Bonhams' January 2015 auction

By: Chris Thompson

Date: 12.02.2015

Bonham auction

Demand for the 300SL continues to be strong with seven-digit prices becoming the norm

Cobra prices keep breaking the $1mil barrier, with ease

Bonhams auction

This 'museum piece on wheels' set a new world record for 275GTB prices

This DB5 would cost you a couple of mil to take home

Bonham auction

Demand for the 300SL continues to be strong with seven-digit prices becoming the norm

Cobra prices keep breaking the $1mil barrier, with ease

Bonhams auction

This 'museum piece on wheels' set a new world record for 275GTB prices

This DB5 would cost you a couple of mil to take home

Ever wanted a car that says, ‘I spent five million dollars for this’? A Bonhams auction might just be for you...

Bonham auction

Bonhams January 2015 auction

The January auction in Scottsdale, Arizona proved to be paradise for collectors, as metal worth millions went under the hammer. The diamond in the rough (or the really shiny diamond amongst the other diamonds) was a 1966 Ferrari 275GTB Competizione.

Formerly a racer, the GTB wears its livery from ’67 when it won the GT class in the Le Mans 24 Hours, one of three victories it boasts. Before being beaten by the 275, F1-legend-to-be Mario Andretti called it a ‘museum piece with chrome wire wheels’. As the car is possibly the only ‘museum piece’ to ever one-up Andretti in a race, the final price tag of US$9,405,000 seems only fair. With this sale, Bonhams set the world auction record for GTBs.

If you’re after something in a more reasonable price range, maybe a Cobra would suit. For only US$1,017,500 a ’64 Shelby Cobra owned by one family for most of its life could have been yours. This particular example was once a show car at the 1965 New York Auto Show, giving its owners something else to boast about. Being one of the most sought-after classic sports cars on the planet, the Cobra never lends itself well to those on a budget.

Similarly, three equally collectible Mercedes 300SL made appearances, one a Gullwing coupe and the other two Roadsters. The demand for the 300SL mainly comes from across the Atlantic it seems, as Mercedes’ American audience is rumoured to be the reasoning behind some of its design. All three examples at the auction fetched sums in the respectable region of $900,000 to $1,375,000.

A pair of Ferrari Berlinetta Boxers clearly made a good impression on auction-goers as one of them sold for a tidy $357,500, the most anyone has ever paid for a BB. The other Boxer wasn’t far behind, with both of them selling for over double their original estimate.

Honourable mentions go to a Daytona Berlinetta Roadster made appearances, one a Gullwing coupe and the other two Roadsters. The demand for the 300SL mainly comes from across the Atlantic it seems, as Mercedes’ American audience is rumoured to be the reasoning behind some of its design. All three examples at the auction fetched sums in the respectable region of $900,000 to $1,375,000.

A pair of Ferrari Berlinetta Boxers clearly made a good impression on auction-goers as one of them sold for a tidy $357,500, the most anyone has ever paid for a BB. The other Boxer wasn’t far beh ind, with both of them selling for over double their original estimate.

Honourable mentions go to a Daytona Berlinetta Roadster (think of the convertible in early Miami Vice) which was purchased for $748,000 and a 1938 Bugatti Type 57 Roadster, which found a new owner at the price of $671,000.

If you’re feeling like you missed out, don’t worry, there are leftovers. Still up for grabs, if you find a couple of million dollars behind the couch, is a red ’64 DB5 roadster that would make Bond himself envious. If you prefer a little more rarity in your ride, a ’55 Ferrari Europa Alloy (one of two built with competition features from the factory) still hasn’t found itself a new owner.

The next Bonhams motor auction will take place in March on Amelia Island, Florida.

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