Bonhams|Cars October Auctions
Bonhams|Cars is set to hold two auctions on two continents over three days in October, starting with The Audrain Concours Auction on October 4 in Newport, RI. It will be held alongside the Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week, proving to be one of the fastest-growing automotive events on the East Coast.
The second auction, The Zoute Sale, will take place on October 6, 2024 and offer an impressive assortment of classic sports cars alongside modern supercars. Since both auctions are taking place so close together, at least on the calendar, we’re taking a look at some offerings from both here.
The 1987 Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth is a high-performance version of the Ford Sierra, designed for Group A racing homologation. Ford partnered with Tickford, an Aston Martin subsidiary, to produce the RS500, limiting production to just 500 examples. Powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four engine, it produced around 224 horsepower in road-going form, but race-tuned versions could exceed 500 horsepower. With its aggressive aerodynamic bodywork, including a large rear spoiler and unique front bumper, the RS500 was built for speed and handling.
The car being offered by Bonhams at The Audrain Concours Auction may well be the only example available in the US. Finished in black with a gray interior that features red accents, it shows 48,300 miles since new and is unmodified making it a particularly desirable option for fans of the Ford-Cosworth partnership that dominated rally racing in its heyday.
Estimate: $160,000 – $220,000
The E30 M3 has consistently been a strong performer in the market since collectors finally took notice of it. It may lead to an increase in collectibility for the later E36 model, but the car we’re looking at is an Evolution II variant of the E30 M3. It’s powered by a 2.3L inline four-cylinder engine that produces 220 horsepower and is paired with a five-speed manual transmission.
This model was built for Group A homologation and is one of only 501 examples produced. Finished in Macau Blue – only available on the Evolution II trim – over a Silver interior, this well-preserved car has covered 159,559 miles since new.
Estimate: $130,000 – $150,000
This 1989 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet boasts the desirable factory-equipped M505 Slant Nose option and has covered less than 10,000 miles since it was new. It’s been kept by just two owners, the second of which has maintained the car for the last 16 years.
Finished in a stunning Guards Red paint with a black interior featuring red piping, this 911 was delivered new to Monaco and is a matching-numbers car with its original engine and G50 five-speed transaxle. The factory toll roll, owner’s manual, and service booklet are included in the sale as well as the Porsche Product Specifications certificate that confirms its as-ordered configuration and matching-numbers equipment.
Estimate: $350,000 – $425,000
Ferrari built the appropriately-named 340 America to appeal to the American market, unveiling the model at the 1950 Paris Auto Salon as a sports-bodied racing car. The following year saw the introduction of a Berlinetta variant and then a Touring model. The 340 America proved successful in competition, winning the Mille Miglia in 1951.
Only 22 examples of the Ferrari 340 America were built, just two of which were closed-roof models like this Berlinetta. This particular example was owned by multiple racing drivers before it was restored by Dr Paul F Schouwenburg of Amsterdam, who documented the process in the book Ferrari Fever.
This car is Ferrari Classiche certified and its Red Book confirms the correct chassis, body, and engine serial numbers as well as a type-correct gearbox. It has competed in a total of seven Mille Miglia races and shown at a variety of concours. This presents a once in a lifetime opportunity for the true Ferrari enthusiast and is ready for more Mille Miglia participations.
Estimate: €3,000,000 – €4,000,000
The 25th Anniversary Edition Countach was introduced in 1988 and was the final version of the Countach, at least until the much more recent LPI 800-4. The model here featured numerous upgrades over previous versions including larger air intakes, redesigned bumpers, and improved cooling. Its 5.2L V12 engine produced 455 horsepower and was able to propel the car from 0 to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds.
Lamborghini built just 658 examples of the 25th Anniversary Edition, the final variant of the Countach before it was replaced by the Diablo. The example being offered by Bonhams at The Zoute Sale comes from just one owner since new and shows less than 4,500 km. It includes all the original tools and books along with a thorough history file.
Estimate: €300,000 – €500,000
One of BMW’s most iconic race cars, the BMW 3.0 CSL ‘Batmobile’ Coupé was based on the E9 platform and produced to homologate the car for use in the European Touring Car Championship. It earned the ‘Batmobile’ moniker from the aggressive aerodynamic styling including the large rear wing and air dam that gave it a race-oriented appearance.
Powered by a lightweight inline six-cylinder engine, it also featured aluminum body panels and Plexiglass windows to lighten the car for use on the track. It went on to take multiple ETCC titles. Coupled with the low production numbers, just 1,039 CSLs were produced between 1972 and 1975, these have consistently been top performers in the classic car market.
The car being offered by Bonhams is the 31st example of just 57 Series 2 examples produced. It was first used as a BMW M Division test car. Sometime prior to 2005 the car was equipped with a period-correct Alpina B2 engine that offered 57 additional horsepower over the base CSL motor.
This CSL should have no problem getting the attention of bidders in the room.
Estimate: €300,000 – €400,000