Throughout the course of its action-packed two-day Amelia Island sale on Thursday, March 6 and Friday, March 7, Gooding Christie’s concluded its first official auction as the automotive leg of global luxury leader Christie’s, with results indicating a promising future ahead for the collector car powerhouse. With veteran auctioneer Charlie Ross at the helm of the rostrum, Gooding Christie’s outperformed the previous year’s Amelia Island Auctions, realizing $67,427,210 from 133 of 144 lots sold and achieving the week’s highest sell-through rate at 93%. A total of 16 lots sold for over $1 million, and the average price per car sold was $506,972.
Among the most notable moments from the auction event was Friday’s sale of the 1955 Ferrari 375 MM Berlinetta offered from the respected collection of Fred Leydorf. A bidding war captivated the auction room, which included Gooding Christie’s President David Gooding taking phone bids against a resilient in-room bidder. Resultingly, bids climbed until the 375 MM Berlinetta was sold for $9,465,000 in an unforgettable auction moment. Additional postwar European offerings that garnered especially strong results include the 1963 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Series II Coupe Aerodinamico, sold for $2,535,000, the 1964 Porsche 904 Carrera GTS, which sold for above estimate at $2,205,000, and the 1953 Siata 208 CS Coupe, sold for $1,407,500.
Modern performance cars from the 1980s and 1990s also fared quite well at the Amelia Island Auctions, with RUF offerings especially making their mark in world auction history with two market-disrupting, record-setting sales. The highly anticipated sale of the time-capsule 1989 RUF CTR ‘Yellowbird’ achieved a monumental new benchmark for the RUF marque at auction, selling for $6,055,000 – a figure nearly triple that of the pre-existing marque record at auction. Shortly thereafter, the sole 1997 RUF CTR2 finished in Adriatic Blue, which sold for $2,645,000, set yet another world record as the most valuable CTR2 to sell at auction. Additionally, the 1988 Porsche 959 Komfort sold for $2,205,000, and the 2006 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren sold for $302,000 after a dynamic bidding war across telephone, in-room, and online prospective buyers.
Classic Era offerings led the Thursday auctions, with the Art Deco masterpiece 1935 Avions Voisin C25 Aérodyne achieving a new world record for the C25 model, garnering $1,985,000 on the auction block. The 1931 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Sedan, famously associated with Queen Maria of Yugoslavia, also achieved an impressive result, selling for $2,342,500. Additional collector favorites included the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing, which sold for $1,501,000, and the elegant, unrestored 1953 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback with impeccable provenance, which sold for $1,215,000.
100% of lots presented from the variety of collections at the Amelia Island Auctions sold on the auction block, including offerings from the Fred Leydorf Collection, the Ken Roath Collection, the William Alley Collection, and the Rosso Italiano Collection. The top lot of the Ken Roath Collection was the 1000 Miglia-veteran 1955 Ferrari 250 Europa GT, which sold for $1,765,000. Due to Gooding Christie’s exclusive partnership with the 1000 Miglia retrospective, this lot was pre-certified for the 1000 Miglia Warm Up USA in November 2025, and the 2026 1000 Miglia in Italy. The top lot of the William Alley Collection was the 1914 Locomobile Model 38 Berline, sold for $179,200, and the top lot of the Rosso Italiano Collection, offered entirely without reserve, was the 1984 Lamborghini Countach 5000S, sold for $544,000.
“The incredibly strong results of our 2025 Amelia Island Auctions, and our first official auction following our acquisition by Christie’s, speak for themselves, with the highest sell-through rate of the three Florida auctions and new major world records,” said Gooding Christie’s President, David Gooding. “We are grateful for everyone who joined us for this monumental, historic sale, and we are confident that the best-of-category cars that we bring to market, whether it be a bespoke 1930s Avions Voisin or the most pristine RUF CTR ‘Yellowbird’ in existence, are bound to command record figures at auction – driven by our clientele’s desire for the utmost quality of offerings.”
“We were pleased to proudly wave the Gooding Christie’s flag at Amelia Island this past week, where our team of automotive specialists and veteran industry executives achieved extraordinarily strong sell-through rates, setting key world records in the process,” said Francis Belin, President, Christie’s Asia Pacific. “The success of the inaugural Gooding Christie’s auction indicates an exciting journey ahead, and we look forward to the continued growth of our automotive department as we announce future sales.”
16 Lots Sold Over $1 Million:
Lot 154 – 1955 Ferrari 375 MM Berlinetta, sold for $9,465,00
Lot 118 – 1989 RUF CTR ‘Yellowbird,’ sold for $6,055,000
Lot 123 – 1997 RUF CTR2, sold for $2,645,000
Lot 127 – 1963 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Series II Coupe Aerodinamico, sold for $2,535,000
Lot 150 – 1968 Lamborghini Miura P400 S, sold for $2,450,000
Lot 46 – 1931 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Sedan, sold for $2,342,500
Lot 133 – 1988 Porsche 959 Komfort, sold for $2,205,000
Lot 157 – 1964 Porsche 904 Carrera GTS, sold for $2,205,000
Lot 30 – 1935 Avions Voisin C25 Aérodyne, sold for $1,985,000
Lot 142 – 1955 Ferrari 250 Europa GT, sold for $1,765,000
Lot 161 – 1967 Ferrari 330 GTS, sold for $1,600,000
Lot 11 – 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing, sold for $1,501,000
Lot 159 – 1953 Siata 208 CS Coupe, sold for $1,407,500
Lot 15 – 1953 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback, sold for $1,215,000
Lot 144 – 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ, sold for $1,160,000
Lot 170 – 1960 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster, sold for $1,028,000
New World Auction Records:
Lot 118 – 1989 RUF CTR ‘Yellowbird,’ sold for $6,055,000 (a world record for the RUF marque)
Lot 123 – 1997 RUF CTR2, sold for $2,645,000 (a world record for the CTR2 model)
Lot 30 – 1935 Avions Voisin C25 Aérodyne, sold for $1,985,000 (a world record for the C25 model)
Highlights
Above content © 2025 Gooding & Co, reviewed and edited by Rex McAfee
