The RM Sotheby’s new year auction in Phoenix, Arizona attracted bidders from around the globe to witness 141 lots going under the hammer achieving $53.8million, with the top seller being a 1939 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster fetching $6.6 million. We look at the highlights.
For me (Auto Addicts editor.) my eyebrow raisers were these 3 beauties..
1965 Aston Martin DB5 – Sold for $1,045,000
This gorgeous distinguished gentleman of the 60s motoring era, was sold in U.S.-specification, a factory left-hand-drive sold to a prominent American socialite Oscar Strauss II of New York. The car with matching numbers still in its original paint colour has undergone a full restoration and is complete in every detail right down to the jack, tools, owner’s handbook, and copy of build sheet. A modest $1m dollar price tag – bet the owner is kicking himself he didn’t sell when the market price was more $1.5m.
1956 Austin-Healey 100M ‘Le Mans’ – $165,000
Austin Healey owners get very excited about these original 100Ms, as there were only 640 certified as factory-converted 100 M or ‘Le Mans’ spec. This left-hooker, appears unmolested but rebuilt using Denis Welch competition parts and bodywork details to the previous owners taste. Sale price was reflective of the current chill in the classic car prices offering a solid investment.
1966 Selby 427 Cobra – Sold for $1,100,000
Engine rebuilt to S/C specification, this Cobra has a known ownership history having had recent cosmetic restoration, it was quite an eye-brow raiser for it not to fetch event the $1.5 given previous examples have been over $2m. However the new owner must be very chuffed with his new purchase!
Ferrari Fans
Throughout Friday’s sale, numerous Ferraris also took top honors, led by a matching-numbers 1969 Ferrari 365 GTS. One of just 20 built, the exceedingly rare road-going Ferrari surpassed its pre-sale estimate, realising $3,602,500, nearly triple the previous auction record for the model. Rounding out the top three, a pristine 1995 Ferrari F50, one of just two U.S.-delivery examples finished in black, demonstrated its desirability, bringing $3,135,000—a new auction benchmark for the model. Friday night also saw the exquisitely restored, ex-Greg Garrison and Skeets Dunn 1961 Ferrari 400 Superamerica SWB Coupe Aerodinamico generate a strong result of $3,080,000, while perhaps the world’s finest 1967 Ferrari 330 GTS sold at the top end of its estimate at $2,475,000.
Future classics
To cater to the growing appetite for modern high performance motor cars, RM’s Arizona offering had a strong emphasis on vehicles from 1980 and later. As a group, these examples comprised approximately 25 percent of the catalogue. In addition to the F50, leading this segment was Thursday’s headliner, a 2003 Ferrari Enzo, purchased new and offered by renowned designer, Tommy Hilfiger. Fastidiously maintained and driven just 3,620 miles, the 218 mph hypercar roared onto the auction stage before selling for a final $2,695,000. Among other notable modern collectibles, a 2003 Aston Martin DB AR1 Zagato with 800 actual miles exceeded estimate at $379,500; a U.S.-specification 2005 Porsche Carrera GT, showing just 1,132 miles from new, garnered $742,500; and a F22 Raptor-inspired 2008 Lamborghini Reventón, the third of only 20 examples built, realized $1,320,000.
Top 10 Sales of the Arizona Auction:
| 1. Lot 258 | 1939 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster (Chassis 408383) | $6,600,000 |
| 2. Lot 263 | 1969 Ferrari 365 GTS (Chassis 12489) | $3,602,500 |
| 3. Lot 227 | 1995 Ferrari F50 (Chassis ZFFTG46A6S0104092) | $3,135,000 |
| 4. Lot 231 | 1961 Ferrari 400 Superamerica SWB Coupe Aerodinamico (CHASSIS NO. 2841 SA) | $3,080,000 |
| 5. Lot 151 | 2003 Ferrari Enzo (Chassis ZFFCW56A330133026) | $2,695,000 |
| 6. Lot 220 | 1967 Ferrari 330 GTS (Chassis 10689) | $2,475,000 |
| 7. Lot 256 | 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/6C (CHASSIS NO. 08431) | $2,117,500 |
| 8. Lot 228 | 2013 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport 300 (Chassis VF9SG2C27DM795300) | $2,090,000 |
| 9. Lot 160 | 1948 Tucker 48 (Chassis 1044) | $1,347,500 |
| 10. Lot 138 | 2008 Lamborghini Reventón (CHASSIS NO. ZHWBU77SX8LA03148) | $1,320,000 |
