Quirky classics for sale at the Scottsdale auctions

17 automotive oddities you can buy this week

Think big international car auctions are all about rare and storied classics selling for millions? OK, so usually they are – but you’ll often find a whole host of oddball motors going under the hammer, too.

Take this week’s Scottsdale sales: between bank-breaking Ferraris and one-off prototypes, there’s a whole stable of strange and quirky cars set to change hands.

From micro-cars to military off-roaders, we rounded up all the unusual lots so you don’t have to.

1963 Amphicar Model 770

Estimate: $60-80k

Designed by the man who invented the gullwing door, it’s no coincidence that the German-built Amphicar resembled a watercraft: with watertight door seals, bilge pumps, twin propellers and a hood-mounted horn, it could go from road to river at a moment’s notice.

Gifted to the original owner by her father, this highly original 1963 amphibious car then spent several years in warehouse storage, before later going on display at the Forney Museum of Transportation.

1959 Volkswagen Type 2 Swivel-Seat Kombi

Estimate: $50-70k

One of just 11 Swivel-Seat Kombi machines known to still exist, coated in a Canadian Royal Mail livery and stunningly restored to be as authentic as possible? That’s just the kind of novel and unexpected fare that makes big auctions so interesting.

Its postal origins were only discovered when the iconic Volkswagen Type 2’s paintwork was stripped down – and the original hatch, removed and preserved, is included in the sale.

1978 International Super Scout II Conversion

Estimate: $70-90k

If you’re in the market for an ostentatious off-roader with glassfibre sills, vinyl top and an unmissable paint job, you might as well make it a good one – like this restored 1978 Super Scout II.

Everything from the Omaha Orange finish to the factory correct graphics has been restored and refreshed, leaving it probably the finest plastic fantastic machine around.

Ferrari 250 California Spider Junior

Estimate: $18-25k

An absolute steal for an authentic Ferrari 250 California Spider, the only catch with this pristine machine is that it’s actually a half-scale replica for kids and anyone small enough to squeeze into its seat.

Still, with wire wheels, Brembo disc brakes and an upgraded 125cc motor, it’s no half-baked knock-off. And, if you fancy a full fleet of mini machines, RM Sotheby’s is also selling scaled-down replicas of the Ford GT and Shelby Cobra at Scottsdale.

1951 Spartan Royal Mansion

Estimate: $200-250k

Still kipping under canvas? Give your camping trip an all-metal upgrade with this gleaming vintage trailer. Fully restored by a specialist and kitted out with a host of modern fixtures – including a full entertainment system – this Spartan trailer definitely defies its name.

An arresting blend of retro style and luxury camping comfort, this is one wagon you’re unlikely to lose on the campsite.

1948 Fiat 500B Topolino Cabriolet

Estimate: $15-25k

With a nose like a ’30s cruiser and a form factor like a 2CV, Fiat’s Topolino – or ‘Little Mouse’ – remains distinctive even among the numerous oddities of the microcar world. In production for almost 20 years and built to the tune of some 84,000 units, it was also a winner for the Italian marque.

This light-grey example of the 569cc two-seater moved from Italy to the USA in 1985. Highly original and restored several years ago, it’s a fine and drivable number that’s bound to bring a smile to whoever takes it home.

1983 Toyota FJ45

Estimate: $60-85k

After a classic that can tackle all terrains and haul your whole family? Here’s one you don’t see very often: a 1980s Toyota FJ45 ‘Troopy’ in impeccable condition.

Not only was this bright and bold machine lovingly maintained for its entire life, but it recently underwent a restoration of unrivalled attention to detail, leaving the yellow off-roader gleaming and ready to go.

1959 Messerschmitt KR200

Estimate: $45-65k

If this lot resembles an aeroplane on wheels, that’s because it was made by Messerschmitt – a German aviation company that turned its hand to crafting cars after WWII. 

From the glass canopy to the streamlined body shell to the joystick controls, almost everything about the compact KR200 resembled a flying machine – and this restored example from 1959 has had an upgrade fit for a fighter jet: fitted with a 600cc two-stroke motor from a Trabant, it’s now good for 35bhp. Steady on.

1960 Porsche-Diesel Junior 109

Estimate: $30-40k

Not the sort of Porsche you tend to expect at big-money auctions, this compact tractor is nonetheless a valuable piece of Stuttgart history. 

A utilitarian tractor built for farmers with small plots and powered by a single-cylinder diesel motor good for 15bhp, the last place you’d want to take it today is a muddy field: beautifully restored, its gleaming red finish is better suited to the grassy lawns of a concours event.

1956 BMW Isetta 300 Bubble Window Z-bar

Estimate: $20-30k

The quintessential bubble car, BMW’s Isetta was a front-opening bundle of fun with 13bhp at its disposal – and they don’t come much more authentic than this Z-bar number.

Almost entirely original, cram yourself inside and you’ll find that you're instantly transported back to its mid-’50s heyday, tube radio and all.

1952 Willys M38 Korean War Jeep

Estimate: $40-50k

Justifying your purchase of this restored Korean War Jeep – complete with 50-calibre M2 machine gun that packs a simulated firing mechanism for ‘realistic flame blasts’, as well as a host of machetes, bayonets, helmets, deactivated grenades and ammunition and even a bullet hole – is never going to be easy. 

Helpfully, a portion of the proceeds are being donated to a military charity, which should soothe your conscience as you barrel around in your newly acquired machine.

1928 Ford Model A V8 Roadster Pickup

Estimate: $40-60k

Equal parts pick-up and hot rod, this Ford Model A – modified in the ’40s – will haul your gear to a race meet, then drop some rubber of its own.

Equipped with a Mercury V8, dropped front Axle and Ford overdrive, it’s won awards for the quality of its restoration and, driven sensibly, can just about go unnoticed about town. Unless you rev it, obviously.

1951 Willys Model 6-73 Station Wagon

Estimate: $30-40k

Not weird, perhaps, but certainly uncommon today: the oak-panelled Willys Station Wagon was once the car of the American people – the first factory-built estate in the USA.

With the nose of a military Jeep and a back-end that could haul passengers, cargo and everything in-between, it also enjoyed several smart design features, including removable seats.

This 1951 example has enjoyed a life of careful ownership and goes to auction in wonderful condition, benefiting from an older restoration.

1960 Autobianchi Bianchina Trasformabile

A Fiat 500 in luxury trim, Autobianchi’s Bianchina was arguably the bonniest microcar of the bunch, especially in natty red and cream colour scheme.

This rare Trasformabile model – complete with fold-back fabric roof panel – was sold new in South Africa, before being taken to the USA and driven for decades. Recently restored, it’s as stunning as they come today, from the chrome to the white wheels to the leatherette interior.

1974 Volkswagen Type 181

Estimate: $15-25k

Developed for military use, Volkswagen’s utilitarian soft-roader was a machine of many names: Kurierwagen, Trekker, Safari and – perhaps most fittingly of all – Thing.

This mid-’70s example still wears its original Alpine Green factory finish and does even more to justify its ambiguous moniker: it’s been modified with a stainless-steel exhaust, adjustable air suspension, Porsche Fuchs alloys and a whopping great chain on the front.

1948 Spurgin-Giovanine Roadster

Estimate: $250-350k

Probably the most extreme of our quirky picks, this well-known hot rod was built by Chuck Spurgin and Bob Giovanine with a single purpose: to win races on dry lake beds.

Based on an older roadster, it would get faster throughout 1948, setting a record first at 113.95mph, then 117.515mph, before finally topping 120mph and winning the SCTA Class A Championship, before going on to feature on the front of Hot Rod as – what else? – Hot Rod of the Month.

1993 Vector Avtech WX-3R Roadster Prototype

Estimate: $450-550k

Upstart marque Vector built just a handful of its fabled W8 supercars, but they were enough to see the 625bhp machine become something of an icon – and raise funds for a successor: the even more arresting WX-3R.

First seen at Geneva in 1992, a roofless roadster variant took the stand the following year, complete with a 6-litre V8 motor and a startling streamlined shell.

Alas, a corporate takeover meant the potential world-beater never made it into production, leaving this prototype as the only open-top example ever made.

RM Sotheby’s Scottsdale auction starts on 17 January, as does Gooding & Co’s; Bonhams’ takes place on 18 January.