The Coolest Kids’ Cars of the Monterey Auctions

The rich kids of Monterey are spoilt for choice with the Car Week auctions offering scaled-down race and rally cars suitable for even the youngest drivers.

At Bonham’s Quail Auction there’s the pick of a pair of endurance race cars, both estimated to sell for between $40,000 and $60,000.

First is a half-scale replica of the Stirling Moss 722 300 SLR which won the Mille Miglia in 1955. With a 48cc engine driving the rear wheels via a centrifugal clutch its top speed is a 15 mph, but that will still pretty fast to a five year-old. Its powder-coated steel chassis is clothed in silver arrows painted GRP bodywork, with an opening hood and trunk and working headlights. The two-seater cabin is trimmed in a blue and black tartan that’s true to the original, while adding to its desirability is Moss’s autograph.

The Porsche 917K which won the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans is no less of a legend and the 70 percent scale car also on sale at Bonham’s is a perfect replica of the car driven to victory by Hans Heerman and Richard Attwood. There’s a tubular steel chassis, a 270 cc motor that powers the 917 to 28 mph, plus rack-and-pinion steering, front suspension and hydraulic disc brakes, and a 2:1 reduction gearbox with a wet clutch. Bonham’s describes it as “full-size car engineering, simply scaled down.” Drivers as young as five can get behind the quick-release steering wheel and the bucket seat can also be removed for mum or dad to have a go.

Pop across to the Monterey Conference Center for RM Sotheby’s sale and there’s even more choice for junior collectors.

For an estimated $20,000-$30,000 young Porsche fans can get behind the wheel of a tribute to the 1984 Paris-Dakar winner driven by René Metge and co-driver Dominique Lemoyne. Built by Britain’s Halfscale Cars the Porsche 953 replica would be perfect for budding rally drivers thanks to its all-round independent suspension complete with coilovers, Brembo hydraulic disc brakes, 12-inch wheels with off-road tires, and 15-hp 400cc engine. Mini Metges can motor along at up to 50 mph, although the Rothmans livery might not quite send the right message to impressionable youngsters.

Red Five was the Williams FW14B that powered Nigel Mansell to the 1992 F1 World Championship thanks to Renault’s 3.5-liter V-10. The 75 percent scale version that’s expected to sell for $40,000-$60,000 has a rather different method of propulsion, with its 48-volt electric motor and 1 kW lithium battery pack. It will do 40 mph flat out, has hydraulic disc brakes, slick tires for suitable stopping and cornering capability. The snug cockpit can accommodate drivers from five to 15 in a suede seat with a three-point racing harness.

Paying homage to the Porsche 917/30 that dominated Can-Am racing in 1973 is the priciest kids’ car on the block. Set to reach $50,000-$60,000 the Sunoco-liveried machine has been built to two-thirds scale on an aluminum spaceframe chassis. There’s independent double-wishbone suspension at each corner, and a 400 cc Kawasaki motor making 13 hp, mated to a CVT transmission. Braking is provided by twin hydraulic drums, with grip coming from Hoosier tires. It’s actually big enough for adults to drive and RM Sotheby’s suggest it “could make for the ultimate motorsport paddock support vehicle.”