San Francisco, 18 August 2013
Bonhams 16th annual Carmel automotive auction – the longest
running sale during the Monterey Peninsula Car Week – was a
resounding success with a nearly 90% sale-through rate and
nearly $33-million realized.
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The Bonhams pavilion, situated on the spacious western lawns of
Quail Lodge in sunny Carmel Valley, hosted an incredibly busy
viewing in a lovely garden party atmosphere. Buyers from around
the world came to view some of the rarest and most important
cars ever offered, which resulted in a packed salesroom on
auction day. “It was the most attended preview and auction in
memory,” said Bonhams Group Director of Motoring James
Knight.
The most popular car of the auction in terms of consistent crowds
of admirers and cameras, as well sales price, was the utterly
distinct 1931 Bentley 4.5-Liter Supercharged Le Mans racer from
the Charles R.J. Noble Collection. Spirited bidding in the
salesroom and on the telephones elicited excitement among the
crowd as the car realized $4,647,500 from a private European
buyer, resulting in a new record for a production blower Bentley.
Another crowd-creating and news-making car, the stunning
one-off 1954 New York Auto Show, 1953 Ferrari 250 Europa
Coupé by Vignale, made the audience erupt in cheers as it
achieved an astonishing result and sold for $2,805,000.
The incredibly original Car and Driver test car 1962 Shelby AC
Cobra from the Stan Hallinan Collection also achieved a new
record for the model as it brought $2,068,000 to the delight of all
in attendance.
The 1952 Earls Court Motor Show and 1953 Sebring 12 Hours,
1952 Frazer-Nash Le Mans MkII sold for $1-million, setting a new
world record for the marque.
Overall, 10 cars sold for more than $1-million with several new
world records achieved. Additional records achieved for marque
models include: Austin-Healey 3000, Lamborghini Countach,
Lancia B24S Spider America, Lotus 22, and a Mercedes-Benz
Bus.
Furthermore, more than $1.6-million was realized for the
automobilia section, always a popular attraction at Bonhams’
sales, with a Ferrari 625 LM 2.5-Liter 4-cylinder engine selling for
$326,500 and a rare 1925 Lalique Comete glass mascot making
$120,100.
“We achieved outstanding results for exceptional motorcars and
demonstrated once again the strength of the highest end of the
market,” said Bonhams Group CEO Malcolm Barber. “Our
international team was on site servicing a clientele that spans the
globe, and whether it’s making records this month in California or
last month in England, the Bonhams motoring group, as market
leaders, is one of the finest anywhere."
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Images Peter Singhof ... www.ClassicCarPhotography.de
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