Bonhams, Greenwich Concours d’Elegance, Greenwich, Connecticut, June 3, 2012
Report and photos by Rick Carey, Auction Editor
In its fifth year at the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance Bonhams achieved its highest sale total and strong mean and median transaction values and sell-through rate in a diverse auction with Rupert Banner on the block.
A downpour Saturday morning – and a site delivered to concours and auction organizers in a mess after a big birthday party and concert two weeks before – didn’t seem to deter both visitors on Saturday and the auction bidders and guests on Sunday.
Some of the cars’ histories were unusually interesting, as were the cars themselves. In the end the rain clouds parted and both buyers and consignors went away with sunny dispositions.
Lot # 413 1953 Aston Martin DB2 Coupe; S/N LML/50285; Engine # LB6B/50640; Dark Blue/Dark Blue leather, Plaid cloth inserts; Estimate $170,000 - $200,000; Modified restoration, 3+ condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $135,000 -- RHD. Silver painted wire wheels, 6.00L-16 Dunlop Racing tires, braced rollbar, bucket seats, Vantage spec engine. Prepared for historic racing and used lightly for the purpose intended. Very good cosmetics let down by small details like curdled quarter window seals. Instrument panel wood looks like pine with terrible, runny varnish. Orderly, but done to be driven fast, not shown. While the race preparation of this Aston is impressive there are enough shortcomings in its workmanship to put bidders on the defensive and this is definitely a defensive bid leaving a potential purchaser plenty of headroom to take care of details without bumping up against the DB2 value ceiling.Lot # 417 1954 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster; S/N E54S002776; Polo White/Dark Red leather; Beige cloth top; Estimate $70,000 - $90,000; Recent restoration, 2+ condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $59,000 -- Pushbutton radio (not WonderBar). Excellent paint, chrome and (odd colored leather) interior. Quality restoration with only a little age. Sharp and crisp under the hood. Offered at Auctions America's Ft. Lauderdale sale last year where it no-saled at a reported bid of $61,000. One more bump here probably would have bought it and at $60,000 it is still a sound value.Lot # 422 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB Berlinetta, Body by Pininfarina; S/N 07871; Engine # 07871; Rosso Corsa/Tan leather; Cosmetic restoration, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $1,125,000 plus commission of 10.62%; Final Price $1,244,500 -- 6-Weber intake, chrome wire wheels, blackwall Michelin radials. Short nose body with long nose features and "interim" driveshaft configuration. Restored like new with very good paint and chrome. Engine is oily and shows age and use. Interior shows some use and age. A few assembly flaws like the upper left corner of the windshield where there is a 1/4 inch gap between the gasket and the body. Underbody is covered in old undercoat. Sold for $920,000 hammer, $1,012,000 with commission at RM's Monterey auction in 2008, the value increase in this car is modest when put up against similar Ferraris, but its condition today isn't the best, either. The Greenwich bidders hit its value spot-on and got good value for the money.Lot # 423 1960 Fiat 600 Multipla Taxi; S/N 100108074075; Dark Green, Black roof/Green leatherette; Estimate $35,000 - $45,000; Cosmetic restoration, 3 condition; Hammered Sold at $34,000 plus commission of 17.00%; Final Price $39,780 -- Roof rack, sliding back door windows, luggage platform where right front seat would usually be, taximeter and roof light. Mediocre repaint over flawed old paint, roof rack repainted over pitted tubing. Good upholstery and front bumper chrome but flaking rear bumper chrome. Orderly engine compartment. Superficially cosmetically redone but usable and plenty cute. No Reserve. Back in 1967 a couple vacationing in Italy bought this taxi to get around the country during a railway strike, then brought it back to the States. It was sold for $42,500, $46,750 with commission, at RM's Monterey auction in 2010 right after its cosmetic re-do and it could hardly have been much better then than it is now. By that standard, at least, it is a sound value here.Lot # 424 1961 Daimler SP250 Convertible; S/N 100531; Black/Dark Grey leather; Tan leatherette top; Estimate $40,000 - $50,000; Older restoration, 2+ condition; Hammered Sold at $45,000 plus commission of 17.00%; Final Price $52,650 -- Chrome wire wheels, whitewall tires, steering wheel rim and spokes covered in grey leather, chrome generator cover. Concours restored with excellent paint, chrome, upholstery and underhood detail. Shows a little age but could be detailed back to concours. Sold by the estate of the first owner of the car, who bought it back from the second owner in 1986. Exhaustive history file, original colors and materials. A gem. History and benign stories are so important in cars' values, as this Daimler Dart illustrates. The price it brought is a premium from similar SP250s, but not a lot and no way nearly enough to make it expensive.Lot # 425 1960 Daimler SP250 Convertible; S/N 100320; Silver-Grey/Burgundy leather; Taupe leatherette top; Estimate $30,000 - $40,000; Cosmetic restoration, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $38,000 plus commission of 17.00%; Final Price $44,460 -- Alternator, wheel covers, blackwall tires, Moto-Lita woodrim steering wheel. Good paint and major chrome, weak trim chrome, surface creased upholstery. Used but tidy underhood and chassis. Includes a set of period Minilite alloy wheels. A color changed, well-maintained driver with attractive cosmetics. Barry Flynn estate. More than its concours-restored stablemate from the Flynn estate this Daimler Dart establishes a rare and important benchmark in the values of these interesting, individualistic cars. It is very good and not unreasonably priced for its utility, equipment and history.Lot # 429 1963 Porsche 356B Super 90 Cabriolet, Body by Reutter; S/N 157022; Engine # P805679; Red/Black leather; Black cloth top; Estimate $150,000 - $175,000; Recent restoration, 2 condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $130,000 -- Silver painted steel wheels, hubcaps, blackwall tires, clock, no radio, dual outside mirrors. Excellent paint, chrome, interior and glass. Restored like new. Flush fits, flat panels, even gaps. Right rear wheel painted over dented rim. Represented as numbers-matching and documented with Porsche Kardex copy. Needs nothing. The difference between the value of a merely good Super 90 Cab and a great one is substantial. This one is far better than merely good and a little more than the reported high bid would not be excessive.Lot # 432 1953 Jaguar XK 120 Roadster; S/N 671555; Engine # W3656-8; Silver/Burgundy leather; Black cloth top; Estimate $110,000 - $120,000; Recent restoration, 2+ condition; Hammered Sold at $120,000 plus commission of 15.83%; Final Price $139,000 -- Steel wheels, blackwall tires, skirts, tri-bar headlights. Restored in 1997 and still better than new except for painted over rust pits on the underbody. Judged 99.97 points by JCNA in 1997, AACA Grand National and Amelia Award in 2000. Still very neat and tidy. Includes tool kit, jack, the elusive underhood grease gun and JDHT certificate confirming numbers-matching engine and original colors. An especially sweet and attractive XK 120 that brought no less than its outstanding, sympathetically restored, condition deserved.Lot # 432A 1957 MG A Roadster; S/N HDL4330150; Light Blue/Dark Blue leather; Dark Blue cloth top; Estimate $38,000 - $40,000; Recent restoration, 2+ condition; Hammered Sold at $47,500 plus commission of 17.00%; Final Price $55,575 -- 1800cc engine, chrome wire wheels, Michelin XWX blackwall tires, painted wire spare, no jack or tools. Excellent paint and chrome, good interior and top. Waterspotted side curtain frames. Polished carb dashpots, maroon painted engine and valve cover. Done everywhere by Kurt Tanner and his meticulous painter father to high standards and better than new. Onlookers marveled at this MG A's paint, as they should have. It's beyond perfect. Offered at Mecum's Kissimmee auction in January of this year it no-saled at a $44,000 high bid, then sold at Auction America's Ft. Lauderdale sale in March for $35,900, $39,500 with commission. It found its home in New England and realized the potential of its really exceptional restoration. This is extraordinary MG A money. Consignors should take notice.Lot # 446 1954 MG TF Roadster; S/N HDP46/1141; Engine # XPAGTF31294; BRGreen/Tan leather; Tan cloth top; Estimate $35,000 - $45,000; Recent restoration, 2+ condition; Hammered Sold at $42,000 plus commission of 17.00%; Final Price $49,140 -- Chrome wire wheels, Michelin XWX blackwall radials. Restored in 2008 in its original colors and still sharp and crisp. Very sharp and orderly underhood. Sold here last year for $33,000, $38,610 with commission, this result should not be taken as a reliable indicator of TF 1250 prices. It's expensive at this price, but not enough to be over the top.Lot # 448 1979 Kougar Sports 3.8 Roadster; S/N P1B52479DN; Red/Black vinyl; Estimate $40,000 - $50,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3 condition; Hammered Sold at $36,000 plus commission of 17.00%; Final Price $42,120 -- Silver painted wire wheels, curved plastic windscreen, Dunlop SP Sport blackwall tires, Moto-Lita leather rim steering wheel. Clean, orderly, lightly used car with a sound paint job over ripply plastic body panels. Bought new by Road & Track editor Tony Hogg, later owned by David E. Davis, Jr. Despite the praise heaped upon it by David E. it has only 15, 005 miles from new. Maybe the low miles have something to do with the 'no top, no windshield wipers, no doors; no seat adjustment ... no heater, and no fuel gauge' that David E. cited among its attributes. Now a new owner gets to experience the 'great whomping engine note ... the best sound this side of E. Power Biggs playing Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor'. It is without doubt the best Jaguar XJ6 on the road, and modestly bought for its performance, attitude and history.Lot # 451 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spyder Conversion; S/N 16639; Engine # B2342; Red/Red leather, Black stripes; Estimate $340,000 - $380,000; Older restoration, 2- condition; Hammered Sold at $322,500 plus commission of 12.17%; Final Price $361,750 -- Chrome spoke Borranis, Michelin X blackwall tires, A/C, Alpine cassette stereo. Good paint, chrome and interior. Restored like, new with just a little use showing on the chassis, on the seat and under the exhaust heat shields. Owned by Rod Stewart from 1998-1999. Bid to $300,000 on the block and sold later at this price. It would have been, in this condition and colors, worth this much if it had a roof. With its history and the panache of a Spyder the new owner smartly spotted value. This is accurate Daytona Spyder conversion money, but it'll be more than a little fun to own and drive. An astute acquisition.Lot # 454 1964 Austin-Healey 3000 Mk III Phase 2 Convertible; S/N HBJ8L27397; Engine # 29KRUH/1990; OEWhite/Red vinyl; Black leatherette top; Estimate $35,000 - $40,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3- condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $28,000 -- Silver painted wire wheels, blackwall tires, BMC pushbutton radio, overdrive, luggage rack. Fair old paint, a few dents and marginal chrome. Mostly original and pretty scruffy underhood. Sound body and trim. Unrestored BJ8 Phase III Big Healeys are thin on the ground these days. Given the treatment by Kurt Tanner or his counterparts in Healey restorations this could be a $100,000 car and its restoration, professionally done by experts familiar with the cars and their parts sources, would cost less than the finished car's value. Even at a little more than this bid this was an overlooked opportunity.Lot # 466 1962 Moretti 2500 SS Coupe; S/N 114BS-112935; Red/Black vinyl; Estimate $65,000 - $75,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3- condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $55,000 -- Chrome wire wheels, blackwall tires, Nardi woodrim steering wheel, Blaupunkt radio, driving lights. Repainted over alligatored, shrinking old paint. Shiny old vinyl upholstery. Casually masked. Seriously superficial and in need of comprehensive, competent attention but beautiful BMW-like coachwork. For those of us who've been around a while one attribute distinguishes this car. It is ex-Raymond ('I'll just step outside for a breath of fresh air' preferably a Gauloises) Milo. Raymond was the emperor of etceterini, like this Moretti. He loved them almost as much as vino rosso. His imprimatur gold-plates this car's provenance, even if the car's condition isn't the best. Bought anywhere near the reported high bid this is a sound value. Presented pretty much anywhere as 'formerly owned by Raymond Milo' it is an instant entrant that will bring happy memories of Raymond to the cognoscenti and unreconstructed smokers.Lot # 474 1955 Jaguar XK 140MC Drophead Coupe; S/N S817336DN; Engine # G2998-8S; Claret/Biscuit leather; Tan cloth top and boot; Estimate $85,000 - $95,000; Older restoration, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $90,000 plus commission of 17.00%; Final Price $105,300 -- Chrome wire wheels. Lucas fog lights, whitewall tires. A good older restoration with use and age. Engine and chassis are neglected but paint, upholstery, chrome, glass, interior and top are very good. Includes tools, handbook and the 'minor replacement outfit' parts kit. A driver with abundant eye appeal. Makes a great first impression but it doesn't hold up upon getting close and down into the car's depths. The seller should be happy (if not overjoyed) to get this much for it.Lot # 476 1964 Aston Martin DB5 Coupe; S/N DB5/1322/L; Engine # 400/1277; BRGreen/Brown leather; Estimate $400,000 - $500,000; Unrestored original, 4+ condition; Hammered Sold at $350,000 plus commission of 12.00%; Final Price $392,000 -- LHD. Silver painted wire wheels, blackwall tries, P/W, black spoke woodrim steering wheel. Radio and A/C removed. 37,236 miles from new, stored for decades with short annual drives. Color changed from Snow Shadow Grey. Rough but complete old car with a peeling old repaint, surface creased, musty original leather, cracked tires and old chrome. Body is straight and sound. This is a choice prize, largely preserved with a crappy old repaint that just might be scoured off to reveal the original paint in hopes of a preservation class standout. The new owner faces a difficult choice between conservation and restoration but either way this is going to be a spectacular DB5 bought at an appropriate price.Lot # 478 1986 Ferrari Testarossa, Body by Pininfarina; S/N ZFFTA17B000064545; Red/Black leather; Estimate $55,000 - $65,000; Unrestored original, 2- condition; Hammered Sold at $37,000 plus commission of 17.00%; Final Price $43,290 -- A/C, TRX wheels and tires. Good, clean, original car, European delivered to a US buyer with 16,551 km from new. Includes original books and tools. '(M)ajor service within the last 700 miles' is barely reassuring given its low miles and lack of use. Driver's seat cushion is unusually stretched and there is some water spotting of the seat bolster and head restraint but beyond that the car is hard to fault. By any standard, even if the engine needs a fresh service, this is a good value.Lot # 481 1963 Porsche 356B Super 90 Coupe, Body by Karmann; S/N 211317; Engine # P802270; Green/Grey leather; Estimate $75,000 - $85,000; Recent restoration, 2 condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $60,000 -- Chrome wheels, hubcaps, no radio. Very good restoration with a few small flaws like weak vent window chrome. Underbody is very good. Replacement engine is clean, orderly and not overdone. Cataloged as matching numbers, the consignor quickly supplied a 'correct' but not original engine when the Porsche Certificate revealed that what was under the engine cover wasn't what was there when it left Stuttgart. Even at that, though, it should have sold at the reported high bid.Lot # 482 1900 Societe Parisienne Victoria Combination, Body by Belvalette; S/N ; Engine # 15494; Red, Varnished wood/Beige leather; Estimate $50,000 - $70,000; Older restoration, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $48,000 plus commission of 17.00%; Final Price $56,160 -- Tiller steered, 2-seat body, 2 1/2hp deDion single mounted rigidly to the front axle driving through a clutch and Didier 2-speed gearbox. The entire front axle assembly pivots for steering, like a kid's wagon. Sympathetically restored many years ago and sparingly used, displayed in the seller's office for many years. Acquired by the seller from Henry Austin Clark, Jr., possibly previously owned by George J. Gould and in good, sound, usable condition. Not VCC dated for London to Brighton eligibility but given that production ceased in 1901 there's little likelihood it won't pass muster, particularly with its Austie Clark provenance and limited ownership history, probably only three owners from new. It is a solid value at this price, and an economical entre to a cold November morning's trip from London to Brighton.Lot # 483 1907 Stanley Model EX Runabout; S/N 3595; Dark Green, Black accent/Black leather; Black leatherette roof; Estimate $90,000 - $120,000; Older restoration, 1- condition; Hammered Sold at $110,000 plus commission of 16.36%; Final Price $128,000 -- RHD. E&J acetylene headlights, Dietz kerosene sidelights and Dainty Tail Lamp, yellow chassis and wood spoke wheels, Prest-o-lite tank, Neverout accessory light, bulb horn. Excellent older restoration to show car condition with some subsequent use and age but still very sharp. Boiler hood brass could use a touch up but that's about all it wants other than a thorough checkup of its steam system. Amazingly, one family owned since 1925. The catalog story deserves repeating: ‘Its tale begins in 1907 when Ed Hunter bought the car through George Grappotte's dealership in Watertown, NY. Hunter sold it August 10, 1924, to Fred "Pickle" Jackson of Dexter, NY, making it the first car in that small rural town. The EX was well worn by that time, so Jackson was contemplating turning it into a sleigh because of the nice carriage work. The current owner's father, happened to be there and persuaded Jackson to sell it to him instead. He was in Dexter visiting his mother, so he persuaded her to let him leave the car in her barn. It stayed there through the Depression, World War II, and after, until 1953 when the owner's father ran into Ed Beagle at a car show in Connecticut and commented "Boy, would I like to have a car like that to work on!" ‘Granting him his wish, he replied that he had just such a car and that if Beagle, who lived in Bennington, Vermont, would pick it up from his mother in New York State, he could do just that. So off the Stanley went to Vermont. Beagle repaired it and had it running in fairly good order. Just two years later, in 1955, Stanley Ellis featured Beagle and the then 8-year old current owner in his seminal Smogless Days: Adventures in Ten Stanley Steamers. Ellis's book influenced the preservation of Stanleys by popularizing, even facilitating, steam car collecting. Beagle kept the Stanley until 1972 when he turned 100. ‘At that point, the car was moved from Vermont to the owner's home in Chatham, NY. Looking for advice on running the car, he contacted Carl Amsley, a well known Stanley dealer and restorer, and others, including Susan Davis of the then new Stanley Museum. Was it ready to drive? Did anything need to be done to it? Foster settled into simply firing it up occasionally, with no extensive driving. ‘On his father's death in 1992, it passed to the current owner who was living in Utah at the time. Initially the car remained in Chatham, NY, and he tried to have Carl Amsley work on it; but he proved to be too busy, so he moved the EX out west to Utah. ‘About that time, Lorin Tryon and Jules Heumann had conspired with Susan Davis and the Stanley Museum to put together a Stanley Class for the 1997 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Thanks to urging by Stanley Museum member and Tryon and Heumann's "Candy Store" buddy, Jim Crank, the timing coincided with the centennial of the Stanley steam car, so with help from Brent Campbell and other experts in the hobby, we put together a class of 12 Stanleys along with four White steam cars, four Dobles, and the coal-fired 1884 De Dion Bouton et Trepardoux Dos-a-Dos. The plan was to assemble the most representative and original steam cars in the country that properly told the story of the Stanley Steamer. By adding Whites, Dobles and the rare De Dion Bouton, we expanded the class to speak of steam cars in general. The Pebble Beach team felt that this 1907 EX met the requirements of originality and provenance for the Stanley's longest-running ten horse-power production model, built from 1906-1908. ‘At the same time, the owner had decided to put his car through a major restoration, which was completed in 1996. In doing so, he researched the best Stanley experts in restoration out west to do the work. Stu Laidlaw's SOB Inc.; Alan Blazick's Bill Harris and Lane Goulding; Loren Burch and Arno Stites did the work, helped with advice from east coast experts, including the late Louie Biondi, Brent Campbell, Charlie Johnson and others. As with truly original Stanleys, the serial number 3595 was found on the body, in this case branded into the right side of the cowling. The wood was encapsulated with marine epoxy to seal it and prevent it from expanding and cracking the paint. ‘Once the restoration was completed, it was entered into the 1996 Silverado Concours in Napa, CA, where it placed second. The next year at Pebble Beach its third place in the Stanley Class was especially significant, coming as it did in a class with the country's top Stanleys. After Pebble Beach the EX returned to Ogden, Utah, where it was driven and shown. For the last few years it has been a main attraction in the Browning Car Museum at Union Station in Ogden. ‘With the car come original photo prints used in Stanley Ellis's Smogless Days book as well as photos when the owner's father bought the car in New York in 1924, and other newspaper articles and written documentation. A picture of George Grappotte's dealership where the car was first sold is also included, along with the original 1924 check for its purchase.’ Why sell an 80-year member of the family? The consignor explained, 'I have three kids. None of them are particularly interested in the car and if anything happened to me they'd be lost trying to figure out what to do with it.' He was more than wistful about it, but maybe the new owner will grant visiting privileges. It's rare that a Stanley survives in so complete and original condition making this a particularly important opportunity for steam enthusiasts and a particularly satisfying acquisition at this price.Lot # 484 1926 Morgan/GN Monoposto; S/N LTOWS39283; Engine # 2A31312H6; BRGreen/Green leather; Estimate $30,000 - $40,000; Competition car, original as-raced, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $25,000 plus commission of 17.00%; Final Price $29,250 -- Electric starter, Heim jointed suspension. Old and used but carefully maintained for vintage racing. A triumph of ingenuity over design limitations, the B-type Morgan trike has a dual sprocket GN rear axle and a Harley-Davidson shovelhead vee-twin creating a nearly mystifying sequence of gear changing but a most satisfying vintage racer once its mysteries are resolved. Its history goes back to the UK in the early 70's and it is an intriguing and economical vintage racer at this price, capable of being towed behind a Mini.Lot # 485 1962 Morgan Plus 4 Roadster Race Car; S/N 5409; Engine # TS2002E; White/Black; Estimate $35,000 - $45,000; Competition restoration, 3 condition; Not sold at Hammer bid of $19,000 -- RHD. A serious vintage racecar with Toyota 5-speed. Used and aged but sound and orderly. The original Moss 4-speed is included should a new owner be so foolish as to want to fit it (and learn to double-clutch every shift). Full weather equipment and lights. A highly developed vintage racer, the 1984 FIA European Overall Historic GT Championship winner driven by Peter Ecury. The bidders missed a bet (if there were any vintage racers in the crowd) by not snapping up this Morgan.
Why no coverage of the 2012 Greenwich Concours itself…why simply the auction?
Great reporting Rick!