2016 RM Sotheby’s Arizona Classic Car Sale (Auction Preview)

1937 Mercedes Benz 540 K Special Roadster by Sindelfingen
Darin Schnabel ©2015 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

A 1937 Mercedes Benz 540 K Special Roadster and a 1929 Duesenberg Model J Convertible are the highlights of the 2016 RM Sotheby’s Arizona classic car sale. The Mercedes Benz has a pre-sale estimate of $10 to $13 million. For once, Ferraris are not expected to be the most-expensive cars on offer at an RM Sotheby’s classic car auction. At the Arizona sale during the traditional January Scottsdale classic car week, the dearest Ferraris on offer at RM Sotheby’s this year are a 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB and a 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO (estimates $2.4 – $2.8 million). A 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Torpedo Sports by Barker and a 1965 Shelby 427 Competition Cobra are expected to fetch more.

RM Sotheby’s Arizona Classic Car Auction 2016

The 17th annual RM Sotheby’s Arizona classic car auctions are scheduled for 28 & 29 January 2016 at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa in Phoenix.

In 2015, RM Auctions generated $63.7 million in sales at the two-day Arizona auction. It also set the Arizona / Scottsdale classic car week auction record at $9,625,000 for a 1964 Ferrari 250 LM.

Million-Dollar Cars at the RM Sotheby’s Arizona Sale 2016

Of the around 150 cars on offer at the RM Sotheby’s 2016 Arizona sale, the following 30 have upper estimates of at least a million dollar:

Year Car Estimate
1937 Mercedes Benz 540 K Special Roadster by Sindelfingen 10,000,000 – 13,000,000
1929 Duesenberg Model J Disappearing Top Torpedo Convertible Coupe by Murphy 3,000,000 – 3,500,000
1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Torpedo Sports by Barker 2,500,000 – 3,500,000
1965 Shelby 427 Competition Cobra 2,500,000 – 3,300,000
1965 Ferrari 275 GTB by Scaglietti 2,400,000 – 2,800,000
1985 Ferrari 288 GTO 2,400,000 – 2,800,000
1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV by Bertone 2,000,000 – 2,400,000
1953 Ferrari 212 Inter Coupe by Vignale 1,800,000 – 2,200,000
1960 Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series II by Pinin Farina 1,800,000 – 2,100,000
1965 Ferrari 275 GTS by Pininfarina 1,600,000 – 2,000,000
1939 SS 100 Jaguar 2 1/2 litre Roadster by Van den Plas 1,500,000 – 2,100,000
1959 Maserati 3500 GT Spyder Prototype by Vignale 1,500,000 – 2,000,000
1962 Maserati 5000 GT Coupe by Allemano 1,500,000 – 2,000,000
1953 Cadillac Series 62 Coupe by Ghia 1,500,000 – 1,800,000
1955 Alfa Romeo 1900 SC SS Berlinetta by Zagato 1,400,000 – 1,800,000
1963 Shelby 289 Cobra “Dragonsnake” 1,400,000 – 1,600,000
2015 Porsche 918 Spyder 1,300,000 – 1,600,000
1971 Lamborghini Miura LP400 SV by Bertone 1,300,000 – 1,500,000
1958 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Roadster 1,250,000 – 1,500,000
1934 Duesenberg Model J Town Car by Murphy 1,200,000 – 1,400,000
2011 Ferrari 599 SA Aperta 1,100,000 – 1,500,000
1955 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing 1,100,000 – 1,500,000
1988 Porsche 959 Komfort 1,100,000 – 1,400,000
1957 Mercedes Benz 300 Sc Cabriolet A 1,000,000 – 1,300,000
1957 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Roadster 1,000,000 – 1,200,000
1964 Shelby 289 Cobra 950,000 – 1,100,000
1955 Lancia Aurelia B24S Spider America by Pinin Farina 900,000 – 1,100,000
1911 Lozier Model 51 Seven-Passenger Touring 900,000 – 1,100,000
1952 Cunningham C3 Coupe by Vignale 900,000 – 1,100,000
1931 Bugatti Type 49 Roadster by Gangloff 900,000 – 1,100,000

Headline Cars at the 2016 RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2016 Sale

Although RM Sotheby’s expect to achieve results above a million dollar on at least six Ferraris, none of the cars expecting to sell for more than three million dollar at the 2016 Arizona sale are from Italy:

1937 Mercedes Benz 540 K Special Roadster

1937 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster by Sindelfingen
Darin Schnabel ©2015 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

A 1937 Mercedes Benz 540 K Special Roadster by Sindelfingen (est. $10,000,000 – 13,000,000) is the leading entry for the RM Sotheby’s 2016 Arizona sale. It is also by far the car with the highest estimate on offer at the 2016 Scottsdale, Arizona classic car week. If the estimate is reached, a new Scottsdale / Arizona record will be set.

1937 Mercedes Benz 540 K Special Roadster by Sindelfingen
Darin Schnabel ©2015 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Mercedes Benz 540 K Special Roadsters are amongst the most-desired cars ever made. A 1936 Mercedes Benz 540 K Special Roadster sold for $11,770,000 at the 2012 Gooding Pebble Beach sale as still the most-expensive Mercedes Benz road car ever. The 1954 Mercedes Benz W196R Formula 1 car that achieved almost $30 million at the Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed 2013 sale is the only other Mercedes Benz car ever to have sold for more than $10 million.

1937 Mercedes Benz 540 K Special Roadster by Sindelfingen
Darin Schnabel ©2015 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The 1937 Mercedes Benz 540 K Special Roadster by Sindelfingen on offer at the RM Sotheby’s 2016 Arizona sale is an original US delivery car with known history. It has the desirable longtail and high door configuration. It is one of the earliest 540 Ks made and may have been in effect a pre-production demonstration model. The car is believed to have covered only 10,277 miles since new.

1929 Duesenberg Model J Disappearing Top Torpedo Convertible Coupe

Disappearing Top Torpedo Convertible Coupe by Murphy
Darin Schnabel ©2015 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The 1929 Duesenberg Model J Disappearing Top Torpedo Convertible Coupe by Murphy (est. $3,000,000 – 3,500,000) is one of only six built and has many unique features including the one-off tail design. The car has its original body, firewall and chassis. It has covered only 17,000 miles since new. The Duesenberg originally belonged to the Gray family, who invested $10,500 in Ford in 1903 and sold the shares back to Ford in 1919 for $26 million.

1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Torpedo Sports by Barker

1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Torpedo Sports by Barker
Darin Schnabel ©2015 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Torpedo Sports by Barker (est. 2,500,000 – 3,500,000) was a one-off design intended for Continental touring, The first owner was possibly the Maharaja of Rewa – Indian royals were top Rolls Royce customers prior to the Second World War. The Rolls Royce is in a fully restored condition and retained its original “GJ 11” British registration.

1965 Shelby 427 Competition Cobra

David Bush ©2015 Courtesy of RM Sotheby's
David Bush ©2015 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The 1965 Shelby 427 Competition Cobra, chassis CSX3010, (est. $2,500,000 – 3,300,000), is one of only 23 Competition Cobra 427s built and the only one to have won championships in two countries. It won the 1968 US SCCA A Production Championship driven by Peter Consiglio and the 1971 Eastern Canadian Endurance Championship driven by John Risley and David Fram. In the 1968 season, it had podium finishes in 8 of 11 SCCA races.

The 17th annual RM Sotheby’s Arizona classic car auctions are scheduled for 28 & 29 January 2016 at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa in Phoenix.

For More on the RM Sotheby’s Arizona Sales 2016 See Also: