RM Sotheby’s, Monterey 2021
Vintage-vehicle enthusiasts have long known that a traditional car spotting stop during Pebble Beach meet week is the Monterey Conference Center, host to RM Sotheby’s flagship California auction. The ’21 sale, held on August 12-14, was comprised of a 164-vehicle docket, 26 of which were consigned from a single collection.
Anticipation ran high, and the bidding proved to be hot. To start, a total of 44 lots saw bids that exceeded $1 million, 16 surpassed $3 million, and four sold above $5 million, while five new auction records were set. While that may have been a surprise to many, the high number of European exotic cars that again dominated the top-10 sales this year likely raised no eyebrows.
Leading the way was a 1962 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato, one of just 19 built, which commanded $9,520,000. The rare grand tourer was followed by a 1962 Ferrari 268 SP by Fantuzzi that achieved $7,705,000, a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Competizione that also sold for $7,705,000, and a 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta that brought $6 million. Rounding out the top five was a 1963 Shelby 289 Cobra factory “works” team car that sold for $4,130,000. Four more Ferraris and another Aston Martin finished the top 10. When all was said and done, an impressive $148,528,300 in sales — with a 90 percent sell-through rate — had been recorded.
For a complete list of results from the Monterey sale, and an up-to-date RM Sotheby’s event calendar, visit rmsothebys.com.
BY THE NUMBERS
$148.5 million
