2008 Auction History

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

All Results in BOLD

On 20 December in Gstaad, Bonhams offers two competition Ferraris: a 121LM of 1955 at 4.7 MCHF (SOLD 3.9 MCHF including fees) and a 212 of 1951 estimated 2.8 MCHF.(UNSOLD)

At Stafford on 19 October for 400 K$ (220 K£), Bonhams sells a racing motorcycle of Vincent brand. (SOLD 200 K£ before fees)

On October 29 in London, RM Auctions (in cooperation with Sotheby's) presents eleven cars, works of Andy Saunders. (SOLD all lots ; maximum 99 K£ including fees).

RM Auctions announces a 1933 Duesenberg estimated $ 1.8 million on October 10 in Hershey, Pennsylvania. (SOLD 1.7 M$ including fees).

Among the cars for sale by RM Auctions in London on October 29 in association with Sotheby's, let us highlight a Horch 853 of 1938 (£ 1.5M) (SOLD 1.1 M£ including fees) and a Bugatti Atalante 57C of the same year (£ 560 K). (SOLD 660 K£ including fees).

Six racing cars of Lotus brand continue competition at Bonhams & Goodman in Sydney on November 16. One of them, which was driven by Jim Clark, is estimated $ 1.1 MA. (SOLD 1.35 MA$ before fees).

Some brands of old cars have become very rare on the market. Guided by RM Auctions press release, I selected at Meadow Brook on August 2 a Lozier of 1914 ($ 150 K, lot 243) (UNSOLD) and a Michigan of 1913 ($ 225 K, lot 251). (SOLD 155 K$ including fees). Looking random in the catalog, I found a Stevens-Duryea of 1913 (190 K $, lot 269). (SOLD 330 K$ including fees).

I offer a short tour to New Zealand, in Nelson more accurately, for a Spitfire of 1945 of the Royal Air Force, for sale by Bonhams & Goodman on September 14. (SOLD 2.8 MNZ$ before fees)

On 16 and 17 August at Monterey (Pebble Beach), Gooding disperse a collection of twelve Bugattis, including a coupé 57SC Atalante of 1937, (SOLD 7.9 M$ including fees), and a 35B of 1928 whose first owner was Louis Chiron. (SOLD 1.45 M$ including fees).

On October 11 in Paris, Artcurial sells a monoplace aircraft Bleriot XI that retains its original engine. (UNSOLD).

At Quail Lodge, California, on August 15, Bonhams & Butterfields offer a 1936 Lagonda ($ 1.2 million). (SOLD 1.25 M$ before fees). In the same sale they include a large collection of cars from Avions Voisin brand, including two single models. (top SOLD 600 K$ before fees).

At Bonhams, a Jaguar has attracted another: now the very first production specimen of Jaguar D (1955), for sale at Goodwood on July 11 (£ 2 million). (SOLD 2 M£ before fees).

While waiting for the catalogue, we have already noted three lots from the sale of RM Auctions in Monterey on 15 and 16 August: a Ferrari 250GT of 1958 (estimate on request to the auction house), (SOLD 4.5 M$ including fees), a 1929 Duesenberg roadster (1.4 M$) (SOLD 1.4 M$ including fees) and a Lamborghini Miura (825 K $). (SOLD 900 K$ including fees).

At Gooding at Pebble Beach on 16 and 17 August, there is a Ferrari 250GT California Spider of 1959. (SOLD 3.6 M$ including fees). At Scottsdale in January by the same auction house, a car of same description had been sold $ 3.3 million. Let us return to Pebble Beach with an Alfa Romeo of 1938 called the Sleeping Beauty after being hidden for thirty years in a castle. (SOLD 2.6 M$ including fees).

On August 2 in Rochester, Michigan, RM Auctions is organizing a sale of luxury American cars, including a 1931 Auburn (SOLD 175 K$ including fees) and a 1937 Lincoln. (SOLD 100 K$ including fees).

Prestigious race cars will be sold by Bonhams and Butterfields on August 15 at Quail Lodge, California: the prototype of the Jaguar E type (1960) estimated $ 7 million (SOLD 4.5 M$ before fees) and a 1970 Porsche that belonged to Steve McQueen (1.5 M $). (Withdrawn ?)

On July 11 within the framework of Goodwood Festival of Speed, Bonhams sells the first prototype of the first British mark to have produced single-seaters. It was in 1934, and this brand was called ERA (English Racing Automobiles). The car is estimated 400 K£. (SOLD 325 K£ before fees).

A nice set of pre-1914 vehicles will be on sale by Bonhams on April 21 in a museum in London. Among them an elegant Rolls-Royce in 1911 (650 K£). (UNSOLD).

The sale of RMAuctions in Maranello on May 18 includes three Ferrari respectively estimated 3.4, 2.5 and 3.4 M€. (the first one, not confirmed ; SOLD the others 2.4 and 7 M€ including fees).

A 1932 Bugatti which raced at Le Mans will be on sale at Bonhams in Monaco on May 10 at € 2 million. (SOLD 1.9 M€ before fees).

Two cars found in the forthcoming sales of RM Auctions:
On May 18, in Maranello, a 250 GT LWB California Spyder 1958 estimated 2.5 M€. (SOLD 2.4 M€ including fees).
On June 14, in Tustin, California, an interesting Miller from 1925 estimated 900 K $. (SOLD 2 M$ including fees).

RM Auctions announces as ever some exceptional pieces for their sales in Maranello, whose next edition will be held on May 18 in association with Sotheby's: two copies of the Ferrari 250 California Spyders, one Rosso and the other Nero, are estimated 4 M $. The announcement did not make it clear whether this price is for each or for the couple. (for each of them, Feb 10). (SOLD including fees, the Rosso 2,4 M€ and the Nero 7 M€). A prototype of Ferrari Pinin 1980, estimate not provided, pleases fans of the mark: it is announced as the only four-door Ferrari ever built. (SOLD 176 K€ including fees).

One of 5 Mercedes C-11 (1990, in collaboration with the designer Sauber) appears on January 29 in Miami in a judicial sale. The bid price, at Hunton & Williams, is $ 2125 K. (SOLD 2 M $, probably before fees).
One of 6 Mercedes C-9, also with Sauber, 1989, is the top lot from the sale of Bonhams in Paris on February 9. Bonhams has ensured the cooperation of one of the pilots of this car to present it at the sale (1.5 M €). (UNSOLD)

Autos and great history: an Alfa Romeo that belonged to Mussolini will be sold by H & H at Cheltenham on February 27, estimated £ 600 K. (UNSOLD). The Lincoln of the last visit of JF Kennedy in New York will be sold on Jan. 18 at Biltmore, Arizona, by RMAuctions. (UNSOLD). On March 8 at Amelia Island, RMAuctions sells two Fords that belonged to Edsel Ford. (SOLD 1.76 M$ and 198 K$ including fees).

Newly authorized for auctioning in France, Bonhams disclosed the top lot of its
Salon Rétromobile Paris sale of February 9: THE Mercédès of Georges Mathieu, just restored and entrusted to the auction house by the artist himself. The personality of Mathieu once hit the French chronicle, there is now some doubt whether this is enough to make prices exploding, but this 1936 model of convertible Mercédès 500K is splendid. We want to believe in his estimate of 900 K €. (SOLD 800 K€ before fees)
The traditional Artcurial sale will be held at the Palais des Congrès on the same day. This is clever because fans will be looking at Paris. (SOLD a Voisin of 1935 460 K€ before fees). Rétromobile, as did the FIAC this fall, is the opportunity to sessions of consolidated sales, which is common in all other auction centers in the world, but new to Paris.

Barrett-Jackson, accustomed of prestigious sales in Scottsdale, Arizona, announced a sale at the Collector Car Event there from 12 to 20 January, including a 1933 Duesenberg (SOLD 1 M$ before fees, redated 1928 in results, lot 1311). Have in mind that their main competitor RMAuctions has obtained $ 4.4 million for a 1935 Duesenberg on 17 August in Monterey, California. In the same Scottsdale sale there is one of 19 Rolls Royce Phantom II coupé of 1935 (SOLD 400 K$ before fees), a unique Chevrolet Corvette improved by Pininfarina (SOLD 1.6 M$ before fees) and ... a terrible car eating Robosaurus weighing 31 tons (car-crushing robot). 2008 will be the year of first valueing the Robosaurus in auction, even Artprice knows nothing in that name! (SOLD 575 K$ before fees).
Barrett Jackson announced that 300000 people have visited their annual sales events of Scottsdale and Palm Beach in 2007. Distinguished European auctioneers, who can claim a similar figure?
Gooding also sells in Scottsdale, Jan. 19: they present a Ferrari 365 GTS / 4 Daytona Spyder 1971. (SOLD 1.29 M$ including fees).
RMAuctions organizes its great sale on January 18 in Phoenix, Arizona; the menu: Ferrari, Rolls Royce, Packard, Bugatti, Chevrolet, Ford, Lincoln. (SOLD 2 M$ each including premium, a Packard coupe of 1934 and a Mercedes Benz cabriolet of 1936)

Bonhams is often well positioned in vehicle auctions; they announced for April 27 in Stafford two exceptional motorcycles: one Brough 1934 at 120 K £ (SOLD 150 K£ before fees) and one Coventry-Eagle 1928 at 50 K £. (SOLD 90 K£ before fees).


Bonhams was the first to announce a special sale for 2008: automobiles in Paris on February 9 at the Retromobile Fair. The arrival of Bonhams on the Parisian market is a novelty. (SOLD top price 2,1 M€ before fees a Mercedes Benz supercharged Torpedo roadster of 1928).