Auction Recap: Bonhams’ 2015 Amelia Island Sale

For 2015, the Amelia Island auction scene became a bit busier. Bonhams joined RM Sotheby’s and Gooding and Company (along with Hollywood Wheels) as part of the growing mercantile component of the Amelia Island Concours week. Bonhams’ entrance was successful, as 66 of 83 vehicles sold—an 80% sell-through rate—for a total of $13.9M.

Held at the Fernandina Beach Golf Club, the auction was particularly interesting in that only one post-war car cracked the top five, as a 1981 BMW M1 sold for a record $605,000. The top spot went to the 1930 Cord Model L-29 Town Car, which was reportedly only one of four such remaining examples. A very formal and striking car, it sold for $1.76M, including buyer’s premium.

As has been evident in the market for the past six months, cars of the 1980s performed particularly well. The previously mentioned M1 set a world record for the model with its final price, and a 1980 Ferrari 512 BB soared past its $150,000 high estimate to sell for $359,700. Similarly, a Cavalino Platinum award-winning 1977 Ferrari 308 GTB sold for $115,500.

Top 10

1. 1930 Cord Model L-29 Murphy Town Car sold for $1,760,000
2. 1908 American Underslung 50HP Roadster sold for $1,738,000
3. 1932 Stutz DV-32 Super Bearcat Convertible sold for $1,012,000
4. 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Transformal Phaeton sold for $742,500
5. 1981 BMW M1 Coupe sold for $605,000
6. 1969 Ferrari Dino 206 GT Coupe sold for $495,000
7. 1925 Bentley 3-Litre Four-Seater Touring sold for $462,000
8. 1912 Peerless Model 60 Runabout sold for $440,000
9. 1952 Alfa Romeo 1900C Sprint sold for $415,800
10. 1980 Ferrari 512 BB Coupe sold for $359,700

The next automobile auction for Bonhams is its Goodwood Members’ Meeting sale on March 21, 2015, which will feature a Maserati Birdcage among other race-oriented offerings. The company’s next American automotive auction will be in Greenwich, Conn., on May 31, 2015.