We appreciate you making time to check out this week’s Hemmings Auctions Roundup. Thirty-nine new listings ran through our online auctions between Sunday, April 9th, and Saturday the 15th, and we had 32 vehicles find new homes, bringing a sell-through rate of 82 percent. Eleven of the total were post-auction Make Offer listings. You can keep abreast of the latest consignments by subscribing to the daily Hemmings Auctions email newsletter.
1995 BMW M3
Reserve: $28,500
Selling Price: $29,925
Recent Market Range: $19,000-$30,000
While it lives in the shadow of its predecessor and successor, the E36-chassis M3 is a brilliant driver’s car. This example of BMW’s flagship 3-series coupe turned heads with its signature Dakar Yellow paint, accessory rear spoiler, and aftermarket wheels; the originals were included. The crisply styled car had minor condition issues including missing paint on the air dam, wear on the driver’s seat bolster, and failing digital-display pixels. The odometer was noted to be incorrect, as well, although the M3 came with “a stack of receipts over an inch thick” and was recently treated to comprehensive suspension and brake work. It sold near the top of its market range as a Make Offer listing.
1940 International Harvester D-2
Reserve: $30,500
Selling Price: $33,600
Recent Market Range: N/A
Few recall how, in the prewar era, International Harvester built pickup trucks that competed with those from Ford and Chevrolet. This Streamline Moderne-influenced 1940 D-2 was fully restored in 2014, and it appeared to remain in show-quality condition. The half-ton was said to be rust-free and sported custom touches like bed-side panels and a marque nameplate badge on the tailgate. The interior looked equally fresh; an accessory cabin heater went with the truck, for the next owner to install. No leaks or running issues were divulged with the 213-cu.in. inline-six, either. The original reserve was dropped near the end of the auction, and the truck still beat that by around 10 percent.
1979 Pontiac Trans Am
Reserve: $21,000
Selling Price: $21,000
Recent Market Range: $19,110-$28,450
Few Seventies cars have as much swagger as a late second-gen Trans Am. Even painted a quiet color like this Make Offer-sale Nocturne Blue ’79, the flagship Firebird shouted its performance intent from the rooftops. It was a single-owner car that was built without A/C or T-tops, and had been driven fewer than 67,000 miles. The 301-cu.in. V-8 and Hurst-shifted four-speed manual gearbox worked without note, the engine having been treated to a lumpier camshaft some 2,000 miles earlier and the clutch renewed about 15 years ago. Replacement sheetmetal was fitted before fresh paint in 2005, and the black vinyl upholstery was installed at that time. Bidders responded to this virtual time machine.
1951 Ford Custom
Reserve: $38,200
Selling Price: $43,045
Recent Market Range: N/A
Convertibles like this sharply presented 1951 Ford Custom sold well when they were new, but their exposed nature made their survival rate comparatively low. Judging by the 10 bids and more than 21,000 views it received, the Ford was well worth the price paid; thankfully its sympathetically restored condition reinforced this. Some factory paint and markings were visible in the 239-cu.in. V-8’s bay, and that engine and desirable overdrive-equipped manual transmission worked “great.” Minor age was said to be visible in the paint and trim, and the tires needed replacement, but the Custom’s two-tone interior and power convertible top looked great. This sale was a good result for all parties.
2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS
Reserve: $30,000
Selling Price: $42,000
Recent Market Range: $24,500-$35,000
While a VW Bug played the role of the Autobot “Bumblebee” in the original Transformers cartoon, the robot got a muscle car makeover for the big screen. Chevrolet offered a savvy marketing tie-in with its Transformers Special Edition Camaro, built in small numbers: the seller of this automatic-equipped 2010 SS noted 1,784 made in total, of which 822 were in this spec. This car featured extra touches including color-matched trim, a cold-air intake, and performance exhaust. Fewer than 19,350 miles rolled under its 3-year-old tires, and the Chevy appeared excellent, despite repair from a minor traffic incident. The MSRP of this SS was $37,975, so the hammer price represented rare appreciation.
1968 Triumph Bonneville
Reserve: $5,000
Selling Price: $11,498
Recent Market Range: $4,500-$9,000
Fewer than 100 miles were added each year, over the course of this 1968 Triumph Bonneville’s 55-year existence, and that was why it presented so strongly in photos. The seller admitted that the bike is “a little cold-blooded at first,” but that the air-cooled 650-cc two-cylinder engine runs well. A pair of Amal Premier carburetors replaced the originals, like how a 1981 5-speed replaced the stock 4-speed transmission, the factory wiring harness was swapped for a cloth-wrapped British-made replacement, and NOS grips were installed. The tires were said to be 5 years old and have been ridden some 2,000 miles. Three videos and detailed photos helped the Triumph more than double its reserve.