Photo Gallery «Big surprises at auctions in 2024»

Apart from the most expensive auction cars, there are always bigger and smaller surprises at the auctions. While some cars are highly acclaimed, others seem to attract almost no interest at all. Sometimes the auction house has completely misjudged the value of a vehicle and bidders see it as significantly lower or higher. For example, cars sometimes achieved more than six times their estimate or were sold for less than a fifth of what was expected. We have put together 28 surprises at auctions in 2024, both positive and negative, in an entertaining gallery. Just click through (or swipe, arrow keys also work) and find out which vehicles the auction houses got quite wrong with their estimates ...

This Ferrari F430 F1 from 2005 achieved a top bid at Bonhams that was 240% higher than expected, selling price EUR 138,000 or CHF 129,720

This 1945 Willys Overland Motor Jeep MB achieved a top bid on Artcurial that was also 240% above the estimate, selling price EUR 34,800 or CHF 32,712

This Rolls-Royce Corniche Cabriolet from 1973 exceeded expectations on Artcurial with a top bid of 244%, selling price EUR 45,240 or CHF 42,526

This Maybach SW38 Spohn Cabriolet, built in 1936, achieved a top bid at RM Sotheby's that was 248% above the median estimate, selling price EUR 161,448 or CHF 151,032

This 1938 Maybach SW38 Spohn Sport Cabriolet even achieved a top bid of 269% above the estimate at RM Sotheby's, selling price EUR 485,460 or CHF 454,140

This Ferrari 612 Sessanta from 2007 achieved a top bid at RM Sotheby's 273% above expectations, selling price EUR 419,520 or CHF 401,280

This Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux from 1934 achieved a top bid at Gooding & Co. that was 283% higher than expected, selling price EUR 439,425 or CHF 425,250

This Bugatti Type 40 "Break de Chasse" from 1927 achieved a top bid of 320% above expectations at Gooding & Co., selling price EUR 413,850 or CHF 400,500

This rather sad-looking Maserati Mistral 4.0 Coupé from 1968 achieved a top bid at RM Sotheby's 329% above the estimate, selling for a remarkable EUR 59,892 or CHF 56,028

The buyer offered 360% more than expected for this 1931 Mercedes-Benz 370 S Mannheim Sport Cabriolet at RM Sotheby's, selling price EUR 465,000 or CHF 435,000

This Renault Type CB Landaulet from 1910 achieved a top bid of 368% above expectations at Gooding & Co., selling price EUR 239,568 or CHF 231,840

This 2012 Smart Fortwo City Car managed to be bid up to 427% of the median estimate at Bonhams, selling price EUR 31,944 or CHF 31,305

This 1971 NSU Ro80 2 Porte + 2 by Pininfarina performed much better than expected at RM Sotheby's, with the highest bid exceeding the estimate by 593%, selling for EUR 429,195 or CHF 401,505

For this 1965 Ford Mustang, the winning bidder at Bonhams offered 667% of the median estimate, selling price EUR 203,840 or CHF 194,880

The highest bid for this 1953 Fiat 500 C Topolino Belvedere at Bonhams was only 29% of the median estimate, selling price EUR 10,304 or CHF 9744

The highest bid for this 1951 Bentley Mark VI Saloon at Bonhams was only 29% of the median estimate, selling price EUR 6458 or CHF 6293

The highest bid for this Bucciali Type B6 Recreation from 1924 at Gooding & Co. reached only 28% of expectations, selling price EUR 61,824 or CHF 59,136

For this Amilcar CGSS, built around 1927, a bid of 28% of expectations was enough to win the auction, selling price EUR 27,600 or CHF 25,668

This Geoff Crossley Buick Special Two-Seater Sports Racing Car from around 1974 also disappointed at Bonhams with a top bid of just 28% of the median estimate, selling price EUR 15,054 or CHF 14,674

In the case of this 1959 Jaguar XK 150 S 3.4 FHC, bidding 27% of the median estimate was enough to win it at RM Sotheby's, selling for EUR 20,355 or CHF 19,665

Only 26% of the estimated value was enough to buy this 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo NASCAR 'Dale Earnhardt Jr.' at RM Sotheby's, selling price EUR 46,368 or CHF 45,360

The highest bid for this 1979 Ferrari 400i at RM Sotheby's was only 25% of the median estimate, selling price EUR 13,570 or CHF 13,110

23% of the median estimate was enough for RM Sotheby's to knock down this Bentley 4 1:4-Litre Sports Saloon Park Ward from 1938, selling price EUR 20,528 or CHF 19,320

The hammer fell at Bonhams for this 1941 Ford Model 11-A Special Deluxe Sedan at 23% of the median estimate, selling price EUR 8243 or CHF 7795

The buyer at Bonhams had to bid only 22% as much as expected for this 1996 Heuliez Intruder Convertible, selling price EUR 67,704 or CHF 66,248

For this Avions Voisin Type C28 Recreation from 1928, 20 % of the estimated value at Gooding & Co was enough to win the auction, selling price EUR 8333 or CHF 8064

The buyer at RM Sotheby's won this 1959 Borgward Isabella Coupé at 20% of the median estimate, selling price EUR 6785 or CHF 6555

The buyer of this 1910 Renault Type BZ Town Car Moore & Munger had to bid just 17% at RM Sotheby's, selling price EUR 26,162 or CHF 24,725