RM Sotheby’s announced a Ferrari 500 Superfast, an F50, a BMW M1 Procar, and a Bugatti Type 57 for the Online-Only Shift / Monterey Sale 2020.
Two Ferraris — a 1965 Ferrari 500 Superfast and a 1991 Ferrari F40 — are the early lead cars announced for the RM Sotheby’s Online-Only Shift / Monterey sale to be held in mid-August 2020 as a replacement for the canceled Monterey Motoring Week 2020 classic car auction. Further star cars already announced include a 1980 BMW M1 Procar and an elegant 1937 Bugatti Type 57C Ventoux.
RM Sotheby’s Online-Only Shift / Monterey Sale 2020
RM Sotheby’s Online-Only Shift / Monterey Sale 2020 was an online-only classic car auction to replace the canceled Monterey Week 2020 sale. Bidding closed in stages between 13 and 15 August 2020 with live bidding, telephone, or commission bidding not possible.
RM Sotheby’s earned $30,412,810 from the Shift / Monterey 2020 sale — seven cars sold for over a million dollars each.
Top Cars at the RM Online-Only Shift / Monterey Sale 2020
Online-only auctions are increasingly common and accepted in the premium classic car auction industry. Cars with presale estimates above a million dollar are increasingly being offered and sold. Although inspecting these cars is more difficult — even if accompanied by very comprehensive condition reports and photographs — it is probably more a buyers market at this stage.
Some of the top cars already announced for the RM Sotheby’s Online-Only Shift / Monterey Sale 2020 include:
1965 Ferrari 500 Superfast by Pininfarina
The 1965 Ferrari 500 Superfast by Pininfarina, chassis 6043 SF (Est. $2,250,000 – $2,500,000) for sale in RM Sotheby’s Online Only: SHIFT/MONTEREY auction was ordered new by the late Lord James E. Hanson, a prominent British businessman, member of nobility and friend of Sergio Pininfarina. Owned continuously by Lord Hanson until 2000, he collected 6043 SF, the 11th example produced, from the factory and the vehicle remained in Italy until 1972, at which point it was brought to the UK, where it remained until the current owner moved the car to the United States.
Chassis 6043 SF is finished in specially ordered Verde Scuro while other factory special order features made by Lord Hanson also remain intact. A man of great stature, the enhancements include a longer and lower passenger seat for greater comfort, re-designed seatbelts, unique positions for the ashtray and window switches. Further changes also included the installation of Blaupunkt Koln stereo with electric aerial, an odometer that read in miles, padded footrest and seat cover for the passenger, and the deletion of the ‘Superfast’ script, which Lord Hanson deemed ‘too flashy’. Sporting a complete history file this is a rare and profoundly exclusive chance to own one of the most special Ferrari grand tourers ever produced.
Ferrari 500 Superfast Prices at Auction
The Ferrari 500 Superfast by Pininfarina, derived from the sleek Ferrari 400 Superamerica that preceded it, made its debut at the 1964 Geneva Motor Show. Only 36 examples of the five-liter V-12 engined GT produced over a period of two years. Although the Ferrari 500 Superfast was in the mid-1960s the undisputed flagship of the Maranello marque, these cars often seem to struggle a bit at modern auctions. At recent auctions, Ferrari 500 Superfasts sold generally for just less than $3 million but bidding for some had run out of steam at half that price too.
1991 Ferrari F40
The Ferrari Classiche-certified 1991 Ferrari F40 (Est. $1,250,000 – $1,500,000) finished in legendary Rosso Corsa, has covered only 6,300 miles by just two previous owners from new and has been with its current consignor continuously for the last 20 years. It is one of only 213 US-speciation examples built.
A single-owner F40 with only 4,589 miles on the clock will be available at the Gooding Geared Online Auction with a similar estimate.
1980 BMW M1 Procar
The exceedingly rare 1980 BMW M1 Procar, chassis no. 1195, (Est. $600,000 – $800,000, offered without reserve) boasts period IMSA competition history. This M1 was the 36th example of a mere 54 Procars produced and was sold new to American racing driver Joe Crevier, who drove the car alongside Al Unser Jr. in the 1981 Riverside Six Hours. 1195 went on to participate in the IMSA GT Championship for two seasons, claiming numerous podium finishes.
Wearing a striking wedge-shaped fiberglass body by renowned designer Giorgio Giuiaro, the BMW M1 was the first car powered by an engine developed by BMW Motorsport—the mighty 3,453 cc M88 inline six-cylinder engine. The M1 instantly became a major player in the automotive community when it debuted as a road-legal racing car at the 1978 Paris Motor Show and shortly after, the M1 Procar race series was developed, fitted with the even more powerful M88/1 engine and producing over 470 bhp.
Today, the race-ready Procar comes to auction in outstanding condition, having been comprehensively restored from the ground up. Raced regularly throughout its life, including more recently at the 2010 Le Mans Classic, 1195 was continuously maintained and serviced by expert competition car specialists.
Further Highlights for the RM Online-Only Shift / Monterey Sale 2020
Additional highlighted already announced for the RM Online-Only Shift / Monterey Sale 2020 include interesting pre and post-war classics:
- An elegant 1937 Bugatti Type 57C Ventoux, believed to have been a Bugatti demonstrator at the 1937 Paris Auto Show and professionally restored to concours standards (Est. $700,000 – $850,000); (a 1938 Bugatti Type 57 Cabriolet by Letourneur et Marchand will be on offer at Gooding)
- The sole surviving 1931 Pierce-Arrow Model 41 Convertible Victoria with coachwork by LeBaron, having achieved Best in Class at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance (Est. $375,000 – $450,000);
- A fresh-to-market 1930 Stutz Model MB Monte Carlo, one of three with Custom Coachwork by Weymann, offered on behalf of The Automobile Driving Museum in California and boasting a gorgeous concours restoration (Est. $300,000 – $375,000);
- A 1959 Facel-Vega HK500, one of only 190 examples produced for 1959 and offered from just four owners since new, having remained under its first owner’s care for 50 years (Est. $175,000 – $225,000);
- A matching-numbers, left-hand-drive 1958 Jaguar XK 150 S 3.4 Roadster, possessing 100 point JCNA status with over 80 concours wins (Est. $150,000 – $200,000).
Monterey Motoring Week 2020
Most of the traditional Monterey Motoring Week events scheduled for mid-August 2020 were canceled. Gooding canceled the Pebble Beach 2020 Auction and replaced it with Geared, its first online-only auction ever. Bonhams Quail Lodge 2020 will be a live auction but behind closed doors (telephone, online, and commission bidding) while RM Sotheby’s plans a Shift/Monterey online-only auction.
Monterey 2020 Results
- Bonhams Quail Motorcar Auction Results (Quail Lodge replacement)
- Gooding Geared Online Sale Results (Pebble Beach replacement)
- RM Sotheby’s Shift / Monterey Online-Only Auction
Monterey 2020 Previews
Monterey 2020 Announcements
- Bonhams Quail California Streamin 2020 — 1959 Porsche 718 RSK
- Gooding Geared Online – Ferraris F40, F50 & Enzo
- Gooding Geared Online – Bugatti Type 57
- Gooding Geared Online — Gullwing and 911 Rally
- RM Sotheby’s Shift/Monterey — Early Highlights (500, F50, BMM M1)
- RM Sotheby’s Shift/Monterey – Competition Ferraris
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)
