The autumn auction at the Oldtimer Galerie Toffen is one of the standards on the auction scene in Central Europe. On October 12, 2024, 98 vehicles, including eight motorcycles, worth CHF 3.2 million will go under the hammer. 44% of the vehicles, which will be sold for an average of CHF 32,679, will be auctioned without a reserve price.
50 years old
On average, the 98 vehicles are a good 50 years old. The Mercedes-Benz brand is most strongly represented with 10 vehicles, followed by MG with seven, Fiat with six and Alfa Romeo, BMW, Citroën and Rolls-Royce with five cars each.
Really exotic brands are missing, but rarely seen manufacturers such as Jensen, Rambler or Reliant can certainly be found in the range.
Pre-war rarities
With five cars, the pre-war selection is relatively clear. Four of them are typical American cars from the 1920s and 1930s from Chevrolet or Cadillac.
A little gem that you hardly ever see at auction is the Opel 4/12 "Laubfrosch" from 1924.
Although around 120,000 examples of the comparatively inexpensive Opel were built at the time, only around 100 roadworthy "tree frogs" are said to still exist today. One of them is the car on offer, which is probably in need of a service after a long period of disuse, but is otherwise in good condition in its traditional green paintwork. Estimated at CHF 15,000 to 20,000, the car will go under the hammer with no reserve price.
A classic for every day
If you want to use your classic or modern classic car for all days, there are several options to choose from in Toffen.
There is a Lancia Beta HPE 2000 i.E. from 1984, which is in the catalog for CHF 6000 to 8000 with veteran registration 2024 but without a minimum price.
The BMW 530i V8 from 1995 from the E34 series could certainly also be driven in everyday life. The asking price here is CHF 12'000 to 15'000.
The Mercedes-Benz SLK 230 from the year 2000, which is looking for a new owner for CHF 10,000 to 15,000, is also likely to be reliable in summer and winter.
The Porsche 944 S2 Cabriolet from 1991 is also unlikely to have anything against long journeys and intensive use, but for CHF 20,000 to 25,000 it offers a lot of Porsche for the money.
And these are just a few examples from the extensive range of everyday classics.
Italian exotics
For those who like to stand out and enjoy Italian exotics, the late Iso Grifo IR-8 from 1973 is a good choice.
This is one of the few Grifo coupés equipped with a Ford engine and the estimated value for this rarity is CHF 225,000 to 250,000, making the Iso the most expensive car in the auction.
If you want four seats, you could perhaps take a seat in the De Tomaso Deauville from 1976. Here, CHF 60,000 to 80,000 (with no reserve price) is enough for a purchase, but the price is unlikely to cover the restoration costs.
The Alfa Romeo Montreal from 1975 can also be counted among the Italian exotics. The green coupé is expected to cost CHF 65,000 to 75,000.
A Ferrari Testarossa from 1986 with the raised left mirror can be acquired for CHF 170,000 to 190,000, while entry into the Ferrari world with the 348 tb from 1991 can be considerably cheaper at CHF 65,000 to 70,000.
Although the six Fiat models on offer were once built in relatively large quantities, they are all rarities today, regardless of whether we are talking about the Fiat 1100 Speciale, the two 500C derivatives, the 1800 Berlina, the 600 D Multipla or the pretty 850 Sport Coupé.
The estimated values here are between CHF 8000 and 40,000, but all Fiat cars are auctioned without a reserve price.
An SL collection?
If you've always wanted to start a Mercedes-Benz SL collection, you could buy a good starting stock at auction in Toffen.
On offer are a 190 SL from 1955 (CHF 85,000 to 95,000), a 230 SL from 1966 (CHF 75,000 to 80,000), a 450 SLC 5.0 from 1979 (CHF 25,000 to 30,000) and a 280 SL from the R129 series from 1995 for CHF 14,000 to 16,000.
Large MG selection
The selection of MG sports cars from the period after the Second World War is also extensive.
Starting with the TC, examples of the most important model series including the MGA, MGB and MG Midget are looking for new owners.
The estimated prices here range between 10,000 and 40,000, in four cases no minimum prices are being asked.
Young classics
If you are less interested in 50-year-old and even earlier classics and more in cars with future potential in the early classic or youngtimer age, you should take a look at the BMW M3 convertible from 1990.
The example on offer already has the four-cylinder engine, which has been boosted to 215 hp, and is largely fully equipped. The estimated price is CHF 80,000 to 85,000.
An alternative to this could be Mitsubishi's technology carrier 3000 GT Twin Turbo from 1994, which is on offer for CHF 15,000 to 20,000.
You can even buy a 2003 Ford Streetka for just CHF 2500 to 3500, and a 2007 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano for CHF 135,000 to 145,000.
A Porsche 996 Cabriolet from 2000 is listed in the catalog for CHF 18,000 to 22,000, a BMW 840 Ci from 1994 for CHF 25,000 to 30,000.
Of course, there is also no shortage of seasoned classic cars that are a little older. An early Porsche 928 from 1977 would be just as good an example as the two Ford Thunderbirds or several Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow.
As always, the vehicles can be viewed in Toffen in the week before the auction. The auction itself will then take place on October 12, 2024 from 13:30. More information and lots of pictures can be found on the Oldtimergalerie website.
