One of the most charismatic of all the great pre-war Grand Prix racing cars – the ex-Tazio Nuvolari 1935 Alfa Romeo Tipo C 8C-35 ‘50013’ – Scuderia Ferrari Nr ’65’ sold for $9,321,875 at Bonhams Goodwood Revival Meeting September 14, creating a new world record for an Alfa Romeo sold at auction.
The previous record for this marque was $6,710,000 for a 1933 Alfa Romeo 8-cylinder Monza 2300 sold at Gooding’s 2010 Pebble Beach sale.
Bonhams Goodwood Revival sale saw the iconic 330-horsepower supercharged Alfa Romeo Grand Prix car make history yet again at the scene of its best-remembered post-war exploits, Goodwood. Now ‘50013’s pre-war record as a truly classic, race-winning Alfa Romeo, campaigned by that most revered of motor racing figures, Tazio Giorgio Nuvolari, has a new laurel — a world record price.
This follows hot on the heels of the sale of the F1 Mercedes driven to victory by Juan Manual Fangio in 1954/55 which Bonhams sold at Goodwood Festival of Speed in July this year for $29.5m (the highest price for any car sold at auction). Combined with today’s result, Bonhams 2013 Goodwood sales have achieved nearly $78.5m.
Today’s result means Bonhams now hold world records for the following 11 marques at auction: Alfa Romeo ($9,321,875,) Aston Martin ($4,939,193), Bentley ($7,867,190), Jaguar ($4,957,000), Lagonda ($2,091,275), Lotus ($998,524), Maserati (6,069,605), Mercedes-Benz ($29,496,308), Rolls-Royce ($7,342,867) and Talbot-Lago ($4,847,000.)
James Knight, Bonhams International Managing Director Collectors Motor Cars, said after the sale: “Once again Bonhams has been privileged to offer a world-beating motorcar and help it to achieve a world-beating price. Selling something like this, one is aware that history is a guest at the auction, due to the car’s past, its performance today, and what all automotive enthusiasts will say about the car in the future. It is more than a car for all of us who are passionate about cars.”
The 1935 supercharged Alfa Romeo 8C-35 was campaigned as new by Alfa’s proxy factory team, the celebrated Scuderia Ferrari – including the legendary Tazio Nuvolari, one of the greatest racing drivers of all time.
Nuvolari, then already 43 years old, was renowned for his utterly fearless and totally committed approach to racing. He is often credited with developing the power-drift driving style, and as star of the Scuderia Ferrari Alfa Romeo team he led Italian racing’s rearguard action against the state-backed German ‘Silver Arrow’ cars of Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union.
OTHER TOP PRICES AT BONHAMS GOODWOOD REVIVAL SALE INCLUDED:
Another world record was made at this sale for a standard road-going E-Type Jaguar with a 1961 E-Type 3.8 Series 1 flat floor roadster going for $354,035. It was owned by one family since 1963.
An ex-Works, Irish Tourist Trophy, Brooklands ‘Double-Twelve, George Field, Dudley Froy 1931 Invicta 4.5-liter S-Type ‘Low Chassis’ Sports with coachwork by Cadogan sold for $1,496,995.
A 1972 Lamborghini Miura SV Coupe with coachwork by Carozzeria Bertone, a car delivered new to Rod Stewart, one of just seven right hand drive examples went for $1,444,243.
A 1961 Ferrari 250GT Series II Cabriolet with coachwork by Pininfarina, in need of restoration. It had been in the same family for 40 years, and was sold for $1,110,147.
*Exchange rate used: 1.57 USD = 1 GBP