Previewing The Miami Auction by Bonhams

The Miami Auction

Coming off the heels of their Gilded Age sale, Bonhams|Cars will hold The Miami Auction this weekend, following the completion of the Miami Grand Prix on May 5. The catalog for The Miami Auction may be viewed here. It starts with a selection of helmets worn by Grand Prix drivers including Michael Schumacher and the late Niki Lauda. But the cars are what we’re really here to see.

This 2002 BMW Z8 Roadster pops in Hellrot over a Black Nappa leather interior. It’s one of only 137 examples to leave the factory in that color combination and includes the factory hardtop, as well as manuals and plenty of records.

This very well-maintained car shows just over 9,800 miles since new, making it one of the lower mileage examples we’ve seen in recent years. And really, 9,800 miles is a solid number as it shows that the car hasn’t been sitting static but it also hasn’t been abused.

This 2002 BMW Z8 Roadster is being offered with no reserve by Bonhams and they estimate it will sell for $225,000 – $275,000.

The original Porsche supercar, the 959 was the most advanced and fastest car on the road when it was new. It featured all-wheel drive, thanks to its origins as a Group B rally car, and to this day remains the poster car for so many enthusiasts.

The car being offered by Bonhams is one of only 292 that were built by Porsche and is equipped with the Komfort package. It’s finished in Graphite Metallic with a Dark Grey interior and has covered fewer than 25,000 miles since it was new.

It’s a well documented car and was once owned by Formula 1 driver Eddie Irvine. It includes ownership records, tools, books, and a certificate of authenticity.

This past weekend we saw another 959 Komfort sell for $1,930,000 at Broad Arrow’s Air|Water sale so the estimate of $1,750,000 – $2,000,000 isn’t unreasonable. However, due to the higher mileage on this car than the one Broad Arrow sold we expect this to sell in the lower portion of that estimate.

This 2003 Aston Martin DB7 Zagato Coupe is one of only 99 that were built worldwide. It’s powered by a 5.9L V12 engine that produces 440 horsepower and is paired with a six-speed manual transaxle.

This is one of a handful that are known to be in the US and is also one of the rarer left-hand drive versions – however it should be noted that this started its life as a right-hand drive car and was converted by Aston prior to delivery. It shows less than 14,000 miles since new and presents nicely in Mercury Grey with Parchment leather interior.

The Zagato styling is noticeable when viewing the car, especially looking at it from the side as hints of a shooting brake come through.

This DB7 Zagato Coupe is being offered with no reserve so it will be going to a new home following the conclusion of The Miami Auction. Bonhams estimates this will sell for $275,000 – $325,000 which seems like a reasonable price for this car. They may not be the first thing to come to mind when most enthusiasts invent their dream collection, but they’re hard to leave behind for those lucky enough to have some seat time.

This 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Coupe will be offered with no reserve by Bonhams at The Miami Auction this coming weekend. It’s a relatively low mileage example of this model, showing just over 4,000 miles since new.

It’s well optioned with the premium B&O audio system, carbon ceramic brakes, and sports suspension. It’s also equipped with some updated Black Series appearance parts, though the sale includes the original body parts too.

It’s the key to an exclusive club of Gullwing owners. Although it’s not the 300 SL, the next owner of this car will be welcomed by other members of the Gullwing family with open arms.

Bonhams expects this to sell for $220,000 – $250,000. As these aren’t the rarest cars, there’s a lot of data for us to examine when it comes to the value of the 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. Based on sales earlier this year and towards the latter part of 2023, the lower part of that estimate is likely to be closest to the final price of this car, but one way or another it’s going to a new home after Miami.

The Ferrari 599 GTO is one of the most exciting cars developed by Maranello in the past 15 years. Sure, it’s no Enzo or SF90 Stradale, but when it was new it was a remarkable achievement by the Italian marque.

Powered by a 6.0L V12 engine that produces 661 horsepower, this could run from 0 to 60 mph in 3 seconds with a top speed in excess of 200 mph. All that power is delivered through a six-speed F1 Electrohydraulic Transaxle.

This example is one of the 125 that delivered new to the US market. Still wearing its factory Rosso Corsa paint over a black interior, it’s had just two owners since it was delivered by Wide World of Cars.

It’s been retained by its current owner since 2015 and has covered less than 3,000 miles since new. Not only does it have the optional Alcantara headliner as well as parking sensors, and red calipers, but this car received the FCA Platinum Award at Cavallino Classic in 2023.

Bonhams estimates this car will sell for $800,000 – $1,100,000 which may be a little strong for this. We saw another 500 GTO sell for $863,000 in Scottsdale back in 2023 and although it wasn’t finished in Rosso Corsa, it was otherwise fairly comparable. We expect this to sell in the neighborhood of $850,000.