Bonham’s, one of the world’s oldest and most distinguished auction houses, is bringing no less than their best to this year’s Scottsdale sale. Their docket covers all colors of the automotive spectrum, from pre-war racers to modern supercars.
The 2011 Ferrari 599 SA Aperta, based on the 599 GTB and with just 80 built, exemplifies that continuing devotion to the ultra-special car for the most dedicated customers. Those clients, Ferrari knows, understand they are purchasing rare automotive artworks, which are usually pre-sold even before they’re unveiled to the public.
When many think of the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, they perhaps think first of the coupe that absolutely stunned the automotive world when Mercedes introduced it at the New York Auto Show in 1954. Its gull-wing doors that opened upward into the roof gave it the iconic nickname that has been inseparable ever since.
Every January, Arizona’s dry, salt-free climate brings automotive enthusiasts from around the world to Scottsdale for a week of shows, auctions, and seminars. As the first major event on the collector car calendar, Scottsdale showcases a quality of cars rarely seen off of a concours green.
Automotive connoisseurs are likely to keep their garages stocked with the best internal combustion vehicles from Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Porsche for a long time. But it’s a safe bet those same garages will make room for high-performance EVs.
Known as the “Rambo Lambo” for monster proportions, monster looks and monster capability, the Lamborghini LM002, also was a 6,600-pound, 4-wheel drive leviathan powered by a V12 and capable to traversing the Arabian Peninsula at very high speed – without a road. On Rodeo Drive, it was the ultimate status machine, able to frighten small children and make grown men swoon – and vice versa, too.
With just about every mainstream luxury segment accounted for, Mercedes-Benz has been lavishing much attention on its high-end offerings, with AMG on the performance side and Maybach on the uber-luxury side. The recently introduced Mercedes-Maybach S650 Cabriolet is the ultimate open S-Class.
We’ve assembled our “12 Classics Cars of Christmas” with cars that inspire lust but won’t end up gathering dust in the garage. A few, admittedly, may also bring back Santa’s own memories searching in every store only to find all have been sold. We even included a few stocking stuffers for family enjoyment.
Despite the Porsche 911’s immense and ongoing success, the 356 series has always maintained a loyal fan base. The 356 was, however, a notorious ruster, which claimed many of the 76,000 built from 1948-1965. The rarest, including the first 50 or so coupes hand-built in Gmund, Austria between 1948 and 1950, plus some later models, can fetch $1.5 million.
