All the big sales from Bonhams' 2018 Scottsdale auction

Some seriously impressive motors changed hands last week

Every year, Bonhams’ Scottsdale auction serves up a smorgasbord of four-wheeled delicacies – with eye-watering prices.

The 2018 sale was no exception, with dozens of legendary motors changing hands for wallet-busting amounts of cash.

The priciest of all was a rather special Porsche with a particularly starry history, which sold for over $5 million.

But it was far from the only big sale. Here's our pick of the 22 most interesting, in ascending order of value.

1. 1953 Mercedes-Benz 220 Cabriolet A

Sold for: US$176,000

Built to put in the miles on the autobahn, the Mercedes-Benz 220 was produced between 1951 and 1955, and was the first post-war Mercedes model to once again feature a six-cylinder engine.

A two-seater Cabriolet, the ‘A’ model was ordered by fewer than 1,300 people in its lifetime - in part thanks to a hefty price hike over the ‘B’ saloon models.

The vehicle sold by Bonhams arrived in the USA in 1953, having been optioned with such luxuries as a Becker Monaco radio, a passenger headrest and a secondary engine fan.

2. 1967 Jaguar E-Type Series I 4.2 Roadster

Sold for: US$211,750

Stunning from every angle, the sweeping lines of the E-Type continue to captivate to this day, taking their cues from the equally beautiful Le Mans-dominating D Type.

Unveiled as a coupé in 1961, this Series I E-Type rolled off the line in 1967 carrying a 4.2-litre engine capable of delivering a soaring top speed of 150mph.

Equipped with the monocoque tub and tubular space frame for which the machine is famous, a meticulous restoration of the car in question was completed in 2017, which painstakingly took it back to factory specification (with a few gentle performance upgrades).

3. 1962 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2

Sold for: US$224,400

A replacement for Ferrari’s first four-seater sports car, the 330 GT 2+2 took the mould set by the 250 GTE 2+2 and ran with it, delivering a comfortable family car that could top 150mph.

Ferrari turned again to famed Italian coachbuilder Pininfarina for the 330 GT, which sharpened its classic lines, gave passengers more legroom and opted for a four-headlight front-end for the US market.

Built in 1962, the model sold was in fact the second of two prototypes that spent their early years working at the Ferrari factory and, if rumour is to be believed, being driven by Enzo Ferrari himself.

4. 1931 Rolls-Royce Phantom 1 Regent Convertible Coupe

Sold for: US$236,500

The successor to the Silver Ghost, Rolls-Royce’s luxurious Phantom I was launched in 1925 with a novel 7.7-litre six-cylinder overhead valve engine (as opposed to the Silver Ghost’s side valve setup).

The New Phantom was produced both in the UK and the USA, and, whereas British buyers specified a coachbuilder of their choice to produce the body, in the late '20s Rolls-Royce of America began offering 28 standard body styles for Phantom I purchasers.

Delivered to its original owner in 1931, the model sold carried one such style - the rare convertible ‘Regent’ body, one of only 21 recorded examples.

5. 1969 De Tomaso Mangusta

Sold for: US$249,700

Launched in 1967, the Mangusta was every bit the supercar. With a throbbing 4.7-litre Ford V8 under the gullwing hood (the same found in Ford’s GT40 Le Mans machine), De Tomaso’s aerodynamic speed machine channelled 306bhp to reach a top speed in excess of 150mph.

Besides the power, though, its Giorgetto Giugiaro styling made it prime poster material, with high arches, a low nose and a squat rear giving it heaps of aggressive-yet-stylish poise.

The example sold is largely original, with years of wear only adding to the Mangusta’s character.

6. 1966 Shelby GT350H Fastback

Sold for: US$253,000

A V8 racer you could rent, the GT350H was the result of a deal between Shelby and Hertz, which meant weekend speed demons could borrow the Ford Mustang-based machine for a Friday-Monday blitz - all for the reasonable price of US$17 per day.

Now highly sought after, there’s only one thing better than owning a GT350H: owning Carroll Shelby’s personal GT350H.

Originally sold on by Hertz in 1967, Shelby bought the iconic blue-striped coupe in question from its second owner after a series of upgrades were fitted.

7. 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 Cabriolet

Sold for: US$260,000

Luxurious from star to stern, the 280SE carried a host of mod-cons when it launched in 1969 - including air conditioning, an auto transmission, power windows and a radio as standard.

While it was the last model to feature the popular body style of the 220SE launched 10 years previously, it was the first to carry Mercedes-Benz’s new 3.5-litre V8 engine - a power unit that delivered 200bhp and took the car to 60mph in 9.5 seconds.

The model sold at Scottsdale left the Mercedes factory in 1970 for the US, and is one of only 800 or so examples believed to have been built.

8. 1987 Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV

Sold for: US$264,000

Angular, powerful and frequently unreliable, the Countach captured countless hearts and cemented the Italian supercar maker as a bastion of bold design when it launched in 1970.

The Countach’s aggressive styling made it a marked step-change from the more traditional curves of the Miura for which the maker had become famous. That the new machine was cramped, impractical and capricious only seemed to add to the charm.

Fast forward to 1987 and the 420bhp 5000 QV in question (one of just 676 built) growled into life as the world’s fastest production car.

9. 1956 Porsche 356A 1600 Speedster

Sold for: US$308,000

First produced in 1948, the Porsche 356 was the realisation of Ferdinand Porsche’s desire to create a small, nimble sports car with an enjoyable (but not excessive) amount of power.

Refined several times over the following years, the drop-top 356A Speedster version hit the market in 1956. Notable for its one-piece sweeping windscreen, the Speedster soon gained favour for its blend of comfort, style and performance.

Finished in stirring Aquamarine Blue, the car sold by Bonhams recently spent three and a half years undergoing a meticulous part-by-part restoration which, when completed in 2017, left it in near-perfect condition.

10. 1954 Alfa Romeo 1900C Coupe

Sold for: US$330,000

The first Alfa to be built entirely on a production line, the 1900 was in theory a family runaround but, with a nippy engine and independent front suspension, there was clear potential - as evidenced by its success in the Targa Florio.

So came the Sprint edition and, with a chassis designed to be rebodied, Pininfarina and Touring were soon commissioned to create new forms for the 1900.

Tasked with delivering both a cabriolet and coupe version, Pininfarina crafted this 1900C (so named because of its short - or ‘corto’ - wheelbase) alongside just 36 other examples.

11. 1974 Dino 246 GTS

Sold for: US$341,000

Pininfarina-designed and all the better for it, the seminal Dino 206 set the tone for the marque’s berlinetta-style machines for years to come.

With just 152 of the 206 version produced between 1968 and 1969, it was the more powerful steel-bodied Dino 246, complete with 2.4-litre engine, that did the big numbers for Ferrari - its swooping shell shipping as 2,295 GT models and 1,274 Spyders before production ceased in 1974.

Born in the model’s last year of production, the Dino 246 GTS auctioned by Bonhams underwent a thorough restoration in 2012 to bring it back to factory condition.

12. 1982 Lancia Rally 037 Stradale

Sold for: US$451,000

In the madcap Group B rally era of the 1980s, building 200 models of a car was sufficient to comply with the FIA’s homologation rules, which paved the way for a plethora of absurdly powerful road cars - including Lancia’s 037 Stradale.

With a kevlar-and-fibreglass body, the lightweight Abarth-designed Lancia didn’t hang around - not least thanks to a motor that, supercharged, delivered 205bhp through the rear wheels.

Recently restored by the Baldi Brothers in Italy, the 037 in question is a pristine roadgoing example of the 1983 World Rally Championship winner.

13. 2016 PORSCHE 911 R

Sold for: US$478,500

Essentially a completely new car, this 2016 Porsche 911 R has only 38 miles on the clock.

It's one of only 991 examples produced worldwide – number 290, to be specific – and is believed to be number 1 out of 50 which were ordered in a custom colour (non-metallic Acid Green, since you ask).

In fact, almost everything about it has been customised: the window sticker lists 25 added options, including leather interior in black with stitching in GT Silver, Bose surround sound system and LED headlights in black.

14. 1974 Dino 246 GTS

Sold for: US$484,000

Thought one Dino in an auction catalogue was rare enough? This yellow number is about as original as a 246 GTS can get.

Factory-fitted with the famed ‘chairs and flares’ options (Daytona seats and wider rally-style wheel arches, complete with Campagnolo alloys), everything from the paint to the lights is original.

More impressively, with a mere 27,693 miles on the clock, it all remains in excellent condition.

15. 2006 FORD GT

Sold for: US$489,500

The Ford GT has a special place in motoring history by virtue of being based on the awesome GT40, which stunned many by winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times in the 1960s. But some GTs are more special than others – and this is one of them. 

Motor racing legend Carroll Shelby was one of the key men behind the GT40's success in the '60s, and quickly snapped up its modern equivalent on its release in 2006.

With such a prestigious history behind it, and with only 645 miles on the clock, it was really something of a snip at just under $500,000.

16. 1995 Ferrari F50

Sold for: US$1,155,000

Created as a celebration of Ferrari’s 50th birthday, the F50 was as close as you could get to a roadgoing Formula One car, sacrificing driving aids such as power steering and ABS in favour of an F1-derived V12 engine and a weight-saving composite body.

The naturally aspirated 4.7-litre power unit was tuned to pump out 720bhp which, in a car weighing 1230kg, meant the F50 hit 60mph in just 3.8 seconds.

One of just 349 F50s ever made (and the 55th of 55 to make it to the US new), the model in question is notable for its Nero Daytona black paint job, which coated just four of the Ferrari range-toppers.

17. 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder

Sold for: US$1,292,500

Spending more than a million dollars on a plug-in hybrid might seem a foolhardy endeavour, but this is no Prius: equipped with a 4.6-litre V8, paired with two electric motors that take the total power output to 887bhp, Porsche’s 918 Spyder remains a mid-engined monster.

Production ran from December 2014 to June 2015, and the model sold by Bonhams was number 290 of only 300 units sold in the US.

A pristine example that clocked just 2,200 miles with a single owner, it’s fitted with the same Weissach package magnesium wheels that helped the 918 blast round the Nordschleife in 6:57 in 2013 (a new lap record).

18. 1930 Bentley Speed Six ‘Le Mans Replica’ Tourer

Sold for: US$1,457,500

A polished brute of motoring grunt, the Bentley Speed Six was born in 1928 as a racier iteration of the big-wheeled Bentley 6½ Litre.

Capable of producing 180bhp in its consumer guise, a 200bhp racing version (with a shorter 11ft wheelbase) found success at Le Mans, winning the 24 Hours in both 1929 and 1930.

The vehicle sold at Scottsdale has enjoyed quite the storied life, including a spell with the Edinburgh police in the 1930s, and was carefully refashioned in the 1980s in Le Mans guise, before enjoying regular touring outings in the USA.

19. 1991 Ferrari F40

Sold for: US$1,512,500

Still gracing Lego sets and wall posters to this day, Ferrari’s F40 is renowned as one of the greatest mid-engined, rear-wheel drive sports cars ever built.

Launched in 1987, the 200mph F40 rapidly gained legendary status, in large part thanks to its union of vast turbocharged power, impeccable aerodynamics and lightweight build.

It helped, too, that the magnificent machine looked every bit the boxy supercar. With fewer than 2,500 miles on the clock, the F40 sold is in entirely original condition – complete with the fitted luggage set it shipped with, no less.

20. 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster

Sold for: US$1,512,500

A roadgoing version of its race-proven namesake, the 300SL was the first production car ever to feature direct fuel injection - and, while it was an imperfect system, it helped propel the 300SL to a top speed of 160mph, making it the fastest production car of its era.

Its aerodynamic design, innovative mechanics and soaring gullwing doors soon became iconic, and it’s still a captivating classic to this day.

This Roadster iteration forgoes those famous doors but remains a stunning vehicle, the 5th of its type ever made and the first to enter the USA.

Being built so early in the production cycle, it’s notable for carrying several components over from the gullwing model that were removed from later models.

21. 1972 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider

Sold for: US$2,640,000

Arguably one of the best front-engined sports car of all time, the V12-equipped Daytona was released in 1969 and quickly gained acclaim for its high-performance bent, and remains an exciting classic drive to this day.

Only 123 Spider convertibles were ever produced, with the model auctioned the 72nd to roll off the production line.

Finished in 1973, the Spider sold was painstakingly restored in the '90s to its original crimson glory and, after being cared for by just two owners between 1982 and 2014, remains in fantastic condition.

22. 1958 Porsche 550A Spyder

Sold for: US$5,170,000

Porsche’s first dedicated racer, the iconic 550 reached its purest form in the 550A - a mighty variant of the pocket rocket that paired the rigidity of a space frame with a featherweight 530kg aluminium body to deliver unbridled racing success.

Following its launch in 1956, the 550A took drivers to victories in the Targa Florio, the 12 hours of Reims and a class win at the Nurburgring 1000km.

The model sold - the penultimate Spyder ever constructed - was finished in 1958, and put its refined 135bhp engine to work variously in the Mille Miglia, the Le Mans 24 Hours and even the Dutch Grand Prix, in which it finished 11th.