Monterey 2023 preview
4 August, 2023
Monterey Car Week once again sees multiple million-dollar cars entered across the five auctions taking place from 17 August. Bonhams’ star attraction at Quail Lodge, Carmel is an ex-Maranello Concessionaires 1967 Ferrari 412P, one of only two customer cars sold by Ferrari based on a carburetted version of their works 330 P3/4s. Chassis 0854 was driven to 3rd place on its debut, the 1967 1000kms of Spa, by Richard Attwood and Lucien Bianchi. Attwood was back behind the wheel a month later with Piers Courage for the Le Mans 24 Hours, qualifying 17th and running as high as 8th before retiring after 13 hours. Sold on shortly after to privateer David Piper, it finished 2nd in class at the Paris 1000km, Piper sharing the drive with Jo Siffert. The matching-numbers car has been owned by the consignor since 2005, during which time it has been the subject of a meticulous nine-year restoration, returning it to its Maranello Concessionaires livery and configuration.
Ferraris lock out Bonhams’ top-three, with a 1951 212 Export Barchetta that finished 16th overall at the 1951 Le Mans 24 Hours (estimate $4,250,000 – 4,750,000), and a 16,900-mile 2003 Enzo that is expected to fetch $2,900,000 – 3,400,000.
[ Bonhams’ The Quail Auction – sale catalogue here ]
Another competition Ferrari leads the way at RM Sotheby’s three-day sale, the 1964 250 LM is one of only 32 examples built and carries a pre-sale estimate of $18,000,000 – 20,000,000. Campaigned in period at the Daytona and Le Mans 24 Hours races, chassis 6053 was recently restored by Ferrari and comes complete with a wealth of documents, factory build sheets, a booklet detailing the restoration works and Ferrari Classiche certification.
Other blue-chip machinery includes a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4, originally owned by Steve McQueen (estimate $5,000,000 – 7,000,000); a 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider, one of 18 built with uncovered headlamps (estimate $9,500,000 – 11,500,000); and a 1957 Jaguar XKSS that briefly formed part of Anthony Bamford’s collection in 1975 (estimate $12,000,000 – 14,000,000).
[ RM Sotheby’s Monterey Sale – auction catalogue here ]
An ex-Dyson Racing 2007 Porsche RS Spyder Evo that finished 3rd overall at the 2007 Petit Le Mans is set to go under the hammer at Broad Arrow Auctions, guided at $5,000,000 – 6,000,000.
The sale also features an impressive line-up of supercars, including a 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO which is estimated to have covered some 9,000 km from new (estimate $4,250,000 – 4,750,000); a 1993 Vector WX-3 Prototype, displayed at the 1992 and ’93 Geneva Motor Shows (estimate $1,500,000 – 2,000,000); and a one-of-30 1991 Isdera Imperator 108i with 3,493km (estimate $800,000 – 1,000,000).
[ Broad Arrow Monterey Jet Center Auction – catalogue here ]
A 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta tops the roster at Gooding & Company, offered for the first time at public auction, with an estimate of $9,000,000 – 11,000,000. Chassis 3507 GT has only had four owners over the past 61 years and is presented in its original scheme of Grigio Metallizzato with beige leather upholstery, being one of an increasingly rare subset that have never been restored.
Gooding’s 1972 Lamborghini Miura SV in one-off Bleu Tahiti with gold accents over white leather is a late-production, European-spec example, factory-equipped with improved split-sump lubrication and air-conditioning (estimate $3,500,000 – 4,250,000). Retained by its first owner until 2010, it was restored by renowned marque specialists Cremonini Carrozzeria of Modena between 2011 – 2013 with minimal use since the vendor’s acquisition in 2018.
[ Gooding & Company Pebble Beach Sale – auction catalogue here ]
The showpiece at Mecum among the 11-car Don Williams Estate Collection is a 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster, with unique coachwork by Mayfair Carriage Works (estimate $3,500,000 – 4,500,000). Williams is credited with becoming the first person to sell a classic car—a 1931 Figoni-bodied Duesenberg J—for more than $1 million in 1981. He went on to establish the Blackhawk Museum in 1988, and played a key role in assembling the first-ever automobile museum in China.
[ Mecum Monterey Sale – auction highlights here ]
Classic car auction price estimates for: Ferrari | Jaguar | Porsche | Vector | Isdera | Lamborghini | Mercedes-Benz
From leading auction houses: Bonhams | RM Sotheby’s | Broad Arrow Auctions | Gooding & Company | 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.