Just 16 people in the world will be able to buy a Bentley Batur convertible, the latest in a series of ultra-limited coachbuilt cars from the British automaker. The two-seat convertible follows last year’s Batur coupe, of which 18 were made. The coupe was not offered in the U.S., but the convertible reportedly will be. Both are based on the Bentley Continental GT, a model that starts at about $250,000. The Baturs are in a whole other league – indeed, a whole other ball game – with pricing believed to be a bit over $2 million before personalization options.
Ferrari draws on its heritage for design inspiration and, sometimes, model names. That’s why there were three different Ferrari GTO models over a half century period. While not intended as a racecar like the legendary 250 GTO and later 288 GTO before the 2011 599 GTO was developed from an experimental track car program, called 599 XX. Ferrari built just 599 of these later GTOs, with 125 coming to the U.S. Gooding & Company is offering one of these rare machines at its Amelia Island auction, with a pre-sale estimate of $800K-$1M.
January kicked off collector-car auction season with a big bang and big dollars. Following Mecum’s $275M haul in Kissimmee, Florida mid-month, the traditional Arizona auctions added about $245M more to the tally, with $200M of that from Barrett-Jackson’s no-reserve sale in Scottsdale. Bonhams, though, had the highest-priced auction sale in Arizona, with $5.175M buying a Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ (as in 300+ mph test-track capability) for a car with just Bugatti’s test and delivery miles.
The 1960-1962 Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series II may not have starred in a blockbuster movie about a mischievous Chicago high-schooler playing hooky, but it is nevertheless one of the brightest stars in the Ferrari universe. A bit more focused on touring comfort than its athletic California Spider sibling, the Series II Cabriolet was nearly as fast. Its Pininfarina-designed-and-built body easily draws admiring glances more than six decades later. Just 200 were built, and the RM Sotheby’s Phoenix, Arizona auction is offering one with a plethora of concours and show trophies. The pre-sale estimate is $1.5M-$1.75M.
This month at it’s Scottsdale Auctions, RM Sotheby’s will offer a 1954 Ferrari 375 America by Vignale, worth between $2.4-$3.4 million. It is one of just 12 models made.
