The top-selling 1964 Ferrari 250 LM set a record price of $14,300,000.(Photo Credit Darin Schnabel © 2013 Courtesy of RM Auctions)
On Thursday, November 21, 2013, in what is being regarded as one of the most incredible collector car auctions of all time, RM Auctions and Sotheby’s Art of the Automobile sale achieved $62,797,500 of sales in just over two hours of bidding.
The packed sale room saw records tumble across numerous lots, with top sale honours going to a 1964 Ferrari 250 LM, a wonderfully historic and original example of this very rare sports racing Ferrari, which sold for $14,300,000, establishing a new world record for the model at auction.
Taking the number two spot was the simply gorgeous 1938 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS Teardrop Cabriolet by Figoni et Falaschi, commonly regarded as one of the most beautiful coach-built cars of all time, which sold for $7,150,000, also establishing a new world record for the model at auction.
The third highest seller of the night was the unique 1959 Ferrari 250 GT SWB “Competition” Berlinetta Speciale, one of the greatest dual-purpose sports racing cars of all time, with bespoke coachwork by Bertone. Huge interest in this car culminated in a top bid of $7,040,000.
The 31 hand-picked automobiles, two motorcycles and seven pieces of artwork, offered at the Art of the Automobile sale, the first major collector car auction to take place in Manhattan for over a decade, presented over a century of stunning automotive history and design in a unique gallery setting at Sotheby’s New York headquarters. The auction, with its unique blend of quality and presentation, has set a new standard within the collector car auction market and attracted a vast and diverse audience of international bidders, keen to secure the finest examples of automotive artistry available to the market.
the packed auction room at RM Auctions and Sotheby’s Art of the Automobile sale (Photo Credit Darin Schnabel © 2013 Courtesy of RM Auctions)
Demonstrating both RM and Sotheby’s international footprint, bidders hailed from 17 countries, 15 per cent of whom represented clients who had never participated in an RM sale.
Other notable European highlights include the 1954 Maserati A6G/2000 Spyder by Carrozzeria Zagato, the only example with coachwork by Zagato, which sold for $4,455,000, while the 1936 Delahaye Type 135 Competition Court Teardrop Coupé by Carrosserie Figoni et Falaschi, the 1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Sports Coupé by Freestone & Webb, and the 2011 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Bleu Nuit, each achieved $2,420,000.
No less than 16 of the 31 automobile lots achieved in excess of $1,000,000, including:
Lot 141 – 1964 Ferrari 250 LM by Carrozzeria Scaglietti $14,300,000
Lot 122 – 1938 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS Teardrop Cabriolet by Figoni et Falaschi $7,150,000
Lot 136 -1959 Ferrari 250 GT SWB “Competition” Berlinetta Speciale $7,040,000
Lot 134 – 1954 Maserati A6G/2000 Spyder by Carrozzeria Zagato $4,455,000
Lot 121 – 1955 Ferarri 250 Europa GT Coupe $2,420,000
Lot 117 – 1936 Delahaye Type 135 Competition Court Teardrop Coupé by Carrosserie Figoni et Falaschi $2,420,000
Lot 112 – 1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Sports Coupé by Freestone & Webb $2,420,000
Lot 126 – 2011 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Bleu Nuit $2,310,000
Lot 111 – 1956 Aston Martin DB2/4 MK ll ‘Supersonic’ by Carrozzeria Ghia $2,035,000
Lot 110 – 1961 Ferrari 250 GT Series II PF Cabriolet $2,035,000
Lot 124 – 1933 Duesenberg Model SJ Beverly $1,760,000
Lot 127 – 1958 BMW 507 Series ll Roadster $1,650,000
Lot 109 – 1960 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster $1,650,000
Lot 120 – 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLGullwing $1,265,000
Lot 144 – 1933 Auburn Twelve Custom Speedster $1,219,000
Lot 139 – 1964 Chevrolet CERV II $1,100,000.
In total a staggering 11 cars achieved world record prices:
Lot 109 – 1960 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster $1,650,000 – Record for a 300 SL Roadster at auction
Lot 112 – 1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Sports Coupe $2,420,000 – Record for a Rolls-Royce Phantom II at auction
Lot 114 – 1933 Auburn Twelve Custom Speedster – $1,210,000 – Record for an Auburn Twelve Speedster at auction
Lot 115 – 1932 Ford V-8 Cabriolet – $319,000 – Record for an unmodified 1932 Ford at auction
Lot 122 – 1938 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS Teardrop Cabriolet – $7,150,000 – Record for a Talbot-Lago T150-C SS at auction
Lot 127 – 1958 BMW 507 Series II Roadster – $1,650,000 – Record for a BMW 507 at auction
Lot 128 – 1958 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Convertible – $258,500 – Record for a 1958 Oldsmobile Convertible at auction
Lot 130 – 1954 Pegaso Z-102 Series II Berlinetta – $797,500 – Record for the model at auction
Lot 134 – 1955 Maserati A6G/2000 Spyder – $4,455,000 – Record for a Maserati A6G/2000 Spyder at auction
Lot 138 – 1966 Jaguar E-Type Series I 4.2-Litre Roadster – $467,500 – Record for Jaguar E-type (non-competition model) at auction
Lot 141 – 1964 Ferrari 250 LM – $14,300,000 – Record for a Ferrari 250 LM at auction.
Art of the Automobile follows a stunning three-day exhibition in Sotheby’s 10th floor gallery, which also featured a fascinating symposium presented to in excess of 700 guests on Tuesday evening. The sale caps off a record-setting year for RM Auctions, which included a $125-million sale in Monterey, California in August 2013—the highest grossing collector car auction in history.
RM Auctions will kick off its 2014 auction calendar at the beautiful Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa in Phoenix, January 16 – 17.
RM’s 15th annual Arizona sale is closely followed by the company’s debut Paris sale, February 5, 2014, during the world-famous Retromobile week.
Full details for upcoming events are available online atwww.rmauctions.com.