Welcome to the Weekly Weird and Wonderful, a curated collection of standouts from among the ~1,300 auctions live on the site this week. Today’s selection is particularly eclectic, with three worthy recreations, two Hollywood veterans, a Parisian Ford, and a camper van that would end up getting crushed in the US for more than one reason. We hope you enjoy this week’s piece, and if you do, head on over and subscribe to get updates when next week’s post goes live.
Lancia Stratos Zero Re-Creation from Moonwalker Film
Michael Jackson might be considered a sort of real-life shapeshifter, and he took the practice to fantastical extremes in the 1988 film Moonwalker. Over the course of the movie, he transformed into a claymation rabbit, a series of celebrities (Sylvester Stallone, Tina Turner and Pee-wee Herman), a robot, a spaceship, and a car, namely this fiberglass Lancia Stratos Zero recreation. Cornered in an alley by Joe Pesci and assorted thugs, Jackson made good use of the Stratos Zero’s wedge shape to punt several angry gangsters skyward while making his escape, all while “Smooth Criminal” played in the background.
The un-powered prop car was later acquired by Neverland prop designer Art Millican and eventually sold on to English car designer Andy Saunders. Saunders turned it into a functional automobile by placing the bodywork over the chassis, powertrain, and running gear from another Gandini/Bertone collaboration—a Fiat X1/9.
1954 Ford Comète Monte-Carlo 5-Speed
The tangled web of relationships between France’s auto manufacturers, coachbuilders, and subcontractors in the 1950s was like a teen drama on the CW network. Nevertheless, this fractious lot turned out some truly beautiful automobiles. Case in point: the Ford Comète Monte-Carlo, which placed an elegant Parisien Facel body over the shortened chassis of a Ford Vedette, the only French-built car equipped with a V8 at the time. The Monte-Carlo spec added wire wheels, a faux hood scoop, a chrome “fry-cutter” grille, and a larger 3.9L flathead. Ford sold their Poissy factory to Simca in 1954, and the Comète lived on for one more year with a Simca badge. After that, Facel went their own way with the similarly sized and styled Vega.
1939 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS Berlinetta Competizione Re-Creation
For much of the 20th century, smaller Italian automakers treated record-keeping as a nuisance—the romance of living in the moment took precedence (plus, the factories served wine at lunch). Alfa Corse and Scuderia Ferrari (the name of Enzo’s Alfa racing team pre-WWII) developed and raced the Tipo 256 Berlinetta Competizione, ultimately achieving an eighth-place finish in the 1940 Mille Miglia, but they left little to no documentation behind on the car. Thankfully, craftsmen like those at Historic & Vintage Restorations in Victoria exist, and they used whatever photos remain of the original car along with period construction techniques to build one absolutely beautiful re-creation.
Three-Decades-Owned 1979 Datsun 280ZX-R
The 1979 Datsun 280ZX-R was a homologation special built to homologate exactly one part—it’s “whale-tail” spoiler. Electromotive Racing founders Don Devendorf and John Knepp shaped the new tail to curtail lift at speed and it did just that, generating 370 pounds of downforce at 100 mph. But, the rules being the rules, they couldn’t run the wing unless it was a standard-issue part on production Zs. Nissan heard Electromotive’s pleas, and listed the wing as part of the 280ZX-R trim package, available for $399. It certainly paid off, as Devendorf secured a win in the 1979 IMSA GTU Championship. Ultimately, approximately 1,009 280ZX-Rs were produced, and this example has been with the seller since 1996.
1948 Tatra T87
The Tatra T87 didn’t change much during its long production run from 1938 to 1950. Its reception remained overwhelmingly positive, despite the T87’s apocryphal reputation as a “Nazi-killing” machine (we’ve all seen how poorly German officers drove in the Indiana Jones movies). One of the more noticeable changes to the T87 came late in the run, when it received a newly restyled front end that was flatter on the nose and more bulbous around its fenders. We featured a 1941 T87 last year, so you can compare them side-by-side while catching up on all the interesting details that made the T87 so wonderfully weird.
1967 Ferves Ranger
This is actually the third Ferves Ranger we’ve auctioned on BaT, and furthermore we featured this very one back in 2018, so we feel like we’ve done our part to get the word out about these strange little Fiat-based buggies. Ferves (which was not an Italian subsidiary of Fisher-Price) built around 600 Rangers using a Fiat 500 drivetrain and Fiat 600 independent suspension. Apparently there was even a 4WD option, though this one is propelled by the back two wheels only. It just sold to @CapitalFFun, who, based on his username, seems to have his priorities in order. Quoth the seller: “Forget the Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and million-dollar exotics… when you arrive in a Ferves, the FRONT ROW practically reserves itself!” We believe it.
Dartz Prombron Black Stallion Type C
One thing we try to tell BaT sellers is that a successful listing will speak for itself, and the Dartz Prombron Black Stallion Type C does a great job of that. Its cartoonishly evil styling is exactly why this very car was the ride of choice for Admiral General Haffaz Aladeen, dictator of the Republic of Wadiya in The Dictator, starring Sacha Baron Cohen. In the movie, the car (based on a Hummer H2) was wrapped in gold and crewed by Aladeen’s attractive female bodyguards. Dartz later reacquired the truck and converted it to Black Stallion Type C spec in their very own “Department of Opulence,” hence the Hanna-Barbera grille and carbon kevlar body panels.
Karma Coachworks Manx SR2
The Meyers Manx was a revelation—a fiberglass VW kit that could not only survive but win the Baja 1000—but aerodynamic it was not. Bruce Meyers attempted to remedy this with the help of Art Center grad Steward Reed, who not only designed but also contributed his initials to the SR. Reed’s wedge-shaped body was right in line with the leading edge of automotive styling at the time, and the SR kit certainly comes off a bit like a baby Lancia Stratos (which it pre-dated by a couple years). Meyers went out of business in 1971, but a company called Karma Coachworks took over the operation and continued to make their own version of the SR—the SR2, with a few revisions like larger bumperettes and a new engine cover with a ducktail spoiler
1936 Bentley 3½ Litre Sedanca Coupe by Gurney Nutting
Our friends over at @1600veloce bring us this 1936 Bentley 3 1/2 Litre Sedanca Coupe, which features a retractable roof section over its front occupants. The model was the first baby Bentley model produced under Rolls-Royce’s ownership (recall the 8-Liter monsters they had built prior) and was actually built at RR’s Derby workshop. A variety of coachbuilders hammered out bodies for these 3 1/2 Litre Bentleys, and this one was done by Gurney Nutting. It was refurbished by Fiennes Restoration during the 2010s.
We’ll leave you with this indulgently satisfying ASMR-esque footage from Anthony and his team, highlighting the more tactile elements of the Derby Bentley’s quirky electrical and mechanical features.
Allard J2X Le Mans Re-Creation
We’ve had a number of spectacular re-creations on the site as of late—three of them have made this week’s list! The alloy-bodied roadster above replicates a works car produced by Allard for the 1952 24 Hours of Le Mans, which featured a streamlined front end exuding an Atomic Age feel. Marque specialist Dr. Jonathan Rose in the UK hammered out the bodywork and placed it over a modified P-series chassis motivated by a 331ci FirePower Hemi V8.
It’s since been kitted out for vintage racing duty, and it’s been tearing up the track, even posting a speed of 157 mph on the Mulsanne Straight during the Le Mans Classic. We’re sure it takes some serious chops to drive this car that fast!
Honorable Mentions:
2012 Travertson V-REX 2
French engineer Christian Tavert brought Australian motorcycle designer Tim Cameron’s futuristic vision to life with the Travertson V-Rex. This one is a second-generation model and features Harley-Davidson V-Rod power.
2024 Toyota Pixis Van Cruise Turbo Altopiano Mini
Kei-class camper vans never fail to charm us, but typically only examples over 25 years old, US import rules being what they are. But with our recent uptick in UK listings, we’re seeing more fascinating unobtanium like this late-model Pixis that was given an “Altopiano Mini” camper van conversion by Toyota Mobility Kanagawa, who fitted a fold-down mattress, additional storage compartments, and a shelf/desk/table in the rear.
2023 Mercedes-AMG GT2 Race Car
The first video at the bottom of this listing asks the question: “is this the ultimate track toy?” This would seem to be a rhetorical question, but the onboard video right next to it makes it abundantly clear that the AMG GT2 is very much not a toy.
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