January kicked off collector-car auction season with a big bang and big dollars. Following Mecum’s $275M haul in Kissimmee, Florida mid-month, the traditional Arizona auctions added about $245M more to the tally, with $200M of that from Barrett-Jackson’s no-reserve sale in Scottsdale. Bonhams, though, had the highest-priced auction sale in Arizona, with $5.175M buying a Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ (as in 300+ mph test-track capability) for a car with just Bugatti’s test and delivery miles.
Bentley was born racing, and while most of its 100+ years have been spent away from the track, the company is going back with one of the 1929 Bentley Blower Continuation Cars it has built. The car, created using blueprints and 3D scans of an original car in Bentley’s Heritage Collection, will compete at three major historic automobile races through September. Bentley is also celebrating the 20th anniversary of its sixth and final victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a limited-edition series of 48 “Le Mans Collection” Continental GT and GTC models.
While the “Imperial” and “LeBaron” names became diluted on mainstream Chrysler cars in more recent history, the two had once created great American luxury together. LeBaron was America’s most distinguished designer of the period, creating bodies for the world’s top luxury automakers. The early 1930s Chrysler Imperials designed by LeBaron are among America’s most beautiful classics. Marjorie Merriweather Post, who owned General Foods Corporation, must have thought so when she purchased this 1933 Chrysler Imperial CL Dual Cowl Phaeton. Bonhams is offering the car at its Amelia Island auction, with a $375K-$450K pre-sale estimate.
You might remember Lamborghini’s LM002. One of the first people to purchase an LM002 back in the 1908s was Sylvester Stallone, of “Rambo” movie fame, which inspired the vehicle’s “Rambo Lambo” nickname. Since that era, you may have always wanted to own this V-12, three-ton off-road monster that goes from 0-60 in under 8 seconds, and carries a 75-gallon fuel tank. At its Miami auction in December, RM Sotheby’s is offering a 1991 LM002, with under 6,000 miles on the odometer, which is #279 out of 328 made. Putting this Rambo Lambo in your driveway is guaranteed to make a statement to the neighbors.
Here are our “Cars to Watch” for the Gooding & Co. auction at Amelia Island, which features a rare 1937 Talbot-Lago T150-C_SS “Teardrop” Coupe, which has a pre-sale estimate of $10 million. This auction promises to be comfortable, casual, fun, and yet classy.
Picture yourself behind the wheel of this classic 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet, with your hair slicked back and Wayfarers on. Back then, you would have paid $14,380 for a new one. Today, the pre-sale estimate for this restored beauty at RM Sotheby’s Scottsdale auction is $300k – $350k.
Numerous multi-million-dollar sales were recorded at Monterey this year, highlighted by a record-breaking sale at Gooding & Company’s auction of an extremely rare 1995 McLaren F1 for $20.465 million.
Even as Porsche was ramping up production of its rear-engine 356 road car in the early 1950s, the budding carmaker’s engineers were starting a roadmap to the marque’s mid-engine racecar future with the tiny but mighty 1953-1956 550 Spyder.
Scottsdale 2020 is almost here, and Premier has your itinerary all laid out. Includes the schedules of Barrett-Jackson, Gooding & Company, Motorsport Auction Group, Worldwide Auctioneers, Russo and Steele, Bonhams, and RM Sotheby’s. Advance planning and time management are essential to make the most of your time in Arizona.
