A 2003 Ferrari Enzo sold for $2,640,000 as the record top result at the RM Sotheby’s Driving into Summer 2020 online-only car auction.
Two Ferraris — and Enzo and a 288 GTO — sold for over $2 million as the top results at the first RM Sotheby’s online-only Driving into Summer sale end May 2020. The 2003 Ferrari Enzo sold for $2,640,000, which is the highest price ever paid for a car in an online-only auction. The $2,310,000 paid for the 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO was probably the second highest. A further 1995 Ferrari F50 received an unsuccessful highest bid of $2.2 million.
RM Sotheby’s Driving Into Summer 2020 Online Auction
RM Sotheby’s hosted its first car auction specifically curated for the Online Only platform — Driving into Summer — presenting 193 motor cars and 24 lots of memorabilia, which opened for bidding on 21 May and closed in a staggered format on 28-29 May. The time-based, online auction totaled $16,385,738 in sales. More than 550 bidders participated from no less than 35 countries, with 24 percent bidding with RM Sotheby’s for the first time.
“We are extremely pleased with the results of our first Online Only collector car auction curated specifically for the digital platform,” comments Gord Duff, Global Head of Auctions, RM Sotheby’s. “We saw continued momentum from our Online Only Palm Beach car auction, with considerable pre-sale interest from consignors and bidders, as well as activity throughout the auction with more than 550,000 total page views. We also saw an abundance of bidding throughout the week and during the closing days with an increased average of 19.6 bids per lot, up to a total of 56 bids on a single lot.”
Top-Ten Results in RM Sotheby’s Driving Into Summer 2020 Auction
The ten highest results achieved in the RM Sotheby’s Driving into Summer 2020 collector car online-only auction were:
| Car | Result | |
| 1 | 2003 Ferrari Enzo | $2,640,000 |
| 2 | 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO | $2,310,000 |
| 3 | 2017 Ford GT | $836,000 |
| 4 | 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe | $671,000 |
| 5 | 2020 Ferrari 488 Pista Spider | $605,000 |
| 6 | 2020 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ | $467,500 |
| 7 | 1965 Shelby 427 S/C Cobra ‘4000 Series’ | $396,000 |
| 8 | 2006 Ford GT Heritage | $385,000 |
| 9 | 2019 Ferrari 812 Superfast | $335,500 |
| 10 | 2001 Ferrari 550 Barchetta | $308,000 |
Top Ferrari Results at RM Sotheby’s Driving Into Summer 2020 Sale
Six of the top ten results at the RM Sotheby’s Driving into Summer 2020 sale were for Ferraris, while the highest unsuccessful bid was also for a Ferrari.
Proving that rare, iconic supercars remain in strong demand among enthusiasts, it was a 2003 Ferrari Enzo that led the online auction sales, selling for $2,640,000 to become the most valuable car sold in a dedicated online-only collector car auction to date. An exceptional, as-new example of Maranello’s defining millennial hypercar, chassis no. 133033 was offered at auction from just two California-based owners, having resided within its first owner’s collection until 2018. Regularly serviced and used sparingly, 133033 has just 1,250 miles on the clock and optioned with the very rare two-tone racing seats with red 3D cloth inserts. This was a solid result for an Enzo — the two sold in 2019 by Bonhams achieved $3.1 at Bonmont and only $1.7 at De Zoute.
Following close behind the Enzo, a 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO sold for $2,310,000 during the Friday sale session, taking the second top sale slot. Enjoyed by a mere three caretakers throughout its life, the 288 GTO was originally delivered to well-known Ferrari collector Hartmut Ibing optioned with factory air conditioning and power windows. The result was towards the lower end of prices paid for this model, although 288 GTOs often struggle at auctions.
Other notable Ferrari highlights include a beautifully restored, matching-numbers, one-of-50 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe with rare coachwork by Ellena, which brought in $671,000; an essentially new 2020 Ferrari 488 Pista Spider, stunningly specified, highly optioned and showing less than 90 miles at $605,000; a 2019 Ferrari 812 Superfast, fitted with the most powerful naturally aspirated production V-12 engine with 785 bhp, which generated $335,500; and a U.S.-specification 2001 Ferrari 550 Barchetta Pininfarina, the 375th example of just 448 built and finished in the desirable shade of Nero at $308,000.
The highest unsuccessful bid at the auction was $2.2 million for a 1995 Ferrari F50 — it was still available after the auction for $2.5 million.
Other Top Results at RM Sotheby’s Driving Into Summer 2020 Sale
Beyond the Ferrari highlights, supercars were also well-represented in the Online Only sale by an iconic trio of Ford GTs—a 2017 GT, a 2006 GT Heritage and a 2005 GT. Born and bred on the racetrack, the nicely optioned 2017 Ford GT was offered at auction equipped with carbon fiber wheels and finished in stunningTriple Yellow with Lightning Blue stripes. Powered by 647 hp, 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 engine, the GT achieved a final $836,000. Holding the unique distinction of being the final Heritage GT built for 2006, the three-option Heritage was offered from just two owners since new, showing just 5,400 miles and sold for $385,000. A desirable, four-option example, the 2005 GT presented wonderfully in Mark IV Red with white racing stripes and brought in $290,000.
Additional stand-out sales in the Driving into Summer auction include a virtually as-new, one-of-900 2020 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ at $467,500; a rare non-hood scoop 1965 Shelby 427 S/C Cobra ‘4000 Series’ with under-car exhaust at $396,000; a desirable early flat-floor 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 3.8-Litre Roadster at $214,500 (est. $160/180k); a 1963 Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside Pickup, boasting a stunning, concours-quality restoration, nearly doubling its high pre-sale estimate at $88,000 (est. $35/45k); a 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet, having resided under its original family ownership for 45 years until 2016, at $297,000; and a highly desirable 1990 Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II, originally delivered to Japan, which surpassed its pre-sale estimate at $231,000.
RM Sotheby’s will next try its online-only auction style in Europe, as a replacement for the Essen auction originally planned for March 2020 in Germany. Bidding will take place between 3 and 11 June 2020. The sale comprises over 185 fine collector cars and a selection of memorabilia, parts, and collectibles, ranging from a pre-war Bugatti Type 57 Cabriolet to an as-new, track-ready 2020 Porsche 935 ‘Martini’, along with the nearly 100 sought-after cars presented from the single-owner Petitjean Collection and offered entirely without reserve. Unfortunately, the 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Cabriolet A announced for the Essen sale will not be offered.
Major Online Classic Car Auctions in 2020
Some of the major classic car online-only sales by major auctioneers in 2020 include:
- May: RM Sotheby’s Driving into Summer – Results
- June: RM Sotheby’s European – Results
- July: RM Sotheby’s Open Roads: European & North American
- August:
- RM Sotheby’s Shift/Monterey
- Bonhams California Streamin — Results
- Gooding Geared Online — Results
- September: Gooding London — Results, Bonhams Brussels Sale, RM Sotheby’s Auburn Fall (Sales from September onwards may be traditional auctions if conditions allow.)
- October: Gooding (Geared Online)
