Broad Arrow Auctions, Monterey, August 14-15, 2024
Broad Arrow, backed by Hagerty, has now become an entrenched feature at Monterey. In their three-year history they have put up consistent and impressive numbers. Their sell-through rate this year was second only to RM Sotheby’s and the total dollars changing hands were third behind RM and Gooding, a credible performance after a hard-earned scramble […]
RM Sotheby’s, Monterey, August 15-17, 2024
Nowhere is it more clear (at least on the numbers as contrasted with walking through the preview) that the relative importance of RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction is determined by 7- and 8-figure cars. 46 lots were bid to $1 million or more; 36 of them sold bringing a total of $116,510,500, 69% of RM’s three-day […]
The Monterey Auctions 2024
Revised September 11, 2024. First, the summaries. These are the five auctions during Monterey Car Week, each showing results over the last three years. At the bottom are the numbers for all these auctions since 2022. It’s not necessary to go to the bottom of the table to see that results were off, particularly Bonhams […]
Gooding & Co., Pebble Beach, August 16-17, 2024
While Gooding’s Pebble Beach auction isn’t the hero sale of Monterey this year it is the one auction that sends me its printed catalogs in advance. Collecting the other catalogs is a chore and brought with it a trip to the UPS Store in “New Monterey” (near Cannery Row) and a $51 credit card ding […]
The Pebble Beach® Concours d’Elegance Best of Show Winner 1934 Bugatti Type 59 Sports
The Pebble Beach® Concours d’Elegance broke new ground in 2024, naming this original and unrestored 1934 Bugatti Type 59 Sports as Best of Show, an unprecedented departure for a concours that has ever- (or almost ever-) honored bright and shiny over-restored visions of great, sleek, powerful classics. At the Tour d’Elegance on Thursday morning – […]
Artcurial Motorcars, Saint-Tropez, France, June 29, 2024
A pop-up sale featuring area collections from the south of France, this appears to be an opportunity venue for Artcurial which may (or may not) be inserted in its annual calendar. The location was pleasing and luxurious, but the sale room was cramped and cars were sold from photos, not crossing the block. There were […]
Mecum Auctions, Harrisburg, PA, July 24-27, 2024
Mecum’s Harrisburg auction at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex has taken on a whole new stature as the only successful consignment collector car auction in the Northeast. Mecum has done what no one else has been able to do. I had a list of 1,100 cars gleaned from Mecum’s website before the auction. A few […]
Bonhams, Bonmont Golf & Country Club, Cheserex, Switzerland, June 30, 2024
Bonhams returned to the picturesque Bonmont Golf & Country Club in Cheserex, Switzerland for its fifth auction at this location with no sale held in 2022 due to Covid 19. No records were broken in this 54 car lot sale (plus 9 motorcycles and 2 child’s cars not described here) and while some lots brought […]
RM Sotheby’s, Cliveden House, Taplow, Berkshire, U.K., June 12, 2024
Not having budget to travel to the U.K., nor to stay at the site, I watched this first-time sale unfold online, recording the block hammer bids. I thought I’d polish up old skills from the COVID era and compose an auction report from the auction video, the catalog, and the online photos. That proved to […]
The 2024 Monaco Auctions, May 9-11, 2024 – Artcurial, Bonhams and RM Sotheby’s
Every two years the Auto Club of Monaco presents the Monaco GP Historique. The course is set up for the Monaco GP two weeks later with pits, paddock, grandstands and the track arranged for the GP but instead of Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc (congratulations Charles on your maiden hometown win) it’s old cars on […]