Artcurial at Le Mans Classic – Much Ado About Nothing

The opening line of Anna Karenina, Lev Tolstoy's celebrated novel, runs as follows: "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." The implication is that many factors must align to make a family happy, and the absence of just one is enough to make it unhappy. The same can be said of auctions: a successful sale requires interesting lots with accurate estimates (and reserves), the right setting, a skilled and knowledgeable team, and – above all – bidders ready to compete. Let any one of those factors slip and the auction can founder.

The Artcurial sale at Le Mans on 3 July 2026 had everything it needed to be a success, yet to judge by the numbers, the proportions of that magic formula must have been wrong.

Fifty-three cars were offered – not a very large number, but not negligibly small either – with a total estimate of €14,795,000, equivalent to €279,000 per car. A result of €9,432,784, with an average price of €524,043, would in isolation look decidedly strong. The problem, however, was plain: only 18 cars had sold, a clearance rate of just 33.96% – one of the worst results Artcurial has ever recorded.