Auctions: A weekend of fire. What awaits us
18 May 2023 5 min read 11 images
Photo credit: Mecum, RM Sotheby's, Silverstone Auctions
We are in for a very special weekend with three unmissable auctions on the calendar: Mecum in Indianapolis, Silverstone at Sywell Aerodrome near Northampton, and RM at Villa Erba during the Villa d’Este Concours d’Elegance.
Three different types of sales, three different targets, but also many cars worth following. Here are my top ten...
The highlight of Mecum in Indianapolis (which has no fewer than 3,000 vehicles up for sale from 12th to the 20th May) is undoubtedly the 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T SE. Dubbed “The Black Ghost,” it was a veritable urban legend in the Metro Detroit street racing scene, where it would regularly dominate the competition and disappear as quickly as it came, re-emerging weeks to months later to repeat the (winning) cycle, without ever letting the contenders know who was behind the wheel. It was a... “black ghost.” It wasn’t until four decades later that it was revealed the owner was a police officer. Lovingly looked after by the same family since then and never restored, it’s so iconic that Dodge dedicated a special series to it.
Next up, a pair of Chevrolet Corvettes that made history at Le Mans. In 1960, a Corvette joined the Camoradi team and finished second in its class. Following this triumph, it went on to win at Sebring, the Havana Grand Prix in Cuba, and in Sweden. With an estimated value of $2m-$2.1m, it could become the most expensive C1 Corvette ever sold at an auction.
Another Corvette marks a significant milestone in Le Mans history. Originally built as a C3 L88 in 1969, it was transformed in 1973 with the famous “Stars and Stripes” livery to compete with the Greenwood Racing/BF Goodrich team. Equipped with the widely revered ZL1 engine, it raced everywhere that season: Sebring, Daytona, Watkins Glen... But it was at Le Mans 1973 that it achieved its greatest feat, reaching a top speed of 215 mph (346 km/h) on the Mulsanne straight, setting a GT class record. After retiring from racing, it became a star at Concours d’Elegance events, including The Quail (2008), Amelia Island (2009), and Bloomington Gold (2009). The current owner purchased it for $638,000 at auction in August 2011, and it has rarely been seen since. No estimate is provided, but it’s likely we’re talking about serious money in this case.
To conclude, let’s talk about the Chevrolet owned by a pop icon. A normal 1969 Chevelle SS396 Convertible can reasonably be valued at $50,000 to $60,000, perhaps more if it’s perfectly restored. But this particular one once belonged to Bruce Springsteen and is estimated at $150,000-$200,000! It’s hard to imagine that an E Street Band fan would be intimidated… by such a price tag!
Now, let’s jump to Europe and arrive at Villa Erba.
In stark comparison to Mecum, there are only 55 cars on sale here, but RM Sotheby’s estimates them to be worth over €66,000,000. Needless to say, the number of Ferraris is remarkable, with 26 on offer, therefore over half of the cars on sale, including a racing icon, the 1972 World Champion 312 P. It’s strange that this highly esteemed car wasn’t presented at the Le Mans auction. Will it also win at a Concours d’Elegance? One to keep an eye on is the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta. Resplendent in red with a black interior, it is the sixty-second out of the 165 produced and comes from the Swedish Aurora collection. This collection was previously unknown, and this SWB which “vanished” in 2011 makes a wonderful return. Especially since a (non-competition aluminium) SWB is a rarity at auctions, and one hasn’t been seen since 2019. It will undoubtedly be sold as it has no reserve, but will it meet the estimate of €7.5m-€8.5? It has been too long to make predictions.
Another Prancing Horse I’ll be following closely is the 2019 Ferrari Monza SP1. As the first in a series of limited-edition Icona concepts by Ferrari, this is the typical Ferrari that gets purchased and hidden away in a garage. And indeed, this example is no exception: Finished in the extracampionario shade of Rosso Fuoco and Giallo Modena over a Cuoio interior and a mere 26 km on the clock, with Ferrari Classiche certification dating back to January 2020. So, is the estimate of €2.5-€3m high or low? That’s the most crucial point. No other example been sold at an auction, and the only reference is the original list price, of around €1.6 million. However, that was the base price.
Rod Stewart’s 1977 Lamborghini Countach LP400 Periscopio is an old acquaintance of ours. Originally right-hand drive (for the Australian market) and converted to left-hand drive, it has gone through several auctions without much luck. Today, after passing through the Lamborghini Polo Storico, it is estimated at €950,000-€1,050,000, becoming a testbed for “in-house Lamborghini” restorations.
Calling a car priced at nearly €500,000 “affordable” might seem like an insult to our wallets, but that could be the case for the sale of the 1992 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evo II DTM. Only four were produced to compete in the DTM championship, where it achieved four victories. Considering that a couple of years ago, its contemporary competitor, the Alfa Romeo 155 DTM, nearly reached €800,000, it’s not unreasonable to believe that an estimate of €450,000-€550,000 is “almost” affordable.
Of the 114 cars offered by Silverstone, I would have taken them all home, but a couple have caught my attention more than the others. The first is undoubtedly the 1974 Jaguar E-Type S3 V12 Roadster, chassis 2822, the last one ever built excluding the famous 50 Commemorative Editions, but those were only available in white or black, not with this fantastic colour combination. Restored (in Europe) between 2015 and 2019, it has an estimate of £160,000-£200,000.
Finally, the ultimate car we all dreamt of as kids. Anyone who has ever played Gran Turismo on the PlayStation always wanted to drive the TVR Cerbera Speed 12. An absolute beast: a 7.7-litre V12 engine producing 840 hp, designed to give the McLaren F1 GTR a run for its money. One day, after spending hours playing with the joystick, I arrived at school and bragged about it to half of the class (the other half were girls). That day, I was considered a hero. The first one ever produced is now up for sale at Silverstone. Curiosity is an understatement.
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