This year, Bonhams tried a new site for its Paris Auction, and moved to the Polo de Paris club at the outskirts of Paris. The new site probably resonated well with its core audience, and Bonhams reported a high sell-through rate.
Bonhams’ Polo de Paris sale featured 66 collector cars from prewar classics to modern supercars, including a major single-owner collection, alongside a selection of automobilia. Interest was truly international, with more than 500 bidders from over 30 countries and the sale achieved a total of €9 million. Although this result was below other auctions we visited, Bonhams stood out with an industry-leading 85% sell-through rate.
Headlining the auction was the black Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing, which took centre stage at the back of the tent and sold for €1,299,500.
Another major feature was Les Belles Endormies, a collection assembled by Pierre Strinati, a pioneer car enthusiast who started buying cars in the 1950s. The collection of 11 collector cars was sold for a total of €1,987,075.
The selection was spearheaded by a 1934 Mercedes-Benz 500K Coupé, one of just 18 W29 coupés ever built, with coachwork by Vanvooren that sold for €862,500. Also, the 1938 Delage D8-120 Cabriolet with coachwork by Henri Chapron did well, selling for €460,000.
Additional highlights of the sale included:
2022 Ford GT Carbon Series Coupé sold for €598,000
1993 Porsche 911 Type 964 Turbo 3.6 Coupé sold for €385,250
1962 Aston Martin DB4 ‘SS Engine’ Series V Sports Saloon sold for €379,500
2006 Spyker C8 Spyder sold for €253,000
1938 Wanderer W25K Roadster sold for €253,000
