RM Sotheby's Las Vegas - Million Dollar Cars
Of all the things taking place in Las Vegas this past week the auction held by RM Sotheby’s in association with Wynn Las Vegas and hosted by James Corden isn’t necessarily at the top of everyone’s list, but it certainly made a splash. A record was set and the only privately-owned modern Mercedes-Benz Formula 1 car sold to another private owner, although the most important fact about that car may be that it was the one Lewis Hamilton took his first win after joining the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team.
As we just mentioned, this was the car that Lewis Hamilton drove in 2013 and scored his first win (of many) since leaving McLaren. Did some people think it was crazy to abandon his McLaren seat and move to a team that hadn’t won a race since it was known by another name? Sure, but he and the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team proved everyone wrong. This is the only modern Mercedes F1 car in private ownership so it’s unlikely, to put it mildly, that another one will be available any time soon. If any of the cars sold in Las Vegas last week are well-bought, this is certainly it.
This is an incredibly rare car – one of just six examples of the CLK GTR Roadster built – so it’s no surprise to see it sell for more than $10 million. Not only is it rare, but it’s also seen extremely limited use having covered just 170 km since new. Granted, its new owner will be bound by the limitations of the “show and display” terms of its title, but it’s tough to imagine someone putting more than 2,500 miles on this car in the span of a year. With only six ever built and such low mileage this was definitely well-bought.
Lexus built a remarkable car in the LFA but the Nürburgring Package brings it to a whole different level. This is one of only 25 examples delivered to the US and out of those it’s one of seven that finished in code 9K5 Orange paint with black Alcantara interior with orange stitching and carbon fiber trim. Along with various carbon fiber body components and aerodynamic upgrades, the Nürburgring Package upped the V10’s power to 562 horsepower. This car shows just 143 miles and includes the window sticker and other delivery documentation. At about 10% of the price of the W04 this was well-bought.
This 2022 Ferrari 812 Competizione is finished in a matte black exterior with Alcantara Nero interior that features yellow stitching and striping, creating a very impressive style. This was the first time this car was offered for sale at an auction and it was clearly worth it for someone to buy one with extremely low mileage – in this case, just 354 miles since new. It was equipped with more than $150,000 in options from the factory and has a V12 engine that produces 819 horsepower with a redline at 9,500 rpm. This was well-sold considering the personalization of the car through the numerous factory upgrades.
There’s virtually nothing else like the Porsche 959 ‘Komfort’ and just 292 examples produced for Group B homologation back in the 1980s. The car offered by RM Sotheby’s featured relatively low mileage, showing less than 24,000 km since new and is one of 31 examples finished in the stunning Graphite Metallic paint. The twin-turbo six-cylinder engine produces 444 horsepower and sends that power to the advanced all-wheel drive system. It’s traveled the world a bit since it was new, first in Italy and more recently spending some time in Australia. Even at $1,750,000 this was well-bought with the original owner’s manual, tool roll, and various other key documentation.
The Bugatti Veyron ceased production in 2015 with 450 total examples built and only 250 were the 16.4 coupe. Of those cars, just 76 were delivered in US specifications and this was the 20th example of those delivered to the States. Unlike many Bugattis, and frankly other supercars these days, this is finished in a clean, calm color combination that retains the two-tone Bugatti style without being ostentatious about it. It had three owners since new and covered a total of 928 miles, making it an excellent example of a low mileage early-production Veyron 16.4. There aren’t many other Veyrons that left the factory in a more subdued color scheme and few that have been so well-maintained. This was a solid purchase for the new owner, well-bought.
As befits the name of the Porsche 918, just 918 were built. This is one of the examples produced with the ‘Weissach’ package that included magnesium alloy wheels, fabric door pull straps, and six-point racing harnesses in place of standard seatbelts. The car is finished in a classic white paint that is all too uncommon amongst 918 Spyders but really shows the lines of the car nicely. It’s not too far off from hitting 10,000 miles, but it’s been well maintained and serviced earlier in the month at Porsche Carlsbad so mileage shouldn’t be a concern. Selling for a solid $1,600,000 this was well-sold but will still be thoroughly enjoyed by its new owner.
It just feels right to see a Porsche Carrera GT join its low-production siblings, the 918 Spyder and the 959 ‘Komfort’ on the list of the Top Ten most expensive cars sold by RM Sotheby’s in Las Vegas. It presents very nicely in Fayence Yellow with a grey interior and shows fewer than 9,000 miles since new. It did receive a replacement clutch in 2019 which might raise some eyebrows, but being one of 1,270 Carrera GTs produced that likely wasn’t a major concern for bidders. This was well-sold at $1,545,000 and we can only hope that it joins a collection along with the other two significant Porsches on this list.
The McLaren Elva is an absolutely stunning car, both in photographs and in person. Just 149 of these were built, this one being number 122 and showing a remarkable 93 miles since new. McLaren don’t mess around when it comes to customizing a car and that’s evident with the Pacific Colourstream paint – that one option from McLaren Special Operations was priced at $37,898. With no windows or a windshield, this offers a unique and visceral driving experience, one that the new owner will hopefully enjoy by putting some real miles on it. At $1,517,500 this wasn’t well-sold or well-bought, really just a solid but not over-the-top price this remarkable piece of McLaren engineering.
Finally, a more reasonable – all things considered – price for a 300 SL Roadster. These were trading for more than $1.5 million not that long ago and it’s nice to see the market realize how overpriced those were. This 300 SL Roadster presents very nicely in the factory Erdbeerrot Metallic with a gray interior, a color combination only available for one year of the 300 SL’s production. It includes fitted luggage as well as an owner’s manual, original brochures, its tool roll, and a variety of other desirable accessories. This was well-bought at $1,215,000.