Stuttgart basks in Florida sun
Porsches everywhere: anyone would think there’s an anniversary
IN MORE RECENT YEARS the Amelia Island auctions have become a hotbed of significant Porsche sales, and 2018 certainly continued the trend. While the 1974 Porsche 911 RSR Turbo that headlined Gooding & Company’s auction failed to sell against a high bid of $5.4 million, other models – particularly those from the 1980s and 1990s – remained strong.
With a number of other expected big-hitters failing to sell, Gooding & Company’s ‘barnfind’ 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Long Nose Alloy became the most expensive car of the weekend when it sold for $2,530,000. The auction house actually recorded total sales of $35,937,250, the highest of all five 2018 Amelia auctions – and was up almost $5m from 2017. Important roadgoing Porsche sales were topped by a $1,760,000 1993 Porsche 964 Turbo S ‘Leichtbau’ and $1,485,000 1996 Porsche 993 GT2.
The competition car highlights were led by the 1967 Ford GT40 MkIV, sold for $1,925,000; a 1990 Porsche 962C for $1,595,000; and 1976 Porsche 934 at $1,320,000. The modern supercar market continues to perform well, with a 2003 Ferrari Enzo making $2,365,000 and 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder at $1,540,000. Interestingly, these results put five Porsche models in Gooding’s top ten Amelia sales, compared with only three Ferraris.
With a significantly smaller single-day sale for 2018, and bringing the event forward a day at the last minute due to threatened storms, RM Sotheby ’s posted sales of $27.7 million – an expected drop from 2017’s $70.9m two-day marathon. With a collection consisting exclusively of 11 special 964 variants, RM also went big on Porsche. A sub-7000mile Porsche 911 Carrera RS 3.8 was the jewel in the crown, making $1,655,000, with a very similarlooking and even lower mileage 1993 Carrera RSR 3.8 attracting a final bid of $1,270,000.
Most expensive car of the auction was the 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB, which at $2,205,000 was bang-on its lower estimate. The resilience in popularity for exceptional 1920s and ’30s cars continued, the most noteworthy of RM’s being a 1931 Marmon Sixteen LeBaron Coupe. Fresh from a top-class restoration by Marmon expert Harry