March 2024 - US auction previews
15 February, 2024
Broad Arrow Auctions brings a 147-car catalogue to Amelia Island for its second event as The Amelia’s auction partner on 1-2 March. Star attraction is a 1967 Ford GT, one of 31 Mk I road cars, it was displayed at the Geneva Salon Auto before embarking on a round of press duties, eventually being sold to its first private owner Anthony Bamford. Chassis P/1069 has been a regular competitor at the Goodwood Revival and emerged from a two-year restoration by Gelscoe Engineering in 2015, more recently repainted in its original Opalescent Silver Blue (estimate $4,000,000 – 5,000,000).
A 2022 Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport leads 12 cars offered from the Racer X Collection, one of 60 produced, its single owner has covered just 393 miles and it is listed at $4,000,000 – 5,000,000. Notable hypercars in the collection crossing the block without a reserve include a 229-mile 2022 Hennessey Venom F5 (estimate $1,200,000 – 1,650,000) and a 552-mile 2019 McLaren Senna (estimate $1,000,000 – 1,250,000).
Porsche entered three of its mid-engined 914/6 GTs for the 1971 Monte Carlo Rally, one was subsequently scrapped by the factory and the sole remaining car in its Monte Carlo spec has been consigned to Broad Arrows’ sale, guided at $1,200,000 – 1,500,000. Following its retirement from the rally, chassis 141 served as Vic Elford’s recce car at the 1971 Targa Florio, remaining with Porsche race engineer Walter Näher for 30 years after its factory duties ended.
[ Broad Arrow Auctions Amelia Sale – auction catalogue here ]
Edwardian royalty comes to Gooding & Company’s Amelia Island sale, with a 1903 Mercedes-Simplex 60hp 'Roi des Belges' – owned by the Harmsworth family since new – expected to fetch in excess of $10,000,000. One of only five surviving examples, it set the fastest times at the 1903 Nice Speed Week, establishing a new record in the mile race.
Among the blue-chip Porsches; an as-new 2019 935 with delivery miles is $1,500,000 – 1,750,000; a 1990 911 Reimagined by Singer that has covered just 3,343km since the restoration was completed in 2017 is $1,100,000 – 1,300,000; and a matching-numbers 1973 911 Carrera RSH 2.7, one of the 17 examples in homologation trim, is estimated at $2,000,000 – 2,500,000.
[ Gooding & Company Amelia Island Sale – auction catalogue here ]
A 5,138-km Canadian-delivered 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder with the desirable Weissach package heads the inventory at Bonhams Amelia Island Sale (estimate $1,750,000 – 1,600,000); with a 4,700-mile 2004 Porsche Carrera GT (estimate $1,425,000 – 1,550,000), and a 1929 Bentley Speed Six Le Mans Replica Tourer (estimate $900,000 – 1,200,000) rounding out the top-three.
A 1991 De Tomaso Pantera 90 Si joins the line-up, one of only 38 sold to the public, it shows 33,332km and is listed at $310,000 – 360,000. The model marked the last hurrah for the aging Pantera line, given a styling refresh by Marcello Gandini and benefitting from an updated chassis and new Ford 302 engine.
[ Bonhams Amelia Island Sale – auction catalogue here ]
RM Sotheby’s hosts a two-day sale at its inaugural ModaMiami event on 1-2 March, taking place at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida, with 26 cars carrying million dollar-plus estimates. Big-ticket entries include a multiple concours-winning 1953 Ferrari 250 Europa Coupe by Vignale, the first of 22 built and exhibited at the 1953 Paris Salon (estimate $4,500,000 – 5,500,000); an even rarer four-owner 1967 Ferrari 365 California Spyder, one of 14 (estimate $4,000,000 – 4,500,000); and a recently-serviced 2018 Bugatti Chiron, one-owner and just 1,489 miles (estimate $3,200,000 – 3,800,000).
The sale also features four E30 BMW M3s from a private collection, topped by the Holy Grail – a 1990 Sport Evolution (estimate $250,000 – 280,000). Representing the ultimate iteration of the original M3, production was limited to 600 left-hand-drive-only examples, and RM’s three-owner car has travelled 26,683 miles since being delivered new to the UK.
[ RM Sotheby’s Miami Sale – auction catalogue here ]
Mecum is expecting 2,000 cars at its next sale in Glendale, Arizona, the five-day marathon kicking off on 5 March. Following on from its successful Kissimmee sale in January that saw a 1963 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider make $17,875,000, two more high profile Ferraris are set to be offered at Glendale. A US-spec Ferrari Classiche-certified 2003 Enzo, with 27,090km and an engine change under warranty early in its life, is catalogued at $3,500,000 – 4,000,000, while a 9,487-mile 1992 F40, also a US-spec car, is $2,900,000 – 3,100,000.
Classic car auction price estimates for: Ford | Bugatti | Hennessey | Mercedes-Simplex | Porsche | Bentley | De Tomaso | Ferrari | BMW
From leading auction houses: Broad Arrow Auctions | Gooding & Company | Bonhams | RM Sotheby’s | Mecum
Read through the rest of our classic car previews for more information about our auction collections. Check out our online resource for upcoming classic car auction events and classic car auction results around the world.