Market Intelligence
New York. The automobile has become art.
This article examines the recent auction of three Alfa Romeo BAT cars at Sotheby's New York and the implications of this event for collectors and the collecting market. It highlights the importance of respecting the cultural significance of these cars, as well as the potential tax benefits that could arise from their sale as works of art. Ultimately, this article serves as a reminder that certain cars are beyond the normal collecting market and can be appreciated as works of art.
Before trying to comprehend whether the $14,840,000 paid at Sotheby's New York auction for the three Alfa Romeo BAT cars, a series of masterpieces by Bertone and designer Scaglione from the 1950s, is a lot or a little, we wanted to ask some important international collectors what they thought about the decision to sell the cars as works of art. And to sell them at what is, arguably, the most important auction of the year alongside paintings and sculptures by some of the most important names in modern art.
1953. Nuccio Bertone and Franco Scaglione. Alfa Romeo B.A.T. 5
All the collectors who responded found the idea interesting for several reasons: firstly, it’s confirmation that some cars, the ones that are rare for the low numbers of examples produced or their technical-stylistic attributes, are beyond the normal collecting market. Secondly, this choice sends out a message of respect for what the car represents within our culture. Third, this new reality obliges collectors to adopt uncompromising standards in the methods they use to restore and conserve cars of particular value. Finally, it expands the collecting market beyond today’s very specific confines of passion.
