LONDON, 2nd November 2012
Continuing a six-year track record of achieving fantastic results,
RM Auctions’ annual Battersea sale generated an incredible
£14,266,030* ($23,039,638 USD)** in sales with an impressive 84
percent of total lots sold before a packed house in central London
this week (31 October). The top performer of the evening sale was
the simply beautiful and extraordinarily rare 1959 Ferrari 250 GT
LWB Berlinetta ‘Tour de France’, which attracted spirited bidding
from eager collectors, selling for a strong £1,960,000.
Proving that Italian exotics still reign supreme in the desirability
stakes, the gorgeous 1930 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS Testa Fissa,
driven to Tourist Trophy glory by the great Tazio Nuvolari, sold for
£784,000 to secure the position as the night’s second biggest
seller. The British cars stole their share of the limelight too, with
Aston Martins continuing to shine in the market. Headlining the
group of 11 Astons on offer was an elegant 1964 Aston Martin
DB5 Convertible, which achieved a highly impressive £632,800 to
round out the night’s top three sales.
Other top performers included the beautiful, original 1937 Bugatti
Type 57C Stelvio Cabriolet for £616,000, while a Bugatti of an
altogether more modern era, an awesome 2008 Bugatti Veyron
EB 16.4 from the Zegwaard Collection, sold for £579,600 after a
lively bidding contest. The much admired, ex-British Motor Show
1952 Bentley Continental R-Type Fastback Sports Saloon, one of
the ultimate post-war grand touring cars, also garnered significant
attention from collectors, realizing £532,000.
“Once again, our London sale has demonstrated that it
successfully unites some the world’s finest cars with an audience
of discriminating collectors from all corners of the world.
Reflecting RM’s strong international client base, bidders at the
sale hailed from 33 countries around the world, including as far
away as Argentina, Hong Kong, India and Bahrain,” says Max
Girardo, Managing Director, RM Europe. “We enjoyed a fantastic
night in central London with some incredible results. The sale
certainly rounded out RM’s 2012 roster of European sales in the
best possible fashion.”
One lot attracting significant pre-sale interest was the wonderful
and historically significant 1964 Aston Martin DB5, delivered new
to Beatles member Sir Paul McCartney and owned by him for
some six years. Presented in fabulous, restored condition, the
car achieved £344,400, reinforcing its significance to collectors
and the enduring appeal of Beatles-related provenance.
The Porsche brand also demonstrated that collectors are eager to
buy the best of the breed. A 1996 Porsche 911 GT2, just two
owners from new, far exceeded its pre-sale estimate, selling for a
remarkable £324,880, while the slightly older but equally rare
1988 Porsche 959 ‘Komfort’ also exceeded its pre-sale estimate,
realizing a strong £308,000. Proving that not all post-war Italian
exotics need a prancing horse to be highly desirable, the 1973
Lancia Stratos ‘Stradale’, one of the first of its kind built, sold for
an impressive £249,200 against a pre-sale high estimate of
£190,000.
The two-wheeled lots also shone in Battersea. The super-rare,
exceptionally restored 1926 Brough Superior SS100 Alpine Grand
Sports, one of the world’s most collectable motorcycles, sold for
an incredible £280,800, while the matching numbers, fully
authentic 1952 Vincent Series C Black Shadow also
demonstrated star quality, fetching £78,975.
RM concludes its 2012 auction calendar on 1 December in North
Palm Beach, Florida with the presentation of the John Staluppi
‘Cars of Dreams’ Museum, featuring nearly 120 automobiles and
50 lots of memorabilia ‘without reserve’. The company will then
kick off the 2013 collector car auction season on 18 January in
Phoenix, Arizona. RM’s first scheduled 2013 European sale will
be held in Cernobbio, Italy in May 2013 in conjunction with the
prestigious Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.
Images Peter Singhof www.ClassicCarPhotography.de
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