1929 Bentley Speed Six ‘Le Mans’ Style Tourer
RM Auctions, the world’s largest auction house for quality automobiles secured £5.1 million (over $8.2 million) in classic car sales at its debut Salon Privé sale in west London last night. The new Quintessentially English summer sale was held in conjunction with the Salon Privé Luxury Super Car Show and Concours d’Elegance where 57 automobiles and a select range of motorcycles were presented to a packed house.
The highlights of the sale were popular British marques Bentley and Aston Martin, which attracted strong interest and lively bidding in the room, on the phones and over the internet. A 1929 Bentley Speed Six Le Mans Style Tourer claimed the top sale of the evening, bringing £470,400 ($751,370), while a 1961 Aston Martin DB4 Vantage Convertible, purchased new by famed actor and diplomat Sir Peter Ustinov, spurred a lively bidding war to realize a final sales price of £431,200 ($688,750), over £110,000 ($175,700) more than its pre-sale high estimate. One more important sale was the 1959 Jaguar XK150 3.8S Roadster for £201,600 ($322,000), an impressive result which makes it one of the most valuable XK150’s ever sold at auction.
The top ten sales of the evening were:
1929 Bentley Speed Six ‘Le Mans’ Style Tourer – £470,400 ($751,370)
1961 Aston Martin DB4 Vantage Convertible – £431,200 ($688,750)
1926 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Experimental Sports Tourer – £392,000 ($626,150)
1955 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback – £358,400 ($572,480)
1939 Aston Martin 2-Litre ‘Brooklands’ Speed Model – £319,200 ($509,850)
1962 Aston Martin DB4 Series IV Vantage Coupé – £274,400 ($438,300)
1962 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II Drophead Coupé – £268,800 ($429,350)
1964 Aston Martin DB5 Coupé – £263,200 ($420,400)
1960 Aston Martin DB4 Coupé – £212,800 ($339,900)
1959 Jaguar XK150 3.8S Roadster – £201,600 $(322,020)
We are very pleased with the results from our debut sale at Salon Privé. Strong bidding demonstrated the strength of the market for quality British cars, says Max Girardo, Managing Director, RM Europe. Aston Martins in particular have performed exceptionally well in recent months – a theme that was again evident at yesterday’s sale with spirited bidding and strong results achieved across the board.
When it comes to motorcycles the top sales was a rare 1939 Brough Superior 11.50 V-Twin for £36,960 ($59,050) and a desirable 1960 BSA Gold Star for £21,280 ($33,990).
On the strength of this fantastic debut sale, RM is already excited to return to Syon Park next year. It’s great to be an established partner for the Salon Privé event which is growing in stature each year, Girardo added.
Last month RM Auctions debut sale at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Cernobbio, Italy, yielded $32.5 million in just two hours. Next up, the international auction house heads to the United States for its St. John’s (former Meadow Brook) sale in Plymouth, Michigan, 30th July, closely followed by its highly-anticipated Monterey sale in California, 19th – 20th August, held during the famous Pebble Beach Motoring Week.
RM Auctions returns to England, 26th October for its annual, well-established Battersea sale at Central London. [RM Auctions]
