It had been fourteen months since the last traditional auction, explained auctioneer Rupert Banner. "Oh, we missed this fun, but it was worth waiting," he explained over the microphone, and this was obviously also the view of the bidders at the Bonhams auction on May 20, 2021 at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elégance.
Although six of the 112 cars on offer had been withdrawn, emotions ran high for many of the remaining 106 classics and some bidders probably exceeded their personal pre-set limits.
This probably explains the top prices that were achieved for some of the cars and for once it was not the super classics of the sixties and seventies that shone, but cars from the pre-war period.
82 percent (87) of the 106 cars were sold, and the sales rate was even higher for the horse-drawn carriages and automobilia, which were also called.
On average, USD 237,826 was paid per car sold (including commission/surcharge). The good sales rate was of course also boosted by the high proportion of offers without a reserve price, which amounted to almost exactly 50 percent.
Cars from 57 brands
More than half of the cars on offer were from the pre-war period. The age of the vehicles also had to do with the variety of brands, with a total of 57 manufacturers whose cars were registered for the auction.
The list of brands was headed by Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Packard and Bentley, which is also an indication of the rather high average age of 76.8 years.
Among the brands there are many vanished American manufacturers such as American Underslung, Cord, Crane, Duesenberg, Hanyes, Hudson, Knox, Marmon, Maxwell, Mercer, National, Pierce and Reo. And it was in some of these that interest was particularly high.
The very young classics and neoclassics, on the other hand, were only marginally represented at Bonhams, with just two youngtimers and five future classics (less than 20 years old) up for auction. The 1980s were also only represented with three cars, the 1970s with eight.
Valuable pre-war classics
The high proportion of (primarily American) cars built before the Second World War was partly due to the fact that several collections (or parts thereof) had been consigned.
The collection of Clem and Mary Lange in particular made for exciting bidding wars. Only cars from the first decades of the 20th century were on offer, including a Mercer Type 35K Runabout from 1913 with chassis number 1186. Equipped with a four-cylinder engine with around 65 hp, it must have provided adventurous driving performance over 100 years ago, especially when you consider that the brakes were applied exclusively via the rear axle.
As a more comfortable alternative to the similar-looking racing car, it took part in countless events over the past decades and is considered to be the only car of this type with an external four-speed gearbox from 1913.
This obviously convinced the bidders, especially as all the cars were driven in and were able to prove their sound power.
The estimated value of USD 1.2 to 1.5 million was soon exceeded and the bidding continued at a brisk pace until only one bidder was left at USD 2.2 million. The sale price was therefore listed at USD 2.425 million. This was not a world record for a Mercer, but the gap was not large.
From the same collection came an extremely elegant Bugatti 57 from 1934. Chassis 57127 was the only Bugatti to be bodied by Franay and it originally belonged to the German film star Hella Hartwich.
Almost USD 650,000 was spent on the restoration, an effort that was probably worth it, as the new owner paid USD 1.325 million for the Bugatti, significantly more than the expected USD 800,000 to 1.0 million.
Another car from the Lange Collection also attracted a great deal of interest. The 1933 Duesenberg Model J was sold to a new enthusiast for USD 1.655 million.
The most expensive car at the auction, however, was a Mercedes-Benz 500/540K Special Roadster from 1934, which had been retrofitted at the factory at the time. The buyer was prepared to invest USD 4.9 million, which was roughly in line with the high expectations of USD 4.5 to 5 million.
Some other pre-war classics also beat their estimates, such as a 1931 Hudson Greater Eight Boattail Roadster, for which USD 179,200 was paid instead of the estimated USD 75,000 to 100,000.
Well-selling super classics from the fifties to the seventies
Those interested in super classics did not miss out either. USD 268,800 was paid for a completely restored 1967 Maserati Ghibli 4.7 Coupé from a known first owner.
Two early Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Coupé and Roadster from 1963 and 1964 closed at USD 190,400 and 168,000 respectively.
Bidders were prepared to pay more than estimated for the two Aston Martin DB6s from 1968 and 1969. And a DB4 from 1959 was sold for USD 346,000.
The USD 140,000 for a BMW 2002 turbo from 1975 also showed that such rare cars are "en vogue" at the moment.
And a 1966 Alfa Romeo 1600 Duetto Spider also benefited from the good mood at the auction with a sale price of USD 49,280.
Some disappointments
Not all of the cars consigned were able to convince the bidders.
For example, the attractive Godsal Sports Tourer from 1935 did not find a new owner, as no one wanted to go any higher at USD 620,000. The expected price was USD 750,000 to 950,000.
On the other hand, the RGS Atalanta from 1953, which is also extremely rarely seen, found a new garage for USD 285,500, even though the highest bid was only around 64% of the median estimate.
Some early American classics, including a 1910 National Model 40 Racer and a 1911 Locomobile Model 30 L-Type, sold for considerably less than expected.
Among the unsold cars were a De Tomaso Pantera, a Mercedes-Benz 630 K from 1928 and a Delahaye 135M Convertible from 1947.
The performance of the two MG TFs from 1954/1955 was surprising in a positive sense, both of which were sold above their estimated value for USD 31,360 and 47,040.
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 | USD Est from | USD Est to | USD HP | USD SP | CHF SP | EUR SP | % Est | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 101 | MG TF 1500 Roadster | 1955 | 30'000 | 50'000 | 42'000 | 47'040 | 42'336 | 38'572 | +17.6%
|
V |
| 102 | Mercedes-Benz 450 SLC | 1974 | 8000 | 12'000 | 8500 | 9520 | 8568 | 7806 | -4.8%
|
V |
| 103 | Land Rover Series IIA 88'' Hardtop | 1965 | 17'500 | 25'000 | 18'000 | 20'160 | 18'144 | 16'531 | -5.13%
|
V |
| 104 | Studebaker Avanti R1 | 1963 | 35'000 | 45'000 | 29'000 | N | ||||
| 105 | DeLorean DMC12 | 1982 | 25'000 | 35'000 | Z | |||||
| 106 | Bombardier B-7 Seven Passenger Snowmobile (Jg. Ca.) | 1940 | 30'000 | 40'000 | 60'000 | 67'200 | 60'480 | 55'104 | +92%
|
V |
| 107 | Chrysler Airflow Model CU Sedan | 1934 | 40'000 | 60'000 | Z |
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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
