Would you recognize this car as a Lamborghini? It’s the Islero, and it’s rare with just 225 made for 1968-1969. Named for the bull that killed one of Spain’s most famous bullfighters, the Islero packed the punch of a six-carburetor V-12 that could take it to 150 mph. The Islero’s modernistic look presaged the angular style would define exotic car design in the Seventies. Gooding & Company will offer this restored black 1968 Lamborghini Islero at its Amelia Island auction, where it is estimated to sell for up to $500,000.
The 2023 collector car auction season got off to a roaring start in January. The Bonhams Scottsdale auction reached $30M in sales, and RM Sotheby’s reported $44M. The big surprise came from Bonhams, where a 1912 Simplex brought $4.8M, a record for a pre-WWI car. Supercars were still supreme, though, with a Ferrari LaFerrari getting $4.075M at RM Sotheby’s and, earlier in the month, a Ferrari F40 topping the Mecum sale in Kissimmee, Florida at $3.135M.
On the heels of Porsche’s introduction of the 911 Dakar, Lamborghini has announced its plan to launch its own supercar that’s modified to play in the dirt, the Huracán Sterrato. Using the same 5.2-liter V-10 engine as the Huracán Evo, Lamborghini’s new off road-ready SUV can do 0-60 in around 3.2 seconds, has rally lights mounted on the Sterrato’s nose, and includes a built-in camera to record your adventures. Production of 1,499 Sterratos will begin in February of 2023, and U.S. pricing has not been announced.
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.
Ferrari’s Purosangue – the car designed to lure SUV buyers while “not being an SUV” – has been revealed. The Purosangue is the largest and most luxurious Ferrari ever made, with a dry-sump 6.5-liter V12 that goes from 0 – 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.3 seconds. Ferrari has not yet announced the price, and says it wants to limit Purosangue’s sales to 20% of its total volume.
Most BMW fans recognize the M1 as the supercar that launched the marque’s M brand. But few know the convoluted back story of how the M1 was designed and commercialized. At Monterey Car Week, Broad Arrow Auctions sold a numbers-matching 1981 BMW M1 for $692,500. Learn how the M1 became a legend.
Auction sales from Monterey Car Week totaled a record-setting $469 million; more than $126 million than last year’s total. RM Sotheby’s three-night auction accounted for more than half of that total, setting a record with a staggering $239.2 million in sales. Catch up on results from all the auction houses.
Monterey Car Week 2022, including the Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance®, is just days away, and our regional sales managers have made their annual “Cars to Watch” selections, covering a broad range of classic vehicles. Their picks include a 1995 Ferrari F50 (pre-sale estimate of $4.5 – $5.5 Million); a 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 3.8 ($250K – $300K); and even a 1962 Volkswagen Type 2 Deluxe Microbus ($140K – $180K). Perhaps some of your favorites are among their picks.
Modeled after the F-22A Raptor fighter jet, only 20 Lamborghini Reventón coupes were offered to the public, beginning in 2009. Half of those were purchased in the U.S., priced around $1.5 million. You’ll have an opportunity to purchase Reventón coupe #12, which will be offered for sale at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction in August.
