Bonhams recently held the Grand Marques du Monde à Paris Sale and a 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari was the undeniable star of the event. The hybrid hypercar was able to achieve a record-breaking sale price of €2,558,750, setting a new auction record for a European-specific variant.
Held at the Grand Palais Éphémère, the event was able to record a total of €19 million in sales with a sell-through rate of 83%.
Unsurprisingly, the LaFerrari was the top lot of the event. As if being one of only 499 examples was not enough for this rare hypercar, it even sets itself apart as the first production car to have the F1-derived HY-KERS hybrid system. As an added bonus, the yellow over black hybrid hypercar has a really low mileage having only ran less than 930 km from new.
Joining the LaFerrari in breaking records is the 1996 Bugatti EB110 GT Coupé which was sold for several hundred thousand above its top estimate for €1,817,000. It also set a new auction world record for that model. It was the first new Bugatti to be produced since 1956 and when it was launched, it set four world speed records which includes that fastest series production sports car. Only 95 GT examples were produced, and the example has only had three owners and has only covered around 10,000 kms from new.
Another impressive sale was the 1964 Porsche 904 GTS. The example was originally owned by the founder of Monterey Historic Races at Laguna Seca Steve Earle. The GTS was raced by its next owner Steve Berg in North America. It was then acquired by Hollywood actor Robert Redford who held on to the example for almost a decade. It was able to get a seven-figure selling price of €1,345,500.
The 1904 Pipe Series E 15CV Four-Cylinder Rear-Entrance Tonneau is a pleasant blast from the past, a huge contrast from the sports, supercars, and hypercars offered during the sale. It was from an unearthed collection of three barn find veteran cars. The example was able to achieve three times its pre-sale estimate for €759,000.
It came from a single-family ownership from new. In 1914, at the outbreak of the First World War, it was placed in storage and has stayed there since. The high-quality Belgian motor car was able to keep it original coachwork. With some work, it can be eligible for the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run or it can be further preserved for future generations.
Veteran and pre-war motor cars were as popular as ever to the car connoisseurs and collectors in attendance. A few motors cars were even able to get into the top ten, even going above their top estimates. From the Dolleschel Collection, a time-warp 1921 Hispano-Suiza H6B Torpedo was sold €402,500. An ex-Bernard de Lassée 1913 S.P.A. 25 HP Torpédo Sport almost doubled its top estimate and was sold for €396,750.
Also coming from the Dolleschel Collection is the authentic 1902 Panhard & Levassor Type A2 7HP Tonneau à entrée par l’arrière. It topped its estimate and was sold for €379,500.
The recent Les Grandes Marques à Paris Sale had the largest array they’ve offered yet. There were more than 110 collectors’ motor cars that covered more than a century of motoring history and excellence.
Another interesting lot that was sold was the 2010 Tesla Roadster that Michael Schumacher – one of the greatest names in motorsport – himself presented at that year’s Race of Champions event that was held in Düsseldorf. It was sold for €138,000.
The event also had an automobilia sale and one of the outstanding lots was a couple of Heuer rally stopwatches that was mounted on an original Heuer plate that can be attached to a racing or rally car’s dashboard. There was a bidding frenzy on the item, and it was sold for almost ten times its pre-sale estimate achieving a price of €17,812.
“We are all delighted with the strong results across the spectrum of the superb selection of motor cars offered – from Veteran through pre-war to classic and contemporary supercars. It was a pleasure to host a live sale in Paris again after two years, and the Grand Palais Éphémère provided a stunning venue for the busy saleroom of enthusiastic bidders,” shared Bonhams International Chairman, Motoring, Philip Kantor.
Bonhams European Auctions Manager Paul Darvill shared, “This week Bonhams achieved records not only in vintage cars but also the latest supercars, which shows the true depth and breadth of our expertise. Our debut auction at the Grand Palais Éphémère incorporated for the first time a successful watch auction, as well as the usual art display – showcasing the global Bonhams offering and our cross-departmental activities.”
On March 3, Bonhams Motoring will find themselves across the Atlantic for the Amelia Island Auction. The event will be held at the Fernandina Beach Golf Club. On April 10, they will also hold the Members Meeting Sale.
The Bonhams Eurocars team has opened consignment for the upcoming Monaco Sale on May 13. It will be held during the Monaco Historic Grand Prix where they will present a 1970 Jaguar E-Type Series II 4.2 from the SOLAR productions compound seen at the 1970 Steve McQueen movie Le Mans. For those interested to consign their vehicles, they may contact: eurocars@bonhams.com.
