2014 RM Auctions Monterey Classic Car Sale Results

RM Auctions set a new classic car sales record grossing $143 million with 35 cars selling for more than a million dollars. A 1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale achieved $26 million.

1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Special
Photo: Darin Schnabel ©2014 Courtesy of RM Auctions

RM Auctions set a new record for the highest grossing classic car auction when it grossed $143.4 million at its 2014 Monterey sale. The top result was $26.4 million for a 1964 Ferrari GTB/C Speciale – the second highest price paid at an auction during the Monterey classic car week. A further two Ferraris sold for more than $10 million each. No fewer than 35 cars achieved results in excess of a million dollar each, including 15 Ferraris and four Mercedes Benz 300SLs.

RM Auctions – Record 2014 Monterey Classic Car Sale

RM Auctions Monterey 2014 Sale in Action
RM Auctions Monterey 2014 Sale
Photo Darin Schnabel ©2014 Courtesy of RM Auctions

RM Auctions set yet a new record for the total earned at a Monterey classic car sale. In 2014, RM Auctions grossed a new single auction record of $143.4 million breaking the record $125 million set a year ago. A new single-day record was also set when $88 million was earned on Saturday August 16 – more than $20 million per auction hour!

RM Auctions 2014 Monterey sale had 129 cars on offer with a sell-through rate of 91% (87% in 2013) with 35 (26 in 2013) million-dollar-plus cars. Of these, 15 were Ferraris, compared to 13 a year ago. The average price per car sold was $1,215,400 ($1,201,858 a year ago).

The top result this year was a million dollar shy of the record $27.5 million paid for a 1967 Ferrari GTB/4*S N.A.R.T. Spider. Fittingly, this year’s top result was also for a very special 275 GTB.

RM Auctions 2014 Monterey Classic Car Sale Results

The 35 million-dollar-plus cars at the 2014 RM Auctions Monterey classic car sale in California in August 2014 were:

YearCarPrice
11964Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale by Scaglietti26’400’000
21964Ferrari 250 LM by Scaglietti11’550’000
31967Ferrari 275 GTB/4 by Scaglietti10’175’000
41965Ford GT40 Roadster Prototype6’930’000
51967Ferrari 275 GTB Alloy by Scaglietti3’750’000
61965Ferrari 275 GTB Alloy by Scaglietti3’382’500
71963Ferrari 400 SA LWB Coupe Aerodinamico Series II by Pinifarina2’915’000
81953Ferrari 250 Europa Coupe by Pininfarina2’750’000
91955Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing2’530’000
101911Mercer Type 35R Raceabout2’530’000
112013Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse “Le Ciel Californien”2’420’000
121963Ferrari 250 GT/L Lusso Berlinetta by Scaglietti2’117’500
131960Aston Martin DB4GT2’090’000
141971Lamborghini Miura SV2’090’000
151964Ferrari 250 GT/L Lusso Berlinetta by Scaglietti1’980’000
162003Ferrari Enzo1’925’000
172000Ferrari F1-2000 Racing Single-Seater1’804’000
181966Ferrari 275 GTS by Pininfarina1’760’000
191966Shelby 427 Cobra1’705’000
201965Aston Martin DB51’650’000
211937Bentley 4 1/4-Litre Open Two-Seater by Carlton1’595’000
221948Tucker 481’567’500
231936Mercedes Benz 540 K Special Cabriolet by Sindelfinger1’540’000
242006Ferrari FXX Evoluzione1’485’000
251961Mercedes Benz 300 SL Roadster1’375’000
261969Lamborghini Miura P400 by Bertone1’265’000
271953Bentley R-Type Continental Sports Saloon y H J Mulliner1’210’000
281957Mercedes Benz 300 SL Roadster1’182’500
291962Mercedes Benz 300 SL Roadster1’127’500
301953Lancia Aurelia PF200 C Spider by Pinin Farina1’100’000
311959Masserati 3500 GT Spyder Prototype by Vignale1’072’500
321967Toyota 2000 GT1’045’000
331967Ferrari 330 GTC by Pininfarina1’023’000
341961Ferrari 250 GT NART Spider by Fantuzzi1’017’500
351979Lamborghini Countach LP400S Series I1’012’000

*Prices include 10% buyer’s premium

Top Results at the 2014 Monterey RM Auctions Sale

2013 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse 'Le Ciel Californien'
Robin Adams ©2014 Courtesy of RM Auctions

The results of RM Auctions 2014 Monterey classic car sale were led by three Ferraris selling for over $10 million each. Although 15 of the 35 million-dollar-plus cars were Ferraris, the other cars included a variety of manufacturers and cars from different eras ranging from 1911 (Mercer Type 35R Raceabout) to 2013 (Bugatti Veyron).

1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale by Scaglietti – $26.4 million

1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale by Scaglietti
1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale – Photo: Darin Schnabel ©2014 Courtesy of RM Auctions

A 1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale by Scaglietti was the top result at the RM Auctions 2014 Monterey sale. This Ferrari sold for $26,400,000 compared to the $27,500,000 achieved by the top earning 1967 Ferrari GTB/4*S N.A.R.T. Spider a year ago. It was the second highest result achieved during the 2014 Monterey classic car week.

The 1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale is one of only three ever made making this car even more rare than the Ferrari 250 GTO that set the world record as the most-expensive car sold at public auction at the Bonhams Quail Lodge 2014 sale.

Although built as a works entry for participation in the GT class world championship, a dispute with FIA over its homologation saw this particular car never actually racing. It was sold off to a private owner who used it exclusively on the road.

One of the other three 1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale finished third overall at the 1965 24-Hours Le Mans race – still the highest finish ever by a front-engined car.

1964 Ferrari 250 LM by Scaglietti – $11,550,000

1964 Ferrari 250 LM
Photo: Pawel Litwinski ©2014 Courtesy of RM Auctions

A 1964 Ferrari 250 LM by Scaglietti sold for $11,550,000 as the second highest price achieved at the RM Auctions 2014 Monterey sale and the fifth highest at any sale during the Monterey classic car week.

Like the top-selling 1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale, this specific 250 LM also has a link to Le Mans but was never raced. It was the 19th of 32 examples built.

Ferrari never reached the 100 examples required for homologation purposes and as a result the 250 LM cars had to participate in the Le Mans race as a sports-prototype rather than in the GT class. A Ferrari 250 LM car won the 1965 24-Hour Le Mans – the last time Ferrari has won the race outright.

1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 by Scaglietti – $10,175,000

1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4
Darin Schnabel ©2014 Courtesy of RM Auctions

The third-place car was a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 by Scaglietti selling for $10,175,000. Steve McQueen famously was the first owner of this Ferrari and had the color changed from hazelnut (a metallic golden) to red before taking possession.

During restoration, part of the car was re-sprayed in the original color just to confirm that McQueen was right all along.

1965 Ford GT40 Roadster Prototype – $6,930,000

1965 Ford GT40 Roadster Prototype - $6,930,000
Photo: Pawel Litwinski ©2014 Courtesy of RM Auctions

The 1965 Ford GT40 Roadster Prototype selling for $6,930,000 was the fourth most-expensive car at the RM Auction and the only non-Ferrari in the top-10 during Monterey classic car week in 2014.

This car was the first of only six GT40 Roadsters produced and the only one to have continually survived in its current form.

Mercedes 300 SLs at the RM Auction in Monterey

Every auction house with sales during the 2014 Monterey classic car week had a couple of Mercedes Benz 300 SLs on offer. Several did not reach the reserve prices.

Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing
© 2014 RM Auctions

RM Auctions alone sold four for over a million dollar each: three were Roadsters but a 1955 Gullwing was the most expensive 300 SL sold during the week. It achieved $2,530,000 – an auction record for a non-alloy Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing. This 1955 model in ivory over red leather is in an originally, well-maintained but unrestored condition – something that seems quite popular currently with 300 SL buyers.

A few other interesting cars exceeding a million dollars at the RM Auctions 2014 Monterey sale:

1911 Mercer Type 35R Raceabout
Darin Schnabel ©2014 Courtesy of RM Auctions
  • A 1911 Mercer Type 35R Raceabout was the oldest car and achieved $2.5 million – an auction record for the marque.
  • A 2013 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse was the newest car and sold for $2.4 million.
  • A 2000 Ferrari F1 car driven by Michael Schumacher sold for $1.8 million.
  • A 1967 Toyota 2000 GT just exceeded the million-dollar mark. (Gooding achieved a similar result.)
  • The highest bids failing to clear the reserves were $3.4 million for a 1998 Ferrari 333 SP and $3,325,000 for a 1931 Bentley 8-Litre Sports Coupe Cabriolet by Barker.

More on Monterey Classic Car Week 2014