Photo: Courtesy of RM Auctions
Thirty-one cars sold for more than a million dollars and several new world records were established last August during Monterey’s annual Classic Car Week. This represented an increase of five million-dollar sales from last year, and included the highest price ever paid for any automobile at auction, the $16,390,000 brought in by the 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa offered at Gooding & Co.’s Pebble Beach Auction. That auction also broke fresh ground with the $10,340,000 paid for a 1931 Duesenberg Model J LWB Coupe that set new marks for both a Duesenberg sold at auction and for any American car.
The third world record was the $9,680,000 for which RM Auctions sold a 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Spezial Roadster, the most ever paid at auction for a Mercedes-Benz. A bit farther down the dollar scale, but still notching the top price ever brought by a Porsche 911, was RM’s sale of the 1970 911 formerly owned by actor Steve McQueen that appeared in his movie Le Mans and went for $1,375,000.
As might have been expected with Mercedes-Benz celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, six of the top 10 sale cars wore the three-pointed star. Also, just missing out on joining the Million Dollar Club was the 1959 Fiat Transporter that once served as the Ferrari Factory’s racecar transporter, and brought $990,000 at the Gooding auction.
RM Auctions enjoyed a remarkable 85 percent sell-through this year, with Gooding’s Pebble Beach sale right behind at 84 percent. Bonham’s Quail sale sold half of the cars on offer, with the top seller a 1957 BMW 507 Roadster with Hard Top that generated a winning bid of $1,002,500.
The 3rd annual Mecum Monterey Auction produced a 65 percent sell-through rate, headlined by the ex-Louis Schneider Bowes Seal Fast Special Miller that won the 1931 Indy 500 and brought a top bid of $2,000,000. The 11th annual Russo and Steele Monterey “Sports and Muscle” event produced a 64 percent sell-through rate, with its highest price the $654,500 paid for a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTS.
Overall Top 10 Dollar Sales
1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa – $16,390,000 – Gooding
1931 Duesenberg Model J LWB Coupe – $10,340,000 – Gooding
1937 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Spezial Roadster – $9,680,000 – RM
1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione – $5,280,000 – RM
1927 Mercedes-Benz S-Type 26/180 Sportwagen – $5,040,000 – Gooding
1939 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Spezial Roadster – $4,620,000 – RM
1935 Mercedes-Benz 500 K Roadster – $3,767,500 – RM
1952 Ferrari 340 Mexico Berlinetta – $3,685,000 – RM
1936 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Spezial Coupe – $3,080,000 – RM
1936 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Sport Cabriolet A – $2,970,000 – RM
