Auction Preview: RM Auctions London sale
RM mailed its London preview catalog last week, and its Oct. 31, 2012, sale is shaping up to be incredible. Headlining the event is a 1955 alloy Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing. We watched Gooding & Company earn $4.62M for a recently restored alloy Gullwing last January, which was more than 50 percent above the company’s presale estimate, and also set a record for a 300SL sold at auction. At the time, 300SLs were just selling for approximately 30 percent less than they are today, so look for another strong result for this car. Before last January’s sale, an alloy Gullwing hadn’t appeared on an auction block since 2007.
Other star cars include a 1998 Ferrari F1 race car, Paul McCartney’s former Aston Martin DB5 coupe, a London-to-Brighton-eligible 1904 Cadillac Model R, and a 1952 Bentley Continental R-Type. More than 20 cars from the Wim Zagwaard collection have also been consigned, including a 2008 Bugatti Veyron.
The annual London sale is RM’s flagship event, and has achieved totals of $21.4M and $30.3M the past two years.
