Occasionally, I have the opportunity to be among fellow car enthusiasts whose means are significantly greater than my own. Yesterday, for example, I stood between a Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae in Arancio Borealis and a Ferrari 330 GTC. Needless to say, I set my coffee down before inspecting both of those beauties. At the same time, a high-end auction in what might be the supercar capital of the world was wrapping up: RM Sotheby’s Dubai Auction.

Dubai’s car enthusiast culture is globally renowned, blending luxury with a passion for innovation. Events like the Dubai International Motor Show and Supercar Madness attract car lovers worldwide. While supercars dominate the streets, the culture also thrives on customizations, classic cars, and affordable upgrades. Supported by specialist workshops, racing tracks like the Dubai Autodrome, and active car clubs, the community celebrates craftsmanship and a shared love for all things automotive.

RM Sotheby’s held its second Dubai auction this past Sunday, and like the inaugural event back in March, it featured a cornucopia of blue-chip classics and supercars in a wide range. Even though the sale featured just 41 lots, there was something for nearly every high-end car lover here.

Fourteen cars were offered at no reserve at RM Sotheby’s Dubai Auction including some desirable vehicles, such as a 1966 Lamborghini 400GT, but most of the good stuff were reserve lots. 10 cars were unable to reach the minimum high bid, leading to a total sell-through-rate of 76%. In today’s Market Monday, I’ll highlight a few examples of the incredible high-performance automotive art up for sale. In the spirit of demonstrating that the British car market is far from dead, the bulk of today’s post will cover 5 Beastly British supercars I wish I could park in my garage.

While the early 350GT 2+1 Lambos were gorgeous, the four-seater 2+2 cars are beautiful and practical to boot. Plus, a V12 putting out 320 horsepower is a heck of a lot of performance for 1966. Finished in Grigio St. Vincent over Tabacco, this example was originally delivered to the US and could use cosmetic reconditioning according to the catalog entry. Based on the hammer price of $297,500 against a market value of around $365,000, I’d say bidders were undeterred by the car’s condition.

My favorite variant of the Lancia Delta Integrale is definitely the Martini editions, in particular the Martini 6. This ‘Martini 5’ example is the next best thing, though. Built to celebrate Lancia’s 5th consecutive world rally championship win, these special Evo 1 Integrales had custom suede seats, wheels and graphics. Your average Martini 5 goes for around $170,000, so this was a bit of a bargain for the high bidder. Well bought.

The only SLS AMG Black Series car painted by the factory in Designo Mystic Blue, at least two bidders really wanted this car. Mercedes-Benz’s modern recreation of the iconic “Gullwing,” the SLS is already a special Merc. The AMG Black Series is the most desirable of all, with an average price of $625,000. That makes this car’s hammer price of $820,612 the second most expensive SLS AMG Black Series to sell at auction in the last 5 years.

Whether you like the styling of Pagani or not, you can’t argue that they are beautifully crafted high performance automobiles. This particular car is a bespoke 1-of-1 creation custom built by the factory to mimic Le Mans sport prototypes. Apparently, 60 new molds were created and are kept at the factory in the event replacements are ever needed. Estimated at a price exceeding $12 million, this special Zonda hammered sold at $11,086,250.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a McLaren Senna painted the brand’s Papaya Orange color, and that must be because there are only 7 cars with that finish applied. This Senna also has the distinction of being one of 20 built to celebrate McLaren’s historic Le Mans win in 1995. The car sold for just over the low estimate at $1,467,500.

With all the negative talk about Jaguar over the last week, plus my recent Good Find Friday post covering desirable modern Jaguars, I thought I’d pull out a handful of cars from the Dubai sale to see how the British car market is looking at the high end.

Considered Jaguar’s version of the Ferrari F40, this twin-turbocharged V6 powered rear wheel drive beast certainly lives up to its comparison. For a short time, this was the world’s fastest production car, putting out 542 horsepower and circling the Nardo circuit in record time. As an aside, the XJ220 has perhaps the coolest all-time hidden headlight cover mechanism I’ve ever seen. This ultimate Jaguar hammered for $466,250 or smack in the middle of its house estimate and just a touch below market. Although it’s had recent service, an odometer repair may have held it back a bit.

Interesting to list this P1 right after the XJ220 as its predecessor, the F1, is the car that dethroned the Jag from its position as fastest production car. The P1 is rarer than a 918 Spyder or a LaFerrari, and because of that is iconic in automotive enthusiast circles. Despite its electrically-assisted powertrain, the 903 horsepower it generates is put down only at the rear wheels—incredible for a car this “new.” This one beat the house estimate at $1,186,250 but is a little shy of the market average.

The last three cars are from my favorite British brand: Aston Martin. The Italian coachbuilder Zagato took one of the most beautiful Astons ever made—the second generation Vanquish—and created the perfect hatchback. With a V12 putting out 584 horsepower, a GTI this isn’t. Shooting brakes are an individual taste, however, which may be why this amazing car just missed its reserve with a high bid of $432,500.

The Aston Martin Vantage AMR is the raw, analog variant of the marque’s smaller sports car, featuring lighter weight and a seven-speed manual transmission. Only 200 AMRs were intended to be built, with the first 59 cars receiving unique specification (predominantly appearance packages) to commemorate the brand’s first victory at Le Mans in 1959. With an average price of $134,000 based on recent sales, I think RM’s estimate on this one was wildly optimistic.

Perhaps the ultimate Aston, the Valkyrie is a collaboration between the automaker and Red Bull engineering (and many other vendors) to produce the ultimate road car. The supercar features a hybridized V12 putting out 1,000 horsepower that revs to a screaming 11,000 rpm. Limited to 150 units, the car’s starting price was $3.5 million, making this a depreciating asset among supercars. This one sold for just over its low estimate of $2,648,750.

Are British cars dead? I don’t think so, at least not yet. Aston Martin has struggled for nearly its entire history, so much so it’s almost expected. The current majority owner is committed to making Aston Martin a Formula 1 championship winner, investing significant money into new facilities. If winning on Sunday and selling on Monday is still a thing, there is hope.

McLaren has had a great year of competition in F1, keeping that brand very top of mind and have just announced a new halo supercar sure to generate attention. Jaguar has taken the lion’s share of criticism of late mostly due to its polarizing advertising, but evidence suggests that enthusiasm for the brand remains for certain models, like the XJ220 and even classics like the XK120. The latter has actually risen in value during the last year, contrary to a lot of expectations.

Today is the day we see the full reveal of Jaguar’s new vision concept car, which will either inspire new enthusiasm for the brand or new enthusiasm for its glory days. I hope it’s both, but will settle for either. Have a great week, everyone.

Wolf and Mare provides car finding, appraisals, and auction services for buyers and sellers of collector European cars. If you’re interested in acquiring an overseas car, give us a call or drop a line!