$182m CHANGES HANDS IN FLORIDA

An all-time-high result from the combined Amelia Island and Modamiami auctions from 29 February to 2 March beat last yearʼs $178million total, despite a lower 82% sell-through rate for the 473 listings against 2023ʼs 85%.

The leading Bonhams lot, the 1904 Gordon Bennett Napier L48 ʻSamsonʼ (Trade news, March) achieved $742,000 against a presale guide of $900-1.1m. Among 83 other lots was an elegant 1953 Mercedes-benz 300S Sindelfingen coupé, which sold for $332,500.

Meanwhile, Gooding & Company ran for two days to 1 March with a $67m sale, topped by the 1903 Mercedes-simplex 60hp Rois des Belges, which set a new auction record for a pre-1930s vehicle at $12.1m. Two Ferraris completed its top three: a 1954 500 Mondial Series 1 Spider at $3,995,000 and a 1972 365GTS/4 Daytona Spider, the latter (above) setting a model record at $3,635,000.

In Miami, the RM Sothebyʼs fixture ran over 1-2 March with 13 $1m-plus cars sold, the pinnacle of which was a 1953 Ferrari 250 Europa Vignale – one of just three examples built – for $4,295,000. A rare ʻdisappearing topʼ 1930 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Convertible Coupe fetched $3,855,000, while a ʼ98 Ruf Porsche 993 turbo R achieved $1,517,500.

Broad Arrow returned for its second year at Amelia Island, with nearly twice the number of lots as in 2023, at 137, for its $59.4m sale. It, too, had a factory-built Daytona Spider, a 1973 Ferrari 365GTS/4 that fetched $3.3m, while a 1967 Ford GT40 topped its charts at $4.4m and a Ghia-bodied ʼ54 Dodge Firearrow IV, one of four built, offered a dose of rarity for $1.1m.