2019 RM Sotheby’s Arizona Sale (Auction Preview)

A Ferrari 250 GT Coupe Speciale and a LaFerrari Aperta are the lead cars for the RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2019 sale during the Scottsdale auction week.

1957 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe Speciale Profile
Darin Schnabel © 2018 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

RM Sotheby’s hopes to set a new auction record with the 1957 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe Speciale, estimate $11 – $13 million, at the Arizona sale during the Scottsdale 2019 collector car auction week. The second most valuable car on offer is a 2017 Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta, estimate $6,500,000 to $8,500,000 – no used LaFerrari Aperta ever sold at auction. Seven of the 14 cars with estimates above a million dollar at the RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2019 sale are Ferraris including two rare spiders: a 1973 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider and a 1967 Ferrari 330 GTS.

RM Sotheby’s Arizona Classic Car Auction 2019

RM Sotheby’s scheduled its 20th annual Arizona classic car auction on 17 & 18 January 2019 at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona.

In 2019, RM Sotheby’s earned $37 million with a sell-through rate of 85% of 154 lots on offer. According to Hagerthy, the average sale price was $273,710 per car. 

In 2018, RM Sotheby’s grossed $35.8 million by selling 109 cars of 127 offered for a sell-through rate of 86% and an average $328,404 per car. (Hagerty calculations)

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

In 2017, RM Sotheby’s earned $54 million from 141 cars offered with a sell-through rate of 89%. RM Sotheby’s sold 15 cars for more than a million dollars.

With both Jaguar D-Types on offer at Scottsdale 2018 failing to sell, RM Sotheby’s continue to hold the Scottsdale classic car auction week record with the very elegant 1937 Mercedes Benz 540 K Spezial Roadster that sold for $9,900,000 in 2016.

Million-Dollar Cars at RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2019

The following 14 cars are on offer at the RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2019 sale with pre-sale estimates exceeding a million dollar:

YearCarEstimate
11957Ferrari 250 GT Coupe Speciale11,000,000 – 13,000,000
22017Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta6,500,000 – 8,500,000
31985Ferrari 288 GTO3,200,000 – 3,600,000
41967Ferrari 275 GTB/42,800,000 – 3,200,000
51958BMW 507 Roadster Series II2,500,000 – 3,000,000
61973Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider2,200,000 – 2,600,000
71967Ferrari 330 GTS 2,200,000 – 2,500,000
81948Tucker 481,500,000 – 1,700,000
91967Shelby 427 Cobra1,350,000 – 1,450,000
101955Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing1,200,000 – 1,400,000
111956Bentley S1 Continental Drophead Coupe1,100,000 – 1,400,000
121967Rolls Royce Phantom V State Landaulet1,000,000 – 1,500,000
132017Ferrari F12tdf950,000 – 1,100,000
142012Lexus LFA Nürburgring Package850,000 – 1,100,000

Top Ferraris at RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2019

1957 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe Speciale
Darin Schnabel © 2018 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Half of the 14 million-dollar cars on offer at the RM Sotheby’s 2019 Arizona sale are Ferraris:

1957 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe Speciale

1957 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe Speciale Rear
Darin Schnabel © 2018 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The 1957 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe Speciale, chassis 0751, is by far the most-expensive car on offer during the Scottsdale 2019 collector car auction series. It has the potential to raise the Scottsdale auction week record from the current $9,900,000 paid for a 1937 Mercedes Benz 540 K Spezial Roadster in 2016.

1957 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe Speciale
Darin Schnabel © 2018 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

This Ferrari with one-off, coachbuilt bodywork by Pinin Farina, originally belonged to Princess Lilian de Réthy of Belgium – the Belgium royal family owned several Ferraris during the 1950s. The Speciale’s long nose featured covered headlamps like the 250 GT Tour de France racing berlinettas of the time, while the front fenders were notable for large chromed and louvered vents, reminiscent of those found on the California Spider.

The 1957 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe Speciale was restored in 1997 and was presented at the Ferrari 50th Anniversary meet at Rome and Maranello and then in 2001 at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in the Pininfarina class. It apparently has not been displayed elsewhere in public in recent decades.

2017 Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta

2017 Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta
Mo Satarzadeh © 2018 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The 2017 Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta will be the second LaFerrari Aperta offered at public auction in 2019 – Mecum will offer a LaFerrari Aperta a few days earlier at Kissimmee 2019 in Florida and expects similar money.

The car on offer is a US-specification model with 1,500 miles on the clock. It is finished in Nero Daytona with red accents throughout the exterior and interior.

2017 Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta Profile
Mo Satarzadeh © 2018 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

In contrast, the LaFerrari Aperta in Kissimmee comes with delivery mileage only. It will be interesting to see if bids are different, and eventually if the model will become cheaper like the McLaren P1 and Porsche 918, as more cars are offered on the second-hand market. A European-specification LaFerrari Aperta attracted an unsuccessful highest bid of around $5.4 million at the Bonhams Goodwood Revival Sale in September 2018.

Only 210 Apertas were ever built and all sold out prior to the car’s official announcement, except for the final car built and sold for charity for just over $10 million at the RM Sotheby’s Maranello 2017 sale.

1985 Ferrari 288 GTO

1985 Ferrari 288 GTO
Drew Shipley © Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO is a low-mileage US example with only 2,900 miles from new. A similar 288 GTO is on offer at the Gooding Scottsdale 2019 sale.

Only 272 of the 288 GTO were produced, of which only one were sold at auction in the past two years: for a very strong $3,948,000 at the RM Sotheby’s Maranello 2017 sale. Prior to that result, 288 GTOs traded mostly for around $2.5 million and often failed to attract much bidding.

Other Top Ferraris at RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2019

© Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2019 include 20 Ferraris and the following four are also expected to sell for over a million dollars:

A rare, freshly serviced and Classiche-certified 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4, one of only 330 examples and finished in the stunning color combination of Blue Sera over Pelle Bleu. However, the 275 of the week is undoubtedly the 1964 Ferrari 275 GTB Prototype at Gooding.

1973 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider
Karissa Hosek © 2018 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

A Classiche-certified 1973 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider by Scaglietti, the 90th of just 121 examples built, showing less than 34,500 miles, retaining its original engine and gearbox, and restored in its original colors of fly yellow over black. Several later conversion 365 GTB/4 spiders will be on offer at various Scottsdale auctions but these cars often sell for less than the unmolested Berlinettas. The more interesting of these is the 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona NART Spider also in the RM Sotheby’s sale.

1967 Ferrari 330 GTS
Darin Schnabel ©2018 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The 1967 Ferrari 330 GTS is even rarer with this the 71st of only 100 produced. This Ferrari Classiche certified car has its original engine and gearbox. It has 33,750 km on the clock and is offered from the Skip Barber Collection.

A highly-optioned 2017 Ferrari F12tdf, offered from single ownership in as-new condition, showing fewer than 280 miles and attractively finished in Grigio Titanio over two-tone blue interior. 

1958 BMW 507 Roadster Series II

1958 BMW 507 Roadster Series II
David Bush © Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The 1958 BMW 507 Roadster Series II is the most-expensive non-Ferrari on offer at the RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2019 sale. This comprehensively restored car features a correct type rather than original engine and is fitted with a factory hard top.

Bonhams had two spectacular results for BMW 507 Roadsters in 2018, including $3 million for the 507 that the car’s designer Albrecht Graf von Goertz owned himself privately and more spectacularly a BMW marque-record $5,032,000 at Goodwood 2018 for the 507 owned from new by John Surtees. The previous highest price paid for a BMW 507 was $2,750,000, which makes the estimate for the Arizona car seem somewhat optimistic.

Other Million-Dollar Cars at RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2017

1948 Tucker 48
Patrick Ernzen © Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Further cars with upper estimates exceeding a million dollar on offer at the RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2019 auction includes:

The 1948 Tucker 48 was the 40th of only 51 ever built and is freshly restored and fitted with a factory spare engine. The estimate looks fairly unambitious given that two Tuckers achieved around $1.8 million at auctions in 2018.

1967 Shelby 427 Cobra
Rasy Ran © Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The 1967 Shelby 427 Cobra, chassis CSX3281, is in a fully restored concours condition. It has well-documented history and was in the Otis Chandler Collection. It is presented in its original color combination of metallic green over black.

The 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing is one of three (with a further three Roadsters) on offer at the Scottsdale 2019 classic car auctions. This one retained its original engine and is in a well-maintained rather than restored condition.

The 1956 Bentley S1 Continental Drophead Coupe is one of 31 left-hand drive examples with bodywork by Park Ward.

1967 Rolls-Royce Phantom V State Landaulet
Robin Adams © Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Even more imposing is the 1967 Rolls-Royce Phantom V State Landaulet with bodywork by Mulliner Park Ward. Only five examples where ever produced with this car originally commissioned by the government of Romania but the Soviet Union nixed the use of such a lavish car. It was eventually sold to Erle Heath and thus the only version delivered to a private owner. He lent the car to the government of Bermuda for use by Queen Elizabeth during a state visit. The well-maintained but unrestored car has 161,795 miles on the clock.

In stark contrast, the 2012 Lexus LFA Nürburgring Package is another modern supercar with only 54 “delivery” miles on the clock. Only 50 were produced of which 15 are in US specification. A few came close but none reached a million dollar at auction. It is unlikely that this one will either.

More on Scottsdale 2019 Collector Car Auctions

2017 Ford GT
© Barrett Jackson

The first major collector car auction series of the year is traditionally the Scottsdale and Phoenix auctions in Arizona, USA, in mid-January.

Most major car auctioneers have sales in Arizona including Barrett-Jackson, Bonhams, Gooding and RM Sotheby’s. A notable exception is Mecum that start the auction year a few weeks earlier at Kissimmee in Florida.

Scottsdale, Arizona, 2019 Auctions Sale Results

Scottsdale, Arizona, 2019 Auctions Sale Previews:

Scottsdale, Arizona, 2019 Auctions Pre-Sale Announcements: