Auction Recap: Bonhams’ 2015 Scottsdale Sale

Bonhams returned to the Westin Kierland in Scottsdale, Ariz., in 2015 and recorded its highest sales total at the venue, setting several model records along the way. In its fourth event at the Westin Kierland, Bonhams sold 74 of 84 automotive lots for $25.0 million (including buyer’s premium), which marked a 5-percent bump from its 2014 sale. Notably, the average sale price grew from $272,890 in 2014 to $337,246 in 2015.

Top seller for the one-day event was the auction’s star car, a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Competizione coupe. Certified by Ferrari Classiche and restored to its 1967 Le Mans class-winning livery, the car found strong interest and managed to set the record for most-expensive car sold during Arizona auction week (a title it held for just over two days), as well as a world record for the model. Its final price was $9.405 million.

Ferraris from the 1980s and onward also did well, as a 1982 Ferrari 512 BBi and an 1984 512 BBi sold for $357,500 and $324,500 respectively, and a 1990 Ferrari Testarossa traded for a heady $250,800. Two Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40s—which have become a recent fixture at high-line auctions following a few years of sharp value increases—presaged a trend that was repeated throughout the week, as a 1977 model sold for $38,500 and a 1978 went for $35,200. Both Toyotas were estimated to sell between $50,000 and $80,000.

Overall Top 10 Sales:

1. 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Competizione Coupe Sold For $9,405,000
2. 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe Sold For $1,375,000
3. 1958 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster Sold For $1,237,500
4. 1964 Shelby Cobra 289 R&P Roadster Sold For $1,017,500
5. 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster Sold For $902,000
6. 1969 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Coupe Sold For $748,000
7. 1938 Bugatti Type 57 Roadster Sold For $671,000
8. 1914 American Underslung 646 5-Passenger Touring Sold For $528,000
9. 1953 Mercedes-Benz 300S Coupe Sold For $511,500
10. 1948 Automobile Shippers Special Indy Roadster Sold For $473,000

Bonhams’ next collector car auction is scheduled for Feb. 5, 2015 in Paris, where a 1965 Aston Martin DB5 convertible will take the spotlight. The company will return to the dais in the U.S. on March 12, 2015, with its first Amelia Island auction. This new event will feature a 1932 Stutz DV-32 Super Bearcat convertible.