Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Time capsule ’81 Datsun 210 sells for nearly $12,000 in Las Vegas

1981 Datsun 210

1981 Datsun 210 MPG hatchback. Photos courtesy Barrett-Jackson.

What prompted the original owner of a 1981 Datsun 210 hatchback to preserve his fuel-sipping import for posterity? We may never have the answer to that question, but on Thursday, September 24, his efforts paid dividends for the car's consignor when it sold for a fee-inclusive price of $11,770, more than triple the current high retail value and almost exactly double the original $5,899 sticker price.

1981 Datsun 210

Described in the catalog as an SL model, its driveline identifies it as an "MPG" version, designed to coax up to 47 miles from a gallon of gasoline on the highway or up to 36 around town. Under the hood sits a carburetor-fed 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine, producing in the neighborhood of 65 horsepower, mated to a five-speed manual transmission with overdrive. While rapid acceleration clearly wasn't a design parameter, its roughly one-ton curb weight ensured that the car was quick enough to be safe and nimble enough to be relatively entertaining on twisty roads.

1981 Datsun 210

The example sold in Las Vegas was said to be garaged since new, an effort that preserved the original paint and interior to an impressive degree. All gauges, including the quartz clock, work as intended, and even the car's raised white letter tires are said to be the same ones fitted during assembly. Perhaps the most original Datsun 210 hatchback on the market today, its strong selling price seems to be an indication that interest in Japanese cars of this vintage, no matter how ordinary, is growing among collectors.

1966 Ford Fairlane 500 R Code

1966 Ford Fairlane 500 R-Code.

Cars in the top-five at Barrett-Jackson's Las Vegas sale included a 1968 Chevrolet Corvette L88, which sold for $330,000; a 2005 Ford GT, which sold for $291,500; a 1966 Ford Fairlane 500 R-Code, which sold for a claimed auction record price of $275,000; a 2012 Falcon Series 1F7 VIN #001, which sold for $198,000; and a 1962 Chevrolet Corvette 430 custom convertible, which sold for $192,500.

1957 Pontiac Chieftain

1957 Pontiac Chieftain sedan.

With nearly 700 vehicles crossing the block over the sale's three days, bargain lots proved to be plentiful. Those with a $10,000 limit went home with lots that included a customized 1981 Chevrolet Camaro, sold for $6,050; a 1972 Cadillac Eldorado, sold for $7,700; a 1975 Volkswagen Beetle, sold for $9,900; a 1973 Opel 1900 Sport Wagon, sold for $3,300; a 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air sedan, sold for $6,050; a 1965 Ford Mustang, sold for $9,625; a 1973 Volvo 1800ES, sold for $9,570; a 1957 Pontiac Chieftain sedan, sold for $8,800; a 1961 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 four-door hardtop, which sold for $4,950; and a 1972 Lincoln Continental Mark IV coupe, sold for $4,400.

Also announced in Las Vegas was a new auction date and location for Barrett-Jackson in 2016. Next June 23-25, the company will debut its first Northeast auction at the Mohegan Sun casino and resort in Uncasville, Connecticut, an easy drive from both Boston and New York.

For complete results from Las Vegas, visit Barrett-Jackson.com.



from Hemmings Daily - News for the collector car enthusiast http://ift.tt/1JCkRwn

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