The 20 most expensive classics sold at Scottsdale 2020

Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Mercs and more

The annual Scottsdale auctions are finally over, after 10 days of frantic bidding that saw 2994 cars sell for a grand total of $244million. Yes, that’s almost a quarter of a billion dollars!

Immense though it is, that figure was actually slightly down on last year’s tally, as the collector car market continued to flatten out a little following a decade of growth.

It’s also true that some of our favourite lots didn’t sell – among them the Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 on offer with Bonhams and the Ferrari F50 prototype put up for sale by Worldwide Auctioneers. But against that, plenty of lovely cars did change hands – and we’ve rounded up the top 20 for you here, in ascending order.

Note that we’re restricting it to cars we consider to be ‘classics’ – so there’s no place for the 2020 Corvette Stingray that sold for $3m with Barrett-Jackson or the Pagani Huayra Roadster that made $2.37m with RM Sotheby’s.

20. 1937 BMW 328

Sold for: $830k

This pre-war German beauty massively overperformed at Scottsdale, selling for double its pre-sale estimate of $350-450k.

Then again, one look at its history explains why it was so popular: it had resided with one owner for the past 75 years, a decorated US army general who bought it at the end of WW2. 

It went to auction in wonderfully original condition, retaining its matching-numbers engine, and will surely delight its new custodian.

19. Auburn 852 SC Boattail Speedster

Sold for: $880k

The biggest seller at Worldwide’s auction was this handsome 1936 Auburn 852 SC Boattail Speedster.

Fewer than 100 of these pre-war classics were built and this one enjoyed a superb restoration that saw it offered for sale in immaculate condition.

18. 1958 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster

Sold for: $910k

We’d always choose a Gullwing over the Roadster variant of the 300SL – wouldn’t everyone? – but there’s not much in it, and Mercedes’ stunning open-topped proto-supercar remains an absolute classic.  

One of two 300SL Roadsters sold by Gooding & Co (the other one fetched $775k), this example was sold by a consignor who’s pledged to donate the proceeds to a children’s charity, which presumably helped push the price up a little. Well done him.

17. 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster

Sold for: $973k

No, you’re not seeing double: it’s another 300SL Roadster.

This one is a highly original example, with only 25,700 original miles on the clock, that’s finished in the rare – and striking – Strawberry Red Metallic. Gorgeous.

16. 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K

Sold for: $995k

We always expected this one to sell for big money, although rather surprisingly it fell just shy of its pre-sale lower estimate of $1m.

Surprising? Yes, because this elegant pre-war classic was lost to the world for nearly 40 years, having been hidden away by its owner in 1980.

Known as ‘The Missing Coupé’, it re-emerged late last year and went to auction in wonderfully original condition.

15. 1970 Porsche 914-6 GT

Sold for: $995k

Another German classic, although from a very different era than that trio of Mercedes and the BMW – and another car that sold for a tiny bit under its $1m estimate. Still, what’s $5k among friends? 

A racing Porsche with an enviable pedigree, this 914/6 GT tasted success at the 1971 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring, among others, and has also been shown at several top concours.

14. 1969 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 COPO

Sold for: $1.09m

This is one of just 69 ‘COPO’ Camaros – a high-performance version of the Chevrolet muscle car modified by Don Yenko’s performance shop – produced for the 1969 year.

An original, matching-numbers vehicle, it’s powered by an all-aluminium 427cu in V8 and features an M22 Rock Crusher four-speed manual transmission plus special suspension, power disc brakes and other enhancements. We love the Hugger Orange finish, too.

13. 1930 Cadillac V-16 Sport Phaeton

Sold for: $1.105m

This is one of seven Cadillac V-16s offered by RM Sotheby’s, all of which came from the John D Groendyke collection. All seven sold, but this example was by far the most expensive – thanks to a combination of its wonderful condition and charming history.

It is thought to have been owned from new by one of the Kellogg family and then spent nearly 40 years in the collection of a dairy operator and enthusiast who displayed it in a specially constructed annex off his den!

Owned since the late 1990s by Oklahoma collector Jim Bradley, it’s enjoyed a full restoration plus a 2017 appearance at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

12. 2008 Bugatti Veyron

Sold for: $1.105m

Is the newest lot in our Top 20 list a ‘classic’? Undoubtedly: the model may only be 15 years old, and this example younger still, but the Veyron remains a benchmark in supercar design.

This one is in exceptionally good shape, having covered just 720 miles from new – but despite barely having been used, it received a service in late 2018 that cost more than $51,000!

11. 1968 Lamborghini Miura P400 S

Sold for: $1.24m

What’s left to say about the Miura? The quintessential ’60s supercar is an automotive icon, as revered today as it ever was.

This is one of two Miuras in this list and is a low-mileage example in fantastic condition which can count appearances at Pebble Beach and The Quail among its many achievements.

10. 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing

Sold for: $1.27m

One of two Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwings for sale in Arizona, but the only one to sell; the other is available from Gooding for just over $1m if you fancy it…

This one retains its original engine and has been meticulously cared for over the past two decades. And doesn’t it look lovely in classic Silver Grey?

9. 1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV

Sold for: $1.39m

Though nothing could match the impact of the original Miura, the later P400 SV was a better car in almost every way.

It arrived in 1971 with those Gandini-penned lines as sumptuous as ever but now with better handling and a raft of user-friendly tweaks to the engine.

And it was fast. Really fast: the SV could hit 60mph in 5.8secs and topped out at 180mph. We still think they should have left the ‘eyelashes’ around the headlamps, though.

8. 1960 Ferrari 250GT

Sold for: $1.46m

The 68th of 200 Series II 250GTs built, this former Monterey award-winner spent much of its life in Mexico and has never before been offered for public sale.

It was restored to near-show standard a couple of decades ago and remains in wonderful shape today – just the thing for top-down cruising.

7. 1967 Ferrari 330GTS

Sold for: $1.71m

As we approach the upper reaches of this list we move firmly into Ferrari territory. And here’s another one, in the shape of the stunning 330GTS.

A wonderful mid-’60s GT, the 330 was fast, great to look at and exceedingly rare: just 99 of these Spiders were built.

A winning combination to guarantee a big price at auction, you might think, and you’d be right – this one sold for $1.71m, just below its lower guide price of $1.8m.

It was also the priciest classic in the RM Sotheby’s sale, seeing as we’ve discounted the 2018 Pagani Huayra (which fetched $2.37m).

6. 1972 Ferrari 365GTB/4 ‘Daytona’

Sold for: $1.93m

Another Ferrari, and this time round it’s the iconic 365GTB/4, a V12-engined, Pininfarina-penned drophead that’s better known by its ‘Daytona’ nickname.

This very original and low-mile (sub-40,000) example in Argento Metallizzato sold for slightly below its lower estimate of $2m – further evidence of a slight drop in values for the Maranello machines.

5. 1951 Ferrari 212 Inter

Sold for: $1.93m

Guess what? Yes, it’s another Ferrari that sold for a tiny bit below its lower estimate of $2m. This one’s a 1950s rather than ’60s car, though, in the shape of the 212 Inter.

This topped the Bonhams sale, and with good reason: it received a substantial restoration in 2012 and placed second in class at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, as well as appearing at the 2017 Cavallino Classic.

4. 1967 Ferrari 300GTS

Sold for: $1.985m

This may be getting a little repetitive, but here’s another nearly-$2m Ferrari. Not only that, but it’s another 330GTS. 

This must be one of the best out there, having received a full restoration in 2010/11. It appeared at some of the world’s most prestigious concours events in subsequent years and comes complete with that all-important Ferrari Classiche certification.

3. 1948 Tucker Model 48

Sold for: $2.04m

Only 51 Tucker 48s were produced, so it’s no surprise that they tend to go for big money when they appear at auction.

This example, the 34th produced, was no exception, selling for smack bang in the middle of its pre-sale estimate.

It’s quite the car, too: it was one of the 48s that appeared in the George Lucas/Francis Ford Coppola movie Tucker: The Man and His Dream, has just 6241 miles on the clock, and is one of few Tuckers that have never required nor received a comprehensive restoration.

2. 1932 Hispano-Suiza J12 Dual Cowl Phaeton

Sold for: $2.42m

Gooding takes the top four slots in our Top 20 list, and it also bucked the trend by selling several cars above their pre-sale guide prices.

This is one of those over-achievers: a pre-war classic that was advertised with a $1.5-2m estimate but which achieved a whopping $2.42m, setting a world record for the model in the process.

It’s not hard to see why, though – with a coachbuilt body by Parisian artisan Henry Binder, a well documented history, and an appearance at the 1988 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance behind it, it was always likely to be in demand.

1. 1995 Ferrari F50

Sold for: $3.22m

So here it is, the most expensive of all the cars sold at Scottsdale 2020.

One of two Ferrari F50s up for grabs in Arizona – the other was offered through Worldwide and didn’t change hands – it is one of only 55 originally built for the US market, out of 349 in total.

Bought new by real-estate magnate Benedetto ‘Benny’ Caiola in 1995, it was sold for the first time in 2011, where it made $814,000. Not a bad investment, then!