RM Paris 2014 at a glance
| Total sales | $23.7 million |
| Catalog | 53 automobiles |
| Sell-through rate | 78.8 percent |
| High sale | $4.948 million 1955 Jaguar D-Type |
| Next 9 price range | $599,700 to $3.34 million |
| Next auction | May 10, Monaco |
RM’s inaugural Paris auction, held during the annual Retromobile celebration of classic cars, posted $23.7 million in sales, and reached that figure with not quite 80 percent of the 53 lots selling.
“We’ve had a fantastic night here in Paris,” RM’s European managing director Max Girado said in a news release after the sale. “We wanted our debut sale to impress by bringing some exceptional cars to market, and with over 17.7-million Euros sold and almost 80 percent of all lots finding new homes, we have continued our amazing track record in Europe.”
The sale featured seven cars with impressive racing histories from the collection of Australian Peter Harburg.
“Without a doubt, it was an honor to offer the Harburg Collection, which perfectly demonstrates that the market is hungry for quality cars with important historical provenance,” Girado said.
Four of those Harburg cars represented the auction’s highest-dollar sales, which include commision:
A 1955 Jaguar D-type, formerly raced by Australian driving champion Bib Stillwell and formerly owned by Le Mans-winner Richard Attwood, led all cars at the sale by bringing $4.947 million.
A 1982 Porsche 956 Group C sports prototype that finished third at Le Mans in 1982 was next at $3.35 million.
A 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza Spider raced by Phil Hill and Carroll Shelby brought $2.6 million.
A 1964 Porsche 904 Carrera GTS sold for $1.72 million.
Another Harburg car, a 1973 Porsche 917/30 Can-Am Spyder, was bid to $2.67 million but fell short of its reserve.
In perhaps the biggest surprise of the auction, a 1971 Mercedes-Benz 600 six-door Pullman Landaulet in “barn-found” condition sold for $719,000 — seventh-highest sale of the entire auction — after going to sale with a pre-auction estimate of $100,000 to $160,000.
The catalog-cover feature car for RM’s first Paris auction, a 1953 Gordini Type 24 S that raced at Le Mans, the mille Miglia and the Carrera Panamericana, was bid to $3.34 million but failed to meet reserve, as did a 2008 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP that finished second at Le Mans and won the Petit Le Mans race and was bid to $1.87 million and a 2010 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport bid to $1.13 million.
Top-10 sales / RM Paris (figures include commission)
- 1955 Jaguar D-type, 4,947,798
- 1982 Porsche 956 Group C sports-prototype, $3,148,598
- 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza Spider, $2,623,832
- 1964 Porsche 904 Carrera GTS, $1,724,232
- 1936 Delahaye 135 S, $1,349,399
- 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL roadster, $1,102,009
- 1971 Mercedes-Benz 600 six-door Pullman Landaulet, $769,746
- 1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 S ‘SV Spec,’ $697,189
- 1990 Ferrari F40, $689,693
- 1953 Mercedes-Benz 300 S roadster, $599,733
