Bonhams are reporting an enviable 87% sell-through rate from their recent Scottsdale sale, where an incredible USD$25M was raised across 111 lots in the famous Arizona desertscape. Stealing the headlines was a 1958 Porsche 550A Spyder with extensive period race history that made USD$5,170,000, a 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL which raised USD$1,512,500, and a 1995 Ferrari F50 that made USD$1,155,000.
In this post we take a quick look at our top 12 highlights from the sale, and notice the fact that the Ferrari F50 is finally having its moment in the sun.
*Exceptional restoration by Jon Gunderson’s Dino Restoration Co completed in 2014
*Original color combination of Blu Dino Metallizzato over beige
*Highly optioned with power windows, A/C and Campagnolo wheels
*Fine example of Ferrari’s iconic mid-engined marvel
Sold for US$ 341,000 (£244,488) inc. premium
1930 Bentley Speed Six ‘Le Mans Replica’ Tourer
*Matching drivetrain, chassis/engine numbers
*Genuine Speed Six Bentley ready for international motoring events
*Previously owned by Ann Klein, offered from long term private ownership
*Accompanied by substantial history file including copies of factory records
*Considerable expense spent on recent maintenance
Sold for US$ 1,457,500 (£1,045,082) inc. premium
*Offered by the original owner with only 2,278 miles
*1 of only 294 U.S. specification 918 Spyders built
*Highly optioned with Weissach Pack and Front Axle Lift System
*The ultimate road going Porsche
Sold for US$ 1,292,500 (£926,771) inc. premium
*Offered by the original owner with only 38 miles
*Special order Paint to Sample Non-Metallic Acid Green
*Highly optioned with custom touches throughout
*The ultimate road going 911
Sold for US$ 478,500 (£343,102) inc. premium
Our comment: The 991 generation 911R has been one of the most controversial cars of recent times. Porsche announced it in 2016 by saying ‘this is your last chance to have a GT3 engine connected to a manual transmission’. The world went suitably crazy, values skyrocketed north of £700,000, cars were stashed away, and a small number of speculators made a staggering amount of money overnight. Then, in 2017, Porsche announced that the 991.2 generation GT3 could once again be ordered with that identical manual transmission. And they went one step further – the new Touring Pack means that you can spec your new 991.2 GT3 almost identically to a 911 R, which almost halved R values, back to where they should have been.
Whether you see this as deceptive trade conduct from Porsche, or a calculated two-fingered salute to those who speculate on these cars instead of driving them, depends on your situation. Either way, the $478,000 raised for this 911R surely represents the upper scale of what they are worth today. For the serious Porsche collector, the chance to acquire a 918 Spyder and 911R linked in such an intrinsic way is a once in a lifetime opportunity, which suggests that the new owner potentially paid a little over the odds.
*Rare Abarth homologation special from the golden era
*Exceptional restoration
*Delivered new to the US
*Period hill climb history in the Northeast
*Incredible horsepower for sub-one-liter displacement
Sold for US$ 115,500 (£82,822) inc. premium
1995 Land Rover Defender 90 Hard Top
*Highly original example with less than 16,000 miles from new
*Striking Portofino Red exterior over grey interior
*Optioned with many desirable extras
*Desirable US example of the classic Defender 90
Sold for US$ 85,800 (£61,524) inc. premium
Our comment: We wrote about Defender values slowly heading north a few weeks ago, and here’s an example of a desirable US spec V8 model selling for over £61,000. As we say, the right money is already being paid for the right cars, and as the end of production disappears even further into the mirror, this will only continue.
*3 registered owner California car from new
*With the current owner for 23 years
*Great candidate for rallies, driving events, and shows
*Extensive and impressive list of awards
*Powerful 2.6 Liter Six-cylinder engine with Elegant Touring coachwork
Sold for US$ 125,000 (£89,634) inc. premium
1972 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider
*Superb restoration by Junior Conway and Junior’s House of Color
*Matching numbers example with Ferrari Classiche red book certification
*Believed to have been in California from new until 2015, with just two owners from 1982-2014
*One of the 123 haloed factory Spider models of the iconic Daytona
*Ferrari Club of America Platinum Award winning example
Sold for US$ 2,640,000 (£1,893,144) inc. premium
1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster
*The first 300SL Roadster exported to the U.S. Market
*Fastidious 100-point restoration by marque specialist Mark Allin’s Rare Drive
*50 years of single ownership by a dedicated enthusiast
*Features numerous rare early production details
*Fully documented matching-numbers example accompanied by detailed history file
Sold for US$ 1,512,500 (£1,084,614) inc. premium
1982 Lancia Rally 037 Stradale
*Rare and iconic Group B Homologation car
*Expertly nut-and-bolt restored by Baldi Brothers of Turin, Italy
*Shown at the 2017 Quail, A Motorsports Gathering
*Potent, supercharged Lampredi-designed Abarth engine with Pininfarina styling
Sold for US$ 451,000 (£323,412) inc. premium
*Porsche works team car from new with extraordinary period racing history
*2nd IC and 5th OA at 1958 Le Mans 24 Hours and Class Winner at 1000 Km Nürburgring
*10 time Mille Miglia Storica participant
*One of the most iconic and important Porsches ever produced
*Highly-regarded and well documented example
Sold for US$ 5,170,000 (£3,707,589) inc. premium
1995 Ferrari F50
*Ferrari’s Formula 1 Derived, Open-Top Supercar
*The last of just 55 U.S. Specification F50s
*1 of only 2 Nero examples sent to the U.S.
*Fully serviced, ready to be driven and enjoyed
*Classiche Certified, Offered with Red Book, Hardtop and Books
Sold for US$ 1,155,000 (£828,291) inc. premium
Our comment: We recently noted that F40s spiked in price about 12 months ago, and its interesting to see the same thing happening to the F50. For years it sat in the shadow of both its older and younger brothers, but now it seems to be emerging on its own. Have a look at F50 values on our auction results tracking tool, below.