A 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Cabriolet A was the top-selling lot at RM Sotheby’s inaugural Techno-Classica Essen auction on 11-12 April.
The hammer fell at €2,255,000 (c£1,945,400), bang in the middle of the car’s pre-sale estimate at a two-day event that achieved more than €18.7m (£16.1m) in total, and that saw 86 percent of the 229 lots find new homes.
Powered by a supercharged straight-eight and clothed in sweeping, two-tone bodywork, the restored Mercedes was delivered new to London, but came to the sale from a private collection in Switzerland.
It was the priciest lot by quite some margin – and one of only two to hit seven figures.
The other was a 1985 Lancia Delta S4 Stradale that absolutely smashed its €450-550,000 estimate when it sold for €1,040,000 (c£897,000).
That it was a highly original example that had done fewer than 1500 miles and was sold with the books and tools that have been with it since new probably didn’t hurt...
This one-of-200 car was one of three Lancia homologation specials consigned to the German sale, all of which ranked in the auction’s top 10 lots – and all of which beat their estimates.
