The much-hyped no-reserve sale of the Bruce Weiner microcar collection lived up to its billing with a raft of extraordinary and World Record prices racked up over two days in Georgia, USA.
As well as a wealth of memorabilia, almost 200 mini machines, some so obscure that they made normally leftfield cars look mainstream, went under the hammer at the RM event.
The auction house clearly had high hopes, having created a hardback book as a catalogue and built a dedicated website for the Microcar Museum collection.
Its efforts were rewarded with some astonishing results.
When a 1959 Messerschmitt KR200 Sport (48171) raised $80,000 on the hammer it was just the start of the madness.
That was soon followed by a 1964 Peel P50 crashing through the $100,000 mark and tripling its pre-sale estimate at $105k. The following day a 1966 Trident (below) would fall just short of six figures at $90,000.
One of our favourite lots from the first date was the one-of-three 1957 Jurisch Motoplan Prototype (above), but even that made $90,000, $20k more than the rather better known 1957 Voisin Biscooter C31.
All of which made a mere $50k shelled out for a 1959 Frisky Family Three look rather a bargain!
Normal service was soon resumed when a 1959 BMW 600 made $80,000.
Top seller on Friday 15 February was the 1959 Goggomobil TL-400 Transporter pick-up in Coca Cola livery that sparked a bidding war and eventually settled at $120,000.
The frenzy continued on Saturday when $75k was raised by a 1961 Isetta police car and $85k was bid on a 1957 Isettacarro pick-up.
Estimates kept being trounced when an immaculate 1956 Messerschmitt KR200 made $60,000 and another Goggomobil van – this time a 1963 TL-250 in Dubble Bubble livery – topped $115,000.
At $80,000, the much vaunted 1959 Isetta Whatta Drag was one of few lots that didn't smash expectations, though. Given the way things were going, we were also surprised by the comparatively sane $66k raised by the 1953 Fuldamobil N-2.
Other huge prices included the $150,000 paid for the 1958 'Pez' Goggomobile TL-400 transporter and the $110k forked out for the 1955 Fuji Cabin (below).
Another estimate-tripler was the '55 Inter 175A Berline that made an incredible $140,000 while a 1955 KR200 with celebrity history ended on $100k.
Second most expensive car over the two days was a 1951 Reyonnah (below) that was rapidly bid to $160,000.
All were dwarfed for the sale's top-seller, however, which nearly doubled its already healthy $150,000 estimate.
