Gooding and Company has record weekend at Pebble

Gooding & Company held its ninth annual sale at Pebble Beach on Aug. 18-19, 2012. Conducted once again at the Pebble Beach Equestrian Center, this year’s sale exceeded nearly all expectations en route to grossing $113.6M in total sales. The numbers are eye-popping, with an average sale price exceeding $1M, two cars selling above $10M, and 24 cars selling above $1M. In all, 108 of 122 cars sold (an 89% rate), and the company is touting its total as the highest amount ever recorded for a two-day automotive auction. Gooding is to be commended for its consignments, as any of the top 10 cars sold could have been a centerpiece for nearly any other sale on the planet on any other weekend.

The auction’s top sale was an impeccable 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster that sold for a shade under $12M. The car, known as the Von Krieger 540K, had a known and riveting ownership history from new, and saw enthusiastic bidding all the way to its sale. Ferrari California Spyders rounded out the top three, with the alloy car hitting above the $11M mark. Three other top-tier cars missed the mark, some by only one or two bids. Clark Gable’s 1935 Duesenberg Model JN convertible stalled at a high bid of $6.4M, a 1932 Bugatti Type 55 Cabriolet did not sell at $4.5M, and a 1932 Bentley 4 1/2-Litre SC Blower boattail missed the mark at $7M. The latter car was expected to threaten the title of “most expensive British car sold at auction,” which was set by Bonhams this past July with a similar Bentley model.

The top 10 sales of the event are as follows:

1. 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster sold for $11,770,000
2. 1960 Ferrari 250 GT California LWB Competizione Spyder sold for $11,275,000
3. 1957 Ferrari 250 GT California LWB Prototype Spyder sold for $6,600,000
4. 1955 Ferrari 857 Sport Roadster sold for $6,270,000
5. 1928 Bentley 4 1/2-Litre Le Mans Bobtail sold for $6,050,000
6. 1965 Ford GT40 Prototype Coupe sold for $4,950,000
7. 1953 Ferrari 340 MM Spyder sold for $4,730,000
8. 1957 Ferrari 500 TRC Spyder sold for $4,510,000
9. 1953 Jaguar C-Type Roadster sold for $3,725,000
10. 1959 Maserati Tipo 61 Birdcage Roadster sold for $3,520,000

Gooding will next take the stage in Scottsdale in January.