Bonhams’ 15th annual auction at the Aston Martin Works in England sold a record 50 cars, plus more than 100 lots of automobilia, for $14.6 million.
“The sale has been one of surprise and delight,” said James Knight, Bonhams group motoring director, “from selling a DB5 Sports Saloon project at four times its estimate to setting world records with the ‘star’ car, ‘The Persuaders!’ Aston Martin DBS.
“As ever, in its 15th year the Aston Martin Works sale has been truly tremendous.”
Added Paul Spires, general sales manager at Aston Martin Works, “The Bonhams auction weekend has once again more than lived up to expectations. The uniquely sociable ‘garden party’ atmosphere certainly seems to have helped some of the 2,500 or so people who joined us here at Newport Pagnell take the plunge.
“With many exceptional sports cars sold, and bids coming in from right around the world, it’s clear that Bonhams’ Aston Martin Sale is, more than ever, a key fixture of the classic car world.”
The high-pound sale of the show was $1.273 million paid for one of only 21 1970 Aston Martin DB6 Mark 2 Volantes built.
The “star” car was the 1970 Aston Martin DBS which Roger Moore, a future James Bond, drove in the television series “The Persuaders!” which co-starred American actor Tony Curtis. The DBS brought nearly $931,000, the most ever at auction for a DBS.
The biggest surprise of the auction, however, was a barn-found factory Vantage prototype, DP217, a 1963 Aston Martin DB5 project that sold for nearly $662,000, four times more than its highest pre-auction estimate.
