Hot on the block recently - a $1.8m Fiat, a US-only LWT M3 plus a rare Alpina coming up for sale
See the next Lloyds classic auction
1953 Fiat 8V Supersonic
Sold: $1.8M
RMA, Amelia Island
Back in the 50s, Fiat was known for city tots, not sassy sports cars. The 8V featured an OHV light alloy 2.0-litre V8 engine, Siata-fabricated chassis and four-wheel independent suspension. Raced by privateers the world over, the 8V was a darling of coachbuilders, Ghia of Torino converting 15 of the 114 8V chassis built to Giovanni Savonuzzi’s jaw-dropping Jet Age design, best known as the Supersonic.
1995 BMW M3 lightweight
Sold: $190,000
Gooding & Co, Amelia Island
After getting stiffed on the full-strength 286hp 3.0-litre M engine, the Yanks had to make do with a 240hp lump in their E36 M3. As a measure of recompense, BMW built 126 US-only Lightweights. All white and fitted with flag decals, the LWT had 102kg of flab stripped out. Chassis 07534 shows just 7,500 miles and we think it might be the most expensive roadgoing E36 M3 to sell at auction.
1988 Alpina C2 2.7
On the block: May 8
Shannons, Melbourne, Estimate: $25-30k
It’s still a rare sight to see genuine Alpina C2s come up for sale here in Australia, but this one looks the business. It’s one of the later catalysed cars with an engine upgraded by the Buchloe manufacturer to make 210hp. That’s more powerful than a contemporary BMW E30 M3, so this was something very special back in the day. Many buyers chose Alpina over an equivalent M car for the availability of automatic gearboxes but this one’s a particularly rare combo: two-tone paint, a soft top and a manual ‘box. You won’t see another one like this.