January 18, 2013 – Scottsdale, AZ. – This past Thursday at the beautiful Westin Kierland Resort, Bonhams hosted a record crowd for its second annual Scottsdale Auction, with buyers participating from around the world. Bidders and registrants from no less than 28 countries participated, thus demonstrating the global reach of the Bonhams International Motoring Department.
As is Bonhams’ trademark, a tremendous variety of vehicles were on offer, including the obligatory barn find discovery, something for which this auction house has become well known. This selection of automobiles brought substantial bidders online to compete with those in the audience, resulting in impressive results.
A 1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K Cabriloet A with just two long-term owners found its third home ever, selling for $1,312,500.
The spectacular and much anticipated 1972 Lamborghini Miura SV from the Oldenburg Collection sold to a private European collector for $1,215,000.
Following Bonhams’ advice, the British owner of the 1930 Bugatti Type 46 Faux Cabriolet was rewarded for bringing the car to America, where it sold to a U.S. collector for $951,000.
After a long bidding battle between two American enthusiasts, the 1967 Ferrari GTC Speciale, originally commissioned by Pirelli Tire president Leopoldo Pirelli, made a world record at $885,000.
The London Motor Show 1964 Morgan 4 Coupe also made a world record for the model when it sold for $230,000.
And of course there was the 1968 Ferrari 330 GTS Spider, one of several Prancing Horses offered by Bonhams in Scottsdale. It brought $912,500.
Said James Knight, the Bonhams Group Motoring Director, “It was a tremendous auction, and everything worked beyond our expectations. The auction total and sale statistics were exemplary, and we serviced one of the largest audiences at one of our US auctions. We achieved prices at this auction that created new benchmark figures and offered advice to our clients that proved to be wholly founded. The success of this sale has laid the foundation for what promises to be an exciting 2013 for the department.”
From superbly presented Italian super cars and rare British sports cars, to original condition motor carriages and an antique fire pump, Bonhams found buyers for vehicles from every era and discipline of motoring resulting in over 80% of all cars sold.
The Bonhams Scottsdale Auction followed the company’s record-breaking Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction the preceding week. Collectively, Bonhams’ US motoring auctions in the month of January have realized in excess of $15 million.
Bonhams next motoring auctions take place in Paris, France, on February 7th during Retromobile week, and in Boca Raton, Florida, on February 23rd. For more information on either of these forthcoming sales, please visit bonhams.com/motorcars.
For a full list of sales results for the Scottsdale Auction, please go to bonhams.com/scottsdale.