Monterey 2024 Results
RM Sotheby’s is fresh off another strong result from their 2024 Monterey Auction. In addition to the exciting news they broke last week, there was quite some action amongst the bidders. Over the three days of auction 87.25% of all lots were sold achieving $161.2 million in total sales. Of the lots sold 5 went for more than $5,000,000, with an impressive 33 selling for more than $1,000,000.
The top sale at RM Sotheby’s in Monterey was the 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider by Scaglietti that went for $17,055,000. This is not only the finest example of a 250 GT SWB California Spider extant, it’s also the first built and was displayed at the 1960 Geneva Motor Show by Ferrari. It left the factory with a competition spec engine, covered headlights, and a removable hardtop and wears its original color scheme.
This California Spider is certified as a numbers-matching example by Ferrari Classiche and has the Red Book to back that up. While there was a bit of a drop in Ferraris from the 1950s and early 1960s, this is certainly the exception and is really a one of a kind car so the final price of more than $17 million is justified. It’s possible that a year or two ago we may have seen an even stronger result for this car, but the seller should be very happy with this price.
This is a unique, one-off car that served as the prototype for Ferrari’s 410 Sport Scuderia Works cars and was driven by Carroll Shelby himself to an overall victory in the 1956 Palm Springs Road Races. A piece of Ferrari and Shelby history from before the rivalry really began.
This has a well-documented chain of ownership including Tony Parravano, a known sports car racing enthusiast. It is equipped with its matching-numbers engine and has pass through just four owners in the last 53 years, spending 37 of those years in one of the most prominent collections of Ferraris in America.
The car benefits from a restoration that was completed in 2017 prior to being shown at the 2018 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and stands as a unique link between two great sports car builders. The selling price of $12,985,000 is very strong, but as mentioned this is a one-off car so there’s no second chances at buying this. The seller should be quite happy with the result and we imagine the new owner will be quite happy with the car.
This 250 GT LWB California Spider is the 19th built of the total 50 long wheelbase California Spiders produced. It’s equipped with its matching-numbers engine and wears the factory-correct Nero paint over Rosso leather interior.
It leaves a 19 year stretch in the ownership of its consignor and presents very well, still benefiting from a restoration completed in the 1990s by Phil Reilly & Company. The final price of $5,615,000 is solidly within the estimate from RM Sotheby’s prior to the sale, so the consignor should feel confident that this was all the money for this car.
Introduced to celebrate Ferrari’s 50th anniversary in 1995, the F50 is the epitome of Ferrari’s racing legacy turned street car. It’s equipped with technology inspired by its Formula 1 team and is powered by a 4.7L V12 derived from the engine that powered its 1990 F1 race car.
Constructed with a carbon fiber chassis and equipped with a six-speed manual transmission, this is the purest form of Ferrari available at the time. Just 349 examples were built and this is the 47th completed. It’s also one of only 55 that were originally delivered to the US.
Showing just 8,556 miles and winning Platinum at the Cavallino Classic Palm Beach in 2023, it’s also certified by Ferrari Classiche. Based on recent trends in the market we’re going to call this car well-sold at $5,505,000.
This car started life as one of only 16 alloy-bodied 275 GTB/4 berlinettas produced, already making it a rarity but it only gets better from there. Prepped by Luigi Chinetti’s North American Racing Team (NART) for 1968, this is the most successful competition 275 GTB/4 and the only one to take a class win at a major international race, placing 1st in its class at the 1969 24 Hours of Daytona at the hands of Sam Posey and Riccardo Rodriguez.
It’s certified as a matching-numbers car by Ferrari Classiche and benefits from cosmetic work completed this year by Motion Products Inc that returned it to the livery it wore during the 1969 Daytona race that includes its factory-specified color combination.
There simply isn’t another one of these out there, being the only one to take a class victory as this example did. While the final price of $5,285,000 would certainly be very strong for a normal 275 GTB/4, the alloy body and racing pedigree of this one truly set it apart. While we hesitate to call anything that cost more than $5 million “well-bought,” there really isn’t any other appropriate term to describe this sale.
While there was another Alfa Romeo that grabbed most of the headlines in Monterey this year, this 1934 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Lungo Spider is a remarkable example in and of itself. It’s never been fully restored, but was always well-maintained by its previous owners and spent more than four decades in the collection of Alfa Romeo historian Angela Cherrett.
In addition to the history file that was originally listed with the car, the one from Angela Cherrett was included in the sale. That featured the original registrations and correspondence from Jack Barclay, the London-based dealer who specified the coachwork prior to the car’s delivery.
The final price of $4,075,000 is right in line with market trends so while this wasn’t exactly a “deal,” it’s certainly the appropriate price based on what we’ve seen in recent years.
This Bugatti Chiron Super Sport is one of about 80 built and is powered by an 8.0L quad-turbocharged W16 engine that generates a mind-blowing 1,578 horsepower. It was delivered new to Bugatti of Greenwich, Connecticut and presents in like-new condition with only 243 miles on its odometer.
It looks remarkable in Argent paint with Black carbon and Havana leather inside. There is simply nothing else like the Bugatti Chiron. Selling for a total of $3,497,500 puts it right in the middle of the pre-auction estimate from RM Sotheby’s so while this wasn’t necessarily “well-sold” the consignor should be happy enough with the price.
This is the second of only 10 examples of the Alloy-bodied 275 GTB/6C equipped with a torque-tube driveshaft and six carburetors. It’s certified by Ferrari Classiche to have its matching-numbers V12 and includes the Red Book with the sale.
It won an FCA Platinum Award as well as the Coppa Bella Macchina Award and the Coppa GT Award. It’s been shown at Cavallino Classic and at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and is a very well-documented example with provenance from Marcel Massini.
The final price of $3,481,000 is in line with the pre-auction estimate from RM Sotheby’s so the seller should feel good about this result.
This is one of 20 examples of the Chiron Sport Noire produced by Bugatti and was originally delivered to North America. It sports a matte carbon finish with Nocturne accents and a Beluga Black interior.
The Chiron Sport Noire is powered by a quad-turbocharged W16 engine and can go from 0 to 100 mph in 4.4 seconds. And yes, that’s 0-100 mph, not 0-60. The car shows just over 400 miles since new and is as close to buying one of these straight from Bugatti as anyone will get. It was delivered new to Canada and is a wonderful example of the fabulous excesses of Bugatti.
The price of $3,360,000 should leave both the seller and the new owner walking away happy.
One of only 99 examples of the D8 S built by Delage, it wears a unique coachwork from Marcel Pourtout and has had just 3 owners since 1936, coming from nearly 30 years with its consigning owner.
It’s a matching-numbers example and is absolutely stunning in person. Photos do not do this car justice. Although the market as a whole seemed a bit down on pre-war cars, the final price of $3,305,000 should still be considered a strong result, even if it was below the pre-auction estimate.