2017 Bonhams Quail Lodge Sale Auction Preview

A 1963 Jaguar E-Type Lightweight Competition and a 1995 McLaren F1 are headlining the Bonhams Quail Lodge 2017 classic car auction.

1963 Jaguar E-Type Lightweight Competition
1963 Jaguar E-Type Lightweight Competition Coupe © Bonhams

The Bonhams Quail Lodge 2017 sale will include a wide variety of interesting cars. Top results are expected from the ex-Cunningham, Le Mans participating 1963 Jaguar E-Type Lightweight Competition and the 1995 McLaren F1. Several multimillion-dollar Ferraris will also be on offer including a 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France Alloy Berlinetta, a 1963 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Coupe Aerodinamico and Jody Scheckter’s 1980 Ferrari 312 T5 Single Seater Formula 1 car. A 1956 Maserati A6G/54 Gran Sport Spider with coachwork by Frua confirms that Ferrari is not the only top Italian marque in the million-dollar league. 24 of the 111 cars on offer have upper estimates above a million dollar.

Bonhams Quail Lodge 2017 Auction

1995 McLaren F1 Front
© Bonhams

The 20th Bonhams Quail Lodge Auction will take place on Friday, August 18, 2017, at Quail Lodge in Carmel, California. Bonhams will offer 111 lots. The sale is hosted in conjunction with The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering.

In 2016, Bonhams’ top result at Quail Lodge was $4,000,000 for a 1931 Bugatti Type 51 Grand Prix Racing Two Seater but the Quail Lodge auction record was set in 2014 when the 1962/3 Ferrari 250 GTO sold for $38,115,000 as the most-expensive car ever sold at public auction.

Million-Dollar-Plus Cars at Bonhams Quail Lodge 2017

The following 24 cars are expected to achieve results above or near a million dollar at the Bonhams Quail Lodge 2017 auction:

Year Car Estimate
1963 Jaguar E-Type Lightweight (Ex Team Cunningham) Refer to department
1995 McLaren F1 Refer to department
1958 Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France Alloy Berlinetta Refer to department
1963 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Coupe Aerodinamico Refer to department
1964 Lotus Type 34 Single-Seater Refer to department
1980 Ferrari 312 T5 Single Seater Formula 1 (Jody Scheckter) Refer to department
1956 Maserati 300S Sports Racing Two Seater 6,000,000 – 7,000,000
1956 Maserati A6G/54 Gran Sport Spider by Frua 3,200,000 – 3,600,000
1965 Ferarri 275 GTB Alloy Long-Nose 2,700,000 – 3,000,000
1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spider 2,700,000 – 3,000,000
1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 2,500,000 – 3,000,000
2003 Ferrari Enzo 2,000,000 – 2,500,000
1984 Ferrari 288 GTO 1,900,000 – 2,200,000
1966 Ferrari 275 GTS 1,850,000 – 2,200,000
1966 Shelby 427 Cobra 1,600,000 – 2,000,000
1955 Lancia Aurelia B24S Spider America 1,200,000 – 1,500,000
1956 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta 1,100,000 – 1,400,000
1964 Shelby Cobra 289 1,050,000 – 1,250,000
1990 Ferrari F40 1,000,000 – 1,300,000
1957 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Roadster 1,000,000 – 1,200,000
1941 Mercedes Benz 540K Cabriolet B 900,000 – 1,300,000
1955 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Coupe Gullwing 900,000 – 1,100,000
1909 Thomas Flyer Model K 6-70 “Flyabout” 750,000 – 1,100,000
1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta 750,000 – 1,000,000

These cars range from the 1909 Thomas Flyer Model K 6-70 “Flyabout” to a 2003 Ferrari Enzo. Remarkably, Bonhams has no near new supercars on sale at Quail Lodge this year.

1963 Jaguar E-Type Lightweight Competition Coupe in Museum
© Bonhams

1963 Jaguar E-Type Lightweight Competition

Cunningham 1963 Jaguar E-Type Lightweight Competition Coupe in Museum
© Bonhams

The highlight of the Bonhams Quail Lodge 2017 sales is likely to be the ex-Team Cunningham 1963 Jaguar E-Type Lightweight Competition, chassis no. S850664, estimate: “Refer to Department”.

The 1963 Jaguar T-Type Lightweight Competition was the seventh of the 12 E-Type Lightweight Competition produced and the second of three sold to Briggs Cunningham. The car participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1963 but retired with gearbox failure early on. The car was subsequently raced in the USA but with limited success.

Although no estimate was released, Bonhams set the record for an E-Type when the 10th 1963 Jaguar E-Type Lightweight Competition produced sold for $7,370,000 at the Bonhams Scottsdale 2017 sale. This ex-Bob Jane car had a very successful racing history in Australia and was in a highly original condition.

1995 McLaren F1 Doors Open from Front

1995 McLaren F1

1995 McLaren F1
1995 McLaren F1 © Bonhams

The 1995 McLaren F1 on offer at Bonhams Quail Lodge 2017 hardly has to take a back seat from the Jaguar E-Type. This was the 44th of only 64 cars ever produced. It was the first F1 imported and fully federalized in the USA.

This McLaren F1 is a single-owner car that has covered less than 9,600 miles. Rare for an F1, the car is fully original and did not receive any subsequent factory updates or alterations.

McLaren F1 cars are rare and very rarely offered at auction. No estimate has been released but a non-federalized McLaren F1 set a then marque record of $8.5 million at the Gooding Pebble Beach 2013 sale. Since then, the marque record was increased to $13,750,000 by a McLaren F1 in Le Mans Specification at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2015 sale.

Top Ferraris at Bonhams Quail Lodge 2017

Several multimillion-dollar Ferraris will be on offer at Bonhams Quail Lodge 2017 sale with three offered without pre-auction estimate:

1958 Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France Alloy Berlinetta

The top Ferrari result at Bonhams Quail Lodge 2017 sale is likely from a 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France Alloy Berlinetta, chassis 0899 GT, that was the 42nd of 77 Tour de France berlinettas made.

This Tour de France was successfully raced in period by amongst others Ed Lualdi Gabardi, Nando Pagliarini and Paul Mournier. The car achieved a first overall at the 1958 Coppa Sant’ Ambroeus at Monza and was also extensively campaigned in Algeria and France.

Not surprisingly for a car raced hard, not all components are original. Parts of the body for example were long separated from the chassis and the engine is a correct replacement.

No estimate was released but Tour de Force berlinettas sold for $6 to $8 million in recent years.

1963 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Coupe Aerodinamico

The 1963 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Coupe Aerodinamico with coachwork by Pininfarina, chassis no. 5029 SA, was the 32nd of 35 of all 400 Superamericas built and the 15th of 18 Coupe Aerodinamicos.

No estimate was released but this 1963 Ferrari 400 Superamerica Coupe Aerodinamico sold for $2,860,000 at the RM Sotheby’s Andrews Collection Sale in 2015. Since then, the car received a Ferrari Classiche Red Book but was also shown at Pebble Beach limiting the top show opportunity for the next owner.

Top Racing Cars at Bonhams Quail Lodge 2017

1980 Ferrari 312 T5 Single Seater Formula 1
© Bonhams

Several top racing cars will be on offer at Bonhams Quail Lodge 2017 with two single-seaters offered without a guide price:

The 1980 Ferrari 312 T5 Single Seater Formula 1, Chassis no. 046, was campaigned by Jody Scheckter in the largely disappointing 1980 season. The Ferrari was outdated and outpaced despite the car being the fastest of all the T-series cars. Scheckter failed to achieve any noteworthy results in the car – retiring immediately after winning the championship, like Nico Rosberg did in 2016, certainly would have been less frustrating for the 1979 champion. Although the car is in a highly original condition, the lack of racing success certainly isn’t helping.

1964 Lotus Type 34 Single-Seater
© Bonhams

In contrast, the 1964 Lotus Type 34 Single-Seater, Chassis no. 2, had more racing success. This winningest Lotus Indy car set a record qualifying time of 161.233 mph at Indianapolis in 1965, was an 8-time USAC Pole Winner with four USAC race wins with victories by AJ Foyt and Parnelli Jones. It was also raced by Dan Gurney and Jim Clark. The only other Type 34 is in the Indianapolis Speedway Museum.

1957 Maserati 300S
© Bonhams/Litwinski

The top racing car result at the Bonhams Quail Lodge 2017 sale may well come from the 1956 Maserati 300S Racing Two-Seater, estimate $6,000,000 to $7,000,000. This Maserati won the 1957 Grand Prix of Portugal and Brazil with no lesser a driver than Juan Manuel Fangio behind the wheel. Stirling Moss, who won both Buenos Aires and Nürburgring in a different 300 S, said, “It is one of my favorite…one of the easiest, nicest, best-balanced sports-racing cars ever made.”

1956 Maserati A6G/54 Gran Sport Spider

1956 Maserati A6G/54 Gran Sport Spider by Frua
© Bonhams

Another top Maserati result is likely from the 1956 Maserati A6G/54 Gran Sport Spider with coachwork by Frua, estimate $3,200,000 – $3,600,000. This car was the first of nine Frua-bodied spiders built on the third series of the A6G 2000 (and the second series of A6G/54 – Italian car numbering is complicated). The car is in magnificent restored condition and was a Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este Class Winner in 2008 and displayed at Museo Enzo Ferrari in Modena as part of Maserati’s 100th anniversary.

RM Sotheby’s sold a Maserati A6G/54 for $2,365,000 at Amelia Island 2017 and it is no surprise that more suddenly come to market. At Pebble Beach 2017, Gooding is offering a 1956 Maserati A6G/54 Berlinetta with coachwork by Zagato, estimate $4,000,000 to $5,000,000.

Million-Dollar Ferraris at Bonhams Quail Lodge 2017

In addition to the above, several top Ferraris will be on offer at the Bonhams Quail Lodge 2017 classic car auction. These include two of the ever-desirable 275 GTB Berlinettas and a 275 GTS. The Enzo is one of only two worldwide finished in Nero/Cuoio while the F40 should benefit from low mileage – fewer than 2,100 miles on a US specification car.

Similar Ferraris will be available at other auctions too. More interesting is the 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spider – only 123 were ever produced compared to the around 1,400 Daytona berlinettas making the open-top cars around four times more expensive than the coupes.

Most auctioneers at Monterey Week 2017 will have a couple of Daytonas on offer. Bonhams have two including a 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta with an upper estimate of the mostly illusive $1 million for this model. This car is unrestored and comes with original paint and interior and only 29,000 miles on the clock.

The estimate for the 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO is toward the lower end of recent results despite being owned by the original owner until 2017. The car has covered 68,000 miles since new – for once a supercar owner seemed to have enjoyed his car by actually driving it.

Top Mercedes Benz Cars at Bonhams Quail Lodge 2017

The top Mercedes Benz result at the Bonhams Quail Lodge 2017 sale is likely from a 1941 Mercedes Benz 540 K Cabriolet B. This 540K with Sindelfingen coachwork must have been one of the final cars produced and was originally delivered to the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin – deliveries to private buyers ended years earlier.

1938 Mercedes-Benz 320 Cabriolet
© Bonhams

A cheaper option would be the 1938 Mercedes Benz 320 Cabriolet with an estimate of $525,000 – $600,000. A few strong results were achieved at recent auctions for his smaller pre-war Mercedes.

Despite some lackluster results in the past two years, Mercedes Benz 300 SLs are again available in high numbers at Monterey this year. Gooding alone will have four while Bonhams is offering a Gullwing and Roadster. Both are well presented but nothing out of the extraordinary given than around 2,500 of these cars were produced and many survived.

Porsches at Bonhams Quail Lodge 2017

Noticeably absent from the lineup at Bonhams Quail Lodge 2017 sale are top Porsches. Only seven Porsches are on offer at Bonhams including a tractor and six 356 models. Not a single 911 or 911-derivative is available. This is a refreshing change after some recent classic car auctions where Porsches were nearly a quarter of all cars on offer.

Plenty of Porsches will of course be on sale during the Monterey Week with the 1970 Porsche 917K at Gooding likely to be one of the highlights of the 2017 classic car auctions in California.

More Information on the Monterey Week Classic Car Auctions 2017

  • Monterey Week – Updates on all Monterey week 2017 auctions
  • Pebble Beach – Updates on Gooding auction announcements, previews and results
  • Monterey – Updates on RM Sotheby’s auction announcements, previews and results
  • Quail Lodge – Updates on Bonhams auction announcement, previews and results