I was on my second PBJ & Bacon Burger at Rehab Burger Therapy on 2nd Street in Scottsdale, Arizona, not far from Scottsdale Fashion Square where Dave Gooding is having his auction in a few weeks.
The PBJ ($16) freaks your mouth out with a ridiculously delicious American flavour combination of peanut butter, grape jam, bacon and sriracha hot sauce (so hot it ranks in the 1000-2500 heat units range). Lucky I was there for happy hour (11am to close every day) so the frozen margaritas, cooling to the burnt out tongue and for speech therapy, were only $13.
Anyway, while I was contemplating the giant flip-flop (thong), I thought: “By now you will be sick and tired of reading about Ferraris, Lambos, Porkers and McLarens selling for silly money. Of course, Dave Gooding will be auctioning a 1960 Ferrari 166MM/195S for $8 million, Bonhams a 2015 McLaren P1 for $2.6m and Russo and Steele a 1966 Lamborghini 350GT for around $1m, but I know you want me to find you some hidden gems, much in the manner of the PBJ & Bacon Burger at Rehab Burger Therapy.”
Nothing is more pedestrian than a Toyota. But the good folks at RM Sotheby’s have a 1967 Toyota 2000 GT just for you. There were only 351 of these sports cars built and only 260 are left. New they cost more than an E-Type or Porsche. Today this original colour, matching numbers, low mileage, Crown-engined two seater will cost you north of $2m.
Also at RM is a 1968 Intermeccanica Italia Spyder. Not the best known marque but a beautiful Canadian, Hungarian, Czech, Italian, American auto mash-up.
Hungarian-born Frank and Czech-born Paula Reisner left the northern US (Canada) and set up business in Turin (Italy) in 1957. After building very quick racers, Frank and Paula got Cleveland V8 engines and running gear from Ford to turn out the perfect imported sports car for the US. They sold more than 400 Italias. This one had one owner for 37 years, who spent $260,000 restoring it. I think RM sold it for around $200,000 last year and my guess is it will bring about the same this month.
You don’t usually see Boyd Coddington’s name at market auctions but the former host of television’s American Hot Rod was to custom cars what Pininfarina (now owned in India) is to European cars.
Until he died eight years ago, Boyd built cars from the ground up. Increasingly they showed a European influence, with his last car, the 1938 Coddington V12 Hemi “The French Connection”, pictured, owing more to Figoni et Falaschi than Henry Ford.
Under the Coddington bonnet an Italian V12 marine engine with 12 Weber carbs
Under the Coddington bonnet: an Italian V12 marine engine with 12 Weber carbs.
The French Connection’s hand- built steel and aluminium red-and-black body hides an Italian V12 marine engine with 12 Weber carbs. Upholstery is ostrich skin with custom luggage in the boot.
The 1938 Coddington V12 “The French Connection” owes more to Figoni et Falaschi than Henry Ford.
The 1938 Coddington V12 “The French Connection” owes more to Figoni et Falaschi than Henry Ford.
The French Connection features a hand-built steel and aluminium red-and-black body.
The French Connection features a hand-built steel and aluminium red-and-black body.
If that’s a bit too Euro for you then what about the 1992 Peterbilt 379 Transformers Optimus Prime stunt truck? From the movie of the same name (Transformers, not Peterbilt), Optimus Prime is subtly decorated in blue with red flames. Both classics with Barrett-Jackson out at WestWorld of Scottsdale.
