S T O P P R E S S
Bugatti EB110 SS sells for 2.24m euros (£1.9m) and 1.84m (£1.56m) is bid for No Reserve Ferrari F40 at 12.3m euros (£10.46m) Zoute sale
A 1994 Bugatti EB110 Super Sport - the only Bugatti to be designed and built in Italy – took the chequered flag beside the North Sea in Belgium and became the top lot, selling for 2,242,500 euros (£1,906,125) at the Bonhams Zoute Sale Sunday 10 October in a successful post-pandemic return to Knokke-le-Zoute.
A total of 12.3m (£10.46m) was spent on 40 mainly higher value classics, the largest sale total achieved since the international auctioneers first staged this fixture in 2012.
Unveiled on the 110th anniversary of Ettore Bugatti’s birth, the EB110 was a poster car of the 1990s, and the 30,000k example offered, one of just 30 Super Sport variants produced, was the star of the show for the Zoute Grand Prix crowd, being photographed and filmed throughout the weekend.
The Silver Bug’s popularity continued in the packed saleroom, which had a new cabaret-style layout, with the star car being the subject of a 15-way bidding war between the saleroom, the internet and telephone bidders, before sold to a private Dutch collector on the telephone, to applause from the lively Zoute crowd.
In its slipstream was a 1989 Ferrari F40 Berlinetta which achieved 1,840,000 euros (£1,564,000) at the Belgian seaside resort. The one-owner supercar celebrating Ferrari’s 40th anniversary, ordered from famous racing Ferrari dealers Garage Francorchamps and dry-stored since 1992, had covered a mere 1,790k from new.
Another of the Italian Stallions which performed well at the seaside was a 1961 Ferrari 250 GTE 2+2 Coupe, the marque’s first production four-seater, with a top speed in excess of 230kmh. Delivered new to Garage Francorchamps, and concours-restored with Ferrari Classiche certification, this timewarp example achieved 592,250 euros (£503,413).
A 1968 Ferrari 365 GTC by Pininfarina, offered for the first time on the open market, realised 655,500 euros (£557,175). The original matching numbers example had been owned by one Italian family from new.
Other Zoute highlighters included a 1957 AC Ace, a Bristol-engined Roadster in left-hand drive with matching numbers and hardtop, which had been bodily restored by Rod Jolly and which raised 356,500 euros (£303,025) with premium, more than had been forecast.
A matching numbers 1967 Aston Martin DB6 Sports Saloon with ZF five-speed ZF and factory Normalair air-con, also surpassed its estimate, to achieve 241,500 euros (£205,275).
The 1956 Paris Motor Show Jaguar XK 140 Coupe, one of only four originally bodied by Carrozzeria Ghia of Torino, which had raced through the 1970s, but had become an abandoned restoration project with MkIX 3.8 engine block, was taken on for a mid-estimate 287,500 euros (£244,375).
A 1954 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible ‘State Limo’ with VIP Bubble-Top by Duchatelet and King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola of Belgium provenance, which famously served as the Royal couple’s wedding car in December 1960, made an equally Royal 86,250 euros (£733,125).
A dinky 1964 Fiat 500D Trasformabile charmed the Zoute crowd, achieving a far from diminutive 57,500 euros (£48,875), nearly doubling its pre-sale estimate.
The Zoute sale stats record changes of ownership of 40 of the 52 entries, a 77% sale rate, for 12,227,425 euros (£10,393,311) including premium, an average of 305,686 euros (£259,833) spent by buyers per auction car bought.
Although 12 entries were unsold, 23% of the total, 40% of cars sold had been consigned ‘Without Reserve’, including the one owner F40 and an ex-US DB4. While 32% of sellers did so for within guide price band prices, 15% went for more than top estimate prices, whereas below estimate offers were accepted by the vendors of 13% of cars sold.
Maarten Ten Holder, Managing Director, Bonhams Motoring, and the multilingual auctioneer at this EU mainland sale, said: “It was a fantastic return to Zoute for us. The sale’s success and the energy and enthusiasm of the Zoute crowd made it a very festive afternoon. It was great to see everyone enjoying themselves and, of course, to have achieved such a strong result.
Philip Kantor, Head of Department, Bonhams Motor Cars Europe, added: “Congratulations from us both on a fabulous new set up in the form of the PRADO on the beach and our thanks, as ever, to the organisers of the Zoute Grand Prix. We look forward to returning next year for our decennial anniversary auction at this superb international venue.”
The final sale of 2021 for Bonhams European Motor Cars team will be the EU Autumn Motoring On-Line Timed-Out Auction, 19-29 November. RH-E
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C.A.R. BACKED MITCHELL IS CLOSE SECOND AT SILVERSTONE BUT CRASHES WHILST LEADING AT COMBE
The 2021 debut for the Wayne Poole Racing engineered 1971 Merlyn Mk20 was the 22/23 May International Trophy HSCC double header for Historic Formula Fords round the full 3.6604 mile Silverstone GP circuit.
After the 38 strong field of early FFs had practiced, driver Ben Mitchell had qualified the Classic Auction Review backed Merlin third quickest and started the 8 lap 29.28 mile race from the second row.
Having run strongly at the head of the second place pack (see Phil Johnson photo of Mitchell/Calum Grant Merlin ‘magnetic’ close quarter battle above), Ben spun, recovering to average 90.47mph and finish fifth. Saturday’s race was convincingly won by Cam Jackson at the wheel of a Palliser/Winkelmann WDF2 with a 92.27 mph fastest lap.
On the Sunday, the Jackson Palliser again ran away from the main scrap. Although our man converted his third row start into a second placed finish just ahead of the Horatio Fitz-Simon Mk20A, pursued by the Dominick Jackson Lotus 69 and Grant 20A.
Driving the C.A.R. supported Class A 1999 Van Diemen RF99/JL14, Ben has also been competing in the equally competitive Premier Financial Management sponsored Castle Combe Racing Club’s FF Championship.
After two fourths, a sixth and a third, he led the second May Bank Hol race for five laps (photo above by Phil Johnson) before being launched by a rumble-strip into a slide and losing two corners against an Armco barrier. He is still fourth on points with five rounds to go, though much midnight oil must be burned at WPR before series action resumes in July. At least Steve Bracegirdle finished third in Class C twice for the team and website in his Van Diemen RF99. RH-E