Amelia Auction Highlights

Accompanying last weekend’s Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in Florida were collector car auctions held by RM Sotheby’s, Bonhams and Gooding & Co., each of which enjoyed brisk sales and world record prices paid for a dazzling array of cars. A total of 29 cars sold for more than $1 million. Following are capsule summaries for each auction house, but please follow the individual links for more complete information.

RM Sotheby’s, the official auction house of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, enjoyed its best Amelia auction ever, selling 19 cars for more than $1 million and generating an outstanding $70.9 million in total sales with a 90-percent sell-through rate at its 19^th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance sale. Extended to two days by the addition of Friday’s exclusive presentation of “A Gentleman’s Collection: The Pride and Passion of Orin Smith,” RM’s 2017 Amelia Island sale attracted a truly global audience with bidders from 25 countries.

“We’re thrilled with the results from this weekend’s Amelia Island sale,” commented Gord Duff, the company’s auction manager. “Not only was it our best ever Amelia Island performance, but the highest tally in Amelia Island auction history.”

Leading RM’s string of 19 individual million-dollar-plus sales and claiming top honors for 2017 at Amelia Island was a striking 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Cabriolet, one of only three examples sporting rare coachwork by Vanvooren of Paris (above, photo courtesy of RM Sotheby’s). Offered for public sale for the first time in its 80-year history, the highly original Type 57S commanded $7,700,000. Just moments prior to the Bugatti’s sale, a well-known 1929 Stutz Model M Supercharged Coupe, one of only three supercharged Stutzes in existence, sold for $1,705,000, a new record for a Stutz at auction.

On Friday, the Orin Smith Collection generated $31 million in sales with a 100 percent sell-through. This was RM’s initial Friday evening sale at Amelia, as a group of 63 vehicles was headlined by a stunning 1936 Lancia Astura Cabriolet Series III “Tipo Bocca” that brought in $2,145,000. For complete information, please visit www.rmsothebys.com

RM’s Amelia Island Million-Dollar sales:

1937 Bugatti Type 57S Cabriolet – $7,700,000
1995 Ferrari F50 – $2,640,000
1956 Maserati A6G/54 Coupe Series III – $2,365,000
1936 Lancia Astura Cabriolet Series III “Tipo Bocca” – $2,145,000
1964 Ferrari 275 GTB – $1,842,500
1966 Aston Martin Short-Chassis Volante – $1,705,000
1929 Stutz Model M Supercharged Coupe – $1,705,000
1956 Bentley S1 Continental Drophead Coupe – $1,683,000
2012 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport – $1,650,000
1953 Fiat 8V Supersonic – $1,375,000
1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 3.0 – $1,375,000
1954 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing $1,358,500
1952 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback Sports Saloon by H.J. Milliner – $1,347,500
1958 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I Drophead Coupe by Freestone & Webb – $ 1,347,500
1955 Lancia Aurelia B24S Spider America by Pinin Farina – $1,320,000
1953 Lancia Aurelia PF200 C Spider by Pinin Farina – $1,248,500
1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Special Newmarket Permanent Sedan by Brewster – $1,237,500
1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing – $1,144,000
1955 Alfa Romeo 1900C SS Coupe Zagato – $1,100,000

Gooding & Company realized $30,568,700 in its one-day sale at its annual Amelia Island auction last Friday. The auction house achieved a 78-percent sell-through rate with nine cars selling for more than $1 million, led by a 1998 Porsche 911 GT1 Strassenversion that brought in a new world record price of $5,665,000 for the model and for the Porsche 911. It was but one of 13 Gooding cars to establish a new auction record for either marque or model.

“We achieved strong results for a number of exceptional cars,” noted David Gooding, President and Founder of Gooding & Company, “especially from the Porsche marque, exemplified by the world record price achieved for the GT1 Strassenversion. In spite of the 13 world record prices set, we are definitely seeing a market shift, which is healthy for the marketplace as a whole.”

For complete information please visit www.goodingco.com

Gooding & Co.’s Top 10 Sales

1998 Porsche 911 GT1 Strassenwagen – $5,665,000
2015 McLaren P1 – $2,392,500
1989 Mazda 767B – $1,750,000
1949 Aston Martin DB MkII – $1,540,000
1993 Porsche 964 Turbo S Leichtbau – $1,540,000
1990 Ferrari F40 – $1,485,000
1977 Porsche 934/5 – $1,375,000
1955 Lancia Aurelia B24S Spider America – $1,300,000
1965 Aston Martin DB5 Vantage – $1,100,000
2011 Porsche 997 GT3 RS 4.0 – $748,000

Bonhams’ third annual Amelia Island sale last Thursday was marked by glorious weather, large crowds and an excellent selection of automobiles. Held at the Fernandina Beach Golf Club, the Bonhams sale produced an 87 percent sell-through rate with $10.2 million in total sales.

The day’s top seller was an exquisite, competition-designed 1955 Ferrari 250 Europa GT Alloy, one of only two built with Pinin Farina coachwork, which was purchased by a European collector for $2,227,500. Other highlights included a magnificent 1911 Pierce-Arrow Model 48 Touring, the epitome of Brass Era status, that sold for $550,000, while a 1961 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Roadster hammered for $326,700 after spirited bidding. A 1986 Lamborghini Countach 500 S Quattrovalvole was bought for $335,500 by an American enthusiast, while a 1954 Arnolt-Bristol Prototype Roadster gaveled for $324,500 and a 1904 Knox Tudor established a new world auction record of $292,600.

For a complete listing of individual results, please visit www.bonhams.com/amelia.

Bonhams Amelia Island Top 10 Sales