Dream cars for sale next month

First European auction week of 2019 promises to break the bank

Forget the Eiffel Tower: the best reason to visit Paris in February is the Rétromobile classic car show and the prestigious auctions that accompany it.

An annual extravaganza of big bids and priceless classics, the auction week regularly breaks sales records, and this year looks to be no exception.

With three auction houses – Artcurial, Bonhams and RM Sotheby’s – all hosting sales, a staggering array of classics is set to go under the hammer, including an incredible 32 that are expected to fetch more than £1million apiece.

Got a nest egg stashed away? These are the lots you want.

1931 Bugatti Type 51 Grand Prix

Estimate: €4-4.5m (£3.5-3.9m) / Artcurial

First up is a real zinger: a competition Bugatti Type 51 from 1931. The stunning machine has a long and well-documented history – from giving French racer Maurice Trintignant his first Grand Prix win to spending the last 27 years in the collection of one Jean-Claude Miloé.

Perhaps most remarkably of all, it’s in incredibly original condition for a car of its age – let alone one that raced in period.

3. 1966 Serenissima Spyder

Sold for: £3,712,544 (Artcurial)

One of the most interesting stories to emerge from the Paris auctions, this Serenissima sold for more than three times its pre-sale estimate! 

Count Giovanni Volpi’s Serenissima team built just two Spyders for the track, including this one, which contested the fabled 24 Hours of Le Mans as car #24 in 1966. It didn’t finish, but given that only 15 of the 55 entrants did that year, there’s no shame in that.

It isn’t currently in running order, but that’s because it hasn’t been touched since it crawled into the Le Mans pits: it’s never been restored and went to auction in entirely original condition – from its aluminium Fantuzzi body to its 3.5-litre V8 engine. 

1960 Ferrari 250GT Cabriolet Series II

Estimate: €1.2-1.4m (£1-1.2m) / RM Sotheby’s

The Ferrari 250GT is a regular auction star, and with good reason: a mere 200 examples of the stunning mid-century GT were built, and it still cuts a dash today with its elegant lines courtesy of Pinin Farina.

This 1960 vehicle is a particular beauty, resplendent in its original shade of Grigio Conchiglia and in superb condition having been stabled with the same family for more than five decades.

1928 Bugatti Type 43 Grand Sport Tourer

Estimate: €1.3-1.5m (£1.1-1.3m) / Bonhams

Another Bugatti, another million-pound price tag – and this 1928 machine, listed with Bonhams for sale on 7 February, is another special one.

Besides the fact that it’s one of just 160 built and has a well-documented ownership history, including 71 years with the same owner between 1942 and 2013, its first custodian was rather famous indeed: Crown Prince Leopold of Belgium – who had it fitted with the chassis number from his previous Type 43.

1935 Hispano-Suiza K6 Cabriolet

Estimate: €1.3-1.5m (£1.1-1.3m) / RM Sotheby’s

An exercise in pure 1930s elegance, this cruising cabriolet from Hispano-Suiza wears one-off bodywork by Etienne Brandone and it’s a thing of pure beauty, from the swooping fenders to the sweeping tail.

Restored a decade ago to match its exact 1935 configuration, the open-top presents a stunning image today, even among arresting contemporaries.

1957 Porsche 550A Spyder

Estimate: €3.8-4.8m (£3.3-4.2m) / Artcurial

The first of two mid-century Spyders going under the hammer in Paris, this stunning Stuttgart racer represents the ultimate evolution of Porsche’s featherweight ’50s racer.

Sold new to an amateur racer in the Bahamas, it subsequently spent time with a host of well-known collectors in the Porsche community, going on to enjoy a thorough, no-expense-spared restoration at the start of the decade. Seriously, they spent €55k on the gearbox casing alone!

2011 Ferrari SP30

Estimate: upon request / RM Sotheby’s

Several young lots are up for grabs in Paris – including a trio of Bugatti Veyron machines each worth more than a million apiece – but the rarest of all is this properly bespoke, one-off Ferrari from 2011. 

Built by the marque’s Special Projects division, it’s the first such car to be offered at public auction and, with fewer than 110km on the clock, it’s essentially a brand new, coachbuilt Prancing Horse – and one based on the already mighty 599GTO.

10. 1939 Mercedes-Benz 540K Cabriolet A

Sold for: £1,387,546 (Bonhams)

Any example of the 540K – a 5.4-litre luxury cruiser first shown in 1936 – is worth a packet today, blessed as it is with a combination of glorious coachwork and thunderous performance.

This 540K? This one is special indeed: delivered new to Germany, in 1985 it was sold to King Hussein bin Talal – then the king of Jordan. Joining a collection of classics, the 540K travelled widely with the late monarch, even appearing at an event at the Royal Albert Hall in 1987, organised by Lord Montagu of Beaulieu.

Fully restored in 1990, the German cruiser has remained in the former king’s family for the last 34 years and was Bonhams’ most expensive lot to sell in Paris. 

1959 BMW 507 Roadster Series II

Estimate: €2-2.2m (£1.7-1.9m) / RM Sotheby’s

You’ll find two of BMW’s sublime mid-century roadsters on offer during Rétromobile week, including this 1959 number listed with RM Sotheby’s – and, while the supremely stylish V8 machine might have almost bankrupted the German marque, it’s easy to see why it remains so desirable today.

Only 252 were built, 217 of which shipped in Series II guise – including this one, the only example ever delivered new to Mozambique. Restored in the 1990s, it’s magnificent both to behold and to drive. At least, so we’re told.

15. 1930 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS

Sold for: £860,147 (Artcurial)

Built to go racing, Alfa’s supercharged 6C 1750 GS might have had a mouthful of a moniker, but it was also one of the most capable and successful sports cars of its era.

And this 1930 example has quite the story: shipped as a chassis to England for its bespoke coachwork in 1930, it was subsequently rebodied by Corsica in 1935, driven at Goodwood in 1953 then, in the mid ’50s, bought by Norman Farquhar – and the American would go on to enjoy driving, maintaining and improving the Alfa over the next several decades.

In fact, it was Farquhar’s family which listed the rare Alfa – still in outstandingly original condition – with Artcurial on 8 February. Let’s hope its new owner enjoys it every bit as much.

1. 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B

Sold for: £14,736,128 (Artcurial)

And finally, we have the undisputed winner of the Paris auctions – a stunning Alfa Romeo that sold for £14.7m. Yes, £14.7m. That’s £10m more than any other car that changed hands last week.

Why such a huge price tag? Well, the Alfa Romeo 8C was the fastest production car built before WWII, and just five of the long-nose machines received striking coachwork from Touring, with chassis 412024 being one of them.

Stabled with the same family for the last 40 years, its first owner isn’t known, but it’s always been a showstopper: brought to the UK in 1939, the ultra-rare machine promptly went about winning a host of concours events, as well as featuring in Motor, before moving to France in the ’60s, then the Netherlands in 1976.

It was presented by Artcurial as a stunningly original, unrestored, used but well-maintained machine – something of a rarity in itself, given the modern appetite for restoration. More to the point, it’s reportedly still a thrill to drive – though whether its new owner will want to risk it is another matter entirely.

11. 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing

Sold for: £1,059,581 (Bonhams)

The second 300SL in this list, but this one comes in Gullwing form – and therefore commanded a larger price tag in Paris last week.

Even among Gullwings, though, this 1955 example is something special. Fully restored from the ground up over the last four years, it carries a rare aluminium engine (built in ’65, fitted in ’73) plus several driving improvements (including disc brakes). But really, just look at it. What a stunner.

4. 1956 Porsche 550RS Spyder

Sold for: £2,646,975 (RM Sotheby’s)

This lightweight, low-down racer is a proper rarity. Fewer than 100 examples of the 550RS were ever built by Porsche, and few enjoy such a well-documented and varied competition history as this one.

Entered in a host of rallies, hill climbs and races in period, it competed everywhere from Spa Francorchamps to the Nürburgring – though its greatest outing was surely the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1957. 

Restored in 2000, it is eligible for entry into the Mille Miglia and Le Mans Classic – so let’s hope its new owner takes full advantage of that.

1957 BMW 507 Roadster Series I

Estimate: £1.8-2.2m (€1.6-1.9m) / Bonhams

The second of the 507s is this lovely Series I example, up for auction with Bonhams. Of the 257 roadsters built in total, only 34 were Series I machines, making this blue-green machine a rarity among rarities.

Delivered new to Germany, it’s had just five owners from new – with murmurings that the car’s designer, Albrecht Graf von Goertz, might even have owned it in the ’70s – and ships with its matching-numbers engine, fresh from a comprehensive rebuild by BMW Classic.

16. 1964 Ferrari 250GT Lusso

Sold for: £860,147 (Artcurial)

A stunning Ferrari tourer in luxury Lusso trim, freshly refurbished to the tune of €300,000 and still as stunning as the day it was penned by Pininfarina? It’s a wonder this 1964 example wasn’t worth more – especially when you consider its colourful history.

Stolen in 1976 from its Kentucky owner, the Prancing Horse was thought lost for 14 years, until it turned up without its shell, to be shipped back to Italy to receive a fresh engine and bodywork. Remarkable.

6. 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss

Sold for: £2,303,136 (Artcurial)

Just 10 years old and already a much-coveted machine, the SLR Stirling Moss remains a staggering piece of high-speed engineering. Named in honour of the British racing legend’s 1955 Mille Miglia win in a 300SLR, just 75 of the composite speedsters were built – each good for 660bhp and well north of 200mph.

This one? It’s about as close to new as they come today, with just 950km on the clock, having spent most of its life in a private museum in Germany.

1958 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster

Estimate: €1.1-1.3m (£960k-1.1m) / Artcurial

Normal doors, just as stunning: this roadster variant of the fabled 300SL doesn’t pack the poster-worthy Gullwing doors, but it does offer an extensive competition history of mid-’60s hillclimbs and road races.

What’s more, the 240bhp machine was stabled with the same family for an impressive 28 years between 1962 and 1990, and underwent an €180,000 restoration in 2016. Who needs silly doors, anyway?

1966 Ferrari 275GTC

Estimate: €2.3-2.6m (£2-2.3m) / Artcurial

The successor to the 250, Ferrari’s 275 was an equally stunning grand tourer equipped with a V12 engine good for  280bhp and 150mph – and it was never more capable than in lightweight competition guise. 

Most of the dozen racing examples the Italian marque built were stamped ‘GTB/C’, but a scant three received a simple ‘GTC’ moniker – including this one: delivered new to America by Ferrari, it was never raced in period and, from 1977, spent some 35 years with the same owner. 

Given a full mechanical overhaul and entered several times into the Tour Auto by its current owner, it remains the perfect combination of Pininfarina style and rumbling sports performance.

1930 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Grand Sport

Estimate: €1.2-1.6m (£1.1-1.4m) / Bonhams

Not the most expensive Alfa on offer in Paris – not by a long shot – but this 6C racer from 1930 is nevertheless a pretty remarkable machine.

Chassis 8513033 was one of three racing Alfa Romeos entered by Scuderia Ferrari in its first ever race, the 1930 Mille Miglia. It would contest the event the following year, too, with the same driver: Luigi Scarfiotti.

Sold back to the Italian marque in 1935, it subsequently went off the record until it was discovered in Modena in 1960, restored and stabled with the Bruni family. At some point it gained new Grand Sport coachwork in its original Zagato style, but it otherwise retains its original running gear, which only makes it more enticing.

1956 Ferrari 250GT Berlinetta

Estimate: €1.1-1.3m (£880k-1.1m) / Bonhams

What is there to say about this next lot, other than the fact that it’s a pristine 250GT Berlinetta? Well, it was delivered new to Paris, raced in period in the USA, enjoyed an exacting restoration after returning to Europe five years ago and goes to auction with Bonhams with Ferrari Classiche certification. But, really, just the 250GT bit matters.

1955 OSCA MT4-2AD 1350

Estimate: €1.1-1.3m (£960k-1.1m) / RM Sotheby’s

Founded by Ernesto, Ettore and Bindo Maserati after they parted ways with the family marque, OSCA was a big name in the ’50s and ’60s – and the Bologna marque put out a fair few stunners over its 20-year lifespan.

Case in point: this 1955 racer, one of 70 or so MT4 machines built. Delivered new as a rolling chassis, its first owner created his own aluminium coachwork for the car – only for it to be destroyed during the 1959 Targa Florio.

Coachbuilder Morelli made a replacement, which it still wears today – fully restored, with a period 1350cc OSCA engine underneath.

1953 Maserati A6GCS

Estimate: €3.7-4.5m (£3.2-3.9m) / Artcurial

Another red racing Italian, this glorious Maserati A6GCS is a pure competition beauty, bodied by the marque’s own Celestino Fiandri. 

Raced in period in hillclimbs and endurance events – including the Sebring 12 Hours – it survived accidents, engine replacements and numerous well-documented custodians to eventually undergo a restoration using period parts, leaving it an elegant, nimble and breathtaking machine.

5. 1966 Ferrari 275GTB/6C

Sold for: £2,488,200 (RM Sotheby’s)

There are several things that can make a Ferrari rare. Former owners. Competition history. Number built. When it comes to the 275GTB? The fabled combination is a detailed but very rare one: long nose, six carburettors, alloy body and torque tube.

Only eight were ever made with all of those features and this black example from 1966 was one of the earliest – which explains the near-£2.5m price.

13. 1928 Bentley 6.5-litre Four Light Weymann

Sold for: £1,009,124 (Bonhams)

Now 91 years old and still going strong, this alluring Bentley Big Six is remarkable for its unmolested condition: stabled with just eight owners since new and with a mere 42,000 miles on the clock, it sold complete with matching-numbers 6.5-litre engine and original Weymann fabric exterior. 

2003 Ferrari Enzo

Estimate: €1.85-2m (£1.7-1.8m) / RM Sotheby’s

Some cars are famous for their stories. Others for their numbers. For the Enzo? It’s both: an homage to the Italian marque’s late founder, it was a Formula 1-derived hypercar for the new millennium – all carbonfibre, aggressive aero and world-beating performance. Think 650bhp from its naturally aspirated V12 engine.

Just 400 were built and this 2003 example is a stunner, having covered fewer than 5250 miles since new – and it’s reportedly the only one ever to wear Rosso F1 2007 paintwork. Specific, but still striking.

9. 1996 Ferrari F50

Sold for: £1,479,000 (RM Sotheby’s)

Before the Enzo came the terrifying F50 – a monster of a machine built for the marque’s 50th birthday. Equipped with a 4.7-litre V12 derived from an F1 power unit, it developed 513bhp and could top 200mph.

Just 349 were built. This low-mileage example, finished in 1996, well-maintained and used sparingly over the last two decades, is as good as any – and promises a proper seat-of-the-pants Prancing Horse experience to the winning bidder at the RM Sotheby’s sale.

8. 1994 Bugatti EB110 Super Sport

Sold for: £1,766,100 (RM Sotheby’s)

Before the fabled Veyron came the EB110 – and it was no slouch, especially in rare Super Sports guise: built to the tune of just 30 examples, it packed a 3.5-litre V12 with four turbochargers, good for 610bhp and a 0-100kmh time of just 3.3 seconds.

Delivered new to Germany, this EB110 has led a sheltered life for such a capable car, with just 916km covered since new – which means, after a quarter of a century and several owners, it’s still basically brand new.

2. 1987 Ferrari F40 LM

Sold for: £4,212,975 (RM Sotheby’s)

Second on the list of Paris sale was this super-rare variant of Ferrari’s fabled F40. Essentially the competition version of the F50, just 19 were built – and this one’s probably the most famous.

Entered into the 24 Hours of Le Mans in both 1995 and 1996, it finished 12th in the former event and would go on to win the Anderstorp 4 Hours that same year. Used by Ferrari as a pre-production prototype, it’ll certainly get its new owner noticed!

1997 RUF Porsche CTR2 Sport Prototype

Estimate: €1.3-1.6m (£1.1-1.4m) / Bonhams

German tuner and car-maker RUF has long been creating incredible Porsche-based machines – and CTR2 was no exception. Based on a 993 Turbo, it packed well north of 500bhp, as well as refined suspension, brakes and, well, pretty much everything.

This particular CTR2? It’s one of just two street-legal prototype machines prepared for and entered into the 1997 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Then only thing bigger than its 700bhp output? That massive rear wing.

RM Sotheby’s auction takes place on 6 February, with Bonhams on the 7th and Artcurial on the 8th. Visit Classic & Sports Car’s Auctions database for the results once they’re over.