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The undisputed star of the event—and this year’s Arizona auction week—was a 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540 K
Special Roadster, chassis no. 130894, which crossed the stage during Friday’s sale session. An original
U.S.-delivery car with known history from new, the highly desirable “high door”, “longtail”, factory left-hand-drive
Special Roadster was offered fresh to the market, following 26 years in single ownership. Bidding on the
stunning automobile opened at $5 million before quickly climbing to a final $9,900,000. The impressive price
ranks the vehicle as the most valuable automobile sold in Arizona auction week history, breaking the previous
record set by RM in 2015. The strong result also ranks the Special Roadster as one of the most valuable
pre-war automobiles ever sold at auction.
The 540 K led a string of 17 individual million-dollar-plus sales and various new auction benchmarks at this
year’s RM sale. Among notable record-setting lots, a 1962 Maserati 5000 GT Coupe, widely considered the
most significant and glamorous road-going Maserati, commanded a strong $1,540,000 during Thursday’s sale
session to set a new auction record for the model, while a 1952 Cunningham C3 Coupe, the only
Vignale-bodied C3 actively raced in period, sold for an above-estimate $1,210,000 to set a new auction record
for the model. Also entering the history books was a 1939 Jaguar SS 100 2 ½ -Litre Roadster, offered from
long-term ownership, which established a new record for a Jaguar SS 100 sold at auction at $1,402,500.
“We are thrilled with the sales result from this week’s Arizona auction. Though we did not witness significant
price increases, we were very encouraged to see the strong sell-through rate, which indicates continued
interest in the hobby,” says Ian Kelleher, Managing Director, RM Sotheby’s West Coast Division. “The auction
was anchored by several notable world records, with numerous lots attracting highly competitive bidding from
an enthused audience. There remains a healthy appetite for high-quality, fresh-to-market consignments, and
with this week’s results on par with the strong success of last year’s Arizona sale, we expect continued
interest, attendance and participation at our upcoming events.”
Perennial crowd favorites, a trio of Shelbys also thrilled collectors at this week’s RM Arizona event. Leading
the charge, a 1965 Shelby 427 Competition Cobra, the only 427 Cobra to win championships in two
countries, powered to a final $2,255,000 on Thursday, while an original 1964 Shelby 289 Cobra commanded
a final $1,072,500 on Friday. Rounding out the group, a 1963 Shelby 289 Cobra ‘Dragonsnake’—the
winningest Dragonsnake—was driven onto stage by Bruce Larson, the driver behind much of its success,
before selling for a final $990,000.
Reflecting the diversity of RM’s 2016 Arizona catalogue, additional notable sales included:
· a 1929 Duesenberg Model J Disappearing Top Torpedo Convertible Coupe, one of just six original
examples built, for $3,000,000;
· a 1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV, one of five single-sump SVs sold new to the U.S., garnered
$2,000,000;
· a 1933 Packard Twelve Convertible Victoria, offered publicly for the first time, surpassed estimate at a
final $660,000;
· a freshly restored 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air ‘Fuel Injected’ Convertible achieved $176,000 against a
pre-sale estimate of $100,000 - $125,000;
· a superbly restored 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz also exceeded estimate at $390,500;
· a 1989 Mercedes-Benz 560 SEC 6.0 AMG ‘Wide Body’ presented in excellent original condition garnered
$154,000;
· an ultra-desirable 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder with less than 1,500 miles, sold for an upper-estimate
$1,595,000; and,
· the 1959 Austin-Healey Sprite Mk 1 “Think Pink”, one of 12 automobiles offered from the esteemed Craig
McCaw Collection, and sold to benefit charity, realized $60,500
From the Arizona desert to the City of Light, the RM Sotheby’s team heads directly to Paris for its annual
sale during the world-famous Retromobile week, February 3. Held at Place Vauban in the city’s center, the
Paris auction will lift the gavel on 61 of the world’s finest motor cars from both pre- and post-war periods.
#RMSAZ
Images Peter Singhof
www.ClassicCarPhotography.de
Related material
... Consolidated 2016 Auction Results sorted by Price descending >>>
... Consolidated 2016 Auction Results in gallery view >>>
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