The 7 Coolest Unrestored Cars at Bonhams’ ‘Preserving the Automobile’ Auction

Original Article – September 30, 2015 – AutoWeek

Because it’s only original once

The barn-find phenomenon won’t last forever, and while we won’t miss the excessive hype afforded to sad, musty cars coated in pigeon crap, we do appreciate the renewed interest it has spurred in keeping things unrestored. After all, as they say, it’s only original once — a well-tended original vehicle will always feel more right, to us at least, than something shinier than it was the day it left the factory.

The catalog for Bonhams’ upcoming “Preserving the Automobile” sale is, fittingly, full of well-preserved old cars (and some aging older restorations). There’s far too much crossing the block to mention here, so we’ve selected seven attractive lots to highlight here. And then we threw a Chrysler LeBaron for the hell of it.

The sale will take place on the grounds of the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum on Monday, Oct. 5; there’s still time to register to bid if any of these cars catch your fancy.

1930 Pierce-Arrow Model A 7-passenger Tourer

Just about the only way to get more car for your money than a Chrysler C-body is to go with a non-coachbuilt prewar honker like this 1930 Pierce-Arrow Model A seven-passenger tourer. It’s an incredibly stately open-top car from a prestigious marque offered in dusty, but apparently otherwise well-preserved, condition; after serving as a mobile stage for a seven-piece jazz band, it’s reportedly been in dry storage since the late 1960s.

It very well might shine up nicely to reveal a wonderful patina. Even if you do end up diving into a restoration, though, you’ll have some spare parts at your disposal: The car comes with a spare eight-cylinder engine block, manifold, steering wheel and more. The only catch? You’ve got to pick up all this stuff from the car’s home in Indiana within 90 days of the auction. Road trip!

Estimate: $30,000-$50,000

E-types are hot these days — OK, they’ve always been hot, but they’re now six-figure cars — but we can’t forget about the XK150, which brings a lot of perky charm in a timeless, shapely package. The XK series’ swan song, the XK150 offered a 3,442cc inline-six engine good for 210 hp to a four-speed manual transmission in a slightly widened body.

This particular car has been stored for decades and despite a recent recommissioning it “will still need some sorting prior to regular road use,” according to the auction catalog. Aside from the mechanicals, though, you’re just good coat of wax away from a very appealing driver.

Estimate: $55,000-$65,000

1949 Allard L-Type Four-seat Roadster

Allards are cool, and you should stop associating with anyone who claims otherwise. This particular Allard, an L-Type with seating for four, is one of 191 L-Types built and one of just 10 still known to the Allard Register. Despite a decades-old series of repaints, it’s in very original condition. The flathead Ford V8 under that exceptionally long hood means that running gear shouldn’t be hard to come by — and if this was our car, we wouldn’t shy away from bolting on some period-appropriate speed gear. Just because it’s British doesn’t mean it can’t be a hot rod, too.

Estimate: $40,000-$50,000

1937 Morgan Super Sports

Three-wheeled, air-cooled V-twin British perfection. Love it. This Morgan (like the Autobianchi below) has du Pont family provenance; it was purchased in England by Alexis “Lex” du Pont in 1953 and has been in his collection ever since. It’s reportedly in running condition, or at least it was recently. But how hard could it be to get it fully sorted? It’s basically a three-wheeled motorcycle. You could certainly give this little Morgan a full restoration, but we think it’s perfect the way it is.

Estimate: $15,000-$25,000

1959 Autobianchi Bianchina First Series Transformable Coupe

Remember when microcars were hot? Yeah, we do, too. While the days of cheap Fiat Jollys and Messerschmitt Kabinerollers are gone for good, the overall market for tiny postwar econoboxes has cooled to the point where you can probably scoop an Autobianchi for less than five figures.

This adorable around-towner isn’t perfect, but according to the auction catalog, “a few weekends of careful cleaning” could really turn it around. Based on the photos, we’re inclined to agree. Besides, how complicated could 479ccs of twin-cylinder fury really be to work on?

Estimate: $8,000-$12,000

1955 Arnolt-MG Coupe

With coachwork by Bertone, this Arnolt-MG Coupe — one of 65 built alongside 35 convertibles — is one hell of a good-looking car. Its 54-hp 1,250cc inline-four doesn’t bring big numbers, but the MG TD underpinnings bode well for driving fun — and unlike everything else wearing Italian lines, its price hasn’t gone through the stratosphere.

The car was repainted green at some point in its past (it was originally colored “peacock blue,” and you can see remnants under the dash) but it’s otherwise “complete, unmodified and unmolested,” per the auction catalog, so we’re including it here.

Estimate: $20,000-$30,000

1981 Ferrari 308 GTSi

Is buying a Ferrari at auction a bit of a gamble? Absolutely. Is buying a Ferrari with an uncertain early ownership history and an odometer discrepancy an even bigger gamble? You bet. But come on, man. It’s a Ferrari! What could go wrong?

This car comes with an unpainted Koenig bumper and Koenig mirrors, but the catalog says the original parts are included if you want to bring things back to stock. Either way, these things are hot right now, and if the estimate is to believed, this one will sell right in the middle of the (rapidly increasing) range of 308 GTSi values.

Estimate: $40,000-$50,000

1986 Chrysler LeBaron Town & Country

As promised, here’s the 1986 Chrysler LeBaron Town & Country that’s crossing the block. This is the car that saved Chrysler, enhanced with a 2.2-liter turbo and snazzy woodgrain. Clean Carfax. What else do you want?

Estimate: $9,000-$15,000