A 2015 McLaren P1 sold for $2 million and a 1962 Mercedes Benz 300 SL for $1.5 million as the top results at the 2016 Bonhams Scottsdale classic car sale. A 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta achieved a strong $1,155,000 while the 1928 Mercedes-Benz 630K La Baule Transformable just missed the million-dollar mark. A 1953 Fiat 8V Elaborata and a 1956 Ferrari 250 GT had unsuccessful highest bids of over a million.
Bonhams Scottsdale 2016 Classic Car Auction
Bonhams fifth annual Scottsdale sale was held in Phoenix, Arizona on 28 January 2016. On offer were around 115 cars grossing $18 million (compared to $25 million in 2015) with a sell-through rate of 84%.
The following were the top results and highest bids:
| Year | Car | Price ($) |
| 2015 | McLaren P1 | 2,090,000 |
| 1962 | Mercedes Benz 300 SL Roadster | 1,485,000 |
| 1971 | Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta | 1,155,000 |
| 1928 | Mercedes Benz 630 K La Baule Transformable | 973,500 |
| 1935 | Hispano-Suiza K6 Cabriolet | 869,000 |
| 1953 | Fiat 8V Elaborata | HB 1,700,000 |
| 1956 | Ferrari 250 GT Alloy Coupe | HB 1,300,000 |
| 1965 | Iso Grifo A3 Competizione | HB 950,000 |
Unconfirmed results. Prices include buyer’s premium. HB denotes highest unsuccessful bid.
Million-Dollar Cars at the Bonhams Scottsdale 2016 Sale
2015 McLaren P1
The 2015 McLaren P1 that Bonhams sold for a model record $2,090,000 at the 2016 Scottsdale auction was the final P1 produced for the US market out of a total production run of 375 cars. The car has only been driven for 300 miles and is practically new. The car was fitted with $100,000 worth of factory options including an Alaskan Diamond White color scheme with black and orange accents.
1962 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL
With at least seven Mercedes-Benz 300 SLs on offer at the Scottsdale and Arizona 2016 auctions, Bonhams got off to a good start when selling a 1962 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster for $1,485,000. This matching numbers car is in its original livery of red over black with both soft cover and hardtop in black. The car was a late production model with an alloy block and disc brakes. Merecedes Benz 300 SLs struggled at both Gooding and RM Sotheby’s with prices well below pre-auction estimates.
1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta
A 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta, chassis 14219, sold for a very strong $1,155,000 at the Bonhams 2016 Scottsdale auction – a model record for a live auction. Daytona Berlinettas are frequently seen at auctions, especially after one sold for over a million dollars at RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2015 auction, but most fall well short of this mark. This car has been comprehensively restored in 2007 by California-based marque specialists Prancing Horse and GP Enterprises and was shown at the 2011 The Quail – A Motorsports Gathering. It has covered only 9,000 miles since new.
1928 Mercedes-Benz 630K La Baule Transformable
A 1928 Mercedes-Benz 630K La Baule Transformable sold just short of the million-dollar mark at $973,500. This supercharged chassis developed by Ferdinand Porsche has a Le Baule-style body by Saoutchik. The restored car has not been shown at major events since the 1986 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
Highest Bids at Bonhams Scottsdale 2016 Sale
A few top cars attracted high bids but failed to clear the reserve margins:
- 1953 Fiat 8V Elaborata – seemed sold at the highest bid of $1.7 million but the car was not included in the results published immediately after the auction.
- 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Alloy Coupe – highest bid of $1.3 million.
- 1965 Iso Grifo A3 Competizione – highest bid of $950,000
See 2016 Bonhams Scottsdale Classic Car Sale (Preview) for more on these cars.