Ferrari destroys estimate as auction week draws to a close

| 19 Aug 2013

A 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4*S NART Spider sold for $27.5million to dwarf its $14-17million valuation at RM’s Monterey sale on 16-17 August.

Helping the car achieve such a fantastic result – a world record for a road car and a US record for any car – was its one-owner status and that the proceeds were to be donated to charity.

It’s believed the car was bought by Canadian fashion entrepreneur Lawrence Stroll who made Tommy Hilfiger a worldwide brand in the ’90s.

RM’s sale on Friday was also led by a Ferrari, this time a 1953 375 MM Spider. One of 12, it made $9.08million and was followed by a 1939 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster ($7.48million) and a 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza Spider ($4,070,000).

Gooding’s top result on Sunday went to a 1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante that sold on the hammer for $7.95million.

It had a splendid history and featured a competition derived surbaissé chassis with factory supercharger.

On Saturday the auction house raked in a total of $53.7million, including a 1957 Ferrari 250GT 14-Louvre Short Wheelbase Berlinetta that set a record for the model – selling for $9.46million.

Other huge lots included an Avions Voisin C25 Aérodyne ($1.925million) and a McLaren F1 ($8.47million) that set a world record for the Gordon Murray designed supercar.

At Bonhams on Friday (16 August) the top lot was to a 1931 Bentley 4½ Litre Supercharged Le Mans that sold for $4.65million.

It was one of just three original Le Mans specification production supercharged cars built and had been owned by the same family for more than 55 years.

Taking second and third place at the UK auction house’s sale were a one-off 1953 Ferrari 250 Europa Coupé ($ 2.81million) and a 1963 Shelby AC Cobra from the Stan Hallinan collection ($ 2.1million).

At Mecum’s three-day auction it was a Porsche that proved the dominant force as a 1955 550/1500 RS Spyder made $3,750,000.

It had featured at the Brussels Salon Auto Show Car in February 1956 and had a well-documented European racing history piloted by Goethals in 1956.

A 1990 Ferrari F40 took second-placed sale it, making $1,325,000 while a 1964 Shelby 289 independent competition Cobra sold for $925,000.

Last on the list of big sales was Russo and Steele’s, which held a three-day auction from 15-17 August.

Results are yet to come in, although a 1965 NART Spyder conversion was expected to lead.

With total sales figures still to come in from RM – which made $86million on Friday night alone – Auction

Week is expected to better even last year’s week of results, which pulled in more than $200million.