A 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider sold for $17,160,000 as the most expensive of 28 million-dollar-plus cars at the Amelia Island 2016 sales. Eight Ferraris and eight Porsche cars were sold for over a million with the oldest million-dollar car sold at Amelia Island 2016 a 1931 Stutz and the newest a 2014 Pagani. Gooding not only sold the most-expensive car of the week but also sold 15 cars for a million dollar followed by RM Sotheby’s with 9 and Bonhams with 4.
2016 Amelia Island Classic Car Auctions
The traditional Amelia Island classic car sales took place in Florida from 10 to 12 March 2016. Gooding and Bonhams nearly doubled earnings from the 2015 auctions to $60 million and $27.5 million respectively while RM Sotheby’s earnings were down by a third to $38.6 million. All auction houses had slightly fewer cars on offer this year with Gooding and Bonhams offering around 80 and RM Sotheby’s just less than 100.
RM Sotheby’s had the highest sell-through rate of 89% – a high figure but failing to match the incredibly successful 98% of a year ago. Gooding’s sell-through rate was also a strong 87% while Bonhams’ sell-through rate slipped to 65%.
Million-Dollar Cars at Amelia Island 2016 Auctions
The following cars sold for more than a million dollar at the 2016 Amelia Island, Florida, classic car auctions:
| Year | Car | Price ($) | Auction House |
| 1961 | Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider | 17,160,000 | Gooding |
| 1937 | Bugatti Type 57 SC Sports Tourer | 9,735,000 | Bonhams |
| 1955 | Porsche 550 Spyder | 5,335,000 | Gooding |
| 1962 | Ferarri 400 Superamerica LWB Coupe Aerodinamico | 4,400,000 | RM Sotheby’s |
| 1966 | Ford GT40 Mk1 | 3,300,000 | Gooding |
| 1973 | Porsche 917/30 Can-Am Spyder | 3,000,000 | Gooding |
| 1937 | Mercedes Benz 540 K Cabriolet A | 2,970,000 | Bonhams |
| 1959 | Porsche 718 RSK | 2,860,000 | Gooding |
| 1967 | Ferrari 275 GTB/4 | 2,750,000 | Bonhams |
| 1931 | Duesenberg Model J Disappearing-Top Convertible Coupe | 2,640,000 | Gooding |
| 1984 | Ferrari 288 GTO | 2,585,000 | RM Sotheby’s |
| 1995 | Ferrari F50 | 2,310,000 | Gooding |
| 1974 | Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 IROC RSR | 2,310,000 | Gooding |
| 2014 | Pagani Huayra | 2,035,000 | RM Sotheby’s |
| 1968 | Ferrari 330 GTS by Pininfarina | 2,000,000 | RM Sotheby’s |
| 1963 | Ferrari 250 GT Lusso | 1,875,000 | Gooding |
| 1954 | Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback Sport Saloon | 1,815,000 | RM Sotheby’s |
| 1990 | Porsche 962C | 1,650,000 | Gooding |
| 1958 | Porsche 356 A 1500 GS/GT Carrera Speedster | 1,540,000 | Gooding |
| 1960 | Ferrari 250 GT Series II Cabriolet | 1,512,500 | Gooding |
| 1964 | Shelby Cobra 289 | 1,320,000 | Gooding |
| 1955 | Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing | 1,265,000 | RM Sotheby’s |
| 1932 | Packard Twin Six Coupe Roadster | 1,210,000 | RM Sotheby’s |
| 1963 | Shelby 289 Cobra | 1,155,000 | RM Sotheby’s |
| 1988 | Porsche 959 Komfort | 1,120,000 | Gooding |
| 1931 | Stutz DV-32 Convertible Victoria by Rollston | 1,100,000 | RM Sotheby’s |
| 1994 | Porsche 964 Turbo 3,6 S Flachbau | 1,017,500 | Gooding |
| 1933 | Maserati 8C 3000 Biposto | 1,001,000 | Bonhams |
Prices include premium.
Top Cars at Amelia Island 2016 Classic Cars Auctions
1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider
Gooding set a new Amelia Island auction week record when a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider sold for $17,160,000. This was by far the highest price ever paid for a car at Amelia Island – in previous years, the record was set in 2014 at RM Auctions when a 1939 Delahaye 135 Competition Court Torpedo Roadster by Figoni et Falaschi achieved $6,600,000.
The 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider was the tenth most-expensive car ever sold at public auction and the sixth California Spider ever sold for more than $10 million. It was also the highest result ever for Gooding, which has now sold three California Spiders for more than $15 million.
This 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider, chassis 2871, had only three Italian owners and appeared briefly in Vittorio De Sica’s Academy Award®-winning feature film, Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow, when Sophia Loren hitched a lift in it. However, the well-maintained, unrestored condition probably contributed more to the high price.
1937 Bugatti Type 57 SC Sports Tourer
Bonhams’ top result at Amelia Island was $9,735,000 for a 1937 Bugatti Type 57 SC Sports Tourer – this was the Amelia Island record for about a day. This is the only Type 57 Bugatti with four-seater convertible bodywork by Vanden Plas and, in nominal terms, the second most-expensive Bugatti ever.
Top Porsches at Amelia Island 2016
Porsches traditionally sell well at Amelia Island and in 2016, no fewer that 8 sold for over a million dollar. All eight were offered by Gooding, which had significant success with the 16 Porsches from Jerry Seinfeld’s collection.
The top Porsches included:
- 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder – no period racing history but in top condition – for $5,335,000.
© Gooding 1973 Porsche 917/30 Can-Am Spyder – no period racing history despite being restored and painted in Sunoco livery similar to Penske racing cars – for $3 million in a post-hammer deal. The price was well below the $5-7 million estimate.
- 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.0 IROC RSR – at $2,310,000 well above the pre-auction estimate $1.2 to $1.5 million.
- A 1968 Porsche 908 Coupe attracted a highest bid of $2 million at Gooding but failed to sell with offer a million below lower estimate.
Porsche Carrera GTs
Jerry Seinfeld’s 2000 Porsche Carrera GT Prototype also failed to sell at a bid of $1 million – this one-off car is undrivable and subsequent buyers must agree to keep it as such.
At least eight production 2005 Porsche Carrera GT cars have been offered at public auction thus far in 2016 with three at Amelia Island alone. Sellers now seem to realize that the million-dollar result at Mecum Monterey 2015 is not the new norm. The one at Gooding was withdrawn, the one at Bonhams not sold at a highest bid of $700,000 while RM Sotheby’s sold a 2005 Porsche Carrera GT for $715,000.
Top Ferraris at Amelia Island 2016
In addition to the record-breaking California Spider, seven further Ferraris sold for over a million dollar at Amelia Island 2016:
RM Sotheby’s top result at Amelia Island 2016 was $4,400,000 for a 1962 Ferrari 400 Superamerica LWB Coupe Aerodinamico. This result was more than a million dollar above the upper pre-auction estimate. This Superamerica came from single-family ownership for the first half century of it existence and is in concours-ready restored condition.
RM Sotheby’s sold two Ferraris for less than the same cars achieved a year ago at the Scottsdale and Arizona 2015 sales: a 1984 Ferrari 288 GTO for $2.6 million – a million dollar less than in 2015 and a 1968 Ferrari 330 GTS in a post-hammer deal for $2 million – $300,000 less than in 2015.
Bonhams’ top Ferrari was a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 selling for $2,750,000.
Gooding sold three further Ferraris for over a million dollar:
- $2,310,000 for a 1995 Ferrari F50 – a strong result for a modern classic
- $1,875,000 for a 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso – a post-hammer deal
- $1,512,500 for a 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Series II Cabriolet – only the second of five of these cars offered for sale thus far this year; expectations seemed to have been lowered.
Mercedes Benz Cars at Amelia Island 2016
Only two Mercedes Benz cars sold for over a million dollar at Amelia Island 2016 with others failing to sell or just missing the million-dollar mark:
Bonhams had a reasonable $2,970,000 result for a 1937 Mercedes Benz 540 K Cabriolet A – five more similar cars will be on offer at the Mercedes Benz Museum sale a week later. At RM Sotheby’s, similar money was refused for a 1939 Mercedes Benz 540 K Spezial Cabriolet A that attracted a highest bid of $2.8 million.
RM Sotheby’s sold a 1955 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing for $1,265,000 – just below estimate. In the same auction, a 1957 Roadster failed to sell with a highest bid of $950,000.
Bonhams sold a 1955 Gullwing for $902,000 while a 300 SC Roadster failed to sell with a highest bid of $800,000.
None of the Mercedes Benz 300s on offer seemed to offer any special history or merit making it clear that more than turning up is currently required to sell a Mercedes Benz 300 SL for more than a million dollar.
Other Top Results at Amelia Island 2016
A few further interesting results at the Amelia Island 2016 auctions:
- The 1954 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback sold $400,000 above upper estimate.
- The 1932 Packard Twin Six Coupe Roadster sold for nearly double estimate.
- The 2014 Pagani Huayra is the newest of the multi-million dollar cars at the auction. The original sticker price for such car was a million dollar making $2 million a good return even for this car with more than a quarter million dollar worth of optional extras fitted.
Top Cars Failing to Sell at Amelia Island 2016
The following cars attracted multi-million bids but failed to sell at the 2016 Amelia Island classic car auctions:
| Year | Car | Highest Bid | Estimate | Auction House |
| 1957 | Ferarri 250 GT Berlinetta ‘Tour de France’ | HB 4,250,000 | Upon request | RM Sotheby’s |
| 1939 | Mercedes Benz 540 K Spezial Cabriolet A by Sindelfingen | HB 2,800,000 | 3 – 4 million | RM Sotheby’s |
| 1911 | Rolls Royce 40/50 HP Silver Ghost Tourer by Lawton | HB 2,100,000 | 2.5 – 3.5 million | RM Sotheby’s |
| 1973 | Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider | HB 2,100,000 | 2.5 – 3 million | RM Sotheby’s |
| 1968 | Porsche 908 Coupe | HB 2,000,000 | 3,000,000 – 3,300,000 | Gooding |
The $4,250,000 for the Ferrari ‘Tour de France’ was the highest of the RM Sotheby’s auction while the $2.1 million bid for the Rolls Royce was the highest bid this year for the marque. None of the top five Rolls Royce cars on offer at public auctions thus far in 2016 has sold. The $2.1 million bid was way below what Daytona Spiders achieved at auction in the past two years.