1924 BENTLEY 3/8 LITRE “HAWKEYE SPECIAL”

This is one of those magnificent cars that pops up at auction every now and then that causes a sudden spike in blood pressure that leaves me needing a lie down on the couch.

What you’re looking at is a pre-war 1924 Bentley 3/8 Litre dubbed the “Hawkeye Special”, the “3/8″ number configuration can be a little confusing however all it means is that this is a 3 litre chassis fitted with an 8 litre engine. Because why not.

Although information about this specific car is a little hard to come by we’ve ascertained that this is an original 1924 chassis with race-spec, alloy coachwork done in the early 70′s by John Guppy and Hawkeye “the Flying Swede” Wijkander. The car stands today in immaculate condition throughout, she’s street legal and fully prepared for bugs-in-your-teeth vintage racing.

The 6-pipes exiting the bonnet and running down the left side of the coachwork are marvellously Spitefire-esque and that British racing green is an almost compulsory colour choice for a car of this breeding.

The good news is that she’s heading to auction at the Monterey RM Auction on the 17th & 18th of August, if you’d like to visit the official listing, click here.

Photo Credits: Pawel Litwinski ©2012 Courtesy of RM Auctions

via SILODROME

Timeless Classics: Ferrari 250 GT California Spider

Ferrari. California. Spider. Three words that encapsulate the very essence of what driving should be all about: a race-bred automobile, sun-drenched roads snaking beside a sparkling ocean, and an open top to make the most of the warmth, the smells, the sounds and the thrills...

It's difficult to think of a machine more timelessly beautiful than the California Spider - or, indeed, one more evocative of what many believe to have been the golden era of the sports car. Born from the vision of American Ferrari distributors John von Neumann and Luigi Chinetti, who spotted a niche in the U.S. for a roadster which combined jaw-dropping looks and truly potent performance, it arrived on the scene in late '58.

Drool-worthy drop-top

Far more feisty than the touring-orientated 250 GT Cabriolet that was sold alongside it, the California Spider evolved from the 250 GT Berlinetta competition car and packed the same glorious, three-litre, 240 horsepower V12 that had brought the latter multiple wins in the Tour de France.

Combined with that drool-worthy drop-top body penned by Pinin Farina and built by Scagletti, the end result was a car which could out-pose anything on the boulevards and out-pace almost anything on the race tracks. Offered on the same, 2,600mm wheelbase as the 'TdF', just 50 of the original 'long' cars were built before being superseded in 1960 by the short-wheelbase version on a cut-down, 2,400mm chassis.

Elegance and aggression

In each case, the Pinin Farina coachwork contrived to be simultaneously elegant and aggressive, with a profile that flowed smoothly from the wing to the doors before rising sharply in a taught, muscular bulge which spoke of pent-up power awaiting release. Up front, the line of the long, sweeping nose was kept clean with a relatively small bonnet - topped by an angular bulge that helped airflow to the three, big-bore Webers.

The combination of the California Spider's looks and performance proved immensely appealing, and the cars were invariably bought by somewhat dangerous types who liked to drive hard. Probably the most celebrated owner was Hollywood star James Coburn, who acquired his short-wheelbase version in 1964, from the Belgian importer Jacques Swaters, shortly after filming the Great Escape in Bavaria.

California dreaming

In 2008, the car was sold by RM Auctions for the equivalent of £5.5 million to the British radio presenter Chris Evans - who acquired another one last year, which he is reported to have sold through Talacrest within the past few days for more than £9 million.

One lifetime, two examples of the most gorgeous Ferrari ever built? Now that really  is California dreaming.

This article is part of the 'Timeless Classics' feature series that is presented and supported by our friends at RM Auctions. 

From original to Superformance: 10 Cobras found in the Classic Driver Market

The AC/Shelby Cobra is probably the most copied car of all time. We’ve scoured our market to trace examples of the fabled snake, with results that range from a genuine, original example, to some thoroughly convincing and highly desirable reproductions…

Market | Cars

1962 AC Cobra - 260 Mark I

P.O.R.

Market | Cars

1993 AC Cobra - MK IV Lightweight: 1 of only 12 Cars Produced

P.O.R.

Auctions | Cars

1965 AC Cobra - 427 "Continuation"

EUR 90 000 - 110 000

Market | Cars

1966 AC Cobra - MK3 289

P.O.R.

Market | Cars

1963 AC Cobra

P.O.R.

Market | Cars

1983 AC Cobra - Mk.IV 427

EUR 185 491

Market | Cars

1965 Shelby Cobra - 427sc alloy

P.O.R.

Market | Cars

1966 Shelby Cobra - 427 (S/C Spec)

P.O.R.

Market | Cars

2004 AC Cobra - 289 FIA 'CONTINUATION' L.H. DRIVE

P.O.R.

Market | Cars

2000 Superformance Cobra - 460

EUR 49 317

Blue Thursday: Bonhams to auction Ferrari 275 GTB/4 in Paris

This strikingly coloured Ferrari 275 GTB/4 is well travelled, having graced Italy, the United States, Germany, Switzerland, Ireland and the United Kingdom through different ownerships. Its next stop will be Bonhams’ Rétromobile sale in Paris on Thursday, 6 February 2014…

With such global appeal, it’s little wonder that this fetching Ferrari has a few stamps in its passport. But any ill effects of its country-hopping will no doubt have been remedied by the near-£200,000 restoration that its current owner commissioned Bob Houghton to undertake in 2012. Upon completion, ‘10905’ had several hundred gentle miles pass beneath its lengthy nose before it was sent back to UK-based marque specialist Houghton for a post-run-in going-over.

The blue-on-beige beauty will cross the block at Bonhams’ Rétromobile sale in Paris next month, carrying an estimate of €2.1m – 2.6m. Along with its Ferrari Classiche certificate, a full photographic record of Houghton’s work will be supplied with the car. See the Classic Driver Market for the original advert.

Photos: Bonhams

All lots from the Bonhams 'Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais' sale taking place on Thursday 6 February 2014 in Paris can be found elsewhere on Classic Driver.