By Rob Sass / Originally Published January 24, 2014 / Hagerty Six big collector car auctions concluded last weekend in Scottsdale, Ariz. While the extravaganza was…{"id":4779,"date":"2014-02-07T13:25:43","date_gmt":"2014-02-07T21:25:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/?p=4779"},"modified":"2014-04-30T10:23:50","modified_gmt":"2014-04-30T17:23:50","slug":"the-weirdest-cars-that-crossed-the-block-at-the-scottsdale-auctions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pomonaswapmeet.com\/blog\/2014\/02\/07\/the-weirdest-cars-that-crossed-the-block-at-the-scottsdale-auctions\/","title":{"rendered":"The Weirdest Cars that Crossed the Block at the Scottsdale Auctions"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Rob Sass \/ Originally Published January 24, 2014 \/ Hagerty<\/em><\/p>\n

Six big collector car\u00a0auctions concluded last weekend in Scottsdale<\/a>, Ariz. While the extravaganza was anchored by the massive 1,400-car Barrett-Jackson sale, five other sales took place around the same time, all within a 40-mile radius. And in addition to the usual Corvettes, Mustangs and Chevelles, there were some interesting oddballs that crossed the block. Here are\u00a0some\u00a0of our favorites:<\/p>\n

1. 1953 Mochet Micro Panel Truck<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 This tiny panel truck was built in France by George Mochet, the inventor of the recumbent bike. It\u2019s powered by a 125cc motorcycle engine, which means that the new owner won\u2019t be hauling anything much heavier than a couple of baguettes and a croissant or two.\u00a0 It sold for $30,000 at Barrett-Jackson.<\/p>\n

2. 2005 Ford Excursion custom convertible<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 This was simply bizarre. A huge Excursion SUV with the top chopped off, no side windows, a rain top, giant lift and a huge rhino bar. Probably ideal for stalking and hunting the North American wooly mammoth \u2013 had that beast not gone extinct during the last ice age. Failing that most obvious use, we\u2019re scratching our heads. $17,000 at Silver Auctions. $\"Scottsdale$ <\/p>\n

3.\u00a01957 BMW Isetta<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 The Isetta was built to give still relatively impoverished post-war West Germans something better than a scooter to get around in. Terribly cute and with a single door in front, BMW soon moved on to bigger and better things. But auction bidders almost always respond by opening their wallets when one of these egg-like oddities crosses the block.\u00a0 $34,000 at Gooding and Company. $\"Scottsdale$ <\/p>\n

4.\u00a01950 Crosley Hot Shot<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 The little Crosley Hot Shot was actually America\u2019s first post-war sports car. Tiny in the extreme, it sported a tiny 44-cubic-inch four-cylinder engine with a block made not of cast iron but welded stamped tin. There\u2019s a reason why you want things like anvils and engine blocks to be made out of iron, as this hare-brained idea proved.\u00a0 Oddly enough, Hot Shots were driven by some wealthy (and apparently very eccentric) people like Nelson Rockefeller and Frank Lloyd Wright. This one sold for $24,000 at Barrett-Jackson. $\"Scottsdale$ <\/p>\n

5.\u00a01983 Aston Martin Lagonda<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 An extremely odd-looking four-door sedan out of the box, when Lagondas broke they broke bad. Quad-cam Aston Martin V-8s aren\u2019t easy to fix (and we\u2019re guessing that something seriously let go on the inside of this one\u2019s original engine), nor are the Pong-era digital gauges easy to deal with when they give the black screen of death.\u00a0 So why not make one of the world\u2019s most unique customs? This one sported shiny chrome wheels, pearlescent white paint and a GM crate motor. $57,000 at Russo and Steele. $\"Scottsdale$ <\/p>\n

6.\u00a01989 Laforza<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 This was the 5.0-litre Ford V-8 version of the Rayton-Fissore Magnum 4X4. It was essentially an Italian Range Rover copy. Exceedingly rare anywhere on the planet, what this odd all-wheel-drive beast was doing in sunny Arizona was anyone\u2019s guess. It sold at Russo and Steele for $12,000. $\"Scottsdale$ <\/p>\n

7. 1967 Wolseley Limousine<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 According to the information supplied by the auction company, this car was converted by R. Nicholson Coachbuilders in Halifax, most likely for the funeral trade. It was actually quite well presented and sold for just $9,500. Again, how the hell it got to the U.S. and what it was doing there is a giant mystery. $\"Scottsdale$ <\/p>\n

8. 1971 Pinzgauer 712M<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 This SIX-wheel-drive Austrian military vehicle built by Steyr-Daimler-Puch was rather a sight to behold, tucked under a tent next to an Alfa Romeo Spider looking like it fancied the idea of squashing said Alfa. Again, the all-weather capable Pinzgauer is just the thing for Phoenix, Arizona, where the average January temperature hovers around 70 degrees Fahrenheit.\u00a0 It failed to sell on a high bid of $20,000. $\"Scottsdale$ <\/p>\n