Buying classics almost like at the mall
If you have a generous bank account and are prepared to part with some of your cash and are also fond of old cars, you are in for a real treat in Pebble Beach in mid-August. The three major auction houses Bonhams, RM and Gooding are inviting their customers to bid for almost 370 cars, while Mecum is offering a further 750. The choice is considerable, even if you "only" attend the three two-day events organized by Bonhams, Gooding and RM.
For example, anyone looking for a Ferrari 330 GTC, of which almost 600 were built, has a choice of five vehicles.
| AH | Lot | Vehicle | Year | Est $ | Est € | Est CHF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BO | 274 | Ferrari 330 GTC | 1967 | 875000 | 656250 | 796250 |
| GC | 048 | Ferrari 330 GTC | 1967 | 700000 | 518000 | 630000 |
| GC | 109 | Ferrari 330 GTC | 1968 | 650000 | 481000 | 585000 |
| RM | 116 | Ferrari 330 GTC | 1968 | 700000 | 518000 | 637000 |
| RM | 234 | Ferrari 330 GTC | 1967 | 800000 | 592000 | 728000 |
If you prefer a Ferrari Daytona, also known as a 365 GTB/4, you can also choose from five variants.
| AH | Lot | Vehicle | Year | Est $ | Est € | Est CHF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GC | 033 | Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta | 1971 | 712500 | 527250 | 641250 |
| BO | 258 | Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta | 1971 | 837500 | 628125 | 762125 |
| RM | 145 | Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta | 1973 | 800000 | 592000 | 728000 |
| RM | 213 | Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta | 1969 | 625000 | 462500 | 568750 |
| RM | 243 | Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta | 1973 | 725000 | 536500 | 659750 |
Five Ferrari 275 GTBs are available for purchase in the most important versions with aluminum or sheet steel bodywork, two or four camshafts.
| AH | Lot | Car | Year | Est $ | Est € | Est CHF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BO | 289 | Ferrari 275 GTB | 1966 | 2900000 | 2175000 | 2639000 |
| RM | 237 | Ferrari 275 GTB Alloy | 1965 | 2900000 | 2146000 | 2639000 |
| GC | 113 | Ferrari 275 GTB Long Nose Alloy | 1965 | 4000000 | 2960000 | 3600000 |
| RM | 220 | Ferrari 275 GTB/4 | 1967 | 10000000 | 7400000 | 9100000 |
| RM | 231 | Ferrari 275 GTB/4 | 1967 | 4125000 | 3052500 | 3753750 |
And even the smallest Ferrari without horses, the Dino, comes under the hammer for the entire range from 206 GT to 246 GT and 246 GTS.
| AH | Lot | Vehicle | Year | Est $ | Est € | Est CHF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BO | 1 | Ferrari Dino 206 GT | 1969 | 600000 | 450000 | 546000 |
| GC | 107 | Ferrari Dino 206 GT | 1968 | 650000 | 481000 | 585000 |
| BO | 220 | Ferrari Dino 246 GT | 1973 | 550000 | 412500 | 500500 |
| BO | 265 | Ferrari Dino 246 GT | 1972 | 310000 | 232500 | 282100 |
| RM | 141 | Ferrari Dino 246 GTS | 1973 | 450000 | 333000 | 409500 |
| BO | 299 | Ferrari Dino 246 GTS | 1974 | 437500 | 328125 | 398125 |
| GC | 010 | Ferrari Dino 246 GTS | 1974 | 462500 | 342250 | 416250 |
Three Aston Martin DB5s tempt you to feel like James Bond.
| AH | Lot | Vehicle | Year | Est $ | Est € | Est CHF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RM | 137 | Aston Martin DB5 | 1964 | 850000 | 629000 | 773500 |
| RM | 212 | Aston Martin DB5 | 1965 | 1200000 | 888000 | 1092000 |
| GC | 130 | Aston Martin DB5 | 1964 | 1350000 | 999000 | 1215000 |
And there are even 11 examples of the ever-popular Mercedes Benz 300 SL (W198) for sale, four with and seven without gullwing doors.
| AH | Lot | Vehicle | Year | Est $ | Est € | Est CHF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RM | 111 | Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing | 1955 | 1200000 | 888000 | 1092000 |
| BO | 286 | Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing | 1954 | 1100000 | 825000 | 1001000 |
| GC | 050 | Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing | 1954 | 4000000 | 2960000 | 3600000 |
| GC | 125 | Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing | 1956 | 1600000 | 1184000 | 1440000 |
| RM | 122 | Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster | 1962 | 1000000 | 740000 | 910000 |
| RM | 228 | Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster | 1961 | 1450000 | 1073000 | 1319500 |
| RM | 238 | Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster | 1957 | 1450000 | 1073000 | 1319500 |
| BO | 216 | Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster | 1963 | 2050000 | 1537500 | 1865500 |
| BO | 292 | Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster | 1957 | 1275000 | 956250 | 1160250 |
| GC | 013 | Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster | 1957 | 1550000 | 1147000 | 1395000 |
| GC | 147 | Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster | 1963 | 1400000 | 1036000 | 1260000 |
And if you want to spend a little less but still have plenty of cash, you might be tempted by one of the eight Jaguar E Type Roadsters from Series 1, half with 3.8-liter engines and the other half with 4.2-liter engines.
| AH | Lot | Vehicle | Year | Est $ | Est € | Est CHF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BO | 251 | Jaguar E-Type Series 1 3.8-liter Roadster | 1964 | 112500 | 84375 | 102375 |
| RM | 142 | Jaguar E-Type Series 1 3.8-Litre Roadster | 1961 | 412500 | 305250 | 375375 |
| GC | 112 | Jaguar E-Type Series 1 3.8-Litre Roadster | 1961 | 350000 | 259000 | 315000 |
| GC | 151 | Jaguar E-Type Series 1 3.8-Litre Roadster | 1964 | 205000 | 151700 | 184500 |
| BO | 223 | Jaguar E-Type Series 1 4.2-Litre Roadster | 1967 | 145000 | 108750 | 131950 |
| BO | 295 | Jaguar E-Type Series 1 4.2-Litre Roadster | 1967 | 115000 | 86250 | 104650 |
| RM | 206 | Jaguar E-Type Series 1 4.2-Litre Roadster | 1966 | 300000 | 222000 | 273000 |
| GC | 017 | Jaguar E-Type Series 1 4.2-Litre Roadster | 1966 | 205000 | 151700 | 184500 |
The list could go on and on, for example with the eight Rolls-Royce Phantom variants (only one Phantom IV model is missing) or the five Shelby Cobras, almost all of which are in the seven-figure range. Even two Tucker 48s are being auctioned, both of which incidentally cost around USD 1.5 million.
The estimated prices generally demonstrate a great deal of confidence in the bidders' purchasing power and enthusiasm.
The complete lot lists, including images of most of the lots, can be found in the announcements for the Bonhams, Gooding and RM auctions on Zwischengas.
And in two weeks' time, we can either talk about new record prices or about unfulfilled expectations ...
(Note: The abbreviations in the tables stand for Bonhams (BO), Gooding & Company (GC) and RM (RM Auctions). The estimated prices are the average of the lower and upper estimates, the currency conversions were carried out at daily exchange rates).
