Artcurial Motorcars invites you to « Automobiles sur les Champs » on 24 October. Starring the celebrated ex-Vatanen/ Burns/ McRae 1993 Subaru Impreza Prodrive 555, two Group B rally cars from the Manoir de l’Automobile Collection and two Mercedes Benz 600s owned by the Aga Khan and Jean- Louis Trintignant. The auction house will present some 75 collectors’ motorcars for sale in the heart of Paris.
With a De Dion Bouton barn-find, rare Aston Martins, a collection of Citroëns and Kenzo Takada’s Bentley Continental, there is something for everyone!
In the upcoming edition of the Automobiles sur les Champs sale on 24 October, Artcurial Motorcars will celebrate the art of rallying with three special cars that have played an important part in the history of this discipline. Barn-find enthusiasts will be delighted to discover a 1903 De Dion Bouton that has remained out of sight since 1968! Lovers of the British marque Aston Martin will appreciate two rare models on offer in the sale. The double chevron marque will be represented with no less than nine cars, including a 5HP Trèfle, a Méhari, a DS and a traction 11BL. Finally, following the Artcurial sale earlier this year of items belonging to the inspirational designer, the late Kenzo Takada, the Motorcars team will offer Kenzo’s personal car, a 2008 Bentley Continental Flying Spur.
Automobiles Sur Les Champs 2021
Having previously achieved record prices for a selection of rally cars from the Manoir de l’Automobile de Lohéac collection, the Artcurial Motorcars team is honoured to present the last two Group B cars from the collection, sourced in the 1980s by Michel Hommell and Olivier Quesnel, and preserved since then in original condition. The museum has taken the decision to part with these cars in order to dedicate a larger section to the rallycross cars that have been integral to the history of Lohéac.
1986 Citroën BX 4TC Gr B
It was in this car that Jean-Claude Andruet fought his way to 6th place overall in the Rally Sweden. He recently had the chance to drive this car again, and told us that the hydraulic suspension gives the car exceptional handling on surfaces without much grip, off-road for example. This authentic car is in impressively original condition, still looking as if it has just completed the Acropolis rally in 1986. The number of genuine Citroën BX Group B factory cars can be counted on the fingers of one hand, making this one of the last opportunities for collectors to acquire such a rare gem.
1986 Nissan 240RS
This Nissan 240 RS Group B is in incredibly original condition, still bearing the battle scars from various African rallies it took part in in period, with different layers of paint attesting to its successive sponsors. In the expert hands of Alain Ambrosino, this car distinguished itself in the Ivory Coast Rally in 1986, a round of the World Championship, when it finished 8th overall.
A Group A rally beast with exceptional provenance 1993 Subaru Impreza Prodrive 555
This Subaru Impreza Prodrive 555 was the first Impreza built by genius British preparer Prodrive to win points in a round of the World Championship. This was during the 1000 Lakes Rally in 1993 driven by Ari Vatanen. Exceptionally, it was raced four times during the 1993 and 1994 World Championships, driven by the three official Subaru drivers who have since become legends : Ari Vatanen, Colin McRae and Richard Burns, making it one of the most important Group A cars still in existence.
Une De Dion Bouton 1903 discovered after 53 years out of sight!
Barn-finds have become a speciality of the Artcurial Motorcars team. For this sale, a De Dion Bouton vis-à-vis from 1903 has been discoverd. The car was rebodied in the 1910s, and has been in the same family ownership since the 1930s. It remained in running condition until 1968, the year it took part in a parade during a village festival, after which it was tucked away and forgotten in the corner of a barn. Fifty-three years later, it has emerged into the light once more, in exceptionally well-preserved condition.
Vanquish Zagato Concept Coupé and the most radical Vantage V8.
Two fabulous Aston Martins also star in the sale, coming from a collection of 16 cars belonging to a yearling breeder, all presented with no reserve.
The first is a Vanquish Zagato, one of just 99 coupés in the 325 Vanquish Zagato Concept series unveiled at the Villa d’Este concours in 2016. This example, number 20 in the limited edition, with just 3680 km on the clock, sports a particularly rare spec: « Rosso Corsa », 20-inch black and bronze 15-spoke wheels with black calipers, bronze anodised side trim and gloss black window surrounds.
The second Aston in the collection is a Vantage GT8, one of 150 examples of the special limited edition inspired by the GT2 and GTE competition models developed by Aston Martin Racing to take part in the World Endurance Championship. This was the most radical road-going variant of the V8 Vantage family, lighter and with the 4.7-litre V8 engine from the Vantage S producing 446 bhp. As new, with just 25km on the clock, and sporting a manual gearbox, this example, number 67 in the series, is an exceptional future collectors’ item.
Two Mercedes 600s sold new, one to the Aga Khan and the other to actor
Jean-Louis Trintignant.
Having previously sold the two Mercedes 600s that belonged to Maria Callas, Artcurial Motorcars is delighted to present two further examples of the limousine that enjoyed the longest production run of any Mercedes model. One was sold new to the Aga Khan and the other to the Jean-Louis Trintignant, who was also nephew of the famous driver Maurice Trintignant, the first to win a Grand Prix in the Formula 1 World Championship.
« Let’s celebrate the Automobile in the heart of Paris, with a line- up of the highest calibre. Automobiles with rare histories and provenance, many offered at no reserve. » Matthieu Lamoure – Managing Director, Artcurial Motorcars
