Senna’s McLaren MP4 makes €4million in Monaco

By Marc McLaren
News
 | 12 May 2018
Senna’s McLaren MP4 makes €4million in Monaco

Ayrton Senna's Monaco Grand Prix-winning McLaren MP4 was the big seller at Bonhams' Monaco auction yesterday – but a unique barn-find Jaguar XK140 was the real star, going for more than seven times its initial estimate.

The McLaren-Cosworth Ford MP4/8A, in which the legendary Brazilian driver won his final victory on the streets of the principality, eventually went for €4,197,500 (£3,693,893) – with none other than Bernie Ecclestone placing the winning bid. But it was far from the only genuine F1 car to sell at the auction.

Another Senna car, the Toleman-Hart TG184 in which he famously finished second on his Monaco debut, smashed its pre-sale estimate of €750,000-1,000,000, eventually going for €1,610,000 after another intense bidding battle.

Senna’s McLaren MP4 makes €4million in Monaco

Unique Michelotti-bodied XK140 made seven times its upper estimate

The barn-find Jaguar was undoubtedly the day's most heart-warming sale.

The 1955 XK140 SE Coupé was rebodied by famed coachbuilder Michelotti early on its life, and at some point was also fitted with a Jaguar C-type engine. 

Rescued from a garage in Belgium after its owner passed away, it was up for auction with an estimate of €20-50,000 (£18-44,000), with proceeds due to go to an animal rescue charity in Ghent.

Incredibly, it finally sold for €356,500 (£313,720), more than seven times that upper estimate and presumably enough to keep the charity in dog biscuits for some time.

Senna’s McLaren MP4 makes €4million in Monaco

This Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster sold for €1.2m

Other notable cars to sell at the auction in Villa La Vigie included the ex-Ronnie Peterson Formula 3 Tecno, which went for €92,000, a 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster which sold for €1.2m, and a 1931 Bentley 8-Litre Tourer which made €741,667.

A hefty €602,750, meanwhile, could have bought you a 1993 Bugatti EB110 GT, while a 1973 Porsche 911 2.7 Carrera RS Touring Sunroof Coupé sold for €575,000 and a 1953 Alfa Romeo 1900 Corto Gara Stradale achieved €414,000.

Philip Kantor, Bonhams European Head of Motoring, said, "This sale has been an absolute triumph. We achieved astonishing prices across the board and found new owners for some of the most historically important cars to come to public auction in Monaco in recent memory.

"A Monaco sale is always a unique experience, but this has truly exceeded expectations – impressive results were achieved in the breathtaking setting of Villa La Vigie, arguably the most beautiful location of any auction across the globe."

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