Bonhams, Scottsdale, January 25, 2024
While the Barrett-Jackson juggernaut was juggering away over at WestWorld Bonhams was the opener for the rest of the Scottsdale auctions with its mid-day sale at the Westin Kierland. It was a curious cross-section of collector cars. While four lots were bid to $1 million or more and two of them sold – including the […]
Mecum Auctions, Kissimmee, Florida, January 2-14, 2024
Mecum Auctions breached yet another milestone at Kissimmee this year amassing a total of some 4,043 vehicle lots and selling them in an unprecedented eleven day span from January 2 through January 14 (with a day off in the middle.) Kissimmee is a epic event with 890,000 square feet of temporary tenting to shelter most […]
RM Sotheby’s, Las Vegas F1, November 17, 2023
Formula One racing came to Las Vegas with a vengeance on the weekend of November 18. It was a given that it would be spectacular and – other than the seemingly inevitable win by Max Verstappen – it was. Like just about anything happening in Vegas, it was over-hyped, over-produced and the action was long […]
RM Sotheby’s, The White Collection, Houston, December 1-2, 2023
This may be one of the most idiosyncratic, expensive and irrelevant collections ever assembled. People collect all kinds of things, and sometimes specialize in surpassingly tiny variations of a single theme: David Andreani in Italy has over 10,000 Coca-Cola cans; Becky Martz has over 21,000 banana labels (“banana labels”?); David Morgan in England (who claims […]
RM Sotheby’s, New York, December 8, 2023
RM returned to Sotheby’s headquarters on York Avenue in New York City as one of the opening auctions in Sotheby’s “Luxury Week” auction schedule. It was a small sale of just 16 cars, one motorcycle and a single Andy Warhol print of a Mobil sign, but it was astutely aligned with the Big Apple market. […]
1962 Ferrari 330 LM/250 GTO Chassis No. 3765
It is accepted wisdom that David MacNeil, impresario of WeatherTech “laser-measured” plastic floor liners, bought Ferrari GTO 4153 GT five years ago for something like $70 million. That turned out to be optimistic timing even considering 4153 GT’s long and moderately successful competition career. RM Sotheby’s sold GTO s/n 3765 at Sotheby’s York Avenue, New […]
Barrett-Jackson, New Orleans, September 28-30, 2023
For reasons known only to Craig Jackson and Steve Davis Barrett-Jackson decamped some 350 miles east from the NRG Center in Houston to the Ernest M. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans after only two years in Houston. The result was not astounding with everything down by material amounts from what B-J was able to […]
RM Sotheby’s, Hershey, October 4-5, 2023
Hershey is not RM Sotheby’s most significant sale, but it is one of its most enjoyable and intriguing. The cars offered are so unusual that often there are several we’ve never heard of before. They aren’t the best concours-queens, but are positioned to reflect the Hershey AACA Swap Meet environment. In other words there were […]
Bonhams|Cars, Audrain, Newport, R.I., September 29, 2023
Twenty-two of the fifty-three lots in this year’s Bonhams Audrain auction were from the estate of James Messenger. Most were weak-in-the-knees gorgeous modified cars with impeccable construction, concept and presentation. The three Alfa GTs left me in awe, the things I would like my Alfa GT to be, but it isn’t and never will be. […]
Mecum Auctions, Monterey, August 17-19, 2023
Mecum Auctions is Walmart among the five Monterey car week auctions: There’s an ample selection, much of the inventory is relatively inexpensive, some of it is seriously out of the ordinary and there is enough premium product to keep buyers intrigued. Mecum has gradually transitioned to offering more high end, expensive, cars including late model […]