For years, an enthusiast in Portugal with interests that were certainly not commonplace collected very special classic cars that appealed to him in particular. He did not limit himself to sports cars from Porsche or BMW, but also bought exotic cars such as the WD Denzel or the HRG Aerodynamic by Fox & Nicholl. A Jowett Jupiter Sports from 1951 and a Willys Interlagos Coupé from 1963 were also part of the certainly unusual collection.
On September 21, 2019, they were sold in Alcácer do Sal in the interior of Portugal, about 200 km from Lisbon.
All without a reserve price
The entire collection, worth not quite EUR 10 million, was offered without a reserve price. 57 brands were represented, the average age of the vehicles was just under 60 years.
Porsche sports cars were most strongly represented with 22 cars, while all other manufacturers were represented in single figures at most. With Trojan, Sado, Matra, DB and BSA, brands that have long since disappeared and some little-known brands were also represented.
French exotics coveted
The auction catalog was bursting with exotics and specialties, so the bidding public had to be correspondingly diverse. This was obviously achieved, as long and fierce bidding wars broke out over some of the classics.
The Alpine-Renault A110 1300 from 1972 finally sold for EUR 195,500, well over twice the estimated value.
The 1925 Amilcar CGS, estimated at EUR 40,000 to 50,000, went to a new garage for EUR 100,050.
A Derby 9 HP Sports from 1926 went for EUR 40,250 instead of EUR 20,000 to 30,000.
And the DB Type HBR convertible from 1951 finally went for EUR 121,900 after a really long haggle that started at EUR 25,000. The estimate was EUR 70,000 to 90,000.
Super classics mostly within the expected range
Although the collection consisted mainly of cars that are rarely found at auction, the Portuguese enthusiast also had a heart for super classics.
For example, he owned an orange-colored 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 Touring, which found a new owner for EUR 602,375, exceeding expectations.
A late Mercedes-Benz 190 SL from 1962 was sold for EUR 143,750.
A Fiat Dino Spider with the aluminum two-liter engine from 1967 was sold for EUR 103,500.
A Jaguar E-Type Series 1 3.8 liter roadster from 1962 was sold for EUR 140,300.
Various Porsche 356/911s changed hands for around the estimated value.
Some special classics well below the estimates
As was to be expected, however, not all cars achieved the expected sales prices.
A Rochet-Schneider Type 16500 from 1920, for example, sold for less than half the estimate.
A Bentley S2 Continental Flying Spur Mulliner from 1960 could be bought for EUR 69,000, a Jaguar Mark IV Saloon from 1947 for EUR 23,000.
A Mercedes-Benz 300 from 1952 was available for EUR 34,500 and a Maserati Royale from 1980 for EUR 16,100.
The 1951 VW Pretzel Beetle, which found a new owner for EUR 32,200, was also a bargain.
And the Citroën 2CV 4x4 Sahara from 1964 was also sold for EUR 71,300, well below the estimate.
The 1939 Delahaye 135M with convertible bodywork by Chapron also fell well short of the estimate and was sold for EUR 331,250.
The very rare WD Denzel 1300 from 1955 also sold below expectations, although EUR 314,375 is still a handsome price for a car that is actually based on the VW Beetle.
Neoclassics with good prices
17 of the 124 cars were not yet youngtimers; on average, they were knocked down above the median estimate, which was slightly above the overall result of the auction (on average, the vehicles achieved 96% of the estimate).
All in all, it must be said that RM/Sotheby's has mastered the task of selling this collection well. The demand was definitely there and even towards the end of the auction, which lasted over seven hours, there was still eager haggling in the high temperatures.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 101 | Fiat 500 L | 1969 | 10'000 | 15'000 | 13'000 | 14'950 | 16'295 | +19.6%
|
V |
| 102 | Autobianchi Bianchina 'Eden Roc' Cabriolet | 1966 | 15'000 | 25'000 | 20'000 | 23'000 | 25'070 | +15%
|
V |
| 103 | Peugeot 403 Cabriolet | 1958 | 20'000 | 30'000 | 40'000 | 46'000 | 50'140 | +84%
|
V |
| 104 | Trojan 200 | 1962 | 15'000 | 20'000 | 19'000 | 21'850 | 23'816 | +24.86%
|
V |
| 105 | Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet | 2003 | 40'000 | 50'000 | 55'000 | 63'250 | 68'942 | +40.56%
|
V |
| 106 | Ford Thunderbird | 1955 | 30'000 | 40'000 | 42'500 | 48'875 | 53'273 | +39.64%
|
V |
| 107 | Triumph TR2 | 1954 | 20'000 | 30'000 | 26'000 | 29'900 | 32'591 | +19.6%
|
V |
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
































































































































































































































































































