It was also the first Aston Martin to carry the renowned ‘Superleggera’ all-aluminium bodywork by
Carrozzeria Touring and the first to be powered by the all-new 240bhp six-cylinder 3.6-litre engine. This
example is one of only 350 Series II cars built.
Also lining up is a 1987 Ferrari 512 BBi, estimate €160,000 – 200,000, featuring Formula 1 derived
technology and engineering.
The Bonhams Paris Sale is known for offering the finest pre-war motor cars and earlier this year achieved a
world record for the world’s finest pre-war sports car, a 1931 Invicta 4 1/2-Litre S-Type Low Chassis
Sports with unique ‘sport cabriolet’ coachwork by Carbodies which sold for €1,610,000.
The standout result of 2020 was the €4,600,000 achieved by a 1932 Bugatti Type 55, which was a works
entry in the 24 Hours of Le Mans driven by two of the era’s most celebrated racing drivers, Louis Chiron and
Count Guy Bouriat-Quintart. The Bugatti was the most valuable lot in the sale – and also the ‘top lot’ across
all of this year’s Rétromobile sales.
An early pre-war consignment to the 2021 sale is a 1933 Lagonda 16/80 2-litre, with coachwork by
Vanden Plas, estimate €110,000 – 140,000, a rare survivor as one of only 12 commissioned by Lagonda
with bodywork by foremost coachbuilder Vanden Plas.
Representing modern classics will be a former Paris Motor Show model, a 1990 Opel Lotus Omega,
estimate €60,000 – 80,000, the fastest production four-door saloon car of its day, with a top speed of 282
kmh.
The high-performance flagship of Opel, it was hand-built by Lotus, another General Motors owned brand at
the time, at its UK factory. This was the second example produced and one of three used as press cars.
The Paris Sale
‘Les Grand Marques du Monde à Paris’, a specially curated exclusive collectors’ motor car sale, will take
place in Rue de la Paix, where Bonhams Paris headquarters are based.
Subject to local restrictions, the sale will follow the successful Bonhams ‘live and online’ format. A live
auctioneer will be at the rostrum and the sale will be live streamed worldwide via Bonhams.com, accepting
remote online, telephone and absentee bids. The cars will be displayed for viewing purposes in the Grand
Palais, by appointment only.
Philip Kantor, Head of Department, Bonhams Motor Cars Europe, said: “We are delighted to return to Paris
for our European season-opening sale in 2021. We are proud that this has become such an important
fixture on the motoring calendar and indeed is considered a don’t miss event in Paris to start the motoring
year.”
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