RM Auctions staged its fifth annual Automobiles of London auction on October 26, 2011 at Battersea Evolution in London, resulting in £13.3 million ($21,413,000) in total sales and 79% of all lots sold.
RM Auctions offered approximately 100 automobiles and 25 motorcycles at the single-day London 2011 auction, with the top sale going to a matching-numbers 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Tour de France Berlinetta, chassis number 1039 GT. The red and white 250 GT LWB Tour de France garnered spirited bidding in the room and on the phones, achieving a final sales price of £2,240,000 ($3,606,400).
“The London sale is always a highlight of our auction calendar, and as ever, this year’s event has brought our 2011 auction season to a spectacular close,” says Max Girardo, Managing Director, RM Europe.
“Battersea always attracts a large international audience and the sale consistently brings together a fantastic collection of very desirable cars. The addition of 25 beautiful motorcycles to this year’s event brought a valuable new element to the auction, further enhancing RM’s reputation in the collectible motorcycle market,” Girardo adds.
Additional top-sellers at RM Auctions London 2011 included a matching-numbers 1965 Ferrari 500 Superfast, one of only eight right-hand-drive examples for £644,000; a competition 1972 Autodelta Alfa Romeo 33/TT/3, with Le Mans and Targo Florio history, for £588,000; and, a 1935 Avions Voisin C25 Cimier Coupé for £380,800.
RM Auctions London 2011 – Top Five Auction Results
1. 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Tour De France Berlinetta – £2,240,000
2. 1965 Ferrari 500 Superfast – £644,000
3. 1972 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/TT/3 – £588,000
4. 1954 Mercedes 300SL Coupe – £560,000
5. 1964 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso Berlinetta – £487,200
A further highlight was the sale of a bespoke 2008 Force India Formula One Racing Car. Hand painted by motorsport artist, Dexter Brown, and signed by over 40 Formula One racing drivers and other dignitaries, the unique ‘Art Car’ gave a new meaning to ‘rolling work of art’, realizing a final sales price of £168,000. Proceeds from its sale, including RM’s auction commissions, will benefit the Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, which provides world-class care for its young patients, and the newly-established Force India Formula One Team Academy, an initiative aimed at providing youth in Indian the chance to get involved in motorsport.
Beyond the automobiles, the sale also featured a series of 25 classic motorcycles from the noted ‘La Collezione due Ruote’. Generating over £247,455 in total sales, the collection was headlined by a 1973 MV Agusta F4 1000 that made £49,140.
RM Auctions will kick off its 2012 auction calendar in Phoenix, Arizona, 19th -20th January, 2012. From sports and racing cars through to American and European classics and Detroit muscle, the offering will present over 150 automobiles spanning the full spectrum of the collector car market.
RM’s 2012 European event calendar will get underway 10th – 12th May, with a return to the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. Held during the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique, the 2012 Monaco sale will be extended to two days, featuring an entire day’s sale devoted to the Saltarelli Ducati Collection. The motorcycles will be followed by the presentation of a group of 80 automobiles.
—
(All prices are listed in GBP and inclusive of 12% buyer’s premium for cars and 17% for motorcycles. Exchange rate used: 1 GBP = 1.61 USD)
[Source: RM Auctions; photo credit: Tim Scott Fluid Images © 2011, courtesy RM Auctions]
