Bonhams returned to live auctions this past weekend with two sales, The Bonmont Sale in Switzerland and an MPH event, the September Sale, at Bicester Heritage in the UK.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, Bonhams had not staged a live auction since its event during Retromobile in Paris in February.
The top seller at the Swiss town of Cheserex was a 2012 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport coupe that sold for just over $2 million. Topping the MPH auction was a 2018 McLaren 570S Spider, formerly owned by racing driver and women’s hillclimb champion Joy Rainey and selling for $102,128.
“We’re very pleased that Bonhams has successfully conducted traditional live sales across the continent this weekend,” declared James Knight, Bonhams Group Motoring Department chairman.
“Some £9 million ($11.5 million) worth of collectors’ motor cars were transacted by the Bonhams teams.
“The two auctions offered both ends of the spectrum in terms of value and clearly demonstrated an active demand across the board. We now look forward to our very active October series of sales in the UK, USA and Continental Europe.”
The auction at the Bonmont Golf and Country Club had a docket of 25 motorcycles and 43 automobiles. Of those vehicles, 52 were reported sold, led by one of only 48 2012 Bugatti 16.4 Super Sport coupes, and this one driven just 693 kilometers since new.
An even rarer 2007 Porsche Gemballa Mirage GT, based on the Porsche Carrera GT and one of only 25 produced, sold for $734,950. Like the Bugatti, the Gemballa was a one-owner car and had been driven less than 5,000 kilometers.
The top-selling car produced in the previous century was a 1964 Maserati Mistral Spyder that had been owned by the same Swiss family since 1971. One of only 125 convertibles, the car sold for $473,550.
Top-10 sales, Bonhams Bonmont sale 2020
- 2012 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport, $2,020,482
- 2007 Porsche Gemballa Mirage GT, $734,950
- 2014 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Black Series, $549,318
- 2014 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMB Black Series, $543,004
- 2011 Ferrari 599 GTO, $530,376
- 1964 Maserati Mistral Spyder, $473,550
- 2010 Lamborghini Murcielago LP 670-4 SV, $372,526
- 1956 Porsche 356A 1600 T1 Speedster, $368,738
- 2001 Ferrari 550 Barchetta Pininfarina, $328,328
- 1952 Mercedes-Benz 300 ‘Adenauer’ cabriolet D, $242,457
(Prices include buyer’s fee.)
While the McLaren led the way at Bonhams’ British sale, among the highlights at Bicester was a collection of nine classic British cars from the Nell Collection. Each of the cars sold, led by a 1935 Alvis Speed 20SC for $102,044.
British-produced cars led the sale, taking 7 of the top-10 places in the final tally.
Next on the Bonhams’ schedule are a motorcycle auction October 10 at the Barber Motorsports Museum in Birmingham, Alabama; The Zoute Sale in Belgium and the Collectors sale at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia, both October 11; an auction of Imported Collector’s Motorcars, October 17 as part of Goodwood SpeedWeek; and The Golden Age of Motoring auction of veteran, vintage and post-vintage vehicles, October 30 at Bonhams’ London headquarters.
For more information, visit the Bonhams website.
