San Francisco, CA, August 25, 2008 –– Bonhams and Butterfields’s carefully selected offering of collector cars and the garden party atmosphere of Sir Michael Kadoorie’s Quail Lodge resort in the sun-blessed Carmel Valley proved to be the setting for the most successful auction by the company ever in North America. With participating consignors from four continents and buyers from five, no fewer than four world record prices were achieved at the $21.7-million sale for the historically significant car brands Jaguar, Talbot-Lago, Lagonda and Isotta Fraschini. Topping the sale was the one-of-a-kind 1960 Jaguar E2A Sports Racing Prototype, which surpassed the previous […]
San Francisco, CA, August 25, 2008 –– Bonhams and Butterfields’s carefully selected offering of collector cars and the garden party atmosphere of Sir Michael Kadoorie’s Quail Lodge resort in the sun-blessed Carmel Valley proved to be the setting for the most successful auction by the company ever in North America.
With participating consignors from four continents and buyers from five, no fewer than four world record prices were achieved at the $21.7-million sale for the historically significant car brands Jaguar, Talbot-Lago, Lagonda and Isotta Fraschini.
Topping the sale was the one-of-a-kind 1960 Jaguar E2A Sports Racing Prototype, which surpassed the previous world record for a Jaguar – established by Bonhams only a month earlier at Goodwood – at $4.9-million, changing hands publicly for the first time in nearly 50 years.
Just behind the Jaguar was the 1939 Talbot-Lago T150 CSS Aerodynamic Coupe by Pourtout, which sold for $4.8-million. One of the most extensively viewed cars of the entire weekend, this fascinating “time warp” example was one of Georges Paulin’s most beautiful wind-cheating designs constructed on the legendary sporting Talbot-Lago frame and was the only one of its kind to have been raced in period. Amazingly, it had survived to this day in remarkable original condition.
Three other million-dollar sales were realized, a world record price for the Isotta Fraschini marque was justly deserved for the gargantuan 10.6 liter KM Type 120hp Tourer, followed closely by $1.375-million for “The most famous Lagonda of all”, a car that had raced throughout its life, including at Le Mans, Brooklands, Goodwood and in the Tourist Trophy, while $1.1-million secured an ex-Scuderia Ferrari Mille Miglia Alfa Romeo 6C 1750.
“This auction perfectly illustrates the strength of the Bonhams’ motoring team worldwide – our specialists working in harmony throughout the year to assemble a well tailored sale to appeal to this market with stunning results”, said Malcolm Barber, CEO of Bonhams & Butterfields. Adds Motoring Department HeadMark Osborne, “Our international clientele have come to expect the very best and the sale at Quail Lodge did not disappoint.”
Bonhams will wrap-up their 2008 motoring calendar in America with three more anticipated sales:
* The “no reserve” sale of New England collector Richard C. Paine Jr. on September 26th and 27th in Owls Head, Maine.
* The multi-consignor auction at the Larz Anderson Transport Museum on October 4th in Brookline, Massachusetts, for which consignments are still invited.
* The motorcycle and motorcar sale featuring the Niele McQueen Toffel collection of never before offered Steve McQueen memorabilia at Petersen Auto Museum in Los Angeles, October 25th.
