The Bonhams Goodwood Revival Auction 2013 was held Saturday 14th September at the Goodwood Motor Circuit in Chichester, UK, resulting in total sales of nearly £14 million and and 82% sell-through rate.
Top result at this year’s sale went to the ex-Tazio Nuvolari 1935 Alfa Romeo Tipo C 8C-35 that sold for £5,937,500, a new world record for an Alfa Romeo sold at auction. The previous record for this marque was £4,245,118 for a 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza sold at the Gooding & Company Pebble Beach sale in 2010.
The 1935 supercharged, 330-horsepower Alfa Romeo 8C-35, chassis 50013, was campaigned as new by Alfa’s proxy factory team, the celebrated Scuderia Ferrari – including the legendary Tazio Nuvolari, one of the greatest racing drivers of all time. Nuvolari, then already 43 years old, was renowned for his fearless and committed approach to racing. He is often credited with developing the power-drift driving style, and as star of the Scuderia Ferrari Alfa Romeo team he led Italian racing’s rearguard action against the state-backed German ‘Silver Arrow’ cars of Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union.
After the works campaign, the straight-eight-engined monoposto was sold to Hans Ruesch in September 1936. The young Swiss campaigned the car extensively, sometimes sharing it with British star Richard Seaman. After WWII, the car was acquired by Dennis Poore who won The Gransden Trophy feature race at the UK’s first post-war circuit event at Grandston Lodge aerodrome in 1947. The racing industrialist’s finest achievement in the car, however, was winning the 1950 British Hillclimb Championship.
The Alfa Romeo result follows the ex-Juan Manuel Fangio 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196R that Bonhams sold at the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed for £19.6m, the highest price for any car sold at auction. Combined with today’s result Bonhams 2013 Goodwood sales have achieved nearly £50m.
James Knight, Bonhams International Managing Director Collectors Motor Cars, said, “Once again Bonhams has been privileged to offer a world-beating motorcar and help it to achieve a world-beating price. Selling something like this, one is aware that history is a guest at the auction, due to the car’s past, its performance today, and what all automotive enthusiasts will say about the car in the future. It is more than a car for all of us who are passionate about cars.”
Other notable sales at the 2013 Bonhams Goodwood Revival Auction included the 1961 Jaguar E-Type 3.8 Series 1 flat floor roadster going for £225,500, a world record for a standard road-going E-Type. It was owned by one family since 1963.
Additionally, an ex-Works, Irish Tourist Trophy, Brooklands ‘Double-Twelve, George Field, Dudley Froy 1931 Invicta 4.5-litre S-Type ‘Low Chassis’ Sports with coachwork by Cadogan sold for £953,500, a 1972 Lamborghini Miura SV Coupe with coachwork by Carozzeria Bertone, delivered new to Rod Stewart and one of seven right hand drive examples, went for £919,900, while a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT Series II Pinin Farina Cabriolet sold for £707,100.
Bonhams Goodwood Revival 2013 – Top Ten Auction Results
1. 1935 Alfa Romeo Tipo C 8C-35 – £5,937,500
2. 1931 Invicta 4.5-litre S-Type ‘Low Chassis’ Sports – £953,500
3. 1972 Lamborghini Miura SV Coupe – £919,900
4. 1961 Ferrari 250 GT Series II Pinin Farina Cabriolet – £707,100
5. 1969 Ferrari 365 GTC – £578,300
6. 1967 Ferrari 330 GTC – £387,900
7. 1925 Vauxhall 30/98 – £259,100
8. 1972 Ferrari Dino 246GT Berlinetta – £236,700
9. 1961 Jaguar E-Type 3.8 Series 1 flat floor roadster – £225,500
10. 1936 Invicta 4.5-Litre S-Type ‘Low Chassis’ Tourer – £191,900
For complete auction results, visit Bonhams Goodwood Revival.
[Source: Bonhams]