The 20 best classics at the Paris auctions 2020

Bugattis, Ferraris, Porsches and more

Paris becomes the centre of the classic car world for the next few days, as the wonderful Rétromobile show opens its doors to tens of thousands of enthusiasts.

And as is traditional, three of the big auction houses will mark the occasion by hosting glittering sales in the city over the same period. RM Sotheby’s is first up later today (5 February), with Bonhams following tomorrow and France’s own Artcurial rounding things off on Friday.

All three sales are packed with multi-million pound (or rather Euro) classics, with a particular focus this year on Bugattis, plenty of cars with motorsport history and the usual array of Ferraris.

We’ve trawled through the catalogues in search of our 20 favourites – starting with a French classic… 

1931 Bugatti Type 55 Two-Seat Supersport

Estimate: €4-7m

Bugattis dominate the upper echelons of the Paris sales, with five of them carrying €1m-plus estimates – and this is the most expensive.

It’s not hard to see why: it started life as a works Le Mans racer, entered into the 1932 edition and driven by Guy Bouriat and Louis Chiron, though a split fuel tank led to its retirement from the epic endurance race.

A few months later it was rebodied by Figoni with the sweeping, two-tone coachwork it still wears today and it later enjoyed victory on the 1933 Paris-Nice rally.

1959 DB HBR4 ‘Le Monstre’

Estimate: €140-180k

From one Le Mans entrant to another, this diminutive French car competed in the 1961 edition and placed second in the hotly contested Index of Performance. It also finished eighth in the gruelling 1959 Tour de France – out of 111 starters – and scored class wins all over Europe.

Now restored to its ’61 Le Mans configuration, right down to the livery, it goes to auction as an ideal candidate for historic racing.

1978 Rondeau M378 Le Mans GTP

Estimate: €0.9-1.2m

While the previous two cars both competed at Le Mans, neither can really be described as a Le Mans legend – but that’s an entirely apt description of the Rondeau M378.

It twice finished on the podium at La Sarthe, taking second place in 1981 and third in 1980. What’s more, it clocked up a total of 10 Le Mans entries between 1978 and 1988 – a record for any car, and one that’s unlikely to ever be beaten.

It also played an important role in the heartwarming Rondeau story: it was the first car to bear the name of its creator, Jean Rondeau, who ultimately became the first homegrown winner of the event in 1980.

1936 Delahaye 135 Special

Estimate: €0.8-1.2m

The final one of our quartet of Le Mans racers is this gorgeous Delahaye 135 Special. One of 16 produced specifically with track success in mind, it was raced at the 1937 edition but sadly retired on lap 36; the following year, two of its siblings would finish first and second.

It goes to auction in wonderful condition, having been comprehensively restored, and although now fitted with an engine from a 135 MS model, the original unit will also be included in the sale.

1983 Ferrari 126 C3-068 Formule 1

Estimate: €0.6-1m

Sticking with motorsport cars but fast-forwarding a few decades, here’s a genuine Formula One car going to auction in Paris.

The 1980s weren’t the best for Scuderia Ferrari, with no drivers’ titles in the entire decade, but the team did manage to take two Constructors’ Championships. One of those came in 1983, and this car played its part in that success.

The 126-C3 was Ferrari’s new car that season, and the first of its F1 racers to be built with a carbonfibre shell. Chassis 068 was one of four that competed in ’83, finishing second in Austria and first in the Dutch GP, each time with René Arnoux at the wheel.

1925 Bugatti Type 39 Grand prix Racing Two-Seater

Estimate: €1.05-1.4m

Like the Ferrari on the previous slide, this eye-catching Bugatti has a Grand Prix victory to its name – albeit in an entirely different era.

A former works racer, it won the 1931 Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island, with Carl Junker at the wheel. Nor was that its only success: it also came third in class at the Grand Prix de Tourisme at Montlhéry and seventh at the 1925 Italian Grand Prix, among other successes.

More racing and a period in storage followed, before this Type 39 was restored in the ’80s.

1967 Serenissima 3000SP Prototipo

Estimate: €1-1.4m

Scuderia Serenissima may not be a world-renowned name, but the Italian motorsport team run by Count Volpi certainly produced a few interesting cars in its short life.

Three of them sold at Artcurial’s Paris auction last year, with one of them fetching an incredible £3.7m – more than three times its pre-sale estimate – so it’s perhaps no surprise that the auction house is having another stab at it this year.

This example is one of only two others known to have survived, and is itself a fascinating vehicle.

Based on a McLaren chassis and fitted with Serenissima’s own V8 engine plus an exotic fibreglass chassis, it entered its first race, the Coppa Città di Enna in Sicily, in August 1968 – and duly finished in second place.

A new body was created for the 1969 season and a new engine dropped in, but it never quite lived up to its early potential and was retired in 1970.

After many years in storage, it emerged in 2018 and was given a full mechanical overhaul by no less than the team’s former chief mechanic, Giuliano Giuliani! It goes to auction in amazingly original condition, right down to the Serenissima stickers on its body.

1966 Ferrari Dino 206S/SP Racing Sports Prototype

Estimate: available on request

The words “estimate available on request” are usually a good guide as to a car’s value, in that they indicate it’ll probably cost a fortune.

That’s hardly surprising in the case of this Dino, which is a genuine Ferrari prototype – one of 18 produced with the aim of homologating the model for competition.

Converted to a sporty Spider, or Montagna, body in late 1969 or 1970, it enjoyed several class wins and an 11th place finish at the 1970 Targa Florio.

1929 Mercedes-Benz 710 SS

Estimate: €6-8m

The most expensive car on offer in Paris this week isn’t a Bugatti or a Ferrari but rather this rare pre-war Mercedes with a €6m-plus estimate.

So what’s so special about it? Well the 710 SS (type W06) was one of the most fearsome cars of its day, with a 7.1-litre engine which could pump out 200bhp. With a top speed of nearly 120mph it seemed ideal for motorsport and indeed in short-wheelbase SSK form it notched up victories all over the world.

Only around 100 were built, and this one has enjoyed quite the life. It was originally sent to the United States as a rolling chassis and displayed at the 1930 New York National Automobile Show, before being shipped to France, where it received its fetching coachwork by Howard ‘Dutch’ Darrin. 

A trip back across the Atlantic saw it delivered to its first owner in Washington DC, and it remained in the US for the next 70 or so years before returning to its birthplace of Germany in 2009.

It goes to auction with full Mercedes-Benz Klassik certification and we fully expect to see it at some of the world’s top concours in future years. 

1939 Bugatti Type 57C Stelvio Cabriolet

Estimate: €1.35-1.65m

Another Bugatti up for grabs in Paris, and another stunning example of pre-war craftsmanship.

It’s only just pre-war, though – because this was actually one of the last two Bugattis produced before hostilities started in 1939.

It’s lived something of a hard life, having broken down in the late 1950s and been left in a garage for a decade and then suffering the ignominy of being repainted in a less-than flattering shade of red.

Fortunately it’s since been fully restored and refinished in its original colour and it goes to auction in excellent condition with less than 30,000 miles on the clock.

1973 Ford Escort RS1600 Gr II Usine

Estimate: €180-220k

From a pre-war classic to a very different beast, in the form of this RS1600.

And what a beast it is: a genuine works WRC rally car, it was driven by Timo Mäkinen in the 1973 and 1974 seasons, and even scored a win in the 1000 Lakes Rally in Finland in ’73.

It’s since spent time in a museum and looks like an ideal candidate for historic motorsport.

1966 Porsche 906

Estimate: €1.4-1.8m

The curvaceous Porsche 906 was unlucky to be born in 1966, the year in which Ford’s Le Mans programme finally came to fruition, with GT40s taking the top three places.

If not for that, the superb 906 would surely have won: the model claimed positions four to seven in the 1966 race and also triumphed at that year’s Targa Florio.

This example didn’t quite hit those heights, but it was extensively campaigned by several Italian amateurs throughout ’66 and ’67 and is in remarkably good condition today considering its competition history.

1955 Jaguar D-Type

Estimate: €5.9-6.4m

A couple of high-profile D-types have gone unsold at auctions in the past few years, but this one carries a more reasonable price than some have – if €5.9m can ever be described as reasonable!

This one has spent most of its life in Australia, where it set numerous track records and won multiple events in the mid 1950s. It’s also passed through a number of notable owners, include Le Mans winner Richard Atwood, and is described as being “one of the best production D-Types in existence today”. High praise indeed.   

1977 Lamborghini Countach LP400 Periscopio

Estimate: €0.8-1.2m

Most auctions include one or two lots previously owned by celebrities, and of these roughly 60% appear to have belonged at one time to Rod Stewart. This 1977 Countach is one such car, and it has quite the story.

It was originally delivered new to the British rock star in Australia, where he was recording his hit album Blondes Have More Fun.

Not wanting to be separated from his new toy, Stewart kept the car inside the recording studio for two weeks, and period photos show it surrounded by partying band members and hangers-on.

When Stewart moved to the US at the end of the 1970s, he took the Countach with him, employing importer Albert Mardikian to convert it to left-hand drive – and, for good measure, also had the roof removed and the suspension strengthened.

Sold by Stewart in 2002 it then spent some time in England and France, before reaching its current owner in 2013. It’s since been restored to its original coupé configuration but remains a left-hand drive car and most importantly, still has its original engine.

c.1938 Packard Super Eight

Estimate: €15-25k (no reserve)

This American classic is the cheapest lot in our selection, and that’s hardly surprising given the state of it.

But let’s not be too harsh on it, because this pre-war Packard was once part of the renowned Roger Baillon Collection

One of the most famous of all barn finds, the Baillon collection featured more than 100 cars including Bugattis, Hispano-Suizas, Delahayes and Delages, and while this Packard may not be quite so exotic, it is nonetheless an extremely rare European version and a piece of classic-car history.

1938 Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 B Lungo cabriolet Worblaufen

Estimate: €1.25-1.75m

Just 224 Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 Bs were produced in rolling chassis form, ready to be equipped with custom coachwork, and of those only 10 were of the Lungo variety.

This one was given a stunning cabriolet body by Worblaufen and was then displayed at the 1938 Geneva Motor Show – an honour that was repeated in 2018 to celebrate its 80th birthday.

1973 Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS Lightweight

Estimate: €0.8-1m

Is the Carrera RS 2.7 the ultimate 911? It’s certainly a contender, particularly in scale-defying Lightweight form as here.

This example is in superb condition, having enjoyed a full restoration under its current owner which included a restoration to its original – and striking – ‘Blutorange’ colour.

1967 BMW-Glas 3000 V8 Fastback Coupé Prototype

Estimate: €250-350k

A true one-off car, this BMW prototype was designed by Carrozzeria Frua, who took the original BMW-Glas 3000 V8 and gave it a stunning fastback coupé treatment.

It appeared at various European motor shows, including Frankfurt and Paris in 1967, the Geneva Salon in 1968, and Barcelona in 1969 but never made it into production.

1972 Ferrari 365GTS/4-A ‘Daytona’ Spider

Estimate: €2.4-2.6m

We never need an excuse to include a Ferrari 365 ‘Daytona’ in a list of our favourite classics, particularly when it’s in open-topped Spider form.

This is one of just 19 European-spec cars, and one of only nine produced with a reinforced chassis. Originally sold to an enthusiast in Lebanon, it’s since passed through the hands of several noted collectors and is offered for sale in excellent condition.

1938 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante Coupé

Estimate: €1.5-1.8m

We’ll finish as we started, with a superb Bugatti.

What’s more, it’s a truly unique car, as the only Type 57 Atalante to wear coachwork by Carrosserie Gangloff.

Chassis number 57633 was ordered by Fernand Crouzet, who we have to thank for this bodywork, and was first registered on 7 April 1938.

Crouzet owned it until 1943, having hidden it during WW2 for safe keeping. It was then restored and came to the UK to serve as one of the French Embassy's official cars, before being sold to an owner in Scotland in 1948. 

Some years and a few owners later, it was auctioned as a barn-find in 1987 and shipped to Michigan for a no-expense-spared restoration.