These Replica Go-Karts Will Be Auctioned At Monterey Next Week
Images courtesy of Mecum Auctions
Monterey Car Week is just days away from kicking off all of its craziness, and the array of cars to be auctioned is as impressive as always (read: very), but among the machinery more valuable than most mansions are a few items that might sneak by right under your nose. That’s because the three cars you see here are in fact not really cars at all. They’re go-karts. Miniature motoring legends that you can squeeze yourself into and pretend you’re Stirling Moss for a fraction of the price and power. Mecum is bringing this trio of toys along with the rest of their lots, so if you’re looking for the best way to get Junior a head start on driving tastefully, you’ve just found three perfect “starter cars.”
They’re all likely to sell for more than my full-size car is worth, but in the relative world of high-end automotive auctions their estimates are actually pretty digestible. They’re like those electric-powered plastic Jeeps and Corvettes at your typical superstore, but with correct proportions, vast attention to detail, and true-blue (especially in the case of the Merc’s two-stroke motor’s exhaust) combustion engines. That said, I wouldn’t expect them to be very quick, but maybe it’s better this way, as to not tempt their next owners from taking them on public roads where their heads would be bobbing about at bumper height.
1969 Ferrari 330 P2 Le Mans
Ferraris are known for quite a lot of things, one of course being their impressive range of V8s and V12s that push power figures well into the hundreds. This P2 has just two and a half horsepower, but it has every bit as much style. The replica, built by the French company De La Chapelle, is two thirds the size of the real deal, and is powered by a small Honda engine that’s good for speeds around 25mph—you likely won’t be winning any races with this one, but you’ll win plenty of hearts and minds.
1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SLR “722”
I mentioned how these karts can turn you into a mock-Moss earlier, and this one is obviously the best choice if that’s the kind of pretend-play you’re after. Even if you never shoehorn your way into the GRP body (the chassis, like that of the Ferrari above, is steel), it’s still a treat to simply look at it, but the idea of bringing the thing to some scenic pedestrian footpath when no one’s around is just too appealing.
1961 Jaguar E-Type
The E-Type may not have been the most reliable or well-built sports car, but denying its place in the upper echelons of influential design is an argument made in vain. Especially when it comes to the unfettered form of the Series 1 cars produced between ’61-’68. The coupe is arguably the pinnacle of the car’s form, but in the case of this miniature replica I think I’d prefer not to be folded in on myself in order to get behind that little wooden wheel.
These cars will likely leave Monterey with new owners next week, but which other icons of vintage motoring would you like to aim a shrink-ray at? I think a single-seater 935 with a 250cc motorcycle motor might be a tough order to place, but these little cars are made to spark the imagination, right?
