We can’t tell you how many times we’ve each been asked about concept cars, “Why can’t I buy one of those?” Well you can. Not often, mind you, and not cheaply. But every once in a while, one of those glitzy concepts you see on a show stand comes up for sale. And now, it’s time to grab your checkbooks.

The show car (or truck, to be precise) you see here was the centerpiece of the Ford display at the 2001 Chicago Auto Show. Dubbed the F-150 Lightning Rod, it takes the formula employed by the SVT Lightning to a more stylized extent, with a chopped roofline and raked windshield, flush-fitted neon head- and tail-lights, and a minimalist interior. The whole package is finished in metallic red with a tribal tattoo motif. A 5.4-liter SOHC V8 sat under the hood, mated to a four-speed automatic. The 21-inch aluminum wheels wear tires whose tread is cut to match the tattoo pattern.

This unique concept truck is expected to fetch around ,000 when it crosses the block at the RM Auctions event in Arizona next week, but while it’s in proper running condition, it isn’t certified to drive on public streets. Check it out the listing after the jump and browse the attached photo gallery.

Continue reading 2001 Ford F-150 Lightning Rod Concept up for grabs at RM Auctions

2001 Ford F-150 Lightning Rod Concept up for grabs at RM Auctions originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s not every day that concept cars go up for grabs. The automakers and design studios that craft them typically hold on to their show cars for posterity, putting them away in archives that we’d imagine resemble the end scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark or else putting them in their own museums for visitors to their headquarters to see. That’s what makes this particular item such a rare opportunity.

Bertone unveiled this BMW Spicup concept at the 1969 Geneva Motor Show. But unlike some of today’s concept cars, this one was actually made to be driven, taking its chassis from a BMW 2000 CS, complete with its 2.5-liter inline-six engine. Sometime after the show, it was acquired by a Dutch individual who drove it regularly, but then the car disappeared into obscurity for a couple of decades.

Now restored to concours condition, the Spicup concept has been showcased at Villa d’Este and at the BMW Museum in Munich. That’s where Bonhams just auctioned it off at its POWER by BMW event, where it sold for a high bid of €460,000 (~0k). Other highlights of the event included a Le Mans and Spa-winning ’75 3.0 CSL (est. €350,000/0k), a ’79 M1 Pro-Car (€500k/0k), a ’37 328 Roadster (€500k/0k) and even a BMW-powered Abbatte wooden speedboat (€150k/0k).

Follow the jump for more info on the Spicup show car, this link for more on the POWER by BMW event and this other link for more images.

Continue reading Bonhams auctions one-of-a-kind Bertone Spicup concept at BMW Museum

Bonhams auctions one-of-a-kind Bertone Spicup concept at BMW Museum originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Drew Phillips and I were looking over the RM docket for tonight’s auction and realized something: There are going to be more m+ vehicles going up on the block tonight than any other night we can remember. Among the highlights include 300 SL coupes, Daytona Spiders, a Ferrari 750 Monza and one magical Mercedes-Benz 540 K Spezial Roadsterthat’s sure to hit upwards of ,000,000.

We’ll be live-blogging it all after the jump, and just as an explainer: all prices listed include a 10 percent commission for the auction house, so if something – say, the 300SL above – hammers at 0,000, the final price would be 6,000. We’ll just be listing the gavel price. And with that, let’s get to it.

Continue reading 2011 RM Auctions in Monterey – LIVE BLOG

2011 RM Auctions in Monterey – LIVE BLOG originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 20 Aug 2011 22:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There are no less than five auctions slated for this week in Monterey, with literally hundreds of collectable cars up for sale. Bonhams, Gooding & Company, Mecum, RM and Russo and Steele have all been consigning cars for the past several months to try and lure in the thousands of automotive enthusiasts that gather in the Monterey peninsula every August.

It can be hard to fathom the amount and value of cars actually being auctioned off in Monterey, so to put things into perspective, collector car insurance company Hagerty has compiled the estimated net worth of every car being offered up in Monterey later this week. The total? An incredible 0 million.

A few of the highlights that will add to that total include a 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza (pictured above) expected to sell for around million, a pair of ex-Steve McQueen cars and the 1957 Ferrari 250 TR Prototype that could very well break the overall record price of a car sold at auction.

Check back later this week for highlights of the auctions, as well as the rest of our Monterey coverage.

Monterey car auctions to gross estimated 0 million in sales originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RM Auctions has come a long way in relatively few years. The Canadian automotive auction house has only been around a couple of decades – a drop in the bucket compared to rivals like Bonhams, Gooding & Co or even Barrett-Jackson – but has quickly become one of the biggest names in the business, gaining access to places like Maranello and Villa d’Este where no other auction house has gone before.

Only a few months ago, RM Auctions announced the acquisition of Auctions America, and now is adding a motorcycle division to its expanding portfolio with the takeover of Bator Vintage Motorcycle Auctions. The integration gives Auctions American by RM a solid foothold in collector motorcycles. It also brings with it the talents of company founder Glenn Bator (pictured above), a noted vintage motorcycle expert and former curator of the Otis Chandler museum, the collection of the publishing magnate that was liquidated to the record tune of million after its namesake founder’s passing.

Bator and RM will be holding their first post-merger motorcycle auction during the Auburn Cord Duesenberg festival in Auburn, Indiana, this September. Details of the announcement in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Auctions American by RM]

Continue reading RM Auctions America acquires Bator vintage motorcycle company

RM Auctions America acquires Bator vintage motorcycle company originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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