February 2025 - European auction previews
27 January, 2025
An ex-Juan Manuel Fangio/Stirling Moss Mercedes-Benz W196 R Streamliner will be sold on 1 February when RM Sotheby’s returns to Stuttgart with a standalone sale, once again in partnership with Mercedes-Benz. Chassis 00009/54 was donated by the factory to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in 1965, where it has remained ever since, and the sale represents the first time a Streamliner-bodied W 196 R has been offered for private ownership (estimate in excess of €50,000,000). RM’s previous collaboration with Mercedes saw the successful sale in 2022 of the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupé for a world record €135,000,000.
[ Mercedes-Benz W196 R Streamliner Sale – lot details here ]
Another significant car from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum is the star attraction at RM’s two-day Paris sale which gets underway on 4 February. Estimated to fetch in excess of €25,000,000, the 1964 Ferrari 250 LM on offer won the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans in the hands of Masten Gregory and Jochen Rindt – the only outright victory for a privately entered Ferrari at Le Mans.
Notable hypercars include a one-of-10 2022 Bugatti Centodieci with only 437km (estimate €10,000,000 – 15,000,000); a 3,459-km 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari guided at €3,500,000 – 4,000,000; and a barely-used 2022 Pagani Huayra R, one of 30 track-only examples built, it’s been in single ownership from new and has covered just 196km (estimate €2,800,000 – 3,200,000).
[ RM Sotheby’s Paris Sale – auction catalogue here ]
The top three entries at Bonhams’ Paris sale are led by a 1950 Ferrari 166 MM that finished 4th in the 1951 Mille Miglia and has been owned by the consignor since 1994 (estimate €4,000,000 – 6,000,000); while a 1954-55 Ferrari 555 'Super Squalo' that was driven to 7th by Mike Hawthorn in the 1955 Dutch Grand Prix is listed at €4,000,000 – 6,000,000, and a 1928 Bugatti Type 43 Grand Sport with matching numbers chassis, engine and gearbox is €1,000,000 – 1,500,000.
Lancia Delta S4 Stradales are a rare sight at auction, with only a handful going under the hammer in the past 10 years. Bonhams’ example was originally supplied in the UK, imported into France in 1990 with 2,420km, it now shows 5,600km and has been regularly maintained and serviced by its current custodian since his purchase in 2000 (estimate €480,000 – 680,000).
[ Bonhams’ Paris Sale – auction catalogue here ]
Artcurial rounds off the Paris sales with its traditional two-day event held at Rétromobile from 7-8 February. Highlights among a single-owner collection of five Classiche-certified Ferraris include a 1966 275 GTB that was the subject of a meticulous two-year restoration by marque specialists Bacchelli e Villa and Luppi in Modena (estimate €2,200,000 – 2,600,000). The collection’s 1963 250 GT/L is another matching-numbers car (estimate €1,200,000 – 1,500,000) and the 1973 365 GTB/4 Daytona has known provenance and just three owners from new (estimate €500,000 – 700,000).
Elsewhere, a BMW 635 CSi that competed in the Production Championship in 1983 and 1984 with Claude Ballot-Léna, Thierry Sabine and Thierry Boutsen at the helm is catalogued at €125,000 – 165,000. Restored in 2015 to Group A spec after 25 years in storage, it won its class at the 2017 Historic Hill Climb Championship and has been a regular competitor in Peter Auto’s events over the past two seasons.
[ Artcurial Rétromobile Sale – auction catalogue here ]
Classic car auction price estimates for: Mercedes-Benz | Ferrari | Bugatti | Pagani | Lancia | BMW
From leading auction houses: RM Sotheby’s | Bonhams|Cars | Artcurial
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