A few days ago, the hammer fell in Knokke Heist, and it hit hard. With a total value of €12.3 million, the 2021 Bonhams Zoute Sale achieved the highest total amount since the auction was first staged in 2012. It was also the first auction I could attend this year, but in general, not many public auctions were held since the outbreak of the pandemic.
Even for those who are not planning to splurge a million bucks on a “used car”, these auctions work as stand-alone car exhibitions, with a unique opportunity for an ultimate car spotting experience. This year’s Zoute sale was no exception, as it offered something for fans of all epochs, sizes and brands.
The top listed items were a 1994 Bugatti EB110 Super Sport selling for €2,242,500 and a 1989 Ferrari F40 Berlinetta achieving an impressive €1,840,000 bid.
The F40 needs no introduction, but if you still want one, the car’s info page at Bonhams website provides ample info on model and car history.
The vehicle may be almost 30 years old, but it has been dry-stored and preserved as new, with less than 1800kms on the tacho.
The above sales prices might not come as a surprise, as the auction was advertised with these cars in the spotlight. These two cars were also featured on a special podium by the entrance, while the floor before the stage hosted half a dozen highlights.
The rest of the lot were conveniently stored in a separate tent. These were by no means secondary items, some scoring well over half a million euros last Sunday.
A central topic of the auction was the iconic Italian Lancia brand, with five impressive specimens.
The Lancia company was founded in Turin in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia, one of the most innovative automotive titans. The first Lancia went into production a year later in 1907, and the Lancia Tipo 51 or 12HP was launched in 1908 at Salone di Torino.
The company left everlasting traces in automobile history with breakthrough techs such as the first car with a unibody chassis, the Lancia Lambda or the first production V6 engine.
In the past few years, Lancia gained a prominent role in classic car shows, such as InterClassic Maastricht 2019 and Retromobile 2019, as well as temporary exhibitions at various Museums. Most recently, the Antwerp Concours had a theme dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Lancia Aurelia model.
Bonhams contributed to this fame with six beautiful cars from the dolce vita period.
The fanciest one was the white 1955 Lancia Aurelia B24s Spider America with an impressive coachwork by Pininfarina that surprisingly did not find a buyer.
The same fate awaited the refined blue 1959 (pre-series) Lancia Flaminia Sport Zagato (one of a mere 99 produced).
In addition, there was an impressive trio of sporty Lancia coupés awaiting bidders. The white car is ” Gina “, a 1951 First Series Lancia Aurelia B20 Coupe named after a role it played with Gina Lollobrigida.
The black 1954 fourth series Lancia Aurelia B20 Coupe was sold for €169,625, while the red 1962 Lancia Appia Sport Zagato went away for €115,000.
In the end, only the black Aurelia coupe and the red Appia SZ was successfully sold, albeit the price remained under my expectations for what they offered.
This year only a handful of Alfas were presented, but the offer was quite original. The 1991 Alfa Romeo SZ Coupé was sold -just under €100,000, while the others did not find a buyer.
Truth be told, the 1990 Alfa Romeo 75 Turbo Evoluzione IMSA race car of Nicola Larini needs a particular collector. Also, the 1957 Alfa Romeo 1900c Super Sprint Coupé was aiming at €200,000.
Auctions are a natural environment to Ferraris, and the Zoute sale was no exception. The choice of classic stallions offered a wide variety at Zoute.
Bonhams highlighted the white 1961 Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2 Coupé that was sold for €592,250. This model was the marque’s first production four-seater, with a top speed of over 230 km/h.
Also placed in the entry hall, the dark blue 1969 Ferrari 365 GTC achieved €655,500.
Compared to those timeless classics, the 1988 Testarossa was a steal : ).
Bonhams offered several Maseratis in this auction, and one of my favourite cars of the event was an elegant 1966 Maserati Sebring Series II Coupé, sold for € 166,750.
No time to drive! There was an extensive selection of Aston Martins this year.
Bonhams offered a car for every generation of James Bond. I only highlight the 1953 Aston Martin DB2 Vantage Drophead Coupé sold for €264,500, the excessively ventilated 1996 Aston Martin Vantage Coupé sold for € 126,500 and the unsold 2018 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Speedster – Storck Vintage Edition.
There were a few other treats from Britain, like the 1937 Lagonda LG45 Rapide Replica Tourer.
Before you start to suspect a Pontiac Fiero tech basis, the target price of €200,000 suggests it is not that kind of replica.
This car was one of only 278 LG45s produced during the 1936/37 model year, and after an eventful life, it was discovered in 1994. A faithful replica of the famed Rapide body was commissioned from noted restorer Rod Jolley.
Perhaps the most striking specimen was a 1955 Jaguar XK 140 Coupé. One of only four XK140s bodied by Carrozzeria Ghia of Turin, this example was presented as a rare restoration project and was sold for €287,500. Mind you, this 300.000 bucks will only get you a raw bodywork with an engine to rebuild.
As for Germany and France, there was a somewhat reserved offering with a few 911s and Mercs, as well as two Facel Vega cars (A 1956 Facel Vega FV2 Coupé and a red 1955 Facel Vega FV1 Cabriolet) and a DS (of course couch built by Henri Chapron).
For an overview of the Zoute GP, have a look at the landing article with link to all our reports:
