The RM Sotheby’s Paris 2018 sale was held 7th February at Place Vauban in France, resulting in total sales of €23,745,225 and an 83 percent sell-through rate. Bidders represented 34 countries at RM’s fifth annual Paris sale during Retromobile Week.
A highlight from RM’s evening sale was the continued interest in low-production modern-era hypercars, with a 2017 Bugatti Chiron achieving the top result at €3,323,750, while a 2005 Maserati MC12, one of 50 built, took second billing at a final €2,001,875. Post-war classics also remain in demand, as the original 1958 BMW 507 Roadster Series II rounded off the top three, realizing €1,776,875.
Only 500 Bugatti Chirons are slated for production and worldwide delivery, so its position as a collector car should remain. Launched at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, the Bugatti Chiron is capable of an electronically limited top speed of 420km/h, thrust by no less than 1,500bhp. The car sold for €3,323,750 by RM Sotheby’s in Paris has less than 1000km on the clock and is presented in Atlantic Blue over French Racing Blue and a brown leather interior.
An earlier supercar from the French marque, a 1993 Bugatti EB110 SS Prototype, attracted numerous bidders in Paris, selling for a final €1,152,500 to set a new record for the model at auction. Sporting unique factory modifications and 3,300km from new, RM called the SS “unquestionably one of the most significant of the 36 examples produced”.
The 2005 Maserati MC12 is the embodiment of the hypercar from a decade earlier. With 50 built, it is not a car that is easy to acquire, so bidding was fierce for the example offered in Paris, a car which led a private collection of six Italian automobiles, all offered without reserve. In effect, a road-going version of a GT1 racing car, the MC12 offered in Paris achieved €2,001,875 at the RM Sotheby’s Paris 2018 auction.
Augustin Sabatié-Garat, Auction Manager, RM Sotheby’s Europe, said: “We continue to see immense demand for low production hypercars. They represent the pinnacle of engineering excellence from any given decade, and their place in history and collecting hierarchy is secure. The room was packed and the energy high throughout the preview and auction despite the challenges of snowfall in Paris, and we are delighted with another strong sell through rate and very successful event.”
Outside of the top sellers, other highlights include the 1958 Triumph TR3A Works Monte Carlo Rally car at €184,000, by far the most valuable TR3 ever sold at auction; a restored, Classiche-certified 1962 Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2 Series III which soared past its €430 – 470k estimate to €516,875; a 1988 RUF CTR Clubsport, believed to be the only example in Porsche RS Mint Green, which exceeded expectations at €348,125 (est. €275 – 325k), an Italian-delivery ‘Dealers Collection’ 1995 Delta HF Integrale EVO II at €161,000 (est. €90 – 120k), and a 1977 BMW 633 CSi, owned by ABBA member Björn Ulvaeus, which reached €34,500 at the top end of its estimate.
RM Sotheby’s Paris 2018 – Top Ten Auction Results
- 2017 Bugatti Chiron (Chassis VF9SP3V39HM795042) – €3,323,750
- 2005 Maserati MC12 (Chassis ZAMDF44B000012085) – €2,001,875
- 1958 BMW 507 Roadster Series II (Chassis 70127) – €1,776,875
- 1993 Bugatti EB 110 Super Sport Prototype (Chassis ZA9BB02E0PCD39006) – €1,152,500
- 1992 Ferrari F40 (Chassis ZFFGJ34B000093710) – €933,125
- 1954 OSCA 2000 S (Chassis 2005S) – €792,500
- 1967 Maserati Mistral 4.0 Spider (Chassis AM109/SA1 627) – €736,250
- 1970 Maserati Ghibli 4.7 Spider (Chassis AM115/S 1233) – €708,125
- 1995 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet (Chassis WP0ZZZ99ZSS338509) – €680,000
- 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 S Roadster (Chassis 188.012.00244/53) – €646,250
For complete results, visit www.rmsothebys.com.
RM Sotheby’s continues its 2018 auction calendar in Amelia Island, Florida, 10 March, with the company’s next European event being 12 May, with a return to Monaco for its sale during the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique.
[Source: RM Sotheby’s]
