The RM/Sotheby's auction only takes place every two years in the park of Villa Erba on the occasion of the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este. It happened again on May 25, 2019.
As every year, the cars were lined up for a drive through the grandstands at Villa Erba. The weather was not ideal for this. Although it rained less in the evening than in the afternoon, it was still damp. And those who were already soaked from the parade in the Villa d'Este soon began to shiver.
As many as 70 lots were looking for new owners, 52 of which were cars. The rest were spare parts such as a Ferrari 275 GTB front end (EUR 3840), tool sets for a Ferrari 250 SWB (EUR 14400) or boats that were probably better able to withstand the damp weather, such as the 1958 Riva Tritone "Via", which found a new owner for EUR 330,000.
From ten decades
The average age of the 52 cars was exactly 50 years, but this figure only poorly characterized the breadth of the offer. The oldest car should have been an Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A Landaulet from 1924, but it was withdrawn before the auction.
The honor of being the veteran among the cars went to a 1930 Cadillac V-16 Roadster, which could not be sold because the highest bid was 40% below the estimate.
The same happened to the latest car, a 2019 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Shooting Brake. Here, too, only 60% of the estimate was offered, but it was still sold.
The fifties and sixties were particularly well represented, while the pre-war fraction was represented by seven cars. With 12 cars that were not yet classic cars, the future classics segment was relatively small.
Valuable Ferrari 500 Mondial racing sports car
The Ferrari 500 Mondial on offer with bodywork by Pinin Farina from 1954 is one of only five such Barchettas with covered headlights. It has a relatively short racing history and was recently extensively overhauled.
Estimated at EUR 4.25 to 4.75 million, the bid was EUR 3.3 million. This was obviously enough for the consignor, as the car found a new owner for EUR 3.72 million (CHF 4.2 million) (including surcharge).
Thumbs up for the Zagato portfolio
The Italian coachbuilder and designer Zagato is a mainstay of Italian automotive history and RM/Sotheby's was able to gather nine of these rare creations for the auction in the park of Villa Erba. Naturally, there was a great deal of anticipation as to how these often bizarre-looking creations would fare.
The highlight should have been the Maserati A6G/2000 as a Zagato-Berlinetta from 1955, which was valued at EUR 3 to 3.5 million. However, the bidders did not want to go that high. The bidding ended at EUR 2.78 million (86% of the median estimate), which was not enough for the consignor.
The 1955 Fiat 8V Zagato Coupé fared better, passing into new hands for EUR 1.177 million (CHF 1.98 million).
The other Zagato versions were sold, with the highest bids ranging between 60 and 95 percent of the estimated value.
One exception was the Aston Martin V12 Zagato Numero Uno from 2012 and the Ferrari 330 GTC Zagato from 1967, which were not sold.
The separated Delahaye pair
Francophile car collectors were more likely to speculate on a pair of Delahaye 135s with a linked history. In fact, the body of one had once been enthroned on the chassis of the other vehicle. Formed by Hebmüller as a coupé, this body was later transferred to a different chassis.
This hermaphrodite found a new garage for EUR 286,250 (CHF 320,600), while the 1936 135 S racing version with replica 1936 Le Mans bodywork stopped at EUR 700,000, with an estimated value of EUR 1 to 1.3 million.
Solid result for the 550A Spyder
The Porsche 550A Spyder from 1957 did not quite reach the expected sum either, but was sold for EUR 3.38 million (CHF 3.786 million), as was the Bugatti Type 50 Roadster from 1931, which fetched an impressive EUR 1.411 million (CHF 1.58 million).
Special exotics
In addition to the well-known auction classics, some particularly rare sports cars are sure to generate a lot of interest. For example, a few Pegaso Z102s from the second series with touring coupé bodywork from 1955 came under the hammer with an estimate of EUR 550,000 to 700,000, which almost seemed like a bargain given its rarity, but was nevertheless not achieved.
Nobody wanted to bid more than EUR 510,000.
The Lancia Aurelia as a B52 Coupé with Vignale bodywork from 1952, which was given an estimate of EUR 325,000 to 375,000, is also almost a one-off. Here, too, the bids were insufficient, and the bidding ended at EUR 280,000.
There are also only a few examples of the ASA 1000 GT Coupé, which was expected to fetch EUR 125,000 to 175,000. This was almost achieved, the selling price was EUR 138,000 (CHF 154,560).
Bargain?
When cars are knocked down for less than 60 percent of expectations, one could actually speak of bargains. However, if you look at the prices achieved for the "cheapest" cars in this respect, you are less sure whether these are real bargains.
For example, a Jaguar XK 150 3.8 from 1960 was sold as a roadster for EUR 135,125 (CHF 151,340), although EUR 290,000 to 340,000 had been estimated.
A 1958 Cadillac Eldorado fetched EUR 67,850 (CHF 75,992) instead of the expected EUR 125,000 to 160,000.
And an Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA from 1965 was purchased by its new owner for EUR 178,250 (EUR 199,640) instead of the estimated EUR 250,000 to 300,000.
All these cars were sold without a minimum bid, as were three others. Nevertheless, they were not really cheap, but perhaps good opportunities.
Overall unsatisfactory result
With a sales rate of 55 percent, the spoiled RM/Sotheby's could not really be satisfied. Although two of the three most expensive lots had been sold, many super classics, including the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster from 1963, the Shelby Cobra 427 from 1965, the Pegaso Z-102 Touring from 1955 and the Maserati Ghibli 4.7 Spyder from 1970, had been left standing.
There were no real high-flyers either, only the Aston Martin DB4/5 Short Chassis Volante from 1965 could be knocked down significantly (14%) above the estimated value.
On average, almost 78% of the average estimate was bid, but this was often not enough for a successful sale. As a result, the auction house had to be satisfied with a turnover of EUR 19.35 million (CHF 21.67 million) instead of the EUR 39 million (CHF 44 million) it had hoped for.
It was striking that all Mercedes-Benz cars remained unsold, while all Porsches found new owners. However, this does not indicate a trend.
| Lot | Car | Year | EUR Est from | EUR Est to | EUR HP | EUR SP | CHF SP | % Est | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 111 | Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz | 1958 | 125'000 | 160'000 | 59'000 | 67'850 | 75'992 | -52.39%
|
V |
| 112 | Renault 5 Turbo 1 | 1980 | 100'000 | 130'000 | 75'000 | 86'250 | 96'600 | -25%
|
V |
| 113 | Citroën 2CV 4×4 'Sahara' | 1963 | 70'000 | 90'000 | 65'000 | 74'750 | 83'720 | -6.56%
|
V |
| 114 | Alfa Romeo Mole Costruzione Artigianale 001 | 2018 | 150'000 | 200'000 | 145'000 | 166'750 | 186'760 | -4.71%
|
V |
| 115 | ASA 1000 GT Coupé | 1965 | 125'000 | 175'000 | 120'000 | 138'000 | 154'560 | -8%
|
V |
| 119 | Fiat-Abarth 750 GT 'Double Bubble' Zagato | 1959 | 100'000 | 120'000 | 90'000 | 103'500 | 115'920 | -5.91%
|
V |
| 120 | Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Shooting Brake | 2019 | 650'000 | 850'000 | 450'000 | 511'250 | 572'600 | -31.83%
|
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
