bonhams

British Baron's 1930s Bugatti to Fetch $1.8 Million

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

A rare 1933 Bugatti Type 51 Grand Prix Two-Seater (above) owned by the late Fitzroy John Somerset, the 5th Baron Raglan, former Patron and Chairman of the Bugatti Owners' Club and trustee of the Bugatti Trust, is to be sold at Bonhams' Paris sale of Motor Cars on 5 February 2011. The auction will be held at one of Paris' most impressive venues – the Grand Palais on the Champs-Elysees. Lord Raglan, whose great-great grandfather, the 1st Baron, was the General in command of British troops in the Crimean war – and forever associated with the ill-fated Charge of the Light Brigade – was renowned for his love of Bugattis. "My passion for Bugattis started when I was 18 and I have raced around the world," he once said. Lord Raglan bought the Bugatti Type 51 in 1979 and restored it himself over the next two and a half years, subsequently racing it for the next 20 years. It is now expected to sell for an estimated $1.8 million.

Tags: aristocrat, Bonhams, Bugatti, Champs-Elysées, classic cars, Paris, UK

Cars Owned by Ian Fleming and Duchess of York on Offer at Bonhams

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

A 1962 AC Aceca Coupe (above), once owned by James Bond's creator Ian Fleming, will be offered by Bonhams at its Goodwood Revival sale in Sussex, UK on Sept. 17. One of only six surviving Ford-powered Acecas in the world, the dashing sports car worthy of 007 has attracted a pre-sale estimate of $150,000 – $200,000. The two-seater, which is dark blue with a burgundy leather interior, was purchased by Fleming the year he wrote The Spy Who Loved Me. Also on offer at the auction is a 1988 Jaguar XJ-S V12 Convertible that belonged to Sarah, Duchess of York, estimated at $30,000 – $38,000, though the highlight is undoubtedly a 1953 Jaguar C-Type, the same make and model that won Le Mans 24-Hours race twice in 1951 and 1953, which could fetch up to $1.5 million. Extensively restored between 1985 and 1991 it's described as "outstandingly usable and potentially extremely competitive." See the gallery for pix.

Gallery: Bonhams Goodwood Revival 2010

Tags: AC, auctions, author, Bonhams, celebrity cars, classic cars, Duchess of York, Goodwood, Goodwood Revival, Ian Fleming, Jaguar, Jaguar C-Type, James Bond, Le Mans, royalty, UK

Rare Custom Ferrari 550 GTZ by Zagato at Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

Last year we reported on the ultra-exclusive Ferrari 550 GTZ, a custom coachbuilt convertible by famed Italian design house Zagato. Only five examples were built for wealthy collectors worldwide, all of them spoken for long before the general public even knew the damn thing existed. Using the limited edition Ferrari 550 Barchetta Pininfarina as a platform, the 550 GTZ is based on the one-off Ferrari 575 GTZ built by Zagato for Yoshiyuki Hayashi, an avid Ferrari collector in Japan. Now one of the ultra-rare autos, the only right hand drive example of the 550 GTZ (above), is being put up for auction at Bonhams' Important Motor Cars and Fine Automobilia sale at Mercedes-Benz World in Surrey, UK on December 6 (where Elvis Presley's Mercedes limo is also crossing the block). The fabulous Ferrari is expected to fetch over $1 million and bidding is likely to be fierce.

Tags: auctions, Bonhams, convertible, custom cars, Ferrari, Ferrari 575 GTZ, UK, Zagato

Elvis Presley's Mercedes-Benz Limo Up for Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions, Celebrity Shopping

A 1970 Mercedes-Benz 600 SWB limousine (above), one of a pair owned by the the late, great Elvis Presley, will be on offer at Bonhams' Important Motor Cars and Fine Automobilia sale at Mercedes-Benz World in Surrey, UK on December 6. Estimated at about $230,000 – $310,000, it's one of only a handful of cars that the King of Rock and Roll ever registered in his name. Presley used the car which was based at Graceland for a number of years before giving it to a friend in Memphis. Restored to a very high standard in powder blue paint with a cream leather interior, it's an important example of an iconic motorcar that was much favored by celebs of the era; other VIP 600 owners included John Lennon, Hugh Hefner, Elizabeth Taylor, Aristotle Onassis and Fidel Castro. At one time, the front doors of the car featured Elvis' famous TCB Lightning Bolt logo (for "Takin' Care of Business") in gold leaf.

Gallery: Elvis Presley's 1970 Mercedes-Benz Limo

Tags: Bonhams, Elvis Presley, Graceland, leather, limousine, Memphis, Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-Benz 600, UK

Furniture Auction Features Debbie Reynolds' Collection

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Auctions, Celebrity Shopping

Debbie Reynolds has a taste for old movie nostalgia. There's always something revealing about celebrities auctioning off some of their belongings. It's a little window into their lives. On September 13 at Bonhams & Butterfields in Los Angeles, some of the pieces in the Fine European Furniture and Decorative Arts sale will be from the personal collection of the iconic star.
Reynolds began her collection in no ordinary way. She started with the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) auction in 1970, picking up memorabilia and costumes, props and set decor, including furniture, chandeliers and decorative arts. Her collection includes various items from 20th Century Fox, RKO and Warner Brothers, as well as items from the Estates of Harold Lloyd and Mary Pickford.

According to Reynolds many of the items were sourced by MGM and Fox Studios from around the world for use in several films including George Cukor's Camille (1936); Marie Antoinette (1938); Beau Brummell (1954) and Desirée (1954). Shown above are a pair of Louis XV polychrome decorated mirrors that are estimated at $8,000-12,000.

Property from the University of California Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California; the Estate of John Barker Hickox, Paradise Valley, Arizona and the Daniel G. Volkmann, Jr. Trust, will also be featured during the September auction.

Tags: bonhams, bonhams and butterfields, debbie reynolds

1959 Ferrari Sells for Record $7.26 Million at Pebble Beach

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

A rare 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione (above) with coachwork by Scaglietti fetched a whopping $7.26 million at Gooding & Company's Pebble Beach sale in California over the weekend, setting a new world record for the model and capping a round of stunning auction results. The stunning roadster, which took 5th place overall at the 1960 12 Hours of Sebring race, was just one of several multimillion-dollar Ferraris to cross the block over the weekend. Gooding & Co. also hammered down a rare 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB SEFAC Hot Rod for $6.1 million, and a 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza for $6.7 million. As we reported previously, Bonhams set another world record over the weekend with the $4 million sale of a 1970 Porsche Gulf-JWA Le Mans 917K coupe, while RM Auctions netted $4.6 million for a 1954 Ferrari 375 MM Berlinetta, among others. Gooding achieved a new record in sales, realizing $64.5 million for 106 cars during the landmark event.

Tags: Alfa Romeo, auctions, Bonhams, California, classic cars, Ferrari, Gooding Company, Monterey, Porsche, race car, RM Auctions, world record

World's Most Expensive Porsche Sells for $4 Million in Monterey

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

A rare 1970s Porsche racecar just fetched $4 million at Bonhams' sale in Monterey, setting a new world record for the most expensive Porsche ever sold at auction. The stunning and historic car, the ex-Jurgen Neuhaus/Jurgen Barth 1972-73 European Interserie and David Hobbs/Mike Hailwood Gulf-JW Automotive team 1972-73 Porsche 917 Interserie Spyder, neé 1970 Gulf-JWA Le Mans 917K Coupe (above), was hammered down after fierce bidding. The car is similar to the famed model driven by Steve McQueen in Le Mans. Many other strong prices were attained for Bonhams' rarest offerings, including a 1930 Mercedes-Benz 7.1 Liter SS Tourer for $2.5 million, and the ex-works, Gerhard Mitter/Lucien Bianchi Nurburgring 1000 kms-leading 1967 Porsche 910 Endurance Racing Works Coupe for $800,000. Earlier we reported on the nine Ferraris which each fetched over $1 million at RM Auctions' own Monterey sale.

Tags: Bonhams, California, classic cars, Ferrari, Le Mans, Mercedes-Benz, Monterey, motor racing, motorsports, Porsche, Porsche 917, racecar, RM Auctions, Steve McQueen, world record, worlds most expensive

Rare $650,000 Aston Martin Shooting Brake & More at Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

A rare 1996 Aston Martin 'Sportsman' shooting brake (above), one of only two ever built entirely by hand, is expected to fetch up to $650,000 at Bonhams' sale of Fine Motor Cars and Automobilia at the 'Weekend de l'Excellence Automobile' held on the former site of the French Grand Prix circuit of Reims-Gueux on Sept. 11. Several more highly desirable Astons will be on offer during the stunning sale, including: a 1965 DB5 Vantage, one of only 17 left-hand drives manufactured to Vantage specification with a manual 5 speed transmission, estimated at €300,000–€400,000; a 1957 DB2/4 MKII Drophead Coupe, one of the rarest post-war Aston Martin models, estimated at €140,000–€180,000; and a 1986 Aston Martin Volante, described by the marque's former Chairman Victor Gauntlett as, "a stylish thoroughbred, beautifully built, luxurious, fast and immensely safe," estimated at €75,000–€100,000.

Tags: Aston Martin, auction, Bonhams, classic cars, France, shooting brake

Rare Whisky Galore Bottle Up For Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Auctions

There's something very appealing about a bottle that's been through a voyage. Whether it's the recent champagne bottles unearthed from the ocean floor or Shackleton's ice-sunk bottles, somehow the journey from here to there makes them that much more appealing. That's why a bottle from the famous "Whisky Galore" shipwreck should do well when it heads to auction on August 18 at the Bonhams Edinburgh whisky sale.

The bottle of Ballantine's is said to have been recovered from the wreck of SS Politician in the 1950s or 1960s. The ship was wrecked in a storm off the Outer Hebrides, near the island of Eriskay, in 1941. The cargo included 264,000 bottles of whisky. Local islanders, drink-starved by war-time rationing, eagerly retrieved an estimated 24,000 bottles from the Politician's hull. Sadly, local customs officers eventually destroyed the hull to stop the looting. In 1947, Compton Mackenzie dramatized the event in a novel titled "Whisky Galore" and the book was later turned into a movie. The Belfast Telegraph reports that in 1987, eight bottles were retrieved from the wreck, which still lies submerged off the coast of Eriskay, and sold for £4,000. After more extensive salvage efforts in 1989, only 24 more bottles were recovered.

The whisky in this bottle is at the low shoulder and has the remains of a driven cork with a wax seal applied by Bonhams. It is unlabeled but embossed on the base with the Ballantine's name. The auction lot is accompanied by history of the salvage of the bottle and some black and white images of the hull of the wreck and the diver with this bottle. Martin Green, the whisky specialist at Bonhams, Edinburgh said that the bottles don't come on the market often but that the whisky is still quite drinkable. The bottle is estimated at between £1,200 and £1,800.

Tags: ballantines, bonhams, whisky, whisky galore

The Beatles' Piano and Jackie O's Jewels at Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Auctions, Celebrity Shopping

A Challen upright piano from London's famed Abbey Road studios used by The Beatles to record some of their best-known tracks and items of Jackie Kennedy Onassis's jewelry are among the starring attractions at Bonhams' Pioneers of Popular Culture sale on August 15th at the UK's inaugural Goodwood Vintage Festival celebrating five decades of British Cool. The piano, which features on several Beatles songs including Paperback Writer and Tomorrow Never Knows was located in Studio Three at Abbey Road until it the 1980s, and it was also used by Pink Floyd on a number of recordings including the Wish You Were Here and Dark Side of the Moon albums.The pre-sale estimate for the piano is £100,000–£150,000. Among the items of Jackie's jewelry on offer is a three-strand simulated pearl necklace which she wore during the early 1960s, estimated at £25,000–£35,000.

Tags: Bonhams, celebrity, Goodwood Vintage Festival, Jackie Kennedy, jewelry, London, music, pearls, piano, Pink Floyd, pop culture, The Beatles, UK

BMW to Auction Museum Cars for First Time Ever at Bonhams in Dubai

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

BMW have consigned two cars from their museum's reserve collection for sale at Bonhams inaugural Collectors' Motor Cars auction at the Royal Mirage Hotel in Dubai this October. This is the first time that cars have ever become available from the official factory collection representing a truly unique opportunity for collectors. The first of the lots is a white BMW 3.0 CSL (left) with motorsport stripes and concours factory restoration. With its aerodynamic spoilers for racing, the car became known as the "Batmobile". Only 57 of this second series design were created before production ceased in December 1975, of which only about a third are thought to survive.

The 3.0 CSL is expected to fetch €130,000–€170,000. Also consigned is a rare 1979 white BMW M1 (right) with very low mileage and in concours condition - a homologation special of which very few were made due to high production costs. It is also estimated to fetch €130,000–€170,000. Other cars also consigned for the sale already include a 1993 Italdesign Aztec Barchetta (€80,000–€120,000) and our personal favorite, an extraordinary one-of-a-kind 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Shooting Brake, estimated at €200,000–€300,000.

Gallery: BMW & More at Bonhams Dubai

1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Shooting Brake

Tags: auction, BMW, BMW M1, Bonhams, classic cars, Dubai, Ferrari, museum, Shooting Brake, UAE

Bonhams Brings Baumberger Collection to Auction in Gstaad

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

Though lacking the gullwing doors that made it famous, the Roadster version of the classic Mercedes-Benz 300SL remains as sought-after by collectors as the winged coupe. And one particularly desirable example is set to cross the auction block next month in Gstaad, Switzerland.

One of only 209 examples made with the aluminum engine, this 1962 model was part of the collection of one Peter F. Baumberger, a noted gentleman racer, collector and enthusiast, founder of the Ferrari club in Switzerland. Baumberger passed away last year, and his collection of 19 automobiles will go to the highest bidder without reserve at the Bonhams event on August 20. Pre-sale estimates place the SL – the highlight of the collection – at around half a million.

Gallery: 1962 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster - Baumberger Collection

Tags: 1962 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster, Baumberger, bonhams, gstaad, Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, sl, switzerland

Rare Aston Martin drives $5.6 Million in Sales at Bonhams Goodwood Auction

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions

There are rare Astons, and then there are rare Astons. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the latter. One of only 23 DB5 convertibles ever made, this particular example is one of only 9 that were built with the more powerful Vantage engine. It's had just three owners, who saw it through two comprehensive restorations, and was showcased last year at the prestigious, invitation-only Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este. And now it has been sold for a record £551,500 ($833k).

Along with a 1937 Bentley featured in the Bond film "Never Say Never Again" (£221,500/$335k), a rare Lister-Jaguar (£232,500/$351k), and Kylie Minogue's Mercedes SLK (£14,950/$23k), the highly sought-after Aston helped Bonhams reach £3,707,687 ($5.6m) in sales at their annual auction during the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Gallery: 1965 Aston Martin DB5 Vantage Convertible

Source

Tags: 1965 Aston Martin DB5 Vantage Convertible, aston, aston db5, aston martin, aston martin db5, Aston Martin DB5 Vantage, Aston Martin DB5 Vantage Convertible, bonhams, goodwood festival of speed

Kylie Minogue's Mercedes to be Auctioned for Charity

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions, Celebrity Shopping, Charity

A chic black 1999 Mercedes-Benz SLK230 convertible (above), which was owned by both Kylie Minogue and her sister Dannii is to be sold by Bonhams as part of the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed sale in the UK on July 2, with part of the proceeds to be donated to charity. The celebrated Australian sisters have been the car's only two owners, and it's in fabulous condition having covered just 19,000 miles from new. The pre-sale estimate is a steal at just £8,000 – £12,000. Kylie, recently declared by researchers to be "the most powerful celebrity in Britain", releases her 11th studio album, Aphrodite, in July. Dannii is a judge on hugely successful shows The X Factor and Australia's Got Talent. "We are delighted to have been appointed by the Minogue family to offer the Mercedes-Benz," says James Knight, head of Bonhams Motoring Department. "It has all the right ingredients - good colour, low mileage and a fantastic provenance. Kylie and Dannii have a tremendous and far-reaching fan base and I can see it appealing to many people who want the same experience that they both shared."

Tags: Bonhams, celebrity, Celebrity Car Auction, Danni Minogue, goodwood festival of speed, Kylie Minogue, Mercedes-Benz, UK

Auction Features The Collection Of The Other Ed Hardy

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Auctions, Art

We've all come to associate the name Ed Hardy with trucker hats and the Christian Audigier fashion line but there is another, more refined Ed Hardy. An upcoming sale of Fine European and American Furniture and Decorative Arts at Bonhams & Butterfields in San Francisco, California includes an evening session showcasing furniture and decorations from the Ed Hardy San Francisco Collection. This Ed Hardy is a prominent San Francisco antiques dealer. His pieces include 17th century Roman giltwood tables, Murano glass chandeliers, modernist furnishings, Chinese ceramics and a collection of Hellenistic marble fountain masks some of which come from the legendary collection of William Randolph Hearst. The one shown at right, a Roman white marble fountain mask circa 2nd – 4th century is estimated at $2,500 to $3,500. The auction previews open in San Francisco on June 11th. The evening session, devoted to the Ed Hardy Collection, begins at 6 p.m. on June 14.

[via Art Daily]

Tags: antiques, bonhams, Bonhams Butterfields, san francisco, William Randolph Hearst

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