A 1955 Ferrari 250 Europa GT Alloy sold for $2,227,500 as the top result at the Bonhams Amelia Island 2017 sale.
The highest price paid for a car at the Bonhams Amelia Island 2017 classic car auction was $2,227,500 for a 1955 Ferrari 250 Europa GT Alloy. It was the only car in the sale to achieve a result in excess of a million dollar. The auction included several early automobiles with a brass era 1911 Pierce-Arrow Model 48 Tourer selling for a strong $550,000.
Bonhams Amelia Island 2017 Classic Car Sale
Bonhams held its third Amelia Island sale on March 9, 2017, at the Fernandina Beach Golf Club in Florida, USA. Bonhams offered more than 80 cars in addition to a large number of automobilia.
Bonhams judged the market well: the sell through rate was a fairly high 87% to achieved total sales of $10.2 million. Only two cars entered the 2017 sale with estimates above a million dollar and Bonhams was thus never expected to repeat its 2016 earnings of $27.5 million despite a weak 65% through rate. The high earnings at Bonhams 2016 Amelia Island classic car auction was largely due to three top end results: $9,735,000 for a 1937 Bugatti Type 57 SC Sports Tourer while a 1937 Mercedes Benz 540 K Cabriolet A sold for $2,970,000 and a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 sold for $2,750,000.
Top Results at the Bonhams Amelia Island 2017
The following were the top results at the Bonhams Amelia Island 2017 classic car auction:
| Year | Car | Price ($) |
| 1955 | Ferrari 250 Europe GT Alloy | 2,227,500 |
| 1911 | Pierce-Arrow Model 48 Touring | 550,000 |
| 1986 | Lamborghini Countach 5000S | 335,000 |
| 1961 | Jaguar E Type Series I | 326,700 |
| 1954 | Arnolt Bristol Prototype Roadster | 324,500 |
| 1904 | Knox 16/18 HP Tudor 5-Passenger Touring | 292,600 |
1955 Ferrari 250 Europa GT Alloy
The top result at the Bonhams Amelia Island 2017 classic car auction was $2,227,500 for a 1955 Ferrari 250 Europa GT Alloy. The car is one on only two built by the Ferrari factory with special competition features and alloy bodywork. A further 25 has the regular Pinin Farina steel bodies.
This 1955 Ferrari 250 Europa GT Alloy was specifically built for the 1955 Mille Miglia race but not completed in time to compete in the race. Only 44 years later did it actually participate in the Mille Miglia Storico.
The car received a Platinum Award at the FCA’s May 2013 meeting in Pasadena. It is finished in Blu Fiat 8V and upholstered with Plastico Naturale.
1911 Pierce-Arrow Model 48 Tourer
A large number of pre-Second World War and even pre-First World War cars were on offer at Bonhams Amelia Island 2017. The second highest result at the auction was $550,000 for a 1911 Pierce-Arrow Model 48 Tourer.
This 1911 Pierce-Arrow Model 48 Tourer is a fine example of a brass era car in mint condition – it won the Gas Light 1900-1914 class at the Concours d’Elegance of America at St John’s in 2011 and in 2016 “Best Paint”.
An even older 1904 Knox 16/18hp “Tudor” 5-passenger touring car also sold for a model record $292,600 at the Bonhams Amelia Island 2017 sale. This magnificently restored car participated in several London-to-Brighton runs in recent years.
Top Cars Failing to Sell at Bonhams Amelia Island 2017
The two top cars failing to sell at the Bonhams Amelia Island 2017 classic car sale were both pre-war automobiles: a 1938 Talbot-Lago T150C Lago Speciale Cabriolet (estimate $1,200,000-1,500,000) and a 1927 Bentley 4 ½ Litre Tourer (estimate $750,000-900,000). Both are beautiful automobiles but neither had any significant history to help the sale.
A 2005 Porsche Carrera GT also failed to sell despite a fairly low $600,000-700,000 estimate. Four of these cars are on offer at Amelia Island 2017 and this one is with 8,500 miles on the clock maybe too used for buyers. The one at Gooding has been run for only 900 miles since new (and failed to sell)!
See also: 2017 Bonhams Amelia Island Preview for more on these cars.
Bonhams next major classic car auction is the Goodwood Members sale end March followed by the Aston Martin Works and Spa (Belgium) sales in May.
More on Amelia Island 2017
- The Annual Amelia Island Auctions & Concourse d’Elegance
- 2017 Amelia Island Classic Car Auction Results: Overview, Bonhams, Gooding, RM Sotheby’s
- 2017 Amelia Island Auctions Previews: Bonhams, Gooding, RM Sotheby’s
- 2017 Amelia Island Auction Press Announcements: RM Sotheby’s (Bugatti Type 57S Cabriolet, Ferrari 250 GTB SWB Berlinetta, Orin Smith Collection, Bentley Le Mans, Ferrari 166 MM), Gooding (Jaguar XKSS, Racing Cars, Porsche Supercars, McLaren P1, Aston Martins)
- 2016 Amelia Island Auction Results Overview
Amelia Island auctions in 2017 were on the following dates: 9 March – Bonhams, 10 March – RM Sotheby’s (Orin Smith Collection) & Gooding, 11 March – RM Sotheby’s (main auction).