While much has been made throughout this interview series about Car Specialists and the glamourous work that they do in attracting consignors and buyers of fantastic automobiles, decidedly fewer words have been written about the support staff—those who handle the logistics of allowing the hobby to thrive and grow as it has over the decades. Bess Walker is one of the invaluable members of the support staff that has made RM Sotheby’s the dominant player in the classic car marketplace.

Bess has been a part of the auction world for more than a decade. Tantalized by her experiences at a competitor, she joined RM Sotheby’s in September 2018 after seeing an opportunity to work with the industry leader in the classic car auctions world. In many ways, Bess' experience runs contrary to most at RM Sotheby’s—not only because she comes from the auctioneering side of the hobby, but that she doesn’t even own a car!

Bess manages the UK and European administrative functions. Although the idea of auction administration remains the same for each sale, the day to day of the work can vary wildly depending on the consignments and location of the sale. Like a detective, Bess works her way down to the bottom of every riddle that comes with being the Auction Administration manager at RM Sotheby’s.

1. What was your first car? Any memorable drives?

Considering the business I work in, it’s probably controversial to tell you that I have neither driven nor owned a car since the day I passed my driving test over 20 years ago! My earliest memory of a car would have to be a very young childhood memory of my mum’s bright orange 1974 DAF 44. It was a tin hat on wheels and I can still remember how I loved that car mainly because of the colour! My Dad drove a 1980 Jaguar XJ6 4.2 Litre Series III at the time, and when he let me sit in the front, I always felt quite special considering he treated that car like it was his fourth child after myself, my brother, and sister.  

2. Your role at RM must give you a unique perspective—How has the company changed since you’ve joined, if at all?

Having a foot in the behind-the-scenes area of the business as it were, I am involved in and get to see a lot of the work that goes into pulling together all the pieces for each lot. I think given everything that has happened over the past year or so with the global pandemic, we have really had to pull together as a team. I believe we are stronger now than we have ever been, and many of the things we learned over the past few months, we will carry forward with us. In the European office, the team has really expanded since I joined too, which has been great for adding knowledge and experience.  

3. Without naming names, do you have any good stories about going the extra mile for a client?

I work particularly closely with buyers after the sale, from the initial sending of the bill of sale, to ensuring the car and all paperwork arrive at its final destination accordingly. Going above and beyond is a standard part of the role that I take great pleasure in. Although I am based in our London, UK office, our clients are based all over the world, so I often work across different time zones and languages. It’s really important to me that every transaction a client has with RM is a great one, and that they feel like no request is out of bounds. That’s not to say that I can always accommodate every request, but I certainly do my best to ensure every client feels more than looked after for every experience they have with RM!

4. What’s the key to preparing for a successful auction?

The key to preparing for a successful auction is definitely to try and prep as much as possible in advance, iron out any and all questions, and then prepare to have to deal with the unexpected! The one thing you can be sure about with any auction is that the unexpected will occur!

5. What excites you most about your job?

When clients buy a car from RM, sometimes it can be a client that has wanted a particular car for a long time and they have finally managed to obtain their dream car. Providing great customer service and sharing in their excitement about their purchase is a real pleasure, and I really enjoy those moments. I will always enjoy and be proud of the moment when everything comes together.