The RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2017 auction was held August 18-19 at the Portola Hotel in Monterey, California, resulting in $132,993,810 in total sales and an 88 percent sell through rate. RM’s two-day auction total, which represents a 12 percent increase over the same sale in 2016, was led by 32 individual million-dollar-plus results and numerous record-breaking prices.
The 2017 RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2017 auction was highlighted by the top sale on the Monterey Peninsula this year.The 1956 Aston Martin DBR1, Chassis DBR1/1, achieved $22,550,000 on Friday evening (est. in excess of $20,000,000) following a competition between two bidders on the phone, setting a world record not only for any British automobile at auction. DBR1/1 carries a racing history that includes overall victory at the 1959 Nürburgring 1000 KM as well as the names in motorsport that include Carroll Shelby, Jack Brabham, Roy Salvadori and Stirling Moss.
The DBR1 was part of a significant group of Aston Martin competition cars offered at RM’s Monterey Car Week event. Other highlights included the 1959 Aston Martin DB4GT Prototype which fetched $6,765,000 to set a new record for a non-Zagato bodied example after a contest between three bidders (est. $6,000,000 – $8,000,000), as well as the 2006 Aston Martin DBR9, which soared past estimate ($275,000 – $325,000) to achieve a final $616,000, also a new record for the model at auction.
“Our 2017 Monterey auction represented an outstanding success on many levels and spoke to the overall confidence of the market,” said Gord Duff, Global Head of Auctions for RM Sotheby’s. “We saw strong prices on rare historic cars of exceptional quality, while certain areas of the modern performance market continued to trend upwards. The sustained focus and interest in late model, low-mileage supercars and hypercars from our clients made for exciting competition at the auction, while the offering of fresh-to-market blue chip classics and post-war sports and racing cars clearly underpin the resilience of the hobby as a whole.”
The second evening of RM Sotheby’s 2017 Monterey auction saw nearly all lots sold, with several exceeding pre-sale expectations. The night was led by all things Ferrari, including the Ferrari Performance Collection, a single-owner group of 13 road-going examples offered entirely without reserve, which brought a total of more than $16.5 million. Spanning over 50 years, the collection and the night was led by a Classiche-certified and Platinum Award-winning 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta which sold for a final $8,305,000 after an extended bidding contest. Further highlights from the collection included a 1967 275 GTB/4, which sold for $3,025,000, while a 1991 F40 exceeded the estimate of $1.3 – 1.5 m to fetch $1,540,000.
Beyond the collection, Ferraris achieved strong prices throughout the sale with a 1965 275 GTB/6C Alloy comfortably exceeding the $2.9 – 3.4 m estimate to sell for $3,575,000 and a 1972 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spider, that had been previously unseen for 20 years, realizing $2,172,500 (est. $1.6 – 2 m).
In addition to icons of the 1960s and 70s, there was demand for supercars at RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2017: a 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari sold for $3,410,000 (est. $3 – 3.8 m), a Porsche 918 Spyder from 2015 beat expectations when it sold for a record-breaking $1,842,500 (est. $1.2 – 1.6 m), and a 2014 Pagani Huayra Tempesta with only 640 miles from new realized $2,420,000, also achieving a new benchmark for the model at auction (est. $2.2 – 2.8 m).
Duff added, “Saturday’s near 100 percent sell through capped off a record-breaking Friday evening, it was standing-room-only from start to finish, and from watches to jewelry to cars, RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction was a resounding confirmation of the classic car market being alive, well and as evidenced by the crowds, very, very popular. We look forward to returning to the Portola Hotel & Spa and Monterey Conference Center in 2018, where we’re sure to best our incredible presentation in the newly renovated venue.”
RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2017 – Top 10 Auction Results
- 1956 Aston Martin DBR1 (Chassis No. DBR1/1) – $22,550,000
- 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta (Chassis No. 2985) – $8,305,000
- 1959 Aston Martin DB4GT Prototype (Chassis No. DP199/1) – $6,765,000
- 1955 Ferrari 121 LM Spider (Chassis No. 0546 LM) – $5,720,000
- 1959 Ferrari 410 Superamerica Series III Coupe (Chassis No. 1305 SA) – $5,335,000
- 1950 Ferrari 166 MM/212 Export “Uovo” (Chassis No. 024 MB) – $4,510,000
- 1954 Ferrari 500/735 Mondial Spider (Chassis No. 0448 MD) – $3,850,000
- 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB/6C Alloy (Chassis No. 07933) – $3,575,000
- 1970 Porsche 908/03 (Chassis No. 908/03-003) – $3,575,000
- 1930 Bentley 6 1/2-Litre Speed Six Sportsman’s Saloon (Chassis No. HM2861) – $3,410,000
- 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari (Chassis No. ZFF76ZFA9F0211998) – $3,410,000
For complete auction results, visit www.rmsothebys.com.
At the Pebble Beach Concours, RM Auto Restoration once again brought home awards for each of the cars the team presented at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The 1939 Bugatti Type 57C Roadster by Voll & Ruhrbeck from the Patterson Collection, the 1927 Isotta Fraschini Fleetwood Roadster “Rudi’s Ride” owned by Judge Joseph and Margie Cassini, and the 1932 Packard Twin Six Custom Dietrich Victoria owned by Chip Connor each won Best in Class, with the latter also winning the Most Elegant Convertible trophy and named runner up for Best of Show. The 1939 Packard Super Eight Darrin Victoria owned by Leon Flagg as well as the 1931 Stearns-Knight Convertible Coupe owned by Brent Merrill also achieved Third in Class awards.
RM Sotheby’s continues its fall calendar with the company’s 11th annual London sale, set for 6 September at Battersea Evolution. The official auction of the Concours of Elegance, the London event is led by a lineup of Porsche’s finest 911 models. The London auction is closely by Ferrari – Leggenda e Passione, RM Sotheby’s single-marque sale held in partnership with Ferrari on 9 September. Held at the Ferrari Factory in Maranello during the brand’s 70th anniversary celebrations, the sale will feature 40 Ferraris.
[Source: RM Sotheby’s; photos: Rémi Dargegen]
