18 head-turning classics for sale

French fancies

France-based auction house Aguttes often delivers interesting, seldom-seen classics in its sales and its next event, in Paris on Sunday 12 December 2021, is no exception.

In fact, so intrigued were we that we had to dig deeper then, of course, share them with you.

So in no particular order, here are 18 classic cars in that forthcoming sale that caught our eye – could you be tempted?

1. 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ (est: €800,000-1,200,000)

We are sure you quite understand why this stunner attracted our attention.

This month’s 92-car sale features four Zagato cars, which is pretty unusual, and the first we’re going to look at is this, which is said to be one of the most original examples.

One of 112 built, this TZ (‘Tubolare Zagato’) weighs a mere 660kg and is powered by a 1570cc four-cylinder engine that has 112hp in road trim, 160hp in the racers.

1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ (cont.)

This particular car left the Zagato workshops on 2 April 1965 painted red, with a black interior – it is believed that its owner from March 1977 until March ’83 brought about the colour change, and had the rear wheelarches widened for competition purposes.

But that’s not to say it has been ragged to within an inch of its life for decades. Its last two keepers had it as part of vast collections, the most recent for nearly 28 years.

A serious head-turner.

2. 1990 Alfa Romeo 3000 SZ (est: €50-80,000)

Another Zagato – and another Alfa – in Aguttes’ 12 December sale is this 3000 SZ, the 38th of 1035 built, and still finished in its original Rosso Alfa.

Which is just as well, because all 3000 SZs were this colour apart from one, for Andrea Zagato, no less, which was black.

1990 Alfa Romeo 3000 SZ (cont.)

The auction house says that its exterior has a ‘beautiful period patina’, while inside it has its original bucket seats wrapped in tan Connolly leather, and that sweet-sounding V6 to propel it.

When the covers first came off the Alfa Romeo 3000 SZ at 1989’s Geneva show, some thought it was a concept car – and it still has that stop-and-stare quality in 2021.

3. 1969 Fiat 500F (est: €8-12,000)

This little Fiat isn’t as unusual as the Zagato cars we’ve just looked at, but we reckon you’d still turn heads if out and about in it – and with a €8-12,000 pre-sale estimate, it will set its winning bidder back rather less than those two, too.

First hitting the road on 1 June 1969 in Paris, its original owner clearly loved the car because she kept it until the early 2000s.

1969 Fiat 500F (cont.)

By 2003 its new owner decided it was time for some TLC, so a restoration was undertaken.

This work was comprehensive, including, but not limited to, new front bumpers, new door panels, a fresh, windows-out paintjob, a new fabric sunroof and a mechanical overhaul.

Today the auction house says it is ‘a very attractive car in perfect working order’. 

4. 1962 Panhard PL17 Grand Standing (est: €4-8000)

Given this is a French sale by a French auction house, you might expect some of the country’s classics to feature – and you’d be right.

Here we have one car from a four-strong Panhard collection that’s going under the hammer on 12 December, and we think it is fair to say that with its charming but, some would consider, challenging aesthetics, any classic Panhard is a true head-turner.

1962 Panhard PL17 Grand Standing (cont.)

This is not a budget-buster – at least not yet, because this six-seat classic could do with some recommissioning work.

The characterful, two-tone upholstery would benefit from some love, the auction house concedes there is some rust and it was repainted ‘in an amateur way’.

The potential, however, is clear.

5. 1982 Citroën Visa Trophée Group B (est: €30-40,000)

Speaking of French curiosities, when did you last see one of these? Not too recently, we’d guess, given this is one of 200 built for homologation purposes.

Powered by a 1284cc, twin-carb engine giving 100hp, these competition Visas went on a crash diet that included lightened body work and plastic windows.

1982 Citroën Visa Trophée Group B (cont.)

As you might expect, many of these homologation specials were used competitively and very few were converted into rally cars – but this one was. However, it has never been campaigned.

It was sold new in August 1982 to a family of jewellers in the south of France who by October 1987 had done just 6200km (c3850 miles) in it.

When they sold it in part-exchange for a new Alfa, it went into a garage and remained there until 2007. It changed hands a few times with very few kilometres added to the odometer.

Its current keeper found it in April 2021 having done 8444km and has finally given it the love it deserves with a full restoration. Aguttes says it is in ‘exceptional condition’ and ‘nothing is missing’.

6. 1958 BMW 501 (est: €20-30,000)

This classic car is definitely a head-turner, especially because many people won’t have a clue what it is.

The answer is the first post-war BMW, a 501, and this is from the third series of production, of which just 150 were built in 1958.

With 2077cc of straight-six power developing a mighty 72hp, this is definitely a car more for status than performance.

1958 BMW 501 (cont.)

And it does look extremely impressive – somehow elegant and purposeful all at once.

Particularly from a distance, because the auction house boasts that it is ‘entirely original’, but this means it has been maintained but never restored.

Patinated but said to be in good condition, and apparently with rust-free floors, might this be a project that could be your ticket to grand classic motoring in 2022?

7. 1966 Shelby GT350 (est: €100-150,000)

Here we have a genuine Shelby, listed in the Shelby American World Registry – plus its history has been documented since new, 55 years ago.

Initially this coupe was a company car for Jim Riddle, who worked with Carroll Shelby, before eventually heading to its first ‘real’ owner, who lived in Georgia.

1966 Shelby GT350 (cont.)

In the early 1990s it was imported to France and its new custodian hung onto it for nearly two decades, at which point it was prepared for competition.

Its most recent keeper took ownership in January 2010 and reverted it almost completely to its factory spec – and it does look very fine in Wimbledon White with its pair of Guardsman Blue stripes.

8. 1973 Maserati Bora 4.9 (est: €50-70,000)

As if being a Maserati Bora wasn’t enough to make this classic car stand out, it’s finished in a very fetching shade of yellow.

Of course, the model made it to its half-century milestone this year, having been launched at the 1971 Geneva show, and Giorgetto Giugiaro’s lines are still as arresting today as they were 50 years ago.

1973 Maserati Bora 4.9 (cont.)

When new, this car was shipped to California and it is not known what happened until, in 1982, it was bought by an owner in Massachusetts with 23,000 miles on the clock.

It is being sold by Aguttes from a collection it has been in since December 1989 and it bears a Monégasque registration.

9. 1951 Fiat 1100 ES (est: €120-180,000)

How sweet is this? It probably won’t come as a surprise that this attractive Fiat coupé was penned by Pinin Farina.

Officially, 400 were built, but today this is thought to be one of just 10 survivors, and it rolled off the production line on 5 June 1950 before heading to Carrozzeria Pinin Farina, then returning to the Lingotto factory for pre-delivery testing. And it was eventually sold to an owner not in Italy but Morocco – Casablanca, to be precise.

1951 Fiat 1100 ES (cont.)

Fast-forward to the mid-’80s and it was still in Morocco, now in an underground car park and complete, but local kids had been using it as a playground. Still, as a matching-numbers car, it was worth saving.

A restoration got under way in the mid-’90s which took around 15 years. The result is the striking coupé you see here – and it was even recognised with an award from Paolo Pininfarina in 2017.

10. 1959 Lancia Appia GTE (est: €60-80,000)

From one famous coachbuilder to another, we’re back with Zagato – and the first Zagato body distributed by Lancia.

Zagato produced a range of Appia bodies and even two examples of the GTE – ‘Gran Turismo Esporto’ – can look different.

Lower, even more wind-cheating bodywork and a longer nose are among the variant’s characteristics.

1959 Lancia Appia GTE (cont.)

A lack of detailed record-keeping means there’s some debate as to how many were built, but it is thought that around 167 GTEs were created.

This car was sold new by Max Hoffmman in New York, and it stayed Stateside for 40 years until it came back to Europe and joined the collection it is now being sold from.

We understand a mechanical restoration is required, but this is a rare chance to buy this model.

11. 1939 Citroën Traction 11BL Cabriolet (est: €50-70,000)

Our second Citroën couldn’t be more different from the first. A sweeping, rarely seen cabriolet with what vendor Aguttes describes as an ‘attractive estimate’, this is a classic car for turning heads and making a statement.

Designed by Jean Daninos, who’d go on to lead Facel Vega, it borrows its front from its saloon sibling, but out back there’s a fold-out bench seat, so the car satisfied André Citroën’s request that it can accommodate four.

1939 Citroën Traction 11BL Cabriolet (cont.)

According to one specialist, of the 4672 built, today around 450 remain.

Another lot being sold from a collection, it is said to be ‘in excellent condition’, thanks to an older restoration, however prospective bidders should note that it is currently not registered.

12. 1939 Fiat 1500B Cabriolet (est: €60-100,000)

Also from 1939 is this dashing Fiat, which wears rare Balbo coachwork – so rare that Aguttes states it is ‘presumably unique’.

Be that as it may, this is one top-drawer head-turner, plus it is being offered with no reserve on 12 December in Paris.

1939 Fiat 1500B Cabriolet (cont.)

This car came into being mere weeks before the outbreak of the Second World War, leaving Carrozzeria Italiana di Torino – also known as Balbo after its founder, Alfonso Balbo – in August 1939.

It is being sold from a collection and is understood to have been restored, at considerable cost, in the 1990s, but it will need some work prior to hitting the road.

13. 1996 BMW Z3M Coupé (est: €40-60,000)

It’s time for a change of pace with our next head-turner – especially with its evocative, Place de la Concorde photoshoot location.

The Estoril Blue paint really pops in the sunshine and this is one of 472 in this colour, and one of 83 produced without a sunroof.

1996 BMW Z3M Coupé (cont.)

It was sold new to Japan, then came to the UK in 2018 and by 2019 it was in Paris being fettled by a marque specialist.

It has done 68,327km (fewer than 42,500 miles) and, according to Aguttes ‘its condition leaves one dreaming’. Wow.

14. 1959 Panhard Dyna Z17 Cabriolet (est: €30-50,000)

From the same collection as the other Panhard we looked at earlier is this dashing Dyna – and we just love its two-colour finish.

You can be pretty confident if you took this to your local car show no one else will turn up in a similar model, given 550 Dyna Z cabriolets were built including 169 Z17s, and the final-evolution, Tiger-engined Z17, as we have here, is yet rarer still.

1959 Panhard Dyna Z17 Cabriolet (cont.)

Any prospective bidder at Aguttes’ 12 December sale will have to take into consideration the fact that this car will need some TLC.

It was restored in the late ’80s by someone who didn’t adhere to the most strict standards when it came to authenticity – that snazzy paintwork is not original, for example.

It runs but will need mechanical attention, work to the body and to its soft-top, which is damaged.

15. 1966 Alfa Romeo 2600 SZ (est: €100-150,000)

Our final of the Zagato quartet is this 1966 Alfa, one of 105 built, which rolled off the production line on 14 December of that year, painted Grigio Chiaro Metallizzato, teamed with a black leatherette interior.

SZ stands for Sprint Zagato, and this model has a 2.6-litre, straight-six, triple-carb engine that helps it to a 210kph (130mph) top speed.

1966 Alfa Romeo 2600 SZ (cont.)

This car changed hands in July 1978 and again in May 1987, before joining the collection from which it is being sold in July 2019.

Before that, though, it was restored in a process finished in June 1992, during which it is thought it was repainted in this brighter colour. 

16. 1963 Studebaker Avanti (est: €40-50,000)

The distinctive styling of the Studebaker Avanti means it always stands out and this example in Aguttes’ sale catalogue is no exception.

The late Raymond Loewy’s work still appeals today, and this silver-blue, February ’63 car with a red and cream faux-leather interior, plus a manual gearbox, is said to be in great condition.

1963 Studebaker Avanti (cont.)

This Avanti was in the US until 2011 and 65,000 miles, and in 2012 it was exported to France by its current custodian who made sure it was in fine fettle for many a motoring adventure.

The supercharged V8 engine was rebuilt in 2017 and the brakes were overhauled more recently. It might well be ready for another road trip.

17. 1993 Mazda 323 GT-R (est: €14-20,000)

This Japanese tearaway certainly stands out from the rest of Aguttes’ catalogue – and it most definitely ticks the ‘head-turner’ box.

It’s the rally homologation hot hatch you might have forgotten about, complete with extra Hella lamps, vents gouged into the bonnet, a spoiler and bodykit.

1993 Mazda 323 GT-R (cont.)

In all, 2200 323 GT-Rs were sold across the globe for World Rally Championship Group A homologation purposes, and here we have number 125 of the 200 for the French market.

Incredibly, it was with the same owner from new until 2002, changing hands again in 2018 and bought by its current owner in 2019.

It is said to have been carefully cared for all its life and ready for the road.

18. 1967 Lamborghini 400GT 2+2 (est: €160-220,000)

We finish with this handsome, American-market Lamborghini, a V12-powered grand tourer that would be a wonderful addition to anyone’s car collection.

It was sold new in its Italian homeland and was there for many years before it was shipped to the USA, where it spent time on both the East and West Coasts.

1967 Lamborghini 400GT 2+2 (cont.)

It later returned to Europe and at the end of 1990 entered the collection from which it is now being sold.

And while it looks smart, despite apparently having never been restored, a word of warning: its engine was taken apart for a rebuild that never happened.

These 18 cars really are just scratching the surface of Aguttes’ 12 December 2021 sale in Paris. Find out more and take a look at the catalogue here.