Archive
11/08/2022
H&H and SWVA: Don’t tell them Pebble Beach exists!
This article discusses the recent auctions held by two different auction houses, SWVA and H&H, and the wide range of prices at which cars were sold. The auctions offered cars from pre-war to modern-day models, and the prices varied from as low as £5,062 to as high as £117,000. The article provides a detailed analysis of the auctions, including the number of cars sold, the turnover, the average price per car, and the most expensive lot. It also highlights some of the cars that caught the author's attention and their selling prices. Overall, the article emphasizes that there are opportunities for buyers to find affordable classic cars if they look beyond the high-end auctions.
04/08/2022
Barrett-Jackson and Mecum confirm the golden US moment
The article provides an overview of the recent Barrett-Jackson and Mecum auctions, which took place in Las Vegas and Harrisburg, respectively. The author compares the total sales, number of cars sold, and average car prices at both auctions.
28/07/2022
BaT. The Far side of the Moon
The article discusses the auction house Bring a Trailer (BaT), which specializes in online sales of classic and supercars. With a turnover of around $853 million, BaT outperforms major traditional auction houses such as RM Sotheby’s, Bonhams, and Gooding. BaT offers approximately 650 to 700 cars per week, with each lot having its own deadline. The auction house has developed a fair technique to prevent last-second challenges, and bidding wars can continue even after the allotted time has expired. BaT is famous for selling mid-priced youngtimers between $50,000 and $250,000. It has outperformed traditional auction houses in sales of Dodge Viper GTS, Acura Integra Type R, Porsche 944 Turbo, and Nissan Skyline GT-R. However, cars produced between the late 40s and mid-60s, which are the main segment of traditional auction houses, are less present on BaT.
21/07/2022
Historics: rough seas yet the ship still sails
The article discusses the results of the Historics auction in Britain, which saw 62.5% of cars sold for a total of £2,346,283, down from last year's figures. However, this drop in turnover should be evaluated alongside the global value of cars on offer.
14/07/2022
Artcurial. Le Mans, looking beyond the name
The recent Artcurial auction held in Le Mans saw 94 cars being sold out of 132 on offer, generating a turnover of €11,506,156 ($11,643,135) and an average of €122,406 ($123,865) per car sold.
07/07/2022
German auctions? Über alles
Two auction houses, Dorotheum and Bonhams, held sales of cars and jewelry over the same weekend in July 2022 in Austria and Switzerland. Dorotheum sold 88.61% of the 79 cars on offer and Bonhams sold 87.03% of their 54 cars, with 63% sold without reserve. Both houses were satisfied with their results, with Dorotheum collecting €4.6m and Bonhams €7.4m. The top lot, a 2010 Lamborghini Reventon Roadster, was offered at Bonhams but went unsold, while the most expensive car sold was a 1991 Ferrari F40 that exceeded its estimate, selling for €1.95m.
30/06/2022
Bonhams wins the Festival of slow at Goodwood
The article discusses the results of the 2022 Bonhams auction that took place during the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The auction recorded disappointing results with just 62.66% of the 75 cars on offer being sold, and only marginal improvements from the previous year's results. The article highlights the decline in the auction's takings, with just £6,601,341 against a target of £12,901,000, which is the worst result in 12 years. The article goes on to mention the top lots that went unsold, including a McLaren P1 GTR, a Benetton B193B Formula 1 car, and a 1931 Invicta S-Type 4.5 litre. The competition for the most expensive car was between a 1937 Frazer-Nash-BMW 328 Roadster and a 1962 Aston Martin DB4 Series IV Convertible, with the former selling for £636,600 and the latter for £588,440. However, both cars were sold below their minimum estimates.
23/06/2022
English auction ACA: cheap holidays
British auction house ACA presented a variety of cars perfect for summer holidays, with an average selling price of £7,279. Highlights include a limited edition Mazda MX-5 Monaco, a 1977 Jimini Moke kit car, a Land Rover 109" Hi-Capacity, a 1990 Toyota Land Cruiser, a 1998 Peugeot 106 GTI, a 1989 Skoda Rapid, a 1993 Range Rover Vogue SE, a 1950 Chevrolet 3100 Stepside pickup, a Ford Transit that seats 15, a 1989 Bedford Danbury caravan, a 1963 Morris Mini MkI, a 1973 Alfa Romeo 2000 GT Veloce, and a 1972 Morris Minor Van. Of 236 lots, 209 sold for a total of £1,521,414.
16/06/2022
Bonhams Greenwich. The key to success
Bonhams achieved a successful American auction in Greenwich, with over 80% of cars sold without reserve, resulting in 95% of sales and an average price per car of $105,761. The top lot was a 1929 Bentley 4 1/2 litre Tourer that sold for $604,500. Two Jaguar XK120s sold below estimates, with the coupe selling for $85,120 and the roadster selling for $66,080. The sale also featured a replica 1966 Fiat 500 Jolly that sold for $89,600, and a collection of four Facel-Vegas that performed well. A 1981 Porsche 911 SC Coupe also caught the writer's attention.
14/06/2022