Artcurial Auction in St. Tropez: Creativity, Luck and Curiosity

Artcurial had meticulously prepared the auction in St. Tropez, choosing a location and date that wouldn't clash with other significant events. However, a twist of fate occurred: the French elections were scheduled twenty days before the event. Despite this negative variable, Artcurial handled it with honor: the numbers were impressive with 66 cars sold out of 98 offered (67.35%). The total sales amounted to €10,865,342, resulting in an average price per car of €164,626. Notably, about a third of the cars were offered without reserve.

Not all lots were fortunate: the 1996 Ferrari 550 Maranello, announced as previously owned by Michael Schumacher, silver with burgundy interiors (magnificent!), had only 10,000 km. It was used by the driver but registered under Ferrari, so officially it wasn't his. There was little proof the Champion had actually used it. The wide estimate confirmed the doubts: €250,000-450,000 was a big jump. The current record for a 550 Maranello is a model sold at Pebble Beach for $324,000 (€299,000), but the offers stopped at a “modest” €226,480. Much hype, little substance.