A Works Jaguar D-Type and the oldest running Alfa Romeo – a 1921 G1 – are the lead cars for the RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2018 sale during the Scottsdale classic car auction week in the USA.
RM Sotheby’s is likely to set a new Scottsdale, Arizona, classic car auction week record with a works 1954 Jaguar D-Type, estimate $12 to 15 million. This car was driven in period by amongst others Stirling Moss at Le Mans and Bob Berry. The RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2018 sale will include a 1921 Alfa Romeo G1 – the oldest Alfa Romeo in existence. One of the six million-dollar Ferraris – a 212 Inter Coupe with one-off coachwork by Ghia – originally belonged to Juan Peron. Three Shelbys – a 427 Cobra Semi Competition, a 289 Cobra, and a GT350 R – are expected to sell for a million dollar.
RM Sotheby’s Arizona Classic Car Auction 2018
RM Sotheby’s will hold its 19th annual Arizona classic car auction on 18 & 19 January 2018 at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona. Around 160 cars will be on offer as part of the traditional Scottsdale Arizona auction week that starts of the classic car sales year for most major car auctioneers.
During the Scottsdale, Arizona classic car auction week in 2017, RM Sotheby’s earned $54 million from 141 cars offered with a sell-through rate of 89%. RM Sotheby’s sold 15 cars for more than a million dollars. The highest result for RM Sotheby’s at Arizona 2017 was $6,600,000 for a 1939 Mercedes Benz 540 K Special Roadster.
RM Sotheby’s currently holds the Scottsdale classic car auction week record with a 1937 Mercedes Benz 540 K Spezial Roadster that sold for $9,900,000 in 2016.
Million-Dollar Cars at the RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2018 Sale
RM Sotheby’s is offering the following cars at the Arizona 2018 sale with upper estimates exceeding a million dollar:
| Year | Car | Estimate |
| 1921 | Alfa Romeo G1 | Upon request |
| 1954 | Jaguar D-Type Works | 12,000,000 – 15,000,000 |
| 1966 | Shelby 427 Cobra “Semi-Competition” | 2,000,000 – 2,400,000 |
| 1964 | Ferrari 250 GT/L Berlinetta Lusso | 1,800,000 – 2,200,000 |
| 1967 | Ferrrari 330 GTS | 1,800,000 – 2,200,000 |
| 1952 | Ferrari 212 Inter Coupe by Ghia | 1,600,000 – 2,000,000 |
| 1960 | Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series II | 1,400,000 – 1,800,000 |
| 1955 | Alfa Romeo 1900C SS Speciale | 1,250,000 – 1,750,000 |
| 1948 | Tucker 48 | 1,250,000 – 1,500,000 |
| 2017 | Ferrari F12tdf | 1,200,000 – 1,400,000 |
| 1987 | Porsche 959 Komfort | 1,000,000 – 1,250,000 |
| 1965 | Shelby GT350 R | 1,000,000 – 1,200,000 |
| 1957 | Ferrari 250 GT Coupe by Boano | 975,000 – 1,150,000 |
| 1957 | Mercedes Benz 300 SL Roadster | 950,000 – 1,050,000 |
| 1965 | Shelby 289 Cobra | 900,000 – 1,200,000 |
| 1942 | Alfa Romero 6C 2500 SS Spider | 900,000 – 1,100,000 |
1954 Jaguar D-Type Works, OKV2
A 1954 Jaguar D-Type, chassis no. XKD403, estimate $12,000,000 – $15,000,000, is the most-expensive car offered at the RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2018 sale and the whole Scottsdale 2018 classic car auction week. If the car sells, it is likely to set a new Scottsdale week record, as it is hard to imagine that the reserve price would be lower than $10 million.
The 1954 Jaguar D-Type Works, registration OKV2, was the third of just six D-Types produced as racers for the Jaguar works team. A further 67 cars were built for customers, of which one will be on sale on the same day at Gooding Scottsdale 2018.
This 1954 Jaguar D-Type is considered one of the most-actively raced D-Types but it had rather limited racing success as a works car. It was Jaguar’s lead car for the 1954 Le Mans 24 Hours race with Stirling Moss and Peter Walker as drivers. A new record was set at 172.97 mph on the Mulsanne straight but the car retired after midnight with brake problems. The pair also drove the car at Reims while Peter Whitehead and Ken Wharton drove it to 5th overall at the Dundron Tourist Trophy.
In 1955, the D-Type was mostly used for development work before being sold to Jack Broadhead and raced by Bob Berry. It was raced with success in many smaller races including victories at Oulton Park and Goodwood.
The car was also raced in period by Ron Flockhart, Jack Fairman, Ivor Bueb, Reg Harris, and Peter Blond, who owned the Jaguar D-Type on offer at Gooding.
This may be the second consecutive year that a Jaguar is the most-expensive car during the Scottsdale auction week. In 2017, Bonhams sold a 1963 Jaguar E-Type Light Weight Competition for $7,370,000 as the most-expensive car during the 2017 Scottsdale, Arizona classic car auctions.
The 1956 Le Mans-winning 1955 Jaguar D-Type Ecurie Ecosse team car sold for $21,780,000 at RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2016 auction remains the most-expensive Jaguar ever and the most-expensive Le Mans-winner, and the eighth most-expensive car ever.
Alfa Romeos at the RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2018 Sale
RM Sotheby’s is offering three top Alfa Romeo cars at the Arizona 2018 classic car auction – all are offered without reserve, which is quite brave as these Alfas are not often that easy to sell at top dollar. The Alfa Romeo marque record is $19,800,000 paid for a 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 29008 Lungo Spider by Touring at the RM Sotheby’s Monterey 2016 sale. This is also the record price for a pre-war car.
1921 Alfa Romeo G1
A 1921 Alfa Romeo G1 is the only car in the RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2018 sale without a pre-auction estimate but will sell as it is offered without reserve. It is the star car from the private “A Century of Sports Cars Collection” that will be sold during the Scottsdale auction week.
The G1 was the first car produced by Alfa Romeo and the car on offer, chassis 6018, is the only known survivor of the 52 produced. It is thus the oldest Alfa Romeo in existence. Alfa exported all the G1s – mostly to Australia, where this car remained for almost 90 years. Although the original body was lost, the engine and chassis are original.
Following a full restoration after 2012, the 1921 Alfa Romeo G1 was shown at amongst others the Pebble Beach, Arizona and Amelia Island concours.
1955 Alfa Romeo 1900C SS Speciale
A 1955 Alfa Romeo 1900C SS Speciale with coachwork by Boano, estimate $1,250,000 to $1750,000, is the second top Alfa Romeo on offer at the RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2018 sale. This car with striking one-off coachwork was Boano’s 1955 Torino Motor Show car and is based on the 6C 3000 coupe that Boano built for Argentinian president Juan Peron. (Peron’s Ferrari 212 Inter will be in the same sale.)
The 1955 Alfa Romeo 1900C SS Speciale was displayed at the Paris Rétromobile 2014 show in Paris and in 2015 participated in the invitation-only Preservation Class at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The recently restored car in its original colors won its class at the 2017 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
1942 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS Spider
A further top Alfa from the private “A Century of Sports Cars Collection” that will be on offer at the RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2018 is an elegant 1942 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS Spider, estimate $900,000 – $1,100,000.
An Alfa produced in 1942 should have an interesting early history but that is unfortunately unknown. The first known owner was Corrado Cupellini, who could not recall whether he bought the car in South America or the South of France! He fitted the 8C 2900 style spider body that the car still has today. A replacement SS-specification 6C 2500 engine from 1942 was fitted at the end of the previous century. Although not perfectly correct, the car was still good enough for 2nd place in class at Pebble Beach.
Top American Car at RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2018
Four American cars, including three Shelbys are expected to sell for over a million dollar at the RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2018 sale:
1966 Shelby 427 Cobra “Semi-Competition”
It is a ten million dollar drop from the highest estimate to the second highest estimate at the RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2018 sale with somewhat surprisingly no Ferraris between the Jaguar D-Type and the 1966 Shelby 427 Cobra “Semi-Competition, ” estimate $2,000,000 to $2,400,000.
The 1966 Shelby 427 Cobra “Semi-Competition”, chassis CSX 3040, is an authentic, matching numbers cars with a well-document history. It had only four long-term owners.
1965 Shelby 289 Cobra
The 1965 Shelby 289 Cobra, chassis CSX 2442, estimate $900,000 – $1,200,000, is the second million-dollar Shelby on offer at RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2018.
This Cobra had only two private owners – plus the repossession bank in the 1960s – and is presented as a matching numbers example in a highly original condition. Shelby Cobras mostly sell around the million-dollar mark.
1965 Shelby GT350 R
The 1965 Shelby GT350 R, estimate $1,000,000 – $1,200,000, is quite a different car from the Cobras that are usually sold by RM Sotheby’s, Gooding and Bonhams. It largely resembled one of the stock GT350 Mustangs but was fitted with a Shelby-built 289-cu in. V8 good for 350 bhp.
The 1965 Shelby GT350 R was raced in period in Peru and only returned to the USA in the mid-1980s. The recently restored car won in 2017 all three of the most significant awards possible for a GT350: Gold Concours at SAAC 42 in Indianapolis, Gold Concours at the Mid-America Shelby Nationals in Tulsa, and an MCA Gold at the Grand Nationals in Kansas City.
1948 Tucker 48
The 1948 Tucker 48, chassis 1029, estimate $1,250,000 – $1,500,000, on offer at RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2018 was the personal car of Preston Tucker, who owned it until 1955. It was then used as the daily driver of Governor Winthrop Rockefeller of Arkansas for a few years. Remarkably, the car has covered only 19,199 miles since new.
This Tucker 48 was the star of the 1948 promotional film Tucker: The Man and the Car. It was also one of the Tuckers test-driven at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Top Ferraris at RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2018 Sale
Although six Ferraris are offered at the RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2018 sale with upper estimates above a million dollar, none are likely to be amongst the top results of the Scottsdale 2018 week. Most are fine examples with the 212 Inter coming with a particularly interesting provenance.
1964 Ferrari 250 GT/L Berlinetta Lusso
The 1964 Ferrari 250 GT/L Berlinetta Lusso by Scaglietti, chassis no. 5537 GT, estimate $1,800,000 to $2,200,000, Offered Without Reserve, is a fine example of the final iteration of the 250 GT chassis.
The 1964 Ferrari 250 GT/L Berlinetta Lusso is finished in Blue Sera over beige as the 275th of 350 built. It received a cosmetic restoration in 2013 that was sufficient to earn it Best in Class at the 2014 Arizona Concours d’Elegance.
1967 Ferrari 330 GTS
The 1967 Ferrari 330 GTS, estimate $1,800,000 – $2,200,000, is one of only 99 built and is finished in US specification that include power windows and Borrani wire wheels from new.
Ferrari built 598 of the 330 GTC Coupes and these only rarely breach a million dollar at auction but the convertible GTS cars regularly achieve two million dollar.
1952 Ferrari 212 Inter Coupe by Ghia
The 1952 Ferrari 212 Inter Coupe by Ghia, estimate $1,600,000 – $1,800,000, has the most interesting history of the Ferraris on offer at the RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2018 sale. This 212 Inter has bespoke one-off coachwork by Ghia and was originally delivered to Juan Peron, president of Argentina.
Peron reportedly spotted the 212 Inter Coupe by Ghia at the Paris Motor Show and arranged for the purchase of the vehicle. As was often done at the time, documentation was produced to sell the car as a used vehicle to circumvent importation taxes. Peron lost ownership of the car after a coup in 1955 but the Ferrari remained in Argentina until 1987.
The car was restored to its original color scheme around 2000 and received second in class at Pebble Beach in 2002 and Platinum Award at the Cavallino in 2003. It has not been shown since.
1960 Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series II
The 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Cabriolet Series II by Pininfarina, chassis no. 1939 GT, estimate $1,400,000 to $1,800,000, Offered Without Reserve, was the 39th of 200 built. It received a well-maintained restoration in 2000 and has not been shown much in recent years.
Chassis 1939 GT attracted a highest bid of $1,650,000 at the 2016 Gooding Scottsdale auction with an estimate of $2-2.3 million. The current estimate is more inline with current results for the model.
2017 Ferrari F12tdf
The 2017 Ferrari F12tdf, estimate $1,200,000 – $1,400,000, is the newest of the million-dollar cars on offer at the RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2018 sale. The car has been driven only 200 miles and comes with a Ferrari Genuine Maintenance program until 2024.
This 2017 Ferrari F12tdf is finished in a unique color scheme of light blue with red, white and blue racing stripes. This was part of the $110,000 of factory options fitted but a result within estimate may still be double the original price. Two F12tdf cars sold for over a million dollar in 2017.
1957 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe by Boano
The 1957 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe by Boano, estimate $975,000 – $1,150,000, is one of 74 Boano Coupes produced. The body was designed by Pinin Farina but lack of production space led to the coachwork being made by Carrozzeria Boano.
The car was comprehensively restored in 2016 and won Best in Class at the Boca Raton Concours. It has since received a new dark blue and silver paint scheme.
1957 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Roadster
Mercedes Benz 300 SL prices have been weaker during much of 2016 and 2017 compared to the previous two years but some recovery in prices were seen towards the end of 2017. The 1957 Mercedes Benz 300 SL Roadster, estimate $950,000 – $1,050,000, on offer at RM Sotheby’s Arizona 2018 is the cheapest of seven 300 SLs on offer during the Scottsdale classic car auction week. It is probably also in not the best condition as the catalogue write-up is remarkable sparce on detail and describes the car as an “ideal candidate for touring”, which may be better than restoring it and locking it away in a garage.
1987 Porsche 959 Komfort
At least 13 Porsche 959 Komforts have sold at auction since 2014 for over a million dollar and the 1987 Porsche 959 Komfort, estimate $1,000,000 – $1,250,000, should add to the number. Although many 959s are now eligible for importation to many US states on the 30-year rule, this Porsche 959 is actually fully federalized and registered in California. The Porsche 959 is finished in the iconic silver metallic and has covered only 8,900 miles from new.
More Scottsdale / Phoenix, Arizona 2018 Auction Previews: 2018 Overview, Barrett Jackson, Bonhams, Gooding & RM Sotheby’s
