The marketplace
Ferraris led the stampede at the annual Scottsdale auction extravaganza, held this year from 12-20 January, with a 1963 250GT SWB setting the pace at $7,595,000 against a $6-8m estimate. It was followed by a fantastic 1958 250 Tour de France that made $5.89m ($5.75-6.5m) and a ’53 250MM Spider at $5,395,000 ($5.5-6.5m). With all three sales achieved by Gooding & Co, the Santa Monicabased firm achieved the highest average price per lot of the week, raising $48.1m from 124 vehicles.
A Prancing Horse also came out on top at RM Sotheby’s, where a 2900-mile 288GTO sold for $3.36m ($3.2-3.6m). The secondbiggest figure was paid for a 1958 BMW 507 at $2.175m ($2.5-3m), followed by a ’67 Ferrari 330GTS that was hammered down for $2,012,500 ($2.2-2.5m).
Over at Bonhams on 17 January, meanwhile, a stunning Fruabodied 1951 Maserati A6G/2000 Spyder with Pebble Beach history made the highest price at $2,755,000 (a whisker under its $2.8-3.4m pre-sale figure), followed by a Mercedes 300SL Gullwing at $1.11m ($1.15-1.35m) and a Porsche 356B Carrera 2 GS Cabrio at $1,000,500 ($1.1-1.3m).
But of course the mammoth Barrett-jackson tent is the main event at Scottsdale, and here latemodel exotica led the field. A 2019 Mclaren Senna ($1.46m) pipped a gargantuan Mercedes G63 6x6 ($1.21m) into top spot, while Worldwide’s highlights included a 1959 Mercedes 300SL for $990k, plus a brace of 1935 Auburn 851 Speedsters knocked down for $687,500 and $632,500.
In all, of the 3294 vehicles that crossed the block in Arizona some 2660 went to new homes, generating more than $250m, but in a challenging environment where reserve prices were rare there were some conspicuous bargains. Half of the Gooding & Co and RM Sotheby’s lots failed to reach their lower estimates, while at Bonhams only three of the nine vehicles valued at more than $1m changed hands.
Among those lots to underperform, the biggest steal was a 1914 Stevens-duryea snapped up for just $72,800 against a $200-300k guide.
‘The huge Barrett-jackson tent is the main event at Scottsdale, and late-model exotica led the field here’