Nevertheless, the event on October 17, 2020 was not quite like other Toffen auctions, despite on-site bidding. Switzerland experienced a sharp increase in coronavirus infections in mid-October and Reinhard Schmidlin and his team probably did not know until shortly before the auction began on Saturday afternoon whether it would be possible to hold the auction as planned.
But everything went as planned. The number of visitors on site was limited to 275 people, which ensured the necessary physical distance between participants. Masks were worn and there was no outdoor catering. As a result, it was mainly people who were really interested in the auction or the vehicles on offer who were on site, while observers with no intention of buying tended to stay at home. They were offered a well-functioning live stream.
Bidding was possible via two different internet platforms, by telephone call or written pre-bids. And of course on site, if you were one of the 200+ accredited bidders on site.
The atmosphere was almost informal, you felt like you were among like-minded people. There was a lot of smiling and laughter, and the auctioneer made sure of that with his sayings, e.g. "Christmas is just around the corner, your wife would surely be delighted with a brisk present ...".
Strong influence of the internet bidding channel
Internet bids played a significant role in almost every lot, with around 40 percent even receiving the highest bid via the two Internet platforms. This meant that interested parties sitting at home even beat the on-site bidders, although the successful sales were more or less a stalemate. The written pre-bids also had a major influence on the outcome of the auction this time; they were significantly more important than the telephone bidders.
Because the livestream could be delayed by a few seconds compared to the on-site situation, the auctioneer always had to take short breaks in order to give all interested parties an equal chance.
There were one or two glitches when the films showing the cars being driven were played and no car appeared at all. However, this hardly had a negative effect. In principle, it is certainly a good idea to show moving cars, but the chosen approach certainly has room for improvement.
It would also be helpful to always show the current bidding status during the livestream.
Wide range on offer
In addition to some automobilia, 105 cars, 12 motorcycles/mopeds, two bicycles and even a truck went under the hammer for around 5.5 hours on October 17, 2020.
The total value of the cars (including trucks) and motorcycles was around CHF 6.9 million. Almost 20 percent of the vehicle lots, which were on average 46 years old, were auctioned without a minimum bid.
The magnificent Miura
The highlight of the auction was undoubtedly the 1968 Lamborghini Miura P400 in "Blu Miura". The car, which had long been considered lost, reappeared a few years ago and was repainted in its original color. The interior is in its original condition, in keeping with the mileage of just over 30,000 km, and the entire super sports car is a dream.
The estimated value of CHF 1.45 to 1.65 million was correspondingly high. Internet bidders then led the way with a million, a bidder in the auction room followed suit, but the bidding stopped at CHF 1.075 million. Although the Lambo was knocked down under reserve, which means that the bidder is bound by his bid, the expectations were probably missed too clearly for the sale to have any realistic chance. However, there will probably be no shortage of interested parties behind the scenes.
The Alfa Romeo 1900 C Super Sprint from 1955 offered at the end of the auction also failed to find a buyer, with a maximum bid of CHF 180,000.
The Maserati Bora 4900 from 1973 (CHF 110,000), the Jaguar E-Type Series 1 3.8 liter flat floor roadster from 1961 (CHF 145,000), the Lagonda Rapide from 1963 (CHF 140,000) and the Mercedes-Benz 190 SL from 1960 (CHF 90,000) fared similarly.
An Alpina B12 and a 250 SL as high-flyers
The Alpina (BMW) B12 5.7 from 1996, based on the BMW 850i, made a really good showing. With a top bid of CHF 150,000, expectations were at least met and a sales price of CHF 168,000 was realized.
Two telephone bidders battled it out until the end, neither of whom seemed to want to give up.
A Mercedes-Benz 250 SL from 1967 fared even better, at least in comparison with the estimate. The estimate was CHF 65,000 to 75,000, the purchase price was CHF 98,000, and an internet bidder had won the bid.
However, there were still a number of vehicles that did significantly better than expected. This was most clearly achieved by a moped, the 1974 Motobécane Mobylette M1, albeit at a low level.
However, a 1965 Jaguar S-Type 3.8 Litre also clearly exceeded the estimate, as did a 1971 Citroën SM, which sold for CHF 22,000 instead of CHF 10,000 to 15,000.
A Lancia Gamma 2500 IE Coupé from 1981 was also able to shine, with a real battle being waged in the auction room that only ended at CHF 34,000, resulting in a final sale price of CHF 38,080 instead of the expected CHF 20,000 to 30,000.
A Mercedes-Benz 230 TE from 1988 was also valued significantly higher than expected. However, the CHF 8960 achieved was probably still inexpensive for a W124 estate car by international standards.
All pre-war vehicles sold
Only three cars from the pre-war period were offered in Toffen, but at least they all found new owners.
The most convincing of these was a 1931 DeSoto Six Series SA Sedan, which sold for CHF 33,600 more than expected.
The 1938 Dodge D8 Cabriolet Langenthal found a new garage for CHF 47,040, while the 1939 Rolls-Royce Wraith 4 Door Limousine changed hands for CHF 58,800.
Cars built between 1940 and the 1950s had a much harder time. In many cases, they could only be knocked down with reservations or not at all.
The youngsters shone
The young vehicles did well and most of them were sold.
For example, a Morgan +8 from 2000 found a new owner for CHF 55,440 and a Mercedes-Benz SLK 32 AMG from 2003 was sold for CHF 16,800.
The CHF 19,040 for a 1988 BMW 535i E34 must also be considered a high selling price, even if it would be difficult to find a second example of this type.
However, there were also disappointments in the younger segment, with the 1991 Ford Sierra Cosworth 4x4 failing to meet the high expectations and the red 1992 BMW 850i also falling well short of the estimate.
The Volkswagens did not catch on as expected
Switzerland is known to be a Beetle and Volkswagen country, so of course the Wolfsburg crawler could not be missing in Toffen. The three Beetles on offer covered a broad spectrum, but only the yellow VW Beetle 1300 convertible from 1972 was sold without reserve for CHF 20,720.
The automatic Beetle 1500 from 1969 did not achieve any saleable offer at all, the 1952 Pretzel Beetle in incredible original condition was knocked down with reserve at CHF 51,000 (CHF 60,000 to 70,000 was expected).
And nobody wanted to bid more than CHF 3750 for the VW Golf 1 1600 Cabriolet from 1987, which was only about half the estimated value.
Perhaps the fact that some bidders left their wives at home or didn't even show up in Toffen as a couple had a negative effect on these vehicles in particular, which have a certain "Jöö" factor, and this meant that one or two spontaneous buyers were missing.
In total, the 61 vehicles sold achieved a turnover of almost CHF 1.7 million, to which a further CHF 400,000 to 800,000 is likely to be added after renegotiations for the 35 cars knocked down under reserve, which means that the event was certainly worthwhile for the team in Toffen, even if it can hardly compensate for the loss of income from the Gstaad and Lucerne auctions.
In any case, Reinhard Schmidlin and his team are to be congratulated for the professional organization of the auction in Toffen in two languages and including a live stream.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 101 | Renault 4CV "Heck" | 1957 | 3000 | 5000 | 3750 | 4200 | 3906 | +5%
|
V |
| 102 | VW Golf 1 1600 Cabriolet | 1987 | 6000 | 8000 | 3750 | U | |||
| 103 | Lancia Appia Coupé Pininfarina | 1959 | 4500 | 5500 | 3000 | 3360 | 3124 | -32.8%
|
V |
| 104 | Mercedes-Benz 230 TE W124 | 1988 | 5500 | 6500 | 8000 | 8960 | 8332 | +49.33%
|
V |
| 105 | Jaguar Sovereign 4.0i | 1994 | 10'000 | 12'000 | 6500 | U | |||
| 106 | Alfa Romeo Spider 2.0 | 1983 | 14'000 | 16'000 | 14'000 | 15'680 | 14'582 | +4.53%
|
V |
| 107 | Ford Cortina Mark II 1600 E | 1970 | 10'000 | 15'000 | 12'500 | 14'000 | 13'020 | +12%
|
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
