This past year was a strong one for the newly rebranded Bonhams|Cars division, with 17 live sales and a number of online auctions finishing with £209.4 million ($264.75m) in combined sales.
The company has announced that it sold over 1,120 lots in total — including 21 that brought over £1m ($1.2m) each. This represents a 34% growth over previous years, according to the company. The number of new bidders was also up 20% over previous years.
“Bonhams|Cars experienced remarkable growth internationally and is poised to expand its reach even further, aiming to engage a wider and more diverse audience in the coming years,” said Maarten ten Holder, Bonhams|Cars Managing Director. “With our revamped identity, we’ve hosted extraordinary sales, matching the exceptional quality of vehicles sold this year, achieving impressive figures and setting new world records.”
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Of course, the big highlight was the $30.25m sale of the 1967 Ferrari 412P Berlinetta at the Quail Lodge auction in Monterey, CA in August — the second most expensive car sold at auction globally in 2023, and the most expensive car sold during Monterey Car Week this past August. Linkage contributor Steve Ahlgrim went in-depth on this car in Linkage #014.
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Bookending the year, back in January, the company sold a 1912 Simplex 50hp in Arizona for $4.8m — also a record, this one for the most expensive pre WWI car at auction. Dave Kinney discussed this car in Linkage #011.
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Additionally, Bonhams also made news with the sale of the 2000 Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R driven by the late Paul Walker in Fast & Furious 4. At $1.36m, it set a new world record auction price for the model. Bob Sorokanich took a close look at it in Linkage #013.
Other significant sales included:
1959 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta ‘Tour de France’, sold for €4.8 million (US$5.2 million) at The Zoute Sale.
1973 Martini Racing Works Team Porsche Carrera RSR ‘R7’ Endurance Racing Coupé, sold privately for GBP£3.12 million (US$3.9 million), securing a world record for a Porsche 911.
2007 Koenigsegg CCGT GT1 Competition Coupé, sold for £3.3 million (US$4.1 million) at Goodwood Festival of Speed.
2006 Maserati MC12 Corse, sold for US$3.8 million at The Scottsdale Auction.
Images: Bonhams
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