2021 Artcurial Parisienne Sale (Paris Auction Results)

A Le-Mans-winning Matra and Group B rally cars were the top results in the Artcurial Parisienne sale (Rétromobile auction) in Paris in February 2021.

Matra MS 670 châssis 001, winner of the 1972 Le Mans 24 Hours on offer at Artcurial Paris 2021 Auction

A Le-Mans-winning Matra and Group B rally cars were the top results in the Artcurial Parisienne sale (Rétromobile auction) in Paris in February 2021.
Matra MS 670 châssis 001, winner of the 1972 Le Mans 24 Hours © Philippe Louzon

The 1972 Matra MS 670 that won the 1972 Le Mans 24 Hours race, achieved $6,921,446 as the most-expensive car sold in the Artcurial Parisienne sale (in lieu of the postponed Paris Rétromobile auction) on 5 February 2021. Two Aston Martins sold for over a million euro while several Group B rally cars sold for model records including an Audi Quattro, Peugeot 205, and Renault 5.

Artcurial Parisienne 2021 Sale (Rétromobile)

The traditional Rétromobile show in Paris was postponed from the usual February date to early June 2021. Artcurial (as well as RM Sotheby’s and Bonhams) will still have Paris classic car auctions in early February 2021. The Artcurial sale was renamed “La Parisienne” and took place on 5 February 2021. A Rétromobile 2021 sale is planned for 4 June 2021.

Artcurial earned a good €18 million ($22 million) including 20% VAT at the Parisienne 2021 sale despite two of the top cars failing to sell.

Artcurial Motorcars earned €23 million ($25 million) at its Paris Rétromobile 2020 sale. The sell-through rate was 70% of all lots.

Top Results at Artcurial Paris Sale 2021

The top results at the Artcurial Parisienne sale in Paris in February 2021 were:

YearCarPrice ($)Price (€)Estimate (€)
11972Matra MS 6706,921,4465,756,5254,000,000 – 7,500,000
21988Audi Sport Quattro S12,424,9112,016,6001,000,000 – 1,300,000
31959Aston Martin DB4 GT1,632,9611,358,0001,600,000 – 2,400,000
41965Aston Martin Short Chassis Volante1,392,4661,158,6001,200,000 – 1,600,000
51985Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 Evolution 21,175,347977,440600,000 – 800,000
61986Lancia Delta S4974,678810,560600,000 – 800,000
61965Aston Martin DB5 Vantage974,678810,560600,000 – 800,000
81985Renault 5 Maxi Turbo802,676667,520400,000 – 600,000

Million-Dollar Cars at Artcurial Parisienne 2021 Sale

The 1972 Matra MS 670, winner of the 1972 Le Mans 24 Hour Race, sold for a marque record €5,756,525
© Artcurial

Five cars sold for more than a million-dollar at the Artcurial Parisienne sale in Paris in February 2021. The top result was for a Le Mans winner while two rally cars and two Aston Martins also achieved million-dollar results.

1972 Matra MS 670

The Matra MS 670 chassis 001 Le Mans 1972
The Matra MS 670 chassis 001 at Le Mans 1972 © Matra Automobile / Courtesy of Artcurial

The 1972 Matra MS 670, winner of the 1972 Le Mans 24 Hour Race, sold for a marque record €5,756,525 as the top result at the Artcurial Parisienne 2021 classic car auction in February 2021. The hammer came down at €5 million but once premium and 20% VAT were added, €6,907,200 / $8,305,735 was due. It set the new marque record for Matra and was also the most-expensive car thus far sold at public auction in 2021.

For more on this Matra and the team’s success at Le Mans in the early 1970s, see Le-Mans Winning Announcement for Artcurial Paris 2021.

Top Group B Rally Car Results at Artcurial Paris 2021

French Collection of 7 Group B cars on offer at Artcurial Paris 2021 Auction
French Collection of 7 Group B cars @ Peter Singhof

The collection of Group B rally cars was another eagerly-awaited highlight, the first time such a line-up has been offered at auction. The impressive provenance of these cars attracted enormous interest, resulting in some strong results.

The 1988 Audi Sport Quattro S1 changed hands for 2 016 600 € / 2 424 911 $ including premium, over twice its estimate and the highest price paid at auction for a rally car worldwide. It is probably the highest Audi result at auction too, although some concept cars might have sold for more.

Another rally star, the 1985 Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 Evolution found a new owner for 977 440 € / 1 175 347 $ including premium. A record price for a Peugeot 205.

The 1986 Lancia Delta, a rare factory Group B car in Martini livery, also sold well above estimate, fetching 810 560 € / 974 678 $ including premium.

Bidders in the room and on the telephone waged a fierce battle over the 1985 Renault 5 Maxi Turbo, with exceptional provenance. The car found a new owner in the room, for 667 520 € / 802 676 $ including premium, making it the most expensive Renault 5 ever sold.

The 1985 Lancia 037 sold for 548 320 € / 659 341 $ including premium and finally, the 1986 factory Ford RS200 changed hands for 381 440 € / 458 672 $ including premium.

Aston Martins Sold at Artcurial Paris 2021

Collection of Aston-Martins and Bristols on offer at Artcurial Paris 2021 Auction
«Only British» coming from a French collection © Kevin van Campenhout

Amongst British cars on offer, a very rare example of Aston Martin’s most exclusive cabriolet, the 1965 Aston Martin Short Chassis Volante, an original left-hand drive car and the only Volante delivered new in Autumn Gold, sold for 1 158 600 € / 1 392 466 $ including premium. From the same collection, the 1965 Aston Martin DB5 Vantage changed hands well above its estimate for 810 560 € / 974 678 including premium.

Eligible for the most prestigious events worldwide, the 1959 Aston Martin DB4 GT in Aston racing green, found a new owner for 1 358 000 € / 1 632 961 $ including premium. A remarkably low price for a model that rarely changes hands for below at least two million dollars. A few hours after the Artcurial auction, Gooding sold a DB4GT in London for nearly $3.8 million.

Top Cars Not Sold at Artcurial Parisienne Sale 2021

1957 Porsche 550 A Spyder #0118 on offer at Artcurial Paris 2021 Auction
1957 Porsche 550 A Spyder © Philippe Louzon

The three top cars not sold at the Artcurial Parisienne classic car auction in Paris in February 2021 were:

YearCarEstimate (€)
1957Porsche 550A Spyder3,800,000 – 4,400,000
1932Bugatti Type 55 Roadster by Vanvooren4,000,000 – 6,000,000
1954Bentley Coninental R1,400,000 – 1,800,000

Bidding for the Porsche 550A ran out of steam at around €3.5 million, which could have resulted in a decent, if unremarkable, result. Bidding for the Bentley also faltered well before the estimate — these large Continental Rs frequently fail to sell at auctions.

More remarkable was the limited interest in the Bugatti Type 55. Bidding opened at €3 million and there were no further bidding on the Roadster with bodywork by Vanvooren — Bonhams sold two Type 55s in 2020 for $5 and $7 million with the five most-expensive cars sold at auction in 2020 classic Bugattis.

Automobilia Results at Artcurial Paris 2021

Almost exclusively dedicated to Ferrari, the Automobilia sale, including the former collection of Giuseppe Neri, a friend of Enzo Ferrari, attracted enormous attention from marque enthusiasts and realized 905 554 € /1 0911 05 $ including premium, double its estimate, with 94% of lots selling.

A highlight of the Giuseppe Neri collection was the last F1 V12 engine built by Ferrari at Maranello, which found a new owner for 169 000 € /203 628 $ including premium. A type 056 F1 engine also changed hands for 41 600 € / 50 124 $ including premium, well above estimate.

Following a long bidding battle on the internet, the telephone and in the room, one of the two sections of bodywork from Alain Prost’s Ferrari 641 finally sold to a bidder in the room for 143 000 € / 172 301 $ including premium, over seven times its estimate.

The second part of the sale was dedicated to an enthusiast’s collection of workshop memorabilia, comprising spare parts, catalogues and manuals. Many lots fetched prices well above estimates including five pairs of Ferrari mechanics’ overalls that changed hands for a total of 11 050 € / 13 314 $ including premium.

Paris Retromobile Week Auctions 2021

Classic Car Auctions

The traditional Paris Rétromobile Week was postponed from February to early June 2021. The traditional auctions in early February in Paris are expected to take place. Artcurial already announced a further auction for early June during the postponed Rétromoble week 2021.

  • Bonhams: Les Grandes Marques à Paris Sale online-only from 3 to 10 March 2021.
  • Artcurial: La Parisienne (in partnership with Rétromobile) on 5 February 2021. (Rétromobile Sale on 4 June 2021)
  • RM Sotheby’s: Paris Auction live auction on 13 February 2021, followed by an online-only, time-based sale.

Results 2021

Press Releases 2021:

Paris Rétromobile Week Auction Results 2020:

Previous Paris Rétromobile Week Auction Results