The 5 most expensive cars sold at Pebble Beach this week

The Super Rich Car Drive Super Bowl kicks off this week in Monterey, Calif., As more than $ 300 million in rolling trophies goes up for auction.

After an unexpected increase in sales and prices of classic cars during the coronavirus pandemic, Monterey Car Week and the Pebble Beach Concours of Elegance mark the biggest test of demand for the more expensive classic cars. The lingering health concerns over Covid and the lack of international buyers will also cast a shadow over an event that typically brings together tens of thousands of wealthy car fans to attend parties, launch events, races and sales at the auction.

So far, however, sales and auctions are set to be among the strongest on record.

“The pent-up demand is huge,” said McKeel Hagerty, CEO of Hagerty, the auto insurance and collector services company. “This week could be amazing.”

More than 1,000 vehicles are expected to be auctioned this week, according to Hagerty. Total sales are expected to reach $ 325 million, up 28% from 2019, the most recent year for sales after the event was canceled last year due to Covid. Monterey is known to have the most prized and expensive cars, and this year at least 115 vehicles are expected to gross $ 1 million or more.

All of the major car auction companies – from Gooding & Co. to RM Sotheby’s, Mecum and Bonhams – keep some of their best collections and some of the most prized cars for the ultra-wealthy crowd in Monterey. Mecum has this year’s “The Big Al Collection”, a fleet of over 80 cars that includes everything from Corvettes and Camaros to a seven-figure LaFerrari and rare Porsches.

Mecum CEO Dave Magers said the company is experiencing the strongest demand in its history, much of it from new collectors who started researching classic cars online during the pandemic and are now bidding in line. Mecum’s sales rate, or the percentage of cars auctioned that actually sell, is around 85% this year, which is well above historical averages.

“When the rate of sale goes up, the prices go up,” he said. “Everything is up.

Gooding will sell the collection of the late rock star Neil Peart, the famous drummer and lyricist of the band Rush. The collection includes a 1964 Aston Martin DB5 (of James Bond fame) which is expected to fetch up to $ 725,000, a 1964 Shelby Cobra 289, which is expected to exceed $ 1 million, and a 1970 Lamborghini Miura which could sell for $ 1.5 million.

“Buyers right now are not hesitating,” said Gooding CEO David Gooding. “If they want something, they go. It’s a ‘things are uncertain, I’m not going to wait.’ Attitude.

Here are the top five cars by estimated sale price that will be auctioned this week, according to Hagerty.

Gooding & Co.’s estimate is $ 21.5 million.

Jay Leno once called the McLaren F1 the best four-wheeled investment he has ever made. McLaren only built 106 F1s, and they originally sold for less than $ 900,000. Now F1 cars are often traded for over $ 20 million. Known as the “Formula 1 car for the road”, F1 is often credited with reviving the McLaren sports car brand and ushering in the era of modern super cars, with highly specialized vehicles designed to dominate on the road. the track and on the road, with a top speed of 240 mph.

The F1 that Gooding sells is particularly prized because it only has less than 250 miles, making it what many call a “single capsule” car. Painted in a striking “Creighton Brown”, it has been preserved and meticulously maintained by a Japanese collector since its purchase. “It’s new to the market, never seen before,” Gooding said.

RM Sotheby’s estimate is $ 15 million.

The Porsche 917 K was a racing legend, and the car sold by RM Sotheby’s has special power as the winning car of Steve McQueen’s classic film “Le Mans”. It was rebuilt at the Porsche factory in 1971 and continued to race for another two years on the track and for the next two decades at historic events.

Another Porsche 917 K which also appeared in “Le Mans” was sold by Gooding at Pebble Beach in 2017 for $ 14 million.

RM Sotheby’s estimate is $ 11 million.

In 1962, Aston Martin built the ultimate DB4 for road and track, called the DB4 GT Zagato. Only 19 were built, so they rarely go on sale. The car sold by RM Sotheby’s was owned by the late car collector Paul Andrews and has the original engine.

Gooding & Co.’s estimate is between $ 10 million and $ 12 million.

The Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder is part of car collector royalty, renowned for its timeless style, rarity and performance on the racetrack. Or as Ferris Bueller described his famous ride of the day: “There is so much choice.” Ferrari only made 106 Cal Spider, which is one of the reasons they traded for over $ 18 million.

The car sold by Gooding is more race oriented, hence the “competizione” badge. Ferrari has only made 50 of the long wheelbase variants of the Cal Spider, and only 10 of them have been prepped new by the factory for competition, making it one of the rarest of the few Cal Spider . This particular car was built for the amateur racing driver Dott. Ottavio Randaccio (cq), who raced it in several races on the Italian circuit and hill climbs. With its Italian-colored paintwork and meticulous restoration, the car could easily exceed its estimate.

Gooding & Company’s estimate is $ 8.5 million.

As part of its racing program, AMG developed the CLK GTR, which won the FIA ​​GT Championship in 1997 and dominated the track in 1998. To comply with the racing rules, AMG had to build 25 CLK GTRs which were legal for the road, which makes them among the rarest in the world. The car sold by Gooding is the ninth of 25 built and has less than 900 miles on the clock. The car is powered by a 6.9 liter V-12 which generates 604 hp and has a top speed of 214 mph. And of course, it’s painted in Mercedes’ signature racing silver color.