Top results at the Gooding London 2023 sale included a 1953 Ferrari 166 MM/53 Spider and a model record for the first production 1961 Jaguar E-Type Roadster ever sold.
Gooding sold four cars for over a million dollars at the London 2023 classic car auction. The most expensive car sold was a 1953 Ferrari 166 MM/53 Spider that achieved $3,180,000. The first 1961 Jaguar E-Type Series I 3.8-Litre Roadster sold to the public became the first non-competition or lightweight E-Type to sell for over a million dollars.
Gooding London 2023 Classic Car Auction
Gooding & Company London 2023: third live sale in the UK on 1 September 2023; realizing over £9.8 million in sales. On offer was a variety of historic classics from the most revered English and European marques during its bespoke auction, with star cars from Ferrari, Jaguar, and Mercedes-Benz leading the sale.
“We were proud to conduct yet another auction at the prestigious Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace, where we continuously transact some of the most important classic cars sold in the UK each year,” said Gooding & Company President and Co-Founder, David Gooding. “Not only did we send off important cars offered from long-term ownership, such as the ex-Rubirosa Ferrari 166 MM/53 Spider and the world-record Jaguar E-Type Roadster, to their next custodians, but we also saw exceptionally strong prices achieved with the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster and Ferrari 250 Europa, underscoring sustained demand for the finest quality examples at market.”
Top Five Results at Gooding London 2023 Classic Car Auction
The top five results at the Gooding London 2023 sale were:
| Year | Car | Price (£) | Price ($) | |
| 1 | 1953 | Ferrari 166 MM/53 Spider | 2,531,250 | 3,180,000 |
| 2 | 1962 | Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster | 1,800,000 | 2,261,000 |
| 3 | 1954 | Ferrari 250 Europa | 1,518,750 | 1,908,000 |
| 4 | 1961 | Jaguar E-Type Series I 3.8-Litre Roadster | 911,250 | 1,145,000 |
| 5 | 1931 | Bentley Eight Litre Folding Head Coupe | 787,500 | 989,112 |
Note: Auction in British pounds, results including premium.
1953 Ferrari 166 MM/53 Spider
The ex-Rubirosa 1953 Ferrari 166 MM/53 Spider was the top sale of the day, bringing in a gross figure of £2,531,250. This significant competition Ferrari, sporting Vignale bodywork, was offered directly from 63 years of continuous, enthusiast ownership, and came to auction for the very first time at Gooding & Company’s London sale.
As the only car to win all of the three great European sports car races – the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Targa Florio, and the Mille Miglia – the Ferrari 166 MM completely took the competition world by storm upon introduction in the late 1940s and into the early 1950s. In 1953, Ferrari built a limited series of 13 chassis called the 166 MM/53, intended for private customers to enter in the popular under-two-liter class.
The 1953 Ferrari 166 MM/53 sold in London was the fifth of the six Vignale-built Spiders and 11th of the 13 examples built in total.
Other Million-Dollar Results at Gooding London 2023 Sale
Gooding set a new world record at auction for all production E-Types by selling the 1961 Jaguar E-Type Series I 3.8-Litre Roadster, chassis 850004, for a model-record £911,250 — the first time ever for a non-competition E-Type to achieve over a million dollar at public auction. This Jaguar was the first E-Type ever sold to the public and the fourth right-hand-drive E-Type Roadster built. Chassis 850004 was also the personal car of legendary Le Mans team manager and Jaguar director Frank “Lofty” England. (A recorded $7,370,000 was paid for a 1963 Jaguar E-Type Lightweight Competition at Bonhams Scottsdale 2017.)
A desirable disc-brake, iron-block 1962 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster sold well above estimate, achieving £1,800,000. Presented in its original color combination of Ivory (Elfenbein, DB 608) with a black hardtop over a dark red leather interior, this Roadster was expertly serviced by German marque specialists and preserved by fine art conservationists in recent years.
The first-generation 1954 Ferrari 250 Europa, one of only 22 examples built, also sold well for £1,518,750. Delivered new to acclaimed Hollywood director Clarence Leon Brown, this exceptional 250 Europa features a Lampredi V-12 engine with understated, elegant Pinin Farina coachwork.
