The Artcurial Motorcars Le Mans Classic auction was held Saturday 5th July 2014 at the Le Mans 24 Hours Circuit in France, resulting in total sales of €13.2 million and an 82% sell-through rate.
Artcurial assembled a selection of 111 collector cars and 148 lots of automobilia for the 2014 Le Mans Classic auction, with 37 motor cars selling for more than €100,000 and 80% sold within or above their pre-sale estimate. The top result went to the 1961 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster that brought €1,115,600 ($1,516,574 USD), followed by the 1964 AC Cobra 289 Mk II at €761,000 ($1,034,522 USD) and the 1991 Ferrari F40 that made €691,400 ($939,906 USD). Over the course of the auction, more than 2,000 people visited the saleroom, 15% of the successful bidders were American and 52% were non-French Europeans.
Auctioneer Maître Hervé Poulain said, “Selling sports and racing cars at Le Mans Classic is like offering antique marbles at the foot of the Acropolis. Enthusiasts come together for this sale.”
Several lots exceeded their estimates such as the 1953 Jaguar MkVII cabriolet Beutler (lot 210) that sold for €160,900 ($218,731 USD) versus the pre-sale estimate of €60,000 to 80,000. The 1958 Aston Martin DB2/4 MKIII cabriolet (lot 245) sold for close to three times the pre-sale estimate of €240,000 – €280,000 following a fierce battle between bidders on the telephone and in the room. The final price of €602,000 ($818,373 USD) established a new auction record for this model.
Matthieu Lamoure, director of the department, commented, “Sales in France continue to set new records and are attracting an international clientèle, with clients coming from as far afield as South Africa, the West Coast of the US and South America. We have been able to find gems like the Porsche 911 2,7 L Carrera RS 5 that was discovered in Marseille and sold today for €580,500 ($789,146 USD). These cars that are fresh to the market create a buzz and attract collectors’ attention.”
With the Porsche 911 celebrating its 50th birthday last year, demand has been strong for this German marque, as confirmed by the interest in the 14 Porsche models offered in the sale. Another notable Porsche result was the 1995 Porsche 993 RS Touring Komfort (lot 250) that sold for €263,400 ($358,072 USD). Postwar sports car marques are becoming particularly sought-after by the new generation of collectors.
The sale concluded with a “Solo Lancia” selection of 20 cars from an Italian private collection, with the top result of €417,200 ($567,152 USD) (est: €280,000 – €320,000) achieved for the 1978 Lancia Stratos rally car (lot 307).
Artcurial Le Mans Classic 2014 – Top Ten Auction Results
1. 1961 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster – €1,115,600
2. 1964 AC Cobra 289 Mk II – €761,000
3. 1991 Ferrari F40 – €691,400
4. 1967 Lamborghini 400 GT – €607,900
5. 1958 Aston Martin DB2/4 MK III Cabriolet – €602,000
6. 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS – €580,500
7. 1968 Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada – €536,400
8. 1953 Aston Martin DB2 Cabriolet – €435,100
9. 1978 Lancia Stratos – €417,200
10. 1960 Aston Martin DB4 Series II – €377,000
For complete auction results, visit www.artcurial.com.
The next Artcurial Motorcars sales will be the “Automobiles sur les Champs 7” on 2 November 2014 at the Artcurial Headquarters in Paris.
[Source: Artcurial]
