The1969 Lamborghini Miura P400 S—thought to be one of the last remaining examples to be preserved in
largely original and unrestored condition—was offered at the London sale without reserve, as a number of
bidders vied for the car on the night of the auction. As bidding reached a final £1.24 million, its new owner
would take a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire the ‘time capsule’ Miura P400 S, which last changed
hands in 1974. This incredible car, chassis no. 4245, was sold to its second owner in 1974, remaining with
his family until last night’s sale. The car, which had most recently been stored in a German barn, was
presented in its highly patinated Giallo Flay yellow paint with Skay Bleu blue interior, still fitted with its
original engine (pre-sale estimate £800k/£1m).
A race-proven 1985 Lancia Delta S4 Rally—one of only four Delta S4s to have won a World Rally
Championship event, and immaculately restored to original specification—was a crowd-pleaser in West
London, taking centre-spot on the auction stage as bids came in. The Abarth Classiche-certified Lancia would
eventually reach the upper end of its estimate, pulling in £764,375. Exceeding its estimate on the night, a
stunningly restored 1961 Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2 Series I was sold for £404,375 (est. £325/375k), while a 1973
Ferrari Dino 246 GT attracted huge interest to make £432,500. A 1984 Daimler Double Six
Long-Wheelbase Saloon, once owned by Her Majesty The Queen, Elizabeth II, went under the hammer
without reserve and sold for an exceptional £80,500, exceeding its pre-sale estimate of £50/70k. This year’s
London auction also represented an evening of great success for cars offered for charity. The Forests
Collection, a charity consignment of eight cars and one Harley-Davidson motorcycle, brought in over £500,000
with proceeds to be donated to the Trillion Trees environmental cause. The grouping of vehicles was led by a
2001 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (£172,500), also including a 2018 Porsche 911 GT3 in Sepia Brown (£115,000)
and a 1991 BMW M3 (£57,500), among other lots, representing a real variety on the night.
Will Smith, Auction Manager, RM Sotheby’s London, said
“We are delighted to have witnessed a highly successful auction at this year’s new Olympia location in
London, proving that the classic car market is still strong for both buyers and sellers, with a strong
sell-through ratio at 72 percent. The varied selection of excellent cars on offer in this year’s auction is surely
one of the most important contributing factors that made it a triumph, with everything from iconic motorsport
greats to timeless performance cars for the road. The Lamborghini Miura sold well thanks to its exclusivity
and rarity, and we are proud to have played host to the sale of the car as it changes hands for the first time in
over 40 years.”
RM Sotheby’s London sale saw additional offerings from the renowned Youngtimer Collection, a
single-owner group of modern classics from the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, with previous entries from the
collection proving an excellent success at a number of RM Sotheby’s auctions earlier this year. A 1992
Mercedes-Benz 300 CE 6.0 AMG ‘Hammer’ incited a long bidding contest to make £207,000, a 1991
Mercedes-Benz 560 SEC AMG 6.0 ‘Wide-Body’ achieved £161,000 and a 1995 Mercedes-Benz E60 AMG
pulled in £138,000.
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