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Auctions America’s 13th annual Fort Lauderdale sale realizes more than $21.3 million in sales
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Top seller: Ferrari 250 GT from the Cayman Islands sells to UK collector for above-estimate $715,000
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Offered for the first time in 47 years, “Shorty” Mustang achieves $511,550
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Classic Ford Street Rod raises $50,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County
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Auctions America’s 2015 calendar continues with its Auburn Spring event, May 7-9 followed by its annual California sale, July 17-18 in Santa Monica
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Complete Fort Lauderdale results available online at auctionsamerica.com
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (March 31, 2015) – Auctions America kicked off its 2015 auction season this past weekend (March 27-29) with a vibrant return to Fort Lauderdale, Florida generating more than $21.3 million in total sales with 76 percent of all lots sold. The impressive tally, which comprises the sale of 368 vehicles and select memorabilia, builds on the company’s strong track record in South Florida and ranks the event as the company’s strongest Fort Lauderdale performance in its 13-year history. Demonstrating the event’s international appeal and consistent growth, bidders hailed from 14 countries and 45 states; significantly, 47 percent of buyers were new to Auctions America.
“We’re very pleased with the results from our Fort Lauderdale sale, which provide a very positive kick start to our 2015 season,” says Donnie Gould, President, Auctions America. “This year’s catalog represented our finest and most diverse Fort Lauderdale offering to date. The results not only speak to the breadth and quality of product presented, but also to our team’s strong international reach, extensive marketing power, and ability to locate ready and engaged buyers. The Fort Lauderdale auction is not only a staple on the North American collector car calendar, but as this year’s event proved, is attracting increasing global participation. The top sale of the weekend was a car that came to us from the Cayman Islands and is now headed to the UK.”
The car referred to by Gould, a stunning 1959 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe, was one of 37 vehicles offered at Fort Lauderdale from the Cayman Motor Museum Collection, an eclectic group of motor cars amassed over 35 years by enthusiast, Andreas Ugland. A cherished part of the collection for 25 years, the sporty coupe was hotly contested by bidders both in the room and on the phones during the event’s Saturday sale session. Soaring past high-estimate, it eventually sold to a UK-based enthusiast for $715,000, a record for a 1959 Ferrari 250 GT Pininfarina Coupe sold at auction.
Another one of the most exciting auction moments of the weekend came when the sale’s cover car, the one-of-a-kind 1964 ½ Ford Mustang III “Shorty” Factory Prototype crossed the podium. Arguably the most important Mustang ever offered for sale, “Shorty” was also the subject of a lively bidding war, eventually passing from its owner of 47 years to a new caretaker for $511,500.
In addition to a tremendous assortment of classics, this year’s Fort Lauderdale sale placed a strong emphasis on late model collectibles. This group was headlined by a pair of low-mileage Ford GTs, with a rare 2005 Ford GT, believed to be the lowest numbered example likely ever to be offered to the public, commanding $451,000, while a 2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition with just 2.7 miles, garnered $410,000.
Additional highlights of the weekend saw the company provide its auction services to benefit numerous important and deserving organizations. As part of Auctions America’s commitment to give back to the local communities in which it operates, the Fort Lauderdale event raised the gavel on a 1934 Ford Street Rod Roadster, with 100 percent of proceeds from the vehicle’s sale supporting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County. Stunning in pearl white with a black soft-top and gray custom interior, the street rod was joined on stage by a group of kids from the Club, who cheered it to a final sales price of $50,000. A non-profit private agency dedicated to helping young people improve their lives by building self-esteem and developing values and skills during their critical period of growth, each year the Boys and Girls Clubs serve more than 12,500 at-risk youth, ages 6 – 18 in South Florida’s Broward County. Auctions America was also proud to support Kansas’ McPherson College and future student hobbyists, through the sale of a 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air Sport Coupe. McPherson stands alone as the only school to provide a bachelor’s degree in Restoration Technology. The Bel Air generated a strong $26,400 during the event’s Friday sale session with proceeds being used by the College to fund future shop projects.
Auctions America Fort Lauderdale 2015 – Top 5 Sales
1. Lot 452 – 1959 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe $715,000
2. Lot 438 – 1964 ½ Ford Mustang III “Shorty’ Factory Prototype $511,550
3. Lot 477 – 2005 Ford GT $451,000
4. Lot 440 – 2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition $410,000
5. Lot 436 – 1987 Lamborghini Countach 5000 Quattrovalvole $335,500
Auctions America’s 2015 season continues May 7 – 9 with the presentation of its annual Auburn Spring Collector Car Weekend at Indiana’s historic Auburn Auction Park. In addition to the auction, the weekend will also include an onsite car corral and swap meet, along with the return of the popular AACA Special National Spring Meet. The Auburn Spring event will be followed by Auctions America’s annual California sale, July 17-18. Moving to an exciting new venue this year – the historic Barker Hangar in Santa Monica – this event will lift the gavel on a diverse mix of automobiles representative of Southern California tastes: European and American sports cars, prewar classics, hot rods and customs.
For further information on upcoming events or to view full results from the 2015 Fort Lauderdale collector car auction, please visit auctionsamerica.com.
About Auctions America
Formed in July 2010, Auctions America specializes in the sale of American classics, European sports cars, Detroit muscle, hot rods and customs. Headquartered at the historic Auburn Auction Park in Indiana, Auctions America boasts an expert team of full-time vehicle specialists, who offer over 180 years of combined experience buying, selling, racing and restoring collector vehicles, making them uniquely qualified to advise on all aspects of the hobby. The company’s established roster of annual events are held in some of the country’s leading automotive destinations including Auburn, Indiana; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and Burbank, California. In 2014, Auctions America entered a multi-year agreement with the Sports Emmy Award-Winning NBCSN (NBC Sports Network) to provide exclusive television coverage of its select US-based collector car auctions, helping deliver the Auctions America experience to more than 80 million homes across the country. To learn more about Auctions America, visit auctionsamerica.com, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @auctionsamerica.
*Results are listed in USD and are inclusive of 10 percent buyer’s premium for all automotive lots, and 15 percent for all other lots.
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