A fantastic collection of historic competition and exquisite road-going touring cars — a group that collectively spans more than eight decades of leading automotive development — will be presented at RM Sotheby’s upcoming Monaco sale, May 14, during the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique weekend.
Held at the glamorous Le Sporting, home to some of the principality’s most prestigious events, RM Sotheby’s exclusive biennial Monaco event will offer approximately 100 blue-chip collector cars, and is an event that always attracts fabulous racing machinery. This year those offerings include every major racing discipline from Formula One to Group B and endurance racing.
Among the cars expected to be presented are a 1951 Ferrari 340 America Barchetta and a 1997 Porsche 911 GT1 Evolution (chassis GT1 993-117), the only known road-registered example, one of just 14 GT1 racecars in private hands and one that has never before been offered for public sale. Since a Monaco sale without a Formula One car is unthinkable, this year RM will present the first F1 car driven by three-time World Champion Niki Lauda, a 1971 March 711 (above, Jon Green photo courtesy RM Sotheby’s) that he drove in that year’s the Austrian Grand Prix. Boasting single-ownership since 1973, it is perceived to be a most significant and original piece of Formula One history.
Roadcars also get their due, of course, with the auction featuring several important pre-war grand touring cars. One fantastic example is the 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Cabriolet A (chassis 130941), one of just 33 of this body style and one of just a handful equipped with the desirable 5.4-liter engine. One of Mercedes’ great road-going rivals during that period was Horch, and the 1932 Horch 670 Cabriolet on offer (chassis 67045) is one of only five cars known to exist. Of the small known group of these V12-powered Horch 670s, four of the five are in institutional ownership, with this being the only example in private hands.
Another superb rarity is the 1948 Tucker 48, of which only 51 were ever built. Only two remain in Europe, of which this (chassis 1049) is one. The Tucker 48 was the only car produced by Preston Thomas Tucker, and though the marque’s demise remains controversial, the Tucker is one of the most advanced early post-war automobiles produced, and a rolling symbol of the American dream. The late production example slated for RM’s Monaco podium has long-term provenance with respected enthusiast ownership. It is presented in period-correct Waltz Blue paintwork fresh from a restoration by its current owner. For further information please visit www.rmsothebys.com
