You’d think Porsche project prices would drop with so many coming to market, but that doesn’t seem to have deterred the dedicated collectors. Places like eBay are not where you want to go if you’re looking for a bargain though. Local listings or smaller auction venues might be a better bet. This 1957 356A is rough, but it’s going to cross the block with no reserve at Lucky Auction’s upcoming Spring “Jackpot” Sale. This auction is large enough to attract many good cars, but has not turned into a circus like some other events out there. The sale will be held on April 4th at the Snoqualmie Casino in Snoqualmie, Washington and you can view the full lot listing here. See anything worth raising the paddle for?
Besides the 356, there are a few other cars that caught my attention. First, there’s this scruffy 1962 Triumph TR4. It runs, but hasn’t been driven in years so it will need some attention. I have a feeling that it could be made into a nice driver for minimal outlay though. It is also being offered without a reserve, so there is some hope that it could be purchased at a decent price.
This 1974 Austin Marina GT is the one I would probably go for. This is a car you rarely see on our shores and the auction listing claims that it is still wearing its original paint and has only covered 32k miles! It’s a one owner car that has been in storage for 14 years. Few bidders will know what it is, but the MGB derived engine and 4-speed mean that this could be a cheap and cheerful driver that you don’t see everyday.
This 1956 Mercedes Benz 190SL might end up being out of most budgets, but it will be a heck of a lot cheaper than its 300SL cousin. It’s not a performance car in the same sense, but could be a comfortable cruiser if you long to own a car with the triple star in the grill. This car has supposedly been with the same family for 45 years and again with no reserve, could end up being a good buy if you are in the market for one of these.
Finally, we have this 1967 Ford Mustang Convertible. The guys over at Lucky have not added a description to the listing yet, but this looks like a comfortable and classy Pony car. Considering how many of the other cars at this auction are original, I wouldn’t be surprised if this one is a survivor too. The automatic is a negative in my book, but the convertible top should more than make up for those points lost in the fun department. As you can see, this auction is shaping up to be a good one and there are more than a few cars that I’d be interested in bidding on. How about you?
If someone ends up with the A…………..it will be your un-LUCKY day
I cannot think the amount of money it will take………..on the other hand, if you have nothing else to do with your money
Better grab that Marina before a piano lands on it….
Or CAPTAIN SLOW BUYS IT
DON’T TOUCH THE MARINA!!
This car came from the death throes of Morris/BL.
You hardly ever see them on English roads too!
Andrew
Ah, but they’re fun to race…
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Austin-Powerless-Racing/394153187341573
hi jamie
thanks for posting that
interesting…good fun mate
see you are/were into heralds too..i have a few and a Bond Equipe
@ Rusty — Cool! Yes, my wife has a Herald convertible, have a friend with a Herald-Climax (yes, a real one) and an Equipe :-) Love them!
Some interesting vehicles here, in an auction with lots of varied cars, bikes, and trucks from many different decades. There are lots of photos, all of which are too small and presented in an annoying automatic slide show format.
Some that I noticed:
– 1962 TR4 convertible. Looks pretty good overall. Has been stored, needs the systems gone through. No reserve.
– Bugatti Type 52 child’s car replica. Runs on an electric starter motor. I always wanted one of these when I was 5, but no luck.
– 1960 Cadillac convertible. 71K miles, nice. No reserve.
– 1956 M-B 190SL Convertible. 11K miles. Soft top + hardtop, same family owners for 45 years, very nice. No reserve.
– 1982 Porsche 911 SC Targa. Described as having 4 cylinders and “incredible speeds”, both of which are mistaken. Nice otherwise. No reserve.
– 1948 and 1950 Mercury convertibles. Both black, both very appealing, both need some limited R&R.
– 1981 Porsche Turbo Carrera. Said to be Euro version with 89K miles. Special factory metallic violet deal-killer paint.
1957 Porsche 356A. Described as “a project”, which is accurate, and as “nearly complete”, which is very inaccurate. Said to have “motor components” that “appear clean and useable”, but there is no engine in the car or in any of the photos. Best to assume there isn’t one. Rusty, modified, a mess. It will probably sell for way too much money. No reserve.
1972 Porsche 911 V8. Yes, the V8 is accurate, although not correct. There is a SBC sitting back there, and a big ‘honkin rad in the front trunk with a very small air scoop cut into the hood. I’m guessing that you takes your chances with overheating if you drive this much outside of its native Pacific Northwest home. Heck, you takes your chances driving this, period.
Plus everything else from small Japanese bikes to a ’71 Dodge ¾ ton pickup.
If you can’t find something in this auction that turns your crank you need to question whether you are among the living. It should be great fun even if you don’t bid.
Interesting group of vehicles but since we’re fantasizing a bit here let’s pick ’em by category.
Daily driver (disposable variety): the Austin Marina for the reasons you described above
Daily driver (on the days it’s running): the ’88 Jaguar XJ6 for those times when you want “to make an entrance”.
Weekend fair weather runabout: the Porsche 550 replica.
Weekend tourer: the 1980 Fiat Spyder
Motorcycle: the BMW with sidecar
Outrageous statement car: the ’72 911 V8 – in order to have the fun of driving to a Porsche Club meet causing massive group apoplexy.
ahhh the Marina with a pissy little 4 cylinder..seems to be striking a chord….come to Australia where it got a 6 cylinder then you know what driving essentially a modernised 1948 to 71 Morris Minor chassis/suspension is with white knuckles.
Ironically in its day Morris Minors were famed for handlling like a sportscar [forgetting unmaintained shocks were shortlived destroying much of the joy of this suspension system], Although a modernised version, somehow the Marina just never had that success.
With a B series engine this chassis/setup should have been introduced 10 years earlier to have been a hit. By the time of the Marina other cars could match and exceed the Minors suspension/handling fame.
i will take the 82 gs1100 ( i wish it was an 83 ) , kz1300, and CBZ. but i must have the marina, it has been a very long time since i saw a running one. i love that the key switch on the left of steering column. great finds.
As someone who races a Marina sedan, I’d love to pick up the coupe. Wrong side of the country, though. :-(
@Dolphin, I really liked your analysis–went back and looked at a few more lots after reading it…thanks!
If buying this I check its got the B series as I remember Aussie Marinas got a non B series motor i think with twin cam i remember it may have also had a triumph based gearbox or perhaps an Aussie gearbox as we did create our own versions of Leyland cars. This meant none of the power train was usable in our MGB’s or other B series cars nor visa versa. The 6 cylinder it got was from our Leyland P76. If it has the twin cam consider parts far more difficult to find compared to the plentiful B series parts.
Marinas lasted here a fair amount of time but suddenly disapeared in a flurry with some Aussie marinas giving their lives to modernise Morris minors. Marina front suspension [swivel pins and large brakes/discs] would fit the bottom swivel simply bolting in but the top of the upright had to have a thread cut [as the damper was fitted with a balljoint]…it was never enough depth so a pinned on extension with thread was created to fit ..sure this gave a Minor disc brakes but I never thought the upper conversion was a good idea. But that with a Marina rear end made a minor stop on a dime and give a stronger diff and able now to fit Escort/cortina mag wheels which were plentiful. Needless to say this conversion was shortlived. Note I do not recommend this conversion on Morris Minors and fortunately shortly after, disc brake conversions were made utilising the standard minor suspension.
So if its got the B series motor your laughing as spares are easy…escort/cortina mags fit so wheels/tyres easy. No matter what people think of it, it still sold very well in its day both in Britain and Australia not a failure just later maligned. This car looks great..even has that weird US bumper which can grow on you if you squint.
ps we always wished the 1275 version came here to fit in our minors..alas no
Rusty — the US versions have Spitfire (4-spd TR7) transmissions and a Spitfire bolt circle (4 x 3-3/4, the smallest one I know of). I just got some front Marina van hubs from the UK which have the MGB/TR6 bolt circle of 4×114.3 and will have to fit an MGB rear end to get the pattern the same (we’ve needed to do that anyway as the Marina rear end is now seriously overstressed). The bolt pattern has been an issue as TR7/TR8/Spitfire/Herald/Vitesse/Marina/Lotus are the only cars I’m aware of with that tiny circle. We’re currently using old 13″ aluminum wheels from the 70’s on the race car that I will be more than happy to replace with some 15’s with lower profile tires.
yep exactly i have a fair few with that 3/34″ pattern..my Herald, Bond quipe and a 1959 Buchanan Cobra. Just sold my Standard 10 and that pattern is a pain here too though my herald has mags and i have a set of very early mags that i have had for 35 years..
i am surprised at the 114.3mm pcd [in imperial 41/2″ pcd] and you got it from england I would have thought they’d be same pattern as our Marinas ..there you go another difference. Ours were all 41/4″ which was same as escort, cortina, sunbeam, etc which were plentiful here. [I am assuming I am remembering properly as that was one of the pluses of the conversion though i always thought it too dicey with the top thread]
the 4.5″ is also same as early datsons and toyotas [they still used imperial pcd pattern for a while] and same as our Sidevalve Morris Minors.
re the transmission..yes I was always under the impression we had Triumph gearbox too though we did use a local auto..and possibly when it became Leyland here local manuals too.
this is a car that certainly was meant as a world market assembled car..ours assembled as CKD with as much local content as possible..Even the factory fitted 6 cylinder was a local derived thing…Aussies were bred on 6 cylinders not V8’s which only really started making in roads in the 70’s and the Marina was stacked against the Torana.
Your racing blog is very interesting. Mate i could see you in that coupe as your original condition marina when you are not racing. hee hee nice drive back i reckon.
ps you mentioned above a herald Climax…mate I am flabergasted I havent heard of it..I will go look it up..is it an US model or ?
@Rusty–I wish I could get the coupe. I drove the Marina I’m now racing on the road for a while…it really wasn’t that bad, just a lot of understeer…
The Herald Climax was a Jack Brabham creation…google Brabham Herald and they will show up. Didn’t make many!
thanks jamie found it…yes that would go quick..forget about the 6 cylinder vitese hee hee
the Marina understeer…you know the first bunch built had a recall on that…one of the reasons the car was scorned a bit.. Why they couldnt have sorted properly is unknown as the Wolseley 1500 was a B series in Morris Minor chassis and the Aussie Morris Major Elite had a 1620 B series. The Marina should have been sorted with experience from these B Series predecessors but keeping in mind by the 70’s people were now use to driving cars quickly very quickly..whereas the successful 50/60s B series in morris minor chassis was driven mostly sanely but the 70’s drivers were expecting more..
By the 70’s with heavier Marina body, the Morris minor derived chassis/suspension was not developed enough to acomodate sporty drivers [family drivers found Marinas fine]. ironically i remember BL had an upgrade to the suspension that improved all this but we couldnt easily buy it here.
As I said it was 10 years too late to be accepted as a good design that was proven by the Aussie Morris Major in the early 60s. Nevertheless it sold a lot so the car i dont think was a financial disaster.
Anyway what this leads to is that you and I may have promoted this Auction car far more than expected… yes people a Marina Coupe is an interesting car and hard to find. Will this Marina head to a Barn Finds garage…hee hee
keep us updated when it does..it looks neat and nice,.
I had no idea that we had foisted the Marina onto the US. Looks odd seeing the indicators in the radiator and your US big bumpers. Saying that, I would have this one just for the rarity value !
Oh yes. And marketed it as the best of BL combined into one package…
BTW, early US market cars had the same bumpers you had.
any follow up on this? anyone able to post some auction results?
It was held on the 4th. I unsuccessfully looked for results….Anyone know where to locate the results?