Paris Auction Week: Records for RM Sotheby’s, Confidence at Artcurial

I could tell you about Artcurial’s new, exceptionally elegant auction venue. I could talk about yet another success for RM Sotheby’s. Instead, I want to start with what surprised me most this year in Paris: a very long queue of boys and girls - all extremely young - patiently waiting to enter and admire the jewels on offer during RM’s preview at the Carrousel du Louvre. A genuine show of strength, proving that motoring can still attract new generations, provided the right strings are struck. And now, to the numbers that give a clear picture of what happened.

Artcurial chose the luxurious Hotel Peninsula, the day after the Best of the Best awards ceremony: elegant, centrally located, and filled with international collectors staying there. One limitation, however, was space, which restricted the offering to just 64 cars, around half of what was offered in 2025. Sales were not numerous - 36 cars - but of significantly higher quality than last year. The total achieved was €14,863,767, around €6 million less than the €21,072,490 recorded twelve months earlier, but the average price nearly doubled, rising from €224,175 to €412,882. In practice, it was a successful boutique auction, perfectly aligned with its setting.