RM Sotheby’s Monterey Auction 2016
RM’s auction takes place Friday and Saturday night during the Monterey car week, providing bidders with an opportunity to buy the type of high-end automobiles showcased in the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance the following Sunday. The competition and road-going Ford GT40s on consignment should amount to a multi-million dollar celebration of the iconic racecar’s 50th birthday. With last year’s RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale grossing historic numbers, this year’s docket promises to turn that record into a trend. Our team of leasing experts will be in attendance should any of the auction’s sparkling stars catch your eye. Here are a few of their favorites.
1908 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost
Image Source: 1908 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost (rmsothebys.com)
Having previously worked for Rolls-Royce, West Coast Sales Manager Juan Garcia fancies RM Sotheby’s 1908 Silver Ghost. Rolls-Royce’s first large-scale production automobile, the Silver Ghost was renown for its reliability, power, and efficiency. The model was hailed as one of the finest cars in the world, finding service as limousines and grand tourers, and even as the chassis and powertrain of a WWI-era armored car. The example on offer is the 9th earliest surviving Silver Ghost in existence, and has benefited from a painstaking restoration.
2012 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport
Image Source: 2012 Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport (rmsothebys.com)
Premier’s Southwest Sales Manager, Michelle Yancey, is eagerly awaiting the bidding on this 2012 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport. It’s not hard to fathom why; the Veyron took the automotive world by storm with its blistering acceleration and top speed, speeds only recently eclipsed by cars like the Porsche 918. This open-top Grand Sport has only 1100 miles on its 1000+ hp W-16 after spending most of its life touring the U.S. as a Bugatti display car.
1932 Bentley 8-Litre Tourer
Image Source: 1932 Bentley 8-Liter (rmsothebys.com)
Chris Warren, our Southeast Sales Manager, has caught the Bentley bug from this 1932 8-Litre Tourer. Possessed of a truly enormous straight-six developing 220 bhp, this prewar supercar is capable of speeds most drivers can’t stomach. While many W.O. era cars have been converted to open racing bodies to harness Bentley’s sporting romance, this 8-Litre was originally bodied in this style by Vanden Plas. As one of only 35 short wheelbase 8 liter Bentleys, a tourer of this quality is as rare as it is desirable.
1938 Maybach SW38 Roadster
Image Source: 1938 Maybach SW38 (rmsothebys.com)
Northeast Sales Manager Keith Neelans displays a taste for the fine and luxurious with his choice of the 1938 Maybach SW38 Roadster. Capable of over 100 mph, this German 6-cylinder coaxed 140 hp out of less than four liters of displacement. The SW38 was as complex as it was fast; it had a total of 8 forward speeds owing to a four-speed preselector gearbox with a floor-mounted shifter for switching between each preselected gear’s low and high setting. It is the elegance and mechanical excellence of Maybachs like this one that led Mercedes-Benz to resurrect the name for a line of ultra-luxury sedans.
1935 Avions-Voisin C28 Aerosport
Image Source: 1935 Avions Voisin C28 Aerosport (rmsothebys.com)
Our home office in Woodbury, Connecticut is buzzing about this striking 1935 Avions-Voisin C28 Aerosport. Art Deco styling both elegant and starkly mechanical gave this French two-door an air of decadence only reinforced by its luxurious interior. The C28 was very advanced for its day, and its steeply-raked, aerodynamic design belies its creator’s aeronautical background.
Leasing from Auction with Premier
Whether you’re interested in a blue-chip classic like the Ford GT40 or the modern power of a Bugatti Veyron, Premier’s Simple Lease offers real tax benefits and the ability to avoid dropping millions up front. The opportunity to terminate early and keep the car at the end of the lease makes Premier the perfect partner for the acquisition of these investment-grade autos. But it’s Monterey and stakes are high, so be sure to brush up on your auction basics before bidding.
Image Source: AC Aceca-Bristol (rmsothebys.com)