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A classic Ferrari from a classic
era, this is surely one of the better
Mondials in existence, and it
sold like it.1952 Lancia Aurelia
B 52 Coupe Vignale
Not sold: $312,808
Produced in the same year the
Boeing B-52 bomber made its
debut flight, this Lancia B52 is
one of 98 made and one of seven
to be bodied by Italian firm
Vignale. Vignale’s designs tended
to be more elegant than many
of its contemporaries’ sportier
shapes, and this car has the oval-
shaped egg-crate grille that it
used on several other models—it
was common for a design house’s
style themes to carry across
automakers. Recently, this car has
been shown at a variety of events
following a restoration 15 years
ago and has won several Best in
Show awards.1965 Shelby 427 Cobra
Not sold: $726,161
Cobras are having a tough time
of it lately, having largely failed
to sell at several recent auctions,
so don’t think this 427’s no-sale
is just a result of its being an
American car in Italy. Cobras are
one of the few American racers
with a real following around the
world, with the car’s presence and
success in period 1960s European
road racing endearing it to those
across the pond. In fact, this car
was previously owned by the
president of the Cobra Club of
Switzerland and is documented
to be a very early version of the
uprated 427 model. Although
it was built as a street version
and lacks any racing incidents,
it did have a big crash on the
road in the mid-1970s and was
rebuilt from the ground up, likely
limiting its desirability among
astute Cobra collectors. It should
still make an excellent car to own
and drive at the right price, but
apparently the seller thought the
high bid was the wrong price. An
excellent, no-stories street 427
Cobra is a million-plus-dollar
car today. AM