Cliveden House Auction Impressions
RM Sotheby’s held their Cliveden House sale today and the bidding was fast and strong throughout the auction. Although they have yet to release their official results we want to take a look at a few cars that sold that really jump out at us.

The 1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce was the high-performance variant of Alfa’s famous Giulietta model. It combined the Italian style and engineering excellence to create an engaging driving experience in a relatively affordable package. The aerodynamic coupe body was crafted from lightweight aluminum over a steel chassis by Bertone, with sleek lines penned by a young Giorgetto Giugiaro. A distinctive quad-headlight front end treatment gave the Sprint Veloce a purposeful, sporty look.
Under the hood was an advanced 1.6L aluminum inline-4 cylinder engine featuring dual overhead camshafts. Though it was a small engine, it produced a lively 90 horsepower which, coupled with the Sprint Veloce’s lightweight construction, enabled a top speed around 115 mph – impressive performance for its day. The “Veloce” name denoted this model’s higher-tuned state of preparation compared to the standard Giulietta Sprint coupes. Befitting its sporting pedigree, the Sprint Veloce provided the precise steering feel and nimble handling that helped built the Alfa Romeo brand.
This is one of 3,058 examples of the Giulietta Sprint Veloce that were produced from 1959 to 1962, so it’s not one of the rarest cars ever built, but it’s proven to be an affordable entry into the collector car world. It’s worth noting that this car came from the Jody Scheckter Collection. The example offered by RM Sotheby’s at Cliveden House sold for £34,500. It was offered with no reserve and while the final price was below the pre-auction estimate of £50,000 – £70,000, this seems to be very well-bought and should prove an enjoyable car for its next owner.

This is one of just over 300 examples of the Lamborghini LM002 produced and it shows only 17,273 km since new which puts it solidly in the category of a strong driver’s quality, which is why it’s impressive that this sold for £342,500. The pre-auction estimate was £225,000 – £275,000 so there’s nothing we can do but call this quite well-sold.

This was the 16th example of the 350 Lussos built between 1962 and 1964 and features coachwork modifications in the style of the 330 LMB, making it a rather unique car. It features a well-documented history courtesy of Marcel Massini, noted Ferrari expert, and was originally delivered to a co-founder of the Tecno Formula 1 team.
The pre-auction estimate from RM Sotheby’s for this 250 GT/L Berlinetta Lusso by Fantuzzi was £1,100,000 – £1,500,000 with its final price of £1,130,000 falling solidly within that estimate. Granted, this isn’t a 250 GTO, but it’s quite a bit of car for that price and the new owner should be comfortable with the cost.

This matching-numbers GS Speedster is one of about 75 built between 1954 and 1958 and was produced for Max Hoffman’s New York-based distributor. It presents nicely in factory-correct white with a red interior and black top, benefitting from an older restoration that holds up quite well.
It’s equipped with the very desirable Rudge wheels along with a boot-fitted spare and includes a copy of the original Kardex sheet, tool kit, Rudge wheel nut spanner, and its Certificate of Authenticity from Porsche Cars North America.
Considering its pre-auction estimate from RM Sotheby’s was £750,000 – £950,000, the final price of £725,000 should make for a happy buyer.

This is a fun little car and was the penultimate lot in the auction, followed only by a Porsche tractor that was part of the Jody Scheckter Collection. Featuring a design from Marcello Gandini at Bertone, it’s believed that fewer than 160 examples of this were built with the optional Ford V8 that powers this one.
It was purchased by the consignor in 1997 and benefits from an older restoration. Although its engine does run, it was offered from a long-term static display and as such will require an inspection and possibly some decommissioning work prior to being roadworthy. The thing that really made this car jump out to us is that it was so close to the end of the auction, and certainly not a hugely valuable car, but as much as the auctioneer wanted to get to Jody Scheckter’s Porsche tractor the bids just kept coming for this, selling for a final price of £17,250 – a fair bit more than seemed anticipated when it was time to read the description of this lot!
Coming up for RM Sotheby's
Next up for RM Sotheby’s will be the Cohen Collection of Ferrari memorabilia and collectibles with bidding set to open July 10 and lots closing on July 17. The next in-person auction they hold will be the Tegernsee Auction in Germany in associate with the new Concours of Elegance Germany. That sale will take place July 27 with a preview available on July 26.
Additionally RM Sotheby’s announced that they will hold their London auction on November 2, 2024 at the Peninsula Hotel. Certainly something to look forward to.