Something for Everyone at These Major Auctions
What better prelude to the 72nd Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance® than to buy a car (or few cars) from the auctions held in conjunction with this pinnacle event? If you’re bidding or selling, the action is at the auctions, of course. We’ve assembled the auction itinerary here and selected some highlights from the Bonhams, Broad Arrow, Gooding & Company, Mecum, and RM Sotheby’s sales.
There are a few developments worth mentioning. First, many will be watching the Ferraris from the “Lost & Found Collection” offered by RM Sotheby’s, a group of 20 cars, some very rare and some in need of restoration. All had been stored in a large Florida barn until 2004, when Hurricane Charley destroyed it. They were subsequently moved to a warehouse in Speedway, Indiana. There are some real gems, and to be sold at no reserve.
Among the numerous collections Mecum is offering is that of the late Don Williams, the renowned collector and curator who died this past spring. And, just so you follow the correct signs when you’re out there, Broad Arrow is now calling its auction “Radius at the Monterey Jet Center.” The event is hosted in conjunction with Hagerty’s Motorlux.
Premier Financial Services is providing lease financing for clients for this event, and if you are interested in learning how that can make acquiring one of the great cars offered easier, get in touch. We’ll have representative on-site at the auctions and at Concorso Italiano on Saturday Aug. 20th, so make sure to stop by and say hello.
All auction times shown are Pacific Daylight Time
Bonhams Quail Lodge Auction
Quail Lodge & Golf Club, West Field
27050 Rancho San Carlos Road, Carmel, CA
Wed. Aug 16 – Thurs. Aug 17: (preview only) 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Fri. Aug. 18: preview 8:30 – 11:00 a.m.; auction starts at 11:00 a.m
Auction information
Broad Arrow Radius at Monterey Jet Center
Monterey Jet Center
300 Sky Park Dr., Monterey, CA
Wed., Aug. 16: (preview only) 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Thurs. Aug. 17: preview 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.; auction starts 4 p.m.
Fri. Aug. 18: preview 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.; auction starts 1 p.m.
Gooding & Company Pebble Beach Auction
Official auction house of the Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance
3300 Portola Road, Pebble Beach, CA
Wed. Aug 16: (preview only) 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Thurs. Aug 17 (preview only) 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Fri. Aug. 18: preview 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.; auction starts at 5 pm
Sat. Aug. 19: preview 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.; auction starts at 11 a.m.
Mecum Monterey
Hyatt Regency Hotel and Spa – Del Monte Golf Course
1 Old Golf Course Rd., Monterey, CA
Thurs. Aug. 17 – Fri. Aug 18: auction starts at 10 a.m.
Sat. Aug. 19: auction starts at 9 a.m.
RM Sotheby’s Monterey
Monterey Conference Center
1 Portola Plaza, Monterey, CA
Wed. Aug. 16: (preview only) 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Thurs. Aug. 18 – Sat. Aug. 20: preview 10 – 4 p.m.; auction starts at 5:30 p.m.
Bonhams: Auction Highlights
2003 Ferrari Enzo
$2.9M-$3.4M
This Enzo is one of the 111 originally designated for the U.S. market (out of 400 made). This car has been enjoyed as intended, as it shows just under 17,000 miles. We profiled the Enzo and showcased this very car in July.
1931 Bentley 4½ Liter Supercharged
$2M-$2.4M
Bonhams is offering a supercar from the Thirties, one of the 50 original “Blower Bentleys,” a group of 50 4½ Liter cars refitted with an Amherst Villiers supercharger. This one was originally built with an elegant drophead coupe body by Gurney Nutting. A later owner had the car re-bodied in the late Sixties with the lightweight fabric-skinned Tourer bodywork as used in the Le Mans races these cars won.
1953 Arnolt-Bristol
$350K-$400K
It’s déjà vu all over again, as we profiled this very car in 2020, when it was sold by RM Sotheby’s for $324K. Commissioned by S.H. “Wacky” Arnolt, a Chicago-based importer of British cars, this unique sports car wore a stunning body from Carrozzeria Bertone on a Bristol chassis with a 130-hp six-cylinder engine. Just 130 were sold (another 12 were destroyed in a warehouse fire).
Broad Arrow Radius at the Monterey Jet Center: Auction Highlights
2008 Lamborghini Reventon
$1.8M-$2.1M
If you missed your chance to acquire a Lamborghini Reventon when it was new, don’t feel badly, because just 21 coupes were made. Lamborghini kept one and then built 15 more as roadsters. This is Reventon #5, showing only 463 miles from new. (Premier Financial Services leased #12 to a client.)
1937 Bugatti Type 57C Atalante
$1.75M-$2.25M
Bugatti built just 33 examples of the Type 57 Atalante between 1935 and 1938. The model was treasured for its superb, precision engineering and beguiling beauty. This car, with body No. 20, retains its original engine and transmission and wears a well-kept older concours restoration by the respected Phil Reilly. (Premier covered the Atalante a while back.)
1968 Ferrari 206 Dino GT
$750K-$950K
Given the year this Dino was built, we’re surprised the factory didn’t call this tasty looking color “Purple Haze.” Instead, they went with “Viola Metallizzato.” The consignor, described as a world-renowned Ferrari specialist and concours judge, gave the Dino a full restoration in 2008, and it has its Ferrari Classiche-certified matching-numbers chassis, engine, transmission, and alloy bodywork.
Gooding & Company: Auction Highlights
1972 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV
$3.5M-$4.25M
Lamborghini’s final-series Miura was the P400 SV, with 150 made. A 15-hp boost (to 385 hp) and widened rear fenders to accommodate 9-inch-wide rear wheels heightened performance. More significant was that the engine and five-speed transmission no longer shared the same oil supply, and use of proper gear oil in the transmission solved various issues. The one on offer here has had just three owners in 52 years.
1963 Shelby Cobra 260
$1.75M-$2.5M
Among the earliest, best-preserved Shelby Cobras extant, the car offered here is one of the first 62 made, which all had Ford’s 260 cu.-in. V8. Production then switched to the 289, which used the same block. This Cobra was Car and Driver’s test car for its March 1963 issue. Its second owner kept the car from 1964-2013, and it shows just under 5,200 original miles.
1961 Bentley Continental S2 Two-Door Saloon
$400K-$500K
Among the rarest postwar Bentleys, the Continental model introduced in 1953 continued in subsequent series until 1965. The S2 used the Rolls-Royce V8 engine. The car offered, one of 26 left-hand-drive examples of Mulliner’s two-door saloon, retains its matching-numbers engine and original coachwork.
Mecum: Auction Highlights
1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster
$3.5-$4.5M
This magnificent pre-war Mercedes comes from the collection of Don Williams, the renowned collector and classic-car luminary who curated the Blackhawk Collection and died this past spring. One of 419 540Ks made, the right-hand-drive car wears one-off coachwork by Mayfair Carriage Works Ltd. in London.
1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso
$1.4M-$1.7M
It would be hard to think of a car that closed out a renowned model series better than the Ferrari 250 GT Lusso. One of 350 made, this Lusso received an extensive mechanical restoration by Sport Auto, LTD of Ridgefield, Connecticut and paint by Automotive Restorations of Stratford. Just for fun, the engine was upgraded to 250 GTO specs.
1956 Porsche 356 1500 GS Speedster
$800K-$1M
The gold Carrera badge on this Porsche 356A Speedster signifies the super-rare “Fuhrman” four-cam engine, which made this the first Porsche road car capable of reaching 120 mph. Just 151 out of all 356A models had this expensive option, which explains why its pre-sale estimate is more than three times a similar-condition Speedster with the regular production pushrod engine. We took a closer look at this car in July.
RM Sotheby’s: Auction Highlights
1957 Jaguar XKSS
$12M-$14M
Star of the RM Sotheby’s sale, this 1957 Jaguar XKSS was one of just 16 Jaguar made by converting D-Type racecars to road spec. The car offered is considered most original and best-preserved of the group and retains its numbers-matching engine block and cylinder head, gearbox, rear axle, and bodywork. The car was driven in the 2022 Colorado Grand.
To complete the Jaguar trifecta, this auction is also offering a Jaguar C-Type ($4.5-$4.35M) once raced by Phil Hill and a D-Type ($4.5-$5.5M).
2020 McLaren Speedtail
$2.2M-$2.6M
The Speedtail was thus far McLaren’s fastest car, with 1,035 hp and a 250-mph top speed. The car on offer, the 72nd of 106 individually ordered examples produced, has just 177 miles.
1965 Ferrari 275 GTB/6-C
$2M-$2.5M
One of the most significant cars from the “Lost & Found” collection is the 1965 275 GTB6-C, the first long-nose 275 equipped with an alloy body and six carburetors. The car was displayed by Ferrari at the 1965 Turin Motor Show and ran in the 1966 Targa Florio.
