"Money, money, money" Cliff Goodall and ABBA at the Monaco auctions

Do you remember ABBA, the Swedish musical group from the '70s who sang "Money Money Money must be funny"? They came to my mind while I was watching the Grand Prix Historique and the auctions held in the Principality. After talking about millionaire cars, those "money money money" ones, I decided to remove a couple of "money" without taking away the "must be funny". I do this to move away from the stereotype of wealth at all costs and tell you what you could take home for less than €100,000. Imagine the response you could give friends when driving your new car: "Yes, I bought it in Monte Carlo" What a blast!

From Artcurial, out of 44 offers, only 5 did not exceed the fateful threshold: A 1957 Chevrolet Corvette (€73,904), a 1963 Volvo P1800 (€45,296) and a trio of Porsche 911s. The first was a 1972 2.4S Targa, the so-called "oelkappe". According to the catalog description, it needed restoration and the price of €83,440 (estimated at €80,000-120,000) shows it. On closer inspection, the work needed was quite limited: The engine had been recently redone, the interior seemed good, while the bodywork looked more tired than destroyed.

1972 Porsche 911 2.4 S Targa sold for €83,440 ($90,150).

Then the 1968 Porsche 911 2.0 SWB (Coupé). When you see the price you will agree with me, but first "a bit of suspense". Painted in "blutorange" (orange), it had been restored about fifteen years ago and at the time had been slightly modified with driving improvements (enhanced engine, shortened gears, stiffer shocks), a sort of light restomod avant la lettre. The estimate of €70,000-100,000 seemed low to me (it's easy to exceed €130,000-150,000), but at €69,136, it was half of what I expected.

1968 Porsche 911 2.0 SWB sold for €69,136 ($74,750).

The third 911 from Artcurial did not seem like a good deal at first, but I think it's only a matter of time. Because the Porsche 964 Carrera 2 is a car destined for a bright future. Until a couple of years ago, "collectible" 911s were those before the '90s (the various 911 and 930) or the 993, as if the 964 didn't exist. Then collectors rediscovered the 964. This 1991 model, red with a black interior, had only 32,763 km, a sunroof and working air conditioning. Sure, the last service was four years ago, but the estimate of €60,000-90,000 left room for the future owner. It went beyond the maximum estimate at €92,976, indicating that in the not-too-distant future, it won't be so cheap anymore. Which one would I have chosen? Certainly one of the Porsches.

1991 Porsche 964 Carrera 2 sold for €92,976 ($100,500).

Let's move on to Bonhams, which deserves four cars. Impossible to go lower. Among my favorites is surely the 2012 Smart ForTwo City Car. Gray in color, it looks like any other Smart, but it had two peculiarities: Only 3000 km driven, all on the roads of Monaco and it belonged to Sir Roger Moore, the famous actor of many James Bond films. The great anecdote is that when people asked his son what car he had, he replied, "the bigger the star, the smaller the car"! The estimate of €3,000-5,000, even without the celebrity ownership, was low for such low mileage, so it was expected to fly, but reaching €31,944 was quite surprising. However, let's not forget, it's the cheapest "Bond car" ever sold!

2012 Smart Fortwo ex-Roger Moore sold for €31,944 ($34,500).

Then I was undecided between a pair of Fiats: On the one side was a magnificent 1959 Fiat 600 Jolly Ghia presented rather poorly and undervalued. On the other side was the 1973 Fiat 124 Abarth Spider Sport. Why would I have wanted the Jolly? First, because it had only 20,000 km and had always remained in the same Italian family. Certainly frequent visitors to Capri or Portofino.

1959 Fiat 600 Jolly Ghia sold for €97,750 ($105,500).

For the Fiat 124 Abarth Spider Sport, the reasons were more "earthly": The previous owner was the famous rally driver Miki Biasion. And then the car is a true rally icon with its 1600 twin-cam engine boasting an incredible track record. The estimates were almost identical: €80,000-100,000 for the Jolly and €70,000-100,000 for the 124. In the end, the market paid for the golden holiday dreams €97,750, while the Rally stopped at €80,500.

1973 Fiat 124 Abarth Spider Sport Rally ex-Miki Biasion sold for €80,500 ($87,000).

And the fourth car from Bonhams? Let's save it for the finale and move on to RM Sotheby’s. Among my top three under €100,000 was definitely the Lancia Aurelia B20 GT Series 6 Coupé. It was from 1958, so no Mille Miglia dream, but one of the great classics of automotive history. Displayed at the 1958 Turin Motor Show, matching numbers, ASI Targa Oro certification, FIVA Identity Card and Lancia Classiche – testifying to the correct combination of black with beige cloth. A jewel for everything: Long trips, elegance competitions and high-performance races. The estimate was low: €80,000-120,000 without reserve, the market seems to appreciate these cars less than before and it went for €69,000.

1958 Lancia Aurelia B20 Coupé sold for €69,000 ($74,500).

Then there was the Aston Martin Vanquish: Anyone who remembers Pierce Brosnan's James Bond era cannot forget the famous chase in Iceland from "Die Another Day". The RM car was almost identical to the one used in the film (except for missiles, machine guns and ejection seats), same gray, same black interior, same year, 2003. With a Monaco plate adding a touch of glamour, the estimate was rather low: €70,000-100,000. The market was even more ruthless, stopping it at €55,200 without reserve. A dream at half price.

2003 Aston Martin Vanquish sold for €55,200 ($59,500).

Monte Carlo is also famous for its winter Rally and it's no coincidence that models for this type of race were present. Some did very well, but the Ford Puma S1600 deserved the Cinderella prize of the ball. Firstly, it was an S1600 with a 200 HP Zetec SE engine, decidedly fun but not demanding. Then the history: Fourth in class at the 2000 Rallye Sanremo and driven early in his career by Sébastien Loeb during the 1999 Memorial Bettega. Even its current condition was excellent: ATL tank homologation still "good" until 2026 and a very reasonable estimate: €40,000-60,000 without reserve. Sold for just €17,250, an injustice.

1999 Ford Puma S1600 sold for €17,250 ($18,500).

My favorite of the entire weekend, however, was the fourth car from Bonhams. A 1960 Stanguellini Formula Junior. A single-seater, naturally, eligible for the Goodwood Revival and participating in historic races in recent years. Five owners, three in Italy (until 2000) and then two in Portugal. But there is one incredible thing: The license plate. It's hard to understand how and why a single-seater racing car could have obtained this exemption for road use! I can see myself as happy as that emoticon with heart eyes, going to the supermarket or the bar. Magnificent! And all this for €62,100. After these cars, ABBA and their "Money Money Money" take on a different meaning. The next line was "have to go to Las Vegas or Monaco". It seems like they already understood everything almost half a century ago.

1960 Stanguellini Formula Junior sold for €62,100 ($67,000).