The Steeple Times

Tag: automobile

  • The Sky’s the Limit

    The Sky’s the Limit

    Bonhams to offer what they call “the world’s most sought after Cadillac” at auction in Florida; it was originally made for the famed BROADMOOR Hotel resort in El Paso County, Colorado

    The BROADMOOR – a name that is unique and copyrighted due to its little raised “A” – in Colorado Springs is a vast hotel at the base of the 9,570 foot tall Cheyenne Mountain, the location of the operations base for the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Built in the Italian Renaissance style and featuring 784 guest rooms, the complex has three golf courses, 18 restaurants and a fishing camp and is said to be the place where President George W. Bush decided to quit drinking after waking up with a hangover in the summer of 1986.

     

    The Sky’s the Limit – 1959 Cadillac BROADMOOR Skyview with coachwork by Superior Coach Corp. – £140,000 to £200,000 ($175,000 to $250,000 or €165,000 to €235,000 or درهم640,000 to درهم915,000) – Bonhams Amelia Island Auction on 9th March 2017 at the Fernandina Beach Club – The BROADMOOR Hotel in Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado
    The Broadmoor Hotel.
    The Sky’s the Limit – 1959 Cadillac BROADMOOR Skyview with coachwork by Superior Coach Corp. – £140,000 to £200,000 ($175,000 to $250,000 or €165,000 to €235,000 or درهم640,000 to درهم915,000) – Bonhams Amelia Island Auction on 9th March 2017 at the Fernandina Beach Club – The BROADMOOR Hotel in Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado
    The main hotel building.

     

    The original owners of the hotel, the Penrose family, “wanted their guests to be escorted form the airport to the hotel and to be given tours of the area’s majestic beauty in the finest of luxury” according to the Bonhams catalogue entry on a 1959 Cadillac BROADMOOR Skyview they are set to auction in March. It is the last of around 28 Cadillac limousines made for the hotel from 1937 and was built by the Superior Coach Corp., a now defunct Ohio based manufacturer of yellow school buses and hearses.

     

    251-inches long overall, equipped with power steering, power brakes, a 390 cubic inch V8 engine and dominated by a vast plexi panel ‘Skyview’ roof, the car was designed to accommodate 11 passengers. It remained in service at the hotel until the early 1970s, was then was sold to a Cadillac collector in Branford, Connecticut and subsequently underwent a full restoration at the behest of its current owner.

     

    Bonhams will sell this unusual vehicle at their Amelia Island auction on 9th March at the Fernandina Beach Club. They have set an estimate of £140,000 to £200,000 ($175,000 to $250,000 or €165,000 to €235,000 or درهم640,000 to درهم915,000) and describe it as “one of the most exclusive Cadillacs ever built”.

     

    The Sky’s the Limit – 1959 Cadillac BROADMOOR Skyview with coachwork by Superior Coach Corp. – £140,000 to £200,000 ($175,000 to $250,000 or €165,000 to €235,000 or درهم640,000 to درهم915,000) – Bonhams Amelia Island Auction on 9th March 2017 at the Fernandina Beach Club – The BROADMOOR Hotel in Colorado Springs, El Paso County, ColoradoThe Sky’s the Limit – 1959 Cadillac BROADMOOR Skyview with coachwork by Superior Coach Corp. – £140,000 to £200,000 ($175,000 to $250,000 or €165,000 to €235,000 or درهم640,000 to درهم915,000) – Bonhams Amelia Island Auction on 9th March 2017 at the Fernandina Beach Club – The BROADMOOR Hotel in Colorado Springs, El Paso County, ColoradoThe Sky’s the Limit – 1959 Cadillac BROADMOOR Skyview with coachwork by Superior Coach Corp. – £140,000 to £200,000 ($175,000 to $250,000 or €165,000 to €235,000 or درهم640,000 to درهم915,000) – Bonhams Amelia Island Auction on 9th March 2017 at the Fernandina Beach Club – The BROADMOOR Hotel in Colorado Springs, El Paso County, ColoradoThe Sky’s the Limit – 1959 Cadillac BROADMOOR Skyview with coachwork by Superior Coach Corp. – £140,000 to £200,000 ($175,000 to $250,000 or €165,000 to €235,000 or درهم640,000 to درهم915,000) – Bonhams Amelia Island Auction on 9th March 2017 at the Fernandina Beach Club – The BROADMOOR Hotel in Colorado Springs, El Paso County, ColoradoThe Sky’s the Limit – 1959 Cadillac BROADMOOR Skyview with coachwork by Superior Coach Corp. – £140,000 to £200,000 ($175,000 to $250,000 or €165,000 to €235,000 or درهم640,000 to درهم915,000) – Bonhams Amelia Island Auction on 9th March 2017 at the Fernandina Beach Club – The BROADMOOR Hotel in Colorado Springs, El Paso County, ColoradoThe Sky’s the Limit – 1959 Cadillac BROADMOOR Skyview with coachwork by Superior Coach Corp. – £140,000 to £200,000 ($175,000 to $250,000 or €165,000 to €235,000 or درهم640,000 to درهم915,000) – Bonhams Amelia Island Auction on 9th March 2017 at the Fernandina Beach Club – The BROADMOOR Hotel in Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado

  • A Working Rolls

    A Working Rolls

    1959 Rolls-Royce estate car owned by late industrial tycoon Orin Smith to be auctioned; it was bizarrely designed to include beds and a loud air horn to “blast” cattle off the highway

    Florida based businessman and retired CEO of the Engelhard Corporation Orin Smith (1935 – 2016) was passionate about cars and next month, those with deep pockets will be in with a chance to purchase 58 vehicles from his collection that will be sold, mostly without reserve, by RM Sotheby’s at their annual Amelia Island sale on 10th and 11th March.

    Amongst the eclectic selection of classic and contemporary cars from the late industrialist’s collection is a 1959 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I estate car by H. J. Mulliner and Radford. One of just two examples, this immaculate short-wheelbase shooting brake was originally supplied to a Robert L. McCormick of Wichita, Kansas and transported to New York on the Cunard flagship Queen Elizabeth.

    McCormick kept the car – which features a luggage space that can accommodate items up to 6-foot long – until 1965 and on selling it to a Palm Beach based judge named Lewis M. Schott, penned the new owner a letter that read:

    The Radford conversion is a “complete job”. I will explain to your chauffeur and secretary how it makes into beds, etc, etc.

    I’ll explain the 3-way horn switch to your employees. I used the loud horn for “blasting” livestock off the Mexican highways.

    Finally, I hope you have as much fun out of the car as I have had. It should go 200,000 miles without work on it… A serious sacroiliac precludes long motor trips for me for a few years, and I’m an unhappy warrior when I think about it.

    Sold again in 2007 to Florida Roll-Royce expert Richard Gorman, the shooting brake was then subject to an 18-month renovation. It is now presented in velvet green and a sage with parchment leather interior piped in velvet green and features upgraded air conditioning.

    Of the overall collection to be sold on behalf of Smith’s family, Don Rose of RM Sotheby’s remarked:

    I had the great pleasure of knowing Orin Smith and found him to be a true gentleman in every sense of the word.

     

    In addition to his impressive gathering of some of the finest Rolls-Royce and Bentley automobiles, Orin displayed an eclectic taste with a keen eye for other icons of style, including sporting machinery from pre-war to the best of the contemporary.

     

    The common thread here is beauty, in both design and engineering; fitting for a man of generous spirit devoted to excellence. Because of those qualities, Orin Smith was beloved to the Amelia Island crowd, which makes the offering of his collection at our Amelia Island venue all the more poignant.

    Of the shooting brake itself, the auctioneer adds:

    Numerous Rolls-Royce shooting brakes exist, but many of them are crude later conversions. This car is a true and authentic coachbuilt original, created to the exacting specifications of its original owner, and restored to that same high standard – air horns and all. Errant cattle, consider yourselves warned.

    A Working Rolls – 1959 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I estate car by H. J. Mulliner and Radford – Orin Smith collection – RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island sale 10th and 11th March 2017A Working Rolls – 1959 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I estate car by H. J. Mulliner and Radford – Orin Smith collection – RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island sale 10th and 11th March 2017 A Working Rolls – 1959 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I estate car by H. J. Mulliner and Radford – Orin Smith collection – RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island sale 10th and 11th March 2017

  • A Performing Peugeot

    A Performing Peugeot

    Best performing classic car in terms of value gain revealed; you’ll be surprised at the result

     

    We’ve featured several Peugeot 205s that have sold at auctions at prices as high as £156,800 and now the latest Haggerty Classic Index has revealed that the greatest classic car value gain this year has been on the 205 GTi.

     

    This year, Peugeot 205s have risen 28.5% to an average value of £11,275 and with an immaculate yet ordinary one we featured in July having gone for £30,938 at auction, this ‘hot hatch’ is becoming a ‘must have’ for car collectors.

     

    As examples, we select first a red 1993 1.9-litre CTi convertible. It is for sale for £7,250 ($9,100 or €8,600 or درهم‎‎33,500) through MSP Motors in Runcorn, Cheshire and has 69,000 miles on the clock. They term it “a great example of a future classic, a great investment”.

     

    Our second choice is also presented in red and is a 1989 1.6-litre GTi. It has 69,119 miles on the clock, has an electric glass sunroof and is for sale through AMS Vehicles of Stokesley, North Yorkshire. They describe it as “a desirable vehicle at a sensible price” and offer it for £11,000 ($13,800 or €13,100 or درهم‎‎50,800).

     

    Of the survey itself, Angus Forsyth, managing director of Hagerty remarked:

     

    “We’ve seen confidence return to the classic car market in the last few months of 2016 after a summer of uncertainty, and we believe the Q3 results were a reflection on people holding back following the initial uncertainty of the Brexit vote in June”.

     

    “However, now the financial markets have settled, people have bought into the car market albeit a few months later than they might have planned. Whether people still feel classics make good investments, or they just want to put their money into something fun, they are still definitely buying, and the values of the best classics are still on the rise”.

     

    A Performing Peugeot – Best performing classic car in terms of value gain revealed; you’ll be surprised at the result – Peugeot 205 GTi CTiA Performing Peugeot – Best performing classic car in terms of value gain revealed; you’ll be surprised at the result – Peugeot 205 GTi CTiA Performing Peugeot – Best performing classic car in terms of value gain revealed; you’ll be surprised at the result – Peugeot 205 GTi CTi

  • Thatcher’s Jag

    Thatcher’s Jag

    Armoured Jaguar that served as Margaret Thatcher’s last car – and which was also used by David Cameron – sells at auction

    Offered with an estimate of £15,000 to £20,000 ($19,800 to $26,400 or €17,600 to €23,600), an armoured Jaguar XJ8 used by Margaret Thatcher sold at auction yesterday for £37,500 ($49,900 or €44,200).

    The 2006 long wheelbase saloon, the last official vehicle allocated to the late Baroness Thatcher by The Government Car Service, a division of the Department for Transport, was paid for by HM Treasury and funds raised from its sale will go back to the department.

    Christie’s South Kensington sold the vehicle as part of their annual ‘Out of the Ordinary’ sale. It was part of a collection owned by a Jersey based collector named David Gainsborough Roberts and featured armoured enhancement including titanium roof, ballistic steel armouring, under-floor Kevlar protection, bullet-resistant borosilicate glazing and tyres with run flat capability. It came with a certificate of authenticity signed by the Secretary of State, Patrick McLoughlin and has a gross weight of 3,200 kg.

    Of the sale, Gainsborough Roberts remarked:

    “After collecting for over 40 years the time has finally arrived to share my collection with the world”.

    “I hope my insatiable appetite for the curious, the famous and the infamous will inspire a new generation of custodians”.

    Thatcher’s Jaguar – Ex-Baroness Thatcher 2006 Jaguar XJ8 armoured saloon – Margaret Thatcher – Christie’s South Kensington Out of the Ordinary sale – 14th September 2016 – Also used by David Cameron
    The car outside 10 Downing Street

    Thatcher’s Jaguar – Ex-Baroness Thatcher 2006 Jaguar XJ8 armoured saloon – Margaret Thatcher – Christie’s South Kensington Out of the Ordinary sale – 14th September 2016 – Also used by David Cameron
    The interior

    Thatcher’s Jaguar – Ex-Baroness Thatcher 2006 Jaguar XJ8 armoured saloon – Margaret Thatcher – Christie’s South Kensington Out of the Ordinary sale – 14th September 2016 – Also used by David Cameron
    Denis and Margaret Thatcher leaving Downing Street for the last time after she stood down as Prime Minister in another Jaguar

    Thatcher’s Jaguar – Ex-Baroness Thatcher 2006 Jaguar XJ8 armoured saloon – Margaret Thatcher – Christie’s South Kensington Out of the Ordinary sale – 14th September 2016 – Also used by David Cameron
    David Cameron in the car

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  • One for Mum and one for Dad

    One for Mum and one for Dad

    The perfect gift for your parents – A pair of Mercedes-Benz cars with plates for mum and dad

     

    A 1985 Mercedes-Benz 380SL would typically set you back around £15,000 whilst a 1988 420SL could cost you anything upto £65,000. Now, for the extraordinary figure of £250,000, someone devoted to their parents could get both along with the numberplates ‘1 MUM’ and ‘1 DAD’.

     

    Offered by William Loughran of Walmer Bridge, Preston, Lancashire, the two cars have been owned by the same family for the last twenty years and can also be had for £125,000 each. The first, a blue 1985 ‘C’ plate 380SL, has covered 51,836 miles whilst the second, a red 1988 ‘F’ plate 420SL, comes with 33,552 miles on the clock.

     

    Make your mum and dad happy and put in an offer.

     

    One for Mum and One for Dad – A pair of Mercedes-Benz cars for parents – 1 MUM and 1 DAD personalised numberplates – William Loughran – 1985 Mercedes-Benz 380SL and 1988 Mercedes-Benz 420SL
    1 DAD – 1998 Mercedes-Benz 420SL

    One for Mum and One for Dad – A pair of Mercedes-Benz cars for parents – 1 MUM and 1 DAD personalised numberplates – William Loughran – 1985 Mercedes-Benz 380SL and 1988 Mercedes-Benz 420SL
    1 MUM – 1985 Mercedes-Benz 380SL

    One for Mum and One for Dad – A pair of Mercedes-Benz cars for parents – 1 MUM and 1 DAD personalised numberplates – William Loughran – 1985 Mercedes-Benz 380SL and 1988 Mercedes-Benz 420SL
    The interior of the 380SL

    One for Mum and One for Dad – A pair of Mercedes-Benz cars for parents – 1 MUM and 1 DAD personalised numberplates – William Loughran – 1985 Mercedes-Benz 380SL and 1988 Mercedes-Benz 420SL
    The interior of the 420SL

     

     

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  • An XJS Celebration

    An XJS Celebration

    Future classic Jaguar XJS Celebration convertible offered for sale (more…)

  • A rich man’s Fiat

    A rich man’s Fiat

    Quirky Autobianchi Bianchina Transformabile to be auctioned (more…)

  • The Pamborghini

    The Pamborghini

    Pink Lamborghini owned by 32-year old multi-millionaire appears in South Kensington (complete with images of Pamela Anderson) (more…)

  • A Monarch’s Mulsanne

    A Monarch’s Mulsanne

    Bentley Mulsanne used by the Queen between 2012 and 2014 offered for sale for £70,000 more than a similar car without royal heritage (more…)

  • Rock’s Terraplane

    Rock’s Terraplane

    Kid Rock to sell 1935 Hudson Terraplane featured in 2009 film ‘Public Enemies’ (more…)