A 2018 Pagani Huayra Roadster sold for $2,370,000 as the top result at the RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2020 sale during Scottsdale car auction week.
The most-expensive car sold at the RM Sotheby’s Arizona classic car auction during Scottsdale 2020 was a 2018 Pagani Huayra that achieved a strong $2,370,000. RM Sotheby’s sold six cars for over a million dollar at Arizona 2020 while a further four attracted unsuccessful million-dollar bids. The 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series 1 was the top car not to have sold. A new Vector marque record was set.
RM Sotheby’s Arizona Sale 2020
RM Sotheby’s Arizona classic car auction: 16 & 17 January 2020 at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix during the Scottsdale collector car auction series in Arizona, USA.
In 2020, RM Sotheby’s earned $30.4 million at Arizona with a 90% sell-through rate. According to Hagerty, the average sale price was down to $238,507.
In 2019, RM Sotheby’s earned $37 million with a sell-through rate of 85% of 154 lots on offer. According to Hagerty, the average sale price was $273,710 per car.
In 2018, RM Sotheby’s grossed $35.8 million by selling 109 cars of 127 offered for a sell-through rate of 86% and an average $328,404 per car. (Hagerty calculations)
In 2017, RM Sotheby’s earned $54 million from 141 cars offered with a sell-through rate of 89%. RM Sotheby’s sold 15 cars for more than a million dollars.
The Arizona / Scottsdale auction record is $9,900,000 paid for a 1937 Mercedes Benz 540 K Special Roadster by Sindelfingen at the RM Sothebys Arizona 2016 sale.
Top Results at RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2020
The top 11 results at the RM Sotheby’s Arizona sale during Scottsdale 2020 were:
| Year | Car | Price ($) | Estimate ($) | |
| 1 | 2018 | Pagani Huayra Roadster | 2,370,000 | 2,500,000 – 2,700,000 |
| 2 | 1967 | Ferrari 330 GTS | 1,710,000 | 1,800,000 – 2,200,000 |
| 3 | 1971 | Lamborghini Miura P400 SV | 1,391,000 | 1,400,000 – 1,600,000 |
| 4 | 1955 | Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing | 1,270,000 | 1,150,000 – 1,300,000 |
| 5 | 1930 | Cadillac V-16 Sport Phaeton by Fleetwood | 1,105,000 | 900,000 – 1,200,000 |
| 6 | 2008 | Bugatti Veyron 16.4 | 1,105,000 | 950,000 – 1,100,000 |
| 7 | 1937 | Mercedes Benz 540 K Coupe by Hebmüller | 995,000 | 1,000,000 – 1,500,000 |
| 8 | 1957 | Mercedes Benz 300 SL Roadster | 973,000 | 950,000 – 1,150,000 |
| 9 | 2017 | Ford GT | 923,500 | 750,000 – 1,000,000 |
| 10 | 2005 | Porsche GT | 786,000 | 750,000 – 850,000 |
| 11 | 1991 | Vector W8 | 720,000 | 300,000 – 450,000 |
Million-Dollar Results at RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2020
RM Sotheby’s sold six cars for over a million dollar at the Arizona 2020 sale while a further four attracted bids exceeding a million dollar but were not accepted.
Top Modern Supercars at RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2020
Top sales were highlighted by several modern supercars, including a 2018 Pagani Huayra Roadster, the 42nd of 100 built, finished in stunning Blue TriColore with exposed carbon weave trim throughout and showing less than 200 miles, which sold for a final $2,370,000. These cars are rare at auction and only a Tempesta had sold for more at public auction.
Additional well-sold supercars include a low-mileage, silver metallic over bright silver 2008 Bugatti Veyron 16.4, one of 178 fixed roof coupes built to the original specifications, at a final $1,105,000. Veyrons have frequently struggled at auction in the past few years with bidding often stopping well short of a million-dollar while many sellers try to hold out for $1.5 million-plus. The Veyron at Bonhams failed to sell.
A Riviera Blue 2017 Ford GT, which was offered without reserve, sold for $923,500. These new Ford GTs do not always get to a million dollar, although Barrett-Jackson sold two for $1,182,500 and $1,485,000.
Top Porsches were relatively rare at Scottsdale 2020 but Carrera GT prices seem to firm up again after a couple of years of weakness. RM Sotheby’s sold a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT for $786,000 and Gooding got similar money for a 2004 model on the same model a day later.
Top Classic Supercars at RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2020
Classic supercars from the pre-hybrid era also sold well at Scottsdale 2020. RM Sotheby’s sold a one-of-99, Classiche-certified 1967 Ferrari 330 GTS by Pininfarina refinished in the stunning shade of Grigio Ferro for $1,710,000. These cars are rare but Gooding sold a striking yellow, top-restored version for a quarter of a million more a day later.
Three Miuras were available at the Scottsdale 2020 auctions. The one at RM Sotheby’s was the best and achieved the highest result. The Rosso Corsa 1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV by Bertone offered from 40 years of single ownership in a private collection brought $1,391,000. Additional highlights from the 18-car private collection offered in Arizona include a 1991 Vector W8 Twin Turbo, which set a new record for the marque at $720,000, while a 2002 Dodge Viper GTS ACR Final Edition interested numerous bidders on the phones and in the room, eventually selling above high estimate at $114,800.
Top Mercedes-Benz Cars at RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2020
RM Sotheby’s offered three top classic Mercedes-Benz cars at the Arizona sale 2020 although only one achieved a million dollar.
The most interesting Mercedes-Benz offered during Scottsdale 2020 was the 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Coupe, offered from five decades of private Nebraskan ownership. This car featured a unique bodywork where a Cabriolet A was converted to a fix-roof coupe in the early 1950s by Hebmüller. The $995,000 result was just below estimate but slightly disappointing for such a car. The market clearly has fallen out of love with garage finds and the associated costs to bring the car back to concourse standard.
A 1930 Cadillac V-16 Sport Phaeton by Fleetwood sold for $1,105,000 – the best result for a prewar var at RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2020.
Six Mercedes-Benz 300 SLs were on offer during Scottsdale 2020. The best example was the matching-numbers engine and gearbox 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing at RM Sotheby’s. It achieved the highest Mercedes-Benz result of the week at $1,270,000. A good result in the current market, although it must hurt that RM Sotheby’s sold the same car at Arizona 2015 for $1,485,000
A two-owner 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLRoadster finished in its striking original color of Strawberry Metallic sold for $973,000 – the highest result of the three SL Roadsters sold during the week.
Top Cars Not Sold At RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2020
The following four cars received bids in excess of a million dollar but failed to sell:
| Year | Car | Highest Bid $ | Estimate ($) |
| 1958 | Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series I | HB 5,500,000 | 6,000,000 – 7,800,000 |
| 1965 | Ferrari 275 GTB/6C | HB 1,700,000 | 1,800,000 – 2,200,000 |
| 1954 | Ferrari 250 Europa GT Coupe by Pinin Farina | HB 1,350,000 | 1,500,000 – 1,700,000 |
| 2019 | McLaren Senna | HB 1,000,000 | 1,100,000 – 1,250,000 |
The unsuccessful highest bids were very close to lower estimate but in fairness to the sellers, the estimates were not particularly generous and reflected the current state of the market.
The bid of $5.5 million for the Cabriolet Series 1 was only exceeded during the week by the $8.7 million bid that failed to buy the 1932 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Cabriolet Décapotable at Bonhams.
Interest in a McLaren Senna seems to run out before reaching the million-dollar marque – Barrett-Jackson sold one for $946,000 and some failed to sell at other auctions. However, Mecum sold a Senna for $1,430,000 at Kissimmee a few days prior and already announced further examples for auctions later in 2020.
Scottsdale and Arizona Car Auctions 2020
Scottsdale & Arizona Auctions 2020
Many auction houses have sales during the annual Scottsdale week in mid-November, including amongst others:
- Barett-Jackson: 11 – 19 January 2020 in Scottsdale, Arizona.
- Bonhams: 16 January 2020 in Scottsdale, Arizona.
- Gooding & Company: 17 & 18 January 2020 in Scottsdale, Arizona.
- RM Sotheby’s: 16 & 17 January 2020 in Phoenix, Arizona.
- Worldwide Auctioneers: 15 January 2020 at Singh Meadows, Tempe, Arizona.
Scottsdale & Arizona Sales 2020 – Auction Results
- 2020 Gooding Scottsdale Sale (Auction Results)
- 2020 RM Sotheby’s Arizona Sale (Auction Results)
- 2020 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Sale (Charity Lots Auction Results)
- 2020 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Sale (Auction Results Announcement)
Scottsdale & Arizona Sales 2020 – Auction Previews
- 2020 Bonhams Scottsdale Sale (Auction Preview)
- 2020 Gooding Scottsdale Sale (Auction Preview)
- 2020 RM Sotheby’s Arizona Sale (Auction Preview)
Scottsdale & Arizona Press Announcements 2020
- Barrett-Jackson: Charity Lots Results ($7.625 million!)
- Barrett-Jackson: Charity Lots
- Gooding: Ferraris (including F50 and Daytona Spider)
- Gooding: Prewar 1930s Open-Top Classics
- Gooding: Ferrari 500 Superfast & 330 GTS
- Gooding: 1948 Tucker 48
- RM Sotheby’s: Prewar Cadillac V-16s
- RM Sotheby’s: Mercedes Benz 540 K and 300 SLs
- RM Sotheby’s: Top Ferraris, (including 250 GT Cabriolet Series I)
Scottsdale, Arizona, 2019 Auctions Sale Results
- Scottsdale Arizona 2019 Classic Car Sales – Auctions Results Overview
- Bonhams – 2019 Scottsdale Auction Results
- Gooding – 2019 Scottsdale Auction Results
- RM Sotheby’s – 2019 Arizona Auction Results
- Barrett-Jackson – 2019 Scottsdale Auction Results
- Barrett-Jackson – 2019 Scottsdale Auction Charity Lots Results