February 2022 - Paris previews
27 January, 2022
Ferraris dominate the 57-car catalogue at RM Sotheby’s annual Paris sale, with no fewer than 36 examples set to cross the block on 2 February, headed by a 12,722-km 1996 F50 at €2,800,000 – 3,200,000.
28 of the Ferraris on offer come from ‘Part II’ of Marcel Petitjean’s collection, RM having successfully sold the first tranche of 97 cars, in an online auction in June 2020. Once again the cars will go under the hammer at no reserve, a 9,559-km 1985 288 GTO the star in the line-up with a pre-sale estimate of €2,400,000 – 2,600,000. A 275 GTB/4 that was displayed at the 1966 Paris Salon carries a guide of €1,700,000 – 2,000,000. Owned by Petitjean since 1969, it is the first of the 330 four-cam models to have been built and is finished in its original scheme of Rosso Rubino over Beige.
Elsewhere, highlights among the competition cars include a Renault R24, campaigned by Fernando Alonso in the final three races of the 2004 season (estimate €350,000 – 450,000); a 1995 Alfa Romeo 155 V6 TI that claimed two DTM race wins at Diepholz in the hands of Michael Bartels and recently received a €170,000 refresh (estimate €600,000 – 700,000); and a 2003 Ferrari 550 GTC – one of only two officially commissioned by Ferrari – that won the GTM category in the Italian Speed Hill Climb Championship in 2005, 2006 and 2014 (estimate €2,000,000 – 2,500,000).
[ RM Sotheby’s Paris Sale – auction catalogue here ]
Bonhams’ Paris sale gets underway the following day, where another of Ferrari’s halo cars tops the entries. Showing just 930km, the 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari was delivered new to Germany, repainted Giallo Modena in 2016 and serviced by Ferrari Geneva in May 2020, it’s listed at €2,000,000 – 2,500,000.
Big-ticket pre-war entries include a 1938 Bugatti Type 57 C Special Coupe that was retained by the factory as a ‘Works’ car until 1959 (estimate €1,600,000 – 2,000,000). Featuring unique coachwork by Joseph Walter with a two-piece glass roof, chassis 57335 was often loaned to its racing drivers while being used as a development car to test new ideas and components.
A 1964 Porsche 904 Carrera GTS previously owned by actor Robert Redford for nearly a decade is expected to fetch €1,300,000 – 1,500,000. Ordered new by Steve Earle, who went on to found the Monterey Historic Races, it was a regular competitor stateside during its time with its second owner, until purchased by Redford in 1966. Restored in the 1990s when it received a 2-litre 911 engine, it comes with a comprehensive history file and retains its original bodywork, chassis and transaxle.
[ Bonhams Paris Sale – auction catalogue here ]
Classic car auction price estimates for: Ferrari | Renault | Alfa Romeo | Bugatti | Porsche
From leading auction houses: RM Sotheby’s | Bonhams
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