After Auctionata's first car auction at the end of 2014, the second of its kind was held on February 27, 2015. Like its predecessor, the February auction (number 178) was also heavily advertised in the daily and trade press, with a reduced buyer's premium of 15%, as the moderators never tired of communicating.
43 cars for 1.5 million euros
Within around three hours, 43 vehicles went under the hammer and were successfully sold, with the exception of one car. An average of 35,773 euros (CHF 38,278) was spent per car. The highest bid settled at an average of around 86% of the Auctionata estimate price.
Somewhat sterile
Auctionata auctions are designed for online bidders, although it is of course also possible to buy by phone or in the auction room. The procedure and the choreography are always reminiscent of the television sales programs on commercial stations. Compared to the first event, it was noticeable on February 27, 2015 that some of the cars were now started live or from a sound recording, which meant that visitors could at least get an acoustic impression of the vehicle.
Individual lots were specifically discussed in two studios. This time, Rauno Aaltonen, the rally professor, was on board as a guest expert, who repeatedly interspersed interesting anecdotes, but was probably unable to contribute his full knowledge due to the language barrier.
On the annoying side, the presenter's comments in Studio 2 were sometimes less than professional, and the constant repetitions (excellent, 15%, etc.) were particularly annoying.
Big buyers?
Watching the auction, one could not shake off the impression that at least some of the bidders were major buyers. In any case, the same abbreviated names and nations kept cropping up.
Compared to the first event, the second auction was much more dynamic, with the larger number of bidders and the generally livelier presentation in Studio 1 certainly helping here.
The secret star Maserati Merak
The bidding for a 1975 Maserati Merak reached a surprisingly high price as early as the second bid.
In the end, a hammer price of 26,000 euros was quoted, significantly more than the estimated 16,000 euros. The mid-engined sports car, which was in good condition visually but not original in several respects, had been announced as an heirloom with damage from its original condition. The buyer will then find out whether the aforementioned 15,000 euros will be enough to restore the Merak to top condition.
The Swiss BMW 2002 with fulfilled expectations
The most interesting car, which was also reported in the preliminary reports, was a BMW 2002 Turbo from 1974 in its original condition and with a Swiss history. The first bid for the unrestored Bavarian with 170 hp was accepted at 24,000 euros. At Auctionata, the bidding steps are predetermined and not left up to the auctioneer. This takes a little tension out of the auction and does not allow strategic bidding, but certainly increases transparency and predictability on the bidding side.
The bids for the BMW rose in increments of two thousand up to 40,000, then continued in increments of five thousand. Bids were received from Germany, Austria, the USA and England. At 65,000 euros, the bidder from Great Britain won the bid, which was still 15,000 euros above the estimated price.
The 34-year-old new car
Alfa Romeo fans had been eagerly awaiting the performance of the 1981 Sprint Veloce Trofeo. The car had been newly integrated into a collection and had less than 300 km on the clock. The upholstery was even still wrapped in the protective covers. The Trofeo was only built in small numbers and had a modified interior compared to the standard model, as well as additional decorations on the bodywork.
However, with an estimated price of 30,000 euros, Auctionata had set the hurdle quite high.
Bidding regularly began at half the estimated price, the so-called starting price, i.e. Euro 15,000. Bidders from Germany, Italy and the USA fought over the pretty coupé, with the winning bid coming from a company in Germany for Euro 22,000. This may actually be a world record for an Alfa Romeo Sprint Veloce 1.5.
Favorable opportunities
Only one car was not sold. This was a completely rebuiltVW-Porsche 914, which was offered as a 914/6. You have to like the design and obviously none of the potential bidders could get anything out of it, so even the starting price of 30,000 euros was too high. So no bids were received and the car was withdrawn. However, it remained the only one that did not find a new owner.
However, some of the cars were sold relatively cheaply. The 1957Ponton-Mercedes 219 sold for just 20,000 euros, while a bidder was able to acquire the 600-series Mercedes saloon with separating window for 80,000 euros (plus premium).
The hammer fell on the 1938 DKW F7 convertible at just 26,000 euros, while the 1968 Ford Mustang station wagon as a one-off only attracted a top bid of 34,000 euros.
And towards the end, a buyer was able to get hold of the 1977 Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL 6.9 for just €24,000.
Overall, however, the Auctionata people must have been satisfied with the second staging of their vehicle auction, especially because over 60 valuation requests for potential future consignments were received during the broadcast alone. The fact that the Schlegelmilch photographs, which were also on offer, met with considerably less interest than the cars was therefore probably easy to accept.
What advice could be given to the organizers? More expert commentary instead of the sometimes uninspiring statements (e.g. 190 SL as a projectile requiring a firearms license?), more informative descriptions with comments on the condition of the cars in the catalog and on the website and perhaps a few films during the auction showing the cars in motion instead of standing still would make the events even more exciting.
The Auctionata offers are definitely an enrichment of the auction scene, but whether the approach can be financed in the long term remains to be seen.
Results of the auction
The following list shows all the cars on offer with the starting price, estimated price and highest bid in euros and the selling prices including 15% bidder's premium in euros and CHF (conversion 1 euro = 1.07 CHF). The column "% Est" compares the highest bid with the estimated price. All information without guarantee.
| Lot | Vehicle | Year | Starting price € | Estimated price € | Bid € | Starting price € | VPrice CHF | % Est |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Puch 500 S, small car from Austria | 1970 | 5000 | 10000 | 6500 | 7475 | 7998 | 0.65 |
| 2 | Maserati Merak, Italian sports car icon | 1975 | 8000 | 16000 | 26000 | 29900 | 31993 | 1.63 |
| 3 | Mercedes Benz 219 | 1957 | 18000 | 36000 | 20000 | 23000 | 24610 | 0.56 |
| 4 | Mercedes Benz 600, sedan with windshield | 1972 | 60000 | 120000 | 80000 | 92000 | 98440 | 0.67 |
| 5 | Goggomobil TA 300, small car | 1955 | 4000 | 8000 | 7000 | 8050 | 8614 | 0.88 |
| 6 | Mercedes Benz 190 SL, Unfinished restoration, | 1961 | 30000 | 60000 | 60000 | 69000 | 73830 | 1 |
| 7 | Jaguar Mark 2, sedan with leather interior | 1967 | 10000 | 20000 | 13000 | 14950 | 15997 | 0.65 |
| 8 | Jaguar S Type, Sedan | 1966 | 10000 | 20000 | 15000 | 17250 | 18458 | 0.75 |
| 9 | BMW Isetta Export 300, conversion to 4 wheels | 1959 | 8000 | 16000 | 14000 | 16100 | 17227 | 0.88 |
| 10 | Porsche 356 Coupé Super 90 | 1962 | 38000 | 75000 | 60000 | 69000 | 73830 | 0.8 |
| 11 | VW Karmann Ghia Coupé | 1962 | 8000 | 16000 | 12000 | 13800 | 14766 | 0.75 |
| 12 | BMW 600 "Isetta", for 4 persons | 1958 | 10000 | 20000 | 19000 | 21850 | 23380 | 0.95 |
| 13 | VW Beetle with folding sunroof | 1962 | 4000 | 8000 | 7000 | 8050 | 8614 | 0.88 |
| 14 | Fiat 600 D, small car in original condition | 1966 | 7500 | 15000 | 9000 | 10350 | 11075 | 0.6 |
| 15 | Mercedes Benz 280 SE 3.5, convertible conversion | 1970 | 75000 | 150000 | 95000 | 109250 | 116898 | 0.63 |
| 16 | Mercedes Benz 250 SE Coupé | 1966 | 10000 | 20000 | 17000 | 19550 | 20919 | 0.85 |
| 17 | Mercedes Benz 280 SE in original condition, 12313km | 1970 | 24000 | 50000 | 30000 | 34500 | 36915 | 0.6 |
| 18 | Mercedes Benz 300 SE Coupé, 1 of 2419 Coupés | 1964 | 24000 | 50000 | 32000 | 36800 | 39376 | 0.64 |
| 19 | Opel A Kadett Coupé | 1963 | 4000 | 8000 | 7000 | 8050 | 8614 | 0.88 |
| 20 | BMW 2002 turbo, unrestored original condition | 1974 | 24000 | 50000 | 65000 | 74750 | 79983 | 1.3 |
| 25 | Steyr 50 "Baby", Austrian automobile history | 1937 | 10000 | 20000 | 22000 | 25300 | 27071 | 1.1 |
| 26 | Auto Union DKW Type F7 Convertible | 1938 | 24000 | 50000 | 26000 | 29900 | 31993 | 0.52 |
| 27 | Jaguar XK 120 OTS | 1951 | 45000 | 90000 | 95000 | 109250 | 116898 | 1.06 |
| 28 | Austin Healey 3000, Legendary sports car | 1962 | 34000 | 70000 | 45000 | 51750 | 55373 | 0.64 |
| 29 | MINI 1000, RHD with original interior | 1977 | 7500 | 15000 | 12000 | 13800 | 14766 | 0.8 |
| 30 | Cadlillac De Ville Convertible | 1962 | 7500 | 15000 | 17000 | 19550 | 20919 | 1.13 |
| 31 | Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS, big block, 4 speed manual gearbox, | 1969 | 24000 | 50000 | 40000 | 46000 | 49220 | 0.8 |
| 32 | Ford Mustang Station Wagon, one-off | 1968 | 30000 | 60000 | 34000 | 39100 | 41837 | 0.57 |
| 33 | Chevrolet, Corvette Stingray Corvette | 1973 | 15000 | 30000 | 26000 | 29900 | 31993 | 0.87 |
| 34 | VW Bus Westfalia with original camping equipment | 1971 | 15000 | 30000 | 22000 | 25300 | 27071 | 0.73 |
| 35 | VW Beetle 1303 Cabriolet, with luggage set | 1978 | 10000 | 20000 | 14000 | 16100 | 17227 | 0.7 |
| 36 | Alfa Romeo Sprint Veloce, 240 km mileage | 1981 | 15000 | 30000 | 22000 | 25300 | 27071 | 0.73 |
| 37 | Alfa Romeo Giulia Super Nuova | 1976 | 9000 | 18000 | 12000 | 13800 | 14766 | 0.67 |
| 38 | Lancia Beta 2000 Spider, Zagato design | 1977 | 10000 | 20000 | 16000 | 18400 | 19688 | 0.8 |
| 39 | Ford Cortina 1600 De Luxe | 1968 | 4000 | 8000 | 6000 | 6900 | 7383 | 0.75 |
| 40 | Porsche 914/6, special conversion by Tomaszo | 1975 | 30000 | 60000 | no bid | |||
| 41 | Porsche 911 Turbo, complete history | 1987 | 40000 | 80000 | 90000 | 103500 | 110745 | 1.13 |
| 42 | Porsche 356 B Cabriolet 1600 Super | 1961 | 50000 | 100000 | 95000 | 109250 | 116898 | 0.95 |
| 43 | BMW 3.0 Csi, Coupé classic from Munich | 1975 | 10000 | 20000 | 26000 | 29900 | 31993 | 1.3 |
| 44 | Mercedes Benz 450 SEL 6.9, restored | 1977 | 20000 | 40000 | 24000 | 27600 | 29532 | 0.6 |
| 45 | Mercedes Benz 560 SL, rarity in Europe | 1988 | 15000 | 30000 | 30000 | 34500 | 36915 | 1 |
| 46 | Daimler XJ 4.2 Coupé | 1976 | 5000 | 10000 | 14000 | 16100 | 17227 | 1.4 |
| 47 | Jaguar 420 G, luxury class sedan | 1970 | 10000 | 20000 | 24000 | 27600 | 29532 | 1.2 |
