A 1956 Maserati A6G/54 Spider and a 1964 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso are the highlights of the Gooding Geared Online October 2020 sale.
A rare 1956 Maserati A6G/54 Frua Spider (Estimate: $2,000,000 – $2,750,000) is the most-expensive car on offer at the Gooding Geared Online October 2020 classic car auction. Other million-dollar-plus cars on offer include a 1964 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso (Estimate: $1,400,000 – $1,800,000), a light blue 1975 Lamborghini Countach LP400 ‘Periscopica’ (Estimate: $900,000 – $1,100,000), and a 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing (Estimate: $1,000,000 – $1,300,000).
Gooding Geared Online October 2020 Sale
Gooding & Company will stage its October Geared Online classic car auction from October 26 – 30, 2020. Bidding will only be online but Gooding will house all vehicles and automobilia included in the online auction within one accessible location in Southern California, providing the unique ability to offer on-site inspections for interested bidders and to engage with the available lots on behalf of buyers and sellers.
Top Italian Cars at Gooding Geared Online October 2020 Sale
Three super Italian cars are expected to sell for over a million dollars in the Gooding Geared Online classic car auction end October 2020. Only one is a Ferrari:
1956 Maserati A6G/54 Frua Spider
Unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in 1954, the A6G/54 represented the ultimate evolution of Maserati’s first postwar sports car. The A6G/54 was an exclusive gran turismo developed from the highly successful A5GCS racing cars and the earlier single-cam A6G/2000 road car. Its fine engineering and exquisite attention to detail embodied the very best qualities of the Maserati marque. Based on a robust tube-frame chassis, the A6G/54 borrowed a variety of features from the A6GCS, including many of its race-proven braking, steering, and suspension components. At the heart of the car is a gorgeous all-aluminum twin-cam six-cylinder engine that Gioacchino Colombo had originally developed for competition purposes. The A6G/54 was among the best performing two-liter cars of its era, equipped with three Weber side-draft carburetors, and available with an optional twin-plug cylinder head.
According to marque historian Dr. Adolfo Orsi, just ten A6G/54s were fitted with Frua’s Spider coachwork. The 1956 Maserati A6G/54 Spider (Estimate: $2,000,000 – $2,750,000), chassis 2180, on offer in the Gooding Geared Online sale was the first A6G/54 Frua Spider built, and as such, was the prototype of this exclusive series. Constructed by Frua between May and August 1956, this Spider possesses several unique features not seen on any subsequent example. Notably, this car’s aluminum dashboard is painted entirely in the body color, rather than upholstered, and is adorned with decorative trim on the instrument panel.
Delivered new to Paris-based Maserati agents, the A6G/54 soon moved to America, where it has since been owned by marque enthusiasts throughout its life. Under the careful supervision of Maserati authority Dr. Adolfo Orsi, Jr., the 2180 was completely restored to its original splendor. Carrozzeria AutoSport carried out the comprehensive restoration of the Frua coachwork, carefully repairing the original body, and seamlessly integrating newly fabricated panels with carefully preserved sections of original aluminum. Completed in April 2008, after nearly five years of continuous work, the 2180 was issued a FIVA passport and debuted at the prestigious Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, where it justifiably earned First in Class honors. After this impressive showing, the Maserati returned home to Houston, where it won a prize at the Classy Chassis Concours d’Elegance.
1964 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso
The 1964 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso (Estimate: $1,400,000 – $1,800,000), chassis 5931 GT, is among the very last of the 350 examples built and was delivered new to US distributor Luigi Chinetti Motors in New York.
Regarded as an automotive great from the outset, the 250 GT Lusso has always been one of the most desirable road-going Ferraris. As the last production 250 GT model, the Lusso was the culmination of a decade of steady chassis development. Although the Lusso was designed for sophisticated grand touring use, more adventurous owners demonstrated its motor-sport heritage with successful outings at the Targa Florio, the Tour de France, and the Spa sports car races.
A 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso Berlinetta sold for a very strong €1,782,500 ($2,102,458) at the Bonhams De Zoute Sale in mid-October 2020.
1975 Lamborghini Countach LP400 ‘Periscopica’
The 1975 Lamborghini Countach LP400 ‘Periscopica’ (Estimate: $900,000 – $1,100,000), chassis 1120064, is one of only 158 Countach LP400 ‘Periscopicas’ ever made. It is presented in its striking original Blu Metallizzato livery.
Out of the many lightning bolts thrown by a young Marcello Gandini during his tenure at Carrozzeria Bertone, the Lamborghini Countach LP400 ‘Periscopica’ defined many precepts of the mid-engine exotic car. The successor to the legendary Miura P400, the LP400 Countach was unveiled in prototype form at the 1973 Geneva Auto Show and entered production the following year. Featuring scissor doors, origami-like bodywork, a periscope-style rearview mirror, and Lamborghini’s robust four-liter V-12, the original Countach is the definitive Italian supercar of the 1970s.
One of two examples sold to Saudi Arabia in 1975, this early-production Countach was later owned by collectors in Germany and Italy before settling with its current owner in the US.
Top Mercedes-Benz Cars at Gooding Geared Online October 2020 Sale
Two top Mercedes-Benz cars will also be on offer in the Gooding Geared Online October 2020 classic car auction:
1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing
The 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing (Estimate: $1,000,000 – $1,300,000) was restored in 1997. Tasked by famed 300 SL restoration expert Jerry Hjeltness, this Gullwing underwent a 10-month body-off restoration in which most components were renewed, restored, or replaced to new or better condition. Upon completion, the car was shown at the Le Cercle Concours in California, where it won Best of Show.
Today the car remains in stunning condition, and its restoration appears incredibly fresh. It is finished in Silver (DB 180) over a green leather interior with matching green fitted luggage. With its known provenance, owner’s manual, tool kit, knock-off hammer, spare tire and jack, and sensational appearance, this Gullwing awaits major concours or event exposure.
Gullwings remain hugely popular although prices are generally weaker than a few years ago. At least three were sold for over a million dollars in 2020 and a few went for slightly less.
1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 Sc Cabriolet
Introduced as a four-door sedan and convertible sedan, the 300-Series Mercedes-Benz cars signaled a return to prewar prominence. The design and development of these new paradigms also provided the basic mechanicals of the competition cars. This paved the way for the all-conquering 300 SL racers of 1952 and the SL road cars of 1955. These luxurious limited-production cars, generating 150 horsepower with a three-carburetor engine, were well received by both the motoring press and the buying public. Refined and hand-built, the 300 Sc Cabriolet, with its insulated convertible top and landau bows, is both the rarest and most luxurious of the series. Only 49 were constructed over the short production run.
The 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 Sc Cabriolet (Estimate: $750,000 – $950,000) on offer recently underwent a painstaking restoration by renowned Mercedes-Benz specialist Rudi Koniczek, who returned the car to its attractive and desirable factory-delivered colors of Tobacco Brown with tan interior and a brown top. The car’s mechanical components were also replaced or repaired, bringing this exquisite car to concours standards.
