For the third time, the Oldtimer Galerie organized an auction as part of the Swiss Classic World classic car fair in Lucerne. From 17:00 on June 3, 2023, 43 cars and two motorcycles came under the hammer. After around two hours, it was time to settle the accounts. 42% of the vehicles were sold outright, a further 22% are still subject to renegotiation ("sold subject to reservation") and 36% have definitely not found a new owner for the time being.
On average, the vehicles were 55 years old and worth around CHF 3.8 million in total. The expected average hammer price of CHF 83,500 was not quite achieved, with an average of CHF 64,600 being the highest bid, which was 77% of expectations.
Six cars were offered without a reserve price and were logically sold.
Ovali for CHF 16,800
The auction in Hall 2 began with the 1957 VW Beetle, which was the subject of fierce bidding. In any case, the hall was well filled and the tension was high.
As always, the bids came from bidders on site, while others were received by telephone or online. Some interested parties also submitted written pre-bids. The cars had been inspected in advance in a tent between Halls 1 and 2 in Lucerne from Thursday, which was eagerly taken advantage of.
In the end, CHF 15,000 was bid for the Volkswagen, which, with commission and a surcharge (12%), resulted in a selling price of CHF 16,800.
Rare pre-war Americans only in limited demand
The five pre-war cars on offer in Lucerne were certainly unusual, four of which were from the United States.
However, only two of the four Americans found a new owner, while the only European pre-war classic, the 1935 Humber 16/60, was transferred to a new garage for CHF 21,280.
Generally speaking, the highest bids here were well below expectations.
Not all hot sweepers were able to shine
Four younger Europeans, which normally enjoy the favor of the bidders, were more suited to the joy of fast driving than to leisurely gliding.
There was the VW Golf from 1980, with 110 hp and weighing only around 800 kg. A lot had been invested in it in the past, which is why the estimated value was relatively high. Despite a maximum bid of CHF 30,000, the Golf could not be sold.
The Audi RS2 Avant from 1995, which is known to have been built by Porsche and is certainly fond of fast forward dynamics, fared similarly. The highest bid of CHF 65,000 was not enough to close the deal.
Two other four-door cars fared better, namely the 1989 Lancia Thema Ferrari 8.32, which found a new owner for CHF 32,480 (EUR 33,454), and the 2001 Subaru Impreza WRX STi, which sold for CHF 38,080 (EUR 39,222).
Super classics with mixed results
Well over half of the Lucerne offerings were classified as "super classics".
The 1959 Alvis TD21 Graber Special coupé body by Herrmann Graber clearly fitted into this category. However, no bidder wanted to bid more than CHF 80,000, which is why the rare coupé could only be knocked down with reservations.
The 1981 Aston Martin V8 Volante Cabriolet, which had been retrofitted to Vantage specifications, found a new owner. CHF 168,000 (EUR 173,040) was paid for it.
Neither of the two Chevrolet Corvettes could be sold outright, but the C2 could be knocked down under reserve.
The bids for the two Citroëns did not rise high enough for a sale either.
On the other hand, both Ferraris were sold to new owners, with the 512 BBI from 1982 being the most expensive car at CHF 257,600 (EUR 265,328) and the 308 GTB QV from 1985 fetching CHF 92,400 (EUR 95,172).
Of the five Mercedes-Benz cars on offer, only one found a new owner immediately, a 350 SL from 1974, which sold for CHF 32,480 (ERU 33,454), even more expensive than estimated.
Four of the five Porsches could not be sold directly either, but two of them, the 930 3.3 from 1978 and the 911 S 2.4 from 1972, were knocked down under reserve.
The 356 C convertible from 1964 was more successful, selling for CHF 156,800 (ERU 161,540).
The only Lamborghini, an Espada Series 2 from 1970, was sold for CHF 134,400 (EUR 138,432).
Limited demand for exotic items
As one has come to expect from the auction house in Toffen, auctioneer Serge Stotzer was also able to bring some unorthodox cars under the hammer.
For example, there was a very rare Marcos 2 Litre GT from 1970 for sale, which has the Ford Essex V4 engine under the plastic hood, which is hardly known in this country.
For CHF 50,400 (EUR 51,912), it found its way into a new garage and was a bit of an exception, as other "exotics" did not have it so easy.
For the NSU Ro 80 from 1972 with a Wankel engine, for example, only CHF 11,000 was offered, clearly too little for the car, which was years ahead of the competition in terms of design at the time and whose twin-disc Wankel engine ran much more smoothly than the shaker engines from Audi, Mercedes and the like.
Although less exotic as a basic Mercedes, the Mercedes-Benz AMG 300 SEL 6.8 from 1970 was certainly something special as a racing car and replica of the famous touring car with the nickname "Rote Sau", which, like almost all the other vehicles, drove across the stage in Hall 2 of the Swiss Classic World.
Although it was a replica, it had been modeled as exactly as possible on the car that brought touring car success in the late 1960s, regardless of the cost. Although CHF 250,000 was the highest bid of the day, it was not enough for the final hammer price.
The highest bid for the Siata Daina from 1950 did not quite meet expectations either. It remains to be seen whether a solution was found afterwards or whether the consignor will ultimately be satisfied with the CHF 130,000.
The Toffen team was probably not completely satisfied at the end of the auction; after all, solutions still have to be found for cars worth a million that were knocked down "under reserve". If this is successful in the majority of cases, then the figures will certainly be correct at the end.
It was noticeable that internet bids often led to bidders "venturing out of the window" on site. However, it was surprisingly often the internet bidders who had the longer breath in the end.
In any case, the audience was treated to a lot and did not hold back with applause when a car was sold. In any case, there was no lack of atmosphere, at most a lack of sufficiently large wallets and the will to empty them in Lucerne.
