Canadian auction house RM Auctions www.rmauctions.com maintains its link with Sothebys while it gets established on the European market - the link works both ways as RM is very successful in North America and puts more bucks and razzamatazz behind its European sales than Sothebys would ever have conceived...

RM has a hugely valuable link-up with Ferrari (for whom, of course, North America remains its most important market) to hold a Ferrari/Maserati only sale at Maranello, after a very successful sale there in 2007. The 2008 sale will be on May 18 and is currently headlined by two of the most desirable Ferraris ever built (appropriately, at least as far as US customers are concerned!) - the 250 California Spider. Less than 100 were built, so having two together (a 1958 LWB covered-headlamp in Rosso red and a 1961 SWB in Nero black) is quite an achievement - and RM are no doubt hoping that, far from flooding the market, by having two they will attract even more bidding rivalry. Estimates are $4-6 million (2-3 million). Each. Both were US cars from new, though the red one has been in the UK since 1999.

Belgian Ferrari importer Jacques Swaters has also consigned a hugely important collection of Ferrari memorabilia, linked with his famous Ecurie Francorchamps. Amongst his collection is a very special Ferrari, the only four-door Ferrari ever commissioned by the factory, the 1980 Ferrari Pinin show prototype: a unique opportunity for the Ferrari family man

Malcolm McKay, Motorbase News Editor