An Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato and two racing Ferraris — a 1962 Ferrari 268 SP and a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Competizione — were the top results at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2021 classic car auction.
The results at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2021 sale were topped by a 1962 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato that sold for $9,520,000. It was followed by An Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato and two Ferrari racing cars — a 1962 Ferrari 268 SP and a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Competizione — that each sold for $7,705,000. Although the lead car in the auction — a 1970 Porsche 917K, estimate $16,000,000 – 18,500,000 — failed to sell, RM Sotheby’s still managed to sell 43 cars for over a million dollar.
RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2021 Classic Car Auction
RM Sotheby’s flagship Monterey classic car auction during the annual Monterey / Pebble Beach motoring week in mid-August will be extended to three days in 2021 with auctions on 12, 13 & 14 August 2021 at the Monterey Conference Center in California, USA. A regular live auction with bidders at the venue in addition to telephone and internet bidding.
The Monterey sale is traditionally the most important car auction of the year. In 2021, RM Sotheby’s earned $148.5 million at Monterey selling 43 cars for over a million dollar and an impressive 90% sell-through rate. RM Sotheby’s earned $30,412,810 from the Shift / Monterey 2020 online-only sale.
In 2019, RM Sotheby’s earned $107 million, in 2018 $158 million (including $48,405,000 for the most expensive car ever sold at auction, a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, and in 2017 $133 million.
RM Sotheby’s three-day Monterey 2016 auction remains the highest-grossing classic car auction ever with $173 million earned and 35 million-dollar cars sold.
Top Results at RM Sotheby’s Monterey Sale 2021
The following 44* cars sold for over a million dollars each in the RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2021 classic car auction:
| Year | Car | Price ($) | Estimate | |
| 1 | 1962 | Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato | 9,520,000 | 11,000,000 – 14,000,000 |
| 2 | 1962 | Ferrari 268 SP | 7,705,000 | 8,000,000 – 10,000,000 |
| 3 | 1966 | Ferrari 275 GTB Competizione | 7,705,000 | 8,000,000 – 10,000,000 |
| 4 | 1958 | Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta ‘Tour de France’ | 6,000,000 | 5,750,000 – 6,500,000 |
| 5 | 1963 | Shelby 289 Cobra Works | 4,130,000 | 3,750,000 – 4,250,000 |
| 6 | 1995 | Ferrari F50 | 3,965,000 | 3,600,000 – 4,000,000 |
| 7 | 1959 | Aston Martin DB4GT Lightweight | 3,855,000 | 4,000,000 – 5,000,000 |
| 8 | 1953 | Ferrari 166 MM Spider Series II | 3,855,000 | 4,000,000 – 5,000,000 |
| 9 | 2016 | Ferrari F60 America | 3,635,000 | 3,500,000 – 4,500,000 |
| 10 | 2003 | Ferrari Enzo | 3,360,000 | 2,200,000 – 2,450,000 |
| 11 | 1968 | Porsche 911 R | 3,360,000 | 4,500,000 – 5,500,000 |
| 12 | 1929 | Duesenberg Model J Butterfly Dual-Cowl Phaeton | 3,305,000 | 2,750,000 – 3,250,000 |
| 13 | 2015 | Ferrari LaFerrari | 3,250,000 | 2,750,000 – 3,000,000 |
| 14 | 1965 | Aston Martin DB5 Convertible | 3,195,000 | 1,850,000 – 2,250,000 |
| 15 | 2020 | McLaren Speedtail | 3,140,000 | 3,000,000 – 3,500,000 |
| 16 | 1935 | Duesenberg Model J Sweep Panel Dual-Cowl Phaeton* | 3,125,000 | 3,000,000 – 4,000,000 |
| 17 | 1961 | Aston Martin DB4GT Sanction II | 2,755,000 | 3,000,000 – 3,500,000 |
| 18 | 1994 | Bugatti EB110 Super Sport | 2,755,000 | 2,750,000 – 3,000,000 |
| 19 | 1991 | Ferrari F40 | 2,425,000 | 1,800,000 – 2,100,000 |
| 20 | 1971 | Lamborghini Miura P400 S | 2,095,000 | 1,800,000 – 2,200,000 |
| 21 | 1968 | Ferrari 330 GTS | 1,930,000 | 2,000,000 – 2,250,000 |
| 22 | 1991 | Jaguar XJR-15 | 1,902,500 | 1,750,000 – 2,100,000 |
| 23 | 1963 | Ferrari 250 GT/L Berlinetta Lusso | 1,875,000 | 1,500,000 – 1,750,000 |
| 24 | 2015 | Porsche 918 Spyder Weissach | 1,737,500 | 1,200,000 – 1,400,000 |
| 25 | 1957 | Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster | 1,655,000 | 1,300,000 – 1,600,000 |
| 26 | 1963 | Ferrari 250 GT/L Berlinetta Lusso | 1,655,000 | 1,500,000 – 1,750,000 |
| 27 | 2012 | Lexus LFA Nürburgring Package | 1,600,000 | 900,000 – 1,100,000 |
| 28 | 2008 | Bugatti Veyron 16.4 | 1,545,000 | 1,200,000 – 1,400,000 |
| 29 | 1953 | Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback Sports Saloon | 1,435,000 | 1,300,000 – 1,600,000 |
| 30 | 1961 | Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series II | 1,407,500 | 1,250,000 – 1,500,000 |
| 31 | 1957 | Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing | 1,352,500 | 1,000,000 – 1,300,000 |
| 32 | 2008 | Koenigsegg CCX | 1,215,000 | 1,200,000 – 1,400,000 |
| 33 | 2019 | Ford GT | 1,215,000 | 900,000 – 1,000,000 |
| 34 | 1932 | Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza | 1,160,000 | 2,500,000 – 3,200,000 |
| 35 | 1929 | Bentley 4 ½ Litre Open Four-Seater Sports | 1,105,000 | 1,100,000 – 1,300,000 |
| 36 | 2011 | Ferrari SA Aperta | 1,105,000 | 1,200,000 – 1,350,000 |
| 37 | 1932 | Packard Twin Six Individual Custom Convertible Sedan | 1,050,000 | 1,200,000 – 1,500,000 |
| 38 | 1963 | Jaguar E-Type Lightweight Continuation | 1,050,000 | 1,500,000 – 1,850,000 |
| 39 | 1954 | Dodge Firearrow II | 1,050,000 | 900,000 – 1,200,000 |
| 40 | 1954 | Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe | 1,022,500 | 850,000 – 1,200,000 |
| 41 | 2007 | Saleen S7 LM | 1,022,500 | 800,000 – 1,000,000 |
| 42 | 1927 | Delage 15-S-8 Grand Prix* | 1,000,000 | 2,500,000 – 3,500,000 |
*Note: exclude two further post-hammer deals not listed in the first published results.
Million-Dollar Cars at RM Sotheby’s Monterey Classic Car Auction 2021
The top car in the RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2021 classic car auction, the 1970 Porsche 917K with a Steve McQueen Le Mans connection, failed to sell. Several of the top cars sold for just below presale estimate but similarly several others set new auction records or reached prices not seen in recent years. RM Sotheby’s sold five of the ten most expensive cars in Monterey Car Week 2021 and set at least five new model records.
Some of the interesting RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2021 sale results included:
Million-Dollar Aston Martins at RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2021
The top results at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2021 classic car auction was $9,520,000 for a 1961 Aston Martin DB4GT by Zagato, (Estimate: $11,000,000 – $14,000,000). This was the third-highest result overall achieved at all the Monterey Car Week 2021 classic car auctions. The result below $10 million was slightly disappointing and reportedly required the reserve to be lowered in the auction room.
The Zagato, as the other top Aston Martins in the sale, was from the Andrews Estate Collection, and gave a rare opportunity to compare the prices for three different versions of the DB4GT. A 1959 Aston Martin DB4GT Lightweight sold for $3,855,000 while a 1961 Aston Martin DB4GT Sanction II achieved $2,755,000. At the Gooding Pebble Beach sale, a standard 1961 Aston Martin DB4GT sold for $3,305,000 while a 2018 Aston Martin DB4GT Continuation sold at Bonhams Quail Lodge in a post-auction deal for seemingly less than a million.
The most outstanding Aston result in the sale was $3,195,000 paid for a 1965 Aston Martin DB5 Convertible — almost a million dollars over top estimate. It is one of just 19 factory original DB5 Convertibles built with left-hand drive steering and was the last constructed by the factory.
Million-Dollar Ferraris at RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2021 Sale
The most expensive Ferrari result at the Monterey Car Week 2021 was the 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider Competizione in Italian flag livery that achieved $10,840,00 at the Gooding Pebble Beach 2021 classic car auction. However, RM Sotheby’s sold 14 of the 16 Ferraris it offered with estimates over a million dollars:
Racing Ferraris achieved the highest results with two selling at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2021 for $7,705,000 each: the 1962 Ferrari 268 SP by Fantuzzi and the 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Competizione by Scaglietti. Although both results were just below estimate these were still amongst the strongest Ferrari results at recent auctions. However, the 275 GTB sold for over $9.5 million at Bonhams Scottsdale 2015.
The 1962 Ferrari 268 SP was the third of only six examples produced and one of just two originally equipped with a rare Ferrari V-8. This racing car was integral to the evolution of the Ferrari P-car series and testing at the Le Mans trials in 1962 as a Scuderia Ferrari Works entry. It was entered by NART at the Bahamas Speed Weeks from late-1962 through 1963 and driven to the 1964 SCCA Class D Modified Championship. It had only two private owners since 1969, including 27 years in the Mas du Clos Collection of Pierre Bardinon.
The 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Competizione by Scaglietti was the 11th of 12 examples built featuring a 250 LM-type dry-sump, Tipo 213 competition engine, thin-gauge aluminum alloy coachwork, and use of lightweight components. It is a three-time 24 Hours of Le Mans entrant and class winner of the 1967 24 Hour of Le Mans, 1969 1000 KM Spa-Francorchamps, and 1969 500 KM of Imola.
The 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta ‘Tour de France’ by Scaglietti sold for $6,000,000. It was the 52nd of 72 examples built and has several unique features as specified by its original owner, French industrialist Jacques Peron. Peron raced the car to fourth overall in the Tour de France series in 1958 before selling it to Rene Cotton, who continued to race the Ferrari for a few more years. This 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta ‘Tour de France’ was owned for four decades (until 2014) and frequently driven by David and Mary Love in historic races and tours. The restored Ferrari debuted at the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, completing the Tour d’Elegance and being judged 3rd in Class.
RM Sotheby’s also had success with road-going Ferraris. The 1995 Ferrari F50 sold for a model record $3,965,000 — the second time a model record for an F50 sold by RM Sotheby’s was set in 2021.
A very rare 2016 Ferrari F60 America — only ten were built to celebrate 60 years of Ferrari in North America — sold for $3,635,000 to set a model auction record as the first one to be offered in a public sale. It has covered 2,105 miles since new.
The other modern supercar Ferraris — the Enzo, LaFerrari, and F40 — also sold for well above top estimate and well above recent prices. It was not only overexuberance bidding at RM Sotheby’s — a LaFerrari sold for more at Mecum and an F40 for $29 million at Gooding.
Other Top Results at RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2021
A few further noteworthy results at RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2021 included:
The top Porsches failed to sell and although $3,360,000 for the 1968 Porsche 911 R was over a million below the lower estimate, the result was still the third-highest ever for a 911. The 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder Weissach sold for $1,737,500 — the highest result of the three sold at Monterey Car Week 2021; all at prices not frequently seen since 2017.
A 1929 Duesenberg Model J Butterfly Dual-Cowl Phaeton from the Andrews Collection sold for above estimate $3,305,000. A 1935 Duesenberg Model J Sweep Panel Dual-Cowl Phaeton sold in a post-hammer deal for $3,125,000 making it four Model J sales during Monterey Car Week 2021.
The 1963 Shelby 289 Cobra Works sold for $4,130,000 as by far the highest Shelby result of the week. Many Shelby Cobra sold at the various auctions but mostly for just below a million.
The 1994 Bugatti EB110 Super Sport sold for a model record $2,755,000 — long the unloved Bugatti, these 1990s supercars are currently demanding record prices.
While the D-Type failed to sell, the 1991 Jaguar XJR-15 achieved a strong mid-estimate result to set a new model record. The 1963 Jaguar E-Type Lightweight Continuation just managed a million — half a million below lower estimate and well below the $1,710,000 paid for the same car at the Elkhart Collection sale less than a year ago.
The 2012 Lexus LFA Nürburgring Package sold for a model record $1,600,000 making it the most expensive Japanese roadgoing car ever sold at public auction (excluding charity lots). The result was nearly double the also impressive price for a standard Lexus LFA sold in the same auction.
Top Cars Not Sold at RM Sotheby’s Monterey Sale 2021
With three auction days at Monterey 2021, RM Sotheby’s had not surprisingly the highest number of no sales for cars with estimates above a million dollars. The cars not sold with the highest reported bids according to Hagerty were:
| Year | Car Not Sold* | Highest Bid ($) | Estimate |
| 1970 | Porsche 917 K | HB 15,000,000 | 16,000,000 – 18,500,000 |
| 1959 | Ferrari 410 Superamerica Coupe Series III | HB 5,000,000 | 6,000,000 – 8,000,000 |
| 1955 | Jaguar D-Type | HB 4,200,000 | 5,500,000 – 7,000,000 |
| 1983 | Porsche 956 Group C | HB 2,900,000 | 4,500,000 – 6,000,000 |
| 1955 | Porsche 550 Spyder | HB 2,900,000 | 3,800,000 – 4,200,000 |
| 1981 | Ferrari 512 BB/LM | HB 2,500,000 | 3,000,000 – 3,500,000 |
| 1935 | Alfa Romeo Tipo C 8C 35 | HB 2,000,000 | 3,000,000 – 4,500,000 |
| 1974 | Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.0 IROC | HB 1,500,000 | 1,800,000 – 2,100,000 |
| 1978 | Porsche 935 K3 | HB 1,400,000 | 1,700,000 – 2,000,000 |
| 1930 | Cadillac V-16 Convertible Phaeton | HB 1,300,000 | 1,500,000 – 1,800,000 |
| 1927 | Delage 15-S-8 Grand Prix | HB 1,300,000 | 2,500,000 – 3,500,000 |
| 1986 | Porsche 962 IMSA GTP | HB 800,000 | 900,000 – 1,100,000 |
*Note: Some of these cars were sold post hammer.
For the second successive Monterey sale, a top Porsche failed to sell at the RM Sotheby’s sale. Bidding for the 1970 Porsche 917 K stalled at $15 million, which would still have made it the most expensive Porsche ever. Still, the highest bid ever for a Porsche was $17 million for the Typ 64 at RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2017. Bidding for racing Porsches stopped well short of estimates and there were few remarkable Porsche results at any Monterey Car Week 2021 auctions.
Monterey Motoring Week 2021
Most of the traditional Monterey Motoring Week events returned in mid-August 2021 after the cancellations in 2020. Top classic car auctioneers with sales during Monterey Week 2021 included Gooding (Pebble Beach), Bonhams (Quail Lodge), RM Sotheby’s, and Mecum.
Monterey 2021 Auction Results:
- Monterey 2021 All Auctions: Auction Results General Overview, Top Ten Results, List of Million-Dollar Cars
- Bonhams: Quail Lodge Sale Results
- Gooding: Pebble Beach Sale Results, McLaren F1
- RM Sotheby’s: Monterey Sale Results, Andrews Estate Collection Sale
- Mecum: Monterey Sale Results
Monterey 2021 Auction Announcements:
- Bonhams: Mercedes-Benz 26/100/180
- Bonhams: Talbot-Lago T26 Décapotable
- Gooding: Ferrari California Spider Competizione
- Gooding: Mercedes-Benz AMG CLK GTR Strassenversion
- Gooding: Prewar British Cars
- Gooding: Prewar American Cars
- Gooding: Bugatti Type 35B
- Gooding: Ford GT40 Alan Mann Lightweight
- Gooding: Neil Peart’s Silver Surfers Collection
- Gooding: American Racing Cars
- Gooding: Porsche 934 & 935
- Gooding: McLaren F1
- Gooding: Italian Coachbuilt Cars
- RM Sotheby’s: Porsche 917K
- RM Sotheby’s: Le Mans Racing Cars
- RM Sotheby’s: Andrews Estate Collection (Aston Martin DB4GTs)
- RM Sotheby’s: Top Ferraris
Previous Monterey Week Auction Results