The Owls Head Transportation Museum in Owls Head, Maine, held its annual auction on August 23 and 24. It’s the museum’s number one fundraiser, with proceeds used for operating expenses, as well as its research, preservation, and educational activities. This year, there were just over 200 cars and trucks up for bid, in addition to motorcycles, trailers, wooden boats, and automobilia. There was something for every budget and interest, from a 1934 Packard Twelve that brought in $277,200 to a 1979 Mercedes-Benz 240D that went home with a new owner for less than $1,500. We’ll have a full report on the New England Auto Auction in an upcoming issue of Hemmings Motor News, but, in the meanwhile, I thought I’d share with you a few of the cars that caught my attention at the preview.
1963 Mercury Comet
This clean Comet had so much going for it — great colors, a 260-cu.in. V-8, a manual transmission, and aftermarket air conditioning, for starters. The recent paint and the chrome were show-quality, the windshield and backlite were new, and the neat interior might have been the original. Offered at no reserve, it sold for $7,700. Values of first-gen Comets have been falling, and folks don’t often get excited about foor-door sedans, but this still looked like a great pickup by the new owner.
2003 Honda S2000
With less than 10,000 miles on the odometer, this S2000 looked as if it had just rolled out of the showroom. Values for these roadsters have been on a steady rise, and this one did not slip through the cracks: Even though it was offered without reserve, it still bought a winning bid of $37,950, or about 15 percent more than the market average. With its screaming 240-hp, 2.0-liter inline-four, the S2000 was a worthy rival for the Porsche Boxster and BMW Z3, and a big step up from a Miata.
1941 Packard Super Eight
With the Twelve retired after 1939, the Super Eight One Sixty and the similar One Eighty were the finest cars Packard had to offer. This touring sedan was equipped with a divider between the front and rear passenger compartments, which the seller believed had to have been a custom order. It also featured deluxe bumper guards, a spotlight, a cormorant hood ornament, and a reversing lamp, making it one well-dressed Packard. Beneath the hood was Packard’s fine, 356-cu.in., L-head straight-eight, good for 160 hp. Another no-reserve car, this Full Classic sold for $31,900, splitting the house estimate of $25,000 to $35,000.
1974 Honda CB750
When I was young, I had a Honda CB350, but of course what I really wanted was one of these. The CB750 pretty much introduced the idea of a four-cylinder road bike for the masses; the OHC four was smoother than the twins of the day, and put out 67 hp. It looked just right, too, with its metalflake finish and megaphone exhaust, and the kind of fit and finish that would soon make Americans fall in love with Honda’s automobiles. This one had been treated to a professional restoration, and no corners had been cut. Offered without reserve, it brought $18,480, or about three times what the price guides say one of these is worth.
1954 Dellow Mk IIB
Here’s a car you don’t see every day. The British firm Dellow sprang up after World War II, named for its founders, Ken Delingpole and Ron Lowe. The Mk IIB used a tubular chassis, with an alloy body and an English Ford 100E four-cylinder for power. This example was the first Dellow sold new in the U.S., through London Motors of Brooklyn, N.Y., and it came with a long and complete history that includes club racing in the 1950s and ’60s and a crash at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix in 1998. Stored away for 20 years in a private collection, the Mk IIB was sold at Owls Head in 2022 to a new owner who recommissioned it. This year, the bidding stalled out at $12,000, not enough to take this charmer home.
1949 Diamond T 201
It’s great to see pickup trucks getting the respect they deserve, with concours-quality restorations becoming more and more common. In fact, this sparkling Diamond T was invited to participate in the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance in 2022. With their combination of streamline moderne styling and excellent build quality, these trucks are highly sought after today. Its Hercules straight-six has been completely rebuilt, and works in conjunction with a four-speed Warner T9 transmission and an optional 62-mph rear axle. Offered with no reserve, this truck hauled in $56,100, or about $10,000 more than the average for a 201.
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