As in the previous year, Bonhams welcomed its bidders to "Le Grand Palais Ephémère" in Paris on February 2, 2023 for the annual Rétromobile auction .
On offer were 141 automobiles, four motorcycles, a tractor and many automobilia, including racing helmets.
Of the estimated value of the 146 vehicles, which was over 48 million euros, almost 30 million euros was ultimately realized. The sales rate was 78 percent, with an average of EUR/CHF 258,046 paid per vehicle.
From 1904 to 2022
The age spectrum at Bonhams was wide. From the oldest car, an Aster 16/20 HP from 1904, to the youngest vehicle, a motorcycle from 2022, there were as many as 118 years between them.
As many as 17 cars came from the pre-war period, including some very valuable examples. For example, the 1932 Bugatti Type 55 as a Vanvooren Cabriolet was priced at EUR 3 to 4 million. However, no one wanted to bid more than EUR 2.6 million, which meant that the car remained unsold.
The 1934 Aston Martin Ulster had an estimated value of EUR 1.4 to 1.8 million in the catalog. At EUR/CHF 1.553 million, the sporty car found a new owner in line with expectations.
Overall, however, the pre-war cars performed significantly worse than the newer cars. The sales rate for pre-1939 cars was only 53 percent, while for cars from the 1970s onwards it was over 80 percent, and in the case of the 1990s even 91 percent.
Cars from the forties and fifties did not fare particularly well either, with only 63 percent of them finding a new owner.
However, even the younger cars were not immune to low bids. The Pagani Huayra from 2020, which was expected to cost EUR 2.3 to 2.7 million, was left with a top bid of EUR 1.875 million.
A total of 23 vehicles were from the new millennium, many of which were still a long way from youngtimer age. In particular, the rare Lagonda Taraf from 2015 was a positive surprise, with the highest bid of EUR/CHF 350,000 significantly exceeding the estimated value of EUR/CHF 150,000 to 250,000. The new owner paid EUR/CHF 402,500 for the barely used luxury car.
Incidentally, the average age of the cars on offer was around 50 years.
48 brands
Four dozen brands came together at Bonhams in Paris after the withdrawal of the Volkhart V2 Sagitta and two other vehicles. They were led by Porsche (30 cars), followed by Aston Martin (13), Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz (11 each).
Not all brands were equally brilliant. Although 87 percent of the Porsches sold, the average highest bid was only 76 percent of the median estimate.
Aston Martin, on the other hand, even exceeded expectations on average, selling all 13 cars.
Things went badly for Lancia, which started with six vehicles. Only half of them found a new owner and the highest bids were only 71% of the average estimate.
Individual cars from many manufacturers, some of which have long been forgotten, came under the hammer, e.g. from Aster, Ermini, Gordon-Keeble, Innocenti or Simca.
Apparently the bidders were less in the mood for exotics, as the first three remained unsold, while the Innocenti and the Simca found a new garage.
Talbot T26 and Ferrari F40 at the same level
There were actually hardly any parallels between the Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport Coupé "Chambas" from 1948 and the Ferrari F40 from 1988. But at the end of the day, both cars fetched exactly the same price, namely EUR/CHF 2.185 million.
While the Talbot-Lago was a one-off with a special body and an adventurous (racing) history, more than 1,000 of the F40 were built and very few of them went on to win racing trophies.
A Jordan-Ford 191 Formula 1 monoposto from 1991, in which Michael Schumacher competed in a Grand Prix for the first time, also fetched a high price. The selling price was EUR/CHF 1.495 million.
Porsche turbo collection
One of the announced highlights of the auction was an air-cooled Porsche Turbo collection with cars from the 911/930, 964 and 993 series. A particular highlight here was the 964 Turbo S as a "lightweight construction" from 1993, which was estimated at EUR 1 to 1.2 million. In the end, it fetched EUR/CHF 1.035 million.
A real bargain, at least compared to the estimate, was the 930 Turbo 3.0 from 1975 with sunroof, which found a new owner for just EUR/CHF 109,250, far below the estimate of EUR/CHF 250,000 to 350,000. The fact that it could be sold at all was due to the fact that the entire collection went under the hammer without a reserve price.
The orange Alpine found a new owner
Most Berlinette A110s are blue, but Rédélé also sold orange-colored 110s. One example came under the hammer as a 1600 S from 1972.
Estimated at EUR 90,000 to 120,000, the bid was EUR/CHF 92,000, resulting in a sale price of EUR/CHF 105,800.
Two dozen special bodies with more or less success
The selection of vehicles with special bodywork was quite extensive. Whether you were looking for a car with Vanvooren, Pinin-Farina or Zagato bodywork, you were sure to find what you were looking for. Of course, there were also some French coachbuilders, so two different Delahayes with Guilloré bodies were up for auction.
However, the bidders were not as enthusiastic as hoped, and only a good half of the special-bodied cars were sold.
The 1933 Lorraine-Dietrich B3-6 sports convertible was a positive surprise, finding a new owner for EUR/CHF 437,000, well above expectations.
The unique Lancia Dilambda as a Laudaulet by Boneschi from 1935, however, only achieved EUR/CHF 51,750, while a Buick Series 40 Three-position Drophead Coupé from 1935 with bodywork by Janer Paris sold for just EUR/CHF 36,800.
The Zagato Mostro Coupé from 2016 sold for EUR/CHF 920,000, although there had been talk of significantly higher figures in advance, although these had not been officially communicated.
Many super classics
Of course, there was no shortage of super classics at Bonhams.
There is a 1970 Plexi Daytona from Ferrari, for example, which sold for EUR/CHF 793,500.
Two DB4s, two DB6s and several eight-cylinder cars from Aston Martin were at the start. The most expensive was a 1962 DB4 in Vantage version, which found a new owner for EUR/CHF 563,500.
Three Facel-Vegas represented the French luxury GT. They were all sold, albeit somewhat below expectations.
Several XK variants from Jaguar came under the hammer, as did an E-Type 3.8 Litre. Two XKs were left standing, while the rest of the Jaguars went to new owners at around below the estimates.
Diego Maradona could not quite offer the star bonus that was expected for the Mercedes-Benz 450 SLC 5.0 from 1980, the car remained at EUR/CHF 90,000.
A Maserati Ghibli SS 4.9 from 1971 was brokered for EUR/CHF 161,000, while EUR/CHF 138,000 was invested in a 3500 GT Coupé from 1961.
And in addition to the Porsche Turbo fleet, there were also several normal 911s, 356s, 944s, 968s and 928s for sale. The 928 GTS from 1992 came in at EUR/CHF 120,000, just below expectations.
114 of 171 vehicles sold, EUR/CHF 29.4 million raised (for the vehicles only), not a bad result for an auction that lasted over nine hours and demanded quite a bit of stamina from the auctioneers and the bidding public.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 466 | Honda Monkey | 2002 | 5000 | 6000 | 4200 | 4830 | 4830 | -12.18%
|
V |
| 467 | Honda Z50J Baja Limited Edition | 1991 | 9000 | 10'000 | 7000 | 8050 | 8050 | -15.26%
|
V |
| 468 | Honda S550Z "K1" | 1973 | 6000 | 8000 | 2000 | 2300 | 2300 | -67.14%
|
V |
| 469 | Tamarit Emerald | 2022 | 50'000 | 70'000 | 25'000 | 28'750 | 28'750 | -52.08%
|
V |
| 500 | Porsche Diesel Standard | 1959 | 15'000 | 20'000 | 12'500 | 14'375 | 14'375 | -17.86%
|
V |
| 501 | Fiat-Abarth 595 | 1966 | 30'000 | 40'000 | Z | ||||
| 502 | Innocenti Mini Cooper MK III Sports Saloon | 1974 | 20'000 | 30'000 | 14'000 | 16'100 | 16'100 | -35.6%
|
V |
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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
