Bonhams Grand Palais Paris 2014 – Auction Results

The Bonhams Paris Auction 2014 was held Thursday 6th February at the Grand Palais in Paris during Retromobile Week, resulting in €17 million in total sales.

The top result at the Bonhams Paris Auction went to the 1968 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 Berlinetta, which achieved a new world auction record for the model when it was sold for €2,225,000 (£1,850,000/$3,000,000).

Another Ferrari — this time a Formula One Grand Prix single-seater — sold for €483,000 (£402,000/$656,000). Previously raced by Michele Alboreto throughout the 1984 season, it is one of the last Ferrari Formula 1 cars that can be raced and maintained without official ‘Ferrari Clienti’ team support.

Another notable result at the 2014 Bonhams Grand Palais sale was the 1929 Bugatti Type 35B that sold for €1,610,000 (£1,340,000/$2,200,000). The Grand Prix Bugatti, previously owned by Jack Lemon Burton and Lady Mary Grosvenor, went to a buyer who traveled to Paris from the Far East.

Demonstrating the popularity of the French marques, it took five minutes for a 1947 Delage D6 3-litre competition car to be sold for €1,100,000 (£916,000/$1,495,000). One of just seven built, the restored racer went to a European buyer.

But the British Aston Martins also proved popular among bidders. Auctioneer James Knight presided over a battle between Europe and USA bidders as a rare left hand drive 1962 DB4 Vantage GT Coupe went for more than double its estimate at €1,200,000 (£999,000/$1,631,000). A 1965 Aston Martin DB5, of the same model as used in the James Bond film, Goldfinger, sold for €776,000 (£646,000/$1,055,000).

Further sales included a narrow-body 1989 Porsche 911 Speedster, with just one owner and fewer than 650 km on the clock, that sold for €310,500 (£258,500/$422,000) against an estimate of €100,000 – 150,000 (£83,000 – 125,000), while a Facel Vega II that had been kept in storage for 40 years — and brought to Paris from the USA to be sold — went for €155,000 (£129,000/$211,000).

These top lots followed the motorcycle and automobilia sale, during which the highlight was the anticipated sale of a Harley-Davidson 2013 Dyna Super Glide and leather jacket that belonged to Pope Francis. His Holiness was given the items by Harley-Davidson in June 2013 by the motorcycle manufacturer to mark its 110th anniversary and the proceeds of the sale went to the charity, Caritas Roma to help renovate a hostel and soup kitchen at Rome’s Termini station. The motorcycle was bought for €241,500 (£201,000/$328,000) by a European buyer and the jacket went for €57,500 (£48,000/$78,000) to an overseas buyer.

Bonhams Grand Palais Paris 2014 – Top Ten Auction Results

1. 1968 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 Berlinetta – €2,225,000
2. 1929 Bugatti Type 35B – €1,610,000
3. 1962 Aston Martin DB4 Vantage GT Coupe – €1,200,000
4. 1947 Delage D6 3-litre Competition Car – €1,100,000
5. 1965 Aston Martin DB5 – €776,000
6. 1958 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster – €713,000
7. 1939 Lagonda V12 Drophead Coupe – €506,000
8. 1984 Ferrari 126 C4 M2 Formula 1 – €483,000
9. 1966 Citroen DS21 Le Caddy Cabriolet – €310,500
9. 1989 Porsche 911 ‘Narrow-Body’ Speedster €310,500

For complete auction results, visit Bonhams.com.

James Knight, Group Motoring Director of Bonhams, said, “The Bonhams Paris sale goes from strength to strength and this year’s total was our highest yet. 2014 looks like being every bit as successful as our record-breaking 2013 season and follows on the from the hugely successful Scottsdale USA auction.”

[Source: Bonhams]