2013 Villa Erba Auction Results at Villa d’Este in Italy

1953 Ferrari 340/375 achieved over $12 million at the RM Auctions at Villa Erba (Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este) sale of historic and classic cars.

Red 1953 Ferrari 340/375 MM Berlinetta ‘Competizione’
Photo: Tim Scott ©2013 Courtesy of RM Auctions

Top results were achieved at the biannual Villa Erba auction of classic, historic, and super cars held in conjunction with the annual Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on Lake Como in Italy. The 40 lots offered by RM Auctions fetched over €27 million with five cars achieving over a million euro each. A record $12.8 million were paid for a 1953 Ferrari 340/375 Berlinetta – the highest price paid at auction for a car since the record $16,390,000 paid for a 1957 Ferrari 250 TR in 2011. A quarter of lots exceeded pre-sale estimates while a fifth of the lots were not sold. Only three of the eight antique (pre-1930) cars were sold.

Top Prices Paid for Classic and Supercars at Villa Erba in 2013

The top prices for classic and supercars at the Villa Erba sale organized by RM Auctions in conjunction with the Villa d’Este Concourse d’Elegance on May 25, 2013 were:

1 1953 Ferrari 340/375 MM Berlinetta € 9,856,000
2 1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica € 2,184,000
3 1905 Fiat 60 HP bid €1,300,000
4 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB € 1,120,000
5 1962 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Roadster € 1,114,400
6 2004 Ferrari Enzo € 1,069,000
7 1964 Ferrari 250 GT € 974,400
8 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO € 963,200
9 2010 Ferrari 599XX € 918,400
10 1961 Ferrari 250 GT € 834,400
11 1965 Ferrari 275 GTS € 795,200
12 1927 Bugatti Type 37 Grand Prix bid €730,000

(Prices paid include 12% buyers’ premium but not other taxes that depend on the final country of registration.)

1953 Ferrari 340/375 MM Berlinetta ‘Competizione’ by Pinin Farina

1953 Ferrari 340/375 MM Berlinetta ‘Competizione’ by Pinin Farina
Photo: Tim Scott ©2013 Courtesy of RM Auctions

The 1953 Ferrari 340/375 MM Berlinetta ‘Competizione’ by Pinin Farina sold for a record €9,856,000 (US $ 12,812,800). This was the highest price ever paid for a closed Ferrari Berlinetta, the highest price for a 340/375, and the highest price paid at auction for any car since the all-time record set by a 1957 Ferrari 250 TR in 2011 at $16,390,000.

The 1953 Ferrari 340/375 MM Berlinetta ‘Competizione’ was one of three works 375 MM entered at the 1953 24 Hours Le Mans. It also competed at Spa, Carrera Panamerica, and won the 12 Hours of Pescara. It was driven by three world champions: Hawthorn, Ascari, and Farina.

Although the Villa Erba is at the start of the 2013 classic car auction season, it will take a very special car to achieve an even higher price this year. (The highest price achieved at auction in 2012 was over a million dollar less.)

See Top-Ten List of Highest Prices Paid for Classic Cars at Public Auctions in 2013 for the THREE cars that sold for even more this year.

1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica SWB Coupé Aerodinamico by Pininfarina

Blue 1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica SWB Coupé Aerodinamico
Photo: Tim Scott ©2013 Courtesy of RM Auctions

The second highest price paid at Villa Erba was for a 1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica SWB Coupé Aerodinamico by Pininfarina. The car was the 12th of only 36 built by Ferrari to individual requirements for special clients. This 400 Superamerica has a 340 hp, 3967 cc SOHC V-12 engine with three Weber 46 DCF carburetors, and four-speed manual transmission. It is the more desirable short wheelbase with covered headlights.

€2,184,000 ($2,839,000) was paid for the 1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica SWB Coupé Aerodinamico at the RM Auction at Villa Erba.

1905 FIAT 60HP Five-Passenger Touring by Quinby & Co.

Photo: Teddy Pieper ©2013 Courtesy of RM Auctions
Photo: Teddy Pieper ©2013 Courtesy of RM Auctions

The 1905 FIAT 60HP Five-Passenger Touring by Quinby & Co. was expected to be one of the highlights of the RM Auction at Villa Erba in 2013. This is the only surviving example of the twenty built and is in complete, unrestored condition.

This Fiat was considered the first super car with performance (and price) exceeding anything offered by the competitors. Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany took delivery of the second car built. The car on offer was built for the American-based brewer August Anheuser Busch Sr., who ordered it on advice from the emperor.

€1,300,000 was the highest bid for the Fiat at the Villa Erba auction but failed to clear the reserve.

Blue 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB by Scaglietti
Photo: Tim Scott ©2013 Courtesy of RM Auctions

1965 Ferrari 275 GTB by Scaglietti

A 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB by Scaglietti sold for €1,120,000 – the third highest price paid for a car at Villa Erba this year. The 275 GTB was the last Ferrari that generally could do duty both on the track and road.

1962 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster

White 1962 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster
Photo: Tim Scott ©2013 Courtesy of RM Auctions

A 1962 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster surprised by achieving €1,114,400 – far above the €650-800,000 guide price estimates. The Mercedes is in superb condition and has covered just over 34,000 km since new.

The 300 SL Roadster with factory supplied hard top was the only classic Mercedes Benz car offered at the Villa Erba sale in 2013.

Top Prices for Ferraris at Villa Erba 2013

Classic (and modern) Ferraris tend to sell at top-end prices and with 15 of the 40 lots offered at the Villa Erba RM Auctions in 2013, it is no surprise that Ferrari dominated the list of the highest prices paid. Except for the Mercedes 300 SL, all other of the top-ten highest prices paid at Villa Erba were for Ferraris.

The modern, but very rare, 2004 Ferrari Enzo and 2010 Ferrari 599XX both exceeded a million dollars. As did a 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO, a car that had inspired many supercars that followed in the late 1980s and 1990s.

A 1964 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso Berlinetta by Scaglietti sold for €974,400, a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT Series II Cabriolet by Pininfarina sold for €834,400, while a 1965 Ferrari 275 GTS by Pininfarina sold for €795,200

Antique Cars at Villa Erba 2013

Yellow 1929 Rolls Royce Phantom I
Photo: Tim Scott ©2013 Courtesy of RM Auctions

Antique cars (pre-1930) faired less well at the Villa Erba auction. Of the 8 pre-1930s cars on offer, only three were sold.

The oldest car on offer, a very rare 1905 Fiat 60HP Five-Passenger Touring Car by Quinby & Co, failed to make the reserve despite achieving a highest bid of €1,300,000. Two Bugattis and two Bentleys also failed to sell.

Two further pre-1930s Bugattis were sold, as was a 1929 Rolls Royce Phantom I (and two 1930s Bugattis).

Priced paid or bid for the pre-1930 vintage cars at Villa Erba:

1905 Fiat 60 HP Five-Passenger Touring by Quiny & Co bid €1,300,000
1924 Bugatti Type 30 Torpedeo in the style of Lavocat et Marsaud € 313,600
1927 Bugatti Type 37 Grand Prix bid €730,000
1929 Bently 4.5-Litre Open Tourer by Vanden Plas bid €490,000
1929 Bentley 6.5-Litre Sednaca de Ville by H J Mulliner bid €540,000
1929 Bugatti Type 40 Roadster € 324,800
1929 Bugatti Type 44 Grand Sport in the style of Bugatti bid €265,000
1929 Rolls Royce Phantom I Tourer by Barker € 268,800

See also the top prices paid at car auctions in 2011 and 2012.