Star car sells pre-auction, but Bonhams still does $13.7 million at Goodwood Revival

A 1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT was on the catalog cover for Bonhams annual Goodwood Revival Sale, but it didn’t cross the auction block this past weekend. Instead, it sold before the auction in a transaction Bonhams characterized as “by mutual agreement” and for an undisclosed sum.

But even without that star car, the auction generated £11 million ($13,744,500) in sales, led by a 1935 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante that sold for £1.499 million ($1.866 million), the auction house said.

“This beautiful and incredibly original example from the prestigious marque’s ‘golden era’ was one of only a very few surviving Atalante fixed-head coupés,” Bonhams added. “The Bugatti was the jewel in the crown of a stunning collection of the late Barry Burnett, acquired as a straight swap for a Delage from another collector in the 1980s.”

Also highlighting the sale during the Goodwood Revival vintage car racing weekend was the consignment of the late Peter Phillips, former owner of the Jones Bootmaker footwear chain of stores. All of the Phillips cars were sold, including a 1969 Aston Martin DB6 Mk2 Volante done to Vantage specification, a 1968 Aston Martin DBS Vantage sports saloon, a replica of the car used in the James Bond movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, (for £135,700), a 1915 Rolls-Royce 40/50 hp Silver Ghose Alpine Eagle tourer, and a 1956 Jaguar XK140 drophead coupe for £124,200.

A 1939 Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 B short-chassis spider formerly owned by Bill Jacobs and by Gene Ponder brought £408,250.

In a charity sale, a 1961 Cooper Climax T55 raced by Jack Brabham sold for £244,375, that money going to Jackie Stewart’s Race Against Dementia effort.

“We were delighted to achieve a 100 per cent successful sell-through rate for both the Burnett and Phillips collections, underlying the interest and appetite for fresh to market collectors’ motor cars,” said James Knight, Bonhams Group Motoring chairman.

“The Bugatti Type 57 in particular received global interest and was a fantastic result, with a Continental telephone bidder competing — and succeeding — against a fellow European bidding in the room.”

Top-10 sales, Bonhams at Goodwood Revival 2019

1. 1935 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante, £1,499,000 ($1,866,914)
2. 1969 Aston Martin DB6 Mk 2 Volante to Vantage spec, £743,000 (925,362)
3. 1939 Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B short-chassis spider, £408,250 ($508,450)
4. 1960 Aston Martin DB4 ‘Series II’ sports saloon, £264,500 ($329,418)
5. 1915 Rolls-Royce 40/50 Silver Ghost Alpine Eagle tourer, £264,500 (329,418)
6. 1975 Ferrari 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer, £247,250 ($307,935)
7. 1961 Cooper Climax T55 ‘Slimline’ Formula 1 racer, £244,375 ($304,354)
8. 1924 Bugatti Type 23 ‘Brescia’ open tourer, £207,000 ($257,806)
9. 1938 Lagonda V12 Le Mans Replica, £207,000 ($257,806)
10. 1968 Lamborghini Countach 5000 Quattrovalvole coupe, £207,000 ($257,806)
11. (Prices include buyer’s fee.)

Bonhams next sale is a Bonhams MPH event scheduled for September 26 at Bicester, England. It also has The Bonmont Sale in Switzerland on September 29 and a sale of collector cars October 7 at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia.