Last week’s Art of the Automobile sale by RM Auctions and Sotheby’s in New York offered a stunning variety of cars—and some interesting prices. Here’s a review. -Photos by Michael Furman for RM Auctions
The Nov. 21 auction at Sotheby’s in Manhattan was noteworthy from a number of angles, starting with its depth: Both the quality and variety of the 41 lots were exceptional. There was something extraordinary from most every corner of the car collector world, Duesenberg to Ferrari, F.M.R. microcar to Plymouth Superbird.
In just a little over two hours, over $62 million in sales were recorded, 11 new auction price records were established, and only three vehicles failed to meet their reserves. At the same time, however, a number of vehicles fell short of their pre-auction estimates. That may speak to the precision of the estimates, but more interestingly, to where the market and certain vehicles in it are trending.
That’s the beauty of an auction, maybe. The estimates and appraisals are set to one side, and we get as close as there is to a free and open market operating in real time.
Below are a few examples from the sale, including lot number, vehicle description, pre-sale estimate, and final selling price. A complete list of the results is available at RM Auctions. The beautiful photos—the word flawless comes to mind—are by Michael Furman for RM Auctions. At the bottom of the page there’s a short video that may help to capture the flavor of the proceedings.
Lot 138 – 1966 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 4.2 Roadster – pre-auction estimate $225,000-$325,000 – sold for $467,500 – record for a non-competition Jaguar E-Type at auction
Lot 139 – 1964 Chevrolet CERV II test vehicle – pre-auction estimate $1,400,000-1,800,00 – sold for $1,100,000
Lot 114 – 1933 Auburn 12 Custom Speedster – pre-auction estimate $1,000,000-1,600,000 – sold for $1,112,000 – record for an Auburn Twelve Speedster at auction
Lot 119 – 1970 Plymouth Superbird Hemi 4-speed – pre-auction estimate $400,000-500,000 – sold for $363,000
Lot 122 – 1938 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS Teardrop Cabriolet Figoni et Falaschi – pre-auction estimate $8,000,000-10,000,000 – sold for $7,150,000
Lot 125 – 1929 Ford Model A Dick Flint roadster – pre-sale estimate $700,00-900,000 – sold for $577,500 
Lot 141 – 1964 Ferrari 250 LM – pre-auction estimate $12,000,000-15,000,000 – sold for $14,300,000 – record for a Ferrari 250 LM at auction
Lot 109 – 1960 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster – pre-auction estimate $1,000,000-1,400,000 – sold for $1,650,000 – record for a 300 SL Roadster at auction
Lot 117 – 1936 Delahaye Competition Court Teardrop Coupe – pre-auction estimate $3,000,000-4,000,000 – sold for $2,420,000 
Lot 133 – 1912 Stutz Model A Bear Cat – pre-auction estimate $800,00-1,200,000 – sold for $770,000
Lot 115 – 1932 Ford Cabriolet by Carrozzeria Pinin Farina – pre-auction estimate $350,000-500,000 – sold for $319,000 – record for a stock 1932 Ford at auction
Viewing this auction would just about spoil you from appreciating any other event. Every car in this sale was so special that it would be almost impossible to pick a favorite. Of course, every one pictured in this post rings my bell. I would also cite the Aston Martin Supersonic, Maserati Zagato, Pegaso and the most amazing Duesenberg sedan. Of course, we can’t forget…..
All three no-sales were interesting, maybe worth a story in themselves. The Duke of WIndsor Cadillac couldn’t draw more than 400K, while the Lincoln Boano failed to meet reserve at $1.55M. That’s almost like backward to me, but a) I haven’t seen the cars finished in person and b) it’s not about me.
Saw the Boano Lincoln at Pebble Beach. Very interesting car. Should have sold at that bid. The Duchess has a wonderful story and great history but is pretty low on the sex appeal scale, especially in comparison to the other offerings in this auction. It definitely deserved a higher result but in today’s world, sex sells.