The upcoming 2021 Bonhams Les Grand Marques Du Monde à Paris Sale will feature a 1992 Porsche 911 Type 964 Carrera 2 Convertible Works Turbo Look, owned by legendary sportsman, Diego Maradona.
The auction is to be held over seven days, from 3–10 March, on both the Bonhams website and the new Bonhams app.
A few other notable additions to the auction include:
- 2017 Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera Sciàdipersia Coupé
- 1987 Ferrari 512BBi Coupe, and
- 1988 Lancia Delta Integrale 8V Group A Rally Car
Here’s a look at these four highlighted vehicles from Bonhams 2021 Paris Sale.
1992 Porsche 911 Type 964 Carrera 2 Convertible Works Turbo Look
Estimate: € 150,000 – 200,000
Of the sporting icons of the late 20th century, only a few have earned legendary status throughout the world, with football champion Diego Maradona securing a position in this team of legends.
Off the pitch, Maradona was himself an enthusiast of stunning and exotic motor cars. In November 1992, he purchased a 1992 Porsche 911 Type 964 Carrera 2 Convertible Works Turbo Look, which was delivered to him new in his last season of European football.
After Maradona led his team to UEFA Cup wins, and the World Cup Victory in 1986, Seville’s team manager and former Argentina Coach Carlos Bilardo contracted Maradona for their team for 750 million pesetas (around €5 million).
‘El Diego’ received a hero’s welcome in Seville. Both the team and fans alike were eagerly awaiting Maradona’s dominating presence on the field for Seville.
While residing in Spain, he lived in the villa of Spain’s most famous bullfighter, Juan Antonio Ruiz Roman. While there a top-of-the-range Porsche 911 Type 964 Carrera 2 Convertible Works Turbo Look was delivered to him on November 6, 1992. It was one of only 1,200 964 Carrera 2 Convertible Works Turbo Look variants that were produced in two years and were considered a supercar of its day with a top speed of 260 km/h.
It was a regular sight to see Maradona in the Porsche on his journey to and from football training. Maradona became well-known not just for his great ability in the field, but also for his off-pitch luxurious and self-indulgent lifestyle. The Porsche confirmed Maradona’s right foot was as dominant in the vehicle as his left was on the field for him as he was famously stopped by police for racing at 180km/h in the city center.
Upon leaving the club in June 1993, the Porsche was sold to a private owner in Majorca. The owner kept the example in his possession for 20 years before it was again sold. It passed through the ownership of several French collectors where the current vendor has been in the custody of the Porsche since 2016.
The example is in practically original and in well-preserved condition with covering around 125,000kms or 75,000 miles from new.
2017 Carrozzeria Touring
Superleggera Sciàdipersia Coupé
Estimate: € 380,000 – 580,000
Carrozzeria Touring is one of the most prestigious names in Italian coachbuilding, being established in Milan in 1926 where it prospered for 40 years until the mid-1960s. In 2006 it was reborn under new ownership as Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera Srl, a car manufacturer specializing in low-volume bespoke motorcars and one-off commissions.
The Sciàdipersia made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in 2018 where it took inspiration from the Maserati GranTurismo.
The Scàdipersia engine, which is featured in the sportier GranTurismo models, is a 4.7-liter V8 engine that can produce 454bhp. It has the ability to accelerate from 0-60mph in 4.8 seconds with an estimated top speed of 186mph.
The interior of the Scàdipersia is reminiscent of the Maserati GranTurismo, although it has an improved luxurious Italian leather and brushed aluminum trim.
The exterior of the Scàdipersia differs greatly. It has a completely redesigned body that was loosely inspired by the low-slung three-box silhouette of the Touring 5000 GT, however, the design was sleeker.
Only 15 vehicles are planned for production with each to be hand-built to order. The limited series is currently sold out, and so far, only this example has been completed as a coupé with the other vehicles ordered being manufactured as a cabriolet.
1987 Ferrari 512BBi Coupe
Estimate: € 160,000 – 200,000
With the first ‘Boxer’, the 365GTB/4 BB, Ferrari was able to reassert itself as one of the main players in the supercar category. Its successor, the 512BB, raised the bar even higher.
With the new Boxer, Ferrari deviated from their normal tradition of naming their new model based on the capacity of an individual cylinder. They instead used the Dino-type nomenclature where the ‘512’ indicated 5 liters/12 cylinders.
Ferrari increased the displacement by making both the bore and stroke larger along with increasing the compression ratio and adopting dry-sump lubrication. All the changes increased the torque and together with the revised gear ratios, made the 512 more tractable.
Road & Track magazine had a recorded top speed of 175mph (280kph) in the 365GT/4 BB. Because of lack of road space, they were unable to fully test the capability of the 512, although Ferrari did announce that it has a maximum speed of 188mph (302kph).
Only 1,007 512 examples were produced with the Bosch fuel injection and were designated the 512BBi.
1988 Lancia Delta Integrale 8V Group A Rally Car
Estimate: € 240,000 – 280,000
On November 22, 1988, the Lancia Delta Integrale was registered as ‘TO34164H’ Turin by Fiat Auto SpA where it was entered during that year’s East African Safari as a works entry and driven by local ace, Vic Preston Jr.
Unfortunately, Vic had to withdraw the car with a broken gearbox having crashed off the road; though his team-mate, Miki Biasion, went on to win, with his victory being Lancia’s first in this most challenging of international rallies.
The car was next seen in the 1989 Acropolis Rally that was held from May 27 to June 1. Argentine driver Jorge Recalde was behind the wheel and managed to secure 5th place.
On June 29, 1989, shortly after the Acropolis Rally, FIAT sold the Integrale and it was purchased by a finance company, Fingold SpA in Milan. For the remainder of the 1989 season, the Top Run rally team took over the Integrale. They entered the Rally Australia with Recalde but due to a broken driveshaft at Special Stage 2, he was not able to finish the race. They also entered the RAC Rally where they finished 15th overall.
In 1996, the Integrale was bought by a prominent rally collector from Cuneo, Italy. Upon purchase, the Integrale was in normal rally trim, but the sale came with Safari Rally parts in boxes. The car was then given a restoration, giving it back its Safari Rally configuration that it had in the late 1990s.
Further details of these vehicles that will be available for sale at Bonhams 2021 Paris Sale can be found at Bonhams.
[Source: Bonhams]