Nigel Mansell’s Williams FW14 and Ferrari 640 F1 racing cars were the top results in the RM Sotheby’s Monaco 2022 classic car auction.
The most expensive cars in the RM Sotheby’s Monaco 2022 classic car auction were two of Nigel Mansell’s Formula 1 racing cars: his 1991 Williams FW14 that won five races (and taxied Ayrton Senna after the British Grand Prix) sold for a marque record $4,222,060, while the 1989 Ferrari 640 in which he won his maiden race for Ferrari achieved $3,753,520. A highest bid of €4.8 million was insufficient to buy the 1953 Ferrari 340 MM Spider by Vignale.
RM Sotheby’s Monaco 2022 Sale
RM Sotheby’s biennial Monaco 2022 classic car auction: 14 May 2022 at the Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo to coincide with the Monaco Historic Grand Prix.
RM Sotheby’s 2020 auction was canceled due to the Covid pandemic. RM Sotheby’s earned €23,317,290 at the Monaco 2018 sale. At the RM Sotheby’s Monaco 2016 sale, RM Sotheby’s earned €27.5 million with the top result €7,280,000 for a 1951 Ferrari 340 America Touring Barchetta.
Top Results at RM Sotheby’s Monaco 2022 Sale
The most expensive cars sold at the RM Sotheby’s Monaco 2022 classic car auction were:
| Year | Car | Price ($) | Price (€) | Estimate (€) | |
| 1 | 1991 | Williams FW14 | 4,222,060 | 4,055,000 | 1,500,000 – 3,000,000 |
| 2 | 1989 | Ferrari F1 640 | 3,753,520 | 3,605,000 | 2,500,000 – 5,000,000 |
| 3 | 1973 | Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider | 2,699,360 | 2,592,500 | 2,000,000 – 2,200,000 |
| 4 | 1971 | Lamborghini Miura DV | 2,582,220 | 2,480,000 | 2,200,000 – 2,600,000 |
| 5 | 1965 | Ferrari 275 GTB | 2,113,672 | 2,030,000 | 1,700,000 – 1,8000,000 |
| 6 | 1958 | BMW 507 Roadster Series II | 2,113,672 | 2,030,000 | 2,100,000 – 2,500,000 |
| 7 | 1969 | Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/3 Sports Racer | 1,703,690 | 1,636,250 | 1,700,000 – 2,100,000 |
| 8 | 1973 | Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 Lightweight | 1,340,590 | 1,287,500 | 800,000 – 1,000,000 |
| 9 | 1965 | Ferrari 275 GTS | Sold | Sold (HB 1,200,000) | 1,400,000 – 1,600,000 |
Note: Unpublished results observed during the auction, including premium.
Nigel Mansell F1 Cars Results at RM Sotheby’s Monaco 2022
Two of the highlights of the RM Sotheby’s Monaco 2022 classic car auction were the strong results of two Formula 1 racing cars driven by Nigel Mansell to victories and sold directly from his personal collection.
1991 Williams FW14 — Marque Record
One of the surprise results in the auction was the marque-record €4,055,000 ($4,222,060) paid for the 1991 Williams F14, chassis no 5 — the result was well above estimate and higher than for his Ferrari. Nigel Mansell won five Formula 1 Grand Prix races and finished second twice chassis no 5, in the year prior to winning the world championship. Mansell famously gave Ayrton Senna a ride on the side pot of the Williams during his victory lap at the British Grand Prix — a historic moment that probably contributed significantly to the bidding war for buying this car.
This result increased the marque record from the £2,703,000 ($3,400,000) paid at the Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale 2019 for the 1992 Williams-Renault FW14B, chassis 08, in which Mansell won five Grand Prix races on his way to becoming 1992 Formula 1 World Champion Driver.
A surprise result in the Bonhams Monaco 2022 sale a day earlier was for the ex-Alessandro Zanardi 1999 Williams-Supertec Renault FW21 Formula 1 Racing Single-Seater, which achieved more than double its pre-sale top estimate of €150,000 when it sold for €362,250. It competed in 14 races, of which it failed to complete most, but was driven to fifth place by the Italian in that year’s Monaco Grand Prix. It recorded no memorably results.
1989 Ferrari 640 Formula 1 Racing Car
The 1989 Ferrari 640 Formula 1 Racer, chassis no. 109, sold for €3,605,000 (€3,753,520) — although within the estimate of €2,500,000 to €5,000,000, the result was unexpectedly lower than for the Williams. This V12-era car was the first Ferrari F1 car fitted with a semi-automatic gearbox. It was raced to victory by Nigel Mansell on his debut race for Ferrari — the Brazilian Grand Prix. (Mansell reputedly hasn’t paid for a meal in an Italian restaurant since.) Mansell also won the Hungarian GP in this car and drove it to second place in France and Britain.
Other Million-Dollar Cars in the Monaco Sale
Several other Ferraris achieved million dollar results in the RM Sotheby’s Monaco 2022 classic car auction:
- A Giallo fly yellow 1973 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider — the 90th of only 123 produced — sold for well above estimate when it achieved €2,592,500. It had just less than 35,000 miles on the clock.
- A 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB by Scaglietti — the first 275 GTB imported into France; sold from single ownership since 1998 — also went well above upper estimate when it sold for €2,030,000.
- A 1965 Ferrari 275 GTS Convertible by Pininfarina — one of the most beautiful of the mid-1960s Ferraris — initially failed to sell with a highest bid of €1.2 million but was announced sold for an undisclosed sum during the auction.
Two further Italian cars selling for over a million dollar were:
- A 1971 Lamborghini Miura SV — one of only 21 Miura SV models produce for the US market and the US homologation prototype and factory publicity car — sold for a mid-estimate €2,480,000.
- The 1969 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/3 Sports Racer, built and raced by Autodelta, sold for €1,703,690. Nanni Galli and Rolf Stommelen ran second for much of the 1970 Le Mans 24 Hours race in the car before being disqualified for receiving a push start
Only two top German cars were sold:
- A 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 Lightweight — one of 200 made, single owner from new. It achieved €1,287,500 — well above estimate.
- The 1958 BMW 507 Roadster Series II — one of 252 produced, a matching numbers sample — was originally listed as unsold with a highest bid of €1.95 million. It was subsequently listed as sold for €2,030,000 — an all-in price somewhat less than the regular auction premium would have been.
Top Cars Not Sold at RM Sotheby’s Monaco 2022 Classic Car Auction
The top cars failing to sell at the RM Sotheby’s Monaco 2022 classic car auction were:
| Year | Car | Price (€) | Estimate (€) |
| 1953 | Ferrari 340 MM Spider | HB 4,800,000 | 6,000,000 – 8,000,000 |
| 1988 | Jaguar XJR-9 | HB 1,750,000 | 1,900,000 – 2,400,000 |
| 1965 | Iso Grifo A3/C | HB 1,430,000 | 1,550,000 – 1,750,000 |
| 2012 | Ferrari LaFerrari Prototype | HB 1,100,000 | 1,400,000 – 1,8000,000 |
| 2020 | Ford GT Carbon Series | HB 840,000 | 900,000 – 1,100,000 |
| 1960 | Scarab Formula 1 | HB 600,000 | 800,000 – 1,000,000 |
| 1984 | Audi Sport Quattro | HB 450,000 | 750,000 – 1,000,000 |
NOTE: Highest bids as observed during the sale, some cars might have sold post-hammer
The most expensive car on offer at the RM Sotheby’s Monaco 2022 sale was a 1953 Ferrari 340 MM Spider by Vignale, chassis 0350 AM, estimate €6,000,000 – €8,000,000, but bidding stopped at €4.8 million. This was the last of only ten 340 MM built and is one of only four surviving 340 MM Vignale Spiders.
Bidding on many cars came close to lower estimates so further deals are likely. Bidding for the LaFerrari Prototype stalled shortly after a million euro — the car may not be registered for on-road use. Enthusiasm for the Audi Sport Quattro disappeared when an addendum was announced that questioned the originality of the car, including uncertainty over the original engine or mileage.
Monaco Historic Grand Prix Week Classic Car Auctions in May 2022
Results 2022 Auctions:
Auction Previews:
