HomeMediaPre-war classics dominate Bonhams sale at Greenwich

Pre-war classics dominate Bonhams sale at Greenwich

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1938 Bugatti 57C Stelvio convertible sells for $1.595 million at Bonhams Greenwich auction | Bonhams photos
1938 Bugatti 57C Stelvio convertible sells for $1.595 million at Bonhams Greenwich auction | Bonhams photos

Heavy rain did not deter attendance last weekend as Bonhams staged its eighth annual Greenwich Concours d’Elegance Auction, where sales totaled nearly $8 million.

“We are very pleased with the results,” Rupert Banner, director of business development for Bonhams Motoring Department said in a news release. “Our sale proved once again that good quality offerings will always attract buyers and that the collector car market is strong and well.”

The top sale of the auction was a 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Stelvio cabriolet that went for an auction-record $1.595 million (all prices reported include buyer’s premium). With bodywork by Gangloff, the car originally was sold to Albert Brenac, test pilot for Avions Voisin who in World War I was among the first to fly bombers on night raids. American Bugatti collector Miles Coverdale bought the car in 1957 and owned it for 40 years, during which it spent time on display at Austi Clark’s Long Island Auto Museum.

1938 Mercedes-Benz 320 goes for $825,000
1938 Mercedes-Benz 320 goes for $825,000

Also setting an auction record sales price for its particular model was a 1938 Mercedes-Benz 320 long-wheelbase “kombination roadster” that brought $825,000.

Six of the top-seven sales were pre-war classics. Preventing a sweep was a 1973 Porsche 911 RS 2.7 Touring that sold for $594,000.

The only American car among the top seven was a 1939 Packard Twelve 1708 convertible sedan that brought $160,600.

All of the cars offered from the Geoffrey Howard Collection of British cars sold,
including a couple of “project” cars, a 1938 Jaguar S-110 roadster that went for $231,000 and a 1935 SS-90 roadster sold for $214,500.

1938 Jaguar SS-110 roadster
1938 Jaguar SS-110 roadster

Top 10 sales at Bonhams Greenwich 2015:

  1. 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Stelvio convertible, $1,595,000
  2. 1938 Mercedes-Benz 320 LWB kombination roadster, $825,000
  3. 1973 Porsche 911 RS 2.7 M472 Touring, $594,000
  4. 1939 Delahaye 135M competition convertible coupe, $297,000
  5. 1938 Jaguar SS110 SS-100 2 1/2-liter roadster, $231,000
  6. 1935 SS-90 roadster, $214,500
  7. 1939 Packard Twelve 1708 convertible sedan, $160,600
  8. 1962 Mercedez-Benz 190SL, $155,100
  9. 1958 Jaguar XK150 3.4-liter roadster, $115,500
  10. 1931 Lincoln Model K convertible coupe, $114,400

(Prices include buyer’s premium fee.)

1939 Packard 12 1708 convertible
1939 Packard 12 1708 convertible

In addition to the six- and seven-figure cars, the auction featured more than 40 vehicles that sold for $50,000 or less, with more than 20 of those going for $25,000 or less including the buyer’s fee.

Among those in the $25,001 to $50,000 range were a 1902 Oldsmobile Model R curved-dash runabout for $49,500, a 1957 Pontiac Star Chief Safari sport wagon for $46,200, a 1957 Ford Thunderbird E-code formerly owned by country legend Jim Owens for $45,100, a 1938 Bantam boulevard delivery for $42,350, an unrestored 1958 Jaguar XK150 3.4-liter roadster from the estate of Geoffrey Howard for $39,600, a 1926 Chrysler 6 G70 series roadster for $35,200, or a 1963 Daimler Dart SP250 convertible for $35,200, a 1905 Queen Model B runabout for $33,000, a 1928 Packard 443 club sedan for $31,900 or a 1940 LaSalle 40-50 convertible coupe for $31,900, and a 1927 Falcon-Knight Model 10 Speedster for $28,600,

Among those in the sub-$25,000 bracket were a 1950 MG Y-type supercharged saloon for $20,900, a 1967 Triumph GT6 MK1 coupe for $19,250, a one-owner 1970 Cadillac DeVille convertible sold for $20,900 for charity, a 1916 Elgin Six Touring for $17,600, a 1974 Chevrolet Caprice convertible for $15,400, a 1958 Vespa 400 first-series transformable for $14,850, and “Janie,” the last 1965 Checker Marathon taxi in active service in New York City, for $7,700.

Larry Edsall
Larry Edsall
A former daily newspaper sports editor, Larry Edsall spent a dozen years as an editor at AutoWeek magazine before making the transition to writing for the web and becoming the author of more than 15 automotive books. In addition to being founding editor at ClassicCars.com, Larry has written for The New York Times and The Detroit News and was an adjunct honors professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.

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