Market Intelligence
Warning lights on at Goodwood? Check up at Monterey
This article discusses the recent Bonhams auction held on the estate of Lord March in England, which has been a significant event in the automotive industry for decades. The auction saw lacklustre sales with only 58% of the cars offered being sold, and the two top lots remaining unsold. The author examines the factors contributing to the poor result, including overestimated estimates and the anticipation of the Monterey auctions. The article also analyses the top lots that went unsold, including a 1972 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 TT3 and a 1964 Aston Martin DB5 Convertible, and those that were sold, including a 1928 Maserati 26B GP and a Formula 1 Ferrari Dino 246/60.
Perhaps we should call them “the ghosts of Goodwood”. Let’s not exaggerate, it’s better to be a little cautious. Ever since 1994, Bonhams (known then as Brooks) has organized an auction on the charming estate of Lord March, now Duke of Richmond, in the south of England.
This auction has been the jewel in the crown for Bonhams in the United Kingdom: for decades this place has seen cars of the likes of the Mercedes-Benz W196 (which at the time set the world record for any car), the Ferrari 375 Plus, the first Aston Martin DB4 Zagato, all cars of over £10,000,000 in value. In this hallowed place records have been set that still stand to this day: I am reminded at this point of the ex-Sir Henry ‘Tim’ Birkin’s 1929 4 ½-litre supercharged 'Blower' Bentley.
