2019 Bonhams Quail Lodge Sale (Auction Results)

A 1951 Ferrari 340 America Vignale Coupe Speciale sold for $3.6 million as the most-expensive car at the Bonhams Quail Lodge 2019 sale.

1951 Ferrari 340 America Coupe Speciale
© Bonhams

The top result a the Bonhams Quail Lodge 2019 classic car auction during Monterey week was $3,635,000 paid for a 1951 Ferrari 340 America Vignale Coupe Special. Bonhams sold five cars for more than a million dollar each including a 1953 Fiat 8V Supersonic, a 1965 Shelby 427 Cobra, a 1955 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing and a 2017 Ford GT ’66 Heritage Series.

Bonhams Quail Lodge 2019 Sale

Bonhams Quail Lodge 2019 classic car auction: 15 & 16 August 2019 in Carmel during the Monterey Motor Week in California, USA.

In 2019, Bonhams earned $32 million with a sell-through rate of 76% of the 217 cars on offer.

In 2018, Bonhams earned $37.7 million with a sell-through rate of 82% with 110 of 135 lots sold. Ten cars sold for over a million dollar each. The average sale price was $343,694.

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 average sale price was $641,685. The top result was a marque-record $15,620,000 for a 1995 McLaren F1 sports car.

Top Results at Bonhams Quail Lodge Sale 2019

The top results at the Bonhams Quail Lodge 2019 classic car auction were as follows:

YearCarPrice ($)Estimate
11951Ferrari 340 America Coupe Speciale3,635,000Refer to department
21953Fiat 8V Supersonic by Ghia1,765,0001,750,000 – 1,950,000
31965Shelby 427 Cobra1,380,0001,275,000 – 1,475,000
41955Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing1,352,5001,350,000 – 1,550,000
52017Ford GT ’66 Heritage Series1,050,0001,250,000 – 1,900,000
62017Ferrari F12TdF907,000975,000 – 1,100,000
71930Bentley Speed Six Le Mans Replica Tourer874,0001,000,000 – 1,300,000

Million-Dollar Cars at Bonhams Quail Lodge 2019 Auction

Five cars sold for more than a million dollar each at the Bonhams Quail Lodge 2019 classic car auction:

1951 Ferrari 340 America Coupe Speciale
© Bonhams

The most-expensive car sold at the Bonhams Quail Lodge 2019 sale was a 1951 Ferrari 340 America Coupe Speciale, chassis 0132A, that achieved $3,635,000.

The Ferrari retained its original unique Vignale coachwork and matching numbers engine. Only five 340 America Coupes were fitted with Vignale coachwork.

The 1951 Ferrari 340 America Coupe Speciale was sold from five decades of single-family ownership but will require some restoration work to bring it back on the road.

A rare 1953 FIAT 8V Supersonic, formerly owned by American motorsport legend Briggs Cunningham, sold for $1,625,000. It is one only 15 cars produced with coachwork by Ghia.

1965 Shelby 427 Cobra achieved $1,380,000, which is a reasonable price in the current market – several further 427 Cobras failed to clear reserve margins at other Monterey auctions.

The 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing sold for $1,347,500 – the mid-price of the three Gullwings sold for over a million dollar at the various Monterey auctions.

A 2017 Ford GT ’66 Heritage Series sold for $1,050,000 – RM Sotheby’s sold a similar model for more.

Top Cars Not Sold at Bonhams Quail Lodge 2019 Sale

Bonhams brought fewer high-end cars to Quail Lodge 2019 despite increasing its auction to two sale days. As a result the list of million-dollar-plus cars failing to sell is always a bit shorter than the main competition.

The following top cars failed to sell at Bonhams Quail Lodge 2019 with highest bids as reported by Hagerty:

YearCarHighest Bid ($)Estimate
1959Porsche 718 RSK Center-Seat SpyderHB 3,700,000Refer to department
1937Delahaye 135M Competition Court RoadsterHB 2,800,0003,250,000 – 3,750,000
1965Shelby / De Tomaso P70 Can-Am Sports RacerHB 1,600,0002,000,000 – 3,000,000
1931Bentley 4 1/2 Litre Supercharged Birkin Le Mans ReplicaHB 1,550,0002,750,000 – 3,750,000
2015Porsche 918 Weissach SpyderHB 1,300,0001,600,000 – 1,900,000
1932Auburn 12-160A Boattail SpeedsterHB 1,300,0001,800,000 – 2,400,000
1989Ferrari F40HB 1,100,0001,200,000 – 1,500,000
1965Aston Martin DB5 Sports SaloonHB 825,0001,000,000 – 1,300,000
1965Iso Grifo A3 CompetizioneHB 480,0001,000,000 – 1,300,000
1959 Porsche 718 RSK Center-Seat
© Bonhams

The highest bid at the Bonhams Quail Lodge 2019 sale was $3.7 million but that still failed to buy the 1959 Porsche 718 RSK Center-Seat Spyder. For the top cars, unsuccessful highest bids generally fell well short of the lower reserve, so the opportunities for post-hammer deal making were somewhat limited.

Despite the centenary celebrations of Bentley, and a Bentley taking Best of Show at Pebble Beach 2019, top Bentleys generally failed to sell. Bidding for the 1931 Bentley 4½ Liter Supercharged Birkin Le Mans Replica was way below expectations. (The 1930 Bentley 6 1/2 Litre ‘Speed Six’ Sportsman’s Saloon at RM Sotheby’s similarly failed to sell.)

Also noteworthy were the low bids for the Porsche 918 Weissach Spyder and the Ferrari F40 – these models and similar modern supercars mostly failed to perform well during Monterey Week 2019.

Monterey Week 2019 Car Auctions News

Auction Results

Auction Previews:

Pre-Sale Auction Announcements:

1939 Porsche Type 64
Staud Studios © 2019 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s