The RM Auctions London 2014 sale was held 8th September at Battersea Evolution in London, resulting in £21,811,945 ($36,348,733 USD) in total sales and an 86.3% sell-through rate. Held in partnership with the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace, RM’s 8th annual London sale saw 80 cars – and one rocket – come to market in their last 2014 European sale.
The top result at the RM Auctions London 2014 auction went to the 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Competizione Tour de France, chassis 0563 GT, one of nine built by the Maranello factory. With extensive period racing history, including two top ten finishes in the Tour de France road race, the competition Ferrari attracted interest from bidders in the room and on the telephones, eventually selling for £4,872,000.
The second highest sale of the evening went to another rare Maranello car, a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB, chassis 08199, one of only 60 constructed with alloy bodywork. Freshly restored, this matching-numbers example achieved £1,960,000. The third top sale went to the 1964 Shelby 289 Competition Cobra, CSX 2430, that brought £1,176,000.
“It is wonderful to be reflecting on yet another remarkable sale,” says Max Girardo, Managing Director, RM Europe. “The London auction has always delivered great cars to the market and achieved strong results, and this year has been no exception. The results, which include a strong 86 percent sell through, are a true reflection of the quality of the vehicles presented.”
Many of the cars offered were noteworthy for their low mileage, ‘as new’ presentation. One example, a 1989 Ferrari 328 GTS, presented in the colour combination of Rosso Corsa with beige leather interior, and showing less than 200 kilometres from new, achieved £156,800 against a pre-sale estimate of £65,000 – £95,000. Proving that supercars of the 1980s and 90s are in demand, a 1990 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary model with just 2,600 kilometres, made £224,000 against a pre-sale estimate of £140,000-£180,000. Another 1980s icon, a 1984 Peugeot 205 Turbo 16, a rare example of the mid-engined, Group B homologated WRC car in road-going trim, more than doubled its pre-sale estimate at a final £156,800.
The CIAM-NASA Hypersonic Flying Laboratory ‘Kholod’, which garnered significant pre-sale attention, took pride of place outside the Battersea auction venue. The fastest serially produced machine to travel within Earth’s atmosphere at 4,925mph, this aerospace artifact sold for £38,025.
RM Auctions London 2014 – Top Ten Auction Results
- 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Competizione Tour de France – £4,872,000
- 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Alloy – £1,960,000
- 1964 Shelby 289 Competition Cobra – £1,176,000
- 2003 Ferrari Enzo – £952,000
- 1989 Ferrari F40 – £761,600
- 1968 Lamborghini Miura P400 – £649,600
- 1958 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster – £616,000
- 1937 Bugatti Type 57C Stelvio – £593,600
- 1955 Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider America – £560,000
- 1970 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta – £543,200
For complete auction results, visit rmauctions.com.
RM Auctions rounds out its 2014 auction season with two upcoming North American sales: its annual Hershey, Pennsylvania sale, held October 9-10 during the AACA Eastern Regional Fall Meet, and the Sam Pack Collection, a single-vendor sale, November 14-15 in Dallas, Texas. RM’s next scheduled European sale will be hosted in Paris, France on February 4, 2015 during the Retromobile show week.
To discuss limited consignment opportunities for RM’s Paris sale, contact RM’s London office at +44 20 7851 7070 or visit rmauctions.com.
[Source: RM Auctions; photo: Tim Scott / Fluid Images]
