► Artcurial holds live sale in Monaco
► Mercedes-Benz 300SL tops sale, making almost £1.3m
► For all latest auction calendar, visit Classic Cars for Sale
Artcurial Motorcars realised close to £6.5 million in its first post-Covid sale, which took place in Monaco on 21 July. According to the auction house, a large numbers of collectors attended, and bidding was highly competitive, despite social distancing.
Top seller was a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL gullwing (above) with NSL engine. It was presented in what Artcurial described as, ‘spectacular, original condition,’ and with just 38,000 miles on the clock. Final price was an impressive £1,281,600 including premium.
Reflecting that roadsters make less money than gullwings, the well-storied 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster performed admirably to make £776,700. Open-topped cars, particularly ones with celebrity owners were in demand. A good example was the 1962 Bentley S3 Continental cabriolet Park Ward owned by Eddie Fisher while married to Elizabeth Taylor – it made £275,000.
Another elegant pre-war cabriolet coming from the renowned Volante Collection, the 1939 Bugatti 57 Cabriolet four-seater by Vanvooren, offered a great opportunity to acquire a unique and historic vehicle. The car changed hands for £453,000 premium included.
Finally, motor sport cars attracted strong bidding, notably the rare 1966 De Tomaso Vallelunga which changed hands for £453,000, and the 1978 Alpine A110 1600X (below) which fetched £73,300.
