Anyone who has ever seen a Bonhams auction in the last ten years will know James Knight. As an Austin Healey driver, he has brokered thousands of classic cars as an auctioneer, be it an ex-Earl Howe Bugatti 57S Atalante or the famous Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato with the number "2 VEV". Countless Jaguar C-Types, D-Types, Ferrari sports cars and special bodies passed through his hands. As Group Chairman, he helped shape Bonhams' course in the automotive sector.
Now Knight, who began his career at Christies in 1984 as a classic car auctioneer with Robert Brook, is stepping down, but will remain with Bonhams as a consultant.
From RM/Sotheby's to Bonhams
Knight will be succeeded by Dutchman Maarten Ten Holder, who previously swung the gavel in many languages at RM/Sotheby's. He will take over the management of Bonhams Motoring. After studying history at the University of Amsterdam, he joined Sotheby's in 1996, where he took on various roles in different divisions. He left Sotheby's in 2018 to join RM/Sotheby's as Executive Vice President in the automotive division, filling the gap left by Max Girardo when he left.
Bonhams CEO, Bruno Vinciguerra commented: "I am delighted that one of the most influential figures in the auction world is joining Bonhams. Maarten is a game changer. With his extraordinary breadth and depth of experience, I know he will bring his incisive intelligence to the Motoring department, one of Bonhams' flagship divisions."
You can read more about Bonhams Motoring on their website.
