A Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta, Mercedes-Benz 540K Sports Roadster and Bugatti Chiron are the top lots at the Bonhams Quail Lodge 2018 sale.
The top multimillion-dollar cars on offer at the Bonhams Quail Lodge classic car auction during Monterey Week 2018 are a 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta, a 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Sports Roadster, a 2018 Bugatti Chiron and a 1948 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Competizione. Classic early Bentleys are also on offer.
Bonhams Quail Lodge 2018 Classic Car Auction
The Bonhams Quail Lodge 2018 classic car auction is scheduled for 24 August 2018 at the Quail Lodge Golf Club in Carmel Valley near Monterey in California, USA.
At the 2017 Quail Lodge auction, Bonhams earned $56,430,000 with a sell-through rate of 80% of the 105 cars on offer. the top result was a marque-record $15,620,000 for a 1995 McLaren F1 sports car.
In 2016, Bonhams’ top result at Quail Lodge was $4,000,000 for a 1931 Bugatti Type 51 Grand Prix Racing Two Seater but the Quail Lodge, Monterey Week and world auction record was set in 2014 when the 1962/3 Ferrari 250 GTO sold for $38,115,000 as the most-expensive car ever sold at public auction.
Million-Dollar Cars at Bonhams Quail Lodge 2018
The following 17 cars are on offer at the Bonhams Quail Lodge 2018 sale during the annual Monterey motoring week in California, USA:
| Year | Car | Estimate ($) |
| 1962 | Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta | Refer to department |
| 1937 | Mercedes Benz 540K Sports Roadster | 3,500,000 – 4,500,000 |
| 2018 | Bugatti Chiron | 3,300,000 – 3,900,000 |
| 1948 | Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Competizione | 3,000,000 – 3,500,000 |
| 1928 | Bentley 6 1/2 Liter Open Sports Tourer | 2,000,000 – 3,000,000 |
| 1996 | Porsche 911 GT2 Club Sport | 1,500,000 – 2,000,000 |
| 1953 | Siata 208S Spider | 1,500,000 – 1,800,000 |
| 1960 | Ferrari 250 GT Series II Cabriolet | 1,500,000 – 1,800,000 |
| 1936 | Mercedes Benz 500K Touring Phaeton | 1,400,000 – 1,600,000 |
| 2015 | Porsche 918 Weissach Spyder | 1,350,000 – 1,750,000 |
| 1929 | Bentley 4 1/2 Liter Sports Tourer | 1,250,000 – 1,500,000 |
| 1955 | Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing Coupe | 1,250,000 – 1,500,000 |
| 1948 | Talbot-Lago T26 Record Sport Coupe de Ville | 1,200,000 – 1,600,000 |
| 1964 | Shelby 289 Cobra | 1,100,000 – 1,300,000 |
| 1931 | Bentley 8 Liter Silent Bloc Saloon | 1,000,000 – 1,600,000 |
| 1955 | Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider America | 1,000,000 – 1,300,000 |
| 1913 | Mercedes 28/60 HP Phaeton | 800,000 – 1,000,000 |
Multimillion-Dollar Cars at Bonhams Quail Lodge 2018
The top four cars on offer at the Bonhams Quail Lodge 2018 classic car auction are quite different automobiles in style, character and age:
1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta
The most-expensive car on offer at the Bonhams sale during Monterey Week 2018 is a 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta – it is also the only car in the auction for which a pre-sale estimate was not announced. At recent auctions, standard versions of this model generally sold for just below $10 million while competition versions have sold for above $13 million.
The 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta, chassis 3337 GT, is a superbly restored matching-numbers example. It is a multiple awards winning vehicle including a perfect 100 points at the FCA’s international meeting in Monterey in 2015, best in the “Great Ferraris” class at Quail Lodge in 2015 and second in class at Pebble Beach in 2017.
See also 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta Announcement for more on this car.
1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Sports Roadster
The 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Sports Roadster has a unique one-off coachwork by Mayfair. The car was damaged in an arson attack in Canada in 1960 but restored to its original appearance. The signal red paint scheme is courtesy of a Las Vegas owner in the 1990s. Enticingly for a new owner, the car has not been shown at public concours events for over a decade.
2018 Bugatti Chiron
The 2018 Bugatti Chiron is one of only 500 that will be produced and is finished in the popular two-tone Atlantic Blue and French Racing Blue. As with other Chirons thus far offered at auction, the car is a very low-mileage example with only 480 miles on the clock, of which half is ascribed to factory testing.
Thus far, only two Bugatti Chirons have been sold at public auction, achieving almost $3.8 and $4.1 million. Five of the older Veyrons will be on offer during Monterey Week 2018 including three at Mecum.
1948 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Competizione
The 1948 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Competizione is the sole survivor of three competition berlinettas built with the aim of winning the Mille Miglia. Although it failed in that mission, the car on offer was raced by a privateer – Franco Rol – to a class win and third place overall – behind two Ferraris – at the Mille Miglia in 1949.
The Alfa Romeo was extensively raced in period including four Mille Miglia races and many other events such as races at Targa Florio, where it finished second over all in 1949. Rol and some of his friends raced the car in Italy until 1951 and it was raced after that in Switzerland for a few more years. It then spent decades in Michel Dovaz’s collection before being restored around 2000.
The restored car scored 100 points at the 2005 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance but missed first in class as a brake light failed at the critical moment.
Classic Bentleys at Bonhams Quail Lodge 2018
Several classic Bentleys will be on offer during the Monterey Week 2018 auctions but the best example is the 1928 Bentley 6 ½ -Liter Open Sports Tourer by Barker at Bonhams Quail Lodge. This car is the sole surviving Bentley with this Barker body style and has a known history from new.
The car spent more than seven decades in South Africa and was only comprehensively restored after returning to the UK in recent years. Although restored to concours condition, it has not yet been shown at major events.
The smaller 1929 Bentley 4 ½-Liter Open Tourer by Vanden Plas in contrast spent most of its life in the UK. It is considered one of the most original examples – it is unmodified and completely correct.
The 1931 Bentley 8-Liter Saloon with coachwork by Vanden Plas was the penultimate 8-liter produced by Bentley and originally sold to J.A. Player – famous for tobacco products and car racing sponsorships. The well maintained car has been in single-family ownership since 1962.
More Top Cars to Watch at Bonhams Quail Lodge 2018
A few further million-dollar cars to watch at Bonhams Quail Lodge 2018 sale:
The 1913 Mercedes 28/60 HP Phaeton is one of only two pre-First World War cars offered at the Monterey 2018 auctions with presale estimates above a million dollar. This Mercedes was comprehensively restored in 2008 and was extensively used for touring on HCCA events by its owner for over 40 years. It could become the second Mercedes (sans Benz) to sell for over a million dollar.
The 1936 Mercedes-Benz 500K Touring Phaeton is one of only 16 produced with Tourenwagen coachwork. It was restored in the 1990s and subsequently shown at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in 2008 and also at the Amelia Island Concours in 2010.
Only one of the eight Mercedes Benz 300 SLs on offer at the auctions during the week will be at Bonhams: a 1955 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing. This matching-numbers car is in an outstandingly original preserved condition that includes the original factory paint and interior. It had only two owners in the past seven decades.
A 1948 Talbot-Lago T26 Record Sport with coachwork by Saoutchik is one of the most elegant cars on offer at the Monterey 2018 classic car auctions. This car is a unique one-off design and won Le Grand Prix du Salon in Paris in 1950. The car was recently restored to its original livery and has never been shown at a modern concours.
Other than the Bugatti Chiron, the 2015 Porsche 918 Weissach Spyder is the only modern million-dollar hypercar on offer at Bonhams Quail Lodge 2018. The car number 586 is one of only 294 US-specification 918s built. It has a relatively high mileage for this model at auction – 8,000 – and thus comes with an estimate significantly lower than for the two on offer at Mecum and Gooding.
Monterey Classic Car Week Auctions 2018
Monterey 2018 Auction Results
- List of the 69 Cars Sold for at Least a Million Dollar at Monterey 2018 (and 47 unsuccessful million-dollar highest bids).
- 2018 RM Sotheby’s Monterey Sale Auction Results
- 2018 Mecum Monterey Sale Auction results
- 2018 Gooding Pebble Beach Sale (Auction Results)
- 2018 Bonhams Quail Lodge Sale (Auction Results)
- 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO – Most-Expensive Car Ever Sold at Public Auction
- 1935 Duesenberg SSJ – Most-Expensive American and Most-Valuable Pre-War Car Ever Sold at Public Auction
Auction Previews:
- 2018 Bonhams Quail Lodge Sale (Auction Preview)
- 2018 Gooding Pebble Beach Sale (Auction Preview)
- 2018 RM Sotheby’s Monterey Sale (Auction Preview)
- 2018 Mecum Monterey Sale (Auction Preview)
Pre-Sale Announcements
Bonhams Quail Lodge 2018:
- Golden Age Automobiles: 1948 Talbot-Lago T26 Record Sport, 1931 Bentley 8-Liter Saloon and 1911 Mercedes 28/60 Tourer
- 1928 “W.O. Model” Bentleys: 6 ½ -Liter Open Sports Tourer by Barker & 4 ½-Liter Open Tourer by Vanden Plas
- 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta
Gooding Pebble Beach 2018:
- 1955 Ferrari 500 Mondial Series II: the only Ferrari factory team entry not to have raced in red!
- Unrestored Icons – the first production Bentley R-Type Continental, a Gullwing and garage-find Ferrari Lusso.
- Competition Ferrari Berlinettas: a 275 GTB/C, a 250 GT Tour de France, and a 166 MM/195 S Berlinetta Le Mans.
- 1935 Duesenberg SSJ – ex-Gary Cooper, ex-Briggs Cunningham
- Porsche Spyders – including a one-off 911 by Bertone.
- Coach-Built Italian Cars – Maserati A6GS/53 Spider, A6G/54 Berlinetta, Ferrari 330 GTC Special, Dino Berlinetta GT Prototype.
Mecum Monterey 2018:
RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2018:
- Pebble Beach Winners – 1934 Packard Twelve Individual Custom Convertible Victoria by Dietrich & 1927 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A S Roadster by Fleetwood
- 1956 Maserati A6G/2000 Zagato Berlinetta
- 1968 Porsche 908 K Works Racer
- 1966 Ford GT40 – third place at Le Mans
- 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO – expected to become the most-expensive car ever sold at public auction
- 1963 Aston Martin DP215 Grand Touring Competition Prototype – possibly the most-expensive Aston ever.
- Top Ferraris – 12 of 29 on offer have estimates above a million dollar.
- German racing cars: Mercedes Benz AMG CLK GTR & Porsche 550A