm and it makes a wonderful noise. The car is light and nimble on the track and it handles, steers and stops as you would expect. This car was shown Auto Italian in Canberra in 2022 where it won Alfa Romeo Best of Marque and it was also one of the four finalists selected for Best of Show. It was also shown at Motorclassica, Australias leading concours delegance and classic car show later in 2022, where it was one of the two finalists in the fiercely contested Bertone class. There is substantial documentation on file which includes a SCCA Vehicle Log Book, period race results and car magazines, documented ownership from new, period documentation, restoration receipts, photos and more. Importantly, this car has its correct tipo number (10559), stamped in the boot drain channel. Highlights: - Magnificently restored Alfa Romeo GTA. - Known history from new. - Numbers correct car. - Well documented. - Ready to show, use and enjoy. Price $459,950 Background: The Alfa Romeo story began in June 1910 when A.L.F.A. (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili) was founded in Milan, Italy. Their first car, the 24hp, was a great success and the Alfa name became synonymous with motor racing in the early years. In 1915 Nicola Romeo took over the company and during war time its focus was on military equipment, however, it wanted to build cars. Soon after the very first Alfa Romeo motor vehicle, the Torpedo 20-30hp, was built. On February 3, 1918, with World War I slowly drawing to a close, the new company called Alfa Romeo was officially registered. In the early 1920s Alfa Romeo quickly made a name for itself in motor racing. Drivers like Ugo Sivocci, Antonio Ascari and Enzo Ferrari won several races driving various Alfa Romeo race cars. Through until the 1950s Alfa Romeo was responsible for some of the most exclusive road cars and most successful race cars ever built. Some of the cars produced by Alfa Romeo in the 1920s and 1930s could be purchased as either a road car or a race car. The Alfa Romeo 6C is one of those cars. Introduced at the 1925 Milan Motor Show, the Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 was the first model to carry the 6C name. The nomenclature of the model designation 6C 1500 refers to the engine, where 6C = the number of cylinders, in this case six and 1500 refers to the engine capacity, in this case 1500cc. As was quite common in those days, the bodies were provided by various coach builders such as James Young, Zagato, Touring Superleggera, Castagna, and Pinin Farina. The legendary Alfa Romeo 8C, took the 6C to another level and was one of the worlds most exclusive and successful road, race and sports cars of the 1930s. Following the Second World War the company was in financial difficulty and it decided a change in direction was necessary to survive. The Alfa Romeo 1900 Series cars effectively replaced the 6C range and whilst it was a success, rather than hand build luxury sporting cars it decided to focus on mass production. Hence, the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint was born. Alfa got the formula right and as testament to the success of this model the car was in production for over a decade from 1954 through until 1965. Throughout the 1950s and 60s Alfa built a number of different models including four door sedans, two door coupes and convertibles, however, regardless of model their cars always had a sporting edge. They were a drivers car first and foremost. Launched in 1963 the Alfa Romeo 105 Series was introduced to replace the very successful 101 Series Giulietta. Designed by Bertone (Giorgetto Giugiaro) the shape was purely Alfa with many styling cues taken from the Alfa Romeo 2600 and 2000. The first model introduced was known as the Giulia Sprint GT which was powered by Alfas proven 1,600cc engine. A convertible version known as the Giulia GTC and more powerful Giulia Sprint GT Veloce were subsequently introduced. Other standard models in the 105 Series range that evolved from 1965 were the 1750 GT Veloce, 2000 GT Veloce, GT 1300 Junior and GT 1600 Junior. Alfa Romeos rich motorsport tradition continued into the 105 series cars. Under the direction of the legendary Carlo Chiti, Autodelta (Alfa Romeos racing division) developed a car for competition that closely resembled the road going model. These cars were named GTA, the A standing for alleggerita, Italian for lightened. The GTA was produced first in 1965 as a 1600 Sprint (1,570 cc), and then in 1968 as a 1300 Junior (1,290cc) version. GTAs were manufactured in either street (stradale) or pure race (corsa) trim. 1,000 had to be built for homologation. It is understood that approximately 500 Sprints and 450 Juniors were built, of which less than half were corsa spec. All cars were built in the Alfa Romeo factory at Arese and for a considerable price premium clients could have their car race prepared by Autodelta. The outer body skin of the GTA was made of, instead of steel, Peraluman 25, a light aluminium alloy, containing magnesium, manganese, copper and zinc. The inner steel panels were also of thinner gauge with the inner and outer panels bonded and pop riveted together. Magnesium alloy wheels, clear plastic side windows, an aluminium rear upper control arm, lightweight door handles and quarter window mechanisms as well as lightweight interior trim were other GTA features. The engine had a new double ignition, twin plug cylinder head, high compression pistons, high-lift cams, lightened flywheel, a Magneti Marelli distributor, 45 mm carburettors instead of 40 mm as well as magnesium camshaft cover, sump, timing cover and bell housing. A limited slip differential was standard and a special sliding-block rear axle locating system could be specified. The 1300 had a short-stroke, oversquare version of the GTA 1600 engine.

1936 Squire 1½ Litre Vanden Plas Sports Tourer

1967 Ferrari 330 GTC

1973 Jensen SP

1967 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 2+2

1979 Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet by Karmann

1952 Alfa Romeo 1900C Sprint by Touring

Details: Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale a 1928 Auburn 8-115 Boat Tail Speedster. The early history of this car is not known; however, it is understood to have been in Australia for a very long time. The car offered for sale was the dream of late Auburn enthusiast Neil Burns. Burns had always wanted to own an Auburn Boat Tail Speedster. In the early 2000s he acquired a mostly complete Auburn 8-115. He subsequently located a factory built Auburn Boat Tail Speedster in Western Australia from which he could copy the body. Measurements were taken, drawings were made and Burns started to build the car of his dreams. It is understood the original body has been preserved from the scuttle forward. By 2010 all major mechanical components had been reconditioned, including the engine, the gearbox, the carburettor and the radiator. All trim, lights and brackets had been rechromed, all the dash instruments had been fitted and a hood assembly had been manufactured. Unfortunately, Burns never got to see the finished product. He passed away in May 2010 and the car was sold from his estate to Ian Waller from Gordon, Victoria. Waller completed the restoration and the car was subsequently displayed at Motorclassica in Melbourne in 2019. In February 2022 the car was displayed at the Torquay Rotary Motor Show where it won the pre 1959 class and was also the outright Best of Show winner. During its restoration, the car was given a few sympathetic upgrades to make it a more reliable and usable classic. According to the documentation on file, the original Warner gearbox which has known reliability issues, has been replaced. The gearbox fitted to the car is a period correct three speed plus reverse crash box, though it is not branded and its make and model is unknown. A Mitchell overdrive has been installed, which gives the car more cruising flexibility. The electrics have all been upgraded to 12 volt, a modern fuel pump has been installed and an alternator has been discreetly installed underneath the car. The current owner acquired this fabulous Auburn 8-115 Boat Tail Speedster in 2022 and he has spent a considerable amount of time and money fettling the car. He has thoroughly enjoyed his brief love affair, however, due to a change in direction he has decided it is time for a new custodian to take ownership of this amazing car. This car looks STUNNING in the photographs, however, in the flesh it has an even more incredible presence. Make no mistake, this is a big car. The sleek art deco styling is a work of art and the more you look at this car the more details you will you notice. The massive bonnet and flowing guards meet at the trademark Auburn grill mounted with the most elegant hood ornament. The most unique feature of the Auburn Speedster is the relatively small vee shaped rakish front windscreen which evokes a sense of speed but at the same time emphasises the size of the car even more. The boat tail rear end just finishes the car off in terms of the uniqueness of its design. The colour combination of black over maroon is just perfect for the car and all the bright work just sparkles. The paint is in very good condition with a strong depth of colour and a high gloss finish. We struggled to find any obvious imperfections. We did find a very small blemish on the lower edge of the right rear guard. You cannot miss the bright work on this car. The massive and very imposing grill, the almost oversize Monogram headlights, the smaller driving lights, the spotlight as well as the wiper motor covers and the mirrors are all beautifully chromed and present in very good to excellent condition. The only exception we noticed is the small mirror mounted on the back of the spotlight that is showing some light wear. Interestingly, rotating this mirror operates the on and off switch for the light for the light. The painted wire wheels are in very good condition with no evidence of any curb rash. They are currently shod with Excelsior Stahl Sport radial tyres, size 5.50R18 which are date stamped 0917 (week 9, 2017). The tyres are still in excellent condition. There is a small door on either side of the boat tail section of the body which provide access to the storage compartment. This is where the soft top is kept and there is also adequate room for some overnight bags. Open the door and you are welcomed by a very simplistic, yet quite elegant interior. The bench seat is in excellent condition with no rips or tears in the leather. It is comfortable and provides ample support. You can also tilt the seat forward to access the storage compartment. The dashboard contains a very simple instrument cluster, that is both functional and in keeping with the style of the car. You literally climb up and into this car. The driving position is relatively comfortable and once settled behind the wheel it is time to hit the road! The starting procedure is as simple as turning on the ignition and waiting a few seconds for the fuel pump to do its work. Then turn the key further and the big V8 bursts to life at pretty much first crank. The engine sounds just fabulous and it very quickly settles into a smooth idle. First impressions are good, in fact, they are really good! After selecting first gear and getting acclimatised to the relatively long travel of the clutch you are soon moving. On our first test drive, instinct says to dab the brake pedal to get a feel for the stopping power of this car. Surprisingly, the brakes are pretty good for a car of this vintage. On pulling out of our showroom and into traffic one cant help but notice that the turning circle isnt the best weve come across. The steering is also quite heavy, but once you are moving it becomes a lot easier. The three speed gearbox is easy to use despite not having synchros. The gear leaver travel is direct which makes the gear changes relatively easy. So many prewar cars have the show, but lack the go . . . but not this car! The engine in an Auburn 8-115 is quoted as producing 115 hp and not surprising this car pulls strongly through the rev range. It accelerates surprisingly quickly and easily keeps up with modern traffic. The brakes are also adequate and they pull the car up in a straight line when needed. The car feels solid on the road and is a real pleasure to drive. Accompanying the car is a soft top, tonneau cover, parts manuals, an instruction manual, some historical documentation and various parts including a spare, correct carburettor. Highlights: - Unique and iconic car from the golden age of American motoring. - The pinnacle of art deco design for an American car. - Fitted with some modern upgrades to make it a more usable classic. - Beautifully restored. - Ready to use and enjoy. Price $209,950. Background: In 1874 Charles Eckhart founded the Eckhart Carriage Company in Auburn, Indiana, USA. When his sons Frank and Morris joined the business they started experimenting making automobiles. In 1903 the two brothers established the Auburn Automobile Company (AAC). That year, at the Chicago Automobile Show, they launched their first car, a chain-drive, single-cylinder, 6hp two seater, with two speed planetary transmission. In 1905 they launched two-cylinder version. By 1909 they had outgrown their dads workshop and they moved to a larger premises in Auburn, Indiana. In 1911 they produced their first four cylinder, 25hp model. A year later they produced a six cylinder car powered by a Rutenberger engine. The car was quite advanced for its day having electric headlights and tail lights. Unfortunately, World War I put a hold to the business and material shortages forced the factory to close. In 1919 the brothers sold the business to a group of investors from Chicago headed by Ralph Austin Bard. The new owners managed to revive the business but were not able to make it profitable. In 1924 they approached Errett Lobban Cord, who at that time was a very successful automobile salesman, with an offer to run the company for them. Cord countered with a leveraged buyout proposal that was accepted. Cord managed to sell off all the old stock quickly and then focused on what would become the glory days for Auburn. 1925 was like a new beginning for Auburn. The new cars introduced that year expressed distinct styling. The new 8 cylinder engines provided both the prestige and performance Cord had desired ever since he became involved in Auburn. In 1927 Auburn even made a name for itself in stock car racing by winning at Salem, finishing third at Pikes Peak and they managed to exceed 108 mph at Daytona Beach. In 1928 the first of the now famous Auburn boat tailed speedsters was introduced, styled by Count Alexis de Sakhnoffsky. The car was powered by a straight 8, 4.8 litre, Lycoming engine which produced an impressive 115hp. The speedster was a fast car, especially in its day which is supported by the fact that Auburns test driver Wade Morton set a AAA stock car record on the sands at Daytona Beach, Florida on the 20th February 1928 driving a stock bodied 1928 Auburn 115 Speedster at 104.347 miles per hour. All was good for Auburn and despite the looming recession they managed to sell 22,000 cars in 1929. Somehow Auburn attracted sufficient buyers during the Depression years to keep afloat and its 1930s designs were magnificent. Designers, including Alan Leamy and Gordon Beuhrig styled Auburns, Cords and Duesenbergs of that period. 1930 saw only a slight dip in sales and in 1931 sales increased again. In fact, 1931 was the greatest sales year in the history of the company. They managed to sell 33,000 cars and made a profit of $4.1 million. Unfortunately, sales dropped significantly in 1932 and by 1933 Auburn realised they had to make some drastic changes to survive. In 1934 the company made a huge investment in a new car and whilst sales did increase after that, it was not enough to make the company profitable again. In 1937 Auburn declared bankruptcy.

1981 Maserati Kyalami 4.9