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1933 Duesenberg tops Mecum Auctions' Monterey results at $3,850,000

Mecum Auctions had three Duesenbergs on offer at the Monterey Car Week's auction event, and the most valuable of the three was the achingly beautiful, one-of-one Bohman and Schwartz-built Model J Disappearing-Top Roadster in white over red, for $3,850,000. Duesenberg reportedly utilized as many as 32 coachbuilders to build custom Model Js, and this one with Hollywood history is unique thanks to its bodywork. In comparison, a 1929 Murphy-bodied Model J Convertible Sedan brought in "just" $1,155,000. The second highest price in Mecum results was achieved by a practically undriven, 307-mile 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari. The Rosso Corsa example slotted in neatly compared to its $3,000,000 to $3,300,000 estimate, finishing at $3,190,000. Another LaFerrari, a yellow one with 419 miles, remained unsold at $3,200,000. Number three is also a Ferrari, an Enzo at that. The 3,150-mile 2003 Enzo, in red over red, finished at $2,860,000. After a string of street cars, the fourth highest Mecum auction price was achieved by the 1989 Daytona 24 Hours, 1989 Palm Beach Grand Prix and 1989 Porsche Cup USA winning Porsche 962. The list of drivers with stints behind the Busby Racing 962's wheel is impressive reading: Derek Bell, John Andretti, Mauro Baldi, Jochen Mass and Brian Redman just to mention a few. Chassis 962-108 had the honor of claiming the 50 th win for a 962 in international competition, at Daytona 24 Hours, and that victory was also Derek Bell's final 24-hour endurance win. As Mecum notes, Bell has called this 962 as his favorite Group C Porsche. It has been in collector hands since 1989, and the selling price reached $2,200,000. The fifth car is a very significant Lamborghini Miura: an unrestored original with its factory coat of red, it is the second Miura P400S model built, and the earliest known S survivor. It has just 28,613 miles on its odometer, and it still wears the Pirelli Cinturatos it was given at the factory. Among all Miuras, this 1969 car is certainly a unicorn, and as a result it sold for $1,155,000. The rest of the top 10 sellers from the Mecum auction follow: 1929 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Convertible Sedan, $1,155,000 2012 Dallara DW12 Honda Indy Car, $1,127,500 2017 Ferrari F12tdf Coupe, $1,045,000 1936 Auburn 852 Supercharged Speedster, $1,017,500 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Coupe, $825,000 Related Video: Featured Gallery Mecum Auctions Monterey 2018 View 10 Photos News Source: Mecum AuctionsImage Credit: Mecum Auctions Misc.

Lamborghini Urus pair completes 4,000-mile trip across Japan

Two Lamborghini Urus crossovers have completed a month-long journey across Japan. Conceived as a marketing stunt, the pair traveled over 4,000 miles, collecting some truly breathtaking scenery along the way. The idea of a long-distance drive to promote a new vehicle has been a long-held tradition in Japan. It was a much bigger achievement back in the 1960s, when Japan's expressway system was just getting underway. Many local roads were still rough, and it was considered uncommon for cars to drive all-out at high speeds for sustained lengths of time. Nowadays, it's not particularly difficult for any modern car to complete such treks, especially when you're talking about a 641-horsepower, 626-pound-foot luxury SUV. In fact, it must be quite the exercise in restraint in modulating the 4.0-liter V8, capable of a 190 mph top speed, since the highest speed limit in Japan is about 75 mph and speed cameras are everywhere. Still, it was a chance for Lamborghini to capture some beautiful photos along the way. The Urus almost looks out of place against ancient shrines and lush bamboo forests. They even paused to shoot at Himeji Castle in Bizen City and Shirakawa village in Gifu Prefecture, both UNESCO World Heritage sites. From snowy mountains to rocky coastlines, cherry blossom-lined avenues to massive steel bridges connecting Japan's islands, the variation in backdrops is something to behold. The two Urus vehicles used in the trip were finished in Giallo Inti (yellow) and Blu Astraeus (dark blue), both featuring a customizable Lamborghini paint option called Pearl Capsule. Created by Lamborghini’s Centro Stile design department, it basically adds a black finish to the roof, spoiler and front air dam. Cabin-wise, Pearl Capsule adds two-tone coloring, hexagon stitching on the seats with carbon fiber and black anodized aluminum details throughout the interior. The option can also be paired with Arancio Borealis (orange) and Verde Mantis (green) exterior colors. The trip started in far western Japan on the island of Kyushu, then traced the country's northern coast along the Sea of Japan up to the northernmost island of Hokkaido. Then it snaked down the Pacific coast to its final destination of Tokyo. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Lamborghini finds and restores the Miura used in 'The Italian Job' movie

Today is a historic day for fans of the film "The Italian Job." Lamborghini just announced it has found and completely restored the original Lamborghini Miura P400 used in the film's opening scene. And no, this one was never ceremoniously dumped off the side of a mountain and into a ravine. That was a second, different Miura that Lamborghini provided Paramount Pictures with — it had already been crashed, so was considered a perfect donor car for the scene. Of course, even a crashed Miura is worth some serious cash these days. The orange Miura in question here is #3586, and is verified as the one driven by actor Rossano Brazzi (playing Roger Beckermann in the film) and stunt driver Enzo Moruzzi on the Great St Bernard Pass. We'll put the video right here for you, since those who haven't seen it need to, and those who have most certainly want to watch it again now. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Lamborghini's in-house restoration unit, Polo Storico, did all the work to certify and restore the Miura. It's been a long-time coming, too — this Miura has been off the map since the filming ended and Lamborghini sold the film car to someone in Italy. The car was found in The Kaiser Collection of Vaduz, which happens to be in Liechtenstein. Lamborghini is certain this is the right one after looking at the documentation, company archives and a full examination of the car itself. Testimonials from enthusiasts and former Lamborghini employees further solidified the belief that this was the movie car. The only difference you'll notice between this fully restored Miura and the movie scene is the color of the seats. Lamborghini swapped out the white seats for black ones, as they were worried the white seats wouldn't make it back to the factory in perfect condition. However, there was no time to swap the headrests (mounted to the dividing glass) for black ones to match the seats, which you'll notice in the movie scene. We know we'll have "On Days Like These" running through our heads for the rest of the day on account of this incredible find. Thankfully, Lamborghini provided a bunch of photos to look at the car post-restoration, so go check them all out above as you race to your VCRs to watch the film once more.