How much would you pay for the privilege of owning the very first Bentley Mulsanne to be produced? The all-new flagship from Crewe was unveiled this past weekend at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. And while official pricing has yet to be announced, the Arnage which it replaces lists in the mid-$200k range.

In conjunction with auction house Gooding & Company, Bentley sold Mulsanne #1 to the highest bidder, with proceeds going to Pebble Beach's official charity, the Phil Hill Foundation. Bentley CEO Franz-Josef Paefgen and Bentley Heritage Collection chief Richard Charlesworth were on hand to participate from the stage, and prefaced the auction with a presentation of company founder W.O. Bentley's personal vehicle, the 1920's-era 8-liter Bentley. After failing to generate bids at $500,000, bidding on Mulsanne #1 started at $300,000 and climbed back up to the half-million mark, where it sold to an undisclosed bidder.

Photos by Pawel Litwinski © 2009 Courtesy of Gooding & Company

On August 15 – 16 Gooding & Company is holding its annual auto auction during the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. The centerpiece of the sale is an incomparable piece of Bugatti history: marque founder Ettore Bugatti's personal 1938 Type 57C Coupe (above), which is expected to fetch several million dollars. Bugatti factory employees originally assembled the car as a birthday present for Mr. Bugatti, and the car's one-off coachwork is believed to be one of the last designs penned by his son, Jean Bugatti, before his death. It's a truly unique piece of automotive history.

Deemed one of its most cherished automobiles, the Bugatti factory went to great lengths to protect the precious vehicle during World War II when its premises were in danger. After Ettore Bugatti's death in 1947, the car continued to be maintained and stored at the Bugatti workshop in Molsheim, France, where it received upgrades as over the years. These included tailored interior accessories, a unique engine and transmission combination and other subtle technical improvements that distinguished it from any other Type 57.

Since leaving the Bugatti factory in the late 1950s, the precious vehicle has had only a few protective caretakers and remains one of the most correct and original Bugattis in existence, untainted by later restoration. The car is being sold without reserve, no doubt to encourage bidding. Last year at Gooding's Pebble Beach sale a rare 1937 Type 57SC Atalante Coupe sold for $7.92 million, setting a record for the highest price ever paid for an automobile at auction in the U.S.A. It remains to be seen what effect the recession may have on the chances of this sale topping that feat.

On Saturday, Gooding & Company is staging an impressive auction of classic and collectible cars in Scottsdale, Arizona, headlined by an extremely rare and original covered headlight 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider that could fetch up to $7 million. The car comes from the recently uncovered Van Kregten Collection (above) of more than 20 highly-prized vehicles. Ron Van Kregten, a gas station attendant who founded a very successful automotive trade school for mechanics, started collecting the cars in the early '70s. His 250 GT California Spider is one of only 54 short wheelbase examples ever built and is in pristine original condition. It's one of several Ferraris in the sale, including a 1963 250GT Lusso, est. at $700,000 - $850,000, and a 1966 275 GTS, est. at $400,000 - $500,000.

A rare 1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante Coupe sold for $7.92 million at Gooding & Co.'s auto auction (that we recently reported on) during the annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California over the weekend - the highest price ever paid for an automobile at auction in the U.S.A. The car was part of the Dr. Peter and Susan Williamson Collection, billed as the world's finest assemblage of Bugattis, several of which fetched high prices at the sale. The next highest price at the Gooding & Co. event was a 1950 Ferrari 166 MM Berlinetta Le Mans, which fetched $2.2 million. Meanwhile, at RM Auctions' similar sale during the classic car event, which we told you about earlier this month, a 1961 Ferrari 250GT SWB Berlinetta brought in an impressive $4.5 million.

This weekend, Gooding & Company is staging a multimillion dollar auto auction during the 58th annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in Carmel, CA. Among the stunning cars on offer is the world's finest collection of Bugattis, including a 1937 Type 57SC Atalante Coupe, which is expected to fetch over $4 million. Another star attraction is a 1959 Ferrari 250 GT California Spider, originally owned by H.R.H. Prince Vittorio Emanuele de Savoia, the last prince of Italy. Both that car and the beautiful model pictured above, a rare 1957 Ferrari 500 TRC, are expected to fetch in excess of $3 million. Also on offer is Steve McQueen's 1976 Porsche 930 Turbo Carrera, the actor's personal car for several years, a relative steal with an est. of only $125,000 - $175,000.