If you’re heading to Monterey Car Week in August, consider Concorso Italiano a must-see event Saturday, August 19 on the fairways of the Bayonet Golf Course in Seaside, California. This unique show displays nearly 700 cars and motorcycles, covering the gamut of 10 different marques. Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, and Lamborghini dominate in sheer numbers, while other Italian classics, exotics, and obscure models offer many more compelling treats to see. The atmosphere is casual-festival, with an emphasis on fun.
It’s good to be king, because then you can order yourself a custom-built car like the Maserati made for the Shah of Iran in 1959. The monarch and budding car collector requested that Maserati build a special car by installing the V-8 engine from its 450S racecar into the 3500 GT production coupe. The result was the 170-mph 5000 GT. Maserati made 34 with bodies by various coachbuilders. At its Amelia Island auction, Bonhams is offering one of the 22 with bodies by Allemano, a restoration candidate with a pre-sale estimate of $500K-$800K
The Ferrari-Maserati divorce has put the Italian supercar universe back in order, with Maserati emerging with its strongest model line since the 1960s. The newest models include the MC-20 supercar, a high-performance Grecale SUV, and the GranTurismo. The gas-fueled Maserati GranTurismo arrives in spring, with an electric version coming in late 2023. Sources suggest a $170,000 starting price.
Auction sales from Monterey Car Week totaled a record-setting $469 million; more than $126 million than last year’s total. RM Sotheby’s three-night auction accounted for more than half of that total, setting a record with a staggering $239.2 million in sales. Catch up on results from all the auction houses.
Here’s your opportunity to bid on a very important part of Ferrari history. A one-of-a-kind 1961 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Series I Coupé Aerodinamico, originally owned by Italian nobleman Count Giovanni Volpi di Misurata will be auctioned by Gooding & Company at Pebble Beach, with a pre-sale estimate of $4M-$5M for this rare gem, described as “perhaps the finest original and best-preserved example extant.”
Sometimes, a barn find yields rare gems, like this 1956 Maserati A6G/54 GranSport coupe, which is expected to bring $2.5-$3.25 million at the Gooding & Company Pebble Beach Auction in mid-August. The car is one of 60 built in the A6G/54 series, and one of four built in this coupe style by Carrozzeria Frua.
