‘An Acid Yellow Clio V6 smashed the previous record by some margin’

Pebble Beach. Incidentally, that was Gooding’s only live auction of the year and topped $100m alone. With seven ‘Geared Online’ sales throughout the rest of the year adding a further $50m to that total, it’s clear that online will form a more important role with each coming year.

Figures coming out of Scottsdale’s yearopening bonanza seem to suggest that the market was emerging from the pandemic with some serious enthusiasm. Despite a slight reduction in the number of cars offered, Hagerty reported that total sales for the five sales had increased to $266.7m from $217.7m, with a 99% sell-through rate. The RM Sotheby’s auction featured the most expensive car so far this year, an alloy-bodied Mercedes-Benz 300 SL that made $6.8m (£5.44m). That was slightly below the $7-9m estimate, but still the most paid for a Gullwing at public auction.

A few days later in Europe, Bonhams highlights including a €1,817,000 (£1.54m) Bugatti EB110. The RM Sotheby’s Paris sale featured a selection of ‘no reserve’ Ferraris from the Petitjean Collection, a 288 GTO topping the sale at €3,464,375 (£2.94m).

For the first time in two years, Gooding & Company, RM Sotheby’s and Bonhams all held auctions at Amelia Island. Total sales were $127.7million – the highest figure since 2016. Stars included a beautifully restored Fiat Dino 2400 Spider, well above estimate at $390,000 (£312,000).

Classic Car Auctions returned to the NEC for the Practical Classics Classic Car and Restoration Show sale, achieving £3m in sales and a steady 78% sale rate. Top seller was a 1967 Bentley T Convertible by Mulliner Park Ward at £75,375. A tidy, 70,000-mile Renault 5 GT Turbo achieved £20,250 – further proof that compact and quick Renaults remain popular.

RM Sotheby’s saw $16.9m of sales at its twoday Fort Lauderdale auction. Kid Rock’s 2005 Ford GT was the top lot at $638,000 (£510,000), closely followed by a 1984 Lamborghini Countach LP5000S from the Rey Collection at $632,500 (£506,000).

Online sales have continued to blaze. At the start of the year, Bring a Trailer reported the sale of a Guards Red 2005 Porsche Carrera for just over $1.9m (£1.52m), a new benchmark for the model and at the time the most expensive car sold on BaT. Collecting Cars has had several successes with the mid-engined Clio V6 in the past few months, and it smashed the previous auction record by some margin, selling an Acid Yellow Phase 2 example for £90,000.

So, while 2021 didn’t represent any huge new shifts in the market or buying habits, it certainly reinforced some of the ‘new normal’ rules. Online is bigger and better than ever, offering a better solution for many. As the figures show though, it’s not the be-all and endall – especially at the top of the market.