This year’s Amelia Island auctions numbered three, as RM Sotheby’s took its sale to Miami. The four auctions together grossed over $186M. Gooding & Company had the highest gross and the top individual sale, a single-family-owned 1903 Mercedes-Simplex selling for $12.1 million. Next-highest were three super-rare Ferraris in the $4M neighborhood, with a 1930 Duesenberg close behind. Some interesting “pairs” or rare cars turned up across the auctions, too.
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.
Major auto auctions held in conjunction with the world-renowned Amelia Island Concours d’ Elegance in Florida offer some of the world’s most desirable collector cars, and Premier’s regional sales managers will be there for the action and to meet customers. In the meantime, they have posted their own “Cars to Watch” as picks for cars most likely to sell well. Except for one American supercar making the list, it’s a German and Italian feast.
A few Scottscale Auction highlights: a record $6.8 million for a 1955 alloy-body Mecedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing; a $335,000 sale of the 1949 “Rain Man” Buick Roadmaster convertible; and $775,000 for a rebuilt Duesenberg Model J engine – yes, just the engine. Read all the highlights here
If the Scottsdale Auctions are coming up…can Spring be far behind? Reviewing our schedule of upcoming auctions is a sure cure for the winter doldrums. Better yet, make your plans now to attend these classic events, either in person or online.
Integral to the festivities related to the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance since its 1999 inception, RM Sotheby’s returns to the beautiful grounds of the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island for the company’s 23rd Amelia Island Auction.
Supercars are all the rage at this year’s Scottsdale auctions. From top marques such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Porsche to rare beauties like Koenigsegg, there is sure to be a dream car for everyone.
The going rate for a Ford GT is about $1.2M-$1.5M, or nearly three times the GT’s original $447,000 MSRP (before options). Barrett-Jackson’s top sale in Scottsdale was $1.485M for a 2017 GT with just 141 miles. A ’17 Ford GT in ’66 Heritage livery was the top sale at Barrett-Jackson’s Las Vegas auction in October 2019. It sold for $1.54M.
The 2020 Scottsdale Auctions boasted $226 million dollars in sales between all of the auction houses. This includes supercars, pre-war classics, and even the late Paul Walker’s car collection.
