Every year in March, the Oldtimer Galerie invites you to Toffen to bring two- to four-wheeled classics under the hammer at the opening of the season. On March 25, 2023, the time has come again and 73 cars and six two-wheelers worth CHF 2.35 million are looking for new owners. On average, this amounts to just under CHF 30,000 per lot.
Almost 40% of the vehicles will be offered without a reserve price, so bargains are possible in the lower price range.
"M" in the lead
For once, it is not Porsche or BMW that are most strongly represented, but Mercedes-Benz and MG.
Ten cars each come from these two manufacturers, followed by Fiat with five, Citroën with four and Daimler, Opel, Peugeot and VW with three cars each.
Just under 50 years old
On average, the vehicles are 48.8 years old. Only two cars date from the pre-war period, namely a Rolls-Royce Phantom I from 1926 (CHF 85,000 to 105,000) and a Mercedes-Benz 230 Cabriolet B from 1937 (CHF 130,000 to 140,000), which also graces the cover of the catalog.
13 vehicles date from the post-war period up to 1950, 18 from the 1960s. The proportion of cars and motorcycles from the 1970s is even higher, with a total of 20 lots. Nine youngtimers and five even younger cars represent the classic cars of the future.
The Audi R8 Spyder from 2011 with an eight-cylinder engine and manual gearbox (estimated value CHF 80,000 to 85,000) can certainly be considered a neo-classic, as can the Ferrari 612 from 2002, the Cadillac XLR Roadster from 2004 or the Bentley Continental Supersports convertible from 2010.
Towards the sun in four figures
As soon as the temperatures start to rise, some people wish they had a convertible. This wish may be fulfilled more cheaply than expected in Toffen, as a good handful of convertibles are valued in the four-digit range and eight open-top cars will go under the hammer with no minimum bid.
Whether an MG F from 1997 and 1998 or a Mazda MX-5 1.6 GT from 1999 says more to you than a Chrysler Le Baron from 1994 or a Bertone Ritmo Cabriolet from 1985 is a matter of taste, but all of these convertibles will almost certainly find new owners for less than CHF 10,000 on March 25, 2023.
The convertible range also includes several open-top MGs and Mercedes as well as a VW Porsche 914/2.0 from 1975 (estimated value CHF 20,000 to 25,000) and a VW Beetle 1303 Cabriolet from 1979 (CHF 25,000 to 30,000).
Convertible classics
Of course, you can also pay more for a convertible and go for a super classic, which is of course also available in the 30 open-top cars on offer in Toffen.
A red Fiat Dino 2400 Spider from 1971, equipped with the same engine as in the Lancia Stratos and the Dino 246 GT, should be mentioned here. The 2.4-liter Spider is very rare, but is also said to cost CHF 160,00 to 165,000.
A Mercedes-Benz 280 SL from 1970 (Pagoda) for CHF 120,000 to 130,000 or a 190 SL from 1959 for CHF 105,000 to 115,000 are somewhat cheaper.
More rustic but no less classic is the 1958 Austin-Healey 100/6 BN4, which was estimated at CHF 55,000 to 60,000. Alternatively, there is a Triumph TR4 from 1964 for CHF 35,000 to 40,000.
And you can cruise in dignified American style in the Chrysler 300 Convertible from 1966, which is available for around CHF 35,000 to 40,000.
Elegant and special coupés
For those who prefer the elegance of a coupé, there are 12 coupés to choose from.
Whether you choose a more recent Fiat Coupé 2.0 16V from 1995 (estimated at CHF 3500 to 5500) or an MGB GT with a V8 engine from 1973 (CHF 40,000 to 45,000) is a question of budget and personal preference.
For people looking for unusual cars, the Reliant Scimitar GTE SE5 from 1971 with a Ford Essex V6 engine and estate rear end would also be an interesting alternative, which was valued at CHF 24,000 to 26,000.
The 1988 Maserati Biturbo 228i, which will be available for CHF 14,000 to 16,000, also has a six-cylinder engine. In contrast, the only two Ferraris in the auction, a 400i from 1988 and a 612 from 2004, have twelve-cylinder engines and are both in the CHF 65,000 to 75,000 range.
Rare station wagons
In the 1990s and after the turn of the millennium, estate cars were among the most popular vehicle categories; in the 1960s and 1970s, they were still a niche market. Because the station wagons, which were mainly used by tradesmen at the time, were not given much attention, only a few have survived.
In Toffen, a 1959 Fiat 1100 Familiare, a 1962 Peugeot 404 U6 Commerciale and a 1977 Opel Rekord D1900 Caravan are looking for new owners.
Bread and butter from back then
A Fiat 500 C Topolino, a Citroën GS or a VW Beetle 1303 were not bought decades ago as a long-term investment, but as an everyday car.
Accordingly, not many of these vehicles have survived, but today they are among the most popular classics because they evoke the street scene of yesteryear or former vacation trips in the back seat.
26 limousines will be auctioned off in Toffen on March 25, 2023, and some of them belong precisely in this category of the bread-and-butter cars of yesteryear.
Exotic cars
In addition to all the vehicles already mentioned, there are of course many more and some of them come with a hefty dose of exoticism.
Let's take the VW Beach Buggy as an example, which is so wonderfully reminiscent of the 1970s and is also one of the rare buggies on a shortened Beetle chassis, but was also valued at CHF 30,000 to 35,000.
Or how about a Wolseley 6/110 Mk II from 1967, for CHF 14,000 to 16,000 you can be sure of a great deal of exclusivity.
The same applies to the Daimler DB 18 DHC Barker from 1948, which you can get into for CHF 35,000 to 45,000 and drive towards the sun.
More information and many photos of the auction on March 25, 2023 can be found on the website of the Oldtimer Galerie Toffen. You can also browse through the auction catalog online.
