RM Sotheby’s announced a special sale of the Guikas Collection of 75 racing and road-going cars at the Paul Ricard Circuit in France in November 2021 — all lots are offered without reserve.
RM Sotheby’s sale of 75 cars of the Jean Guikas Collection at the Paul Ricard racing circuit in the south of France on 19 November 2021 will include several very enticing cars. The most expensive car on offer is the 1955 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Competizione, estimate €7,000,000 – €9,000,000, that wears a unique bodywork that is often seen as a prototype for the first series of the Tour de France GTs. The 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB, estimate €2,400,000 – €2,800,000, won the 1967 French GT Championship. The leading road-going car is the 1965 Iso Grifo A3/C, estimate €1,500,000 – €2,000,000, that once belonged to Johhny Hallyday.
Guikas Collection Sale 2021
RM Sotheby’s is arranging a special one-off sale at the Paul Ricard Circuit in the south of France on 19 November 2021. This sale consists of one of Europe’s most important single-owner car collections — the 75 racing and roadgoing cars in the Guikas collection. All cars will be offered without reserve.
Carefully curated over the decades, the collection presents pedigrees spanning from the endurance racing of the 24 Hours of Le Mans to the world stage of Formula One and nearly everything in between. The collection of race cars will provide modern racing enthusiasts an introduction into virtually all vintage racing series worldwide. The GT and road cars are equally impressive and offer a wide selection of Pre- and Post-War sports cars. Each motor car has been carefully selected with thorough research put into each individual provenance and attentively maintained to ensure all are in excellent driving condition.
Augustin Sabatié-Garat, Head of Sales at RM Sotheby’s Europe said: “We are honored to present the Guikas Collection on behalf of Jean and his family. His passion for high-quality classic and racing cars and his years of experience in the automotive world have made him one of the world’s leading experts. This admirably well-balanced collection – curated to contain interesting cars with rare or unique provenance – exemplifies his knowledge and the most important ingredients that truly make an example a blue-chip collector car.”
Competition Car Highlights in the RM Sotheby’s Guikas Collection Sale 2021
Some of the highlights of the competition cars on offer in the RM Sotheby’s Guikas Collection auction include:
1955 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Competizione
The most expensive car on offer from the Guikas Collection is the 1955 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Competizione, chassis no. 0385 GT (Est. €7,000,000 – €9,000,000). Displayed at the 1955 Turin Motor Show, chassis 0385 GT was clothed in special one-off bodywork by Pinin Farina, similar to the 375 MM Berlinettas of the period and what clearly became a prototype for the first series of Ferrari 250 GT LWB ‘Tour de France’ GT cars. Appearing for the first time in public in nearly 30 years, chassis 0385 GT presents an exciting opportunity for its next custodian to enjoy one of the great 1950s GT prototypes.
1965 Ferrari 275 GTB
Ferrari 275 GTB cars remain firm auction favorites and sold well in recent years in a variety of versions. The 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB, chassis no. 07765, (Est. €2,400,000 – €2,800,000), is a particularly interesting version.
This 275 GTB was purchased new by Count Frédéric Chandon de Brailles, heir to the Moet et Chandon champagne empire. It was subsequently sold in 1967 to Claude Bouscary who then fitted the car with six carburetors and won the 1967 French GT Championship. This Ferrari Classiche certified, matching numbers example, is presented in its original Bleu with tobacco interior and equipped with a complete spare racing engine and gearbox.
1981 Ferrari 512 BB/LM
The 1981 Ferrari 512 BB/LM, chassis no. 35529. (Est. €2,250,000 – €3,000,000), was the 20th of 25 especially rare 512 BB/LM competition cars produced.
It was fitted with one-off bodywork designed by engineers commissioned by Fabrizio Violati’s famous racing team, Bellancauto. Raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1981 and 1984, chassis 35529 set the highest speed ever achieved by a 512 BB/LM, at over 200mph. Other notable successes include the class win at the 1000km Monza and 6 Hours of Pergusa in 1981 and the 1000km of Mugello in 1982. The car is accompanied by an extensive history file detailing the racing modifications done while under the care of Bellancauto.
1993 Jaguar XJ220 C LM
The 1993 Jaguar XJ220 C LM, serial no. 003, (Est. €1,000,000 – €1,400,000), was one of just three XJ220 C’s built to contest the 1993 24 Hours of le Mans, and the very car that led its class at the Le Mans that year, until a blown tire and a subsequent mechanical issue forced its retirement with only a few hours remaining. The XJ220 C raced again at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1995 and was later restored by English specialist, Don Law.
Several Le Mans participants are on offer at the various Monterey Car Week auctions in mid-August 2021 in California, USA.
Road Car Highlights in the RM Sotheby’s Guikas Sale 2021
Some of the more interesting road-going cars in the Guikas Collection on offer at the special RM Sotheby’s auction at Paul Ricard Circuit include:
1965 Iso Grifo A3/C, chassis no. B 0209, (Est. €1,500,000 – €2,000,000). This highly desirable ‘riveted’ Grifo A3/C is the eighth of 10 such examples built. Formerly owned by Jean-Philippe Smet, aka French icon, Johnny Hallyday, this Iso Grifo has recently been repainted in its original dark red exterior and still retains its carefully preserved original interior.
1950 Delahaye 135 MS Cabriolet Saoutchik, chassis no. 801610, (Est. €550,000 – €700,000). Purchased new from Garage Royal in Paris by its first owner, Albert Prost, who commissioned the noted coachbuilder Saoutchik to produce a one-off four-seat cabriolet bodywork for the car. Prost sold the car in 1955 only to purchase it back in 1980, making it a three-owner car from new. Chassis 801610 boasts a 3.5-Litre “Modifiée Speciale” engine with three carburetors, making it the most powerful touring car engine produced by Delahaye in the period.
A variety of further interesting cars in all price ranges including a rare Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada, a variety of Maseratis, Ferraris, Porsches, and Mercedes-Benz cars but also a small Innocenti Mini and an Autobianchi 500.
