Bonhams, Scottsdale
Bonhams’ one-day affair in Scottsdale offered cars ranging from the earliest periods in automotive history to the latest high-tech sports cars, and everything in between. At its January 17 event, the auction house did a more than respectable job, moving 90 percent of 120 lots offered, both numbers better than the most recent two years. Unfortunately, total gross sales have dropped from over $36 million in 2017 to $25 million in 2018 and to just $16 million in 2019, with several seven-figure lots remaining unsold, upsetting that final tally.
The topseller was a spectacularly restored, Frua-bodied 1951 Maserati A6G/2000 Spider that changed hands for $2,755,000, including buyer’s fees. Two other cars crested the million-dollar mark: a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL at $1,110,000, and a 1963 Porsche 356B Carrera 2 GS Cabriolet at $1,000,050.
Bonhams also had plenty of cars for the more middle-class collector to choose from, the top three bargains of which were all pint-sized machines from the postwar era: a 1959 Nash Metropolitan coupe for $13,440, a 1951 Crosley CD Super for $8,960, and a 1965 Morris Minor 1000 for $5,600.
LINCOLN
Year: 1956
Model: Premiere convertible
Condition: Restored/#2-
Reserve: None
Selling Price: $50,400
Avg. Selling Price: $96,000
This Lincoln barely crested half the going value for a Premiere convertible in its condition (and less than half at the hammer price before the commission was added to the price). It even failed to reach #3 money. Still, here is what we saw: an excellent restoration featuring very nice paint and a body exhibiting nary a wave nor a ripple in its long flanks. The chrome and other shiny stuff looked good to us as well. There was some soiling on the white parts of the two-tone interior, and a rear power window switch out of its perch, but otherwise this was a very solid buy.
FIAT
Year: 1946
1100C Spider by Frua
