9 supercars from the ‘80s and ’90s bringing the rad to Arizona
Did exotic carmakers make more on posters of 1980s and ’90s supercars than the genuine article? My best guess is no, although there were definitely more of these ’80s and ’90s supercars plastered on walls than there were prowling the streets.
Hit the right boulevards in the right neighborhoods today and you’ll spot late-model exotics all day long, but you’d be lucky to catch a glimpse of these monuments to excess that will all be up for bid during Arizona Auction Week.
They say we should never meet our heroes, but I know where I’ll be as soon as the auction previews open. Good luck prying me away from these gorgeous dream cars; they’ve had many of my generation riveted since before we could even reach the pedals.
1983 Ferrari 512BBi
Estimate: $275,000–$325,000
With its wider Pininfarina body and new, larger flat-12 engine that loved to rev, the 512 had the look and sound of a proper supercar. Gooding has two 512s (a BB and a BBi), but this one is more special given its rare color. White just seems appropriate for an ‘80s supercar.
1985 Ferrari 288 GTO
Estimate: $3.2M–$3.6M
Estimate: $2.5M–$3.0M
We don’t have a record of either of these 288 GTOs on offer selling at auction before, and of the two, the one at RM is more appealing. That’s thanks, in part, to its low mileage and great interior. Lower production than an F40, these twin-turbo, 400-hp beasts are proper rally cars for the street.
1988 Lamborghini Jalpa
Estimate: $65,000–$85,000
Your Rocky IV costume isn’t complete without a black Jalpa, and until the Urus starts hitting the CarMax lots in a couple years, it’s the lowest-priced entry into Lamborghini ownership. We saw a big surge in Jalpa values in 2018, but they’ve been flat ever since. They also look particularly sweet in motion.
1989 Ferrari 208 GTS Turbo
Estimate: $100,000–$125,000
Ferrari made a 2.0-liter version of the 308 to get around some European tax laws. There was an NA version, but the GTS Turbo marked the first turbocharged Ferrari road car. Since these were pretty much just domestic market cars, they’re very rare in the U.S.
1989 Ferrari Testarossa
Estimate: $250,000–$300,000
This same car sold for $264,000 at RM Monterey in 2012, a very high price at the time, which was before Testarossas started appreciating in 2014–17. It had just 136 miles on it then and has only 150 miles on it now, so it’s destined to be a collector-grade car that sets itself apart from all the other red Testarossas out there.
1989 Porsche 911 Slantnose Cabriolet
Estimate: $175,000–$250,000
The G50 five-speed that was fitted to 930s for only one year makes this car particularly desirable. While a cabriolet typically doesn’t bring as much as a coupe or targa 930, the fact that this is a factory slantnose makes it special and tends to add 30 percent to the selling price.
1990 Lamborghini Countach
Estimate: $275,000–$350,000
The quintessential wedge supercar, this one sports a rare color for an anniversary model. Late-production Countach models are seen by many as the best of the breed as their handling quirks have been tamed and they’re more drivable. This one hammered not sold at an RM Toronto auction way back in 1993 with a $142,000 high bid.
1993 Bugatti EB110
Estimate: $800,000–$1M
Estimate: $850,000–$950,000
There are two chances to take home an EB110, a Bugatti that’s more exclusive than a Veyron at a fraction of the price. The car at Bonhams was the Frankfurt Motor Show car and it sold for $685,000 in Monaco last year. The Gooding & Company car features a rare color and has fewer miles; we had a chance to look at it up close and it’s in #2 (Excellent) condition.
1993 Vector WX-3 Prototypes
Estimate: $450,000–$500,000
Estimate: $450,000–$500,000
Geralt Wiegart’s designs for the Vector W8s successor came in these two ambitions prototypes that feature twin-turbo 427-cubic-inch V-8s and bodies crafted from fiberglass and carbon fiber. The coupe uses three-abreast seating, while the roadster uses twin buckets. A hostile takeover by Lamborghini’s parent company, Megatech, and ensuing lawsuits from Wiegert kept them out of production, so only these two prototypes remain.
