Bonhams & Butterfields held its 2010 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance auction on June 6th at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich, Connecticut.
In only its third year at the Greenwich Concours Bonhams cemented its position as an important event on the annual collector car auction calendar. Underlining its success in establishing itself in the Northeast – where others have gone before with limited success – is Bonhams expansion to a third date, at the Fairfield County Concours on Sunday, September 12.
The sale was headlined by 34 mostly Italian cars from a Bellport, Long Island collection, including some rarely seen examples. The Italian car collectors were lined up for them, too, paying in many cases very, very serious money. The sale wound up with a barn find Vauxhall 30/98 OE Velox tourer which Bonhams spent the time to research thoroughly and established the probability of an exceptional British and Brooklands racing history.
78 cars were offered of which 55 were sold (including one that closed post-block), a very creditable 70.5% sale rate and a total with commission of $2,921,397. The strength of the Italian collection was manifest in the performance against estimate with a remarkable 10 lots, 18.2% of the sold cars, being hammered at bids above their high estimates. The sold cars had low estimate totals of $2,504,000 and hammer bids of $2,520,374, 100.7% of estimate, another indicator of a consistently strong performance across the board.
Seven legendary 12-meter yachts, all veterans of the America’s Cup, were moored across the harbor adjacent to the Delamar Hotel. The connection is related both to the concours site, on Greenwich Harbor, and to automobiles – the oldest of the 12 Metre Yacht Development Fund’s fleet is Columbia, 1958 America’s Cup winner skippered by auto racing sportsman Briggs Cunningham. It was a great adjunct to Bruce and Genia Wennerstrom’s Concours.
Lot # 403 1932 LaSalle 345B Wrecker; S/N 1101942; Engine # 11-2242; Black/Brown cloth; Estimate $30,000 - $40,000; Unrestored original, 4+ condition; Hammered Sold at $16,500 plus commission of 17.00%; Final Price $19,305 -- Whitewalls, push bar, fire extinguisher, fireman's axe, jerry can. Barn find, but remarkably well preserved including its original interior and old paint. Converted from a coupe, first as the tractor for a fire department hook and ladder, then this wrecker. The old hand cranked cast iron Canton Foundry & Machine Co. wrecker boom is priceless. On one hand, it ‘needs everything.’ On the other hand it is best preserved as is. This is, if only as a relic, a choice piece that is well bought at the price. Its value will never support a restoration to its original coupe body, so preserve it as is and get and give frequent enjoyment. Lot # 422 1957 Austin-Healey 100-6 BN4 Roadster; S/N BN4L036204; Red, Black/Red; Estimate $5,000 - $10,000; Unrestored original, 4- condition; Hammered Sold at $12,000 plus commission of 17.00%; Final Price $14,040 -- Wire wheels, overdrive, radio antenna, outside mirror. Barn find with a crunched left rear corner. Tattered upholstery, dull, chipped paint with surface rust but appears structurally intact. Needs everything, but is a sound and largely complete place from which to start. No Reserve. Whether for a hobbyist who wants to undertake a restoration project or for a professional restorer looking to fill some shop time and overhead absorption this is a reasonable Healey and a reasonable price. Before the sale I thought it'd double the high estimate, but it managed only 20% over. Lot # 431 1959 Elva Mk V Sports Racer; S/N 100/94; White, Dark Blue stripes/Black Gaffers Tape; Estimate $60,000 - $90,000; Competition restoration, 2- condition; Hammered Sold at $50,000 plus commission of 17.00%; Final Price $58,500 -- Alloy wheels, 1,490cc Coventry Climax sohc FWB, two Webers, Sid Hoole head, cam and valves. One race meeting since rebuilt. Ex-Harvey Siegel (VIR owner), 2008 Sebring vintage class winner. Not quite like new but noticeably professionally built, maintained and prepared. Comes with its original frame. A first class car that will be instantly competitive, its price here is barely more than the $40,000 spent with VDS Engines in 2007 for the most recent engine rebuild. Lot # 435 1977 Maserati Khamsin Coupe, Body by Bertone; S/N AM120US1298; Red/Tan leather; Estimate $50,000 - $60,000; Recent restoration, 2- condition; Hammered Sold at $45,000 plus commission of 17.00%; Final Price $52,650 -- 5-speed, Blaupunkt Berlin multiband radio with stalk-mounted controls, alloy wheels, Michelin X 215/70VR15 tires. Excellent paint, chrome and interior. Restored by Gary Bobileff like new with some subsequent miles and still very sharp. An outstanding automobile bought for an appropriate price. Lot # 436 1959 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Coupe, Body by Bertone; S/N 149307849; Engine # AR131506906; Black/Grey vinyl, Red piping; Estimate $18,000 - $22,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3 condition; Hammered Sold at $34,000 plus commission of 17.00%; Final Price $39,780 -- Becker Mexico multiband radio, single Solex carb, 5-speed. Decent repaint, interior and fresh chrome. The rest is original and tired, aside from the engine, which has been replaced with a block from a '57 Giulietta Sprint. A shiny car in mediocre but not neglected condition that looks like it'll be a blast to drive.. Some cars just catch the attention of the bidders and result in a home run for the seller. This is one such. A cosmetically redone driver that shows no particular attention to the engine (and by extension, probably not to the rest of the driveline), it's cute and wonderful to drive, but seriously over-priced for what it is. Lot # 437 1966 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint Speciale Coupe, Body by Bertone; S/N AR381349; Red/Black vinyl; Estimate $40,000 - $60,000; Cosmetic restoration, 3- condition; Hammered Sold at $63,500 plus commission of 17.00%; Final Price $74,295 -- Good paint, chrome and upholstery. Chassis and engine are tidy but not restored. Wiper scratched windshield. Small dent on top of right front fender. An attractive driver that is largely original and well-maintained. If anyone ever wanted a Sprint Speciale driver this one is an ideal choice. It's good enough to show with some pride at the end of the day, yet also used and aged enough that it can be driven without regrets. On the other hand, at this price it's going to be hard to do anything at all with it. With Bonhams' 17% commission it would have been good to stop bidding in the mid Forties which would have brought the all-in price to the low Fifties, fully enough for this car. Lot # 440 1967 Lamborghini Miura P400 Berlinetta, Body by Bertone; S/N 3063; Engine # 2102; Red, Black sills/Black vinyl; Estimate $250,000 - $350,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3- condition; Hammered Sold at $190,000 plus commission of 13.68%; Final Price $216,000 -- Clarion CD changer, silver alloy wheels. Poor, chipped old repaint over old paint, aged original interior trim and seat upholstery. Orderly unrestored engine and chassis. An unattractive driver but encouragingly original, with just 37,941 km (23,575 miles) from new. Reported sold at Kruse Spring Auburn in 2001 for $55,120 showing 36,279 km and in the same aged but largely original condition it is in today, just with 1,662 more km and the Clarion CD changer instead of the Alpine cassette then residing in the console. Its price today is appropriate in the current market and the pair of transactions illustrate the Miura market's rapid growth in the last nine years. Lot # 442 1966 Lancia Flaminia Super Sport Coupe, Body by Zagato; S/N 826232002085; Silver-Green/Black leather; Estimate $75,000 - $100,000; Cosmetic restoration, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $102,000 plus commission of 16.86%; Final Price $119,200 -- Cream steel wheels with hubcaps and trim rings, bullet outside mirror. Good paint, chrome and upholstery. Rear bumper chromed over dents. Old undercoat on chassis. An attractive cosmetically restored driver with a very attractive original interior. An exceptionally nice example of a particularly impressive and charismatic automobile, the Greenwich bidders were right on top of it and kept going to (and maybe beyond) the limits of reason. Not cheap, but still a lot of car that competes with Ferraris for half or less the money and is much more distinctive. Lot # 447 1964 Maserati 3500 GTI Coupe; S/N 1012224; Engine # 1012224; Red/Black leather; Estimate $60,000 - $80,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3 condition; Hammered Sold at $76,000 plus commission of 17.00%; Final Price $88,920 -- Blaupunkt multiband radio, chrome wire wheels, P/W, fog lights. Webers. Rust blisters over left front fender. Fair repaint, sound older chrome, good upholstery with some stretch on the driver's seat cushion. Orderly and clean underhood. Old undercoat on chassis. Lucas FI system included with it. A respectable driver. Mostly original and externally attractive, the engine compartment indicates it's had more than remedial attention and might actually run out better than the other cars in this collection. The price, however, is sufficient to buy a much better, more consistently restored, maintained and presented 3500 GT. This is curve-setting money. Lot # 448 1961 Cisitalia DF85 Coupe, Body by Fissore; S/N 118S003727; Engine # 118.000-001791; Metallic Blue/Parchment leather; Estimate $30,000 - $40,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 3- condition; Hammered Sold at $30,000 plus commission of 17.00%; Final Price $35,100 -- Chrome wire wheels. A Fiat 1500S with Fissore coachwork imported to Argentina by Piero Dusio and re-badged as a Cisitalia, one of less than three dozen. Flawed repaint with some fisheyes. Sound upholstery with surface cracked and soiled driver's seat. Largely original underhood and chassis. An attractive little coupe visually similar to a Pinin Farina coupe of the period in 8/10th scale. The car deserves better attention than it's received, but no more money than it brought. Lot # 450 1971 OTAS Grand Prix Coupe; S/N 100GBS10114205; Engine # 100GB0001895704; Lime Green/Black vinyl; Estimate $24,000 - $26,000; Older restoration, 3- condition; Hammered Sold at $24,000 plus commission of 17.00%; Final Price $28,080 -- Tiny 817cc rear-mounted engine, Alpine cassette stereo with equalizer, Ferrero steering wheel with curdled plastic rim, chrome wire wheels. Fair repaint, sound interior, cracked rubber seals. Dirty engine and chassis. Weak chrome. Dirty dashboard. Generally scuzzy and unattractive. OK, this is the benchmark in 820cc OTAS coupe prices. Well, except for the one sold by RM in Monterey in 2000, suspiciously also painted Lime Green but with chassis number 0047. It brought $6,600. The buyer of that OTAS must today feel like Warren Buffet. Lot # 451 1958 Lancia Aurelia B20 Coupe; S/N B20S1859; Engine # 5528; Dark Blue/Beige leather; Estimate $75,000 - $100,000; Older restoration, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $70,000 plus commission of 17.00%; Final Price $81,900 -- Nardi woodrim steering wheel, floor shift, Nardi dual Weber intake and fan, Condor radio, heater. Sound older paint, chrome and upholstery. A few chips and the paint is a little dull. Upholstery is nearly like new, as is the chassis. Unusual body with fastback styling in steel not attributable to Touring (despite its badges), vertical quad headlights and driving lights flanking the grille in the body catwalks. Extensively researched but unresolved history, it's still an attractive driver that will energize Lancia collectors wherever it appears. Sold originally to Mexico with a trail of ownership records there before coming to the U.S. this is an intriguing Lancia with many unusual features that beg further research. In the meantime it will be an exciting ride eligible for many events and tours that more than supports the price paid for it today. It's a very cool car. The buyer got a quandary wrapped in a conundrum (that goes really fast) for a reasonable price. That's not a bad bargain when coupled with this car's history. Lot # 464 1958 Abarth 750 Series III Coupe Double Bubble, Body by Zagato; S/N 100446004; Engine # 100000431663; Silver/Red vinyl, White piping; Estimate $40,000 - $60,000; Cosmetic restoration, 3 condition; Hammered Sold at $78,000 plus commission of 17.00%; Final Price $91,260 -- Kenwood CD. Mediocre paint and interior, dull bright trim. Rather remarkably original and complete including its bizarre tri-wing spinner hubcaps on 12 inch wheels and myriad details often lost in vintage race car preparation and restoration. Full Abarth spec 750cc engine with Abarth crank, cam, carb and Nardi intake. Run in the 1995 Liege-Rome-Liege rally, displayed at Pebble Beach in 1999 and Harry Newton award winner at Greenwich in 2003. A largely original and sound car that could have had more thorough treatment. Arguably the most coveted and accordingly ambitiously pursued car at Greenwich this weekend the condition might engender some quibbling over the price, but in the end it's a stunning little rocket. Impressively original and complete it needs nothing to be used and to amaze onlookers (and vintage race competitors) with its pace. Even at that, however, the price with commission is aggressive, even for those who like me remember the Roosevelt racing team's Abarths camped out in a Montauk Highway garage during the Bridgehampton Road Races in the Fifties. Lot # 480 1926 Vauxhall 30-98 OE Velox Tourer; S/N OE264; Engine # E 346 - see text; Black/Dark Red leather; Estimate $60,000 - $80,000; Unrestored original, 4- condition; Hammered Sold at $125,000 plus commission of 15.60%; Final Price $144,500 -- An extraordinary find in a grove of bamboo in Virginia, exhaustively researched by Bonhams and pretty conclusively determined to be a thoroughly raced and developed British racer with meaningful Brooklands history owned and driven by Dr. Bobby Beaver. Multiple modifications and improvements. Ratty, tatty and marvelous, the body and fenders were repainted some time ago but old red paint is present below the current black. Rusty, dirty and original. Needs, in a phrase, everything but will reward its next owner with a fabulous old sports car. No Reserve. With 4,224cc overhead valve four-cylinder power the Vauxhall 30-98 OE was a worthy competitor to contemporary Bentleys. Developed and refined as this example is, with improved braking and lightweight everything, it was a reliable contender -- as this car apparently was. This Vauxhall deserves nothing more than to be resurrected in its scruffy glory. It won't be simple, but the result will be deliriously wonderful. This price is a benchmark against which all other 30-98 OEs will be measured, and perhaps found wanting. Big money. Big car and big history.
Bonhams & Butterfields held its 2010 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance auction on June 6th at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich, Connecticut.
I thought you might like to know that the buyer of lot #464 (Abarth)is a Greek client ours who had this car inspected by http://www.AutomobileInspections.com at the consignors home well before the auction so he knew exactly what he was bidding. He has an extensive collection of this type of car already and shows occasionally at Vila d’Este. We take care of getting it shipped to him in Greece.
Jeff do you check out Bring a Trailor . com ? lots of Abarths !!