On paper, Scottsdale, Arizona, in January sounds like a desert paradise, brimming with ample sunshine and warm temperatures. These are conditions that bode well for the throngs that gather for Auction Week, especially for those escaping ice-encrusted winter conditions in the northern climates. As luck would have it, January 2023 was indeed sunny, but the start of Auction Week was besieged by unseasonably cold temperatures. A layer of frost coated everything but the pavement, yet it did little to chill bidder enthusiasm at auctions such as Bonhams’ 11th annual Scottsdale Auction.
In keeping with tradition, Bonhams’ sale was a one-day event, preceded by two days of preview hours, held on January 27 at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa. Quality versus quantity remained the basis of the auction. This year, 140 vehicular lots were accompanied by 13 pedal cars; the latter started the festivities by amassing a total of $17,786. It was the fully restored “Full Classics,” Europe’s finest sports cars, and America’s big cruisers that naturally garnered the interest of all in attendance.
Despite a lineup that showcased several icons predicted to produce the best result of the sale, stealing the spotlight was a 1912 Simplex five-passenger Torpedo Tourer that achieved a whopping $4,845,000 due, in part, to its
