Selection of cars at RM Sothbey’s | Larry Edsall photo
I have been attending the auctions in Monterey for the past 15 years and I can honestly say that I have never seen a collection of cars at any auction anywhere in the world that even comes close to the amazing cars being offered at RM Sotheby’s this year in Monterey. No matter what car you are looking at at the high end of the hobby, chances are good that RM Sotheby’s has a pristine example of it for sale this year.
You would think that having so many great cars to choose from would make picking 6 cars that I would want to take home difficult, but quite honestly it was easy to pick the ones most want to own.
So here is my very personal list of cars from the sale I would kill or die to have.
1966 Aston Martin DB6: I have loved Aston Martin cars since I saw my first DB5 at 10 years old and have owned a few Astons over the years. The prices for these cars have gone absolutely ballistic in the last few years and there are few cars that are even close to attainable anymore. The exception to this is the DB6. This was the final development of the classic David Brown Astons and a DB6 is one of the truly great touring cars. The pre auction estimate for this car is #350,000-$425,000 and is never likely to be cheaper ever.
1965 Lamborghini 350 GT: This is the car that started it all at Lamborghini, the car that was built because of a grudge of Ferruccio Lamborghini towards Enzo Ferrari. Lamborghinis solution was to build his own car, better than the Ferraris he had owned for years. The 350 GT is an awesome car and an amazing GT car design. The story of its genesis is enough to make we want it but the cars build quality and performance seals the deal for sure.The estimate for the car is $800,000-$1,000,000.
1956 Ferrari 250 Berlinetta Competizione ‘Tour de France”: The 250 Tour de France is one of the most sought after and stunningly beautiful performance cars that the company built in the 1950’s and this is the exact car that finished first in the race that gave the car its name. A piece of actual Ferrari history and a tremendous sports car all in one package, What could be better? The estimate for this historic car is not listed but it is bound to be a very high price somewhere north of $3,000,000.
1965 Porsche 911: Yes it is a very early 911 and 911’s are great but the best part is that this is an all regional example of the iconic Porsche 911 in its earliest form. The paint, interior and trim is completely original and the car has had its engine rebuilt to stock specifications. I have never seen a true preservation class 1965 911 in this nice a condition ever and this makes it something I would love to own. The estimate for this car is $250,000-$350,000 and seems like a very fair asking price range for this all original car and a great way to clean up in prizes for the next Porsche Parade.
1931 Bentley 4 litre Tourer by Vanden Plas: This is another amazing time capsule car that is also completely original. It is thought to be by most Bentley experts the most original Bentley car in existence. Besides that it is a WO Bentley 4 litre with a great looking body. W. O. Bentley cars are some of the most important cars in motoring history, with racing success and stories that fill hundreds of books and this touchstone to the past that you can actually drive is without a doubt one of the most amazing cars I have ever seen at any auction anywhere. The estimate for this car seems absurdly low for a car this important at only $500,000-$650,000.
1950 Ferrari 275/340 America Barchetta by Scaglietti: This car has to be the single most historic Ferrari road car I have ever seen. The car was a Scuderia Ferrari factory team car for the Mille Miglia, is the first Lampredi-engined Ferrari sports racer, was driven by Ascari, Bracco, Marzotto, Comotti, Carini, Mancini to name a few, and is thought to be the first Scaglietti bodied Ferrari.That much history alone would make me want it but his car still were that bodywork and when restored years ago the owner was thoughtful enough to just paint the car and leave the bodywork completely alone, preserving the far tool makes from when the car was rebodied in 1953. If there is a better touchstone to the Ferrari myth, I cannot think what that it is. The estimate of $7,500,000-$10,000,000 seems absurdly low for such a historic historical artifact and the car is a bargain even at the high estimate.
