Auction Recap: Gooding & Co. Amelia Island 2024

Last year, Gooding & Co. made to the top spot in Amelia Island in terms of total sales. It maintained that distinction in 2024, notching nearly $12M more than Broad Arrow and nearly 10 times as much as Bonhams.

Among the usual array of rare 911s and Enzo-era Ferraris at Gooding Amelia was a select group of rare French cars from the Mullin Museum collection. While many of that collection’s more noteworthy and valuable offerings are crossing the block at a dedicated auction being held by Gooding at the museum next month, it was nevertheless a good appetizer—particularly for fans of Citroën and Avions Voisin. The star of the sale and the week, however, was the glorious (and enormous) 1903 Mercedes Simplex 60 HP that brought the only eight-figure price in Amelia this year. The Mercedes, and some of the other most interesting cars from Gooding & Co. Amelia 2024, are outlined in detail below.

Lot 49: 1976 GAZ-24 Volga

Sold for $25,760 (estimate: $20,000-$30,000)

Chassis no. 0365550; Engine no. 0578941. Older restoration, #3+ condition.

Light Gray over red vinyl and cloth

Equipment: 2445-cc I-4/95hp, four-speed manual, wheel covers, radio, tool kit, owner’s manual.

Condition: Fully restored, very good paint, brightwork, and panel alignment. The underbody is aged and greasy. The interior has been redone, however some parts appear original. An interesting Soviet automobile that looks good from a distance but needs a few items addressed.

Bottom Line: Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod (GAZ) built this car, officially known as the GAZ-24 Volga. It sold from 1970-85 as Russia’s premiere luxury sedan. It has some clear American inspiration in its lines—part Ford and part Plymouth—depending on what part of the car you look at.

Neither fast nor advanced, it was nevertheless something of a status symbol in Russia, partly by virtue of its size, and partly because when it was introduced, you had to have a special-use permit to own one. Is it collectible? Depends on who you ask, and maybe you have to be a bit eccentric to want it, but this one probably couldn’t have hoped for more money than it brought here in Amelia.

Lot 130: 1989 Ferrari Testarossa

Sold for $348,750 (estimate: $350,000-$450,000)

Chassis no. ZFFSA17S000080096. Unrestored original, #1- condition.

Rosso Corsa over tan leather.

Equipment: 4943-cc H-12/390hp, five-speed, Michelin tires, power windows, air conditioning.

Condition: Just 211 km (131 miles) and represented with recent belt service new tires, and rebuilds of the fuel and brake systems. It does look showroom fresh, and the recent service is reassuring since this car has spent almost all of its existence sitting still. Buyer is paying for the odometer reading here.

Bottom Line: This car popped up on Bring a Trailer a year ago and was bid to $294,000 but didn’t sell. That seemed like all the money in the world for a no-mile Testarossa, but the Amelia bidders were even kinder to it and the seller wisely let it go. At this price and despite the recent servicing, every fresh tick of the odometer may bring pangs of guilt.

Lot 160: 1965 Citroën DS19 “Majesty” by Chapron

Sold for $207,200 (estimate: $120,000-$150,000)

Chassis no. 4426002. Older restoration, #2- condition.

Metallic Gray over tan leather.

Equipment: 1911-cc/74hp, column shift four-speed, wheel covers, Becker Mexico radio, division window, Jaeger dash clocks front and rear, twin rear ashtrays, heated mirrors, Connolly leather.

Condition: From the Mullin collection. Restored in the 2000s. One of 27 Majesties built by Chapron. Ordered new by René Gaston-Dreyfus. Specially ordered with shorter front doors, extended rear suicide doors, power privacy panel, clock, power windows, fog lights, Becker Mexico radio, heated mirrors, and of course dual rear ashtrays (this was France in the ’60s, after all). A few scratches in the front bumper and pitted right headlight bezel. Good paint. Lovely interior showing barely any wear. The best appointed of the four Chapron-bodied DSs here, and in good usable condition.

Bottom line: There are several coachbuilt versions of the “Dee-Esse” that stand out among these already distinctive cars. Four of them, courtesy of the Mullin Collection and Parisian coachbuilder Henri Chapron, were on offer at this auction. This was the cleanest example of the bunch, as well as the roomiest and arguably the most handsome. Citroën enthusiasts aren’t a huge group but there were enough of them attracted to this auction by the numerous DSs and Traction Avants on offer here and they bid this aptly named “Majesty” to a big price.

Lot 163: 2005 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti

Sold for $467,000 (estimate: $275,000-$325,000)

Chassis no. ZFFAA54A050142651. Original, #2+ condition

Azzuro California over Blu Scuro leather.

Equipment: 5748-cc V-12/532hp, six-speed manual, Silver calipers, Pirelli tires, books, tools, car cover.

Condition: One of 199 built with a six-speed manual. Represented with just 6308 miles. Gorgeous and like new.

Bottom Line: With rare colors, low mileage and a 6-speed manual, this car is at the very top of the food chain for Ferrari’s often overlooked 2000s four-seater. At a $467,000 final price, though, nobody overlooked it in Amelia. This is a record price for the model, besting the previous record (set by the same car) at Monterey in 2020 by 44 percent.

Lot 121: 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4

Sold for $2,920,000

Chassis no. 09689; Engine no. 09689. Unrestored original, #4- condition.

Red over black leather.

Equipment: 3286-cc V-12/320hp, five-speed, centerlock alloy wheels, Moto-Lita leather-wrapped steering wheel, fog lights.

Condition: Originally finished in Blu Chiaro and bought new by racing driver Jo Siffert. One owner for the last 50 years and in barn-find condition. It’s aged, with pitted chrome, cracked paint, filthy wheels and tires, and lots of dirt and oxidation underneath. Small dent in the hood. The leather looks good but the carpets are soiled. A barn-find GTB with a famous original owner, and therefore a rare, exciting opportunity for the right buyer.

Bottom line: This kind of money could have bought a freshly restored 275 GTB/4 instead, but this result still makes sense. First, there aren’t many 1960s Ferraris in this kind of freshly discovered condition, and that’s enticing to certain buyers. Second, its first owner won F1 Grands Prix, Daytona, Sebring, and the Targa Florio, and he bought the car right in the middle of his successful career. It’s already an expensive car, but it’s now up to the new owner to decide whether to keep it as is, restore it, or somehow try to preserve it while bringing out the original Blu Chiaro paint.

Lot 9: 1984 Peugeot 205 T16

Sold for $274,000 (estimate: $225,000-$275,000)

Chassis no. VF3741R76E5100189. Visually maintained, largely original, #3+ condition.

Metallic Gray over black leather with black, gray and red cloth inserts.

Equipment: 1775-cc I-4/197hp, five-speed, cassette stereo, power windows.

Condition: Very good paint showing minimal deterioration. The underbody shows very little aging. The interior exhibits little use, but small things like the steering wheel and seat bolsters show usage. A reasonably well maintained 205 Turbo 16.

Bottom line: While not as celebrated as the Audis and Lancias, Peugeot’s Group B rally car was technically the most successful one of the era. All Group B era machinery has garnered appreciation in recent years, though—for example, this car last sold here in 2018 for $156,800.

Lot 36: 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spyder

Sold for $3,635,000 (estimate: $2,500,000-$3,000,000)

Chassis no. 15277; Engine no. B1724. Visually maintained, largely original, #3 condition.

Verde Bahram with black top over beige leather.

Equipment: 4390-cc V-12/352hp, five-speed, Borrani wheels, air conditioning, Becker Mexico radio, books, tools, and Marcel Massini report.

Condition: One of 121 genuine Daytona Spiders and reportedly one of five in this color. Repainted black at some point, but returned to its original shade more recently and otherwise original. Odometer shows 7827 miles that may very well be actual. The paint presents well overall with only a small bit of spidering on the passenger’s side hood vent. The bumpers have some scratches to the finish and the rear reflectors and taillights have finish wear and pitting to the bezels. The engine compartment is aged and dirty. The air conditioning belt is disconnected, suggesting the AC doesn’t function. The interior exhibits some wear to the seats, but overall interior aging is not excessive. A decent-looking Daytona Spyder that shows its age.

Bottom line: While far from a perfect car, this Daytona Spider brought very strong money thanks in part to its rare color and its commendable preservation. Daytona Spiders also seem to be in high demand—Broad Arrow sold a restored blue example good but imperfect condition for the similarly expensive final price of $3,305,000.

Lot 30: 1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Series I Spider by Pinin Farina

Sold for $3,995,000 (estimate: $4,000,000-$5,000,000)

Chassis no. 0434MD; Engine no. 0434MD. Older restoration, #2- condition.

Red over brown leather.

Equipment: 1985-cc I-4/170hp, four-speed, painted Borrani wire wheels, Dunlop Racing tires, tonneau cover, woodrim steering wheel, Veglia gauges.

Condition: One of 14 Pinin Farina-bodied cars. Raced in period at Spa and Zandvoort. Matching numbers drivetrain. Tidy underneath but has some dirt in the wheel spokes. Good paint. A few very shallow dents in the body ahead of the windshield. Lightly aged interior. In current condition, it’s ideal for racing, and has already been accepted to Mille Miglia events. Any 1950s racing Ferrari is a significant, special car, and even the four-cylinder models have long since been recognized for their important place in the company’s history.

Bottom line: Our 2023 sale of the year was a $1.875M pile of twisted metal that used to be a 500 Mondial. Once its long restoration is finished, it will both look and be worth something like this car, which is already running and ready to race.

Lot 128: 1903 Mercedes Simplex 60 HP by J. Rothschild et Fils

Sold for $12,105,000 (estimate: “In excess of $10,000,000)

Engine no. 2924. Visually maintained, largely original, #4 condition.

Green over dark green leather.

Equipment: 9236-cc/60hp, four-speed, dual chain drive, wood artillery wheels, water-cooled rear drum brakes.

Condition: A Brass Era masterpiece and among the first automobiles to wear the Mercedes name. Ordered new by British publishing magnate Alfred CW Harmsworth, it set fastest times at 1903 Nice Speed Week and Castlewan Hill Climb. It was then fitted with the current coachwork, “Roi Des Belges,” named for the king of Belgium who ordered a similar body for his own car.

Cosmetically restored, run in the London-to-Brighton Veteran Car Run in the 1950s, and participated in the veteran car parade at the Brussels World’s Fair. Went into the Museum in Beaulieu in the 1960s and stayed there for 60 years while remaining the Harmsworth family’s ownership. Paint is coming off the chassis and suspension, and the finish is flat. The leather is cracked. Dull finishes are everywhere. But arguably better for it. Impressive in its preservation and historical significance.

Bottom line: If you asked the average person what the most expensive car here is, few would pick this 60-horsepower car from 121 years ago. But it is the costliest by nearly a factor of three. To recap, this is one of the oldest cars in the world called a Mercedes. It was one of the fastest and most exclusive cars of its day. It’s one of five surviving examples of its type. Its first owner was the country’s largest media mogul and its bodywork was fit for a king, literally. It has been owned by the same family since the reign of Edward VII. It retains its original chassis, body, and engine. It is also eligible for London-to-Brighton (pre-1905), one of the world’s most exclusive driving events. No matter what is going on in the collector car market, the best examples of the best cars with the best history will always bring top dollar.