A 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K (above left) that was previously owned by F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone led Coys year-end sale when it sold for an estimate-busting £848,500 at the Royal Horticultural Halls in Westminster last night.
The Sindelfingen-bodied Cabriolet A, which was sold for £660,000 when Ecclestone’s collection was auctioned by RM in 2007, had been expected to make £500-600,000.
Another celebrity car – a 1964 Aston-Martin DB5 (below) delivered new to Beatle George Harrison made £342,500, thanks to an American buyer happy to shell out £82,500 over its upper guide price.
Coys also hit estimate for a 1936 Cord 810 (below) that was owned by Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, at £78,500 against a £75-100,000 prediction.
A barn-find 1958 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster with a £225-275,000 guide found a new home in Germany after a bidding war, which ended at £337,000.
Also sparking a bidding duel was a 1952 Aston Martin DB2 (below) that sold for £125,800 – £45,000 over its £70-80,000 estimate.
Other strong performers included a 1956 Jaguar XK140 (estimate £48-65,000) that made £82,900 and a 13,000 miles-from-new 1983 Ferrari 512BBi (£100-125,000) that changed hands for £128,000.
The sale’s other Ferrari – a 1972 Dino 246GT in rare Rosso Dino Orange (below) – failed to shift, however, despite a bid of £90k, well within the £85-100,000 estimate.
More affordable fare included a rare (in right-hand-drive) 1973 Porsche 911 2.4T Targa (below, estimate £16-20,000) that sold for £14,370, and a 1955 Daimler Conquest (£3-5000) that made £2530 after being entered without reserve.
See Coys for a full list of results.
