2017 Bonhams Paris Grand Marques du Monde (Preview)

A 1935 Aston Martin Ulster Two-Seater Sports – a Le Mans works entry – is the leading car at the Bonhams Paris 2017 Rétromobile week auction. Million-dollar results are also expected from a 1955 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Coupé and a 1957 Bentley S1 Continental Cabriolet.

See also 2017 Bonhams Paris Classic Car Sale Results

Bonhams Paris Grande Marques du Monde au Grande Palais 2017

The seventh annual Bonhams Grande Marques du Monde au Grande Palais sale in Paris during the Rétromobile week will be held on 9 February 2017.

The following cars are expected to bring the top results, and a few interesting ones, at the Bonhams Paris 2017 classic car auction:

Year	Car	Estimate (€)
1935	Aston Martin Ulser Sports Two Seater	1,600,000-1,800,000
1955	Mercedes Benz 300 SL Coupé Gullwing	1,100,000 – 1,300,000
1957	Bentley S1 Continental Cabriolet	1,000,000 – 1,500,000
1939	Maybach SW-38 Spezial Cabriolet	750,000 – 950,000
1972	Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta	620,000 – 680,000
1934	Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 Pescara	550,000 – 750,000
1958	Talbot-Lago T14 America Coupé	450,000-550,000
1959	Ferrari 250 GT Coupé Series I	450,000 – 550,000
1923	Bugatti Type 27 Brescia Torpédo	380,000 – 540,000
1956	Lancia Aurelia B24S Cabriolet with Hardtop	380,000 – 480,000
1955	Porsche 356 1500 Super Speedster Pre-A	350,000 – 550,000
1930	Delage D8 Cabriolet	350,000 – 450,000
1938	Mercedes Benz 320 3.2-Litre Cabriolet B	350,000 – 450,000
1928	Aston Martin 1 1/2 Litre Standard Sports Model	315,000 – 415,000
1962	Jaguar E-Type E 2.8-litre Semi-Lightweight Compétition	250,000 – 350,000
1893	Benz Victoria	20,000 – 30,000
1957	Lamborghini DLA 35 Tractor	20,000 – 25,000

Million-Dollar Cars at Bonhams Paris 2017

Three cars in the Bonhams Grande Marques du Monde au Grande Palais sale in Paris in 2017 have estimates above a million dollar:

1935 Aston Martin Ulster Two-Seater Sports

A 1935 Aston Martin Ulster Two-Seater Sports, estimate €1,600,000-€1,800,000, is the leading entry for the Bonhams Paris 2017 auction. The car comes with an impressive in-period competition history and has also bee raced extensively in modern-era historical races.

The 1935 Aston Martin Ulster Two-Seater Sports was the 1935 Le Mans 24 Hours works entry where it was raced to fifth in class, and tenth overall, by Trehorne Thomas and Michael Kenyon. Subsequent private owners raced the car extensively before and after the Second World War. More recently, the Ulster competed in the Historic Mille Miglia in 2004, 2005, and 2006.

Only 31 Aston Martin Ulsters were ever built, of which ten were team cars. Remarkably, 28 of these cars survived.

1955 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Coupé

A beautifully restored red 1955 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing Coupé, estimate €1,100,000-€1,300,000, is the second highest rated car on offer at the Bonhams Paris 2017 sale. Although 300 SL prices have been weaker in recent months, the better cars still easily exceed a million dollars despite many being available – Artcurial will offer a roadster and another “papillon” during the same week.

The 1955 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Coupé is a matching numbers Gullwing and had only five owners since new. It was restored in 2004 and won best-in-class at the 2011 Schloss Dyck Concours.

1957 Bentley S1 Continental Cabriolet

The imposing 1957 Bentley S1 Continental Cabriolet, estimate €1,000,000-€1,500,000, is one of only 31 left-hand drive drophead coupés made. The Bentley had only three owners since new and the current owner had driven the car or around 14,000 miles in the past eight years.

Further Cars to Watch at Bonhams Paris 2017

1958 Talbot-Lago V8 America Coupé T14 © Bonhams

The Paris classic car auctions usually have a number of interesting and rare cars on offer that are seldom seen elsewhere. A few cars to watch at the Bonhams Paris 2017 auction include:

1939 Maybach SW-38 Spezial Cabriolet, estimate €750,000-€950,000 – a rare convertible example of the “smaller” Maybach made shortly before the Second World War.
1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta, estimate €620,000-€680,000 – at least 16 were available at auctions in 2016 with two selling above a million dollars. A further four are on offer at Scottsdale 2017 while at Paris 2017, RM Sotheby’s and Artcurial will each offer one with RM Sotheby’s also having a more expensive Spider available.
1958 Talbot-Lago T14 America Coupé, estimate €450,000-€550,000 – one of only around 12 made with a BMW V8, 2.5 litre engine in an (unsuccessful) attempt to crack the American market. One of the last cars made before the marque disappeared from the market.
1962 Jaguar E-Type 3.8 Litre Semi-Lightweight Competition Coupe Hardtop, estimate €250,000-€350,000 – built by Classic Restoration Services in 2015/2016, it will be interested to see how the result compared to the real thing on sale at RM Sotheby’s Scottsdale 2017.
1893 Benz Victoria, estimate €20,000-€30,000 – the oldest car on offer but the dating is unconfirmed.
1957 Lamborghini DLA 35 Tractor, estimate €20,000-€25,000 – a reminder of Lamborghini’s origins in agricultural machines and with no-reserve probably an affordable route into Lamborghini ownership. Only 117 DLA 35s were ever built making this a rare Lamborghini indeed. (Artcurial will also offer a Lamborghini and a Porsche tractor.)