2022 RM Sotheby’s Monterey Sale (Auction Results)

A 1955 Ferrari 410 Sport Spider and a 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Spezial Roadster were the top results at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2022 sale.

RM Sotheby’s achieved record results at the three-day Monterey 2022 classic car auction in California, USA. The top result was $22,005,000 for a 1955 Ferrari 410 Sport Spider with exceptional provenance and in-period racing history by amongst others Fangio, Hill, and Shelby. The second most expensive car in the RM Sotheby’s sale was a 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster that sold for $9,905,000 — the second most expensive Mercedes-Benz roadgoing car ever. A 1924 Hispano-Suiza H6C Tulipwood Torpedo sold for a marque record $9,245,000. In all, 52 cars were sold for over a million dollar.

RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2022 Classic Car Auction

RM Sotheby’s flagship Monterey classic car auction during the annual Monterey / Pebble Beach motoring week: 18, 19 & 20 August 2022 at the Monterey Conference Center in California, USA.

The Monterey sale is traditionally the most important car auction of the year:

• In 2022, RM Sotheby’s set a new auction total record of $239,258,340 selling 52 cars for over a million dollar and a 95% sell-through rate.
• 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 the RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2022 Sale

The following 52 cars sold for more than a million dollars at the RM Sotheby’s 2022 Monterey classic car auction:

	Year	Car	Price ($)	Estimate
1	1955	Ferrari 410 Sport Spider	22,005,000	25,000,000 – 30,000,000
2	1937	Mercedes-Benz 540 K Spezial Roadster	9,905,000	9,000,000 – 12,000,000
3	1924	Hispano-Suiza H6C Tulipwood Torpedo	9,245,000	8,000,000 – 12,000,000
4	1957	Ferrari 500 TRC Spider	7,815,000	8,000,000 – 10,000,000
5	1954	Ferrari 375 America Vignale Cabriolet	7,595,000	6,500,000 – 7,500,000
6	1966	Ferrari 275 GTB/C	7,595,000	7,500,000 – 9,000,000
7	1953	Ferrari 375 MM Spider	7,485,000	8,000,000 – 10,000,000
8	1938	Talbot-Lago T150-C SS Teardrop Coupe	7,265,000	9,000,000 – 11,000.000
9	1958	Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series I	6,825,000	6,000,000 – 7,000,000
10	1998	Ferrari F300	6,220,000	6,000,000 – 8,000,000
11	1958	Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider	5,972,500	7,000,000 – 8,500,000
12	1959	Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta Tour de France	5,340,000	5,000,000 – 6,000,000
13	1955	Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Alloy Gullwing	5,010,000	5,000,000 – 7,000,000
14	1935	Duesenberg Model J Convertible Coupe	4,680,000	4,000,000 – 4,500,000
15	1985	Ferrari 288 GTO	4,405,000	3,750,000 – 4,250,000
16	1959	Porsche 718 RSK Werks Spyder	4,300,000	4,800,000 – 5,200,000
17	1992	Ferrari F40	3,855,000	2,500,000 – 2,900,000
18	2022	Porsche 911 ‘Sally Special’	3,600,000	–
19	1967	Ferrari 275 GTB/4	3,525,000	3,200,000 – 3,600,000
20	1957	Maserati 200SI	3,112,500	3,000,000 – 4,000,000
21	1947	Talbot-Lago T26 Record Cabriolet	2,975,000	1,800,000 – 2,500,000
22	1965	Ferrari 275 GTB/6C	2,810,000	1,800,000 – 2,000,000
23	1968	Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Prototype	2,315,000	2,250,000 – 3,000,000
24	1965	Ferrari 275 GTS	2,260,000	1,700,000 – 1,900,000
25	1964	Ferrari 250 GT/L Berlinetta Lusso	2,205,000	1,750,000 – 2,250,000
26	1963	Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster	2,095,000	2,000,000 – 2,500,000
27	1953	Fiat 8V Supersonic	2,040,000	1,700,000 – 2,000,000
28	2008	Lamborghini Reventon	1,952,000	1,750,000 – 2,000,000
29	1932	Stutz DV-32 Super Bearcat	1,930,000	1,000,000 – 1,300,000
30	1936	Mercedes-Benz 540 K Cabriolet A	1,875,000	2,000,000 – 2,500,000
31	1958	Bentley S1 Continental Drophead Coupe	1,875,000	1,800,000 – 2,200,000
32	1939	Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Cabriolet A	1,765,000	1,750,000 – 2,500,000
33	1935	Mercedes-Benz 500 K Cabriolet	1,710,000	1,750,000 – 2,250,000
34	1929	Duesenberg Model J Sport Sedan	1,710,000	1,200,000 – 1,500,000
35	1956	Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing	1,655,000	1,200,000 – 1,400,000
36	1939	Bugatti Type 57C Arvis Special Cabriolet	1,545,000	1,600,000 – 2,300,000
37	1939	Mercedes-Benz 540 K Cabriolet A	1,435,000	1,400,000 – 1,800,000
38	1936	Lancia Astura Cabriolet Series III Tipo Bocca	1,380,000	1,500,000 – 2,000,000
39	1962	Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster	1,380,000	1,400,000 – 1,800,000
40	1931	Rolls-Royce Phantom II Henley Roadster	1,297,500	900,000 – 1,300,000
41	1936	Mercedes-Benz 500 K Normal Roadster	1,270,000	1,400,000 – 1,800,000
42	1991	Jaguar XJR-15	1,270,000	1,200,000 – 1,400,000
43	1938	Mercedes-Benz 540 K Cabriolet A	1,132,500	1,000,000 – 1,250,000
44	1961	Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series II	1,105,000	1,300,000 – 1,600,000
45	1938	Bugatti Type 57S Roadster	1,105,000	750,000 – 900,000
46	1984	Lamborghini Countach LP5000 S	1,061,000	700,000 – 900,000
47	1930	Duesenberg Model J Convertible Berline	1,061,000	1,200,000 – 1,500,000
48	1938	Mercedes-Benz 540 K Drophead Coupe	1,050,000	1,250,000 – 1,750,000
49	1965	Shelby 289 Cobra	1,050,000	1,000,000 – 1,200,000
50	1959	Maserati 250 GT Spyder Prototype	1,025,000	1,200,000 – 1,600,000
51	1955	Maserati A6G/54 2000 Spyder	Sold	4,500,000 – 5,500,000
52	1958	Maserati 450 S	Sold	9,000,000 – 11,000,000

Two cars were listed as sold after the auction at an undisclosed price.

Sale Highlights at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2022 Sale

RM Sotheby’s three-day Monterey 2022 auctions totaled $239,258,340, more than all other Monterey auctions combined. 9 out of 10 of the most expensive cars sold during Monterey Car Week were sold by RM Sotheby’s. RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2022 sale broke a world record for the highest-grossing automotive auction ever.

No fewer than 180 cars were sold in 11 hours of auctioneering spread over three days:

• Thursday night’s auction brought over $41M with the 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster by Sindelfingen being the highest-selling car at $9,905,000 and the sale achieving an overall 95.7% sell-through rate
• Friday night’s auction brought in nearly $75M with the 1957 Ferrari 500 TRC Spider by Scaglietti being the highest-selling car at $7,815,000 and the sale achieving an overall 94.6% sell-through rate
• Saturday night’s auction brought in $123.3M with the 1955 Ferrari 410 Sport Spider by Scaglietti being the highest-selling car at $22,005,000 and the sale achieving an overall 94.2% sell-through rate.

Top Ferrari Results at RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2022 Sale

The most expensive car by far sold during the Monterey Motor Week 2022 auction series was the 1955 Ferrari 410 Sport Spider that achieved $22,005,000 at the RM Sotheby’s sale — more than double the $10,345,000 paid for a 1937 Bugatti Type 57 SC Atalante at the Gooding Pebble Beach 2022 sale. It became the 15th car ever to sell for more than $20 million at a public auction (nominal).

The 1955 Ferrari 410 Sport Spider was raced in period by amongst others Juan Manuel Fangio, Phil Hill, and Carroll Shelby. It was entered into 40 races, won 11, and achieved podium finishes 19 times. The car retained the matching-numbers engine, chassis, and body, and is fitted with the original fuel tank inscribed by Carroll Shelby “Mr. Ferrari told me that this was the best Ferrari he ever built”. Shelby won more races in this Ferrari than in any other car. 

RM Sotheby’s sold 17 Ferraris for over a million dollars each at Monterey 2022 including five for over $7 million and a further four for over $5 million.

An interesting result was the 1998 Ferrari F300 Formula 1 car that achieved $6,220,000. Only three modern Formula 1 racers have ever sold for more, including two further Schumacher Ferraris.

Top Mercedes-Benz Results at RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2022

RM Sotheby’s seemed to have cornered (or even flooded) the market by offering more Mercedes-Benz 500 and 540 K cabriolets in one sale than would normally be sold worldwide in a year. However, with the exception of one, all were sold and mostly at good prices.

The top Mercedes-Benz result was $9,905,000 for a 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Spezial Roadster — the second highest price ever paid for a Mercedes-Benz roadgoing car (but of course quite a but cheaper than the most expensive Mercedes-Benz ever). In all, two 500 Ks and six 540 Ks were sold in the auction.

The second-highest Mercedes-Benz result was $5,010,000 for a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Alloy Gullwing — well below the model-record $6,825,000 paid for a similar alloy at RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2022.

Further Noteworthy Results at RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2022

A few further interesting results at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2022 classic car auction included:

• 2022 Porsche 911 ‘Sally Special’ breaks world record for most expensive factory new Porsche ever sold, selling at $3,600,000 to benefit charity. The car is a special one-off by Porsche and Pixar.
• The wood-bodied 1924 Hispano-Suiza H6C Tulipwood Torpedo sold for $9,245,000 to set a new marque record.
• The 1938 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS Teardrop Coupe sold for $7,265,000 — below estimate and well below the marque and French record $13,425,000 achieved at Gooding Amelia Island 2022.

Monterey Week 2022 Classic Car Auctions

Top classic car auctioneers with sales during Monterey Week 2022 include Gooding (Pebble Beach), Bonhams (Quail Lodge), RM Sotheby’s, Broad Arrow, and Mecum.

Monterey Week 2022 Auction Results:

• Bonhams
• Broad Arrow
• Gooding
• Mecum
• RM Sotheby’s

Monterey Week 2022 Auction Previews:

• Top Porsche Racing Cars

Monterey Week 2022 Pre-Auction Announcements

• Bonhams: 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Atalante
• Bonhams: 1963 Jaguar E-Type Lightweight Competition (ex-Brigg Cunningham)
• Gooding: Top Bugattis (incl: Type 57SC Atalante & Type 35 Grand Prix)
• Gooding: Top Ferraris — classics and modern supercars
• Gooding: Top British Cars (incl: Bentley Blower and Eight Litre Sports Tourer)
• Gooding: Wonder Collection including 1999 Ferrari 333 SP
• Gooding: 1930s Classics from the Vincent Estate
• Mecum: Ferrari Prototypes and Marmon Classics
• RM Sotheby’s: 1955 Ferrari 410 Sport Spider by Scaglietti
• RM Sotheby’s: Schumacher 1998 Ferrari F300
• RM Sotheby’s: Masterworks of Design Collection (1924 Hispano-Suiza H6C “Tulipwood” Torpedo, 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster)
• RM Sotheby’s: 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Alloy Gullwing
• RM Sotheby’s: 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C
• RM Sotheby’s: The Oscar Davis Collection of 27 vehicles valued at $100 million

Previous Monterey Week Auction Results

• Monterey Week auction results — 2013 to 2021