Premium

Where is the auction business heading? - In conversation with Maarten ten Holder from Bonhams

This article was auto-translated. We apologize if some words are confusing or simply amusing. Would you like to help us improve?

Created on June 13, 2021

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

Bonhams

Daniel Reinhard

Bonhams

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Maarten Ten Holder - the new man at Bonhams

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Maarten ten Holder, Managing Director at Bonhams Motoring

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Maarten ten Holder, when he was still swinging the hammer at RM/Sotheby's

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

You have only

5 out of 6

images seen in high resolution

Summary

Auctions were also affected by the coronavirus pandemic, and auction houses had to adapt and find new ways to sell cars. Bonhams has done this quite well. A few weeks ago, Maarten ten Holder moved from RM/Sotheby's to Bonhams to head up the motoring business. Naturally, Maarten will also continue to act as an auctioneer, as he reveals in conversation.

This article contains the following chapters

Car fan
Global and broad-based auction house
The impact of the pandemic
Online channels with great potential
Well-attended live auctions
Shift towards youngtimers
Connected to the future of the automobile

Estimated reading time: 5min

Preview (beginning of the article)

In mid-April 2021, Maarten ten Holder joined Bonhams to take over the management of Bonhams Motoring. Shortly afterwards, Bonhams announced the takeover of the online auction platform "The Market". Lots of changes at one of the three major auction houses and reason for a conversation with Maarten ten Holder, who was currently in European quarantine before going under the hammer at Bonhams' Swiss auction in Bonmont on June 20, 2021. Although Maarten ten Holder has spent more years auctioning art than cars, after several years at RM/Sotheby's he also has extensive experience in selling cars. According to Maarten, there are fundamental differences between art and car auctions. With cars, things are much less dry and more attention is paid to mood and emotion. The auctioneer has a considerable part to play in the success of a sale, and the more the less willing bidders there are in the room. Maarten explains in conversation that he learned a lot when he started auctioning Lamborghinis or Bugattis instead of Picassos. Thanks to his own style and a keen instinct for the bidders, he was not only able to sell the most expensive picture ever painted by a woman, but also a large number of classic cars worth millions.

Welcome to Zwischengas!