This 5-car “time capsule” of 1980s exotics is for sale
Looking like the vehicles purchased for a never-filmed episode of Miami Vice, a pristine collection of five choice late-1980s and early-1990s exotics is up for grabs. Miami-based Curated is hosting the sale. Many of the vehicles have just a couple of thousand miles or less, with all five coming from the same single-owner preservation collection. Each wears either a mirror-like black or a luminous white finish, which should make help them go slightly incognito amid Miami’s bright-colored car scene.
1987 Mercedes-Benz 560 SEC 6.0 AMG
First of the collection is the heavy hitter—the 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560 SEC 6.0 AMG. For most people, the standard C126-generation Mercedes-Benz SEC was quite the statement. However, taking one to AMG for additional performance (and presence) was more like a declaration. Before AMG was brought in-house, conversions of existing cars were performed at facilities in Germany and in Westmont, Illinois. One of the outfit’s more famous conversions was the Hammer wagon, but this coupe is a beauty deserving of its own acclaim. Featuring a bump up to an even 6.0-liters, and with the four-valve head conversion, this 560 SEC 6.0 AMG checks a lot of German hot rod boxes. Surprisingly, the wide-body fenders were left off, but the car does wear the iconic Penta alloy wheels.
The market for the 126-generation Mercedes-Benz coupe lit up in the past couple of years, with condition #1 (Concours) values increasing from $15,800 in 2017 to $80,900 today. Those cars converted by AMG have begun to sell for even more. The current auction record is from RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island auction in March of 2020, where a 1990 Mercedes-Benz 560 AMG 6.0 widebody sold for $390,000.
1989 Lamborghini Countach Silver Anniversary Edition
The pinnacle of the collection is the 1989 Lamborghini Countach Silver Anniversary Edition (25th). Finished in Nero Tenebre over a cream-colored interior, it has only 2668 miles. While earlier iterations of the Countach may be purer or more raw, the Silver Anniversary is considered more refined and the best-handling version. It is also the most successful, with 657 sold.
The current condition #1 (Concours) value is $310,000, which is down from a high of $436,000 in 2016, but up from $140,000 ten years ago. The auction record for one dates from 2016 where RM Sotheby’s sold one for $467,376 in Italy, but last August, a black over tan Silver Anniversary Countach with 6000 miles sold for $275,000 at RM Sotheby’s Shift/Monterey online auction.
1988 Lamborghini Jalpa
Before the Huracan and the Gallardo, with their screaming V-10s, the entry-level Lamborghini was the Jalpa with a transverse V-8. Despite its entry-level status, or maybe because of it, Lamborghini managed to produce and sell only 410 examples of the Jalpa. The 1988 Lamborghini Jalpa in this collection is from the last model year and has only 3200 miles. Reportedly the last Jalpa built for North America, it is finished black over black with white Silhouette (its predecessor) style wheels. The car also wears its original Pirelli P7R tires, which are a reminder of the period in the 1970s when Lamborghini and Pirelli were at the forefront of developing high-performance low-profile tires.
Values for the Jalpa have been creeping up over several years, with the top-condition value now at $118,000. The auction record for the Jalpa is from August in 2020, where one sold for $140,000 on Bring a Trailer.
1990 Lamborghini LM/American
The final raging bull of the collection is the vehicle that best personifies that spirit. The collection’s 1990 Lamborghini LM/American has just 1200 miles and is finished in “Bianco Perlato” (pearl white) over red. While a total of 328 LM002s were built, this is one of 60 LM/American models produced. Given that the LM002 was originally developed as a military transport, and many saw off-road action around the world, the survival rate of them is likely to be lower than that of most Lamborghinis.
Hagerty Price Guide values of the LM/American have been climbing up the past several years. Starting from a recent low of $140,000 in 2014, the current condition 1 value is $382,000. The auction record for one is from 2017, where a black over black 1990 LM/American sold for $467,000 at RM Sotheby’s auction in New York City.
1991 Lotus Esprit X180R
The final vehicle in the collection is this 1991 Lotus Esprit X180R. In the 1980s, Lotus chased the high-performance luxury sports cars from Ferrari and Porsche with its upmarket four-cylinder turbo Esprit. Originally launched in 1976 with a sharp-wedged design by Giugiaro, Peter Stevens restyled the car in late 1987, and this car wears that shape. This example, however, is not a standard Esprit. Despite being best known for its Formula 1 team, Lotus was also involved in IMSA, where it raced the Esprit in the Bridgestone Supercar championship. As a homologation car, the X180R was fitted with a roll cage but also had air conditioning. It served its purpose, too: Lotus won numerous races that year. Curated’s car up for sale shows just 499 miles and is finished in white over black with black alloys.
While we do not specifically track prices for the X180R variant of the 1991 Lotus Esprit, the 1991 Lotus Esprit SE has been increasing gradually in value over the past several years. Five years ago, the condition 1 value was $38,600, but presently the condition 1 value is $43,900. Despite only 20 examples of the X180R being produced, one did sell at auction recently, with #18 going for $61,425 on Bring a Trailer—albeit in less than pristine condition. An example such as this 499-mile car could be a great opportunity to capture a rare piece of Lotus motorsports history.
Curated does not say explicitly on its website whether the cars will be sold all together or à la carte, but we imagine that for the right price it would be possible to strike a deal either way. With over $1 million worth of pristine Miami Vice-era exotic cars all in one collection, do you feel there’s something … in the air tonight?
