Chef and bill, excellent
25 February 2020 3 min read 5 images
Even at auctions, just as in some luxury restaurants, you have to understand the menu to come out happy.
In Paris, those who made these five purchases, leaping from one auction to another of the three by Retromobile, without being tempted by the Jaguar D-Type and Bugatti 55, spent their money well. This five-course tasting menu has one constant: five-digit prices:
1928 Lancia Lambda Passo Lungo Torpedo: lot 229 at Bonhams had a history that was traceable until the mid-1950s, after which it had always been hidden away in France. In 1984 it was purchased by Lancia expert Claude Grazmuller who kept it for 30 years until he sold it to its current owner. This latter had commissioned a restoration from the father-and-son experts of this model, Benwell. The car was therefore in perfect condition, with a fairly good history and this model is an entrance ticket for most major events around the continent. Price? €92,000.
Too much? Well let’s move on to the next dish.
This one requires a little effort ... but it's no lobster. Lot 121 at RM was the last project undertaken (but unfortunately never completed) by Jacques Dayez. The car is a Delahaye 135 Coach bodied by Chapron in 1949, almost complete but with full documentation including the bodywork production documents. Although lacking in history it can be assumed (even if it has not been verified) that the car has always remained in France. What is certain is that when Dayez bought it in 2011 the car was totally original, and he simply dismantled it. You could even just reassemble it; it is without question a little out of sorts, but as the Americans say, “original only once”. To bring home this “make-what-you-fancy-of-it”, just €32,200 was sufficient.
A dish of the finest tradition? Bonhams had just the recipe. The Citroen DS19 Prestige is one of those cars that is full of history. Not just any Prestige but the oldest one in circulation and also the only one dating back to 1959. Obviously, as a pre-series example of this car, there are many particulars that have not been seen since. The first owner was also particular: the French army (the Armée, which sounds so Napoleonic); it was the official car of the military detachment to the French embassy in Rome. Sold by a celebrated English DS enthusiast, the original hood and correct aluminium roof were also supplied (separately), two real rarities. The price for securing a win at the next Citroen rally? €74,750.
An excellent red Italian. Artcurial struck the hammer for lot 138. It was a 1987 Ferrari 328 GTB, red with black interior. Few people are aware that the 328 GTB is far rarer than the GTS (the one with the removable roof). More precisely: just one car out of four was a coupe while 75% were open models. This one came with 76,850km from new of which just 8,000 travelled in the last 10 years. In 2019 the car underwent a very expensive maintenance intervention which included belts, clutch, water pump, distributor cap in addition to the normal service. How expensive? The bill was €17,000. So all in all the final price of €59,600 was a good deal for a car ready to be enjoyed for at least another 10 years.
Dessert? A light one... How about a Citroen AMI 6? White, totally conserved, with only two previous owners, the second of which was a very selective collector who bought it 13 years ago, and even had the original 1963 sales invoice. And then, when was the last time you saw one? It might not be particularly competitive at Le Mans Classic 2020, but for €7,152 at Retromobile, you’d be lucky to take home a sandwich.
These were my five choices but on the menu there were all sorts of heavenly delights: 93 other cars below the “six figure” threshold were sold (over 40% of all cars sold), proving just how rich the selection was. From a 2007 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano (€89,600) to a 1925 Talbot DC Cabriolet Saoutchik (€64 368), not forgetting the 2015 Land Rover Defender with 3,300km on the clock(€88,208)
Think about it…
CLASSIC CAR MATCHER