Photography by Tim Suddard • Lead by David S. Wallens
Six vehicles from the Classic Motorsports collection can now be found for auction on Hagerty Marketplace starting February 3. Here are the lots offered, and the sale will run for 14 days.
This W111 coupe was the last hand-built Mercedes. While still a project, this four-speed sunroof coupe retains the original color combination of a Blue Gray body with a White Gray roof and a cranberry red interior.
While the car will need an interior kit and some interior woodwork refinishing, the car runs and drives and is inherently in very good condition.
The paint could be redone, but with a little buffing and touch-up, it is certainly driver quality.
These cars are great drivers–though a little underpowered with their mechanically fuel-injected, 2.2-liter, single-overhead-cam engines.
Our project idea was to bolt in a much more modern twin-cam, fuel-injected M110 2.8-liter engine from a 1979 European 280SL. We procured a good-running engine that came out of a daily driven car with about 100,000 miles on it. It even had a four-speed, making the swap truly bolt-in.
This swap supposedly would require little or no drilling or damage to the original car.
This M110 engine was rated at 182 horsepower, which is half again as much as the 120 horsepower of the original engine. The engine is cleaned up and strapped to a pallet and will be included with the car if the new owner would like to have it.
This car is equipped with power steering and period-correct Becker AM/FM radio, while an entire under-dash Behr air-conditioning system comes with the car but is not installed.
The car rides on 14-inch Bundt alloys and has Vredestein tires with less than 100 miles on them. The original 13-inch wheels, hubcaps and trim rings are also included.
The odometer reads 80,911 miles, and as the car has been sitting for decades, the mileage is presumed to be original.
While the chrome is surprisingly good, there are a couple of minor rust spots underneath, and the brakes and other mechanicals will most likely need some maintenance.
The trunk is also filled with various parts we have collected for this project.
Bid on this 1965 Mercedes-Benz 220 SE Coupe
An early car with a November 1968 build date, this TR6 is striking in its Laurel Green (BRG) original color with a tan leather interior. While we love this car and have taken it on several 1000-plus-mile trips, sadly we need to make room for other cars. We have owned this car for nearly 20 years.
This TR6 was completely restored less than 10,000 miles ago from an absolutely rust-free California car. All of the sheet metal is totally original.
It has had everything done to it. The original engine was rebuilt by Triumph legend JK Jackson with a slight bump in compression (about 10:1), a mild GP2 GoodParts cam, and SU carbs that replaced the more finicky Strombergs (although the original and rebuilt carbs are included in the sale).
The engine dynoed at about 125 horsepower, which is about 20% more than stock. The idea was to make a completely streetable, comfortable, reliable cruiser.
Inside, virtually every part is new. We switched from black vinyl upholstery to a Moss tan leather interior kit. An entire QuietRide Solutions AcoustiShield insulation kit is also installed. The beautiful new wood dashboard is fitted with original instrumentation that was rebuilt by Nisonger. The car originally had about 120,000 miles on it, and we reset the odometer to zero when we completed the restoration. New three-point seat belts were installed, as was a digital GPS speedometer control.
The original AM radio was converted to AM/FM, while a cord under the dash allows an iPhone to plug in for Apple Music. A new plush carpet kit with Cocomats was also installed.
The top frames were painted, and a new tan canvas top was installed. A NOS period-correct Amco luggage rack was mounted as well. The car runs on wire wheels that had new Vredestein tires installed a few years back. We sent the tires and wheels to Hendrix Wire Wheel to make sure they were perfectly balanced.
Bottom line: If you want the most desirable year of TR6 in a classic British color combination that has had every possible trick done to it and been completely and professionally restored, this is the car for you.
A few years back, we built a 2005 Mazdaspeed Miata into an off-road vehicle, first for the Gambler 500 event here in Florida and then for rallycross work.
While we think this thing is cool as heck and an absolute terror off-road, subsequent events we wanted to take it to have always conflicted with other events on our schedule, so the car hasn’t been used much at all lately.
The car has a salvage rebuildable Florida title. While clear to be street legal on Florida roads, you would have to prove to the DMV that the car was repaired properly. As we use it for off-road events, we never bothered.
We bought the car half-finished from Treasure Coast Miata. It appeared to have had a minor shunt on the left side. The car was not valuable enough to be fixed, so it went to Treasure Coast, a Miata dismantler.
The original turbo was removed and presumably sold. It does have a late NB engine and what appears to be the original six-speed transmission.
The air-conditioning has been removed, but the top is still functional and clears the Hard Dog roll bar.
We mounted five new BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain TA tires (215/75R15) on the car when we finished it less than five years ago, and they have less than 200 miles on them. The wheels are 15x6 inches and came with the car. The spare is securely mounted on the trunk lid, which still opens, as is common with “Safari”-style vehicles.
The rear axle is locked for insane traction in off-road conditions. The 3-inch lift kit is from Paco Motorsports. The weakest point on a lifted Miata is said to be the rear axles, so although we’ve had no issues, a new spare axle is mounted securely inside the trunk.
A Badlands 5000 winch and light bar are fitted up front. A snorkel keeps the engine from getting waterlogged during water crossings. The fenders have flares. A fire extinguisher is inside. Stainless-steel protective plates are mounted on the driver and passenger floors. The “Safari” zebra stripes are tape and can be easily removed. The car was originally black.
If you’re looking for an insanely competent, easy-to-drive (still drives just like a Miata!), cheap, fun car for rallycross or Gambler 500 events, you will be exceedingly happy with this car.
Bid on this 2005 Mazdaspeed “Safari” Miata
About six years ago, we picked up this 1984 Volkswagen Rabbit GTI with mostly original paint, an original, unmolested interior and the ultimate option, a Stage II (186 horsepower) Callaway Turbo kit.
While we wrote about the car some and got it cleaned up and repaired, we again have moved on to other cars. This ultimate Radwood car has had a rebuilt turbo installed. The fuel-injection system has been completely rebuilt. New rear wheel bearings, fuel pump, brakes, shift linkage and other mechanical bits have been repaired as well.
We put a new Techtonics exhaust on the car along with a myriad of other parts. Decades of receipts are in a folder and included with the car.
The previous owner had Dick Shine Racing go through the car and strengthen the transmission. Suspension appears to be autocross spec with Bilstein shocks, lowering springs and a front strut bar installed.
As outlined on our website, the car was brought south (and then west to Montana) when it was only about a year old, and we only had to fix one small rust spot on the body. The paint on the doors could use a little work, as the car was most likely broken into when it was new–as so many A1 GTIs were.
Bid on this 1984 Callaway Turbo Volkswagen Rabbit GTI
And the final vehicle we’re relinquishing is a 1975 Honda CB 400F motorcycle that we’ve owned for 26 years. While we love this mostly original, low-mileage piece of Honda history, we have another bike we like better.
About a decade ago, we published a cover story comparing the experience of owning a Triumph motorcycle to the experience of owning the above-mentioned Triumph car. We ended up buying that bike that Triumph loaned us, but we haven’t really ridden the Honda since.
After nearly a decade of buying a battery and getting it running again every few years, we’ve decided it needs to find a new home.
Bought in 1999 in incredible original condition, this bike was cosmetically cleaned up. The front shocks have been rebuilt, while Konis were added at the rear. The engine/transmission has never been opened and only has 16,000 original miles.
We replaced the tires and rebuilt the front brake about 200 miles ago. Carbs were rejetted, and open-air K&N filters and a performance exhaust were fitted. Receipts for all this work are included in the sale.
Originally rated at 35 horsepower at the crank, included dyno sheets show that rear-wheel horsepower has been improved to 35, which means about 40 horsepower at the crank. And the bike sounds phenomenal. Arguably Honda’s first sport bike, its redline is 10,000 rpm.
If you’re looking for a true classic coveted by collectors, this smooth, four-cylinder design may just be for you.
Bid on this 1975 Honda CB 400F Motorcycle
The Triumph Motor Company launched the TR3 in October of 1955 as a successor to the TR2. The new model was powered by the same 1991cc, straight-four, overhead-valve engine as its predecessor–albeit with a larger carburetion that increased its horsepower.
Subsequent changes included a larger engine and adding front disc brakes instead of drums all around. Externally, the car featured low-cut doors but had minimal weather protection. Performance was on par with the MGA and Austin-Healey 100, and the TR3 was well received.
Triumph executed a visual refresh in 1957, and the cars are now referred to as the TR3A. Most significantly, the car’s grille grew wider, and the headlamps were slightly recessed for a smoother line. In addition, a locking trunk handle appeared and larger bumpers were installed. The public responded favorably to the new appearance by purchasing more than 58,000 TR3As during the car’s six-year run. The vast majority of these vehicles were destined for the U.S. market.
This 1959 model, chassis No. TS45617L, was in the middle of a restoration and was being prepped for paint when the project was stopped.
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