Artcurial Auction in St. Tropez: Creativity, Luck and Curiosity
13 July 2024 4 min read 10 images
Photo credit: Artcurial
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.
Luck wasn't needed for the 1958 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster to become the top lot of the sale. Sold new in Havana (Cuba) just months before the revolution, it was found in the USA and returned to Europe in 2006 for a perfect restoration by HK Engineering. Equipped with a hardtop and luggage set, it had an estimate of €800,000-1,000,000, perfectly in line with its features (no disc brakes, no aluminum engine). The final price was in the middle: €905,920.
Mercedes dominated the auction. It started with a 1995 Mercedes-Benz E60 AMG. Only 12 produced, 80,000 km, and in excellent condition. There's a significant price difference between a W124 AMG “pre-merger” and “post-merger” with Mercedes-Benz. Those before Affalterbach's merger with the three-pointed star (1989) range between €500,000 and €900,000, while “post-merger” models like this one are much lower: around €100,000, with the record at €138,000. Estimated at €120,000-180,000, it broke the record and maximum estimate, closing at €184,760.
Next were the 1990s Mercedes-Benz R129 (SL300, SL500, SL600). The current record is an SL500 with 2,000 km sold online for $95,000 (about €87,000). Artcurial presented a trio ready to break this record: a 1998 SL60 AMG with 89,000 km, an even rarer SL600 AMG with only 42,000 km, and the ultimate, a 1997 SL70 AMG with the Pagani Zonda engine (7 liters, V12, 532 bhp) inside the top comfort of the era. Estimates were €80,000-120,000 for the first two and €150,000-200,000 for the most powerful.
The first set the stage: €77,480, thanks to the absence of a reserve. The second set a new record: €92,976. The third practically started from this offer and went up, reaching €226,480, beyond the maximum estimate and any record.
What Saint-Tropez gave to Mercedes-Benz, it took from Porsche. The 1973 Porsche 911 2.7 Carrera RS (the famous ducktail) is a market standard, and the car offered by Artcurial caused some commotion. Born as a Touring, it was modified into a 2.8 RS with Group 3 and Group 4 parts. From one perspective, its originality was entirely compromised, and the engine was not original. On the other hand, it offered a 2.8 RSR (worth over €1,000,000) for a fraction of the price, with a 240 bhp engine, perfect for the Tour Auto. The auction house set a very low estimate at €250,000-350,000, which was indeed low. It closed at €333,760.
The sale of the Lancia Aurelia B24S Spider “America” was also surprising. This model is going through a difficult period, at least in Europe. In the past four years, eight have been offered, with seven unsold and one sold for €795,000. The estimate of €770-970,000 was ambitious but justified by its history and condition: the last left-hand drive model produced, exceptionally restored by Bonfanti, with a Fontana hardtop. It sold for €834,400, a good signal for collectors of this model.
The Ferrari California from the 2000s is not a rarity, but those with a manual transmission are incredibly rare, with only 5 produced! Additionally, the California was the last Ferrari to offer a 6-speed manual. The estimated price? €300,000-450,000 according to Artcurial (note the wide estimate due to uncertainty). It turned out the be worth €333,760 in the market.
Among all this talk of supercars worth hundreds of thousands of euros, I haven't forgotten the cheaper cars, which were probably my choice. I was torn between two Renaults. The first was a 1992 Renault 25 V6 used for the Albertville Winter Olympics that year. It was used by Jean-Claude Killy, the President of the Winter Olympic Committee. Notably, it had the license plate “1”. After the games, it returned to Renault, barely used, with only 30,170 km. The asking price was €10,000-20,000, and it closed at €11,920.
A similar estimate (€8,000-14,000) for another rarity from Losanga: a 1989 Trafic van, gasoline version, 4x4 Sinpar, and only 10,000 km, in perfect condition, a rarity. Used by Civil Protection for training and operations above 3,000 meters altitude. It sold for €14,304, ready for a party in Gstaad in any season.
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