In the late afternoon of October 24, 2021, Hervé Poulain once again swung the hammer in front of an audience for the first time on the Champs-Elysées in Paris to auction off a total of 95 automobiles. The vehicles were on average 48 years old and together were estimated at around EUR 8.5 million. Almost half of the cars were offered without a reserve price, so some bidders could hope for a bargain.
Almost three quarters sold
With a sales rate of 72 percent, 68 cars went to new owners and 27 were left standing. On average, 82 percent of the median estimate was offered, and a total turnover of EUR 7 million was achieved, which amounted to EUR 103,097 per car sold.
Citroën ahead of Mercedes
39 brands competed for the bidders' favor, with Citroën (15 cars), Mercedes-Benz (10), Alfa Romeo (7) and Jaguar (6) taking the lion's share. All other brands were represented with a handful of vehicles at most, while exotic suppliers such as Alvis, Buick, Hobbycar, Matra-Bonnet, Salmson and Talbot were represented with just one car.
While Citroën cars were in great demand, with 93% sold, demand for Alfa Romeo was lacking, as only one of the seven cars was sold. The difference in interest was also reflected in the level of bids, which reached an average of 95% of the median estimate for Citroën, but only 65% for Alfa Romeo.
Rebuilt Daytona as the most expensive
The buyer of a Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona from 1972 that was converted into a Spider paid EUR 475,600.
Chassis 14995 was converted into an open-top sports car at Richard Straman Classic Auto in Costa Mesa and has covered just 39,164 miles to date. In 2000, the car came to Switzerland after many years of US ownership, and Németh subsequently incurred service costs of around CHF 25,000. In 2008, the car was then auctioned in Gstaad and went to Holland before being sold twice more.
Rally cars in great demand
The most expensive car at the auction was not a Maserati or Ferrari, but a Subaru. Of course, this was not an off-the-peg Impreza, but the Prodrive works car, which was driven by Ari Vatanen, Colin McRae and Richard Burns, among others. Chassis 93-004 was one of the first Group A works cars and was expected to be correspondingly expensive with an estimated value of EUR 450,000 to 650,000.
However, the bidders did not follow suit and the bids stopped at a disappointing EUR 270,000. Unsold.
The Group B version of the Citroën BX 4TC Evolution from 1986 fared completely differently. One online bidder fought a fierce battle with a telephone bidder, which only ended at EUR 350,000, resulting in a sale price of EUR 406,000 and making the car the second most expensive car in the auction.
The 1986 Nissan 240 RS Group B also sold above expectations for EUR 208,000.
On the other hand, the works Alpine, an A110 from 1973, did not quite manage to shine. The car with chassis 18372 in Group 4 design was initially mainly used in training. Thanks to an interesting history overall, EUR 220,000 to 280,000 was expected; the highest bid reached exactly the lower estimate, which meant a sale price of EUR 255,200.
Surprisingly expensive Citroën C6
The surprise of the afternoon was certainly an "Occasion". Although the 2012 Citroën C6 V6 HDI 240 Exclusive has only had one owner and has only covered 19,076 km in its lifetime, the epic bidding war for this car was still surprising.
In the end, the new owner paid EUR 27,840 for the diesel saloon, with the highest bid coming in at 240% of the median estimate. Who would have expected something like that?
Favorable opportunities
But there were also many good opportunities to buy in Paris.
A Citroën 5 HP Type C3 Trèfle from 1925 could be taken home for as little as EUR 7540, while an Alfa Romeo 2000 Spider Touring from 1960 changed hands for EUR 34,800.
A Renault Alpine A610 from 1991 went for as little as EUR 29,000, a rare Nash Healey Le Mans Coupé from 1953 for a low EUR 55,680.
A Mercedes-Benz 300 SE Coupé from 1963 sold for just EUR 46,400, while a Porsche 911 3.2 liter Jubilé from 1989 went for EUR 63,800.
And the EUR 34,800 paid for a rare Matra-Bonnet Djet V from 1965 with chassis MB8-10025 and a well-known history was also well below the estimated value.
Super classics with mixed results
The super classics, which accounted for almost half of the offer, were also in mixed demand.
An Aston Martin DB6 from 1967 fetched EUR 255,200, which was more than expected, while a Jaguar E-Type Cabriolet with a 4.2-liter engine from 1968, for example, came in at just over half the estimate and was left standing.
An Alfa Romeo Montreal, an Austin-Healey 3000 or a 1967 Mercedes-Benz 230 SL Pagoda also failed to attract bids that would allow them to be sold.
Other super classics, such as a 1971 Citroën SM with carburetor engine (EUR 32,480), a 1957 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL (EUR 104,400) or a 1959 Facel Vega HK500 (EUR 146,160), fared better, at least compared to the estimated value.
EUR 382,800 was paid for an Aston Martin DB4 from 1960, while a Lamborghini Espda 400 GT from 1975 fetched EUR 92,800.
Special rarities
Probably not everyone knows the Hobbycar B612. It is an all-terrain convertible with four seats and four wheels, which is powered by a Peugeot diesel 1.9-liter on land, but moves forward in the water via hydrojets. Only around 60 of these vehicles were built, and the car on offer from 2002 was expected to cost EUR 30,000 to 40,000.
It then became EUR 29,000.
Also rare was the Talbot T14 America Barquette from 1958, which is an interesting reconstruction reminiscent of the cars that raced at Le Mans. The estimate here was EUR 80,000 to 110,000, but nobody wanted to bid more than EUR 60,000. Unsold.
A De Dion Bouton Vis-à-Vis Type L recarrossé en cabriolet 2 places from 1902 came with a somewhat unwieldy designation. This was because the bodywork had been modified once. Now this project certainly called for a very enthusiastic new owner to invest around EUR 30'000 to 50'000 for the restoration base. With a sales price of EUR 34,800, the De Dion just about met the target.
Hervé Poulain's team could be satisfied with the result in Paris, as 26 cars remained unsold, but the others achieved good prices, so that the total turnover was only 18 percent below expectations.
Offered and Sold Vehicles
The following table lists all offered and sold vehicles with estimated prices, highest bids, and sale prices. The price conversion was made at the exchange rate valid on the auction day. All information is provided without guarantee.
| Lot | Car | Year | EUR Est from | EUR Est to | EUR HP | EUR SP | CHF SP | % Est | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Citroën Méhari | 1969 | 6000 | 10'000 | 10'000 | 11'600 | 12'412 | +45%
|
V |
| 02 | Citroën DS20 Pallas | 1971 | 10'000 | 15'000 | 9000 | 10'440 | 11'170 | -16.48%
|
V |
| 03 | Citroën SM Carburateurs | 1971 | 20'000 | 30'000 | 28'000 | 32'480 | 34'753 | +29.92%
|
V |
| 04 | Citroën Traction 11BL | 1951 | 7000 | 10'000 | 7000 | 8120 | 8688 | -4.47%
|
V |
| 05 | Citroën 5HP Type C3 "Trèfle" | 1925 | 10'000 | 15'000 | 6500 | 7540 | 8067 | -39.68%
|
V |
| 06 | Citroën B14 F Torpédo | 1926 | 5000 | 8000 | 5000 | 5800 | 6206 | -10.77%
|
V |
| 07 | Citroën Rosalie 8A Berline Luxe | 1933 | 7000 | 10'000 | 6500 | 7540 | 8067 | -11.29%
|
V |
All information is provided without guarantee.
Legend: Column S = Status (V = Sold, N = Not sold, Z = Withdrawn, U = Under reserve)
Est = Estimate, HP = Hammer Price, SP = Sale Price
