Classic cars require tricky economics
With some of the strangest machines ever made, a California auction will test the law of supply and demand
For all of its engineering wizardry and marketing magic, today’s auto industry is running short on strange. In dealerships, there’s something for everybody, from speed freaks to fuel sippers, but much of it looks pretty much the same.
Of course, it wasn’t always this way. Back before reams of safety regulations standardised grille heights and crumple-zones, and certainly before global conglomerates perfected the art of sharing parts and platforms, cars were creative and sometimes downright odd.
Six of the quirkiest vehicles to ever roll off an assembly line will be available this coming Saturday at RM Sotheby’s auction in Santa Monica, California. Each of these machines makes a vintage Porsche 911 look common—even boring. And what’s more, they cost far less.
1955 Messerschmitt KR175 (estimated US$40,000 - US$50,000)
This micro-car is what happened when a manufacturing giant no longer had to supply the German Lufftwaffe. Over a decade, the former fighter-plane maker cranked out about 10,000 of its “kabinenroller,” which roughly translates to “cabin scooter.” It has three wheels, two seats—one in the front and one in the back—and one handlebar for steering. It also has four different gears for driving in reverse.
1968 Mazda Cosmo Sport Series I (US$110,000 - US$130,000)
Japanese sports cars have been having a moment, and the Cosmo is arguably the granddaddy of them all. It was racecar-light and built around a rotary engine, a configuration of cylinders most commonly found on airplanes. The engine alone is still considered vanguard technology.
1936 Lincoln-Zephyr (US$70,000 - US$85,000)
Picture a Chicago mobster in a Depression-era chop shop and you’ll be near the provenance of this opulent Lincoln. Theoretically, the twin grilles were designed for more efficient engine-cooling; practically, they were for making a grand entrance. Sotheby’s sold the rusted out shell of this car for about US$11,000 in 2011. Since then, its interior and engine have been painstakingly rebuilt, although it still has a safe bolted in the trunk.
