Back on Christmas Day, we shared the news that Bonhams would stage its first Carriage Collection Sale, but we promised that Santa’s sled was not among those being offered.
Well, the sale was held last week with all 150 lots selling for a total of $1.65 million.
The top-dollar sale was $372,000 for the Royal British Mews Landau commissioned in 1835 by King William IV. The carriage sold for $372,000 to what Bonhams termed a “North-East Asian” bidder.
The Santa-style sleigh we used to illustrate our earlier story sold for more than $46,000, three times its pre-auction estimate.
“Today’s sale saw a packed auction room, 100 percent sold, international bidding, and many items soaring far above estimate,” Ron Hubbard, Bonhams motoring specialist and auctioneer for the carriage sale, said in a news release.
“Utilizing our international client base and skilled team of specialists, we were able to achieve some great results,” he added. “The first auction of its kind for Bonhams, it attracted attention from clients all across the globe, with bids coming in from Australia, Mexico, the U.S., Europe and the Far East.”
Bonhams motoring department is scheduled to hold more than 20 sales in 2015, including three more this month — March 12 at Amelia Island, Florida, March 21 at the Goodwood Members Meeting and March 28 at the Mercedes-Benz museum in Germany.
