And every one of them’s an absolute beauty
The Paris car auctions are over for another year – and what a year it was!
Three big sales took place in the French capital at the same time as the Rétromobile classic car show, and each of them saw its fair share of million-pound motors change hands.
The undisputed star was this Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B Touring Berlinetta pictured here – which sold for an astonishing €16,475,000 (£14.65m) to become the third most expensive pre-war car ever.
Read on for the top 20 most expensive, in reverse order…
20. 1936 Bugatti 57 Atlantic ‘Erik Koux’
Sold for: £750,583 (Artcurial)
Before you get too excited about what seems a ridiculously low price for a Bugatti Type 57 Atlantic, we should point out that this one’s a replica rather than the real thing – which would likely go for between 50 and 100 times more.
The Type 57 Atlantic is one of the most desirable cars in the world, see – and there were only two ever made. This replica was created in 1954, using a 'standard' Bugatti Type 57 chassis, and with its bodywork initially made by the coachbuilder Gangloff.
Purchased in 1986 by a French collector, it was then given a new body by one Erik Koux – a Danish engineer living in France – and it’s regarded as an accurate tribute that’s pretty special in its own right.
19. 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster
Sold for: £784,903 (RM Sotheby’s)
Mercedes 300SLs regularly sell for big amounts, whether in iconic Gullwing guise or the only-marginally-more-prosaic Roadster form.
This Roadster has had only three owners since new, one of which kept it in a warm and dry garage for 30 years, and also enjoyed an extensive restoration 15 years ago that saw it go to auction in absolutely tip-top condition.
18. 2011 Ferrari 599 SA Aperta
Sold for: £811,819 (RM Sotheby’s)
Ferrari’s always been fond of creating limited-run cars to celebrate its various anniversaries, and the 599 SA Aperta is one such model.
Produced to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Pininfarina, this convertible version of the 599 GTB was reserved for just 80 of the marque’s best clients – meaning they don’t come up for sale very often.
Built around a 6-litre V12, the SA Aperta can produce 661bhp, but is regarded as comfortable and easy-driving compared to most such monsters. And with a mere 3600km on the clock, this example’s got plenty of driving left in it.
17. 1971 Porsche 916 prototype ‘Brutus’
Sold for: £839,168 (Artcurial)
This Porsche has a particularly special history: developed as a prototype of the 916, it was given an experimental flat-six 2.9-litre, mid-positioned engine capable of pumping out more than 300bhp.
That engine earned it the nickname ‘Brutus’ courtesy of Corina Piëch, the daughter of Ferdinand Piëch – who was himself the nephew of Ferry Porsche. (Still with us?)
Although the 916 never made it into production in this form, this prototype was given to Corina Piëch for her personal use, and she not only used it for several years but also had the interior modified several times.
Sold by Porsche in 1974, it’s had its ups and downs since then, but was fully restored a few years ago and sold in excellent condition.
16. 1964 Ferrari 250GT Lusso
Sold for: £860,147 (Artcurial)
A stunning Ferrari tourer in luxury Lusso trim, freshly refurbished to the tune of €300,000 and still as stunning as the day it was penned by Pininfarina? It’s a wonder this 1964 example wasn’t worth more – especially when you consider its colourful history.
Stolen in 1976 from its Kentucky owner, the Prancing Horse was thought lost for 14 years, until it turned up without its shell, to be shipped back to Italy to receive a fresh engine and bodywork. Remarkable.
15. 1930 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS
Sold for: £860,147 (Artcurial)
Built to go racing, Alfa’s supercharged 6C 1750 GS might have had a mouthful of a moniker, but it was also one of the most capable and successful sports cars of its era.
And this 1930 example has quite the story: shipped as a chassis to England for its bespoke coachwork in 1930, it was subsequently rebodied by Corsica in 1935, driven at Goodwood in 1953 then, in the mid ’50s, bought by Norman Farquhar – and the American would go on to enjoy driving, maintaining and improving the Alfa over the next several decades.
In fact, it was Farquhar’s family which listed the rare Alfa – still in outstandingly original condition – with Artcurial on 8 February. Let’s hope its new owner enjoys it every bit as much.
14. 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder
Sold for: £958,631 (RM Sotheby’s)
About as technologically advanced as cars get, the 918 hypercar pairs a 4.6-litre V8 engine with a couple of electric motors for a combined 874bhp and 994lb ft of torque. Blimey!
It was designed to go head to head with the McLaren P1 and Ferrari LaFerrari, and does so very well – in fact many would consider it by far the most practical and user-friendly of the trio.
This example has covered less than 4100km from new and sold in virtually showroom condition.
13. 1928 Bentley 6.5-litre Four Light Weymann
Sold for: £1,009,124 (Bonhams)
Now 91 years old and still going strong, this alluring Bentley Big Six is remarkable for its unmolested condition: stabled with just eight owners since new and with a mere 42,000 miles on the clock, it sold complete with matching-numbers 6.5-litre engine and original Weymann fabric exterior.
12. 2017 Ferrari F12tdf
Sold for £1,041,825 (RM Sotheby’s)
Any F12tdf is a notable car: a high-performance example of Ferrari’s 2012 V12 GT, it was produced to the tune of just 799 examples and was named in honour of the Tour de France road race.
This F12tdf is particularly special, though: it was treated to a raft of upgrades before leaving the factory, including its eye-catching Brunito colour, a high-quality, distressed tan leather interior and custom touches everywhere. Oh, and it’s covered less than 2600km from new. So yeah, there’s that too.
11. 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing
Sold for: £1,059,581 (Bonhams)
The second 300SL in this list, but this one comes in Gullwing form – and therefore commanded a larger price tag in Paris last week.
Even among Gullwings, though, this 1955 example is something special. Fully restored from the ground up over the last four years, it carries a rare aluminium engine (built in ’65, fitted in ’73) plus several driving improvements (including disc brakes). But really, just look at it. What a stunner.
10. 1939 Mercedes-Benz 540K Cabriolet A
Sold for: £1,387,546 (Bonhams)
Any example of the 540K – a 5.4-litre luxury cruiser first shown in 1936 – is worth a packet today, blessed as it is with a combination of glorious coachwork and thunderous performance.
This 540K? This one is special indeed: delivered new to Germany, in 1985 it was sold to King Hussein bin Talal – then the king of Jordan. Joining a collection of classics, the 540K travelled widely with the late monarch, even appearing at an event at the Royal Albert Hall in 1987, organised by Lord Montagu of Beaulieu.
Fully restored in 1990, the German cruiser has remained in the former king’s family for the last 34 years and was Bonhams’ most expensive lot to sell in Paris.
9. 1996 Ferrari F50
Sold for: £1,479,000 (RM Sotheby’s)
Before the Enzo came the terrifying F50 – a monster of a machine built for the marque’s 50th birthday. Equipped with a 4.7-litre V12 derived from an F1 power unit, it developed 513bhp and could top 200mph.
Just 349 were built. This low-mileage example, finished in 1996, well-maintained and used sparingly over the last two decades, is as good as any – and promises a proper seat-of-the-pants Prancing Horse experience to the winning bidder at the RM Sotheby’s sale.
8. 1994 Bugatti EB110 Super Sport
Sold for: £1,766,100 (RM Sotheby’s)
Before the fabled Veyron came the EB110 – and it was no slouch, especially in rare Super Sports guise: built to the tune of just 30 examples, it packed a 3.5-litre V12 with four turbochargers, good for 610bhp and a 0-100kmh time of just 3.3 seconds.
Delivered new to Germany, this EB110 has led a sheltered life for such a capable car, with just 916km covered since new – which means, after a quarter of a century and several owners, it’s still basically brand new.
7. 2018 Bugatti Chiron
Sold for: £1,979,250 (RM Sotheby’s)
The Chiron hardly needs any introduction, but let’s give you some stats: max power = 1479bhp @ 6700rpm; max torque = 1180lb ft @ 2000-6000rpm; 0-60mph = 2.5 secs; top speed = 261mph.
This one has less than 1800km on the clock, and was sold in almost-new condition to its very lucky new owner.
6. 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss
Sold for: £2,303,136 (Artcurial)
Just 10 years old and already a much-coveted machine, the SLR Stirling Moss remains a staggering piece of high-speed engineering. Named in honour of the British racing legend’s 1955 Mille Miglia win in a 300SLR, just 75 of the composite speedsters were built – each good for 660bhp and well north of 200mph.
This one? It’s about as close to new as they come today, with just 950km on the clock, having spent most of its life in a private museum in Germany.
5. 1966 Ferrari 275GTB/6C
Sold for: £2,488,200 (RM Sotheby’s)
There are several things that can make a Ferrari rare. Former owners. Competition history. Number built. When it comes to the 275GTB? The fabled combination is a detailed but very rare one: long nose, six carburettors, alloy body and torque tube.
Only eight were ever made with all of those features and this black example from 1966 was one of the earliest – which explains the near-£2.5m price.
4. 1956 Porsche 550RS Spyder
Sold for: £2,646,975 (RM Sotheby’s)
This lightweight, low-down racer is a proper rarity. Fewer than 100 examples of the 550RS were ever built by Porsche, and few enjoy such a well-documented and varied competition history as this one.
Entered in a host of rallies, hill climbs and races in period, it competed everywhere from Spa Francorchamps to the Nürburgring – though its greatest outing was surely the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1957.
Restored in 2000, it is eligible for entry into the Mille Miglia and Le Mans Classic – so let’s hope its new owner takes full advantage of that.
3. 1966 Serenissima Spyder
Sold for: £3,712,544 (Artcurial)
One of the most interesting stories to emerge from the Paris auctions, this Serenissima sold for more than three times its pre-sale estimate!
Count Giovanni Volpi’s Serenissima team built just two Spyders for the track, including this one, which contested the fabled 24 Hours of Le Mans as car #24 in 1966. It didn’t finish, but given that only 15 of the 55 entrants did that year, there’s no shame in that.
It isn’t currently in running order, but that’s because it hasn’t been touched since it crawled into the Le Mans pits: it’s never been restored and went to auction in entirely original condition – from its aluminium Fantuzzi body to its 3.5-litre V8 engine.
2. 1987 Ferrari F40 LM
Sold for: £4,212,975 (RM Sotheby’s)
Second on the list of Paris sale was this super-rare variant of Ferrari’s fabled F40. Essentially the competition version of the F50, just 19 were built – and this one’s probably the most famous.
Entered into the 24 Hours of Le Mans in both 1995 and 1996, it finished 12th in the former event and would go on to win the Anderstorp 4 Hours that same year. Used by Ferrari as a pre-production prototype, it’ll certainly get its new owner noticed!
1. 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B
Sold for: £14,736,128 (Artcurial)
And finally, we have the undisputed winner of the Paris auctions – a stunning Alfa Romeo that sold for £14.7m. Yes, £14.7m. That’s £10m more than any other car that changed hands last week.
Why such a huge price tag? Well, the Alfa Romeo 8C was the fastest production car built before WWII, and just five of the long-nose machines received striking coachwork from Touring, with chassis 412024 being one of them.
Stabled with the same family for the last 40 years, its first owner isn’t known, but it’s always been a showstopper: brought to the UK in 1939, the ultra-rare machine promptly went about winning a host of concours events, as well as featuring in Motor, before moving to France in the ’60s, then the Netherlands in 1976.
It was presented by Artcurial as a stunningly original, unrestored, used but well-maintained machine – something of a rarity in itself, given the modern appetite for restoration. More to the point, it’s reportedly still a thrill to drive – though whether its new owner will want to risk it is another matter entirely.