The annual Retromobile week extravaganza is one of western Europe's most attended classic car events, even in the dead of winter, and every year this event coincides with a number of auctions that set the mood for the rest of the year. With a number of "barn finds" (in a very liberal sense) heading to the Paris auctions this year, including Bugattis unseen for years, this year's event promises to be one of the most closely watched in years — even with the looming financial worries over Brexit and mass protests in Paris itself. Will this political and economic climate force the biggest collectors to sit on their hands, or is the world of car collecting well-enough insulated from these factors?
The RM Sotheby's auction will have one of the deepest rosters of auction lots lined up for the Paris sale, even if devoid of several high-profile "barn finds" that will likely be trading hands the same week. Rather, RM Sotheby's lineup stands out for a number of desirable youngtimers from the eighties and nineties that are just beginning to draw serious money
Here are nine cars to watch from RM Sotheby's upcoming auction, in no particular order.
1. 1994 BMW Alpina B12 5.7 Coupe
BMW's original 8-Series is beginning to draw interest from serious collectors, and RM Sotheby's will have an Alpina version to tempt BMW fans with deep pockets. One of just 57 B12 5.7 coupes tuned by Alpina, this 1994 example shows just 47,000 kilometers from new and is finished in Calypsorot metallic paint over an Anthrazit Buffalo leather interior.
The auction house estimates this B12 to bring between €175,000 and €225,000 on auction day, which translates to $200,000 to $257,000. Yes, that's quite an estimate range for an Alpina 8-Series from the 1990s, but that's the reality of the market today for well-kept Alpina cars. Of course, this market demand does not translate to other BMW tuners — a good thing to keep in mind.
2. 1983 Aston Martin Tickford Lagonda
One of two Lagondas that RM Sotheby's will have on offer this week, the Tickford-tuned version wears a very noticeable body kit, and is a left-hand drive example. One of just 11 examples built to Tickford spec, this sedan features digital instruments and is painted in Rolls Royce Ice Green was delivered new to Jersey in 1982. Options include rear power seats — a rarity at the time — even in cars this exclusive.
RM Sotheby's estimates this example to bring between €90,000 and €120,000 on auction day, which translates to about $103,000 to $137,000. The Tickford tuning isn't to everyone's tastes, as is Lagonda styling, but the best examples still reliably bring solid money among collectors. High-mileage examples are rare, and this one shows just 15,000 kilometers on the clock.
3. 1959 BMW 507 Roadster Series II
The BMW 507 has surged in value over the past decade, and in a few days Paris will see a Series II example from 1959 cross the auction block. Delivered new to Mozambique, this example was restored in the 1990s and is optioned with Rudge wheels and a factory hardtop. Finished in Japan Red, this car received a five-speed ZF gearbox during the restoration, but will be offered with the original four-speed box as a bonus. The car also no longer has its original engine — a BMW 3200 CS engine was fitted in the 1970s.
The auction house estimates this example to bring between €2 million and €2.2 million on auction day, which works out to about $2,289,000 to $2,518,000. A car with some stories, to be sure, but this is where the top examples trade today.
4. 1994 Venturi 400GT Trophy
Introduced in 1992 (just in time for the recession), the Venturi 400 GT was powered by a V6 engine developed by Volvo, Peugeot and Renault, good for 400 hp. A very modest curb weight of 2,645 lbs meant that the 400 GT was lighter than most supercars of the day, and featured such advanced systems as carbon ceramic brakes. This example was converted to racing specification and then back to road-going spec, and this car also wears paintwork by artist Jean-Yves Lacroix — that's not decal.
RM Sotheby's estimates this 400 GT to bring between €120,000 and €200,000 on auction day, which is a very liberal range that translates to $137,000 to $229,000. A unique example that's lived an interesting life, even among Venturi cars.
5. 1994 Bugatti EB110 Super Sport
The Paris auctions will have no shortage of Bugattis — the marque is French, after all — and this will include the EB110. RM Sotheby's will offer an example with just 916 kilometers on the clock, which is said to be one the lowest-mileaged examples in the world. The auction house reports that this example was delivered new to a Mrs. Muller in Germany in 1994, and then spent time in a collection in Japan being further… not driven a whole lot. This works out to about 25 miles per year, as RM Sotheby's notes, but the car has been cared for in that time as intended by the manufacturer.
The auction house estimates this example to fetch between €1,300,000 and €1,800,000, which works out to a range of $1,489,000 and $2,061,000. Will its value decline when the odometer passes the 1,000 kilometer mark? Perhaps not, but we don't expect this example to be driven by its new owner if the car changes hands. If this EB110 lands anywhere inside the estimate range, this result will likely be seen as well bought in a few years.
6. 1992 Porsche 928 GTS
One of several recent sports cars to be offered by RM Sotheby's, this 928 GTS shows just 17,000 kilometers from new and was delivered new to Spain in October 1992. Finished in Polar Silver Metallic, this five-speed manual 928 GTS was optioned with heated seats, a sunroof, sport shocks and air conditioning. RM Sotheby's reports that the car has been in Spain from 1995 until 2017.
The auction houses estimates this example to fetch between €70,000 and €85,000 on auction day, which works out to $80,200 to $97,400. Will all 1992 928 GTS cars be worth this much when the hammer falls? That's doubtful, but if the car lands within this estimate range it may be a good indication of where the values for top-notch examples of this model are headed, driven north by rising 911 and 968 values from the same time period.
7. 1964 Porsche 911 by Reutter
Early 911s have always been valuable, and the fourth car off the line to bear the 911 badge is understandably a special example. RM Sotheby's will offer a well-documented 911 from the very early days of production that was delivered new to France.
"Chassis 300082 is one of four new cars completed on 12 November 1964," the auction house says. "The factory’s hand-written ledger for these 232 cars, as illustrated in Tobias Aichele’s Porsche 911, shows that it was assigned engine no. 900193. According to Robert Fleming of Minnesota, keeper of the Early 911 Registry, it appears that the engine was changed before the car left the factory, as 900193 had been allocated to chassis 300067, which was constructed several weeks earlier. Thus, this car was delivered to its first owner with engine no. 900192. It retains that engine today."
The car was raced in its early days, but later received a complete restoration in its original color. A car with some stories, but thankfully the records were well kept to permit a return to stock condition.
RM Sotheby's estimates this example to bring between €600,000 and €900,000 on auction day, which translates to $684,000 to $1,027,000.
8. 1996 Ferrari F50
The collector car market has treated the Ferrari F50 with some measure of apathy for the past decade, in stark contrast to the craze surrounding examples of the F40, as it has been long treated mostly as an item for completists and investors. RM Sotheby's will have a 1996 example on offer that was supplied new to France, and has received relatively modest kilometrage in its time there while being serviced by the original supplying dealer.
"From 2005 the car has been used sparingly and in 2013 it was brought to the UK," the auction house notes. "Since then it has been serviced in 2016, 2017 and 2018 by Greypaul Ferrari of Nottingham under the stewardship of three further owners. It is worth mentioning that it also benefits from a new clutch, which was fitted along with new tires in 2015 by renowned specialist Bob Houghton."
A no-stories car, RM Sotheby's estimates this F50 to bring between €1.7 million and €1.9 million on auction day, which translates to $1,939,000 to $2,167,000. This is where the best examples trade at the moment, but you'll note that their values have been creeping up in the last few years along with other supercars of the nineties. Owning one of these does not mean you have to like its looks, after all, especially if you want to flip it in a few years for a profit.
9. 1987 Ferrari F40 LM
One of the most watched cars at RM Sotheby's auction will be this F40 LM with impressive racing history, even though F40s without racing history have no trouble achieving record results. One of just 19 built by Michelotto to F40 LM or F40 Competizione spec, this example took part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995 and 1996, finishing 12th overall in its first outing. This car is actually a factory prototype — the third ever built — and was used by the factory for development before being converted to LM specification.
"Originally used as a pre-production prototype by the factory, it was sold to former Le Mans and IMSA driver Rene Herzog in early 1992," the auction house says. "Herzog sent the car to Michelotto for conversion to LM specification, although shortly after its completion ownership passed to his fellow Swiss Charles Zuger. In 1995, the car was sold to GT Racing impresario Stephane Ratel who raced it in the European GT Championship of that year, but in turn sold the car mid-season to the French Pilot-Aldix team for use in the BPR Global GT Series of that year."
The car has been in collector hands since its racing days came to a close, and has recently received mechanical service.
The auction house calls this example "the most significant F40 LM" due to its extensive racing history, which also includes a win at the 1995 Anderstorp 4 Hours. RM Sotheby's estimates this F40 LM to fetch between €4.5 million and €5.5 million on auction day, which translates to $5,132,000 and $6,273,000.
Visit the auction website to view the full list of lots and detailed auction schedule.
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