While cars coming up for auction usually get most of the press, every week some of the worlds best dealers, specialists and brokers list some amazing cars for sale. Here are three of my favorites.
1960
Jaguar E2A
POA
Starting with a car I that didn’t know of before it was revealed by Fisken’s Cars at their Retromobile stand. After the Jaguar D-Type’s remarkable competition career ended, Jaguar began work on a successor to the XK120. A prototype known as “E1A” was built using many of the same techniques as the D-Type, but added independent rear suspension which caused too much load on certain parts of the car. After it was tested for two years, E1A was scrapped. But the story continued when another prototype known as E2A was built. E2A was built for racing, using a downsized XK engine with 300 HP, and a five-speed transmission with independent rear suspension. A shark fin was also added for aerodynamics. The car was tested by Norman Dewis, Jaguar’s test driver who wasn’t impressed by it and suggested changes. There were no plans to race the car, until Briggs Cunningham came along and made a deal to race E2A at Le Mans. Jaguar took this very seriously and made some changes to the car, like using a four-speed gearbox from a D-Type and a new engine. Dan Gurney and Walt Hansgen were hired to drive at Le Mans. Dan Gurney was excited to drive for Jaguar, but when he drove the car it would wobble at high speeds making it very difficult to drive. the reason for it’s terrifying handling was the toe-out on the rear wheels, which the team changed later to fix the handling. in an interview with Motorsport Magazine in 2000 Dan Gurney said that before the camber was fixed, E2A was the worst racecar he had ever driven. After the camber was changed, the car drove quite well, and was one of the quickest cars at Le Mans that year. The car was third at the start of the race, but the fuel tank leaked on the third lap, and engine issues meant the car had to retire from the race at 1:35 am. The car was then shipped to America by Cunningham, who entered it in several races where it was driven by legends including Bruce Mclaren and Jack Brabham. The car was sent back to the factory in October 1960 after it’s final race, where it was used as a test mule for early ABS systems and then as a decoy to distract from the XJ13 testing. The car was saved from scrap by Guy Griffiths in 1968, and it was repainted to the Cunningham colors that it still wears. The car has frequently been raced in historic racing, including Goodwood and Le Mans Classic. Perhaps the best part, E2A is exceptionally original having never been restored. E2A is one of the most special Jaguars ever made, with incredible provenance and in time-warp condtion. The car is currently offered by Fiskens Cars for a undisclosed price.
Photo Credit: Fiskens Cars
1952
Ferrari 340 Mexico Vignale Berlinetta
Chassis 0226AT POA
The Carrera Panamericana was one of the most intense road races ever held. Racing from border to border across Mexico for a whole week, the route was full of elevation changes and rapidly changing weather on roads that varied in quality from new highways to terrible roads. While the entry list of the first race was mostly American sedans with American or Mexican drivers, European sports cars began to participate by the second year. The first edition of the race in 1950 was won by Herschel McGriff in a Oldsmobile 88 at an average speed of 88 miles an hour, an incredible feat considering he was driving a slightly modified production car. Despite the fact that first edition of the race was already deadly, the race continued and it became a round of the World Sportscar championship. This is where Ferrari enters the story, as they wanted to appeal to the North American market and sent two 212 Inters to compete in the race. The car driven by Piero Taruffi and Alberto Ascari won the race. Ferrari then decided to develop a new car for the 1952 edition of the race, and Enzo appointed Luigi Chinetti to be Ferraris North American agent, a job that eventually evolved into the famous N.A.R.T. racing team. The result was this car, the 340 Mexico Vignale Berlinetta. Based on the 340 America, changes to the Mexico included a 150-liter endurance fuel tank, a longer fifth gear, quad carburetors that increased power to 280 horsepower, and a lighter tube chassis. But the most unique and recognizable feature is the Vignale bodywork. Designed by Giovanni Michelotti, a designer who penned some incredible cars for some of the most famous Italian studios of the era, yet he is often not given the respect he deserves among the great designers. This cars otherworldly coachwork resembles other Vignale-bodied Ferraris, but the features such as the rear fins, the slits under the taillights, and the inset doors make this car unique. Three Mexico coupes and a Mexico spider left the factory in September 1952 and arrived in Mexico in November. This car, chassis 0226 and chassis 0222 AT were purchased by Texas oil tycoon Allen Guiberson III. Part of the deal was that the cars would be driven by Ferrari’s works drivers including two-time F1 champion Alberto Ascari. The car started 14th and Ascari furiously passed nine cars, but early on he lost control and hit a rocky ledge, ending their race. The race was won by Mercedes and their 300SL, a victory that ranks among their very best wins. This car was then returned to the factory and later delivered to Guiberson III, who sold it to A.V. Dayton. Dayton entered the car in the SCCA race in Nebraska, where it was driven by Carroll Shelby to second place in his first drive in a Ferrari. Since then, chassis 0226 AT has had many owners in the US and UK, and was restored to it’s Carrera livery in 1988. The car has been on many adventures, including several trips to Monterey to compete in the Rolex Reunion, and winning awards at Pebble Beach in 1989 and 2021. The car was restored again in 2011 to it’s exact Carrera Panamericana livery and specifications. This car is now offered for sale by Girardo & Co, one of the worlds most respected Ferrari dealers. Obviously the price is undisclosed, but for one of the most unique Ferrari designs of all time with incredible race history, it’s more than valuable.
Photo Credit: Girardo & Co
2015
Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse
POA
