This Week on Hagerty Marketplace: Roadsters and “The Road”

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.

This week we’ve got a wide variety of rides, including a useful ute and a pair of drop-tops that could hardly be more different. Check ’em out:

1914 Chevrolet Series H-2 Royal Mail Roadster

Sold for $42,800

Chevrolet’s first mass-market car was a direct shot at Ford’s hugely successful Model T. It wasn’t as cheap as Ford’s mass-produced marvel, but it was more powerful, packing a 24-hp four-cylinder with overhead valves. Ford was content with flathead power until the 1950s. Chevrolet also brought a three-speed transmission to counter Ford’s two-speed gearbox. It wasn’t a perennial sales success like the Model T. However, it did give Chevrolet co-founder William Durant the financial boost needed to regain control of General Motors. For fans of Chevrolet history, this was the first year that Chevrolet cars wore the now-famous Bow Tie logo. This H-2 sold rather well, although those that have sold for less were not such beautiful examples. This drop-top would make a great foundation for a Chevy collection highlighting the brand’s evolution. (Read the full story on this 1914 Chevy, the 64th of the run and believed to be the oldest complete Chevrolet in existence, here.)

1967 Datsun 1600 Roadster

Sold for $19,795

Before the Miata, another Japanese two-seater took on the classic British roadster formula. Datsun’s 1600 roadster packed 96 hp and the proper proportions and dynamics to win over those considering a Triumph or MG. We love how the curved sides of this compact sports car contrast the squared-off scoop and the carved leading edge of the hood. Its look manages to be simultaneously entirely Japanese and yet very European. This example features an upgraded five-speed manual transmission and its engine was rebuilt in 1988. Its sale price is just above its $3 (Good) value, as it could use just a bit of freshening up inside. The body, on the other hand, seems just as straight as its off-center racing stripes.

1987 Chevrolet El Camino

Sold for $19,795

Many of us on the Hagerty staff are fans of car-based pickups and have a soft spot for El Caminos in particular. This one-owner 1987 model is one of the nicest G-body El Caminos we’ve ever seen and is equipped with a 305 V-8 and Turbo 350 automatic. The black over silver two-tone and red pinstripe look great with the optional Rally wheels, but we’re not sure about the high-top camper shell. This virtual time capsule of a pickup has less than 30,000 miles on the odometer and everything about the car’s pristine appearance reflects that. The sale price barely exceeded the #2 (Excellent) value, appropriate for the fantastic condition of this low-mileage ute.

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