February 2016 - European auction highlights
22 March, 2016
RM Sotheby’s opened proceedings at this year’s Rétromobile week in Paris, reporting a sale total of €19 million from the 61 lots on offer. Leading the final results was their star car, a 1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica LWB, which achieved a post-auction sale at €2,950,000 - having come close to its reserve price during the auction (estimate €3,000,000 – 3,300,000). A 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder, with period race history and one of just 75 factory-built ‘customer’ 550 Spyders, sold for €2,744,000 (estimate €2,200,000 – 2,600,000) and a 1957 BMW 507 Roadster fetched €2,016,000 (estimate €1,900,000 – 2,200,000).
The trio of Ferrari supercars all found new homes; a 2,500-km 2004 Enzo, which underwent repairs and a colour change following a road accident, sold for €1,568,000 (estimate €1,500,000 – 2,000,000); a 30,000-km 1997 F50 made €1,275,000 (estimate €1,300,000 – 1,500,000); and a 4,200-km 1989 F40 realised €1,036,000 (estimate €1,000,000 – 1,200,000).
RM’s one-owner 1992 Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evo 1 ‘Martini 6’, with a pre-sale estimate of €120,000 – 150,000, achieved €134.400 – a world-record price for the model auction.
Bonhams’ Rétromobile cover car, a long-nose 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB, brought home their highest result, achieving €2,070,000 (estimate €2,500,000 – 3,500,000). A 1961 Aston Martin DB4, restored in 2013, made €609,500 (estimate €450,000 – 650,000) and a 1951 Bentley Petersen 6½-Litre 'Dartmoor' coupé, sold for €483,000 - comfortably exceeding its pre-sale estimate of €350,000 – 450,000.
A 950-km 1989 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2-Litre 'Turbo Look' Speedster with a pre-sale estimate of €250,000 – 350,000 sold for €251,666. One of only 2,065 examples produced, the Speedster was ordered new by a French Porsche dealer for his personal use, remaining on display in his showroom until 2012. Elsewhere, 1,927-km 2002 Ferrari 575M, one of only 177 left-hand drive manual-gearbox cars built, changed hands for €345,000 (estimate €300,000 – 400,000).
The undoubted star of the show during Rétromobile week was Artcurial’s 1957 Ferrari 335 S from the Pierre Bardinon collection. A veteran of the ‘57 Mille Miglia and Le Mans 24 Hours races, chassis 0674 was driven by many of the period’s greats including Hawthorn, von Trips, and Moss. Huge anticipation surrounded its sale, with the potential to rival the $38,115,000 Bonhams achieved in August 2014 for a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO. On the day the 335 S sold for €32,075,200 ($35,711,359/£24,693,782), whilst not eclipsing the 250 GTO in dollar terms, currency fluctuations made it the most expensive car to sell at auction in euros and sterling.
Other notable highlights included; a 1963 Aston Martin DB4 Convertible, one of only 19 examples produced, which sold for €1,473,200 (estimate €1,250,000 – 1,500,000); and the ex- Gianni Agnelli 1986 Ferrari Testarossa Spider Valeo which blitzed its estimate, selling for €1,210,080 (estimate €680,000 – 900,000).
Both Bugatti EB110s found new homes, the 1985 Super Sport made €929,760 (estimate €800,000 – 1,200,000) and the 1985 SS 'Sport Competizione - Le Mans' fetched €941,680 (estimate €800,000 – 1,200,000).
Day two of Artcurial’s auction saw a one-marque Citroën sale, with six new world auction records created including an incredible €172,840 achieved for a 1961 2CV Sahara, smashing its estimate of €60,000 – 90,000. Artcurial reported total combined sales of €56.1 million for the two-day event and a sale rate of 80%.
Top lot at Auctionata’s 26 February sale in Berlin was a 1969 Jaguar E-Type Series II Roadster, restored in 2009, which fetched €120,750 (estimate €120,000 – 130,000). All three Alpina BMW’s changed hands, led by a 1986 B10 3.5 Coupe – one of just 44 examples built – which sold for €46,000 (estimate €70,000 – 80,000).