The RM Sotheby’s Monaco 2018 sale was held 12th May at the Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo, resulting in €23,317,290 in total sales and a 72 percent sell-through rate. Held the same weekend as the Monaco Historic Grand Prix, the single-day, biennial auction drew interest from bidders representing 36 countries.
The top result at RM’s 2018 Monaco auction went to the euro-spec 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB that sold off the block for €2,142,500 (est. €2.0m – €2.2m). The 275 GTB is one of 88 long-nose, steel body, triple-carburetor examples and is equipped with a torque-tube driveshaft and matching-numbers engine.
A 2015 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse was the night’s second most valuable car, bringing €1,720,625 (est. €1.2m – €1.5m). Featuring numerous unique Transformers-themed modifications, the light blue example with contrasting blue carbon fibre was ‘as new’ having only covered 840kms.
The 1962 Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series II rounded out the top three sales at the RM Sotheby’s Monaco 2018 auction. With Ferrari’s Colombo V-12 nestling under the bonnet and with its convertible styling, the matching numbers car was restored in Italy and is Classiche certified. Exceeding its high estimate, the car made €1,962,500 (est. €1.4m – €1.6m).
In a bidding war at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on 12 May, the one-off, 2018 Lamborghini Huracán, gifted by Automobili Lamborghini to His Holiness Pope Francis, sold for €809,375 (est. €250k – €350k). Offered without reserve, all proceeds from the sale of the uniquely customized supercar are being donated by Pope Francis, who will allocate them accordingly to the Vatican’s preferred charitable organizations.
Augustin Sabatié-Garat, Auction Manager, RM Sotheby’s Europe, said: “Once again we have enjoyed a strong sale in Monaco. We offered some fine cars and it was a particular privilege to sell the Lamborghini Huracán for such an incredible charitable cause. We saw strong individual prices achieved across the board, and it is clear the market is still robust enough for world-record results to be achieved.”
Porsche has been the marque-of-the-moment for some time, and two very different examples were notable sales in Monaco. First up was the 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 Lightweight, a historic car which was factory-built for Finnish racing and rally driver, Leo Kinnunen. Wearing a number of unique features, the car is one of two 2.7 RS coupes constructed with ST wheel arches and is the only 1973 car fitted with a 1974 Carrera 3.0 RS rear spoiler. With a documented history, the car realized €1,242,500.
Bringing things up-to-date was the 2018 RUF CTR3 Clubsport, one of three built, and the actual car which appeared on the company’s 2018 Geneva Motor Show stand. Although a Porsche at the heart of its DNA, the car is in fact altogether different, with RUF having produced what is a unique supercar of its own design with bespoke engineering. Considered to be RUF’s wildest creation, this 236mph beast was presented in ‘as-new’ condition and made €1,107,500 (est. €800k – €900k).
The RM Sotheby’s Monaco 2018 sale also witnessed a number of record auction prices. Most notable was the 2006 Ferrari 575 Superamerica, one of 599 examples built and only one of 43 with a manual gearbox. Also featuring the HGTC package and with less than 10,000 kms on the clock, the car achieved €860,000 (est. €550k – 650k). The first automobile lot of the night was a 1960 Chevrolet Corvette, a restored car and the winner of a concours award. With a pre-sale estimate of €90,000 – €120,000, the car sold for a record-breaking €331,250.
Finally, on the same weekend as the 2018 Spanish Grand Prix, it seemed appropriate that the 1992 Benetton B192 that Michael Schumacher took to 2nd place in the same event, should sell well. The car, which also came to Monaco in 1992 as the team’s spare, returned to the Principality to be sold, and was offered with the correct spec LPE Ford HB engine. It achieved €815,000 against a pre-sale high estimate of €750,000.
RM Sotheby’s Monaco 2018 – Top 10 Auction Results
- 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB – €2,142,500
- 2015 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse – €1,720,625
- 1962 Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series II – €1,692,500
- 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 Lightweight – €1,242,500
- 2018 RUF CTR3 Clubsport – €1,107,500
- 2006 Ferrari 575 Superamerica – €860,000
- 1957 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe – €848,750
- 1987 Porsche 959 Komfort – €837,500
- 1992 Benetton B192 Formula 1 – €815,000
- 1999 Lamborghini Diablo GT – €815,000
For complete auction results, visit rmsothebys.com.
The RM Sotheby’s Group continues its 2018 auction calendar with the sale of The Dingman Collection in Hampton, New Hampshire, USA, on 23-24 June. The company’s next European event is set for 5 September when RM Sotheby’s returns to the Battersea Evolution in London, United Kingdom.
[Source: RM Sotheby’s]
