A Ferrari 625 selling for a staggering €5.04m was the standout car of the weekend’s round of Monaco auctions.
The price was significantly more than its estimate of €3-3.7m. It had been owned by racing driver and US dealer John Von Neumann and has a successful history in period and vintage racing.
Second spot at RM went to another Ferrari this time a Dino 206 S. Garnished in turquoise and red the 208bhp V6 race car raised €2.52m thanks to being one of only 18 made.
A 1952 Ferrari 225 Sport Spyder gave the Prancing Horse the treble – going under the hammer for €2.55m, again considerably higher than its €2.2m top estimate.
Spoiling things for the Italians was a supercharged Mercedes 540K that sold under estimate for €2.324m, putting it fourth in RM’s overall results.
Other notable cars were a groundbreaking 2009 Peugeot 908 diesel Le Mans car that had taken first place at Monza, Silverstone and Spa, which raised a cool €1.68m. A Ferrari FXX customer development car sold for €1.338m.
Meanwhile, it was left to another Italian, an Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/3, to fly way over its estimate of €725-825,000 bidding eventually stopped peaking at €1.23m.
Bonhams’ Les Grandes Marques à Monaco sale a day earlier starred another Ferrari in the form of a Dino 246GT, which comfortable beat its estimate before selling for an impressive €178,250.
But it was the smaller Italians that caused the biggest surprise as two wicker-seated Fiat Jolly Beach cars – a 500 (above) and a 600 – smashed their guide prices, being sold on the day for a startling €82,800 and €42,550 against €35,000 and €32,000 predictions.
Keeping the beach theme alive was a Dyane-6-based four-wheel-drive Citroën Méhari that again hammered its €30,000 estimate at €41,000. The 35-year-old car has covered only 4700km after being dry stored by its previous owner for 20 years.
