With Rétromobile CoViD displaced to June, the Rétromobile week auctions were left to their own devices.
RM Sotheby’s chose to rely on their established and efficient Online format with a 40-lot sale (plus automobilia). The cars were scattered across the Continent and the U.K., the later now formally divorced from the EU with all kinds of customs and VAT consequences thrown into the mix to make it complicated.
26 of the 40 lots were sold, a modest 65% sell-through, and the $10.4 million total won’t make anyone jump for joy.
The positive note, however, is that three lots, the “Gold Collection” 308 GTS, the unique Isdera Commendatore 112i and the Ferrari 348 GT Michelotto, brought extravagant prices. None of the other cars evaluated here sold for anything less than reasonable values. Even the evaluated no-sale transactions’ high bids were respectable (and in one case, well over the pre-sale low estimate.)
This report is somewhat truncated. My colleague, Andrew Newton, is freezing in the dark in Texas. When he thaws out we may augment this report with a few other cars. … Which has been done on 2/19.
RM has thrown itself into Online Only, scheduling two more Online Only auctions between now and the perhaps optimistically scheduled live auction at Amelia Island in May.
Here are the numbers. No prior sales are noted because their numbers are irrelevant to 2021:
| Cars Sold/ Offered | Sale % | Sold < Low Est | Sold > High Est | Average Sale | Median Sale | Total $ | Exchange Rate |
| 26/40 | 65% | 53.9% | 7.7% | $399,039 | $195,229
[48.9%] |
$10,375,006 | $1.2126 |
Lots are sorted by lot number. Photos are © and courtesy RM Sotheby’s. Photographer credits are cited where noted.
Thanks to Shawn Dougan for catching a few errors, including in RM’s description of the Bentley.
Lot # 112 1973 Jensen Interceptor SP Coupe; S/N 1328602; Gold, Black vinyl roof/Tan leather; Estimate $48,504 – $72,756; Visually maintained, largely original 3- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $60,630 plus commission of 15.00%; Final Price $69,725. – 440/385hp Six Pack Chrysler engine, automatic, GKN alloy wheels, air conditioning, power windows, later Blaupunkt cassette stereo, original tool roll. – From the Gold Collection. Represented as one of 232 SP (Six-Pack) Interceptors built. Delivered new to Germany. Wrinkled front seat leather and lightly worn carpets. Large tear in the steering wheel rim. Decent old paint and brightwork, but the plastic on the bumper overriders is cracking. A few paint blisters on the outer rims of the wheel wells. Newer exhaust but the underbody is grubby and used, as is the engine bay. Dull-looking roof vinyl. The odometer shows 2,307, but it has probably turned over once. Tired and used, but a rare spec Interceptor. – Jensen built nearly 6500 Interceptors so it isn’t exactly a common car in any guise, but the SP model is scarcer still and, just as important, is the fastest of the series. That’s why this one brought a superior price despite its numerous flaws and despite it being the first lot of the sale. In dollar terms, this money would have bought just about the best U.S.-spec 230-horse Interceptor available on our side of the pond, but this one swims in a different kettle of fish and deserves the price it brought.
Lot # 113 1972 Porsche 911S Targa; S/N 9112310669; Engine # 6323112; Metallic Gold/Black leather; Estimate $206,142 – $254,646; Recent restoration 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $169,764 plus commission of 15.00%; Final Price $195,229. – 2,341/210hp, fuel injection, 5-speed, Fuchs wheels, Pirelli Cinturato tires, Blaupunkt pushbutton radio, original tools and spare. – From the Gold Collection. Sold new in Germany and fully restored at some point recently. Significant creasing of the leather but no cracks or rips. Tidy but not overly restored engine bay. Dullness and light scratching on the exterior plastic. Light cracks on the bumperette plastic as well. Some marks on the window rubbers. Two light scratches on the rear glass. Good specs and a rare color, but not as good as its recent restoration might suggest. – Another massive price for a flawed car out of the “Gold Collection.” Classic 911s, even S Targas like this, aren’t exactly rare as hens’ teeth and it shouldn’t be too difficult to find a better one at this price. Maybe the winning bidder just really likes gold.
Lot # 115 1979 Ferrari 308 GTS Spider, Body by Pininfarina; S/N 28431; Engine # 03782; Oro Chiaro, Black roof panel/Beige leather, Black stripe; Estimate $97,008 – $133,386; Visually maintained, largely original 3+ condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $127,323 plus commission of 15.00%; Final Price $146,421. – 2,927/255hp, four dual-choke Weber carburetors, 5-speed, 5-spoke Cromodora alloy wheels, Michelin XWX tires, power antenna but no radio, no spare wheel/tire, power windows, Borletti air conditioning, rectangular driving lights. – Represented as the original engine and gearbox, 37,799 km from new, known history. Good repaint with small cracks and chips, cracked hood badge and roof panel seal. Sound original upholstery and carpets. Clean original engine compartment showing age. Ferrari Classiche certified. Not pristine, but surprisingly good for its age, however there is no mention of service history. – Yes the color is rare and the kilometrage is low, but that is no reason for it to bring this much money, at least 50% more than it might have brought on a very good day. 308s have been coming back in value recently, but this is a curve-setting price that defies logic. From the “Gold Collection”, a no reserve group of five similarly-liveried cars (Jensen, two 911’s and two Ferraris), this is the sole example that broke the bank.
Lot # 116 1974 Ferrari 365 GT4 BB Berlinetta, Body by Pininfarina-Scaglietti; S/N 18261; Engine # 00251; Oro Chiaro, Black lower body/Tan leather, Black bars; Estimate $315,276 – $375,906; Visually maintained, largely original 3 condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $327,402 plus commission of 14.35%; Final Price $374,390. – 4,390/380hp, four 3-barrel Weber carburetors, 5-speed, Cromodora centerlock alloy wheels, Goodyear Eagle tires, Michelin compact spare, air conditioning, tool kit, Amerispec Federalized. – Soiled and wrinkled but sound original upholstery with abrasions on the driver’s seat back bolster. Good older repaint with some masking oversights. Scraped repainted bumper covers. Good engine compartment. €32,000 in recent service after long storage. Timing belt inspected and not replaced. – Whereas the 308 GTS that preceded this lot brought an inexplicably expensive price this 365 GT BB brought a realistic result that reflects its condition and rare color (one of three originally in Oro Chiaro.)
Lot # 120 1965 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA Coupe, Body by Bertone; S/N AR613015; Engine # AR00502/A 18600; Red, White accent/Black vinyl; Estimate $315,276 – $400,158; Competition restoration 3+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $285,635 plus commission of 14.62%; Final Price $327,402. – 1,570/170hp, five-speed, dual 45DCOE 14 Webers with cold air box, Campagnolo 14-inch alloy wheels, Kleber tires, oil cooler, Autodelta seats, Momo Prototipo leather rim steering wheel, roll cage, heater, Plexiglas side and rear windows. – One of the first fifteen GTAs built by Autodelta, raced by Lucien Bianchi’s Belgian team until 1970 and continued to be raced until the late 70’s. Acquired in 1984 with spares marked VDS and restored in the 90’s with a correct 1,580cc GTA twin plug engine. There are a few minor chips in the paint. The front seat upholstery has been stretched and has small gouges. The magnesium sump has been scraped and has chipped fins but the chassis and underbody are neat and clean. The engine compartment is clean and orderly with some paint loss on the black painted magnesium cam cover. No confirmed competition history in the 60’s or 70’s. Better than it has any right to be for the restoration’s age and the temptation to take it out and drive it hard. – This handsome early largely hand built GTA will be a welcome participant at shows and historic events where it will hold its own in both appearance and performance. Not having been used much recently it will need thorough checking before it’s let loose but at this price the new owner can give it the attention it needs without going underwater.
Lot # 121 1993 Isdera Commendatore 112i Coupe; S/N W09112218PWJ02001; Engine # 120010040080; Arctic Silver/Blue, Black leather; Estimate $485,040 – $727,560; Recent restoration 2- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $1,194,411 plus commission of 13.01%; Final Price $1,349,775. – Mid-engine M-B 6-litre V12, 400+hp, fuel injection, 6-speed modified RUF transaxle, periscope rear view mirror, Sparco leather rim steering wheel, Blaupunkt Bremen cassette stereo, BBS modular wheels, Michelin tires, adjustable rear spoiler, air conditioning. – One-off tube frame supercar with top hinged doors and engine compartment covers with a checkered but known history and only 10,256 km from new. Restored by the builder to as-built 1993 configuration. Street licensed. Shows some age and use but in reasonably good condition throughout. – There are no “comparables” for the one-off Commendatore 112i, nor even for the more prolific Imperator 108i (20 built). The bidders saw it as something extremely special, unusual for a one-off by a relatively unknown specialist builder, an rocketed it right through the estimate range to a hammer bid more than 50% over the high estimate. It is pointless to speculate on the bidders’ motives and sufficient to say only that this is a very expensive car from an unknown constructor.
Lot # 122 1974 Ferrari 246 GTS Dino Spider, Body by Pininfarina-Scaglietti; S/N 07760; Engine # 11868; Argento/Black leather; Estimate $485,040 – $509,292; Cosmetic restoration 3 condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $400,158. – 2,419/195hp, 5-speed, Cromodora wheels, Michelin XWX tires, Ansa exhaust, Momo leather-wrapped steering wheel, power windows, air conditioning, later Blaupunkt radio. – U.S. market car, sold new through Bill Harrah’s Modern Classic Motors. Originally had blue leather upholstery. Sold to Sweden in the 1980s, to the Netherlands in the 1990s, and to Germany in the 2000s. Restored in 2017. Represented as matching numbers. Light wear on the driver’s seat and aged original switchgear but mostly good interior. Pitting on the interior pull handle for the engine cover and a small rip in the leather on one of the sills. Scratch on the fuel filler door. A few scratches on the bumpers and brightwork. Tires look old. It may have been restored recently, but it was done on a budget and never taken fully apart. As it sits, it’s a solid driver. – And as a solid driver, it could have easily changed hands at this generous reported high bid. Dino values are recovering but this appears to be a quick cosmetic restoration that tried to jump on the bandwagon and missed.
Lot # 123 1967 Lamborghini 400 GT 2+2 Coupe, Body by Touring; S/N 0817; Engine # 0791; Verde Scuro/Tan leather; Estimate $545,670 – $666,930; Recent restoration 2+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $509,292 plus commission of 13.69%; Final Price $579,017. – 3,929/320hp, 5-speed, Borrani wire wheels, Michelin X tires, Ansa exhaust, woodrim steering wheel, wood shift knob, power windows. – Sold new in England. Went to the U.S. in the early 1970s. Went to Germany in 2014 after being repainted red and put into storage for 15 years. Then restored from 2014-18 in its original colors. Everything looks fresh and gorgeous with no corners cut. No flaws visible or noted. Located in Germany. – The follow-up to Lamborghini’s debut model, the 350 GT, the 400 GT was a measured improvement on the 350 in many ways but styling was not one of them. The two share the same shape by Touring, which wasn’t the Carrozzeria’s finest, but it is striking and this Verde Scuro (dark green) color looks great on it. This car sold very strongly and it deserved to do so. With fewer than 250 400 GTs built, it’s unlikely that another one this fresh and nice will be popping up for sale any time soon.
Lot # 125 1968 Lamborghini Espada 400 GT SI Coupe; S/N 7051; Engine # 2445; Blue/Red leather; Estimate $218,268 – $266,772; Recent restoration 2- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $182,417 plus commission of 15.00%; Final Price $209,780. – 3,929/325hp, six Webers, 5-speed, Borrani wire wheels, Michelin X tires, woodrim steering wheel, wood shift knob, power windows, air conditioning, dual mirrors, Jaeger gauges and dash clock. – Very early Espada, sold new in Italy. Represented with the original engine and with a full restoration a few years and 200 km ago, certified by Lamborghini Polo Storica. The chrome looks a little tired but the paint is mostly excellent aside from a small chip behind the passenger’s door. Some light scratching on the rear and side glass. Excellent fully restored interior with new leather showing absolutely no wear. Fully restored underneath. An almost like new Espada, but not quite. – This car hammered not sold at Artcurial Retromobile last year at a €190,000 ($208,050) high bid. That was a generous amount and so was this one. The consignor took the hint after it was bid to a reported €165,000 on the virtual block and let it go at this negotiated price.
Lot # 126 1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV Berlinetta, Body by Bertone; S/N 4840; Engine # 30628; Rosso Corsa, Silver sills/Dark Blue leather; Estimate $2,546,460 – $3,031,500; Recent restoration 2 condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $2,607,090 plus commission of 12.73%; Final Price $2,939,039. – 3,929/385hp, four 3-barrel Weber carburetors, 5-speed, power windows, dummy Ansa exhaust tips, centerlock alloy wheels, Pirelli tires, Lamborghini Polo Storico certified. – Exhaust residue on the rear body valence around the dummy tips. Banged up wheel nut wings but good paint on the wheels. Good paint with some flaws and scrapes from interference fits on moving panels. Minor trim chrome issues of little consequence. Good upholstery, interior trim and crisp gauges. Clean, orderly engine compartment and chassis. Returned to its original SV configuration after a period as an SVJ clone and restored to high quality driver condition. – The P400 SV is the ultimate Miura, worth nearly double the value of an “ordinary” P400 S. Pursued to just over its low estimate, this is a solid Miura SV that impressed today’s bidders sufficiently to bring a generous price that the seller should be happy with but not so much that the buyer woke up the next morning with any meaningful regrets.
Lot # 128 1977 Lamborghini Countach LP400 ‘Periscopio’ Coupe, Body by Bertone; S/N 1120262; Rosso/Tobacco leather; Estimate $909,450 – $1,091,340; Older restoration 2- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $830,631 plus commission of 13.23%; Final Price $940,523. – 3,929/375hp, six Webers, 5-speed, Michelin XWX tires, Ansa exhaust, Stewart Warner gauges, Talbot York mirrors. – Bought new by Rod Stewart and delivered in Australia. Later converted to left-hand drive after he brought it to the US, then further modified in California with the roof taken off, fender flares and wider wheels. Later restored to its original Periscopio appearance. Represented to be the original engine. Very clean underneath, and maintained with some new parts. A few small chips and scratches in the paint but it is mostly good. The wheels are a little dull and the tires look old. Excellent interior. Cut up in period, but that is arguably balanced out by the rock star provenance. – This car hammered not sold at a €700,000 ($766,500) high bid at Artcurial Retromobile last year. It was generously estimated here and generously priced for its intriguing celebrity history. This is Miura money, and over twice what other very good early Countaches have sold for. Even under the low estimate it is seriously expensive.
Lot # 129 1963 Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2 Series III Coupe, Body by Pininfarina; S/N 4295GT; Engine # 4295; Silver-Grey/Black leather; Estimate $406,221 – $466,851; Cosmetic restoration 3- condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $339,528. – 2,953/240hp, 4-speed, chrome spoke Borrani wire wheels, Michelin XVS tires, multi-band radio. Engine internal No. 980/62E. – Restored twenty years ago with a later mechanical overhaul in 2012 after a multi-owner history. Sound older upholstery with abrasions on the driver’s seat back bolster, worn pedal pads. The paint is generally sound but there are several cracks, small blisters on the driver’s door bottom, scratched windows from sloppy body sanding. The Borrani wheels look good, but there is no spare wheel. Much of the exhaust system has been sprayed with undercoat, which must smell good after it gets hot. The engine is orderly but the compartment housing it was superficially resprayed long ago. Carburetors are lightly fuel stained. Hoses have modern worm screw clamps. Done to mediocre driver standards and beginning to show its age. – Age and minimal use are taking a toll on what wasn’t a particularly high quality restoration to begin with and the bidders’ decision to stop here was realistic. The seller should have given the reported high bid more serious consideration.
Lot # 130 1979 Bizzarrini P538 Sports Racer; S/N P538B04; Engine # V0313WT; Red/Black vinyl; Estimate $575,985 – $636,615; Competition restoration 3+ condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $485,040. – 327 Chevy, four 45 DCOE Spanish Webers on a custom cross-ram manifold, 5-speed transaxle, centerlock alloy wheels, Michelin XWX tires, four-point belts, full width windshield, woodrim steering wheel, covered headlights. – Fair older cosmetics, old paint on wheels and aged interior panels, a few edge chips and body stress cracks. Clean, orderly engine compartment with engine said to have been rebuilt in 2013 with 180 degree exhaust and the Webers. Eminently usable as is, but not built until 1978 for a French enthusiast, Jacques Lavost, with some changes and updates. The “WT” block stamping indicates it came from a 1969 C20 Chevy truck and was a 350 when it left Flint. – It’s a neat and aggressive looking thing, but it has to all intents and purposes no history at all, except for auctions where it’s been around since Mecum Monterey in 2014 where the unsuccessful bid was $500,000. Equally unsuccessful at Barrett-Jackson in 2015 despite being reported bid to $575,000, then at Mecum Monterey again in 2016 where the bid was $450,000. It now turns up at the RM “Paris” online auction and brought a realistic bid of $485,000, based upon past history a relatively generous offer. The message over the past seven years is that despite being built by (or under the supervision of) Giotto Bizzarrini this is a curiosity that is in a futile search for validation in the auction market. It’s already found its valuation.
Lot # 131 1957 Alfa Romeo 1900C Super Sprint Coupe, Body by Touring; S/N AR1900C10548; Engine # AR130810536; Blue/Blue vinyl, Grey cloth; Estimate $278,898 – $303,150; Older restoration 2- condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $260,709 plus commission of 14.83%; Final Price $299,361. – 1,975/115hp, dual carburetors, 4-speed, Phillips pushbutton radio, silver painted centerlock wire wheels, Michelin tires, woodrim steering wheel. – Represented as the original engine. Good older paint with edge chips around the hood and deck lid, some dust. Impressively flat and carefully fit panels. Generally good chrome with weak chrome around the windshield. Orderly engine compartment and chassis that has been restored but not taken back to bare metal and redone. Attractive upholstery and interior trim, good gauges except the tachometer lens is becoming hazy. Done to high standards, neat and tidy throughout. – This “3-window coupe” is the final, and by far the most attractive, evolution of the Touring-bodied 1900C and a car that is eligible for many prominent and enjoyable events. Blessed by particularly high quality body work, it is a pleasure to look at and sold for a moderate price that is fair to both the buyer and the seller.
Lot # 132 2016 Ferrari F12tdf ‘120th Anniversary’ Berlinetta; S/N ZFF81BHC000213364; Giallo Triplo Strato, Black carbon fiber/Black Alcantara, Yellow stripe; Estimate $727,560 – $848,820; Unrestored original 2 condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $776,064. – 6,262/769hp, 7-speed automanual, carbon fiber accents everywhere, manettino steering wheel, climate control, 4-point belts, SF shields, red calipers, carbon ceramic brakes, PZero Corsa tires, signed by Piero Ferrari. – F12tdf public introduction, press and promotion car, later designated as commemorating the 120th anniversary of Enzo Ferrari’s birth with proceeds to the Associazione Centro Dino Ferrari where it was bought by its sole and current private owner. 6,738 km and like new despite the press beating it must have gotten. – There’s surely a reasonable explanation why this F12tdf was bid to €40,000 over its low estimate and didn’t sell, or why it’s listed now on RM Sotheby’s website as asking €750,000. Absent an explanation, however, the reported high bid here should have been enough to see it gone and away to a new home.
Lot # 135 1965 Lancia Flaminia Super Sport 3C 2.8 Coupe, Body by Zagato; S/N 826232002024; Brown Metallic/Beige leather; Estimate $272,835 – $303,150; Recent restoration 2+ condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $254,646 plus commission of 14.88%; Final Price $292,540. – 2,775/150hp, triple carburetors, 4-speed, ivory wheels, hubcaps, Michelin tires, floor shift, woodrim steering wheel, – Purchased from the first owner Eleonora Santini D’Acunto by Count Giovanni Fani Ciotti in 1970. Retained by him through 1986, then stored until 2012. Restored in 2016 to like new condition and unused except for minor stretching to the driver’s seat cushion. Excellent paint, flat panels, even fits. Beautiful upholstery and interior trim except for the driver’s carpet which needs to be cleaned. The engine compartment and chassis are spotless. Impossible to fault in any meaningful way. A primo example. – It is difficult not to think that this is more Flaminia than the money although the open recessed headlight style is not nearly as appealing as the covered headlight Sport Zagato. The restoration is above reproach and the new owner got a Lancia to drive and show with pride and satisfaction.
Lot # 136 1931 Bentley 4 1/2 Liter Supercharged Touring, Body by after Vanden Plas; S/N MS3938; Green/Black leather; Black cloth top; Estimate $4,971,660 – $6,063,000; Recent restoration 2+ condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $4,183,470. – RHD. 4,398/175hp supercharged, two SU carburetors, replacement 5.5 liter engine and supercharger by Neil Davies, 4-speed, replica Vanden Plas Tourer body, cycle fenders, single sidemount spare, wire mesh gas tank stoneguard, Zeiss headlights, folding windshield, dual aeroscreens, comes with the original Villiers supercharger mounted to an earlier (renumbered) engine on a wheeled stand and the original crankcase and sump with connecting rod holes in them. Extensively documented by Clare Hay. – Restored in Germany, completed in 2018. Excellent paint and brightwork. Good older upholstery with attractive patina. Originally Tourer bodied by Mayfair with a known history from new. Chassis, gearbox, axles, steering box and bonnet with added cooling louvers are represented as original. Impressively and thoroughly restored without exceeding the reasonable limits of a Blower Bentley which is made to be exercised, not contemplated. – This engine has 1,375cc per cylinder and probably makes well over 200 horsepower: each explosion must be felt as a discrete impulse with a thundering Thump from the exhaust. It is impossible to fault the presentation and attention to detail of this Bentley and if the owner was unwilling to let it go for $4.2 million hammer the decision is rational. Before the most recent restoration it was sold at Christie’s Pebble Beach in 1995 for $717,500.
Lot # 137 1952 Porsche 356 Pre-A Coupe, Body by Reutter; S/N 11247; Engine # 30319; Dunkelgrun/Beige leatherette with cloth inserts; Estimate $545,670 – $697,245; 2+ condition; With Reserve; Sold at Hammer bid of $490,429, plus commission of 13.7%; Final Price $557,796. – 1,488/60hp, 4-speed, Telefunken radio. – Very early Model 51 356 with Reutter body, split windshield and bumpers mounted directly to the body. Original 1488-cc engine replaced by a 1300-cc unit in the 1950s but now carries a correct 1488-cc Type 527 engine. Found in a Wisconsin garage in the 1990s but not restored until recently. Wears its original colors and has done only 123 km since completion. Nothing to nitpick. It’s fresh and gorgeous as well as an extremely rare piece from early on in Porsche’s lineage. – Initially not sold at a €425,000 ($515,000) high bid, then reported sold at this amount. Either one is a massive number and this is among the most expensive Pre-A 356 coupes ever sold.
Lot # 138 2016 Bowler CSP V8 Prototype “P1” Utility; S/N B0WL5081655110001; Black, Lime Green accents/Black cloth; Estimate $121,260 – $151,575; Unrestored original 3- condition; No Reserve; Hammered Sold at $127,323 plus commission of 15.00%; Final Price $146,421. – 5,000/570hp supercharged, intercooled Jaguar V8, ZF 8-speed automatic, roll cage, fire system, 6-point belts, Motec display, OMP leather rim steering wheel, Cobra seats, intercom, Cooper tires, Compomotive alloy wheels, Brembo brakes, air conditioning. – A prototype for Bowler’s Cross Sector Platform chassis, successor to the firm’s highly developed Land Rover Defender-based off-road vehicles. The first of seven Bowler-based vehicles sold from the collection of former company director Richard Hayward. Used in development of the chassis and structure, competed in the 2019 British Cross Country Championship driven by Hayward and in long distance Rally Raid configuration with a 300 litre fuel tank. The Motec dash is not working. Scraped, stone chipped with surface rust and mud, scratched and dinged, probably pretty much as it was after the 2019 Cross Country Championship but with 570hp it is surely breathtakingly fast. Said to be UK emissions compliant and road registered. – This result was mirrored by the next lot, Bowler CSP V8 Prototype “P2” in rather different configuration but still with Jaguar F-Type supercharged V8 performance. The Bowlers were better performers, at least in auction price, than the Bowler-modified Defenders and set a benchmark for the marque, which continues to build high performance off-road vehicles.
Lot # 148 1994 Ferrari 348 GT Michelotto Competizione Berlinetta; S/N ZFFUA35B000099107; Engine # 36463; Rosso Corsa/Red cloth; Estimate $303,150 – $351,654; Competition car, original as-raced 3 condition; With Reserve; Hammered Sold at $381,969 plus commission of 14.09%; Final Price $435,778. – 3,405/360hp V8, 5-speed, fully race prepared by Michelotto in exhaustive FIA compliant detail for performance and safety, Speedline one piece centerlock alloy wheels, old PZero slicks, – One of eleven built. Delivered in the U.S., later owned by John O’Quinn. Track day use only and showing 3,503 believable km. The upholstery on the Momo seats is a little dirty. There is plenty of evidence of use including scraped front and rear undertrays, a banged bumper corner, scraped body sills and a variety of chips. The engine compartment is clean and fresh, reflecting a 2019 belt service and gearbox rebuild. Visibly used but exceptionally usable. – Read this carefully: Sold by RM to John O’Quinn at Amelia in 2007 for $83,600 showing 2,685 km. Sold by RM from the O’Quinn estate to the present owner at Amelia in 2010 for $82,500 showing 2,695 km. Now showing 3,503 km, 808 more than eleven years ago but brought over 5x the price. Even adding €18,000 (circa $21,000) for the belt service and gearbox rebuild and this still is a huge result for a car with no competition history and, as even RM admits in the catalog writeup, “Eligible for a handful of historic racing events”. There is surely some compelling ulterior motive behind the enthusiasm shown by two bidders for this car and it is best left to those with the big checkbooks to work that out. For an objective observer this price is inexplicable.
Lot # 149 2009 Ferrari 599 GTZ Nibbio Spyder, Body by Zagato; S/N ZFFFD60B000165830; Gunmetal Grey/Black leather; Black cloth top; Estimate $1,697,640 – $1,940,160; Unrestored original 2 condition; With Reserve; Not sold at Hammer bid of $1,394,490. – 5,999/620hp, 6-speed automanual, Challenge-style wheels, red calipers, yellow tach, carbon fiber steering wheel, CD stereo, climate control, 7-spoke alloy wheels, PZero tires, – One of six built based on a 20,100 km 599 GTB and sent to Zagato for conversion, completed in January 2020. 20,852 km showing, driven under 800 km since it was completed. Distinctive but unbalanced body with a large, low hanging and easily damaged oval grille and an upswept rear body with little indication of undercar aerodynamic consideration. Clean, orderly engine compartment. Good upholstery and tight-fitting top. Google translates “nibbio” as “kite”. – It’s a case of like it or not and the RM “Paris” bidders liked this kite less than the owner did. The reported high bid is eight times the current value of a 599 GTB so a buyer would have to like it a lot more than a comparable car even to get to this bid, let alone to the pre-sale low estimate.