29th Mar, 2017 13:00

Imperial War Museum Duxford

 
  Lot 55
 

1979 Bitter CD

Sold for £67,500

(including buyers premium)


Lot details
Registration No: KGY479V
Chassis No: 5250386

- Erich Bitter's personal car and finished to his specification

- 1 of only circa 395 made

The three-door CD Coupe started life as a 1969 Opel concept car based on the Diplomat Saloon, its largest model of the time. Positively received at the Frankfurt Salon, it was progressed to prototype stage by Frua before the programme was dropped. However, with encouragement from Opel, it was then adopted by former racing driver Erich Bitter and, following further development, appeared at the 1973 Frankfurt Salon with all mechanical elements courtesy of Opel and bodies produced by Bauer around a shortened Diplomat floorpan. Power was supplied by a 227bhp 5.4-litre (327ci) Chevrolet V8. Again, the car was very well received and some 176 orders are believed to have been taken, encouraging a production target of 200 units per year to be envisaged. The fuel crisis then intervened though, and only c.395 examples are thought to have been sold, of which the sale car is chassis number 386.

It is a special example of a rare breed, for not only was it one of the last of the line, but was singled out for Erich Bitter's personal use. He had it finished in his favourite colours - Porsche 'Indisch-Rot' (Indian Red) for the bodywork, Brown for the buffalo hide upholstery (a 7,000DM option) and Tan-coloured carpets. He also specified wheels from the later SC model, which were 15x8inch rather than the standard 14x7inch. Only very occasionally used on a 'five day red number plate', the CD remained part of Bitter's museum until it was sold to Kurt Ritter, one of the company's investors, for 100,000DM in 1990. He too only used the car sparingly and it passed to Armin Wurm in 1994. Never restored, '242 PK' now registers an unwarranted 68,615 kilometres (c.42,600 miles) and is considered by the vendor to have 'excellent' bodywork, paintwork, interior trim, engine and three-speed automatic transmission. The MOT is valid into March 2018.

PLEASE NOTE: The registration number previously advertised for this vehicle is not included in the sale and will be retained by the vendor.
 

All successful bids must be paid in full by midday the day after the auction at the latest.

You can collect your new pride and joy from our venue until 1pm the day following the sale or our partners are on hand to help arrange safe transportation:

               

Auction: Imperial War Museum Duxford, 29th Mar, 2017

View all lots in this sale

Do you have an item to sell?

If so, contact one of our friendly specialists for your free valuation by completing the form below and someone will get back to you as quickly as possible.

If you prefer to speak to humans, don't hesitate to call our office on +44 (0)1925 210035

Contact Us Today!

 

Images

Drag and drop .jpg images here to upload, or click here to select images.


Turning the Page: A New Chapter for H&H Classics
Goon, Goon, Gone: Unique Peter Sellers 1960 Bentley heads to auction
Eclectic 150-plus classic car auction helps round out H&H’s milestone 30th year celebrations
One of the UK’s best driving Aston Martin DB5s heads to auction
Mid-century sports car icons race to Buxton auction
Former front cover ‘star’ heads to auction
Classic British motorcycles shine as 230 lots head to the National Motorcycle Museum auction
Racing legend Patsy Burt's Jaguar XK120 speeds to Buxton auction
22-strong single owner classic motorcycle collection heads to auction
Norton's racing heritage set to ignite the auction stage
Rare Frazer-Nash BMW with rich racing history to be auctioned
“The Rolls-Royce” of the motorcycle world, heads to      auction
Martini inspired Porsche 911 ‘RSR’ Tribute to head under the hammer
Rare ‘Car on Two Wheels’ heads to auction for the first time in 30 years
More than 100 classics sold in H&H’s 30th anniversary sale
Stunning classics worth more than £9 million offered in 30th anniversary auction
Rare Aston Martin DB1 heads to anniversary auction from long-term ownership
Rare Bentleys to star in 30th celebration auction
H&H Classics 30th Anniversary Auction
H&H unveils details of its 30th anniversary celebrations
Classic car owners handed ULEZ lifeline
H&H Classics auction Hurricane X-75 Prototype to National Motorcycle Museum
Vintage and modern classics lead the way at latest H&H sale
H&H offers exceptional range of vehicles spanning 11 individual decades
Pavilion Gardens. Wednesday 26th July 2023
A whimsical blast from the past: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang recreation heads to auction
From Italy with love: auction showcasing the essence of Italian design and sprezzatura
250 Motorcycles & Vintage Scooters Set To Go Under The Hammer!
March of the Mods: Lambretta owned by Paul Weller heads to auction
Lawbreakers to law enforcers: historic scooters with infamous connections up for sale
Jaguar SS100 among £2¼  million worth of classics sold at the Imperial War Museum
British classics to shine at H&H Classics’ sale
Historic Guinness Collection heads to auction
Browse The Catalogue Now! 135 Classic & Performance Cars To Go Under The Hammer.
Robbie Savage’s Ferrari F430 to be sold at H&H Classics
RAC Rally winning ‘Jaguar’ to be sold at auction
Former MP’s Bentley and Facel Vega ‘garage find’ among £1.3m worth of classics hammered away by H&H
Pavilion Gardens, Buxton Auction Preview Video
Genuine ‘matching numbers’ 1967 Shelby GT500 Fastback among 89 strong classic car auction
Rare Facel Vega ‘garage find’ heads to auction
Indian 4 and Lambretta DL200
Golden opportunity to acquire famous limited edition Italjet scooter
H&H Classics commences landmark year with sale of 121 cars
‘Brand new’ Porsche 911 heading to auction after 21 years
Brooklands race winning Bentley to go under the hammer
Actor, Sir Michael Caine’s first car, heads to auction. £100,000 - £150,000
A Very Rare Survivor. A 1936 Indian Four. £50,000 - £60,000
A Car that will Unite Romantics and Cynics Alike. A 1937 Rolls-Royce 25/30 Limousine