MERCEDES-BENZ 300 SL HEADLINES BONHAMS INAUGURAL PADUA SALE

 MERCEDES-BENZ 300 SL HEADLINES BONHAMS INAUGURAL PADUA SALE

1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster achieved €897,000

Bonhams inaugural sale at Padua on 28 October achieved a total in excess of €3,000,000. The two most valuable consignments found buyers: the striking 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster was the top lot and, after a prolonged three-way bidding battle, the exquisite motor car sold for €897,000 to an international online bidder and a round of applause. Runner up for top honours was the 1960 Maserati 3500 GT Spyder, one of only 242 ever created by Vignale, selling for €638,250 to a bidder in the room after a lengthy bidding exchange. Other high-achieving Italians included the 1963 Fiat-Abarth Monomille GT Coupé (€103,500), and the1968 Alfa Romeo 2600 Spider (€105,800).

1960 Maserati 3500 GT Spyder (€638,250)

Stylish German models performed strongly throughout, with the 1957 Mercedes-Benz 220 S Cabriolet selling for €131,100 and the 1970 Porsche 911 T Targa achieving €97,750.

Other highlights included:

• 1948 Delahaye 135M Cabriolet achieved €184,000
• 1973 Jaguar E-Type Series 3 V12 Roadster sold for €94,300
• 1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider Veloce realised €66,700.

1957 Mercedes-Benz 220 S Cabriolet (€131,100)

Gregor Wenner, Bonhams Head of Sale for the Padua Auction, commented: ‘’We saw some fantastic results at the weekend, and are very pleased with our first foray in to both Padua and Auto e Moto d’Epoca. The auction was extremely well-attended, and we were delighted to be partnering with such a celebrated and widely-attended event on the European motoring scene. The organisers were fantastic hosts for Bonhams and we were thrilled for the auction to be placed at the very centre of the action, allowing us to reach the 115,000 attendees over the course of the weekend. The price achieved for the beautiful 300 SL shows that the Italian collectors’ car market remains very strong indeed.’

Bonhams next sale is the London to Brighton Run Sale on Friday 3 November, at its flagship New Bond Street saleroom.