Ten Cars We Are Watching at the Arizona Auctions This Year
We scoured the catalogs of all five live auctions in Arizona to find 10 cars worth paying attention to this year
01/23/2024
In This Article
Category:
Guides
With the calendar approaching the end of January, many car collectors have turned their focus toward the Phoenix area, where multiple live auctions take place every year. Over the course seven days of gavel-banging action, well over 2,000 cars will cross the block at events produced by RM Sotheby's, Bonhams, Worldwide, MAG and Barrett-Jackson. The auctions include everything from no-reserve, entry-level cars to Full Classics built on a grand scale to muscle cars from an era that we will never be repeated to high-revving European sports cars.
We looked through each event's digital catalogs to find vehicles that represent trendsetters and bellwethers from the many different genres that drive the collector car hobby. Below are 10 such cars that we think will set the tone for the week's results when the hammer comes down for the last time this Sunday.
1963 Shelby Cobra 289 (RM Sotheby’s Lot 153)
Image courtesy of RM Sotheby's
The original Shelby Cobra was delivered with Ford’s 260-cu.in. small-block V8, albeit a hopped-up version in most cases. RM Sotheby’s notes this 1963 Shelby Cobra 289, CSX2044, as the first of the famous Anglo-American sports cars to have been fitted with the larger-displacement 289-cu.in. V8. The auction house describes the car as “likely the most obsessively documented Cobra on the planet,” adding that the original engine remains with the car, marking this Cobra as a true piece of automotive history. That “two-inch thick file” of paperwork includes the provenance of a three-owner car.
1961 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster (Worldwide Lot 62)
Image courtesy of Worldwide Auctioneers
Between 1957 and 1963, Mercedes-Benz produced just 1,858 300SL Roadsters, its follow-up model to the 300SL “Gullwing” Coupe. While the Gullwing models tend to garner more headlines and trade for slightly higher values, the 300SL Roadster remains a solid, seven-figure, blue-chip collectible. This 1961 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster offered by Worldwide Auctioneers is noted to includes its complete numbers-matching drivetrain, extensive documentation and a “desirable” black exterior over a red leather interior. It previously failed to sell nearly three years ago in an online auction with a high bid of $1,090,000.
1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray Coupe (Bonhams Lot 24)
Image courtesy of Bonhams
Second-gen Corvettes remain a staple of the old-car hobby, with every auction in Arizona this week offering at least one. While later big-block C2s score the biggest with bidders, among the small-block cars, the one year only split-window coupes like this 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe are the biggest draw. Offered by Bonhams at no reserve, this split-window coupes boasts of not only its numbers-matching 327-cu.in. V8 engine but also a host of options, such as power windows, Delco AM/FM radio and air conditioning. Though listed as not having been started and categorized as “may require recommissioning,” it still carries a strong, but rather wide, $80,000-$140,000 pre-auction estimate.
1973 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS (RM Sotheby’s Lot 128)
Image courtesy of RM Sotheby's
Among the bellwether of vintage Ferraris (even if not technically a Ferrari, though manufactured by Ferrari), the Dino 206 and 246 have seen prices ride a roller coaster over the past few decades, often leading the pack when classic car values are rising and then again when those values retreat. Heading into its annual Arizona Auction, RM Sotheby’s has listed this 1973 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS with an estimated sale price of $650,000 to $850,000. In the past few years, we’ve seen record prices approaching $1,000,000 for a model that was once considered among the lowest entry points for a vintage Ferrari. This particular Dino has the rare and desirable “chairs and flares” options, so called for its integration of Daytona-style seats and widened wheel arches. Records indicate less than 150 Dinos were so equipped.
1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS Convertible LS6 (Barrett-Jackson Lot 1370)
Image courtesy of Barrett-Jackson
Chevrolet’s solid-lifter LS6 carried a rating of 450 horsepower, making it one of the highest factory power figures of the muscle car era. Offered at no reserve, this 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS Convertible LS6 is one of some 4,475 total Chevelle LS6’s made that year, though there is no breakdown known between coupe, convertible or El Camino models. Previously sold at Barrett-Jackson in 2016 for $176,000 in a condition that was noted as largely “original,” this numbers-matching LS6 Convertible has since been restored to what appears to be a very high standard, with extensive photography of the redo promised for the next owner.
1933 Packard Twelve Convertible Victoria (RM Sotheby’s Lot 167)
Image courtesy of RM Sotheby's
Open prewar Classics have been the stars of auctions and prestigious car shows since the dawn of the hobby. This 1933 Packard Twelve Convertible Victoria is exactly the sort of car that ignites the passions of bidders by ticking nearly all the boxes. It’s rare as one of just six remaining Convertible Victories built on the 1005 chassis. The bodywork is by renowned coachbuilder Raymond Dietrich. It has the provenance of being originally owned by a celebrity when new; Maurice Chevalier in this case. It is powered by Packard’s legendary 160-horsepower, 445.5-cu.in. V12. And it boasts of a restoration that resulted in a class award at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 2023.
1969 Chevrolet Camaro COPO 427 (MAG Lot 586)
Image courtesy of MAG Auctions
When it comes to pony cars that excelled at the drag strip, the COPO Camaros with 427-cu.in. big-block V8s built quite the name for themselves 1,320 feet at a time. Chevrolet’s Central Office Production Order allowed for a backdoor way of getting Chevy’s largest engine in one of its lightest platforms. This 1969 Chevrolet Camaro COPO 427 offered by MAG Auctions includes Canadian documentation from Vintage Vehicle Services and Chevrolet expert Jerry MacNeish. The catalog listing includes plenty of notes detailing the “fully rebuilt” drivetrain and other optional components included.
1964 Sunbeam Tiger Mark I (Worldwide Lot 37)
Image courtesy of Worldwide Auctioneers
In the wake of the Shelby Cobra, Sunbeam followed in the mid-Sixties with their own similar recipe of taking a small British roadster and stuffing its engine bay to the gunwales with an American V8 to create the Tiger. Shelby himself was involved in the development, having produced a prototype for Sunbeam by installing a Ford 260-cu.in. small-block V8 into an Alpine roadster. This 1964 Sunbeam Tiger Mark I offered by Worldwide carried body number 0001JAL, marking it as the first production Tiger. Worldwide’s catalog description includes a fully known ownership history from new. With bidders keen to buy firsts or lasts of anything and those with full histories, this Tiger is one to watch.
1958 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe (Bonhams Lot 40P)
Image courtesy of Bonhams
From the mid-1950s until well into the 1960s, Ferrari made a variety of 250 GT models with the famed Colombo 3.0-liter V12. Per Ferrari’s naming convention at the time, the 250 models were named for the displacement of each cylinder in the engine. From sports cars to race cars to GTs, like this 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe, the model proliferated in design and purpose over the years. This 250 GT was originally delivered to the U.S. and features bodywork by Carrozzeria Ellena, one of around 130 or so such coupes made. Recently restored from the ground up, it was also the subject of a feature story in Hemmings Classic Car, a number of event awards and a previous sale by Bonhams at Monterey in 2023 for $1,080,000.
1970 Plymouth Cuda ‘Hemi (Barrett-Jackson Lot 1400)
Image courtesy of Barrett-Jackson
The very low production E-body Hemi cars from 1970 and 1971 are among the royalty of Mopar muscle. This particular 1970 Plymouth Cuda ‘Hemi is not only offered at no reserve, but is listed as having its original, numbers-matching drivetrain. It has been the provenance of having previously been owned by actor Nicolas Cage. It also has some notable auction history, including selling for $715,000 at Barrett-Jackson’s 2006 Scottsdale event and then for $440,000 at Russo and Steele’s 2009 Scottsdale sale.
Recent
1958 Pontiac Bonneville Sport Coupe
While GM made general announcements and events around its 50th anniversary for 1958, only Pontiac incorporated the occasion into its advertising. It mattered little that the first Pontiac rolled off the assembly line in 1926 as sub-brand of Oakland. Laid out in large letters in its brochure, Pontiac’s advertising theme for 1958 carried the tagline “The boldest advance in fifty years,” also declaring “A new kind of cars is born!” Previously introduced as a well-optioned convertible version of the Star Chief in 1957, the standalone Bonneville arrived for 1958.
Promising “the first true union of sport car action with town car luxury,” the Bonneville was only produced as a pillarless hardtop Sport Coupe or a drop-top Sport Convertible for 1958. As “a modern ultimate for the man who loves cars…this steel-muscled road machine,” the Bonneville featured a 370-cu.in. V8 engine with a four-barrel carburetor and 10:1 compression as standard equipment. An optional Tri-Power setup with triple two-barrel carburetors was given the “Tempest 395” moniker for its 395 lb-ft torque rating.
As the late 1950s was peak Jet Age, aeronautical and rocket themes pervade the details of the Bonneville. The leading edge of the scalloped rear quarter panels featured a very rocket-like piece of chrome trim that extended to a point at the front of the car. On top of each front fender, just before the headlamps, sat additional chrome-plated pieces that resembled delta-wing jets with appendages that lead into creases atop the fenders like contrails from jet engines.
Finished in Burma Green with Calypso Green accents, this 1958 Bonneville Sport Coupe, one of 9,144 produced, appears to have been restored some years ago, with a fit and finish that looks to be holding up. It is equipped with the Tri-Power 370 and a four-speed Super Hydra-Matic transmission. It is additionally fitted with power windows and power brakes, along with the rare Trans-Portable radio unit that can be removed and used as a portable radio with its built-in speaker and ability to run off batteries. The seller notes no problems with the drivetrain and asserts that the transmission shifts well.
1958 Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe
Chevrolet didn’t revel in the golden jubilee news that Pontiac touted, but its advertising in 1958 suggested that its redesigned models were “Almost too new to be true!” The ad copy also promised that “You’ll like being looked at in your beautiful ’58 Chevrolet.” Longer, lower and wider than the famous “Tri-Five” models that preceded it, the Chevrolet models somewhat mirrored what was going on at Pontiac, but with a rear-end treatment that seemed to show the previous year’s tall tailfins flopped over somewhat. In magazines ads, the words accompanying the first-year Impala Sport Coupe suggested “This sleek styles-setter promises action, gaiety, glamor—and it keeps its promises beautifully.”
Like the Bonneville nameplate, the first Chevrolet to wear the Impala badge arrived in 1958. Chevy also introduced its first big-block V8, the so-called “W” engine. For 1958, Chevrolet dubbed this 348-cu.in. engine the Turbo-Thrust V8 when equipped with a four-barrel carburetor and Super Turbo-Thrust when fitted with Tri-Power triple carburetion. Though it lacked the aviation/space themes of the Bonneville’s styling, the similarly proportioned Impala was also festooned with plenty of brightwork, from the wide grille to side spears that ran nearly from the taillights to the headlamps. Pound-for-pound, the massive wraparound bumpers probably contained the highest amount of chrome on the car.
Finished in Onyx Black with a bold Rio Red-dominated interior, this 1958 Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe now on Hemmings Auctions features a long-term restoration that spanned the 1990s. Completed in 2001, it appears to be holding up well. The photos of the very clean undercarriage that accompany the listing tell a story that the car has been taken care since that redo. This example is fitted with the four-barrel 348 that was rated at 250 horsepower when new. Power reaches the rear axle via a two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission.
GM made some distinct design changes for 1958. With plenty of models across five passenger-car divisions, we are fortunate to have options in the collector car hobby when it comes to these chrome-laden machines. Which of these ’58 hardtop coupes would you like to cruise in?
Head on over to Hemmings Auctions to take a look and let us know.
Remember when a crashed Ferrari 500 Mondial sold for nearly $2 million at auction last year? Well, this Dino admittedly isn’t nearly as valuable, nor does it have a racing history, but its final sale price could still surprise you.
“This car clearly needs complete restoration, but the good news is that it's certainly the cheapest one you will ever find,” Gullwing Motor Cars writes, adding, “The Dino market is hot and shows no signs of cooling… This deal is on fire!”
Ferrari created the Dino 246 GT for the 1970 model year to replace the prior 206 GT model. The 246 GT received an increased engine displacement to 2.4 liters, still paired with a five-speed manual transmission. While the 206 GT body was built primarily from aluminum, the 246 GT switched to mostly steel bodywork, which happens to have a higher heat resistance.
Production of the Dino 246 GT ended in 1974 with around 2,295 models built. Just over 3,700 total were built if you factor in the 1,274 GTS models produced. At the time, it was the most examples that Ferrari had ever built of any its models.
According to Conceptcarz.com, a 1972 Ferrari 246 Dino could sell for anywhere between $375,00 and $627,000 in perfect condition, between $280,000 and $375,000 in excellent condition, from $165,000 to $280,000 in good condition, and $48,400 to $165,000 in fair condition. The lowest recorded sale is $48,400 (sale date unavailable) while the highest sale so far reached to $627,000 back in 2014.
Trending
╳