artcurial

McLaren Art Car by César Tipped to Top €2 Million at Auction

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

When automobiles break the seven-figure mark at auction, they're usually pre-war or even post-war classics. But a sportscar from the 90s? This one is an exception.

As it is, the McLaren F1 remains a highly coveted collectors item, pristine examples still commanding seven-figure price tags in their own right. A race-spec McLaren F1 GTR is an even more sought-after rarity. But even in this field, this particular example is rarer still.

After racing it at Le Mans in 1994, French industrialist Jean-Luc Maury-Laribiére handed his McLaren over to famed artist César. The result has a similar effect as BMW's own art cars, which makes sense considering that the McLaren is powered by BMW engines and enjoyed factory backing in its motorsport exploits. This one-of-a-kind example is set to cross the auction block during the Le Mans Classic on July 9, where auctioneers Artcurial Motors anticipates it will fetch between $2.5 and 3 million.

Gallery: McLaren F1 GTR art car by César

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Tags: art car, art cars, artcurial, artcurial motors, bmw art car, bmw art cars, césar, cesar, f1, f1 gtr, le mans, le mans classic, mclaren, mclaren F1, mclaren f1 gtr

The Ultimate Resource for Vintage Hermes Scarves

by Deb West (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Handbags

While the economic slump may still be in full bloom, and some people are rushing to invest in gold, others are buying tangible assets of a different kind. Artcurial, a French based auction house and the only one to dedicate two sales annually to the Hermes label, recently pulled in over 1 million dollars during their latest sale held on November 10, 2009. Some items, including a Birkin bag sold for above the estimate and even the original retail price.

If you don't want to have to wait until spring and the next auction, Luxury-scarves.com has the most comprehensive collection of vintage Hermes scarves on the market. The site is the brain child of an antiques dealer, who began collecting the "carres" while scouring markets and secondhand shops for his other business. What began as a personal collection over ten years ago really has developed into an incredible resource for collectors and fashionistas alike.

There are plenty of dealers who collect and sell Hermes items. What makes this site so unique is not only the size and scope of the collection but the manner in which it is organized. One can search for a scarf based on name, color, size, condition, material or designer. Once a chosen item is located five different views of the scarf are shown along with its name, who designed it, when the scarf was first produced, subsequent reissues and available colorways and materials. The condition and any other point of reference, for example if the item has an "S" stamp is also noted. The price of the scarf is listed in both euros and dollars. There is in fact an on-line database of over 1,000 scarves with photos to be used for research and non-commercial purposes.

Should you desperately want a vintage Hermes bag to complement your scarf feel free to browse the sister site Luxury-shops.com which features all types of vintage designer items including several new and used Birkin bags ranging in price from $10,000 to over $50,000 for one made of matte alligator.

Gallery: Vintage Hermes Scarves