We're indebted to Simon Kidston www.kidston.com Swiss-based independent consultant to many classic car collectors, for giving us the benefit of his great experience and insight on the Bonhams annual Christmas extravaganza at Gstaad www.bonhams.com which he started nine years ago.
His review is positive, though he does comment that it is increasingly difficult for Bonhams to get good Ferraris for this originally Ferrari-only sale, now that RM has an annual sale at Ferrari HQ in Maranello. Consequently this year's sale was thrown open to all Italian cars and some observers probably sneered at the presence of a couple of Fiat 500s - but were proved very wrong when these two achieved high prices. The 1965 500 Trasformabile (full roll-back sunroof, last of the suicide-door models and in very original order) sold for 10,000, while the rare and nicely restored 1963 Autobianchi Eden Roc Cabriolet achieved a healthy 11,550. Both are eligible for this year's unique Lia Brecia ge microcar endurance rally www.classicrallypress.co.uk - we wonder if that helped them sell so well?
Highest prices achieved were for two Ferrari 275s - Kidston (on behalf of a client) paying 568,000 for the 1966 275GTB/2 6C long nose and a British buyer paying 366,000 for the two-owner 1965 275GTS Spider.
Dinos are still going up, their beautiful lines and less temperamental V6 engines making up for the lack of a Ferrari badge when new : almost 84,000 was paid for a 1971 246GT that Kidston reckoned was far from the best around. The Maserati Mistral 3.7 Spider sold well above estimate at 139,000 and the Ghibli 4.7 Spider sold post-auction for 152,000, showing that good examples of the marque really are coming back into fashion. Cheapest car in the sale at half its estimate was the 1960 Lancia Appia Cabriolet with hardtop, a snip at 8400.
Brochures proved remarkably desirable too - how about 9600 for a genuine original Ferrari 500 Mondial brochure, estimated at 275-375? Or 12,800 for a Ferrari 750 Monza brochure, estimated at 325-425? Clearly these originals are now being seen as works of art - copies are available for a few pounds but the original is the ultimate prize.
Next big occasion on the auction scene is Scottsdale, USA: Barrett-Jackson www.barrett-jackson.com holds its 37th annual Collector Car Auction event on January 12-20 and so big has this event become (well over A THOUSAND cars listed when we last checked!) that other auction companies like Russo and Steele www.russoandsteele.com are holding piggyback auctions at Scottsdale, picking up on the huge number of buyers staying there for the week.
Muscle cars have been the big news in investment stakes in the US, and the auction companies hope the trend will continue, with plenty of new and old muscle on sale.
Malcolm McKay, Motorbase News Editor
