A 1937 Mercedes Benz 540 K Special Roadster and a 1929 Duesenberg Model J Convertible are the highlights of the 2016 RM Sotheby’s Arizona classic car sale. The Mercedes Benz has a pre-sale estimate of $10 to $13 million. For once, Ferraris are not expected to be the most-expensive cars on offer at an RM Sotheby’s classic car auction. At the Arizona sale during the traditional January Scottsdale classic car week, the dearest Ferraris on offer at RM Sotheby’s this year are a 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB and a 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO (estimates $2.4 – $2.8 million). A 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Torpedo Sports by Barker and a 1965 Shelby 427 Competition Cobra are expected to fetch more.
RM Sotheby’s Arizona Classic Car Auction 2016
The 17th annual RM Sotheby’s Arizona classic car auctions are scheduled for 28 & 29 January 2016 at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa in Phoenix.
In 2015, RM Auctions generated $63.7 million in sales at the two-day Arizona auction. It also set the Arizona / Scottsdale classic car week auction record at $9,625,000 for a 1964 Ferrari 250 LM.
Million-Dollar Cars at the RM Sotheby’s Arizona Sale 2016
Of the around 150 cars on offer at the RM Sotheby’s 2016 Arizona sale, the following 30 have upper estimates of at least a million dollar:
| Year | Car | Estimate |
| 1937 | Mercedes Benz 540 K Special Roadster by Sindelfingen | 10,000,000 – 13,000,000 |
| 1929 | Duesenberg Model J Disappearing Top Torpedo Convertible Coupe by Murphy | 3,000,000 – 3,500,000 |
| 1930 | Rolls-Royce Phantom II Torpedo Sports by Barker | 2,500,000 – 3,500,000 |
| 1965 | Shelby 427 Competition Cobra | 2,500,000 – 3,300,000 |
| 1965 | Ferrari 275 GTB by Scaglietti | 2,400,000 – 2,800,000 |
| 1985 | Ferrari 288 GTO | 2,400,000 – 2,800,000 |
| 1971 | Lamborghini Miura P400 SV by Bertone | 2,000,000 – 2,400,000 |
| 1953 | Ferrari 212 Inter Coupe by Vignale | 1,800,000 – 2,200,000 |
| 1960 | Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series II by Pinin Farina | 1,800,000 – 2,100,000 |
| 1965 | Ferrari 275 GTS by Pininfarina | 1,600,000 – 2,000,000 |
| 1939 | SS 100 Jaguar 2 1/2 litre Roadster by Van den Plas | 1,500,000 – 2,100,000 |
| 1959 | Maserati 3500 GT Spyder Prototype by Vignale | 1,500,000 – 2,000,000 |
| 1962 | Maserati 5000 GT Coupe by Allemano | 1,500,000 – 2,000,000 |
| 1953 | Cadillac Series 62 Coupe by Ghia | 1,500,000 – 1,800,000 |
| 1955 | Alfa Romeo 1900 SC SS Berlinetta by Zagato | 1,400,000 – 1,800,000 |
| 1963 | Shelby 289 Cobra “Dragonsnake” | 1,400,000 – 1,600,000 |
| 2015 | Porsche 918 Spyder | 1,300,000 – 1,600,000 |
| 1971 | Lamborghini Miura LP400 SV by Bertone | 1,300,000 – 1,500,000 |
| 1958 | Mercedes Benz 300 SL Roadster | 1,250,000 – 1,500,000 |
| 1934 | Duesenberg Model J Town Car by Murphy | 1,200,000 – 1,400,000 |
| 2011 | Ferrari 599 SA Aperta | 1,100,000 – 1,500,000 |
| 1955 | Mercedes Benz 300 SL Gullwing | 1,100,000 – 1,500,000 |
| 1988 | Porsche 959 Komfort | 1,100,000 – 1,400,000 |
| 1957 | Mercedes Benz 300 Sc Cabriolet A | 1,000,000 – 1,300,000 |
| 1957 | Mercedes Benz 300 SL Roadster | 1,000,000 – 1,200,000 |
| 1964 | Shelby 289 Cobra | 950,000 – 1,100,000 |
| 1955 | Lancia Aurelia B24S Spider America by Pinin Farina | 900,000 – 1,100,000 |
| 1911 | Lozier Model 51 Seven-Passenger Touring | 900,000 – 1,100,000 |
| 1952 | Cunningham C3 Coupe by Vignale | 900,000 – 1,100,000 |
| 1931 | Bugatti Type 49 Roadster by Gangloff | 900,000 – 1,100,000 |
Headline Cars at the 2016 RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2016 Sale
Although RM Sotheby’s expect to achieve results above a million dollar on at least six Ferraris, none of the cars expecting to sell for more than three million dollar at the 2016 Arizona sale are from Italy:
1937 Mercedes Benz 540 K Special Roadster
A 1937 Mercedes Benz 540 K Special Roadster by Sindelfingen (est. $10,000,000 – 13,000,000) is the leading entry for the RM Sotheby’s 2016 Arizona sale. It is also by far the car with the highest estimate on offer at the 2016 Scottsdale, Arizona classic car week. If the estimate is reached, a new Scottsdale / Arizona record will be set.
Mercedes Benz 540 K Special Roadsters are amongst the most-desired cars ever made. A 1936 Mercedes Benz 540 K Special Roadster sold for $11,770,000 at the 2012 Gooding Pebble Beach sale as still the most-expensive Mercedes Benz road car ever. The 1954 Mercedes Benz W196R Formula 1 car that achieved almost $30 million at the Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed 2013 sale is the only other Mercedes Benz car ever to have sold for more than $10 million.
The 1937 Mercedes Benz 540 K Special Roadster by Sindelfingen on offer at the RM Sotheby’s 2016 Arizona sale is an original US delivery car with known history. It has the desirable longtail and high door configuration. It is one of the earliest 540 Ks made and may have been in effect a pre-production demonstration model. The car is believed to have covered only 10,277 miles since new.
1929 Duesenberg Model J Disappearing Top Torpedo Convertible Coupe
The 1929 Duesenberg Model J Disappearing Top Torpedo Convertible Coupe by Murphy (est. $3,000,000 – 3,500,000) is one of only six built and has many unique features including the one-off tail design. The car has its original body, firewall and chassis. It has covered only 17,000 miles since new. The Duesenberg originally belonged to the Gray family, who invested $10,500 in Ford in 1903 and sold the shares back to Ford in 1919 for $26 million.
1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Torpedo Sports by Barker
The 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Torpedo Sports by Barker (est. 2,500,000 – 3,500,000) was a one-off design intended for Continental touring, The first owner was possibly the Maharaja of Rewa – Indian royals were top Rolls Royce customers prior to the Second World War. The Rolls Royce is in a fully restored condition and retained its original “GJ 11” British registration.
1965 Shelby 427 Competition Cobra
The 1965 Shelby 427 Competition Cobra, chassis CSX3010, (est. $2,500,000 – 3,300,000), is one of only 23 Competition Cobra 427s built and the only one to have won championships in two countries. It won the 1968 US SCCA A Production Championship driven by Peter Consiglio and the 1971 Eastern Canadian Endurance Championship driven by John Risley and David Fram. In the 1968 season, it had podium finishes in 8 of 11 SCCA races.
The 17th annual RM Sotheby’s Arizona classic car auctions are scheduled for 28 & 29 January 2016 at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa in Phoenix.
For More on the RM Sotheby’s Arizona Sales 2016 See Also:
- German Cars Preview – including three Mercedes Benz 300 SLs
- Italian Cars Preview – not only Ferraris
- American Cars Preview – more than just Duesenbergs and Cobras