AUTOMOBILSPORT magazine #05

AUCTION RESULTS
the market. Rarer modern classics and supercars are
the flavours of the month, taking big money as well
as taking the shine off blue-chip classics such as the
Mercedes 300SL, Porsche 911 2.7 RS, and Ferrari 275.
PHOTOGRAPHS: X XX
THE PINNACLE
BY JAN B.
LUEHN
Every year in August, the entire classic car scene holds its breath and fi xes its eyes on Pebble Beach, California. Already in the weeks leading up to the big auctions, some seasoned collectors and dealers were
very sceptical about whether the market would continue to head upwards or maybe even experience a
crash. The results, however, were more than positive and some new trends even appeared in the market.
The auction marathon was kicked off this year on
Thursday by RM Sotheby's, with the so-called 'Pinnacle Collection' from a UC collector. The collection
included not only some of the greatest sports cars,
but also served as a barometer for the whole weekend. The tension was palpable in the hall, as auctioneer Max Girardo wasted little time earning the
'Pinnacle' owner over $75 million. Altogether, RM
Sotheby's total was a sensational $172,700,000 – the
most successful automotive auction of all time, and
beating last year's results by 20 percent.
There were 35 cars that sold for over $1 million, four
of which went over the $10 million mark. The most
expensive car of the weekend was a 1964 Ferrari
250LM with a fantastic history. The car was sold in
Europe in January 2013 for $9 million and RM helped
the happy owners to a total of $17.6 million – a remarkable return over just 30 months. Next best was
Some of the more ordinary cars from the '80s and
'90s also found happy new owners. A 1993 Jaguar
XJ220 made $462,000, a 1996 Porsche 911/993 RS 3.8
made $550,000 and a 2005 Mercedes-Benz SLR made
$495,000. These prices would have been unthinkable even as recently as the Technoclassica in spring
this year. On Friday, Bonhams got down to business
with some very nice cars. After their brilliant performance in 2014 with the 'Violati Collection', it was necessary to keep up with the US auction houses. With
significantly fewer cars, they did very well to have a
sold rate of 89 percent and at the end of the day there
were plenty of happy faces at Bonhams, with a total
figure of over $45,000,000. “We're very pleased with
our results,” said auctioneer James Knight that evening. Bonhams also had a 1959 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta 'Tour de France' on offer. Not quite as good as
the Tour-winning car offered by RM, but still good
enough for third place at the '59 Tour – and $8,525,000.
Unlike the some of the other auction houses, the British didn't miscalculate with the expensive Ferraris.
All of their Prancing Horses found buyers, at good
prices. A very rare 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 'Daytona'
went for $2.64 million and a 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO for
$2.365 million. Again you can recognise the trend towards younger cars...
LIVE FROM MONTEREY
Right now, Sunday evening after the big auctions, we
leave an eventful weekend behind us. It's estimated in
total that around $390 million worth of cars were sold and
$175 million of that came through RM Sotheby's. There were some
interesting developments to observe: top cars are still in demand
and sell well, for example the Ferrari 250 LM for $17,500,000 and the
Jaguar C Type lightweight works car for $13,200,000. Aston Martin
is catching up too; we sold a DB2/4 Mk III for $1,072,000 and a 1940
Speed Model Type C for an incredible $1,155,000.
Porsches have risen in price dramatically over the last two years.
We're seeing now that the results can't always keep up with the
expectations of the sellers. But there are always exceptions, like
the 959 Coupé sold by Gooding. Maserati prices are doing well, too,
and Ferrari and Mercedes prices are holding steady at a high level – just look at the 250 GT Lusso, Daytona, 250 GT LWB California
Spyder and the 300 SL.
Sports cars such as the McLaren F1, Maserati MC12, Bugatti Veyron and EB110 and the Mercedes SLR continue to be in vogue. That
was particularly evident over the last few days: a Ferrari Enzo, given to the Pope as a present and then signed, went for $6,050,000.
It's very fascinating.
Sincerely yours,
Annette Abaci — now, RM Sotheby’s
Overall top 10 sales from all auctions:
1. 1964 Ferrari 250 LM Coupe sold for $17,600,000 (RM Sotheby's)
2. 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California SWB Spyder (closed headlight)
sold for $16,830,000 (Gooding & Co.)
3. 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Coupe sold for $16,500,000
(Gooding & Co.)
4. 1998 McLaren F1 LM Coupe sold for $13,750,000
(RM Sotheby's)
5. 1953 Jaguar C-Type Works Lightweight Roadster sold
for $13,200,000 (RM Sotheby's)
6. 1956 Ferrari 250 GT TdF Coupe sold for $13,200,000
(RM Sotheby's)
7. 1982 Porsche 956 Coupe sold for $10,120,000 (Gooding & Co.)
8. 1959 Ferrari 250 GT Interim Coupe sold for
$8,525,000 (Bonhams)
9. 1959 Ferrari 250 GT California LWB Spyder (open headlight)
sold for $8,500,000 (RM Sotheby's)
10. 1950 Ferrari 275 S/340 America Barchetta sold for
$7,975,000 (RM Sotheby's)
a 1998 McLaren F1 LM, which sold for $13.75 million.
That car was last sold by Christie's in 2003 for $1.255
million, which at the time was an incredibly high
price for such a modern car.
Throughout the weekend, rare Ferraris were both
winners and losers. RM had an exceptional 1956
Ferrari GT Berlinetta 'Tour de France' on offer, with
JAN B. LUEHN, 38, began his automotive career at the
prestigious Christie's auction house in London, before
starting his own business in Brussels in 2006 after three
years of auctioning experience. Meanwhile, he lives and
works as a car broker in Münster, Germany, where he
uses his experience to trade in sports and racing cars. For
AUTOMOBILSPORT, Jan keeps track of the classic car market,
and visits the most important auctions.
the hammer falling at $13.2 million. A no less spectacular car, the 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta 'SWB',
didn't sell despite bids well in excess of $10 million.
All the more surprising is that a sister car also failed
to sell at the Villa d'Este auction. Is there a new trend
looming? For me, it's been clear for months that the
market is currently going through changes. There
is still plenty of money changing hands, but a new,
younger generation of buyers is currently dominating
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AUCTION RESULTS
AUCTIONEER
LOCATION
MAKE
TYPE
YEAR
ESTIMATE
SOLD FOR
MECUM AUCTIONS, 13.-15.08.2015, MONTEREY (USA)
Mecum
Monterey (USA)
McLaren
M6B Can-Am
1968
300.000–400.000
n.s. (USD 235.000)
Mecum
Monterey (USA)
Chevrolet
Greenwood Corvette IMSA Widebody
1974
550.000–700.000
n.s. (USD 300.000)
Mecum
Monterey (USA)
Shelby
GT350 Fastback
1966
?? xx
USD 127.500
Mecum
Monterey (USA)
Ford
SVT Mustang Cobra R
2000
??xx
USD 24.000
Mecum
Monterey (USA)
McLaren
M8C
1970
??xx
n.s. (USD 290.000)
Mecum
Monterey (USA)
Miller
Gulf Special
1938
??xx
n.s. (USD 65.000)
RM SOTHEBY’S, 13.-15.08.2015, MONTEREY (USA)
THE LAST GENERATION
One thing about the market never changes: extraordinary vehicles command an increasing level
of interest. For cars with higher production numbers,
however, we're seeing prices return more and more to a realistic level. The Ferrari Dino and the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL are
good examples. Looking just at the 300 SL, there were around
3000 built in Roadster and Gullwing configurations. The situation is different if a potential buyer has to ask himself if he
will ever have a second chance to buy a particular car. If not,
it's often a decisive reason for somebody to make the purchase.
A strong upward trend in terms of price can also be seen for
very different cars, from not that long ago. Sportscars from the
1980s to the end of the '90s – and even into the new millennium
– are in high demand. Cars like the Ferrari 550 Maranello, the
Porsche 964, and even the 2.3 or 2.5 16-valve Mercedes 190 are
highly sought after. The demand goes up with certain criteria, such as manual transmission and rear-wheel-drive, and of
course the reasons for the demand are easy to explain. These
cars are the last generation of thoroughbred sportscars that
haven't been overgrown with electronics. With the Ferrari 550
Maranello, you get a 12-cylinder, front-engine Ferrari – like a
modern day 365 Daytona. The Porsche 964 is the last of the
air-cooled 911s with the famous bulging headlights. These cars
are still affordable, and are genuine insiders' tips.
I'm excited to see the results of our upcoming auction at the
Château de Chantilly, which will run as part of the venue's Peter Auto event. In total, we have 28 cars in the programme, and
10 of those are models of which less than four were ever built
(including a Bugatti 57, a Maserati Boomerang, and a Maserati
Mexico). We also have our great auction at the Goodwood Revival, followed by the 'Zoute Sale' at Knokke-Heist in Belgium
on October 9, 2015.
Those who steered clear of the crowds and numerous
parties on Saturday night found themselves at local hero David Gooding's auction. Famous for highprofi le Porsches and Ferraris, Gooding & Co offered
a fantastic collection of sports and racing cars from
different eras. In terms of price, the highlights were
a 1962 Ferrari 250 GT 'SWB' with special bodywork
from Bertone ($16.5 million), a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT
'SWB' California Spyder ($16.83 million) and a 1957
Ferrari 410 Superamerica ($5,087,500). Porsche race
cars were a pleasant surprise as well. The 1982 Le
Mans-winning Porsche 956, in Rothmans colours,
went for a whopping $10.12 million – a new record for
a Group C car. It's worth noting that Le Mans Classic
organiser Patrick Peter has made these Group C cars
eligible for the event now.
A 1960 Porsche RS60 found a good home for $5.4 million, while an even nicer 1967 Porsche 906E went for
$1.65 million. Gooding sold 115 of the 129 cars that
were on offer, (sold rate of 89 percent), with a total
earn of $128 million, 21 percent up on last year. Mecum made $45 million, up 30 percent from last year.
The small auction house, famous mostly for US cars,
had an ace up its sleeve with an ex-Steve McQueen
1976 Porsche 930 Turbo. The dark green 911 went under the hammer for $1.95 million. Have we already
spoken about more modern classics?
In total, the weekend was worth $392 million. The
results from Russo and Steele and Rick Cole's online auction weren't available as we closed for press.
RM Sotheby’s
Monterey (USA)
Ferrari
250 LM (Chassis 6105)
1964
??xx
USD 17.600.000
RM Sotheby’s
Monterey (USA)
Ferrari
F40 LM
1994
??xx
USD 3.300.000
RM Sotheby’s
Monterey (USA)
Ferrari
250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione
(Chassis 1773GT)
1960
??xx
n.s. (USD 13.250.000)
RM Sotheby’s
Monterey (USA)
Ferrari
275S/340 America Berlinetta
(Chassis 0030MT)
1950
??xx
USD 7.975.000
RM Sotheby’s
Monterey (USA)
Jaguar
C-Type Works Lightw. (Chassis XKC 052)
1953
??xx
USD 13.200.000
RM Sotheby’s
Monterey (USA)
Chevrolet
CERV I
1960
1.300.000–2.000.000
n.s. (USD 800.000)
RM Sotheby’s
Monterey (USA)
Chevrolet
Corvette L88 RED/NART Le Mans
1968
1.400.000–2.000.000
n.s. (USD 850.000)
RM Sotheby’s
Monterey (USA)
AAR Eagle
Santa Ana Indianapolis
„City of Daytona Beach“
1969
350.000–400.000
n.s. (USD 280.000)
RM Sotheby’s
Monterey (USA)
Cisitalia-Fiat
Speciale
1948
??xx
USD 77.000
RM Sotheby’s
Monterey (USA)
Watson
Indianapolis „Diet-Rite Cola Special“
1963
250.000–350.000
n.s. (USD 180.000)
RM Sotheby’s
Monterey (USA)
Ferrari
250 GT Berlinetta Competizione
‘Tour de France’ (Chassis 0557GT)
1956
??xx
USD 13.200.000
RM Sotheby’s
Monterey (USA)
Siata
Daina Gran Sport
1952
??xx
USD 357.500
RM Sotheby’s
Monterey (USA)
Jaguar
SS 100 3½-Litre Roadster
1938
??xx
USD 583.000
RM Sotheby’s
Monterey (USA)
Bizzarrini
P538
1976
700.000–900.000
n.s. (USD 430.000)
RM Sotheby’s
Monterey (USA)
Ferrari
458 Challenge Evoluzione
2013
??xx
USD 242.000
RM Sotheby’s
Monterey (USA)
Arnolt-Bristol
Roadster
1956
350.000–450.000
n.s. (USD 270.000)
RM Sotheby’s
Monterey (USA)
Lesovsky-Offenhauser Indianapolis „Blue Crown Special“
1949
??xx
USD 302.500
GOODING & COMPANY, 15.-16.08.2015, PEBBLE BEACH (USA)
Gooding
Pebble Beach (USA)
MG
MGA Twin-Cam Roadster
1960
250.000–350.000
USD 236.500
Gooding
Pebble Beach (USA)
Shelby
289 Cobra
1965
900.000–1.000.000
USD 858.000
Gooding
Pebble Beach (USA)
Ferrari
206 S Dino Spider
1966
2.600.000–3.400.000
USD 2.310.000
Gooding
Pebble Beach (USA)
Porsche
956
1982
7.000.000–9.000.000
USD 10.120.000
Gooding
Pebble Beach (USA)
Lola
T70 Mk III Spyder
1967
550.000–750.000
USD 475.000
Gooding
Pebble Beach (USA)
Porsche
993 Turbo
1996
275.000–350.000
USD 192.500
Gooding
Pebble Beach (USA)
Porsche
906E
1967
1.600.000–2.000.000
USD 1.650.000
Gooding
Pebble Beach (USA)
Bugatti
Type 38 Roadster
1927
200.000–250.000
USD 264.000
Gooding
Pebble Beach (USA)
Fiat-Abarth
750 GT
1959
130.000–160.000
USD 126.500
Gooding
Pebble Beach (USA)
Porsche
911 Carrera 3.0 RSR
1975
700.000–900.000
USD 1.292.500
Gooding
Pebble Beach (USA)
Ferrari
333 SP
1998
2.000.000–2.400.000
USD 2.090.000
Gooding
Pebble Beach (USA)
Porsche
RS60
1960
5.500.000–7.000.000
USD 5.400.000
BONHAMS, 14.08.2015, QUAIL LODGE AUCTION, CARMEL (USA)
Bonhams
Carmel (USA)
Jaguar
XJR-5 IMSA GTP
1982
450.000–550.000
USD 396.000
Bonhams
Carmel (USA)
Porsche
911 Carrera RS 2.7
1973
250.000–300.000
USD 324.500
Bonhams
Carmel (USA)
Alfa Romeo
6C 2300 Pescara Spider
1934
550.000–750.000
USD 473.000
Bonhams
Carmel (USA)
Bugatti
Type 29/30 ‘Réservoir ovale course’
1922
950.000–1.200.000
USD 1.045.000
Bonhams
Carmel (USA)
Siata
300BC Sport Spider
1952
400.000–475.000
USD 313.500
Bonhams
Carmel (USA)
Ferrari
250 GT Competizione Berlinetta
1959
9.000.000–12.000.000
USD 8.525.000
Bonhams
Carmel (USA)
Ford
Galaxie 500 R-Code Factory Lightw.
1963½ 140.000–180.000
USD 88.000
Bonhams
Carmel (USA)
Cunningham
C4R Continuation
1952
750.000–1.100.000
n.s.
Bonhams
Carmel (USA)
Lotus
20/22 Formula Junior
1961
35.000–45.000
zurückgezogen
Bonhams
Carmel (USA)
Cooper-Climax
Monaco T-49 Mk I Sports Racer
1959
350.000–450.000
USD 308.000
Bonhams
Carmel (USA)
Lotus
Eleven Le Mans Sports Racer
1956
325.000–425.000
USD 209.000
Bonhams
Carmel (USA)
Aston Martin
2-Litre Works Team Car
1948
600.000–900.000
USD 781.000
Bonhams
Carmel (USA)
McLaren-Chevrolet
M10B Formula A/5000
1970
100.000–140.000
n.r. USD 143.000
RUSSO AND STEELE, 13.-15.08.2015, MONTEREY (USA)
Russo and Steele Monterey (USA)
Shelby
Cobra CSX4185 Challenge Series
1965
??xx
USD 63.800
Russo and Steele Monterey (USA)
Shelby
GT350
1966
??xx
USD 132.000
RICK COLE AUCTIONS, 13.-15.08.2015, MONTEREY (USA)
Rick Cole
Monterey (USA)
Ferrari
308 GT/M
1984
950.000–1.000.000
USD 650.000
Rick Cole
Monterey (USA)
Tempero
Lister Costin Jaguar (Knobbly Replica)
1959
150.000–175.000
USD 65.000
Rick Cole
Monterey (USA)
Maserati
450S
1957 bid)
??xx
n.s. = not sold (@ highest
· n.r. = no reserve
USD 1.900.000
Philip Kantor
BONHAMS Head of Department Motor Cars Europe
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