Bonhams opened the auction week in Amelia Island on March 10, 2016. The 96 1:1 scale vehicles on offer (there were also some children's cars and automobilia up for auction) were characterized by an above-average proportion of pre-war vehicles.
One third of the car lot list was made up of cars from the years up to 1941, and these fared even better than their post-war counterparts, achieving an average of 103% of the average estimated value as sales prices (including commission), while the more recent years only achieved an average of 86% of the estimated value, which can also be partly explained by the many "no reserve" offers (around 1/3).
Valuable Bugatti 57 SC
Bonhams did not give an estimate, but it was clear even before the auction that the 1937 Bugatti Type 57 SC Sports Tourer Vanden Plas (lot 139) was not for small wallets, even though the car was delivered in 1936 for £275. Appearances in races and at the London Motor Show and its elegant bodywork by Vanden Plas make this Bugatti unique.
This was apparently also appreciated, as the Bonhams people quoted USD 9,735,000 (€ 8,778,178 or CHF 9,610,349) as the selling price.
The Bugatti thus clearly beat the equally valuable Mercedes-Benz 540K Cabriolet A from 1937, which was also listed without an estimate, even though the latter also fetched USD 2.97 million.
The 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 also fared well in this price league, achieving the lower estimate with a sale price of USD 2.75 million (€ 2.5 million, CHF 2.7 million).
Swiss MPH above the estimate
There was also excitement about the performance of the 1935 Riley MPH, which was once the only MPH delivered to Switzerland and was in the hands of Bob Lutz (GM, Ford, BMW, Chrysler) for many years. Restored years ago, the extremely attractive MPH was sold for USD 880,000 (€ 793,507 or CHF 868,732), which was around 1/3 more than had been expected.
It fell just short of the million that a similarly designed and rare Maserati 8CM 3000 Biposto from 1933 achieved.
The early hybrid with record results
Pioneering work was done by the builder of the Armstrong Phaeton Gasoline Electric Hybrid from 1896, and this innovative package was aestimated by the bidders. In the end, they increased to USD 483,400 (€ 435,888 or CHF 477,210), 2.15 times the estimate.
Incidentally, a Rolls-Royce Phantom I York Roadster from 1930 also found a new owner well above the estimate: instead of the asking price of USD 225,000 to 275,000, the new owner was prepared to pay USD 352,000 for the pre-war Rolls.
Playing too much poker in the "standard" classics segment?
Around a third of the vehicles offered could not be sold, a high proportion, especially for an auction in the USA. Among the 34 unsold cars are many of the standard classics such as the Mercedes-Benz 190 SL (2x), Jaguar E-Type (4x), Ferrari 308 GTB and 512 BB. Is this a sign that the market is calming down? Or was it simply that the estimated values were certainly very ambitious in some cases?
Three Series 1 Jaguar E-Types from 1964 to 1967 were on offer as roadsters, all estimated at between USD 200,000 and 325,000. And obviously too expensive for the bidders.
Among the abandoned cars were also many newer vehicles such as a Porsche Carrera GT, Lamborghini Murcielago or Ford GT.
On the other hand, a 1994 Porsche 928 GTS, otherwise not exactly the auction public's favorite child, managed the surprise of falling into new hands for USD 132,000 (€ 119,026 or CHF 130,309), 51 percent above the median estimate.
Affordable BMW M635 CSi
Bonhams auctioned two BMW 6-series coupés with the in-line six-cylinder engine from the M1 in Amelia Island. Both sold well below expectations. Instead of the estimated USD 30,000 to 45,000, interested parties only wanted to pay USD 24,200 and 20,900, and this was enough, as both coupés were auctioned without a limit.
Other "bargains" included a 1990 Aston Martin Virage (USD 40,700), a 1962 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider (USD 52,800) and a 1957 Ford Thunderbird (USD 36,300), among several others. The "no limit" strategy certainly did not work for a number of sellers here.
Results of the Bonhams auction
The table shows all vehicles offered by Bonhams (on a scale of 1:1) with estimated prices in USD and sales prices (incl. surcharge/commission) in USD, Euro and CHF. In the "NoR" column, those lots that were sold without a minimum price are marked with "yes". In the "% Est" column, the sales prices are compared with the average estimated price. All information without guarantee.
The list can be sorted as desired by clicking on the column headings.
| Lot | Vehicle | Year | $ Est from | $ Est to | $ VP | € VP | CHF VP VP | % Est | NoR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 106 | Jeep CJ-5 | 1978 | 20000 | 30000 | 15400 | 13886 | 15202 | 0.62 | Yes |
| 107 | Fiat 1200 TV Roadster | 1959 | 40000 | 50000 | 38500 | 34715 | 38007 | 0.86 | Yes |
| 108 | Bentley Azure Convertible | 1998 | 50000 | 60000 | yes | ||||
| 109 | Sabra GT Coupé | 1964 | 80000 | 100000 | 93500 | 84310 | 92302 | 1.04 | |
| 110 | Aston Martin Virage Coupé | 1990 | 60000 | 80000 | 40700 | 36699 | 40178 | 0.58 | |
| 111 | Jaguar E-Type Semi-Lightweight Competition Roadster | 1962 | 85000 | 125000 | |||||
| 112 | Aston Martin V8 Volante | 1982 | 160000 | 200000 | 211200 | 190441 | 208495 | 1.17 | |
| 113 | Diamond T 406 Deluxe Express | 1934 | 60000 | 80000 | 91300 | 82326 | 90130 | 1.3 | Yes |
| 114 | Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider | 1962 | 75000 | 100000 | 52800 | 47610 | 52123 | 0.6 | Yes |
| 115 | Maserati Bora 4.9 | 1973 | 180000 | 220000 | 187000 | 168620 | 184605 | 0.94 | |
| 116 | MG TC | 1947 | 40000 | 50000 | 50600 | 45626 | 49952 | 1.12 | yes |
| 117 | BMW M635 CSi Coupé | 1987 | 30000 | 40000 | 20900 | 18845 | 20632 | 0.6 | yes |
| 118 | Ford Thunderbird | 1957 | 50000 | 60000 | 39600 | 35707 | 39092 | 0.72 | Yes |
| 119 | Volkswagen Super Beetle Cabriolet | 1979 | 50000 | 100000 | 52800 | 47610 | 52123 | 0.7 | Yes |
| 120 | Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing Coupé | 1955 | 900000 | 1200000 | 902000 | 813345 | 890450 | 0.86 | |
| 121 | Jaguar XK 120 M Roadster | 1952 | 70000 | 90000 | 85800 | 77366 | 84701 | 1.07 | Yes |
| 122 | Bentley 4 ¼ liter All-Weather Phaeton | 1937 | 140000 | 180000 | 173250 | 156221 | 171031 | 1.08 | |
| 123 | Ferrari 275 GTB/4 | 1967 | 2700000 | 3200000 | 2750000 | 2479711 | 2714788 | 0.93 | |
| 124 | Mercedes-Benz 230 SL | 1966 | 75000 | 100000 | 66000 | 59513 | 65154 | 0.75 | Yes |
| 125 | Lamborghini Countach 25Th Anniversary | 1990 | 450000 | 550000 | |||||
| 126 | Mercedes-Benz 190 SL | 1963 | 225000 | 275000 | |||||
| 127 | Austin-Healey 3000 Mk III BJ8 | 1967 | 75000 | 100000 | 75900 | 68440 | 74928 | 0.87 | Yes |
| 128 | Jaguar XK 150S Roadster | 1958 | 160000 | 175000 | 136000 | 122633 | 134258 | 0.81 | |
| 129 | Ford Thunderbird | 1957 | 45000 | 60000 | 36300 | 32732 | 35835 | 0.69 | Yes |
| 130 | Ferrari Testarossa | 1986 | 180000 | 240000 | 154000 | 138863 | 152028 | 0.73 | Yes |
| 131 | Kaiser-Darrin Sport Convertible | 1954 | 130000 | 160000 | 137500 | 123985 | 135739 | 0.95 | yes |
| 132 | Jaguar E-Type Series 1 4.2-Liter Roadster | 1966 | 275000 | 325000 | |||||
| 133 | Maserati 3500 GT Spyder Vignale | 1960 | 800000 | 1000000 | 880000 | 793507 | 868732 | 0.98 | |
| 134 | Jaguar E-Type Series 1 3.8 Roadster | 1964 | 225000 | 295000 | |||||
| 135 | Frissbee GB-2 Can-Am | 1981 | 145000 | 175000 | |||||
| 136 | Porsche 930S Turbo Slant Nose Cabriolet | 1989 | 175000 | 250000 | 181500 | 163660 | 179176 | 0.85 | Yes |
| 137 | Ferrari 308 GTB | 1978 | 100000 | 130000 | |||||
| 138 | Porsche 911S 2.0 Coupé | 1967 | 140000 | 180000 | 126500 | 114066 | 124880 | 0.79 | yes |
| 139 | Bugatti Type 57 SC Sports Tourer Vanden Plas | 1937 | n.a. | 9735000 | 8778178 | 9610349 | |||
| 140 | Alfa Romeo 2000 Spider Veloce | 1973 | 25000 | 35000 | 19800 | 17853 | 19546 | 0.66 | Yes |
| 141 | Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 | 1981 | 65000 | 85000 | 71500 | 64472 | 70584 | 0.95 | yes |
| 142 | Thomas Flyer Model K 6-70 "Flyabout" | 1910 | 900000 | 1200000 | 825000 | 743913 | 814436 | 0.79 | |
| 143 | Ferrari 512 BBi | 1984 | 375000 | 450000 | |||||
| 144 | Mercedes-Benz 190 SL | 1961 | 110000 | 140000 | yes | ||||
| 145 | Mercedes-Benz 300S Coupé | 1954 | 400000 | 500000 | 429000 | 386834 | 423506 | 0.95 | |
| 146 | Delahaye 135 Convertible | 1937 | 475000 | 550000 | 434500 | 391794 | 428936 | 0.85 | |
| 147 | Cadillac Model 30 Demi-Tonneau | 1909 | 75000 | 90000 | |||||
| 148 | BMW Z8 Roadster | 2002 | 175000 | 225000 | 187000 | 168620 | 184605 | 0.94 | |
| 149 | Allard M-Series Drophead Coupé | 1948 | 50000 | 70000 | |||||
| 150 | Porsche 928 GTS | 1994 | 75000 | 100000 | 132000 | 119026 | 130309 | 1.51 | yes |
| 151 | Packard Model 745 Convertible Sedan | 1930 | 225000 | 300000 | |||||
| 152 | Armstrong Phaeton Gasoline Electric Hybrid | 1896 | 175000 | 275000 | 483400 | 435888 | 477210 | 2.15 | |
| 153 | Mercedes-Benz 300 Sc Roadster | 1956 | 950000 | 1150000 | |||||
| 154 | Jaguar E-Type Series 1 4.2 Roadster | 1967 | 200000 | 250000 | |||||
| 155 | DeTomaso Pantera | 1971 | 110000 | 130000 | 112200 | 101172 | 110763 | 0.94 | |
| 156 | Fiat Dino Spider With Hardtop | 1967 | 135000 | 155000 | |||||
| 157 | Lincoln Zephyr Coupé | 1939 | 150000 | 175000 | 165000 | 148782 | 162887 | 1.02 | Yes |
| 158 | Hudson Custom Eight Series 65 Business Coupé | 1936 | 50000 | 70000 | 39600 | 35707 | 39092 | 0.66 | Yes |
| 159 | Buick Roadmaster | 1941 | 100000 | 150000 | |||||
| 160 | Hudson Boattail | 1931 | 125000 | 150000 | 99000 | 89269 | 97732 | 0.72 | |
| 161 | Rolls-Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost Pall Mall Tourer | 1924 | 225000 | 275000 | 214500 | 193417 | 211753 | 0.86 | |
| 162 | Chrysler Imperial Series 80 Touralette | 1928 | 350000 | 400000 | |||||
| 163 | Simplex Crane Model 5 "Boat Tail" Roadster | 1916 | 185000 | 250000 | 198000 | 178539 | 195464 | 0.91 | |
| 164 | Ford GT | 2006 | 325000 | 375000 | |||||
| 165 | Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A Cabriolet | 1929 | 600000 | 700000 | |||||
| 166 | Rolls-Royce Phantom V Limousine | 1966 | 140000 | 180000 | 140800 | 126961 | 138997 | 0.88 | Yes |
| 167 | Mercedes-Benz 540K Cabriolet A | 1937 | n.a. | 2970000 | 2678088 | 2931971 | |||
| 168 | Lotus Elan S2 With Factory Hard Top | 1965 | 55000 | 75000 | 60500 | 54553 | 59725 | 0.93 | Yes |
| 169 | Ford Roadster Hot Rod | 1931 | 50000 | 75000 | |||||
| 170 | Lagonda V12 Drophead Coupé | 1939 | 450000 | 550000 | 458700 | 413615 | 452826 | 0.92 | |
| 171 | Porsche 356B Super 90 Cabriolet | 1963 | 140000 | 160000 | 149600 | 134896 | 147684 | 1 | |
| 172 | Mercedes-Benz 320 Cabriolet A | 1938 | 600000 | 700000 | |||||
| 173 | Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I Saloon | 1959 | 225000 | 275000 | |||||
| 174 | Riley MPH Two Seater Sports | 1935 | 600000 | 750000 | 880000 | 793507 | 868732 | 1.3 | |
| 175 | Maserati 8C 3000 Biposto | 1933 | n.a. | 1001000 | 902614 | 988182 | |||
| 176 | Bentley 3½ Liter Sports Saloon | 1935 | 90000 | 120000 | 91300 | 82326 | 90130 | 0.87 | |
| 177 | Bentley 3 Liter Speed Model Four Seater Tourer | 1924 | 450000 | 525000 | |||||
| 178 | Autobianchi Bianchina Trasformabile | 1960 | 50000 | 70000 | |||||
| 179 | Jaguar E-Type Series II 4.2 Roadster | 1969 | 90000 | 110000 | |||||
| 180 | Chrysler Imperial Model Cl Dual Cowl Phaeton | 1933 | 750000 | 950000 | |||||
| 181 | Delage D8-100 Coupé Chauffeur | 1936 | 350000 | 400000 | |||||
| 182 | MG TC | 1949 | 40000 | 50000 | 41800 | 37691 | 41264 | 0.93 | yes |
| 183 | Buick "Truly Rare" | 1950 | 30000 | 50000 | 11000 | 9918 | 10859 | 0.28 | yes |
| 184 | Mercedes-Benz 190 SL | 1958 | 140000 | 160000 | 112200 | 101172 | 110763 | 0.75 | Yes |
| 185 | BMW 327/328 Convertible | 1937 | 350000 | 450000 | |||||
| 186 | Jaguar XK 150 Drophead Coupé | 1958 | 60000 | 80000 | 57200 | 51577 | 56467 | 0.82 | yes |
| 187 | Ford Model 18 Roadster Hot Rod | 1932 | 70000 | 80000 | |||||
| 188 | Buick Series 66C Convertible | 1934 | 75000 | 95000 | 77000 | 69431 | 76014 | 0.91 | |
| 189 | Cadillac Series 60 Special Sedan | 1940 | 20000 | 30000 | 22000 | 19837 | 21718 | 0.88 | yes |
| 190 | Rolls-Royce Phantom II All-Weather Drophead | 1935 | 450000 | 550000 | |||||
| 191 | Porsche Carrera GT | 2005 | n.a. | ||||||
| 192 | Packard 3-35 Twin Six Custom 'Ormonde' Roadster | 1918 | 200000 | 250000 | 162500 | 146528 | 160419 | 0.72 | |
| 193 | Rolls-Royce Phantom I York Roadster | 1930 | 225000 | 275000 | 352000 | 317403 | 347492 | 1.41 | |
| 194 | Delahaye 135M Coach Coupé | 1946 | 150000 | 200000 | |||||
| 195 | Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster | 2005 | 200000 | 250000 | |||||
| 196 | Pierce-Arrow Model 42 Convertible Coupé | 1931 | 150000 | 200000 | 209000 | 188458 | 206323 | 1.19 | |
| 197 | Cunningham C-3 | 1952 | 275000 | 325000 | 275000 | 247971 | 271478 | 0.92 | |
| 198 | MG PA Airline Coupé | 1935 | 120000 | 150000 | 132000 | 119026 | 130309 | 0.98 | |
| 199 | Allard K2 Roadster | 1951 | 90000 | 120000 | 93500 | 84310 | 92302 | 0.89 | Yes |
| 200 | BMW M635 CSi Euro | 1985 | 35000 | 45000 | 24200 | 21821 | 23890 | 0.61 | Yes |
| 201 | Chevrolet Cameo Pick Up | 1957 | 40000 | 50000 | 42900 | 38683 | 42350 | 0.95 | Yes |


































































































































































































































































