7 août 2015

1955 Mercedes-Benz 190SL Roadster - 4-Speed, Matching Luggage. Estimate $150,000 - $175,000. Photo by David Newhardt, Courtesy of Mecum Auctions.  In contrast to the exorbitantly expensive, space-framed, gullwing-door 300SL, the Mercedes-Benz 190SL was built for people of closer-to-average means. And while the windshield and bumpers could easily be removed and the doors and hood replaced with readily available aluminum pieces for racing, the 190SL was more in the tradition of the open Grand Touring machine.... [Lire la suite]

1955 Austin-Healey 100 BN1 Roadster - 2.0L, 4-Speed. Estimate $95,000 - $115,000. Photo by David Newhardt, Courtesy of Mecum Auctions.  At the 1952 London Motor Show, Donald Healey's stylish Austin-Healey 100 BN1 riveted people. Flowing lines and graceful curves were elegant, as was the careful use of chrome and trim. It was remarkably modern compared to so many other sports cars of the era. Featuring a large 2.6 Liter inline-4 cylinder engine, it was more powerful than most contemporaries, yet less powerful... [Lire la suite]

1955 Porsche 356 Speedster - Professional Restoration. Estimate $375,000 - $425,000. Photo by David Newhardt, Courtesy of Mecum Auctions.  Professionally restored to factory condition in 2015, this 1955 Porsche Speedster is an early “Pre-A” model with all the qualities that made Porsche a household name in 1950s American sports car racing. The Speedster was introduced in 1954 after New York importer Max Hoffmann convinced Ferry Porsche there was a market for his cars in the U.S. Ferry had told Hoffmann of... [Lire la suite]

1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 - 2.6L, 4-Speed. Estimate $250,000 - $300,000. Photo by David Newhardt, Courtesy of Mecum Auctions.  Aston Martin had long been highly regarded for its high-quality, high-performance sports cars when English tractor manufacturer David Brown took over the then-ailing company in 1947, inheriting its new 2 liter inline-4 engine and an advanced prototype sedan. That same year Brown also rescued Lagonda, gaining the use of its potent W.O. Bentley-designed 2.6 liter overhead cam inline-6,... [Lire la suite]

1955 Porsche 356 Speedster. 1600 CC, 4-Speed. Estimate $240,000 - $260,000. Photo by David Newhardt, Courtesy of Mecum Auctions. This 1955 Porsche 356 Speedster is one of the last built before the overarching transition to the new 356A specification. It was originally a California car, residing on the Monterey Peninsula until its new owner relocated it to his home in Las Vegas, Nevada. It has long served the purpose for which it was intended, which was to serve double duty as both a road car and a racer, and... [Lire la suite]

1955 Porsche 356 Speedster - Professional Restoration. Estimate $240,000 - $260,000. Photo by David Newhardt, Courtesy of Mecum Auctions. Professionally restored to factory condition in 2015, this 1955 Porsche Speedster is an early “Pre-A” model with all the qualities that made Porsche a household name in 1950s American sports car racing. The Speedster was introduced in 1954 after New York importer Max Hoffmann convinced Ferry Porsche there was a market for his cars in the U.S. Ferry had told Hoffmann of his... [Lire la suite]

Charger with Foliate Rim and Peacock Decoration, mid-14th century, Chinese, Yuan dynasty, 1279-1368, Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, China. Blue-and-white ware: porcelain with decoration painted in underglaze cobalt blue and with molded decoration on the rim and cavetto. Diam. 48.8 cm (19 3/16 in.). Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Richard B. Hobart, 1961.112 © 2013 President and Fellows of Harvard College.