Auction houses have proven that the collector car market is healthier than ever.

For several decades, California has been a mecca for motoring with Monterey Car Week, which includes the presentation of select models at auctions and exhibitions culminating in the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, where the 1932 Duesenberg J Figoni Sports Torpedo was declared worthy of the Best of Show trophy.

As for the auctions, RM Sotheby's achieved the highest transaction: a 1955 Ferrari 410 Sport that for $22 million dollars. With $231 million dollars in sales, close to the total for all the auctions of the week - $421 million 347 thousand 649 dollars-, RM Sotheby's was the big winner.

 

1. 1955 Ferrari 410 Sport Spider by Scaglietti, RM Sotheby's, $22,005,000

You know a car is special and extremely valuable when the names attached to its racing history include Carroll Shelby, Juan Manuel Fangio, Phil Hill and Enzo Ferrari. So it's no wonder it sold for $22 million dollars, making it the most expensive car ever offered for sale.

 

 

2. 1937 Bugatti Type 57SC

   Atalante, Gooding & Company, $10,345,000

Its pedigree can be traced back to where it was built, Molsheim, 1937. It was fitted with an Atalante body designed by Jean Bugatti, son of the brand's founder, Ettore Bugatti. This two-passenger coupe was offered with a cataloged body style and although no two were alike, they differed in subtle details.

 

3. 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Spezial Roadster, RM Sotheby's, $9,905,000

This is a pre-war gem. The 500K proved to be an exclusive and powerful car for an equally exclusive and powerful clientele. Although it shared the chassis with the 500K, the 540K featured a supercharged 5.4-liter inline eight-cylinder engine (a sort of turbo of the time).

 

4. 1924 Hispano-Suiza H6C

   'Tulipwood Torpedo', RM Sotheby's, $9,245,000

The name Hispano-Suiza may not be as recognizable as Ferrari, Bugatti or Mercedes. But it was right up there with the greats. With a price tag of over $9 million dollars, we could see this unique example competing at Pebble Beach in the future.

 

 

 

5. 1957 Ferrari 500TRC, RM Sotheby's, $7, 815,000

Ferrari is the company that appears more than once on this list. According to the auction house, 19 Ferrari 500TRC were produced. It competed in 30 races and finished on the podium in 18; one of its appearances was in the 1957 24 Hours of Le Mans, being retired after a water pump failure.

 

6. 1954 Ferrari 375 America Vignale Cabriolet, RM Sotheby's, $7, 595,000

Sold personally by Enzo Ferrari to Bianca Colizzi, daughter of Italian film director Giuseppe Colizzi. It is powered by a 4.5-liter Lampredi V12 produces 300 hp at 6,300 rpm, an astonishing figure for the time.

 

7. 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C, RM Sotheby's, $7,595,000

If it wasn't already obvious from the looks of it, this is the most modern car on this list. Priced at just under $7.6 million dollars, this gorgeous Ferrari coupe had a three-year restoration that ended in 2017, before winning the FCA Platinum Award at the 2018 Cavallino Classic.

 

 

 

8. 1952 Ferrari 375 MM Spider, RM Sotheby's, $7,485,000

Scaglietti was the body of choice for Maranello to build its racing models and sports Berlinettas. One of those Scaglietti examples is this #0366AM. Only 26 units were built with this innovative bodywork.

 

9. 1938 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS Teardrop Coupe, RM Sotheby's, $7,265,000

The aerodynamic design was popular in France after the First World War. It reached its peak development in the atelier carrosserie of Marcel Pourtout and Joseph Figoni on Delahaye, Delage and Talbot-Lago chassis. The goutte d'eau (drop of water) style is a beautiful shape that few made with such mastery. That is why the price...

 

10. 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series I, RM Sotheby's, $6,825,000

One of five cars delivered with the most desirable configuration: covered headlights, 410 Superamerica-style chrome vents and chrome bumper. It was exhibited at the 1958 Paris Motor Show. Although it was restored, the exact materials were used; it has the original engine.

 

 

 

 

 

Special Mention to 1988 Ferrari Testarossa, $302,000

Sold at RM Sotheby's on Saturdat evening, it achieved a good result, becoming the sixth highest price of the auction. This shows that the market is willing to pay extra for special features, in this case, the paint.

 

The Quail, a Motorsport Gathering 2022

The exclusive exhibition The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering honored three manufacturers: 50 years of BMW's M Division, 70 years of Jaguar and its Le Mans victories, and All Things Mini Cooper. Nineteen new models were unveiled, highlighted by Rolls-Royce's Phantom Series II, five years after the launch of the eighth-generation Phantom, and the Porsche GT3 RS, a tribute to the legendary 1973 2.7 RS,

 

 

  

Pebble Beach Concourse D'Elegance

From 18 countries and 33 states of the United States, the cars participating in the Pebble Beach Concourse D'Elegance entered the Pebble Beach Golf Course, where the 1932 Duesenberg J Figoni Sports Torpedo, designed by Frenchman Giuseppe Figoni, was named "Best of Show".

The last time an American car won was in 2013, a 1934 Packard Twelve. Duesenberg has long been the winningest American manufacterer at Pebble Beach, with seven victories.

 

Text: ± Photo: Infobae, TCC, Boyt, DT, Pinimg