Artcurial Motorcars, which previously announced the consignment of the 1972 Le Mans 24 Hours-winning Matra MS 670 to its annual February auction, has added two French collections and a vintage Porsche racing car to the docket for what it is calling the Parisienne 2021 sale, since the Retromobile gathering has been postponed until June.
One of the French collections features an Aston Martin DB4 GT while the other is comprised of a pack of Group B rally cars displayed at the Manoir de l’Automobile in Lohéac. Also consigned is a 1957 Porsche 550 A Spyder (chassis 0118).
The auction is scheduled for February 5, 2021.
One of the French collections involved “Only British” cars.
“Behind this collection is an elegant man, an aesthete, who has spent his life driving British cars, out of preference for the elegance and performance of these superb machines,” Artcurial reports. “Having
accumulated a spectacular collection of Vincents that were sold a few years ago, it is now the turn of nine cars, nearly all Aston Martins, to come under Maître Poulain’s hammer.”
Leading those cars is a DB4 GT, one of only 12 with left-hand drive built on the Volante short chassis, and the only one wearing gold paint since new.
Also in the collection are an Aston Martin DB5, DB4 and DB2/4 MkII cabriolet, a Bristol 406 cabriolet, AC Bristol Ace roadster, AC Bristol Aceca and an Arnolt Bristol roadster.
The Group B rally car consignment includes seven cars collected by Michel Hommell, founder of the collection at Lohéac, and Olivier Quesnel, former director of the competition departments at Peugeot and then at Citroen. They collected the cars soon after the Group B era ended in 1986 and have preserved them at the museum.
“With impressive racing provenance, these machines have been driven by the greatest drivers of the day,” Artcurial said, listing the likes of “Walter Röhrl in the Audi Quattro S1, Didier Auriol in the MG Metro 6R4, Carlos Sainz in the R5 Turbo, Bruno Saby in the Peugeot 205 T16, Fabrizio Tabaton in the Lancia 037…
“This is the first time that such an important collection of Group B cars has been offered at auction,” the auction house continued. “They represent rallying at its peak and are synonymous with an era of freedom, performance and commitment.”
The ’57 Porsche 550 A Spyder is another auction highlight.
“Chassis 0118 was delivered new in Florida in March 1957 and participated in SCCA races until 1962,” Artcurial reports. “Imported into Germany at the end of the 1990s, it has been in the hands of its current owner for the last 19 years. The car was sympathetically
restored 20 years ago, retaining the battle scars of its sporting past.
“This Porsche 550 A has matching numbers and has kept a large part of its original bodywork and mechanical elements. The authenticity and originality of this 550A, along with its excellent performance, will allow it to take part in the biggest historic race events.”
Artcurial expects the Porsche to bring €3.8 million ($4.62 million) to €4.4 million ($5.36 million) at the auction.
For more information, visit the Artcurial Motorcars website.
