One of Rétromobile’s highlights is the grand trio of the auctions taking place at or near the show. The auctions of Artcurial, Bonhams and RM Sotheby’s are a spectacle on their own.
RM Sotheby’s rented the Louvre’s carousel hall to showcase its fine selection, and Bonhams moved to an exhibition hall (Grand Palais Éphémère) by the Eiffel Tower. In terms of overall experience, RM Sotheby’s was our favourite, with a brilliant selection of exciting cars and the impressive background of the Louvre.
The selection was also top-notch, from prewar classics to modern-day hypercars. Here are some of our favourites from the list.
Upon entrance, visitors are greeted by a trio of magnificent Ferraris from the 60’s. Nothing illustrates the concept better than the scene set by the Louvre.
The alpha of the auction was the 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Competizione coachbuilt at Scaglietti. This car boasts several successes on the track, winning the Tour de France, the RAC Tourist Trophy, and the 12 Hours of Sebring. The yellow SWB was sold slightly over 10 million euros, in the middle of its estimate, making it the most expensive car of the auction, but also of the Rétromobile auction week.
The second most expensive car was a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/6C with Alloy built at Scaglietti. This car is a rare variant of the 275 GTB, the successor of the 250 series. The 275 GTBs are featured high in every action, and this car was sold for €3,211,250.
The third car of the trio was a 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Coupé Prototype by Pininfarina, sold for €916,250.
The next room hosted a wide selection of prewar, postwar classic, modern and contemporary cars. The best-selling supercars sold north of a million Euros.
The orange 2007 Maserati MC12 Versione Corsa was sold for €3,042,500. This orange hypercar was based on the MC12 GT1 race car as a homologation special.
The 2021 Koenigsegg Regera was one of only 80 examples, finished in Moon Silver with blue stripes, Steel Blue brake callipers, and 11-spoke carbon Kevlar wheels. This specimen cost over $2.6 million, so the auction price of €2,423,750 does not indicate a particularly great investment.
Another impressive corner featured the grand trio of Grand Tour, with the 2015 McLaren P1 selling for €1,017,500, even if the Porsche 918 and the white Enzo did not find a buyer.
Compared to those, the 2022 Ford GT Carbon Series was a steal for €792,500.
The numerous non-sellers included the 2017 Bugatti Chiron La Mer Argentée edition, with an asking price slightly below 3 million euros. The car was finished in Nocturne black over Argent Metallic, and the interior was sumptuously finished in Beluga Black leather.
On the other hand, several more affordable collectables found a new owner. These lucky ones included the cute 2004 Renault Clio V6 255 selling for €80,500, the 1991 Alfa Romeo SZ sold for €69,000, and most incredibly, the 2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Alfa Romeo Racing Edition, selling for a whopping €120,750. Who said Alfa Romeos suffer from depreciation?
The third room hosted a fine selection of Ferraris and Porsches, including a special flatnose version of a 928, even if this 1989 Porsche 928 GT Flachbau edition did not sell.
Unlike the supersexy 1967 Porsche 911 S Targa, which sold for €184,000.
For more info on the cars, have a look at RM Sotheby’s website.
