Auctions America Fort Lauderdale 2014 at a glance
| Total sales | $21 million |
| Catalog | 647 automobiles |
| Sell-through | 76 percent |
| High sale | $825,000 1963 Shelby 289 Cobra |
| Next 9 price range | $211,200 to $605,000 |
| Next auction | May 8-10 at Auburn, Ind. |
Auctions America’s 12th annual Fort Lauderdale auction produced more than $21 million in sales and a very significant 76-percent sell-through rate.
“The Fort Lauderdale sale gets better and better every year,” Donnie Gould, president of the RM-owned auction house, said in a news release wrapping up the event.
“This year, Auctions America had record high sales and over 30-percent new clientele — demonstrating that our reach is continuing to expand thanks to our promotional efforts and the dedication of our expert team of car specialists who work tirelessly to secure exciting and significant vehicles for the sale,” he said. “This weekend’s event was a fantastic success, the excitement on the auction block was electric and we’re looking forward to continuing that energy throughout 2014.”
Auctions America said the more than $21 million in sales represented nearly a 20-percent increase compared with the same sale in 2013. It also reported bidders from 44 states and 13 nations, including those in Asia, South America and Australia.
The high-dollar sale was $825,000 for a 1963 Shelby 289 Cobra. The car was the 23rd such car built by Shelby American and its sale had been anticipated strongly because the same car, though modified from its original color and condition, had been purchased at the Fort Lauderdale auction in 2013.
Since that sale, the car has been restored to original condition. The result of that effort: A car purchased for $533,500 sold a year later for nearly $300,000 more.
There also had been considerable pre-auction interest in the potential sales price for a 2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition with only 80 miles on its odometer. That car went for $412,500, a record for Fort GTs in the famed Gulf racing-team blue-and-orange color scheme.
Among the most robust bidding was that between someone in the room and someone on the telephone, both of whom sought a 1970 Plymouth Hemi Superbird. The car eventually sold for $319,000.
Among other sales of note, a fuel-injected 1963 Chevrolet Corvette split-window coupe nearly doubled its pre-auction estimate in selling for $189,200, a 1961 Jaguar E-type Series I 3.8-liter roadster brought $149,600, a 1969 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Ram Air II brought $140,250 and a 1947 Cadillac Series 62 convertible sold for $93,500.
Top 10 sales: Auctions American at Fort Lauderdale
- 1963 Shelby 289 Cobra, $825,000
- 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4, $605,000
- 2006 Ford GT Heritage Editon, $412,500
- 1934 Packard Twelve, $390,500
- 1970 Plymouth Hemi Superbird, $319,000
- 2005 Ford GT, $259,600
- 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz, $255,750
- 1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427/435, $250,250
- 1965 Shelby GT350, $214,500
- 1947 Chrysler Town & Country, $211,200
All sales results include buyer’s fees.
Auctions America’s next sale will be its annual Auburn Spring auction, May 8-10 in northeastern Indiana. The sale will include more than 900 cars, with around 450 of them coming from the John Scotti Collection.
