Bonhams, Scottsdale

Scottsdale, Arizona, in January 2021 was a very different animal than it had been in years past: auctions moved, auctions didn’t show up, and auctions just went plain-old out of business. The one constant in a completely changed auction atmosphere? Bonhams. The auction house set up shop, January 23, at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, just as it has for more years than we can remember.

And yet, even this was changed. Traditionally, there were two tents: one housing the front desk, a small lounge, a number of featured vehicles, and the sale lots’ documentation packages; the other, a tent full of chairs, the auctioneer’s podium, and a stage where the cars roll across. This year, there was one small tent that housed a bidder lounge, bidder registration, and car documentation. No auctioneer’s stand, no stage for cars to drive on and off of, and — if our midweek morning visit was any indication — precious few people of any sort (bidders, employees, the dude wiping the cars off after an overnight rain shower) on hand at all.

Oh, and there were 37 cars on offer. Thirty-seven! And even not all of them were in attendance: A few consignors elected to keep their cars home and ship to the winner themselves. But as they say, it’s not the number of cars, it’s the