A Look at this Week’s Weird and Wonderful—November 14, 2025
As the week draws to a close, we invite you to take a look back at some of the more interesting auctions that have popped up here on BaT. We are always amazed that, after nearly 220,000 auctions, we still regularly see things we haven’t seen before. It’s a testament to the breadth of interests represented by all of you out there in the BaT community—there’s no end to your enthusiasm. That’s why we are happy to present you with this curated assortment of weird and wonderful cars from the last seven days of auctions. And there are of course many other treasures to pore over on our live auctions page.
Enjoy this week’s Weird & Wonderful, and let us know what other listings grabbed your attention in the comments.
In the 1980s, flirting with the Italians was in vogue among many of the Japanese automakers. Autech, an internal tuning division at Nissan (since merged with NISMO), once teamed up with Zagato to build a low-production special called the AZ1 (not to be confused with the AZ-1 from Mazda/Autozam). Autech and Zagato parted ways after 100 AZ1s were built, but, like star-crossed lovers, their paths would meet again a few years later. At first it was awkward, but small talk turned into coffee, and after a long conversation with lots of eye contact and hair twirling, they decided to give it another shot. This time, the result was the Gavia, based on the F31 Leopard (aka the Infiniti M30, another member of the Weekly Weird & Wonderful club). Only 16 were made, and they look like concept cars in the best way possible. But unlike most concept cars, the Gavia has relatively conventional Nissan mechanicals underneath. It should come as no surprise that famed oddball car collector @Myron_Vernis has appeared in the comments to encourage the next owner to get this one out on the road.
Leyland FV4201 Chieftain Main Battle Tank
This is the second Leyland Chieftain main battle tank we have listed on BaT since August, making them a more common sight on our pages than, say, the first-gen Civic Type R. The last one was a Mk. 10 variant from the end of the Cold War; this one from @Wob is an early-production model—the direct replacement for both the Centurion and Conqueror, the latter of which donated its famously accurate 120mm gun. The Chieftain’s low-profile hull maximized the depth of the armor plating, and also required that the driver sit in a recumbent position like in an open-wheel racer. The tanks also came with a boiling water dispenser, to enable their crews to enjoy hot tea (presumably only when not being fired upon).
1965 Plymouth Belvedere I Super Stock Lightweight 4-Speed
The name “Belvedere” is meant to invokes dignified Old World grandeur, but with the A990 package, this car plays against type. You can blame the circumstances of its birth: in 1965 a manufacturer was likely to take a model with a big engine bay and a little extra weight around the middle, put it on a strict fitness regimen, and send it off to the drag strip to earn its keep in the Super Stock and Factory Experimental classes. This is one of 101 Super Stock Plymouths, but despite the designation was a very different animal than its regular production siblings. Weight-saving measures included acid-dipped body panels, lightweight Corning glass, aluminum door hardware, and an interior stripped of all but upholstery and controls—even the dash pad was left out. With a high-compression 426ci Hemi and a four-speed manual gearbox, this particular car is said to be the first factory-spec car to break the 10-second barrier in the quarter mile, racing as the Ferris Motors “Hurst Tornado IV”with driver Larry Griffith at the wheel. Now refurbished, it no longer wears its racing livery, but tan over gold was the factory scheme—we dig the sleeper look.
1995 Mercedes-Benz E500 Limited AMG 6.0 and Japanese-Market 1991 Mercedes-Benz 300TE 3.4 AMG Wagon
These two ’90s Mercs are both pre-merger AMG brutes that spent time in the Land of the Rising Sun. The first one is a left-hand-drive E500 Limited—a rarity to begin with, as one of just 951 featuring EVO-II alloy wheels and two-tone leather, among other things. It was converted to E60 spec by AMG Japan for its original owner, after the first 45 E60 cars had already been spoken for. This one comes to us courtesy of @Symbolic_International.
Next we have a Japanese-market 300TE wagon offered by @BlueChipCar. This right-hand-drive example is another rare piece earmarked with option code 990, the designator for AMG-bound cars. It’s what’s beneath the hood that matters: AMG bored the stock 3.0-liter six to 3.4 liters, good for 276 horsepower and 243 lb-ft of torque. This wagon has traveled 142k kilometers (that’s about 88k miles), and with the hot motor doing its thing, the kids won’t need screens to have fun.
1959 Panhard Dyna Z16 Grand Standing
Last week we featured a Panhard 17 BT, and this week we have its predecessor, the Dyna. Once again, we are in awe at the ingenuity these cars display. At once economical, roomy, stylish, quiet, and comfortable, it is a shame that they weren’t more popular. The brochure copy is a real treat (The Lady-Driver’s choice!…Parisian chic!…Holds the road like a limpet!) though its claim of a dealer network 6,000 strong seems like an utter fabrication. This car is a deluxe “Grand Standing” model with two-tone trim, and its heavily patinated finish only amplifies its quirky Gallic charm.
c.1900 C. Cretors Model D Popcorn Wagon
Charles Cretors beat the hipster food truck trend by about a century with his horse-drawn peanut roaster/corn popper. An onboard steam engine would have provided heat and power for the cooking apparatus, and though these now run on electric power on this example, the steam piping and hardware is still there. We admittedly don’t know a whole lot about the resale market for Victorian-era snack wagons, but Cretors is said to be the gold standard and this one looks to be well-kept. It certainly brings a festive air to the warehouse full of war machines where it currently resides. We can imagine this being a big hit at a street festival or county fair, though it would probably be a real pain to bring a pair of horses along to tow it—unless…
2021 Ram ProMaster 3500 Horse Van by Stephex Horsetrucks
This horse van just sold to @JMJ1957, who we congratulate on being the only driver we know of who can now theoretically parallel park while transporting horses. In the course of its conversion, this Ram ProMaster traveled from Mexico to Belgium to Hungary to Florida, picking up a new paint job in Porsche Agate Grey Metallic and a deluxe two-horse suite in the back. No wild stallions will be found there, for these are seriously civilized equine accommodations with two cushioned stalls, a tack room, a skylight, and an air extractor. We’ll refrain from making any horse puns, but only because our commenters exhausted them all in the auction comments. Nice work, guys.
RUF-Style 2002 Volkswagen New Beetle Turbo S 1.8T 6-Speed
If RUF had ever gotten its hands on the New Beetle, the end result might look something like this. Apparently the car’s original builder was enthralled by its turbocharged 1.8L four-pot and set out to create his take on a RUF-themed Beetle. The then-new Turbo S was used as a base for the build, and RUF Auto Centre of Carrollton, Texas, was enlisted to support the project. No detail was left untouched; the build features RUF Speedline wheels, aftermarket suspension bits, a modified engine, shaved bodywork, and a suite of other touches throughout. We hope Alois approves.
11-Kilometer Assembled Munch Mammut 2000
We can’t talk about the Munch Mammut 2000 without first mentioning the late Friedl Münch. A performance visionary, Münch began his career at Horex and later bought the company along with its tooling to build his own bike. His first creation, the Mammut, was introduced in the early 1960s, and it was an engineering marvel, featuring an NSU car engine tucked into a Norton frame built with copious amounts of magnesium. That set the tone for the rest of his career.
Built in partnership with Thomas Petsch, the Mammut 2000 became Münch’s swan song. It featured a turbocharged, fuel-injected 1,998cc Opel-Cosworth inline-four good for 217 lb-ft of torque and 260 horsepower. This was kept under control with Öhlins suspension and multi-piston calipers hugging hefty rotors at both ends. Only 15 of the 250 planned units were produced, but several were later completed using leftover parts, like this example that was acquired by the selling dealer out of the Netherlands in 2023.
1990 Mosler Consulier GTP–LX Series I
The Mosler Consulier GTP was born from the fever-dream era of 1980s supercar visionaries, and is a fantastic example of function following form. The car itself was a bold idea that few people actually wanted, but one that absolutely earns its place in this week’s Weird and Wonderful. It was the brainchild of hedge fund manager Warren Mosler, and despite its short-lived history proved to be revolutionary as the first road car to feature all-composite construction without structural metal. It’s powered by a Chrysler-sourced 2.2-liter Turbo II four-banger, and features a mix of parts from various other Chrysler and GM vehicles from the era. Less than 100 were produced, and this Series 1 LX was optioned with amenities like power accessories, air conditioning, a stereo, and Recaros.
Honorable Mentions:
Atari Pole Position Arcade Game
Listen, we know that the Pole Position arcade game can’t hold a candle to the the sim rigs we’ve been seeing on BaT lately, but it deserves credit for being the first racing simulator that a) used a real track layout, and b) required skilled use of the accelerator, brake, and two-speed shifter to succeed. Also, we’ll take 8-bit arcade music over modern faux hard rock soundtracks every day of the week. In our collective youths we survived many fiery crashes in machines just like this, and still feel like we have unfinished business with this game. The idea of infinite plays without begging mom or dad for more quarters is a childhood dream come true. Prepare to qualify!
1983 Volkswagen Rabbit GTI Callaway Turbo Stage II
By now, everyone knows that the late Reeves Callaway’s tuning legacy went well beyond Corvettes. Among them were Rabbit GTIs, like this example—sporting a Stage II turbo kit that essentially doubled its power output. It’s back for its third time around the BaT sun, now offered by none other than @Wob.
Bentley’s big old V8 may have produced “adequate” power, but that’s not good enough for some. The owner of this sleek coachbuilt Bentley S2 opted to replace the stock powertrain with a much hotter 6.0L Chevy LQ4 and GM 4L65E automatic transmission. In doing so, many of the more finicky systems like braking and power steering were also upgraded with more robust and modern components. Sacrilege for some, sure—but the OG motor remains with the car, and we’d be happy to enjoy it as-is.
Thanks for checking out this edition of the Weekly Weird & Wonderful! Follow this page to get updates when new installments post, and tell what caught your eye or what you think we’ve left out!
