Author: Tony Piff

Tony has long trumpeted the virtues of collecting Japanese cars. His daily driver is a 1970 Toyota Hilux — the one with the turn signals on top of the fenders. His popular “Rising Sun” column keeps a pulse on the J-tin market.

Bonhams to Sell Two Ex-Carl Fogarty Ducati Superbikes

Bonhams is delighted to offer for sale two Ducatis associated with four-time World Superbike Champion, Carl Fogarty, both of which are owned by the same private collector in Northern Ireland. The first is the Ducati 888 Corsa on which Carl won both the Superbike race and the headline event at […]

2x World Champ “URS” Sidecar to be Offered at Bonhams Stafford Auction

19th August 2010—Bonhams annual sale of Collectors’ Motorcycles and Related Memorabilia at The Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show, Stafford on 17th October will include the historic racing motorcycle on which the legendary Helmut Fath won the Sidecar World Championship in 1968 and with which Horst Owesle took the title in 1971. […]

Most Expensive Porsche Ever Brings $3.9M at Bonhams’ Quail Lodge Auction

15 August 2010—San Francisco—Bonhams & Butterfields celebrated the thirteenth anniversary of its renowned motorcar auction at the sunny Quail Lodge in Carmel Valley with resounding success. Comprising a diverse selection of 102 cars, one airplane, and one boat, of which 77 sold (for a sell rate of 74%), the auction […]

Highest Results at Monterey? RM Earns $67M, Sells 95%

BLENHEIM, ON (August 17, 2010) – RM delivered a one, two punch in Monterey this past weekend during the year’s pinnacle event for the collector car hobby, posting the week’s highest auction results of $67 million in total sales with an impressive 95% of all lots sold, and clinching an […]

Race Legend John Fitch to Attend “Corvettes at Carlisle” Auction

Legendary race car driver John Fitch says his friend and mentor Briggs Cunningham wanted to bring America to the forefront of road racing, and he wanted to do it in an American-designed car, built and campaigned by American engineers and mechanics, and driven by American drivers. “That goal doesn’t seem […]

Bonhams Announces New Venue For Year-End Sale

The Bonhams end-of-year Important Motor Cars & Fine Automobilia sale will be held at Mercedes-Benz World, it was announced in an August 17 press release. The December sale is traditionally Bonhams’ largest of the season, by value and volume, and offers a wide variety of motor cars spanning all periods, types, and […]

Automobilia in Demand at Shannons Melbourne sale

Number plate and automobilia collectors were well satisfied at Shannons Melbourne Classic Auction on August 16, driving total sales of nearly $720,000, with nearly 80 per cent of all lots sold on the night. Ten special Victorian Heritage enamel number plates—including five prized three-digit plates—found new homes, with the “fastest” […]