All posts by Francis Mitterrand

Auctions

1964 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 is up for auction

Between 1960 and 1984, Toyota produced the Land Cruiser FJ40, which was Toyota’s best-selling car in the United States until the mid-60s. One of them, a 1964 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 is up for auction.

This FJ40 is powered by a 5.7-liter Vortec V8 engine with a Volant cold-air intake. Power is sent to the rear or all wheels via a 4L65E four-speed automatic transmission, an Atlas II twin-stick transfer case, and Dynatrac front and rear axles. It is mounted on Black 17″ American Racing alloy wheels wrapped in 285/70 BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 tires.

In the early 2010s the car was modified by ICON 4×4 of Chatsworth, California, when a replacement four-door aluminum bodywork, painted gray, was installed. It is equipped with a removable black soft top with roll-up windows as well as LED lighting, AMP Research power-operated side steps, a roof rack with a side access ladder, power steering, Warn manually locking front hubs, Fox Racing adjustable coilovers, ICON- branded Brembo calipers fitted over slotted rotors at all four corners, dual exhaust system with MagnaFlow mufflers, steel front bumper with a bull bar, while the rear unit features a receiver hitch as well as swing-out spare tire and jerry can carriers.

Inside, two rows of heated bucket seats and the rear bench are trimmed in black vinyl with patterned cloth inserts. In front of the driver are a split-spoke ICON steering wheel, AutoMeter instruments and a digital odometer reading 19,793 miles (total mileage unknown). Additional equipment includes a fire extinguisher attached to the central tunnel, air conditioning, a roll cage, and drilled aluminum pedals.

The car comes with digital copies of the owner’s guide and manufacturer’s literature as well as build photos and a clean California title in the seller’s name.

The auction ends on February 25 and the highest bid at the time of writing was USD $36,800.

Source: Bring a Trailer

Gallery:

1964 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 is up for auction
Auctions

1957 Porsche 356A is up for auction

In a time of rapid development of electric cars, it’s nice to see that there are still those who appreciate classic cars, especially when it comes to models like the Porsche 356. As the predecessor of the legendary 911 and Porsche’s first production car, the 356 has always attracted attention but also reached high price at auctions, especially well-preserved examples. One of the cars from the second version of this model, the 1957 Porsche 356A coupe is up for auction.

The Porsche 356A is powered by a rebuilt 1.6-liter flat-four with dual Weber carburetors and polished air cleaners. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission. The Automol is mounted on silver-finished 15″ steel wheels wrapped in 165-width Michelin XZX tires.

This car is finished in Platinum Silver Metallic and has a few imperfections such as uneven panel gaps and visible corrosion on some components. It is equipped with body-color bumpers with chrome-finished overriders, dual side mirrors, H4 headlights, single polished exhaust outlet, replacement windshield, four-wheel drum brakes, and retrofitted shock absorbers.

Inside, low-back bucket seats are trimmed in black leatherette that covers the door panels, dash and rear bench. In front of the driver are a wood-rimmed Nardi steering wheel, green-letter VDO instrumentation and a five-digit digital odometer reading 63,335 miles (total mileage unknown). Additional equipment includes seat belts and a Blaupunkt push-button radio.

The car comes with manufacturer’s literature, partial service records, spare components, a Hazet tool kit, and a clean California title in the seller’s name.

The auction ends on February 21st and the highest bid at the time of writing was USD $62,500.

Source: Bring a Trailer

Gallery:

1957 Porsche 356A is up for auction
News

Russians produce Citroen C5 Aircross without Stellantis approval

During 2022, most manufacturers stopped production of their cars in plants located in Russia, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, according to the latest information, the Russians have found a way to continue the production of some models, such as the Citroen C5 Aircross, in the Stellantis plant with parts manufactured in China.

The Chinese manufacturer Dongfeng Motor Group, Stellantis’ partner in China, supplied parts to the Russian company Automotive Technologies, which began assembling the Citroen C5 Aircross. This is not the first time that Chinese companies violate agreements with other manufacturers, and this time the reason could be the agreement that Stellantis reached with another Chinese company (Leapmotor).

Customs records do not indicate that Stellantis knew about the imports, but evidence obtained by other companies shows a lack of control over their brands in Russia after leaving the country. The Chinese company Dongfeng, the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade and Automotive Technologies did not comment on this case.

How Stellantis will respond to this cheeky move by Chinese and Russian companies remains to be seen.

Russia is taking advantage of the current situation to continue producing cars in factories abandoned by their owners through parallel imports. Stellantis and Mitsubishi Motors in Russia own a plant in Kaluga (70% + 30%) where 125,000 vehicles were produced annually. Leaving Russia had a negative impact on Stellantis Group, with a loss of EUR 144 million plus and EUR 87 million in cash.

Source: Reuters