RM Sotheby’s third Manhattan sale, entitled ICONS, produced $45.5 million worth of sales last Wednesday night, December 6, at Sotheby’s York Ave headquarters, with 84 percent of all lots sold. Eleven cars posted individual million-dollar-plus results, with strong prices evident for exceptional historic racecars and high-performance models of the 1990s, 2000s and today.
Following a persistent competition among multiple bidders in the room and on the phone, the star of the sale, an open-headlight 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione, chassis no. 1451 GT (above, photo courtesy of RM Sotheby’s), gaveled for a final price of $17,990,000. The second of just eight aluminum-bodied California Spiders created by the factory, 1451 GT finished 5th overall at the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans in New Yorker Bob Grossman and the car’s debut at the Circuit de la Sarthe. Truly one of the greatest California Spiders extant, the Classiche Certified Ferrari is eligible for concours and vintage racing events the world over.
“We were thrilled to return to New York where we reaffirmed the city’s place on the RM circuit with this great $45.5 million result,” says Gord Duff, Global Head of Auctions, RM Sotheby’s. “The ICONS auction attracted many thousands of visitors as both art and car enthusiasts flocked to Sotheby’s Manhattan headquarters to view more then 30 iconic automobiles. We saw strong bidding across the sale, including from a number of Sotheby’s specialists on the phones competing with clients in the packed room. There was particular excitement around our top lot — the 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione which saw four bidders compete for nearly ten minutes, sending the final price to $17.99 million.”
Additional standout lots were led by a 1952 Jaguar C-Type, XKC 007, the first example to win a race on U.S. soil, in the hands of none other than Phil Hill. The pristine green machine sold for the auction’s second-highest bid of $5,285,000. Third in the sales price sweepstakes was a 2018 Bugatti Chiron, the first ever offered for auction, that sold for $3,772,500, while a new auction record was set for Aston Martin convertibles, when a 1965 Aston Martin DB5 Convertible brought in $2,700,000.
Other items of note included a 1992 Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evoluzione, one of 400 “Giallo Ferrari” special editions with a mere 6,500 kilometers on its odometer, which sold for $190,400, a new world record for a road-going Delta Integrale at auction, and the 2000 BMW Z8 once owned by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, which was offered at no reserve and hammered for $329,500. The top 10 sales are listed below, and for complete information please visit www.rmsothebys.com
RM Sotheby’s ICONS – Top Ten Sales
- 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione – $17,990,000
- 1952 Jaguar C-Type – $5,285,000
- 2018 Bugatti Chiron – $3,772,500
- 1965 Aston Martin DB5 Convertible – $2,700,000
- 2014 Pagani Huayra – $1,850,000
- 2015 Porsche 918 Weissach Spyder – $1,732,000
- 1958 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster – $1,407,500
- 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing – $1,352,500
- 1990 Ferrari F40 – $1,242,500
- 2016 Ferrari F121tdf – $1,105,000
