13 Jan

Classic Ferrari 335 S Spider could fetch over $34 million at Retromobile auction in Paris next month

The 1957 Ferrari 335 S Spider Scaglietti, estimated sale price: $30-34 million  Photo: Christian Martin/Artcurial

The 1957 Ferrari 335 S Spider Scaglietti, estimated sale price: $30-34 million
Photo: Christian Martin/Artcurial

Paris, France – A classic Ferrari to be featured at an auction to be held in Paris next month may challenge the record for the highest price ever paid for an automobile. The 1957 Ferrari 335 S Spider Scaglietti, once driven to victory by British World Champion Stirling Moss at the 1958 Cuban Grand Prix, is expected by the French auction house Artcurial Motors to fetch between $30 and $34 million. The current record, held by another classic Ferrari sold last year, stands at a whopping $34.6 million.

A former Le Mans lap record holder, this 335 S served the Ferrari factory team in a championship-winning 1957 season during the golden age of road racing, when events were often held on public roads with little concern for the safety of drivers or the spectators that lined the courses. That year, the car made an indelible mark on racing history after another 335 S Spider racing at the infamous Mille Miglia in Italy crashed into a crowd of fans, killing both drivers and nine spectators. The crash marked the beginning of the end for racing on public roads: the 1,000 mile event considered the greatest of the era would soon be canceled.

The Ferrari 335 S, chassis 0674, left the workshops at the start of 1957, fitted with a Scaglietti body, a design born of the requirements of a powerful racing car. It was fitted at that time with a 3.8-litre V12 Tipo 140 engine (315 S) that had twin-cams per bank of cylinders producing around 360 bhp.

In March of that year it was entered by Scuderia Ferrari for the Sebring 12 Hours, driven by Peter Collins and Maurice Trintignant, and finished sixth. At the Mille Miglia in May, chassis 0674 was driven by Wolfgang von Trips to second overall behind the Piero Tariff’s similar Ferrari. On being returned to the factory, its engine size was increased to 4.1-litres, therefore becoming a 335 S. With close to 400 bhp under its belt, the car could reach 300 km/h.

1957 Mille Milia with Wolfgang von Trips at the wheel Photo: Sports Car Digest

1957 Mille Milia with Wolfgang von Trips at the wheel Photo: Sports Car Digest

For the 24 Heures du Mans, the car was given to Mike Hawthorn and Luigi Musso. Hawthorn took the lead in front of the Maserati and Jaguars and set the first lap record in the history of the Le Mans 24 Hours of over 200 km/h (203.015 km/h average speed) but unfortunately the car retired in the fifth hour with mechanical problems. The Ferrari then finished fourth in the Swedish Grand Prix and second in the Venezuela Grand Prix on 3 November with team of Hawthorn and Musso, helping Ferrari to win the World Constructors’ Title in 1957.

In January 1958 it was sold to Luigi Chinetti, the Ferrari importer based in New York. On 24 February of that year, with Masten Gregory and Stirling Moss at the wheel, the car won the Cuba Grand Prix. During the 1958 season, it participated successfully in various American races driven by Gaston Andrey and Lance Reventlow, before being sold to Robert N. Dusek in 1960, an architect living in Pennsylvania.

Mike Hawthorne driving the 335 S at Le Mans in 1957 Photo: Sports Car Digest

Mike Hawthorne driving the 335 S at Le Mans in 1957 Photo: Sports Car Digest

Following this American adventure, the car was brought to France in 1970. The American architect sold it to Pierre Bardinon, the collector who over the years assembled some fifty factory Ferraris comprising the most successful and iconic models in the history of the marque. Kept as part Pierre Bardinon’s private collection for over 40 years, the car has been used and maintained regularly and is presented in excellent condition. Chassis 0674 is estimated to sell for €28,000,000 – €32,000,000 ($30,000,000 – $34,000,000).

Prices soaring well into the eight figures are no longer unusual for cars of this era, which are highly sought after by collectors willing to pay for their own piece of automotive history. Values for very rare cars have skyrocketed in the past decade, and largely defied the 2008 recession in following other luxury items, such as fine art. Though the auction house anticipates the 335 S to fall just short of the record price, it’s common for expectations to be exceeded – especially if more than one bidder wants the car badly enough.

1986 Ferrari Testrossa Spider looks like the 1980s on wheels, estimated sale price $1 million . Photo: Artcurial

1986 Ferrari Testrossa Spider looks like the 1980s on wheels, estimated sale price $1 million . Photo: Artcurial

The Artcurial auction will feature an eye-watering list of ultra-rare classic cars, headlined by a handful other great Ferraris, including a 1962 250 GT Berlinetta once owned by the king of Morocco, a 1963 250 GT short wheel base Berlinetta, and the only convertible Ferrari Testrossa ever built.

This last car, a gift to Fiat chief Gianni Agnelli in 1986, features a silver paint scheme and a solid silver Ferrari badge on the front hood — and the periodic symbol for the element that also marked the first two letters of the Italian auto executive’s surname.

It’s good to be the king. Artcurial’s stunning 1963 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta, is estimated to fetch $10-13 million. The 2016 Artcurial Retromobile auction, scheduled for 5-6 February at the Retromobile Show in Paris, will present approximately 130 automobiles over two days. More information can be found at www.artcurial.com and www.retromobile.com

Courtesy: Sports Car Digest/Artcurial

1957 Ferrari 335 S Spider Scaglietti Photo: Sports Car Digest

1957 Ferrari 335 S Spider Scaglietti Photo: Sports Car Digest

03 Dec

Early Offerings at RM Auctions Paris February 3 – 4, 2015

Joseph Paul and Marcel Mongin drove the Delahaye 135 S to second overall at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1937 (photo: Collection Jean Paul Tissot)

Joseph Paul and Marcel Mongin drove the Delahaye 135 S to second overall at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1937 (photo: Collection Jean Paul Tissot)

London – RM Auctions will return to Place Vauban in Paris on 3-4 February, 2015 for its annual sale during the Retromobile show week. A permanent fixture on RM’s global calendar, the Paris auction will open the company’s 2015 European calendar with a roster of 60 automobiles.

“Paris 2014 was an important sale for RM, as it allowed the company to establish an auction in what is regarded as one of the most important weeks on the European collector car calendar. After such an incredible debut sale last year, we are excited to return with what is already shaping-up to be a wonderful roster of cars,” said Augustin Sabatié-Garat, Car Specialist RM Auctions.

Leading early entries is a 1935 Delahaye 135 S, chassis no. 46094. The Delahaye has resided in France all of its life, including many years in the ownership of Jean-Philippe Peugeot, of the Peugeot Motor Company. It raced competitively from 1936 through 1949, extensively in the hands of the well-known French driver, Joseph Paul. In addition, it was a competitor at many Grand Prix events throughout the 1940s, claiming victory at the Grand Prix des Frontières in the hands of Willy Mairesse. A veteran of no less than three 24 Heures du Mans, the car’s most notable performance came in 1937 when Joseph Paul and Marcel Mongin piloted it to second position overall in the famed endurance race.

For decades, chassis 46094 has been a familiar sight on the international classic car scene, competing in many of the world’s leading historic races driven by its former owner, Jean Sage. Suitable for road or track, it’s a versatile entry into almost every significant event around the world (Est. €1.200.000 – €1.600.000).

Another early highlight from the RM Auctions Paris 2015 sale with French history and one set to command strong local interest is the 1934 Lancia Belna Eclipse. The Lancia features coachwork by Pourtout and dramatic Art Deco design by Georges Paulin, a dentist who sketched many of the most beautiful French automobiles of the pre-war period and went on to be a hero of the French Resistance.

Paulin was a pioneer of aerodynamic design and new ideas in coach-building, most prominently, one of the world’s first retractable hardtops, which he dubbed “Eclipse.” A simple system, it featured a one-piece hardtop that unbuckled at the windshield frame, with a reverse-hinged rear deck that would be raised to store the hardtop underneath. The patented design was simple and effective and was mainly utilized by French coachbuilder Marcel Pourtout up to the outbreak of World War II. Paulin then went on to join the war-time Resistance movement, passing secrets along to agents who would come to his dental office, until he was tragically captured and executed on March 21, 1942.

1934 Lancia Belna Eclipse by Pourtout (photo: Darin Schnabel)

1934 Lancia Belna Eclipse by Pourtout (photo: Darin Schnabel)

The Lancia on offer, chassis F341349, is one of only two known examples featuring the Pourtout-built Eclipse coachwork. Built on a French-manufactured Belna chassis, it was discovered by its present owner in Tennessee and was duly restored to feature its current black and bright yellow paintwork with a genuine ostrich skin interior. Widely shown at various American Concours d’Elegance events, including at Pebble Beach in 2004, it has been awarded a string of accolades over the years, including Best in Class at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance (2005), and the Concorso Italiano (2006), along with being judged 99.75 points by the Classic Car Club of America (Est. €300.000 – €375.000).

The February 2015 sale follows in the footsteps of the company’s debut in the French capital earlier this year, an event which grossed €17.7 million in sales and was headlined by a 1955 Jaguar D-Type at €3.696.000.

The RM Auctions Paris 2015 auction will be held at Place Vauban immediately after the Festival Automobile International, 4 December 2014 to 1 February 2015. This event will gather a display of concept cars and pay tribute to car designers from around the world.

For further sale information, or to view a frequently updated list of entries, visit www.rmauctions.com or call RM’s London office at +44 (0) 20 7851 7070.

[Source: Sports Car Graphic]