After a lovely low-key Father’s Day weekend spent catching up on some chores around the house, it’s good to sit down and see what’s been happening in the collector car auction world while I was busy tending my yard. In this week’s Market Monday, we’ll be covering the results from RM Sotheby’s Cliveden Sale and previewing a few lots from this week’s Bonhams No Reserve Sale. 

RM Sotheby’s Cliveden House Sale was the inaugural sale of hopefully many more, and based on the results I expect we’ll see another in 2025. The auction house sell through rate for vehicles was a respectable 75%, with 45 of the 60 car lots finding new homes. Oddly, the sales status of one of the featured cars, a 2014 Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse, is a bit confusing. During the event it appeared to sell to a new buyer at £1,850,000. However, RM Sotheby’s site lists the car still for sale with an asking price of £2,200,000. Even stranger, my auction data tool lists the car sold for £2,086,250 which I assume is the hammer price plus buyer’s premium. Weird.

Of the 9 vehicles we previewed last week at RM’s event, 4 of those were no-sales. The 2018 Ferrari 488 GTB 70th Anniversary, 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta, 1955 Jaguar XK 140 Michelotti Coupe and the 2018 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Speedster failed to meet reserve. Additionally, there were a few bargain buys, including two cars we profiled last week. 

This car sold at no reserve for a mere £36,800 including buyer’s premium. While I thought the estimate was high, I’m guessing the fact the car was right-hand drive held it back even further. That’s a shame, but I can’t totally blame bidders for wanting a Ferrari to have its steering wheel on the left.

While I was fairly certain this car would be a bargain entry into the “hybrid” club, I didn’t expect bidding to be so soft. That the car could use a full restoration certainly contributed, but sellers take note: buyers don’t flock toward cars with title issues. This one found a new home for a paltry £17,250.

Our buy of the day was this car, a 1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce from the Jody Scheckter Collection. I’d value a Giulietta Sprint Veloce in this condition at between $50,000 and $60,000—making this a spectacular deal at the selling price of $44,145—especially with an ownership history that includes an F1 Champion. 

Coming up in the next few weeks are three different sales from Bonhams, and I’m pleased to say the cars on offer are quite wonderful. The first sale to conclude is an online-only auction ending tomorrow, June 18th. There’s a fine possibility of picking up a bargain at this auction as all the cars are offered at no reserve. 

If you’re in the United States, however, you’ll obviously need to budget for the buyer’s premium and shipping. That said, there are some choice vehicles crossing the block, including two special DeTomasos and a very interesting Series 1 Land Rover.

DeTomaso is probably most known for the Pantera, which was the maker’s most popular model. Personally, I prefer the overall looks of the car the Pantera replaced—the Mangusta. While the cars aren’t that dissimilar in appearance, it’s those gorgeous, if impractical, reverse-gullwing engine lids that make the Mangusta très chic. This one’s guided at €180-250,000.

I have to admit that I didn’t really know much about DeTomaso models outside the Pantera and Mangusta. I find that odd, given how achingly beautiful this car is. Why don’t people lust over the Vallelunga? This car is absolutely stunning. Its estimate of €250-350,000 is nothing to sneeze at, but it’s half the price (or more) than comparable 1960’s supercars.

The Lotus Elan is an exemplar of Colin Chapman’s philosophy of “add lightness”, with its fiberglass body and compact proportions tipping the scales at a mere 1500 pounds. As a person with a fondness for the structural rigidity of coupes over convertibles, I’ve always loved the Elan coupe and this example at Bonhams No Reserve Sale is guided at €30-40,000 Euros. With bidding at just €11,500 with just two days to go, this one may go for less.

Everyone says the E-type Jaguar is the prettiest car ever made and while there’s no doubt that the E-type is gorgeous, I think the XK is far prettier. This lovely red fixed head coupe is currently bid to only €15,500 against an estimate of €55-75,000. The valuation is pretty spot-on for an XK120, but the Ferrari red repaint may deter purists. Keep an eye on this one.

Last but not least is this civil service Land Rover Series 1. After spending a lot of time around a Land Rover Defender 90 Wolf, a military version of a much later evolution of this same car, I have to admit that I wouldn’t mind a Rover in the garage. The bodywork on this one sure looks like it could tell some stories, but at least the paint is shiny and it appears to have all its civilian Belgian police equipment intact. Bonus: it’s left-hand drive. This one’s estimated at €25-45,000 and is currently bid to only €7,000. 

I sincerely hope that the results are strong for Bonhams Cars in these upcoming sales. I’d hate to see one of the big houses exit the market, especially one as respected as Bonhams. We’re looking forward to previewing some of the excellent cars that will sit on the Bonhams stand in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.

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!