Some of us might remember the beginning and end of the Pink Panther Show where our favorite animated feline exits and enters into a dramatic, low slung custom car. That machine, appropriately named the Panthermobile, was originally built by Hollywood custom car legend Jay Ohrberg in 1969 for the show, which aired on NBC in the US from then until 1976.

Now, some 35 years after the show ended, the car scheduled to make an appearance at the Chelsea Auto Legends Show, which takes place next month in London, UK. At the same time, it’ll also be offered for auction online, via Robson Kay.

The Panthermobile is in unrestored, original condition and need of some work (it currently doesn’t run); nevertheless when it was first offered up for auction in 2007 via COYS, a bidder paid £88,000 ($55,000) for the thing.

How much it’ll fetch this time around is anyone’s guess but it’ll be interesting to see the bidding response this one-of-a-kind creation generates. The auction runs from September 4th (Auto Legends opening day) to October 14th.

As part of this most recent weekend’s festivities at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the annual Bonhams’ Classic Car Auction generated £7.2 million ($11.6 million) worth of sales, as collectors flocked to the tasty offerings up for grabs.

Star attractions at the Bonham’s event this time out, included a 1967 Lamborghini 400GT (similar to the car above) and originally owned by ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, which went for £122, 500 ($196,00), plus an ultra rare Bertone bodied 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 drophead, which sold for £606,500 ($970,400) – the most of any vehicle during the auction.Said Aston was once owned by racing driver Innes Ireland and is believed to be one of just two such examples ever built.

Another strong seller was a 1925 Bugatti Type 35, which went under the gavel for a respectable £430,500 ($688,800) ; it sold to an over-the-phone buyer.

In total, there were 99 cars that crossed the auction block, with 85 percent of them finding buyers. The 2011 auction was judged an outstanding success, generating more than twice as much money as last year and setting a new record at Goodwood, despite a similar car count (for the record, Bonham’s at Goodwood in 2010 saw 93 cars cross the block and £3.6 million ($5.76 million) generated in sales).

[Source: Bloomberg]

Mecum Auctions has announced that it will be offering a very unique Corvette collection for sale during next weekend’s Bloomington Gold event.

The auction, scheduled to take place at the Pheasant Run Resort on East Main Street in St. Charles, IL on June 24-25, will see each car in the collection, which comprises a black Corvette from every year from 1954 to 1969, offered at no reserve.

Among the cars up for grabs are some very desirable models, ranging from early fuel-injected, solid axle machines to a split-window 1963 mid-year Sting Ray and even coupes and convertibles of the same model year, plus a fist full of 1965-69 396/427 big-block cars (including the 1966 Big Tank coupe shown above). Without question, this corral of Corvettes is expected to be the highlight of this year’s auction.

For more information on these and other Corvettes due to go under the gavel at Mecum’s Bloomington Gold auction, click on the link below:

[Source: Mecum Auctions]

A very rare 1965 Ford GT40 prototype is being featured at RM Auctions and is to be sold May 21st. The GT40 is just one of five roadsters that were built.

This particular model, the GT/111, entered into the Targa Florio rally where it had numerous engine problems. Its 4.7-liter V8 was only firing on seven cylinders and it had the misfortune of crashing on its last lap. After its debut, the protoptype was transported back to England where it was stripped down and forgotten. Eventually the car was restored and RM Auctions is expecting to fetch $3.6- $4.3 million at the auction!

It’s a little rough around the edges, but this Futurliner bus represents the essence of a bygone era, specifically GM’s Parade of Progress, which during the 1940s and ’50s traveled across the country demonstrating the latest in the General’s automotive technology to consumers.

GM originally built 12 of these buses, which were 33 feet long, 11 feet high and rode on double tires at all four corners. Styling mimicked period locomotives and was designed to capture the essence of speed and streamlining, which was perceived as cutting edge at the time.

Eight of the original 12 Futurliners are known to still exist today and this one is being offered for sale by Auctions America on behalf of noted GM Motorarama car collector Joe Bortz. The bus is likely to fetch between $450,000 and $650,000 when it crosses the block at the Auburn Auction Park during the May 12-14 weekend.

“These Futurliner buses represent the largest artifacts remaining from GM’s great Motorama era and hold a significant place in American automotive history,” said Bortz

[Source: Auctions America]

We’ve all heard about those so-called ‘Duesy in a barn,’ stories, but sometimes they actually do happen. Take the case of Bill Fair, a businessman and auctioneer from Lecompton, Kansas.

Fair had been asked by the Texas attorney general’s office to supervise the cleaning out of some storage units; imagine to his surprise when, amid all the junk found in one of them, he came across a 1966 Shelby G.T.350.

“It was just sitting there, in the middle of all the trash,” he said. It turned out that the car had been parked some 26 years ago and was in remarkable condition considering.

Once he notified the attorney’s office, they arranged to have the car shipped to an auction in San Antonio. According to Fair, they’ve already been receiving offers for the car, but still, plan to sell it under the gavel around $200,000.

[Source: MSNBC]

Once raced by John Whitmore and Bob Bondurant in the 1965 Targa Florio; this Linden Green 1965 Ford GT40 roadster, one of just five ever built, was thought to have been lost forever.

In 2006, the car, chassis GT/111 re-surfaced once again and was restored the following year. Since then it has made various appearances at vintage racing events around the world, including the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Now it’s about to go under the hammer, being auctioned off at the prestigious Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, which takes place in Cernobbio, Italy on May 21. How much the car will fetch is anybody’s guess, though interested parties should make sure they have deep pockets – closed GT40s with pedigree regularly sell for more than $1.5 million, so you can bet this one will likely fetch considerably more.

[Source: Autoblog]

Among Mustang and modern muscle car fans, the 2012 Boss 302 is one of the most highly anticipated cars of the year, however diehard enthusiasts are bemoaning the fact that you won’t be able to get one in perhaps the Mustang’s most signature color – Grabber Blue. OR can you?

Ford has decided to paint one of it’s hot new 444-horsepower 2012 Boss 302s in the famed hue, and auction the car at Barrett-Jackson’s Westworld event. The car features the same 5.0-liter V8 as other Boss 302s, but along with the unique paint it will sport some special features, including black accents on the roof, mirror housings and spoiler, plus a Grabber blue interior X-brace and embroidery on the seats.

All proceeds from the sale of the car (above it’s MSRP) will be donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research foundation. Between them, Barrett-Jackson and Ford Motor Company have so far raised almost $2.5 million for the charity over the last four years.

GALLERY: Grabber Blue Boss 302 Mustang

[Source Edmunds Inside Line]

It’s that time of year again, where the big collector car auctions get revved up for some serious gavel action in Arizona. RM Auctions, which this year is offering a whole fistful of vintage and classic British machinery, is also offering this, the very first Dodge Charger ever built.

Launched as a concept in 1964, it was based on the existing full-size Polara two-door, but was designed as a showcase for Chrysler’s then new Hemi V8, the all-conquering 426. The ’64 Charger was converted into a two seater, sporting a cut down roof with original Batmobile type pods for the driver and passenger, plus a notable absence of chrome (including the bumpers), special side scoops and unique Halibrand wheels.

However, because of high demand for those new Hemi V8s, especially in NASCAR, when the Charger concept actually made its debut, it was powered by a standard 383 cubic inch big block Polara V8, rated at 305-hp. It toured the show circuit for a year and was then acquired by a prominent Dodge dealer who passed it onto his son, who made some alterations to the car.

In 1999 it was acquired by noted dream car collector Joe Bortz who had it restored at no expense. In fact Bortz went a step further and had one of the original, hand built Hemi engines installed, thus creating the car’s ‘should have been’ original configuration.

In 2007 the car was purchased by collector John M. O’Quinn and now, following his death, is up for auction, along with other items from the O’Quinn estate. According to RM, the car will likely sell for between $750,000 and $1 million when it goes under the hammer later this month.

[Source: RM Auctions]

CSX 1001, one of only 12 genuine 1965 Shelby Cobra S/C 427s and the only one to sport an aluminum engine, will be going up for auction at Russo and Steele’s Scottsdale event in January.

Built using an original AC body from Britain, it was completed for Carroll Shelby personally and along with the car, the winning bidder will receive original paperwork verifying ol’ Shel as the Cobra’s original owner.

In view of its pedigree, exotic engine and also the fact that it is one of just 12 Semi Competition Cobras built in 1965, it’s anybody’s guess to how much the car will sell for when it goes under the gavel. However, one thing’s for certain, interested parties should make sure they’ve got plenty of cash on hand when the time comes.

[Source: Autoweek]