2016 Bonhams Scottsdale Sale (Auction Preview)

1953 FIAT 8V Elaborata
1953 FIAT 8V Elaborata – © Bonhams

A 1953 Fiat 8V Elaborata and an almost new 2015 McLaren P1 are the leading entries in the 2016 Bonhams Scottsdale, Arizona classic car auction. Further top entries include a 1962 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Roadster, a 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Alloy Coupe, a 1965 Iso Grifo A3 Competizione and a 1928 Mercedes Benz 630 K La Baule Transformable.

Bonhams Scottsdale Classic Car Sale 2016

The fifth annual Bonhams Scottsdale classic car auction is scheduled for 28 January 2016 at The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The following nine cars, out of around 115 offered, are expected to achieve results of more than a million dollar:

Year Car Estimate
1953 Fiat 8V Elaborata Refer to department
2015 McLaren P1 1,900,000 – 2,200,000
1962 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Roadster 1,500,000 – 1,800,000
1956 Ferrari 250 GT Alloy Coupe 1,500,000 – 1,800,000
1965 Iso Grifo A3 Competizione 1,300,000 – 1,600,000
1928 Mercedes Benz 630 K La Baule Transformable 1,000,000 – 1,300,000
1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta 1,000,000 – 1,200,000
1964 Aston Martin DB5 Sports Saloon 800,000 – 1,100,000
1912 Roll Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost Roi-des-Belges 800,000 – 1,000,000

Million-Dollar Plus Cars at Bonhams Scottsdale Sale 2016

1953 Fiat 8V Elaborata

1953 FIAT 8V Elaborata
1953 FIAT 8V Elaborata – © Bonhams

The only car offered by Bonhams at its 2016 Scottsdale sale without a pre-auction estimate (“Refer to department”) is a 1953 Fiat 8V Elaborata with coachwork by Zagato. Fiat 8Vs from the 1950s are hard to value in part due to so many versions made in very limited numbers. Only around 114 Otto Vu engines were made with around half going into Siata cars and the rest wearing bodywork by a variety of top Italian coachbuilders.

In 2015, at least two sold at auction: $1.2 million for a 1953 Fiat 8V Cabriolet by Vignale at RM Sotheb’s Villa Erba sale and $1.8 million for a 1953 Fiat 8V Supersonic at the Bonhams Quail Lodge sale. A further two failed to find buyers despite offers over a million.

None of the four cars on sale in 2015 came with the same racing history as the 1953 Fiat 8V Elaborata. This Fiat is one of only five with double-bubble coachwork by Zagato. It can further claim in period racing by amongst others Anna Maria Peduzzi, who raced it to a second place at the 1956 VI Coppa Internazionale delle Dame in its debut race. It was subsequently raced by French privateer Jean Claude Arifon.

The 1953 Fiat 8V Elaborata was recently restored and is considered to be in a remarkably original condition.

2015 McLaren P1

The Alaskan Diamond White 2015 McLaren P1 (est. $1,900,000 – 2,200,000) is basically a new car with only 300 miles on the clock. It was the last US-market P1 built with an options list of nearly $100,000. During the same auction week, RM Sotheby’s and Barrett-Jackson each will sell the McLaren P1’s direct competitor – 2015 Porsche 918 Spyders.

1962 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Roadster

Mercedes Benz 300 SLs are very often seen at classic car auctions. Although these cars are very desirable they are not that rare as around 1,400 Gullwing coupes and 1,858 roadsters were produced. During the Scottsdale, Arizona classic car week in 2016 at least seven will be up for auction. In addition to the one offered by Bonhams, Gooding and RM Sotheby’s will have three each! None of these come with any particularly important provenance or specifications.

The 1962 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Roadster (est. $1,500,000 – 1,800,000) at Bonhams has the highest estimate of the seven on offer in Arizona. It is a late production car and thus offered with the most-desired specification including disk brakes and an alloy block.

1956 Ferrari 250 GT Alloy Coupe

1956 Ferrari 250 GT Alloy Coupe
© Bonhams

As with RM Sotheby’s, Ferraris will play a lesser role at the 2016 Arizona auction of Bonhams as well. The most-expensive Ferrari on offer will be a 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Alloy Coupe (est. $1,500,000 – 1,800,000). It is one of only around 12 alloy coupes built with coachwork by Boano. This well-documented car is in a fully restored condition and eligible for entry into many historic events.

1965 Iso Grifo A3 Competizione

The 1965 Iso Grifo A3 Competizione (est. $1,300,000 – 1,600,000), chassis B0213, was one of the first 20 built with aluminum coachwork by Drogo. Chassis B0216 sold for just over a million euro at the RM Auctions Paris sale in 2014. The car on offer was restored in 2013 by Bizarrini foreman Salvatore Diomante and shown at the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

1928 Mercedes Benz 630 K La Baule Transformable

1928 Mercedes Benz 630K La Baule Transformable
© Bonhams

The 1928 Mercedes Benz 630 K La Baule Transformable with coachwork by Saoutchik (est. $1,000,000 – 1,300,000) is a magnificently restored pre-war supercharged Mercedes on a chassis developed by Ferdinand Porsche.

The most-expensive car offered at this year’s 2016 Scottsdale and Arizona auctions are likely to be the 1937 Mercedes Benz 540 K Special Roadster by Sindelfingen (est. $10,000,000 – 13,000,000) at RM Sotheby’s while Barrett-Jackson also offers a 1939 Mercedes Benz 540K Cabriolet A.

1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta

The 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta (est. $1,000,000 – 1,200,000) offered by Bonhams has the highest estimate of a number of these cars available at various auction houses this year in Arizona. This example is helped by good condition and only 9,000 miles on the clock.

1964 Aston Martin DB5 Sports Saloon

The 1964 Aston Martin DB5 Sports Saloon (est. $800,000 – 1,100,000) is one of 886 produced in 1964 and thus not that rare. However, fairly uniquely, it was originally a right-hand drive model sold on the British market but converted to left-hand drive during the 1990s in Canada. The car is in a fully restored condition.

1912 Roll Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost Roi-des-Belges

The 1912 Roll Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost Roi-des-Belges (est. $800,000 – 1,000,000) with coachwork in the style of Barker by I Wilkinson & Son is in an older restored condition. Several pre-Frist World War automobiles will be available in Arizona but only this Rolls Royce and the 1911 Lozier Model 51 Seven-Passenger Touring will not surprise if selling for near a million dollars.