RM Sotheby’s New York Preview

RM Sotheby's New York

RM Sotheby’s will hold their fourth New York auction this coming Friday, December 8, 2023. Following their sale of the most expensive Ferrari ever sold at auction and successes in Munich and the Porsche collection sold in Houston, the auction house is set to offer an array of high-quality classic and collector cars.

The highlight of the auction will be a 1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary that was featured in “The Wolf of Wall Street” (don’t worry, it’s the real deal, not the mess that was seen on screen in one of the more memorable moments of the film). But there are also other cars of note worth taking a closer look at.

Offered without reserve, this is a very rare 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 MFI in its factory-correct color combination of Gulf Blue with Midnight Leatherette sport seats and Shetland tweed inlays. It’s a numbers-matching example and has been thoroughly documented with a Porsche Certificate of Authenticity and Porsche Production Specifications report included in the sale.

As 1974 saw the introduction of the G-series body for the 911 some consider this to be a superior driver compared to the ’73 Carrera RS. Porsche produced a limited number of these cars, believed to be 1,633 for the total production year.

This car started its life in Italy and was equipped with the optional limited-slip differential from the factory, a desirable option to collectors and enthusiasts. It remained in Italy for much of the follow four decades until it landed in Luxembourg-based collection in 2014. More recently it received a full overhaul of its engine and fuel-injection system with a rebuild of its suspension and braking system completed in 2021.

Estimate: $300,000 – $400,000

Just seven examples of the Aston Martin DB2/4 were bodied by Bertone and this is the only one of those built as a coupe. A numbers-matching car, as documented by both factory build paperwork and confirmed during its restoration, this took First in Class at the 2023 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

The consignor acquired the car in 2019 and commissioned a full restoration by noted Aston Martin specialists Kevin Kay Restorations in Redding, CA. No detail was overlooked when returning it to its factory-correct metallic blue, all the way down to the original red exhaust tip that was documented in a color photograph from 1958.

he restoration was completed just in time for the 2023 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and hasn’t been shown publicly since, although it already has an invitation to the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in 2024. This is an excellent opportunity for a collector who wants to get straight to business at major top-level concours virtually anywhere in the world.

Estimate: $1,200,000 – $1,600,000

One of 14 8V Supersonics built, this Fiat has only had four owners through its 70 years of life. It’s a matching-numbers example and comes most recently from a single owner over the past 22 years.

A three-year restoration was completed in 2014 that includes a great deal of documentation about the car’s history. The restoration was completed in its factory-correct one-of-one blue medio metallizzato over a terra cotta leather interior.

Estimate: $2,100,000 – $2,600,000

A one-year younger example of the Bugatti EB110 Super Sport Prototype was offered for sale in Las Vegas by RM Sotheby’s but failed to find a buyer. If that had anything to do with the mileage on that one, this should remove all doubt from bidders’ minds as it shows just 3,528 km since new – roughly 2,192 miles.

This car features dual fuel tanks, a carbon-fiber engine cover, and a revised gear selector compared to most other examples of the EB110. It presents nicely in Grigio Metallic with Blu Scuro leather and factory-equipped blue seatbelts.

Its documentation includes a Bugatti Vehicle Technical Data Sheet, its original warranty and service booklet, as well as an EB110 Registry report. Although it was built for the 1993 model year its performance capability stands up to some of the fastest cars built today. A similarly low-mileage example of a prototype EB110 Super Sport is unlikely to come to market soon so this should draw all the Bugatti enthusiasts out of the woodwork when it his the auction block.

Estimate: $3,000,000 – $3,400,000

This is one of two examples of this car used in the filming of “The Wolf of Wall Street” and is the only one to actually survive the movie! One of just 12 examples of the Countach 25th Anniversary Edition finished in US-specifications with a Bianco Polo exterior and Bianco interior.

It still wears its original, as-delivered US-spec front bumper and wing, somewhat rare to see on this model considering how many Lamborghinis end up customized in one way or another. This car lives on to honor its sibling, the Countach 25th Anniversary Edition that was crashed for the movie – that’s right, they used a real one rather than a stand-in prop car to ensure it sustained realistic damage.

Being the lone survivor of the pair, this car has a history that can be matched by few others and is expected to be a big draw when it hits the auction block.

Estimate: $1,500,000 – $2,000,000