Sotheby’s Brings Down the (Auction) House in Monaco
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RM Sotheby’s Monaco Auction
RM Sotheby’s Monaco auction came to a head last month with the world’s largest collector car auction house successfully selling over 150 of their 186 lots to excited bidders.
We’ve previously covered a few of the auction’s stars in issue 389, such as the beautiful 1995 Lamborghini Diablo SE30 Jota, which sold for an incredible AU$1,045M. However, there are many other cars in the auction worthy of a closer look, with some notable Ferraris attracting big bids.
The collectors Magnum Opus, the Ferrari name has always carried a huge weight behind it and has remained at the top of many collectors dream list. This weight translates to a safe investment in the minds of car collectors which is an especially valuable trait in the current jittery state of the classic car market.
1951 Ferrari 340 America Barchetta, sold for AU$11,077,758
The biggest of these auction crown jewels came with lot 232, the 1951 Ferrari 340 America Barchetta. Selling for a jaw dropping AU$11,077,758, this car outsold the other top contenders by leaps and bounds.
The ’51 Barchetta has long been a genuinely hot ticket for those lucky enough to come across them, but this example’s storied history only added to its cachet. As RM Sotheby listed:
- Formerly of the renowned Pierre Bardinon Collection Mas du Clos
- Entrant in the 1951 and 1952 24 Hours of Le Mans
- The third of twenty-three 340 America chassis built; the second of eight bodied by Touring
- Matching-numbers example
- Eligible for historic motoring events around the world
- A spectacular early competition Ferrari
1966 Ferrari 275 GTS by Pininfarina sold for AU$2,726,833
Other Ferraris closely followed the success of the ’51 America Barchetta, with a 1966 275 GTS landing in the top 3 selling prices at AU$2,726,833 and a 1952 212 Inter Cabriolet selling above estimate at AU$1,789,484.
1952 Ferrari 212 Inter Cabriolet by Vignale, sold for AU$1,789,484
Aside from the plethora of Ferraris, other cars raised interest amongst the packed room of international visitors such as the 1988 Porsche 959 ‘Komfort’ Stage II that saw the hammer drop at AU$1,363,416 and another very special Porker, the 1997 911 GT1 Evolution which was the second highest ticket at a final AU$4,218,069.
1997 911 GT1 Evolution sold for AU$4,218,069
This ‘97 Evolution, chassis number 993-117, is one of the most successful GT1 racers with 13 wins from 31 starts before enjoying a $600k resto in 2015 that rendered it road legal – the only GT1 ex-race car to enjoy this status.
With many interesting results, the RM Sotheby’s Monaco Auction once again delivers on the promise of great classic cars from the world’s largest collector car auction house.