As it has done for the last two years, Bonhams will be nestling in the Grand Palais, the beautiful building that once housed the Paris Motor Show, during Rétromobile Week in February 2015 to sell well over 100 classic cars.
It is already clear that Bonhams will be bringing an enormous range of vehicles to Paris, and fans of English sports car construction and fans of Italian and French coachbuilding in particular can look forward to an interesting auction.
It is not for nothing that the event is called "Les grandes marques du monde", they are actually there, the big brands. Not just the classics like Ferrari. Porsche. Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, Bentley or Mercedes-Benz are represented with a comprehensive range, but also long-lost manufacturers such as Delahaye, Delage, Panhard & Levassor, Horch, Lagonda, Facel, Matra, Cord, ASA, Cisitalia Hotchkiss or Autobianchi.
Large Alfa Romeo offer
A number of rare Alfa Romeo sports cars with the famous six-cylinder engine are on offer at the Grand Palais, including a supercharged Spider 1750 from 1931 (Euro 1.8 to 2.4 million), a 6C 1750 Grand Sport from 1930 (Euro 1.1 to 1.4 million), a 6C 2300 B Pescara (Pininfarina) from 1937 (Euro 800'000 to 1.4 million), a 6C 2500 Sport Cabriolet with Ghia bodywork based on a design by Boano from 1947 (Euro 250,000 to 350,000) and a 6C 2500 S Frecchia d'Oro Coupé from 1949 (Euro 250,000 to 300,000).
Two Renault 5 Turbo
Two mid-engined R5s are being offered by Bonhams, one a standard Turbo 2 from 1986 and the other a Turbo 1 with "Tour de Corse" specification from 1980.
Aston Martin DB4 to DB6
The Aston Martin brand is present with a whole range of vehicles, including a DB4 Drophead Coupé from 1962 and a DB5 Convertible from 1965.
The AC Cobra of Mr. Rothschild
Amschel Rothschild was the second owner of an AC Cobra with the 289 engine, which was built in 1966. He raced it many times until he sold the Cobra in the 1970s. The new owner converted it from RHD to LHD configuration and over the following years the car was restored piece by piece. Today, the Cobra is patinated but, according to Bonhams, largely original, which is reflected in the estimated price of 600,000 to 700,000 euros.
Bentley returns to Paris
In 1955, a Bentley R-Type Continental 4.9-liter coupé bodyworked by Franay stood in the Grand Palais in Paris. In 2015, the same car will be back and may sell for between €0.85 and €1.15 million, significantly more expensive than 60 years earlier.
Many exotics and rarities
The range that Bonhams will be presenting in Paris is peppered with exotic cars and rarities that you don't see every day, such as a Citroën DS 21 Le Dandy Coupé from 1965 or the Gerin Aérodyne Berline Prototypefrom 1922, a very early concept car that was so far ahead of its time with its streamlined shape, mid-engine and independent suspension that production was unthinkable at the time.
Other rarities include a Simca 8 Sportfrom 1948, an ASA 1000 Group 4 Coupé from 1964, a Cisitalia 303 DF Berlinetta from 1953 and the Matra-Bonnet Djet 5S from 1965, which was estimated at between 30,000 and 40,000 euros.
It is precisely these classic cars, some of which are not very expensive but all the rarer, that make the Bonhams auction an event not to be missed.
The complete list of vehicles known to date can be found on the Bonhams website.
