The RM Auctions London 2013 sale will be held 8-9 September at Battersea Evolution in central London. As the official auction partner of the St. James’s Concours of Elegance, this year’s sale has been moved from its traditional October date to September to coincide with the Concours event.
The 2013 RM London auction will present two days of consignments headlined by single-owner collections including, the “Ultimate Mercedes-Benz Collection” and the Laidlaw Competition Car Collection, with other star highlights led by the iconic James Bond 007 Lotus Esprit ‘Submarine Car’.
RM Auctions will offer a single-owner collection of 74 Mercedes-Benz automobiles in a dedicated sale day on Sunday 8 September at Battersea Evolution. Presenting a snapshot of more than 80 years of Mercedes-Benz production history, the collection spans from an 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen to a 1970 300 SEL 6.3. Notable highlights of the “Ultimate Mercedes-Benz Collection” include:
- 1938 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Cabriolet A, chassis 154133, delivered new to department store magnate Helmut Horten and featuring the 540 K cabriolet body style (Est. £1,500,000 – £2,000,000);
- 1938 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Cabriolet B, chassis 169367, appointed with a green leather interior, burled dash with mother of pearl inlay and burled wood trim (Est. £900,000 – £1,200,000);
- 1932 Mercedes-Benz 15/75 HP Mannheim 370S Sport Roadster, chassis 87123, rebodied as a sport roadster by well-known restorer Franz Prahl (Est. £750,000 – £950,000);
- 1936 Mercedes-Benz 500 K Cabriolet C, chassis 215011, one of the fastest grand touring cars of its time, finished in a combination of black with beige upholstery, tan carpet and tan cloth top (Est. £700,000 – £900,000);
- No less than three 300 SLs, including a 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing, chassis 198.040.6500296, formerly owned by 300 SL legend Don Ricardo and Dick Smothers (Est. £700,000 – £900,000); a 1961 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster, chassis 198.042.10.002762, (Est. £750,000 – £850,000); and an accurate replica of a 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLS Racing, chassis 198.042.7500557, engineered in 1990 but built using the original 1957 running gear (Est. £600,000 – £800,000).
RM Auctions will also present seven racing cars from the Laidlaw Competition Car Collection at its 7th annual London sale. The collection features strong provenance with history that includes some of the most famous races, teams, circuits and drivers. Highlights include:
- 1955 Jaguar D-Type, chassis XKD 504, ex-works long-nose example driven in period by Hamilton, Frère and Sutcliffe (Est. £5,500,000 – £6,500,000);
- 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Berlinetta Competizione by Scaglietti, chassis 09027, boasting a race record that includes 10th overall at Le Mans in 1966 with the Ecurie Francorchamps and the winner of the 1966 Mont Ventoux Hillclimb (Est. £2,500,000 – £3,000,000);
- 1957 Maserati 250S by Fantuzzi, chassis 2432, ex-Carroll Shelby and Jim Hall (Est. £2,500,000 – £3,000,000);
- 1960 Maserati Tipo 61 ‘Birdcage’, chassis 2464, an ex-Scuderia Comoradi car raced in period in the 1000 km of Nürburgring race at the hands of Masten Gregory and Gino Munaron (Est. £2,500,000 – £2,750,000); and
- 1965 Porsche 904/6 Carrera GTS, chassis 906-012, which competed in the 1965 24-hours of Le Mans with the Works team and was driven by Peter Nöcker and Günther Klass to a sixth place finish at the 1000 km Nürburgring race (Est. £1,000,000 – £1,200,000).
Beyond the traditional collector cars, RM’s 2013 London sale will also lift the gavel on the iconic 007 Lotus Esprit ‘Submarine’ car, the only functional submarine car used in the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me, starring Roger Moore. It was built into a fully operational, self-propelled ‘submarine’ by Perry Oceanographic from one of six Esprit body shells used in the making of the film. After claiming the most screen time of any of the Esprits while filming the underwater scenes in the Bahamas, the vehicle was shipped to Long Island, NY and kept in a storage unit on a ten-year rental, paid in advance. In 1989, the rent delinquent unit was put up ‘blind’ for auction where a modest bid from an area couple won the unit. Rarely shown since its discovery, the vehicle’s offering presents a unique ownership opportunity (Est. £650,000 – £950,000).
To view the digital catalog, visit 2013 RM Auctions London – Digital Catalog.
In 2012, RM Auctions offered 91 vehicles for sale, with 76 finding new owners, reflecting an 83.52% sale rate. The total sales volume was £13,902,160 ($22,451,988) and the average price per car sold was £182,923 ($295,420). Top sale went to the 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Tour de France at £1,960,000, followed by the 1930 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS Testa Fissa at £784,000 and the 1964 Aston Martin DB5 Convertible at £632,800.
RM Auctions London 2013 – Auction Preview
RM Auctions London 2013 – Auction Information
Sale Dates & Times
Sunday, 8 September, 2013, 6:00 p.m. BST (auction will run approx. 3-4 hours)
Monday, 9 September, 2013, 6:00 p.m. BST (auction will run approx. 3-4 hours)
Preview Dates & Times
Sunday, 8 September, 2013, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. BST
Monday, 9 September, 2013, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. BST
Location
Battersea Evolution, Chelsea Bridge Entrance, Battersea Park, London, SW11 4NJ United Kingdom
Admission
Admission to this event requires the purchase of an official auction catalogue for £100. The catalogue admits two and must be presented at the entrance to the sale to be granted entry.
For additional information, visit www.rmauctions.com.
[Source: RM Auctions]
