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Barrett-Jackson Houston Auction: Officially Licensed and Certified Eleanor Re-creation

Presented by Barrett-Jackson – This is an officially licensed and certified “Eleanor” build and comes with the Genuine Eleanor Certification paperwork, Eleanor body VIN plate and emblems issued by Gone in 60 Seconds LLC. Titled in California, this 1967 Resto-Mod coupe conversion Mustang received a complete rotisserie restoration and has only test miles.

The body began with a clean and rust-free bare Mustang shell (photo documentation of the full process is provided) and it was carefully reassembled. It has all the movie-correct Eleanor body modifications and accessories – and of course, it wouldn’t be Eleanor without the wired “Go-Baby-Go,” “NOS ARMED” dash switch, and the Eleanor nitrous bottle and shifter knob (non-operable). It was designed and created to be a perfect blend of the iconic Eleanor styling, with an updated and modern driveline for improved reliability and performance.

250301 Engine

Underneath the distinctive domed Eleanor hood sits a 5.0-liter Coyote V8 coupled to a 6-speed automatic transmission. It exhales through a 2.5-inch exhaust system exiting through the side rockers. The entire 1967 original suspension was removed and replaced, front to back. The sub-frame assembly includes a Heidts independent front suspension with power rack & pinion steering, Detroit Speed subframe connectors, a RideTech 4-link rear suspension, and Ford 9-inch rear end, along with front and rear adjustable coilover shocks. It has Wilwood disc brakes with 4-piston calipers, as well as drilled and slotted rotors. In addition, the underside of the fastback was prepared as meticulously as the top side and painted body color with copious layers of clear coat to allow it to be wiped down with ease. It has all-new wiring and plumbing, along with an aluminum radiator with twin fans. It rolls on 8×17-inch and beefy 9.5×18-inch Eleanor-style polished wheels with Z-rated performance tires.

Professionally finished in Pepper Gray Metallic two-stage PPG exterior paint along with rich black rally body stripes and multiple layers of clear coat over the top. The underside of the fiberglass hood and the shaved engine compartment are painted body color and are as flawless as the top side. The overall body gaps and alignment are excellent, and the fit and finish of the scoops and custom body modifications were hand-fitted. Everything is correct down to the proper sequential taillights, stainless-steel Bullet-style side view mirror, and Eleanor-style functional flip-up gas-filler lid. Also equipped with a vintage-styled modern air conditioning system and an electric trunk release. The all-new deluxe interior features custom low-back seats and center console, as well as stainless-steel billet interior trim. The rear area has a fold-down seat with the NOS bottle located behind it. It also has a custom-painted roll bar with a certified seatbelt harness.

250301 Side Profile

The dash cluster is fitted with retro-styled brand-new modern Velocity gauges. Steering consists of an Ididit tilt steering column with a custom vintage-style wood steering wheel. Show-ready LED lighting is featured in the interior cabin, engine compartment, and chassis area. Sound is provided by a Retrosound stereo with Bluetooth connectivity. It has two batteries in the trunk. All the accessories and lighting – including the front blue driving lights, fog lights, and LED lights – operate and function correctly with the flip of a toggle switch.

It comes complete with a full start-to-finish build book and a 30×40-inch professionally assembled “Gone in 60 Seconds” framed presentation of the official movie poster, along with authentic officially “signed” photos of the lead cast members, Nicolas Cage and Angelina Jolie.

Hundreds of cars are set to cross the block with No Reserve at Barrett-Jackson’s Inaugural Houston Auction, September 16-18 at NRG Center. Check out the docket and become a bidder today!

250301 Interior

RM Sotheby’s Presents The Paul Andrews Estate Collection: 1948 Cadillac “Eldorod” by Boyd

Presented by RM Sotheby’s – The expansive vision of Paul Andrews Collection also included select historic street rods and customs, which he admired for their imaginative design, fascinating engineering and, of course, performance. One of the most noteworthy is this significant 1948 Cadillac, known as “Eldorod,” which was the first automobile drawn for Boyd Coddington by Chip Foose and, significantly, Boyd’s personal car.

Beginning as a stock 1948 Cadillac, the car was moved to a custom-fabricated steel chassis with C4 Corvette independent suspension, carrying a Chevrolet 502-cubic-inch V-8 and TH400 automatic transmission. The body had its rear quarter panels welded to the body, the tailfins and wheel moldings completely reshaped, and the body moldings hand-made from scratch. New bumpers, grille, windshield, and aluminum top were also custom-made for the project, as was the billet air cleaner under the hood; 18-inch billet wheels finished off the exterior. The interior was dressed with custom gauges and a Boyd’s custom leather-wrapped billet steering wheel. In this form, “Eldorod” was the last car out of Hot Rods by Boyd before its parent company’s 1997 bankruptcy.

  • 1948 Cadillac Eldorod by Boyd 8
  • 1948 Cadillac Eldorod by Boyd 9

Its designer, Chip Foose, would later restyle the car in his own shop. A 1956 Chevrolet front bumper and 1954 Pontiac grille, reworked with 1957 Nomad bumper guards, were fitted to the snout, while the hood itself was sectioned and lengthened to fit the curve of a custom windshield and A-pillars. The peaks of the front fenders were extended into the doors and frenched in, with 1952 Ford headlight extensions and hand-made chrome bezels. The tops of the doors and the rear quarter panels were sectioned and blended into the sectioned rear decklid, flanked by reshaped taillights with custom lenses. Wheel openings were also reshaped. Much of the body hardware was hand-formed of brass that was carefully fitted and then chrome-plated.

Foose Design’s Freddy and Jed Valdez painted “Eldorod” in glistening Huntington Blue, slightly toned darker by adding black, as per Foose’s original vision for the car; beautiful enamel pinstriping was laid on by Dennis Ricklefs. A removable hardtop was hand-shaped by the revered Marcel’s Custom Metal and covered in Haartz cloth. The side and rear glass were cut by Eddie Kotto. Inside, the original gauges were reworked by Redline Gauge Works, while the seating area was updated with leather upholstery and German square-weave carpeting.

1948 Cadillac Eldorod by Boyd 14

Underneath, “Eldorod” retained, and still does today, much of its Boyd-fitted drivetrain, with the engine fed by a 1,375-cfm FAST EZ-EFI kit, cooled by a Mattson’s aluminum radiator, and exhaling through stainless steel MagnaFlow pipes and mufflers. Custom one-off Foose wheels were machined by Mike Curtis design and shod in Pirelli P Zero tires.

Subsequently, part of the noted collection of Wayne Davis prior to its acquisition by Paul Andrews, “Eldorod” has been featured in an online article from Hot Rod magazine, and justifiably so. It was envisioned by two of the most legendary names in the business. Boyd Coddington provided the impetus, funding, and shop to bring it to life the first time; Chip Foose drew it, and later had the opportunity to recreate it exactly as he had originally envisioned it. Both men’s stamp is clearly present on the end result, a superb piece from the hands of two masters.

RM Sotheby’s is thrilled to announce the expansion of its Monterey auction this year with a third auction night dedicated to the incomparable Paul Andrews Estate Collection. Offered almost entirely without reserve, the impressive collection will kick-off RM’s flagship auction weekend on Thursday, 12 August.

Kevin Hart’s Custom 1977 Ford Bronco Being Offered at Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas Auction

Presented by Barrett-Jackson Auction Company – This one-of-a-kind 1977 Ford Bronco 4×4 was designed and built for actor/comedian Kevin Hart. Featured on Jay Leno’s television show “Jay’s Garage,” this notable Bronco is powered by an updated fuel-injected 302ci V8 engine mated to 3-speed automatic transmission and a Dana twin-stick transfer case. Fuel and air combustion is aided by a Crane electronic ignition powered by an Optima battery hidden under the front seat, while spent combustion exits through an Ardent Performance custom exhaust featuring MagnaFlow mufflers offering a perfect throttle rumble.

Keeping everything nice and cool is a custom aluminum radiator and a free-flowing K&N intake air filter element. The menacing stance comes from a highly modified suspension package, including lift kit, King coilover shocks with red springs, 35-inch Nitto Trail Grappler M/T tires on color-matched 17-inch Fuel wheels with matching spare mounted on a custom rear swing-away carrier. Handling is a breeze with new bushings, power steering, tilt column, billet three-spoke steering wheel and black billet Lokar pedals.

kevin hart bronco 8

The Wilwood master cylinder brings it all to a stop, with power disc brakes and black calipers in all four corners. Custom reclining front bucket seats, back bench, door panels, dash and roll bar pads have all been professionally upholstered in black leather accented with red stitching. The body matching roll cage and retracting 3-point seatbelts were added for safety. The aftermarket bumpers are outfitted with black tow hooks, trailer hitch receiver, heavy duty 9,500-pound WARN winch, and two Rigid LED pods in the front and one in the rear.

To keep with the color scheme, LED headlights, Bronco Sport emblems, billet window cranks, billet rearview mirror, door handles, locks, side mirrors and fender flares were all added in black. This is all complemented by an AutoMeter LED speedometer in the dash and custom console with Lokar shifter, LED rocker switches and AutoMeter gauges for fuel, voltage, coolant and transmission fluid readings.

The center console has a matching leather-upholstered arm pad and houses a Bluetooth/USB/Pandora Kenwood head unit that is connected to four JL Audio speakers and 10-inch subwoofer, all housed in custom-built panels powered by a hidden Alpine amp. Odometer shows just 700 miles since completion; actual miles are unknown. A new black Bestop soft-top is included with this well-executed Resto-Mod.

Kevin Hart’s 1977 Ford Bronco Custom SUV with be selling with No Reserve during the 2021 Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas Auction, June 17-19.

RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island 2021: 2012 Lexus LFA

Presented by RM Sotheby’s – Images by Theodore W. Piper – The Lexus LFA came about as the pet project of Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda, who, after years of producing relatively anodyne road cars, wanted to build a supercar to challenge those being offered by the likes of Ferrari, Porsche, and Lamborghini. The project’s development phase became excruciatingly lengthy, but when it was finally unveiled at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, it was immediately clear that the marque had produced something truly remarkable.

The highlight was the 4.8-liter V-10 engine, co-developed with Yamaha and built in the same facility as Toyota Racing’s F1 V-10s. The block is a space-age blend of aluminum, magnesium, and titanium alloy, which made it smaller than an equivalent V-8 and lighter than an equivalent V-6. The supremely advanced internals permitted for razor-sharp throttle response, allowing the V-10 to rev from idle to 9,000 rpm in just six-tenths of a second. The LFA’s instrument cluster is all-digital, solely because no analog tachometer could keep pace with the engine’s ability to gain and lose revolutions. This miraculous powerplant is mated to a lightning-quick six-speed automated sequential manual transmission. The LFA’s unique exhaust note is unrivaled among modern supercars, and is undoubtedly worth the price of admission.

2012 Lexus LFA 1

With its radical styling and howling V-10 engine, the LFA exudes automotive awe. One of its great achievements lies in its construction. The LFA has a curb weight of just over 3,200 pounds with a near-perfect weight distribution of 48:52 thanks to the liberal use of carbon fiber reinforced plastic, aluminum, magnesium, and titanium alloys.

This particular LFA is one of just 11 examples clad in this distinctive shade of Steel Gray; the interior is clothed in a bespoke red-and-black arrangement of leather and Alcantara which is highlighted throughout with a generous appointment of gloss carbon fiber and anodized metal accents. A serial plate mounted between the seats shows that this LFA is the 430th example of 500 produced (a figure that includes 50 Nürburgring Package cars), and one of approximately 190 chassis delivered new to the US between 2010 and 2012.

Delivered new via Larry H. Miller Lexus of Murray, Utah, it has since traveled fewer than 500 miles, and remains in a remarkably presentable state befitting its stunning visage and extremely low indicated mileage. This attractive LFA is offered for sale accompanied by its window sticker, manuals, sales literature, tire gauge, and flashlight. An opportunity to acquire a LFA is a rare occurrence, and this particularly low-mileage example is worthy of serious consideration.

This vehicle will be offered at RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island auction, taking place 22 May during the world-renowned Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. In-person and remote bidding options are available; contact RM Sotheby’s to register to bid.