$22M FERRARI 290 MM LEADS RM SOTHEBY’S PETERSEN AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM AUCTION

$22M FERRARI 290 MM LEADS RM SOTHEBY’S
PETERSEN AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM AUCTION

290 MM BECOMES ONE OF TOP TEN MOST VALUABLE CARS SOLD AT AUCTION

AUCTION TOTALS $40 MILLION IN SALES WITH 88 PERCENT OF ALL LOTS SOLD

• RM Sotheby’s generates $40 million with 88 percent of all lots sold at the Petersen Automotive Museum
• Top sale achieved by one-of-four Ferrari 290 MM racer at $22 million
• Strong prices across all categories, including hot rods, sports and GT, supercars and modern performance
• Complete results from RM Sotheby’s Petersen Automotive Museum Auction available at rmsothebys.com

This past Saturday, 8 December, RM Sotheby’s achieved $39.8 million in total sales at the company’s final auction of 2018 at the renowned Petersen Automotive Museum. Leading the group of 64 vehicles and 77 lots of memorabilia representing a cross-section of significant eras and 10 categories in collector car history—of which 88 percent found new homes—was the remarkably rare 1956 Ferrari 290 MM, which sold for $22,005,000, entering the ranks of the top ten most valuable motor cars ever sold at auction.

The Ferrari 290 MM, chassis no. 0628, ignited an extended bidding contest between three collectors over the phones before selling for a final $22,005,000. The fully matching-numbers, Classiche-certified 290 MM was campaigned by Scuderia Ferrari for the 1956 and 1957 seasons, piloted by an amazing roster of factory team drivers including Juan Manuel Fangio, Phil Hill, Peter Collins, Wolfgang von Trips, Olivier Gendebien, Eugenio Castellotti and later, under private ownership, Sir Stirling Moss, in some of the most prestigious events the racing world has known.

Supercars and modern hypercars once again shined, with six models exemplifying the pinnacle of high performance from their respective marques found in RM Sotheby’s Los Angeles top ten sales. Leading the group is a fantastic example of the original supercar, a 1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV by Bertone, the only Miura SV originally finished in Bleu Medio, which realized $2,205,000 on the podium (Est. $2.1/2.5m). Additional highlights include a 279-mile 2015 Porsche 918 ‘Weissach’ Spyder in Factory Matte Black wrap and Martini livery, which sold for $1,534,000 (Est. $1.5/1.7m), a 350-mile 2015 McLaren P1 accessorized with a host of McLaren Special Operations options, which achieved $1,435,000 (Est. $1.3/1.7m), and a 4,000-km 1989 Ferrari F40, which drew tremendous interest and fetched a final $1,545,000 (Est. $1.2/1.6m).

The wild and eclectic tastes of Southern California car culture also drew enthusiastic bidding for some of the more unique lots in the sale, including for the 1976 Porsche 935 Gr. 5 Turbo by Kremer in a unique Ice Green Metallic color combination, which achieved $173,600 (Est. $150/200k) and for the 1962 Ed Roth “Mysterion” Recreation, one of the most extraordinary custom car creations of the last century, built by widely published petroleum engineer, Jeff Jones, which realized $246,400, more than doubling low estimate (Est. $100/150k, offered without reserve). Beyond the cars, the trio of Honda mini bikes on offer also well-surpassed expectations, led by the 1970 Honda CT70 'Trail 70' which sold for $15,600 against a pre-sale estimate of $2,000 - $3,000.

“This weekend’s auction at the Petersen Automotive Museum represented the most successful collector car auction ever held in Los Angeles and was highlighted by spirited bidding throughout the entire auction for lots that were globally sourced for this most unique and impressive venue,” said veteran Car Specialist, Alexander Weaver of RM Sotheby’s, following the sale. “The results re-affirmed market strength in many blue-chip collector cars, along with a continued and growing appreciation for modern collectables.”

“It was an honor to host RM Sotheby’s final sale of 2018 at the Petersen,” adds Petersen Automotive Museum Executive Director Terry L. Karges. “Since our grand renovation in 2015, we’ve dreamed of partnering with this world-class auction house to bring automotive treasures from the nation’s top collections to the heart of Los Angeles car culture. We’re delighted to announce that this has been the most successful auction we’ve hosted in our 24-year history, and we look forward to continuing the tradition for many years to come.”

RM Sotheby’s Petersen Automotive Museum Auction – Top Ten Sales

Lot 241	1956 Ferrari 290 MM (CHASSIS NO. 0628)	$22,005,000
Lot 200	1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV (CHASSIS NO. 4912)	$2,205,000
Lot 201	1989 Ferrari F40 (CHASSIS NO. ZFFGJ34B000080161)	$1,545,000
Lot 227	2015 Porsche 918 'Weissach' Spyder (SERIAL NO. 652)	$1,534,000
Lot 208	2015 McLaren P1 (SERIAL NO. 233/375)	$1,435,000
Lot 199	1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing (CHASSIS NO. 198.040.5500695)	$1,270,000
Lot 196	1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta (CHASSIS NO. 14999)	$775,000
Lot 222	2005 Porsche Carrera GT (CHASSIS NO. WP0CA29855L001164)	$775,000
Lot 207	2018 Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Villa d'Este (SERIAL NO. 79/99)	$637,500
Lot 234	1965 Lamborghini 350 GT (CHASSIS NO. 0232)	$555,000

The Petersen Automotive Museum Auction rounds out RM Sotheby’s 2018 calendar of events. The company will open its 2019 auction calendar with a return to the Biltmore Resort & Spa for its 20^th annual Arizona sale, 17-18 January. The complete catalogue for the Arizona auction will be available at rmsothebys.com in the coming weeks. The Arizona sale will be closely followed by the company’s first European sale of the year, set for 6 February in Paris. An updated list of entries for the Paris sale is also available at rmsothebys.com.

Complete results from RM Sotheby’s Petersen Automotive Museum Auction and additional information on all upcoming RM Sotheby’s 2019 events are available at rmsothebys.com.