For the third time, Claudia Stiller and her team held an auction of classic cars at the Emil Frey Classic Center in Safenwil on September 13, 2025. For the first time, bidders were able to participate online, but many interested parties still came to Safenwil to inspect the cars in person and follow the auction.
26 vehicles and a helmet
Twenty-five cars, a motorcycle and a painting depicting Jo Siffert's helmet were auctioned off. This painting was knocked down for CHF 2300. The proceeds will go to a good cause, namely the Rotary Club of Zofingen's "ROKJ" project, which promotes the integration of socially and economically disadvantaged children and young people in the region.
The vehicles had been estimated in advance at around CHF 1.9 million, they were on average almost 51 years old and almost a quarter were offered without a reserve price.
Twelve-cylinder Jaguar as the starting surprise
Christof Reutlinger, Director of Autocity Emil Frey Zürich Nord, acted as auctioneer for the sale.
With wit and a broad Zurich dialect, he spent almost 2.5 hours explaining the merits of the cars on offer and fishing for bids.
He was particularly successful with the 1975 Jaguar XJ12 L. It was a car from the first family ownership, which had never been restored and had covered just 112,000 km since it was delivered to the Emil Frey Garage de la Gare in Lausanne.
The estimate was CHF 7,000 to 11,000, but the bids went up to CHF 11,500, bringing the sale price to CHF 12,765 or EUR 13,659 including 11% buyer's premium.
Cheaper vehicles easier to sell
As the auction progressed, it became clear that the cheaper cars were easier to find a new owner.
The 1950 Fiat Topolino (CHF 2997, EUR 3207, bought by a young couple), the 1962 Cadillac Fleetwood (CHF 5328, EUR 5701), the 1959 Austin-Healey 3000 Mk 1 (CHF 37,740, EUR 40,382) and the Daimler V8-2-2, which was in really nice condition, were sold immediately.The Daimler V8-250 Mark II from 1969, which was in really beautiful condition, was at most inferior due to its automatic transmission and found a new garage for CHF 26,640 or EUR 28,505.
The Unimog 411 delivery van with convertible roof and flatbed from 1967, which had once been purchased from army stocks, was also sold, albeit for CHF 9435 or EUR 10,095, which was roughly below expectations.
Almost half of the cars knocked down under reserve
The bids received for 12 vehicles, many of which were submitted online, were not sufficient for a final knockdown. Here, renegotiations are still necessary because the highest bid did not quite reach the minimum price demanded by the consignor.
A total of CHF 1.1 million was bid for these vehicles. The sum of the lower estimates for these cars was just over CHF 1.3 million, so the prices called were not that far off expectations.
In many cases, it will still be possible to close the deal during renegotiation, but whether this will be possible in the case of the 1971 Dino 246 GT, which was very lavishly restored in the style of the 1950s racing cars.s racing cars of the 1950s, is questionable in view of the listed highest bid of CHF 420,000 with an estimated value of CHF 550,000 to 650,000.
Other cars, such as the Aston Martin DB7 Vantage from 2001 or the Ferrari 365 GT 2+2 from 1970, were much closer.
If half of the conditionally knocked down cars can be subsequently sold, Claudia Stiller and her team could toast a sales rate of around 50%.
Seven cars not sold
Both Jaguar E-Types, both Series 2 convertibles built in 1969 and 1970 and in very good condition, failed to find a new buyer, despite comparatively low estimates of CHF 60,000 to 85,000.
The Jaguar XK150 DHC from 1958 fared similarly.
The BMW 700 CS from 1963 and the VW Karmann Ghia could not be sold either.
The 1993 Maserati Spyder E, which presented itself almost like a new car and for which no usable bid could be noted, also remained standing.
Overall, the auction on September 13, 2025 went quite well, even though only one bid could be registered for some vehicles. There was certainly no lack of enthusiasm and energy on the part of the auctioneer. In any case, the atmosphere on site was good and practically all participants stayed until the end.
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 | CHF Est from | CHF Est to | CHF HP | CHF SP | EUR SP | % Est | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jaguar XJ12 L | 1975 | 7000 | 11'000 | 11'500 | 12'765 | 13'658 | +41.83%
|
V |
| 2 | VW Karmann Ghia | 1974 | 18'000 | 26'000 | N | ||||
| 3 | Aston Martin DB7 Vantage Coupé | 2001 | 37'500 | 49'500 | 41'000 | U | |||
| 4 | Fiat Topolino | 1950 | 2500 | 3500 | 2700 | 2997 | 3206 | -0.1%
|
V |
| 5 | Jaguar E-Type 4.2 Convertible | 1969 | 60'000 | 85'000 | 62'000 | N | |||
| 6 | Harley Davidson FLSTC Heritage Softail Classic | 1987 | 3000 | 4200 | 2900 | 3219 | 3444 | -10.58%
|
V |
| 7 | Mercedes-Benz 220 SE Cabriolet | 1963 | 95'000 | 115'000 | 75'000 | U |
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
