The top selling lot over the two-day sale was the simply gorgeous 1957 Maserati 250S from the Laidlaw Competition Car Collection. Chassis no. 2432, an ex-Carroll Shelby and Jim Hall car and the only 250S originally built with a 2.5-litre engine, is widely regarded as the best example in existence and fully justified its impressive $3.3m selling price. Another big seller from the Laidlaw Collection was the 1965 Porsche 904/6 Carrera GTS, which sold for $1.9m.
The international demand for fine Ferraris continues to generate impressive sales results. A particularly fine road specification 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 perfectly demonstrated the strength of the market by securing $2.6m, a world record price for the model at auction.
“Our first ever two day sale in London has proved to be a resounding success”, said Max Girardo, Managing Director, RM Europe. “We brought 134 fabulous cars to the market and over 90 percent found happy new owners. To have achieved sales in excess of £21 million ($34 million) is testament to the fact that the market remains very strong and that auctions continue to be the most effective way for collector cars to be bought and sold in a global market.”
Many eyes were on the unusual and totally unique 007 Lotus Esprit ‘Submarine Car’ which was used in the underwater sequences of the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me. The one-off submersible prop was presented in excellent, complete condition and represented an important piece of film memorabilia. In an excited sale room, which contained numerous bidders keen to take advantage of this unique opportunity, the vehicle ultimately went to an anonymous telephone bidder who secured it for a total of $960k.
On the first day of the auction, the truly incredible ‘Ultimate Mercedes-Benz Collection’ went under the hammer with no less than 74 cars on offer. The top-selling car from the collection was the lovely 1938 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Cabriolet B, which achieved $1.3m, closely followed by a 1932 Mercedes-Benz 15/75 HP Mannheim 370 S Sport Roadster which made $1.2m. A fine 1956 example of the ever popular 300 SL ‘Gullwing’ model also sold well, securing $1.2m, while the 1961 roadster for sold for $1.1m, further reinforcing the market’s love of both the iconic 300SL derivatives.
RM Auctions London – Top 10 sales
Lot 249 – 1957 Maserati 250S $3,315,081
Lot 246 – 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 $2,564,826
Lot 247- 1965 Porsche 904/6 Carrera GTS $1,919,257
Lot 136 – 1938 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Cabriolet B $1,277,428
Lot 237 – 1964 Ferrari 250 GT/L ‘Lusso’ $1,273,689
Lot 132 – 1932 Mercedes-Benz 15/75 HP Mannheim 370 S $1,199,356
Lot 162 – 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL ‘Gullwing’ $1,151,554
Lot 115 – 1961 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster $1,116,659
Lot 243 – 007 Lotus Esprit ‘submarine car’ $959,629
Lot 164 – 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLS Racing $924,733
RM Auctions rounds out its 2013 auction season with two upcoming North American sales: its annual, established Hershey, Pennsylvania sale, October 10-11, held during the renowned AACA Eastern Regional Fall Meet, followed by the highly anticipated Art of the Automobile, November 21 in Manhattan. Held in association with Sotheby’s, Art of the Automobile is an exhibition and sale celebrating the motor car and its place in the history of design. Featuring approximately 30 handpicked automobiles from around the world, the exclusive auction will be held at Sotheby’s global headquarters in New York and represents the first time a major collector car auction has been held in Manhattan in over a decade.
RM’s next scheduled European sale will be held in Paris, France, February 5, 2014 during the world-famous Retromobile show week.
Full results from RM’s London sale along with further information on upcoming events is available online at rmauctions.com.
*All prices are listed in US dollars and inclusive of 12% buyer’s premium for automobiles and 17% for motorcycles. Exchange rate used: 1.57 USD = 1 GBP