- RM kicks off 2014 Monterey auction with 14 individual million-dollar-plus sales
- Top-seller: 1964 Ferrari 250 LM, certified by Ferrari Classiche, brings $11,550,000
- Additional highlights include a 1965 Ford GT40 Roadster Prototype for $6,930,000 and two Mercedes-Benz models which set new auction records
- Auction continues Saturday, August 16 with an additional 62 blue-chip collector cars
MONTEREY, California (August 16, 2014) – A purebred 1964 Ferrari 250 LM, used exclusively as a road car when new, attracted top honors at RM’s Friday night sale session in Monterey, California yesterday.
A terrific example of Ferrari’s first mid-engine car, the 250 LM, chassis 6045, was the 19th of just 32 examples built. Completed in July 1964, it was sold new through Luigi Chinetti Motors to Modern Classic Motors in Reno, Nevada, for personal use by dealership owner and casino mogul William Fisk Harrah. Recently restored to original factory specifications and certified by Ferrari Classiche, it was shown at the XIII Palm Beach Cavallino Classic in January 2014, where it received The Ferrari Classiche Cup and the award for the most outstanding 12-cylinder Ferrari at the show. A star attraction of this weekend’s RM Monterey sale, the 250 LM attracted strong interest from bidders in the room and on the phones at Friday’s evening auction, eventually selling for a remarkable $11,550,000 before a packed house (Video: http://youtu.be/Fe4-PgMB3P8?list=PLTd948L_mRCIdM-SOCFNbzVJcV4XF5wWd).
The 250 LM led a series of 14 individual million-dollar-plus sales during Day 1 of RM’s flagship Monterey auction, including an awesome 1965 Ford GT40 Roadster Prototype, which realized $6,930,000 and a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing, which garnered $2,530,000 to set a new record for a non-alloy Gullwing sold at auction.
Unofficial RM Monterey Million-Dollar-Plus Sales (Friday)
Lot 150 1964 Ferrari 250 LM $11,550,000
Lot 134 1965 Ford GT40 Roadster Prototype $6,930,000
Lot 111 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing $2,530,000
Lot 133 2013 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse 'Le Ciel Californien' $2,420,000
Lot 120 1960 Aston Martin DB4GT $2,090,000
Lot 118 1964 Ferrari 250 GT/L 'Lusso' Berlinetta $1,980,000
Lot 129 1966 Shelby 427 Cobra $1,705,000
Lot 131 1937 Bentley 4¼-Litre Open Two-Seater $1,595,000
Lot 140 1948 Tucker 48 $1,567,500
Lot 114 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Cabriolet $1,540,000
Lot 117 1953 Bentley R-Type Continental Sports Saloon $1,210,000
Lot 122 1962 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster $1,127,500
Lot 138 1959 Maserati 3500 GT Spyder Prototype $1,072,500
Lot 108 1979 Lamborghini Countach LP400S Series I $1,012,000
Additional Friday highlights included a freshly restored 1957 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL Roadster for a world record $341,000, and a factory-fresh 2006 Ford GT for $407,000.
RM’s annual Monterey sale continues Saturday, August 16. In total, 129 automobiles will cross the auction podium during this year’s two-day event. Highlights of Saturday’s sale session include an extraordinarily rare 1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale, the first of only three examples built, and the eagerly awaited 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 delivered new to ‘King of Cool’, Steve McQueen. Also expected to command strong interest at Saturday’s sale are the historic Austie Clark 1911 Mercer Type 35R Raceabout, and a highly anticipated pair of Japanese collectibles, a 1967 Toyota 2000GT and a 1972 Nissan Skyline H/T 2000GT-R ‘Hakosuka’. For those unable to attend the event in person, Internet, absentee and telephone bidding options are available, and the auction will stream live online at www.rmauctions.com, providing real-time coverage of the event.
Complete official results for RM’s Monterey sale will be posted online at www.rmauctions.com early next week.
(All figures are reported in U.S. dollars and include the 10 percent buyer’s premium)