© Rod Hatfield, Automotive Content Experience
Auction Sales Heat Up Again
Through the years, the Monterey Motoring Week has grown to include dozens of events leading up to the annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance collector car show, held on the third Sunday of August. Other than revealing the Best of Show winner, nothing contributes more energy to the festivities than live automobile auctions in Pebble Beach, Monterey and Carmel Valley. This year total auction sales topped $345 million — up 38 percent over 2019. The year’s best-seller was a 1995 McLaren F1 that eclipsed 20 million, surpassing the 2019 top-seller: a 1994 McLaren F1 LM-spec that sold for slightly less than that astronomical figure. In all, 82 cars sold at 2021 Monterey car auctions for more than $1 million, compared to 34 cars over that threshold in 2019.
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© Rod Hatfield, Automotive Content Experience
Better Cars Improve Sales
According to Hagerty — collector car insurers and valuation experts — the increase in 2021 sales can be attributed to higher quality cars and a better sell-through rate of 80 percent, compared to 59 percent in 2019. (A notable exception: a 1970 Porsche 917K expected to be the second-highest-selling car of the weekend went unsold at a high bid of $15 million.) Although nearly 25 percent fewer cars were offered at 2021 Monterey car auctions this year, the average sale price came in at $429,549, compared to $334,114 in 2019. What follows are the top 15 cars sold at auction during the 2021 Monterey Motoring Week, in ascending order by price.
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© Rod Hatfield, Automotive Content Experience
15. 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 Coupe
Sale Price: $3,662,500
Auction House: Gooding & Company
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© Rod Hatfield, Automotive Content Experience
13. 1959 Aston Martin DB4GT Lightweight (tie)
Sale Price: $3,855,000
Auction House: RM Sotheby’s
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© Rod Hatfield, Automotive Content Experience
13. 1953 Ferrari 166 MM Spider Series II (tie)
Sale Price: $3,855,000
Auction House: RM Sotheby’s
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Copyright and courtesy of Gooding and Company. Photo by Brian Henniker
11. 1930 Duesenberg Model J Disappearing Top Convertible Coupe (tie)
Sale Price: $3,965,000
Auction House: Gooding & Company
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© Rod Hatfield, Automotive Content Experience
11. 1995 Ferrari F50 (tie)
Sale Price: $3,965,000
Auction House: RM Sotheby’s
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© Rod Hatfield, Automotive Content Experience
10. 1963 Shelby 289 Cobra Works
Sale Price: $4,130,000
Auction House: RM Sotheby’s
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© Rod Hatfield, Automotive Content Experience
9. 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Series I Cabriolet
Sale Price: $4,405,000
Auction House: Gooding & Company
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© Bonhams
8. 1928 Mercedes-Benz 26/120/180 S Type Sports Tourer
Sale Price: $5,395,000
Auction House: Bonhams
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© Rod Hatfield, Automotive Content Experience
7. 1929 Bugatti Type 35B Grand Prix
Sale Price: $5,615,000
Auction House: Gooding & Company
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© Rod Hatfield, Automotive Content Experience
6. 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta Tour de France
Sale Price: $6,000,000
Auction House: RM Sotheby’s
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5. 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Competizione
Sale Price: $7,705,000
Auction House: RM Sotheby’s
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© Rod Hatfield, Automotive Content Experience
4. 1962 Ferrari 268 SP by Fantuzzi
Sale Price: $7,705,000
Auction House: RM Sotheby’s
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© Rod Hatfield, Automotive Content Experience
3. 1962 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato
Sale Price: $9,520,000
Auction House: RM Sotheby’s
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© Rod Hatfield, Automotive Content Experience
2. 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione
Sale Price: $10,840,000
Auction House: Gooding & Company
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© Rod Hatfield, Automotive Content Experience
1. 1995 McLaren F1
Sale Price: $20,465,000
Auction House: Gooding & Company
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