Bugatti leads the way at Artcurial’s ‘Champs’ auction

Artcurial Motorcars’ 11th annual Automobiles sur les Champs auction, which annually arrays its docket of cars along the famed Paris boulevard, posted $6.68 million in sales Sunday with a 75 percent sell through.

“This auction has rounded off a year rich with records and emotions,” Matthieu Lamoure, Artcurial Motorcars’ managing director, said in a post-auction news release.

The auction included 77 collector cars and 2 motorcycles.

As expected, the high bid and top sale went to a 1925 Bugatti Type 35 formerly owned by international racing star Jo Siffert. The car was hammered sold for $1,669,125, well above even its high pre-sale estimated value of $1.35 million.

Also among the top-5 sales were a 1954 Bentley Continental R, a 1985 Lamborghini Countach 5000 S, a 1965 Lancia Flaminia Zagato Super Sport and an 1896 Peugeot Vis-a-Vis.

In reporting on the results of its sales, Artcurial lists not only the top sellers and their prices but the nationality of the buyers. The Bugatti, Bentley, Lancia and Peugeot all went to European buyers while the Lamborghini went to an Asian collector.

This is the first time we recall seeing one of Artcurial’s top-selling cars going to an Asian buyer and likely indicates what we’ve seen as a growing interest in car collecting in that part of the world.

Top 10 sales, Articurial Motorcars’ Paris auction 2017

1. 1925 Bugatti Type 35, $1,669,125
2. 1954 Bentley Continental R by Mulliner, $944,356
3. 1985 Lamborghini Countach 5000 S, $290,348
4. 1965 Lancia Flaminia Zagato Super Sport, $255,780
5. 1897 Peugeot Vis-a-Vis 3 3/4HP, $241,976
6. 1968 Citroen DS 21 cabriolet, $241,683
7. 1984 Peugeot 205 Turbo 16,$214,062
8. 1968 Ferrari 365 GT 2+2,$208,538
9. 1994 Porsche 911 Turbo 3.6, $204,284
10. 1957 Mercedes-Benz 220 S cabriolet, $168,488

(Prices include buyer’s fees.)

In addition to the cars and motorcycles sold at the auction, earlier in the day Artcurial and the French air force demonstration team, Patrouille de France, staged a charity sale featuring 20 items including pilots leather jackets. That sale generated more than $85,000 for three charities, with one pilot’s jacket selling for $10,440, which was nine times its pre-sale estimated value.

Artcurial’s next auction takes place during the Retromobile show in Paris in February 2018.