$4.6 million Merc heads $182 million Scottsdale mega-sales

By James Elliott
Auctions
 | 23 Jan 2012

As the sound of gavels – and jaws – dropping in Arizona recedes and the dust settles on a week-long £150million frenzy of classic car buying, it's time to take stock of the maddest auction extravaganza on the calendar.

Some stats:
Six auction houses between them sold more than 2000 classic cars for roughly $182million, averaging $85,000 per car.

17 cars were sold for more than $1 million each.

Top-seller was the rare alloy-bodied 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL 'Gullwing' for an astonishing $4.62million. Gooding & Co also had the second priciest car when it raised just shy of £4million for a 1959 Ferrari 250GT California long-wheelbase.

By far the biggest sale total was Barrett-Jackson, which mustered $90million for its mammoth lot list of 1291 cars.

Highest 'per-car' sale rate was Gooding & Co, which amassed an average of $343,000 per car.

Loads of auction records were smashed, including the $2.9million that Barrett-Jackson took for a 1948 Tucker Torpedo.

Debutant Bonhams can go away happy with its results, too, having averaged nearly $150,000 per car and raised $5.7million from its 40 lots sold.

Highest-price achieved by RM Auctions was the $1.8million raised for a unique 1957 Ferrari 410 Superamerica Scaglietti.


Insurance company Hagerty does a great job of compiling the results.
Here's some of the info it has collated.

Top 10 sales from all auctions

1. 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL alloy Gullwing sold for $4,620,000 (Gooding)


2. 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder sold for $3,905,000 (Gooding)


3. 1948 Tucker Torpedo sold for $2,915,000 (Barrett-Jackson)


4. 1947 Bentley Mark VI Franay DHC sold for $2,750,000 (Barrett-Jackson)


5. 1930 Duesenberg Model J disappearing top convertible coupe sold for $2,640,000 (Gooding)


6. 1933 Pierce-Arrow Silver Arrow sold for $2,420,000 (Barrett-Jackson)


7. 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing sold for $2,200,000 (Barrett-Jackson)


8. 1929 Bentley 4.5L Dual Cowl Sports Phaeton sold for $2,145,000 (Gooding)


9. 1957 Ferrari 410 Superamerica coupe sold for $1,815,000 (RM)

10. 1954 Desoto Adventurer II coupe sold for $1,430,000 (Barrett-Jackson)

Results by salehouse 

Barrett-Jackson 

2012 Total: $90.6million

1,291/1,294 lots sold: 99% sale rate

Average price: $70,238

Top 10

1. 1948 Tucker Torpedo sold for $2,915,000
2. 

2. 1947 Bentley Mark VI Franay DHC sold for $2,750,000
3. 

3. 1933 Pierce-Arrow Silver Arrow sold for $2,420,000


4. 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing sold for $2,200,000


5. 1954 Desoto Adventurer II coupe sold for $1,430,000


6. 1928 Daimler P.1.50 Vee Front Royal Limousine sold for $1,155,000


7. 1930 Isotta Fraschini Tipo Cabriolet sold for $1,100,000


8. 1930 Duesenberg J sold for $1,045,000


9. 1964 Ford Fairlane 500 custom 2-door hardtop sold for $1,000,000


10. 2012 Chevrolet Corvette 60th Anniversary convertible sold for $600,000

 

Gooding & Company

2012 Total: $39.8million


116/118 lots sold: 97% sale rate


Average price: $343,396

Top 10

1. 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL alloy Gullwing sold for $4,620,000


2. 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spyder sold for $3,905,000


3. 1930 Duesenberg Model J disappearing top convertible coupe sold for $2,640,000


4. 1929 Bentley 4.5L Dual Cowl Sports Phaeton sold for $2,145,000


5. 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 coupe sold for $1,200,000


6. 1965 Ferrari 500 Superfast coupe sold for $1,100,000


7. 1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV coupe sold for $1,100,000


8. 1958 BMW 507 convertible sold for $962,500


9. 1971 Maserati Ghibli 4.9 SS Spyder sold for $880,000


10. 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso coupe sold for $880,000

 

Russo & Steele

2012 total: $18.2million


401/641 lots sold: 63%
 sale rate

Average Sale Price: $45,438

Top 10

1. 1968 Chevrolet Corvette L88 sold for $687,500


2. 1965 Shelby GT350 R sold for $467,500


3. 1967 Ferrari 330 GTC sold for $429,000


4. 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Cherokee sold for $357,500


5. 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 sold for $264,000


6. 1972 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS sold for $200,200


7. 1970 Dodge Challenger Hemi R/T SE sold for $198,000


8. 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 LS6 sold for $165,000


9. 1937 Mercedes-Benz 230 Cabriolet A sold for $159,500


10. 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle LS6 "Motion Performance" sold for $145,200

 

Silver

2012 total: $2.95million


175/267 lots sold: 66% sale rate


Average price: $16,840

Top 10

1. 1960 Facel Vega HK500 2dr Hardtop sold for $93,960


2. 1948 Packard Super 8 convertible sold for $42,120


3. 1969 Chevrolet Camaro coupe sold for $41,580


4. 1963 Chevrolet Impala 2dr Hardtop sold for $40,500


5. 1969 Chevrolet Camaro convertible sold for $39,960


6. 1934 Ford 5-window coupe sold for $39,420


7. 1935 Ford Pickup sold for $37,260


8. 1948 Chevrolet Pickup sold for $36,990


9. 1941 Buick Roadmaster convertible sold for $36,180


10. 1937 Ford Slantback 2dr Hardtop sold for $35,640

 

RM


2012 total: $24.7million


120/140 lots sold: 86% sale rate


Average price: $205,943

Top 10

1. 1957 Ferrari 410 Superamerica coupe sold for $1,815,000


2. 1959 BMW 507 convertible sold for $990,000


3. 1973 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spyder sold for $990,000


4. 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso coupe sold for $979,000


5. 1930 Duesenberg Model J LWB Dual Cowl Phaeton sold for $880,000


6. 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 roadster sold for $880,000


7. 1991 Ferrari F40 coupe sold for $781,000


8. 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL roadster sold for $737,000


9. 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing coupe sold for $632,500


10. 1952 Ferrari 342 America Speciale coupe sold for $632,500

 

Bonhams

2012 total: $5.7million


40/67 lots sold: 60% sale rate


Average price: $141,824

Top 10

1. 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540KCabriolet C sold for $667,000


2. 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Transformal Phaeton sold for $524,000


3. 1947 Delahaye 135M three-position DHC sold for $474,500


4. 1924 Isotta-Fraschini Tipo 8 Torpedo Phaeton sold for $447,000


5. 1966 Aston Martin DB6 Vantage Saloon sold for $298,500


6. 1931 Cord L-29 LaGrande Speedster sold for $290,800


7. 1956 AC Ace Bristol Roadster sold for $221,500


8. 1923 Duesenberg Model A touring sold for $183,000


9. 1932 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Sedanca de Ville sold for $177,500


10. 1967 Jaguar E-type 4.2L SI roadster sold for $144,500

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James Elliott

James Elliott is a former Editor of Classic & Sports Car