This Week on Hagerty Marketplace: Classics from Rare to Square

Welcome to This Week on Hagerty Marketplace, a recurring recap of the previous week’s most noteworthy cars and significant sales from the Hagerty Marketplace online auctions.

Hagerty launched its Marketplace just over two years ago, and as the platform continues to grow, we’re seeing greater variety in the kinds of cars offered, which only serves to benefit the enthusiasts out there on the hunt for the classic that best speaks to them. This week’s trio spoke to very specific tastes, with a pair of wildly different droptops sandwiching some very red personal luxury from the Blue Oval.

1954 Swallow Doretti

Sold for $39,055

Of the many automaking footnotes of the last century, few were as elegantly presented as the Swallow Doretti. An aluminum-bodied two-seat roadster produced by Swallow Coachbuilding (which was part of the Swallow Sidecar business that would become Jaguar postwar), the Doretti was aimed primarily at the American market. Designed by an ex-Bristol aircraft engineer named Frank Rainbow, the car featured a chromoly tube frame built around Triumph TR2 running gear. The Doretti was wider and longer than a TR2, with the 1.9-liter four-cylinder engine set farther back in the chassis, which gave it excellent weight distribution.

Named for Dorothy Deen, the daughter of its California importer, who herself ran a successful sports car accessories business under the Doretti name, the new sports car was a competent performer, and many were raced in period at tracks around the country, though with just 276 produced over 10 months, “many” is a relative term. 

In their native England, priced at £1100 (roughly $3100 before options) the cars were £250 more expensive than the TR2 and about £100 more than an Austin-Healey 100, but they earned rave reviews. 

Ultimately, it was Jaguar founder William Lyons who put the kabosh on Doretti production, as he was vocal in his displeasure that one of his major suppliers (Swallow parent company Tube Industries) was producing a sports car to rival his own. Production was over almost before it began.

This Swallow Doretti comes from 36-year ownership, during which a restoration was begun though not completed. Though not roadworthy, it is reported to start, drive, and stop. The body and paint look good from 10 feet, while the top and interior leather are quite aged. We’d rate it as a #4 condition (fair) example, and the sale price was spot on—not a ton of money for a rare car with plenty of available parts. 

1960 Ford Thunderbird Hardtop

Sold for $14,445

Following a highly successful three years with the attractive, sporty, two-seat Thunderbird, Ford changed its corporate mind and took the T-Bird in a completely different direction—personal luxury. The car that hit showrooms in 1958 featured two extra seats, two added feet of length, luxury amenities galore, and plenty of sharp lines, and while enthusiast drivers shopping for Corvette alternatives might have been bent out of shape, John Q. Public had no such qualms. The new Thunderbird was a runaway sales success. 

In the collector market, convertible variants of the “Square Bird” still hold their own against their first-gen counterparts, while hard-top versions have lagged behind in values. Hagerty values the 352-equipped convertible at roughly $21,000–$75,000, with #3 condition (good) cars falling around $33,000. Coupes like this red ’60, on the other hand, come in well under that, ranging from 28 grand for a concours-level example to a mere $5400 for a #4, fair-condition car. This #3 coupe brought a few grand better than its condition value. Beyond money, however, the result is a car with plenty of bang for the buck. The red over red is very attractive, and the entire car is well presented, with only a few minor nicks flagged in the listing. All the chrome and brightwork sparkle as well.

Personal luxury cruisers don’t come much redder, or better, than this one. 

1969 Buick GS 400 Convertible

Sold for $32,100

Throughout the 1960s, Pontiac did its best to lead the charge as General Motors’ performance division, while Oldsmobile did a fine job as your father’s car. Buick, meanwhile, blurred the lines between performance and luxury, and the Gran Sport was a prime example of that effort. 

Redesigned for 1968, the GS rode on a short 112-inch wheelbase and featured new “Sweepspear” styling down the sides, a big departure from the slab side styling of previous years. Power came from a new 400-cid V-8, which had replaced the long-serving 401 nailhead. Both coupes and convertibles were offered, and the ’69 convertible seen here is one of just 1776 open-top GS 400s built that year. 

Said to be a Texas barn find picked up by the seller in 2022, this car’s Polar White paint is reported to be original and in good shape overall. The red vinyl interior, too, looks smart, while the engine bay is clean overall. This one looks to be a solid driver in #3 (good) condition, and its sale price was commensurate with that.