Tag Archives: Bring a Trailer

Auctions

1972 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS “Evo 3.6” is for sale

Leave a comment

For decades, the Dino lived in Ferrari’s shadow.

Created at the insistence of Enzo Ferrari himself and named in honor of his late son Alfredo “Dino” Ferrari, the sub-brand was never intended to be a bargain-bin alternative to Maranello’s finest. Yet history has a way of rewriting narratives. While the Dino 206 GT and later 246 GT and GTS rolled out of Ferrari’s factory and shared much of the company’s engineering DNA, the absence of the famous prancing horse on the nose left many collectors treating them as second-tier Ferraris for years.

Not anymore.

A heavily reimagined 1972 Dino 246 GTS currently crossing the auction block in the United States is attracting the kind of money typically reserved for the marque’s most celebrated classics. With bidding already sailing past $800,000 and the auction still open, this once-overlooked sports car is proving that the Dino name has finally earned its place among Ferrari royalty.

Then again, this isn’t your average Dino.

The car underwent a comprehensive restoration and transformation by British specialists Moto Technique between 2017 and 2018. While the original 246 GTS relied on a charismatic 2.4-liter V-6 mounted behind the driver, Moto Technique decided nostalgia wasn’t enough. In its place sits a naturally aspirated 3.6-liter Tipo 105C V-8 equipped with individual throttle bodies, revised cylinder heads, and a bespoke MoTec engine-management system.

The result is approximately 400 horsepower—nearly double the output of the original car.

Power is routed to the rear wheels through a five-speed manual transmission, preserving the mechanical interaction that makes classic Italian sports cars so addictive. Supporting upgrades include a larger aluminum radiator, coil-over suspension, and anti-roll bars front and rear, all intended to ensure the chassis can keep pace with its vastly increased performance.

The visual changes are just as dramatic, although they’re handled with enough restraint to avoid upsetting purists entirely.

During the restoration, the body was stripped to bare metal before being refinished in deep black paint. New plexiglass headlamp covers sharpen the Dino’s already gorgeous front-end design, while larger 17-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires bring modern grip levels to a shape penned more than half a century ago. Behind those wheels sit brakes sourced from a Ferrari 360 Modena—a clear sign that Moto Technique expected this Dino to do more than simply pose for photographs.

Inside, the transformation continues.

Daytona-style seats trimmed in red and black leather create a cabin that’s equal parts classic Ferrari and bespoke grand tourer. Matching red carpeting brightens the interior, while a gated shifter preserves the tactile charm enthusiasts expect from an Italian exotic. There’s even a modern audio system with iPod connectivity, a subtle reminder that this Dino was built to be driven rather than preserved as a museum piece.

Since the restoration’s completion, the car has covered just 13,679 kilometers, suggesting it has been enjoyed enough to stay healthy while remaining remarkably fresh.

The irony is impossible to ignore. A model once dismissed as “not a real Ferrari” is now commanding supercar money thanks to a build that boldly abandons originality in favor of performance. Yet perhaps that’s exactly why bidders are lining up. The Dino was always celebrated for its beauty and balance. This example simply asks the question: what if Ferrari had kept developing it?

Judging by the auction results so far, plenty of collectors are willing to pay handsomely for the answer.

Source: Bring a Trailer

Auctions

This 2200-KM Volkswagen Scirocco Is Basically a Brand-New 1992 Time Capsule

Few cars wear their survival story as proudly as this 1992 Volkswagen Scirocco GT II. In a world where most second-generation Sciroccos were modified, neglected, or simply driven into the ground, this Jasper Green Metallic time capsule has somehow escaped all three fates—and it may just be one of the lowest-mileage Volkswagens left on the planet.

With only around 2200 kilometers showing on the odometer after 34 years, this Scirocco doesn’t merely look preserved; it looks frozen. The paint still carries the deep gloss that defined early-1990s Volkswagen showroom floors, while the original 14-inch alloy wheels appear as though they’ve spent more time under fluorescent lights than on asphalt. Which, in a way, they did.

According to the auction listing, this GT II sat inside a German showroom for more than a decade before finally finding its first owner in 2003. That strange limbo likely saved it from the fate suffered by so many of its siblings. The Scirocco was never treated as a collectible in period. It was a stylish front-drive coupe that spent most of its life being driven hard, modified poorly, or discarded once hot hatches evolved beyond it. Seeing one survive in this condition feels almost improbable.

The interior is where the car really sells its story. Open the door and you’re greeted by gloriously loud patterned cloth seats that perfectly capture Volkswagen’s playful early-’90s design language. Modern interiors may obsess over minimalism and giant touchscreens, but this cabin reminds you that cars once had personality. The original cassette deck remains in place, a tiny detail that somehow matters enormously, and the small sunroof adds just enough flair to elevate the whole package from economy coupe to genuine junior grand tourer.

Under the hood sits a naturally aspirated 1.8-liter inline-four producing 90 horsepower and 136 Nm of torque, paired with a five-speed manual transmission driving the front wheels. By modern standards, those numbers barely register, but that misses the point entirely. The Scirocco has never been about outright speed. It’s about lightness, simplicity, and the kind of analog charm that disappeared long before “driver engagement” became a marketing phrase.

The car received its last service in 2023, though another inspection is recommended before it returns to regular road use. That caveat feels almost ceremonial. Cars like this aren’t really bought to commute; they’re bought because they preserve a moment in automotive history that has mostly vanished.

Unsurprisingly, the auction has already generated significant attention, including interest from buyers reportedly considering importing the car to the United States. And honestly, it’s easy to understand why. Pristine Mk2 Sciroccos have become almost mythical, especially untouched examples finished in period-correct colors with virtually no mileage.

In today’s collector market, rarity alone isn’t enough. Authenticity matters more. This Scirocco has both—and in quantities almost nobody expected to see again.

Source: Bring a Trailer

Auctions

How a 2005 Mercedes-AMG CL65 Became a $300,000 Collectible

By the mid-2000s, Mercedes-AMG was in a very particular mood. Not the restrained, Nürburgring-lap-time-chasing AMG we know today, but the slightly unhinged, torque-drunk division that believed the correct answer to every engineering question was “add two more cylinders and a pair of turbochargers.” The CL65 AMG was the purest expression of that mindset, and one impossibly preserved example has just proven that the world is finally ready to pay for it.

This Alabaster White 2005 CL65 AMG crossed the auction block for more than $300,000, a figure that would have sounded ridiculous a decade ago but now feels eerily logical. When new, this coupe already carried a stratospheric $182,280 sticker, which inflation turns into roughly the same $300K it just fetched. In other words, this car didn’t just hold its value—it completed a 20-year financial round trip back to its original altitude.

That alone would be impressive. The real story is what this thing is.

A Bentley in Disguise, a Supercar at Heart

Under the pillarless, yacht-like body of the C215 CL-Class sits AMG’s most excessive production engine: a twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter V12. Officially, it made 612 horsepower and 1,000 Nm (738 lb-ft) of torque, although everyone knew those numbers were conservative. In 2005, that put this Mercedes in the same power neighborhood as a Ferrari Enzo—except the CL65 could also heat, cool, and massage your back while doing it.

All of that thrust flows through a five-speed AMG SpeedShift automatic to the rear wheels, because at the time Mercedes hadn’t yet invented a transmission brave enough to handle that much torque with more ratios. Even so, the CL65 could catapult its nearly two-ton body forward with an effortlessness that bordered on absurd.

And yet, this wasn’t some stripped-out AMG special. It was a full-blown luxury coupe, complete with Active Body Control suspension, cross-drilled AMG brakes, and a cabin that feels more like a private jet than a sports car.

The Spec That Shouldn’t Work—but Does

This particular car was ordered new by Michael Fux, the philanthropist and serious collector known for his bold specifications, and it shows. The exterior is finished in Alabaster White, paired with a Java leather interior and chestnut wood trim. It’s an unusual combination, slightly flamboyant, and completely unforgettable—exactly the kind of thing that turns a production AMG into a one-off-feeling collector car two decades later.

The condition is where things really get wild. The odometer reads just 3,300 miles (5,300 km), which means this CL65 has averaged roughly 165 miles per year since new. That explains why it presents today as a near-museum piece, right down to its Michelin Pilot Sport tires with 2024 date codes and its still-immaculate interior.

And yes, it’s loaded. Heated and ventilated multi-contour AMG sport seats with massage, Keyless Go, Bose surround sound, COMAND navigation, Parktronic, a power rear sunshade, and even a trunk-mounted CD changer for those who miss the golden age of physical media. The instrument cluster tops out at 220 mph, a subtle reminder that this was never meant to be a mere luxury cruiser.

Why $300,000 Suddenly Makes Sense

For years, the CL65 AMG lived in the shadow of more obvious icons: the McLaren-engined SLR, the SL65 roadster, and the modern hyper-AMGs that followed. But tastes are changing. Collectors are rediscovering the era when AMG was gloriously unfiltered, building cars that made no apologies for their size, weight, or fuel consumption—only for their lack of restraint.

The CL65 represents the peak of that philosophy. A V12, twin turbos, no pillars, no compromises, and enough torque to bend space-time. Combine that with ultra-low mileage, a high-profile original owner, and a rare spec, and you get a perfect storm for value.

In 2005, this car was an outrageous indulgence. In 2026, it’s a rolling monument to a lost era of Mercedes-AMG madness—and now, officially, a six-figure collectible.

And honestly? That feels exactly right.

Source: Bring a Trailer