Artcurial is a leading French auction house known for its high-profile international sales across art, automobiles, and luxury collectibles. As a person who values variety and the unusual, I have been consistently impressed with their consignments. In this week’s Market Monday, I’m previewing Artcurial’s 2025 Saint-Tropez sale.

Artcurial is a prominent French auction house headquartered in Paris, known for its diverse range of sales spanning fine art, classic cars, jewelry, books, and design. Established in 2002 as part of the Dassault Group, Artcurial has become a leading player in the European auction market, with a reputation for curating high-profile auctions that often feature rare and historically significant items.

The house operates internationally, hosting events in Monaco, Deauville, and beyond, and is especially renowned for its annual collector car auctions held in conjunction with major automotive events such as Rétromobile. On June 28th, Artcurial will hold a sale of nearly 100 lots covering a range of vehicles including motorcycles, blue-chip collector cars and adventure vehicles at the Golf Club Saint-Tropez on the French Riviera.

The 100 or so lots at Artcurial’s sale include some of your typical blue-chip and high-dollar desirable cars, such as a Delahaye 135, Bugatti Type 57, Ferrari Testarossa, Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster, and a Talbot-Lago T-15 coupe. Below are my favorite lots and my reasons for choosing them.

Built as an amphibious tender and land 4×4 people-mover for the owner’s 50-metre yacht, the Iveco Terramare was based on the Iveco Daily all-wheel drive van. Given the vehicle’s owner, designer, and requirements it’s likely very well made, however it’s been off the road (water?) for several years. At the low end of the €50,000-80,000 estimate, I think it’s a good buy relative to similar amphibious vehicles I wrote about last week.

Perhaps my first exposure to a car enthusiast was in the film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, when the Sultan of Hatai chooses a Rolls Royce Phantom II over valuables “donated” by some of the finest families in all of Germany. This Phantom II was built in England for an American with a custom body by Brewster coachbuilders. The estimate of €100,000-150,000 seems a fair price for such a stylish 2-door pre-war Rolls.

It’s crazy to think the LM002 was originally designed to be a military vehicle for the US Army. The standard LM002 is now a collectible in its own right, but this one-off design for the Sultan of Brunei is perhaps the most desirable. This custom design built by Diomante features a closed cab with a luxurious interior replacing the standard pickup truck bed. Estimated at €450,000-575,000, you’ll need deep pockets to acquire this unique Lambo.

Supposedly built by Alpine for its competition division but never raced by the works team, this 1968 Alpine A110 eventually found its way to a collector who raced the car in a variety of period rallies as a privateer entry. The car retains its racing features with a tuned engine and standard fenders (vs racing fenders). Given the average price of a nice Alpine A110 is around $100,000, the estimate of €80,000-120,000 seems appropriate.

As I’m currently in the process of appraising a Ducati, I had to feature this 1984 Ducati 900 Mike Hailwood Replica. Built by Ducati to celebrate Hailwood’s Isle of Man TT win in 1978, this was the first production Ducati to feature full body fairings. Real period Ducati race bikes like Hailwood’s are very rare and extremely expensive, making this final-year factory tribute a nice alternative. The estimate of €16,000-24,000 seems reasonable, depending on condition.

I think my love of Lancia is well-known by readers by now. This Lancia Aurelia B24 is finished in a lovely color combo of white over a red interior (its original colors). Once owned by a Florentine prince, it’s hard to imagine a more lovely car to tour around the Italian countryside in the style of old money luxury. Offered with an estimate of €600,000-800,000, I think this one could go higher.

While there are other lovely Ferraris in this sale, this 1965 275 GTB has to be the most desirable and beautiful of them all. With a well-known history and a full restoration recently completed, the estimate of €2,200,000-2,600,000 feels like it could be exceeded with ease.

Apparently the Europeans share my passion for police vehicles from other countries. This Kawasaki Z 1000 Police bike was somehow imported in the early 1990s and restored soon after. Apparently it’s become difficult to pilot one of these in the congested streets of Paris, so the owner is selling it on. Perhaps this one should come back to the USA? The estimate of €8,000-12,000 feels a bit high for a former daily driver.

Who couldn’t desire what is essentially an F1 car designed for the road? Masterminded by the great F1 designer Adrian Newey, the car has some serious credibility behind its design. Max Verstappen famously owns one. The current owner is not identified, though it’s mentioned the car is registered in Monaco, so it’s possible this is an F1 driver’s personal vehicle. I count only 2 of the 150 Valkyries produced as having hit the open market. Estimated at €2.9M-3.4M, the high end would be the most paid for a Valkyrie to date.

Along with the Volkswagen GTI, the Peugeot 205 is one of the most iconic examples of the much-loved hot hatchback. This particular example is a genuine Group A racing spec car with a history of competition in the 1990s, though no details are provided. The interior of the Peugeot 205 was never luxurious, but in race spec it’s even more spartan. The exterior looks purposeful as well, with a lowered stance and race livery. The estimate of €50,000-70,000 is high for a standard 205 GTI, but perhaps not for a genuine Group A racer. I’d like a little more history or my money, however.

If you’re a high-end collector looking for exceptional examples of iconic vehicles, please don’t overlook Artcurial’s catalogs. Careful bidding could net you a rare and desirable example with room to spare for importation costs, assuming of course you’re looking at cars made at least 25 years ago.

What do you think of Artcurial relative to the other major houses? Let me know in the comments!

Wolf and Mare provides appraisal services for sellers and buyers of collector European cars. If you’re interested in acquiring a professional appraisal, give us a call or drop a line!
The opinions shared above do not represent financial or investment advice.