On December 1, Bonhams in London will auction off the famous white 1976 Lotus Esprit driven by Roger Moore as James Bond in The Spy Who Loved Me (one of two made). Next to the classic Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger, the Lotus, which was amphibious in the movie, stands out as the iconic Bond vehicle. Estimated at about $160,000 to $190,000, it does not unfortunately come equipped with the gadgetry deployed by Moore in the film during his eventful ride with the beautiful Barbara Bach, including a cement sprayer, sea-to-air missiles, front-mounted torpedoes, ink-cloud dispenser and mine launcher. However it does afford the purchaser a chance to join the Ian Fleming Foundation, which my colleague Deidre Woollard wrote about the other day.
Bruce Willis is auctioning off some classic cars at the Bonhams auction being held at the The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles on October 25. The sale, which also includes Steve McQueen memorabilia and a diamond-covered matchbox car, will auction off five "muscle" cars from the collection of Bruce Willis. The most expensive is a 1968 Shelby Mustang GT500 convertible which has been carefully restored and is estimated to sell for $150,000 - 175,000.
I've written about the Wanamaker-Munn mansion in New York which was originally listed at $33 million and then sold to the elite Spence School, a private school for young women. Now the estate of Aimee de Heeren, the last owner of the famed Wanamaker-Munn mansion has put up much of the contents of the home up for sale at Bonhams on October 22.
Brazilian born de Heeren was an international socialite and the widow of Rodman de Heeren, heir to the Wanamaker's Department store fortune. The 430-lot auction is grouped into sections offering American and European Silver and Silver-Plate; American and European Ceramics; Asian Works of Art; European Furniture and Decorative Arts; English and American Furniture and Decorative Arts; European Prints and Paintings; Rugs and Carpets; European Furniture and Decorative Arts and Literature. The pieces are clearly the result of a life lived grandly, silver sets and candlesticks speak of grand dinner parties, ceramics and books were clearly the accouterments of a well-appointed home.
The sale has things for a wide range of budgets. You can pick up some pieces for a couple hundred dollars, most of the furnishings are available for a few thousand and for the really wealthy collector there is the desk shown above. The Louis XVI ormolu-mounted ebonized and lacquered bureau has a gilt-tooled brown leather writing surface within a stepped surround, above a frieze with one long drawer simulating three short drawers and is estimated to sell for $100,000 - 150,000.
The only supercharged example of the legendary British-made Vincent Black Lightning motorbike ever made, built to break the world speed record in 1950, never actually accomplished that feat. It will probably break the world record for a motorcycle sold at auction however when it goes on the block this Sunday with an estimate of $400,000 - $600,000. The one-off Vincent (above), offered at Bonhams' Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show sale in Stafford, UK, only needs to break the current record of $520,000 (for a 1915 Cyclone) to be dubbed the world's most expensive motorcycle. Barely ever ridden, the beautiful bike is in mint condition, adding to its value. And while $600,000 seems like a lot for a motorcycle, we're pretty sure this one will only appreciate.
Possibly the finest example extant of Jaguar's famed E-Type, aka the "automotive sex symbol of the '60s," will be auctioned off by Bonhams at The Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline, Mass. today. Estimated at $120,000 - $150,000, making it one of the most expensive E-Types ever offered at auction, this 1967 roadster finished in the classic combination of British Racing Green with tan leather interior has captured several Best of Show and class wins and 100 point scores, from Amelia Island to the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix.
First unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 1961, the E-Type's legendary power to attract the opposite sex was phrased best by American motoring writer Henry Manney III, who dubbed it "The greatest crumpet-catcher known to man." 1967 was the last year before Federally-mandated regulations tampered with the E-Type's perfection, increasing this example's desirability. In one ownership for 16 years, this model was exquisitely restored down to the last nut and bolt, taking an estimated 3000 hours of restoration time and at a cost of over $200,000; in other words, let your conscience rest easy while bidding - it's also a good deal.
The flashy piece shown above is a sapphire-and-diamond brooch worn by singer Elton John and now up for auction. Sir Elton wore the 1930s Art Deco piece in his 1988 music video "I Don't Wanna Go on With You Like That." A photograph of him wearing this clip during the filming of the video accompanies this lot. The piece will be auctioned at Bonhams in London on Thursday, September 25 and is estimated to sell for £12,000 - 15,000.
A rare and beautiful 1964 Porsche 904 GTS sports racing coupé (above), one of only 100 made, is expected to fetch up to $1 million during Bonhams' sale at the Goodwood Revival in West Sussex, England on Friday. The car, veteran of several important and historic competitions, is from the collection of renowned French racecar driver Bernard Consten and has won concours d'élegance honors.
Also on offer during the Goodwood Revival, billed as the world's most popular historic motor race meeting, is Consten's equally alluring 1965 Alfa Romeo TZ1, est. at $430,000 - $500,000; a 1970 Aston Martin DB6 Mk2 Volante convertible, est. $450,000 - $540,000; a 1973 Ferrari Dino 246GT Berlinetta, est. $115,000 - $135,000; a 1970 Maserati Ghibli 4.7-Litre coupe, est. $50,000 - $60,000; and more. See the gallery for pix.
Tomorrow, Bonhams will auction off a number of classic and highly collectible cars at the Beaulieu National Motor Museum in the South of England. One of the most desirable lots is this bright red 1971 Aston Martin DB6 Mk2 Saloon with a black leather interior, estimated at $70,000 - $80,000. Some purists call the DB6 the last "real" Aston Martin, made before the company was sold off and modernized in the '70s. There are some beautiful Jaguars in the sale as well, including a 1956 XK140 Coupé, est. at $60,000 - $70,000; and prime Porsches including a 1964 356C, est. $43,000 - $46,000.
Next week at the Bonhams Goodwood Revival sale in West Sussex, England, a unique piece from the automobile world is going on the market. This carousel was built in the 1930s to entertain the workers at Rolls-Royce. The merry-go-round runs and has 24 horses which were cast in the aluminum foundry Rolls-Royce in Derby and is believed to be the only carousel made by the company. The carousel has had several owners and was displayed in the Skopos Museum before being sold to the current owner. It is estimated to sell for between £25,000 and £35,000.
A legendary prototype sportscar that helped shaped the future of Jaguar was auctioned off at Bonhams & Butterfields' Quail Lodge Sale in California on Friday for just under $5 million, setting a new world record. Bids for the 1960 E2A (above), often called the "missing link" between the marque's classic D-Type and E-Type models, had been expected to reach up to $7 million in what has lately been a heated market for multimillion dollar automotive classics.
Raced by some of the world's top drivers at Le Mans and elsewhere, the beautiful car had an historic win in August of 1960 at Bridgehampton, NY, beating out a Maserati Birdcage. James Knight, International Head of Bonhams' motoring department, called the E2A "one of the most charismatic and significant prototypes ever produced anywhere." And $5 million - now the highest price ever paid for a Jaguar at auction - isn't too shabby.
On Aug. 9th London auction house Bonhams is staging a sale of classic Jaguar motorcars and related automobilia at Goodwood in Sussex, England. The sale boasts several incredible examples of the famed XK120, the model driven by stars like Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable and Gary Cooper in the '50s. The most expensive car on offer is a white D-Type engined 1953 XK120 in mint condition, originally owned by British raceing driver Mike Salmon, estimated at $200,000 - $300,000.
We're particularly fond of the XK Championship-winning 1954 XK120 Competition Roadster pictured above, est. $140,000 - $160,000. Also featured in the historic auction: the first steel-bodied, right-hand drive 1950 XK120 Roadster ever made, est. $220,000 - $260,000; a 1954 XK120SE Coupé finished in British Racing Green, est. $180,000 - $220,000; and a stately 1958 MkVIII Saloon, est. only $28,000 - $36,000.
On July 26, London auction house Bonhams is staging a sale of Porsche and Lotus motorcars at the Silverstone Classic, one of the UK's premiere motor sport events. Unlike some auctions, the Silverstone sale skews to the more affordable side, without any million-dollar motorcars. In fact, most lots are priced below $100,000, yet there are several beautiful examples of highly collectible classics and contemporaries from the two famous marques.
For instance, the gorgeous 1959 Porsche 356B coupe pictured here, which is estimated at only $36,000 - $40,000 and is in impeccable condition. Also on offer: a legendary 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS touring coupé, est. $220,000 - $260,000; a 1972 Porsche 911 3.0-litre rally car, est. $80,000 - $100,000; a 2007 Lotus Exige Cup 255 coupé, est. $90,000 - $110,000; a 1967 Porsche 911 2-litre coupe, est. $64,000 - $72,000; and a 1973/2006 Lotus Elan +2 Spyder Zetec coupe, est. $40,000 - $50,000. See the gallery for pix.
It's a magnificent, much-needed extension of the horsey lifestyle portrayed in Hunt Country Style, the book I wrote about back in April. Moon divides her volume into different facts of the equestrian experience: In the Field, On the Farm, At the Track, In the Ring, On the Move, and Down the Road, focusing on all facets of horsiness and everything that goes along with it. The emphasis is on authenticity, not affectation; she barely mentions Ralph Lauren for instance except in the context of the actual polo team he fields.
If you missed out on one of those $100,000 Asprey shotguns we told you about that were auctioned off at Christie's in May, not to worry - Bonhams is holding its own Sporting Guns sale in London on July 30 where you can bid on some extremely fine pieces at a fraction of the cost. In actual fact, the highest priced guns at the Christie's sale were made by Holland & Holland, and there are several fine examples of their craft in the Bonhams sale. For instance, a 1947 12-bore 'Royal de Luxe' sidelock ejector shotgun with foliate-scroll engraving and gold inlays (above), est. $32,000 - $40,000, in its original leather case.
Also on offer: A fine lightweight 1934 12-bore over-and-under shotgun by J. Woodward, in a leather case, est. $40,000 - $50,000; a 10-bore 'Premiere' single-trigger over-and-under shotgun by E.J. Churchill, est. $20,000 - $30,000; a 1905 12-bore self-opening sidelock ejector gun by Purdey, est. only $10,000 - $14,000; and several fine vintage guncases including one stunning example executed in crocodile skin, est. only $400 - $800. See the gallery for pix.
An ultra-rare 1955 Jaguar D-Type (above), the first production example ever made, is being auctioned off by Bonhams during the Goodwood Festival of Speed in Sussex, England on July 11. The car, which carries an estimate of $4 - $5 million and has a colorful racing history, is one of the most coveted sportscars ever produced; a similar one was owned by Steve McQueen.
Also featured in the historic sale: a super-cool lime green 1970 Lamborghini Miura P400S Series II Berlinetta similar to those owned by Frank Sinatra and Miles Davis, est. $440,000 - $500,000; a rare 1968 Bizzarrini GT Strada 5300 coupé, exhibited at the first Louis Vuitton Concours D'elegance in 1990, est. $400,000 - $500,000; a 1962 Cooper-Climax Type 61 'Monaco', raced by several famous name and one of only three believed to be in existence, est. $300,000 - $360,000; a 1961 Aston Martin DB4 competition saloon, est. $200,000 - $240,000; and more.
