RM Sotheby’s returned to the Arizona Biltmore for its 27th annual auction in the Copper State, which yielded $31.5M in total sales and 85 of 90 lots sold, for an average price of $369,280.
The one-day sale featured over 30 prewar, Brass era, and earlier cars from the collection of Janet Cussler, wife of late author Clive Cussler, as well as ’60s sports cars and modern exotics. We look at the sale’s most significant cars, which we examined in detail while on the ground in Arizona, below.
Lot 141: 1984 Audi Sport Quattro
Sold for $758,500
Chassis no. WAUZZZ85ZEA905035; Engine no. KW000067. Alpine White over white leather. Visually maintained, largely original, #2- condition.
Equipment: 2133cc/302hp five-cylinder, 5-speed, white wheels, Pirelli P700-Z tires, Recaro seats, factory cassette, power windows.
Condition: Ordered new by Audi Club of North America founder Frank Beddor Jr., federalized, and successfully raced in period with multiple wins at the Virginia City Hill Climb, reportedly beating several Ferrari F40s. One family ownership since new. Sparingly driven since 1993. Some chips and cracks on the nose and front bumper, but mostly decent paint. Worn steering wheel and lightly worn leather. Some chips in the wheel wells and a little dirty underneath.
Bottom line: Audi, having introduced all-wheel drive to rallying and smoothed out its early problems (weight, complexity, reliability), was poised to dominate the early days of the World Rally Championship’s Group B days, and did so. The Germans won the manufacturers’ championship in the first season of Group B, marking the first title for a 4WD car. The improved A1 and A2 versions of the Quattro took the fight to Lancia in the 1983 season, and Audi continued to improve the car right until the team pulled out in 1986.
Compared to the Ur- (German for “original”) Quattro, the Sport Quattro (which is the ultimate version of the car) is over a foot shorter, features carbon-Kevlar body panels, wider wheels, and brakes derived from the Porsche 917. Rally cars from the Group B era and the road-going homologation specials that allowed them to race have become increasingly sought-after over the past five years or so. This result doesn’t show demand slowing down, as bidding soared past this example’s $475K high estimate. This is the most expensive Audi road car we’ve ever seen sell at auction.
Lot 151: 1970 Iso Grifo 7-Litri Series I
Sold for $555,000
Chassis no. 7L050326; Engine no. 1532TO60LM. Grigio Reims Metallizzato over dark blue leather. Recent restoration, #2- condition.
Equipment: 7.0L/400hp Chevrolet V-8, ZF five-speed, Campagnolo wheels, Avon tires, wood-rim steering wheel, power windows, factory air conditioning, Becker Europa II radio.
Condition: Represented as the last of 15 seven-liter cars with a manual. Represented as matching numbers. Restoration finished in 2023, and the car did the Copperstate 1000 that year. Very good paint other than a few cracks near the filler cap. Clean wheels and tires. The chrome looks older, and the screws holding in the pagoda-esque raised hood look ancient. A few light scratches in the rear glass. Excellent interior. Other than a few details, this is a gorgeous car and equipment-wise it’s about as desirable as a Grifo can get.
Bottom line: Grifos are more than worthy competitors of contemporary Maserati Ghiblis and Ferrari Daytonas in both speed and style. The American lump under the hood and more obscure badge don’t hold them back much, either, because these have been highly desirable cars worth deep into six figures for a long time. This one last sold, before its most recent restoration, for $572,000 when Gooding & Co. brought it here to Arizona in 2018.
Lot 131: 1993 Mercedes-Benz 500 GE 6.0 AMG
Sold for $78,400
Chassis no. WDB46322817090077; Engine no. 11796512034946. Amethyst Blue Metallic over black and gray leather. Original, #3 condition.
Equipment: 6.0L/300hp AMG V-8, automatic, rear-mounted spare wheel, walnut interior trim, Clarion CD, climate control, heated power front seats.
Condition: Pre-Merger AMG, 6.0L engine, one of 13 produced, converted at AMG in Affalterbach and delivered new to Germany. Showing 103,777 km (64,484 miles). The paint is tired and heavily faded, the running boards are heavily scuffed, the engine compartment is aged and dirty, there is an oil leak underneath and the frame is filthy, the interior is complete but shows wear and aging. An incredibly rare and interesting pre-merger AMG that’s been driven and enjoyed extensively.
Bottom line: While far from perfect, this is a genuine pre-merger AMG in good colors and with a rare engine. To the uninitiated, nearly 80 grand for a visibly used old G-Wagen might seem steep, but it brought a decent price for what it is, and it actually came in significantly below its $125K low estimate.
Lot 186: 1911 Pierce-Arrow Model 66A Runabout
Sold for $302,000
Chassis no. A4657. Maroon and gray with black top over maroon leather. Older restoration, #2- condition.
Equipment: RHD. 825cid T-head six-cylinder, artillery wheels, BFG Silvertown tires, two rear-mounted spares, bulb horn, Boyce MotoMeter, Rushmore lights, toolbox, button-tufted seats.
Condition: Represented as one of about 40 known to survive. Restored in the 2000s and used as an event car on veteran tours. Bought in 2019 by Clive Cussler and his wife Janet, and one of several cars out of that collection on offer here. The paint and brass are holding up quite well, though there are some scratches on the radiator surround and some paint touch-ups here and there. Scratches on the toolbox. Needs nothing for further tour use.
Bottom line: At well over 13 liters, the 66’s monster motor makes a big-block Chevy look puny, and the Brass Era opulence of a Pierce-Arrow makes it clear why the company was one of the “Three Ps” (along with Peerless and Packard) of American luxury carmakers in its heyday. This one was arguably the star of the Cussler collection, and it was the most expensive.
Lot 163: 2020 McLaren Senna GTR
Sold for $973,000
Chassis no. SBM15TCB1LW825073. Solar Yellow with gradient stripes over black cloth. Original, #2 condition.
Equipment: 3994cc/814hp twin-turbo V-8, blue calipers, Pirelli P Zero slick tires
Condition: Represented as the 73rd of 75 Senna GTRs built, and painted to match the Brazilian champ’s famous yellow helmet. Represented with 541 miles. A few small dings on the carbon front splitter but otherwise little age to speak of.
Bottom line: A track-only variant of the already quite capable Senna, the GTR version makes 814hp (up from 789) and has an increased front track, slick tires, and enough tweaks to the aero to make over 2200 pounds of downforce at 155 mph compared to 1764 pounds in the regular model. According to RM Sotheby’s, the build sheet on this one shows an MSRP of $1.78M. The auction house already heavily discounted it with a $1.1M-$1.3M presale estimate, but it brought even less than that. A handful of these cars have come to auction, and this is the first to bring under $1M. If 541 miles on a non-street legal car translates to a handful of track days, I sure hope they were fun. Because they were expensive.
Lot 114: 1995 BMW M3 Coupe
Sold for $89,600
Chassis no. WBSBF9322SEH07580. Dakar Yellow over black leather. Original, #3+ condition.
Equipment: 3152cc/240hp six-cylinder, five-speed, alloy wheels, Yokohama tires, sunroof, factory cassette, wood shift knob and E-brake handle, heated front seats.
Condition: Represented with 4832 miles and out of single family ownership. Chips on the bottom front lip but mostly good paint. Dull wheels and brakes, and the BMW badges look like they have been crudely pulled off of all four wheels for some reason. Good, lightly worn interior. Spotless engine bay.
Bottom line: The E36 (1992-99) is the somewhat underappreciated M3 middle child slotted in between the inaugural E30 (1986-91) generation and the gorgeous E46 (2000-06), but basically every old Ultimate Driving Machine is collectible these days. This one was still a surprise. It has good options, Dakar Yellow is arguably the best color on an E36, and of course there’s that low odometer reading, but the price paid here is condition #1 money and it didn’t buy a condition #1 car, at least not quite.
Lot 165: 1931 Bentley 8-Litre Convertible Victory by Murphy
Sold for $3,195,000
Chassis no. YR5085; Engine no. YR5085. Black with cream top over brown leather. Older restoration, #2 condition.
Equipment: RHD. 8.0L/220hp six-cylinder, four-speed, black painted wire wheels, Excelsior tires, dual side-mount spares, flying B mascot, cloth boot cover, dash clock.
Condition: One of 100 built, and represented as the only 8-Litre Bentley with American coachwork, in this case Murphy of California. Eventually found abandoned in a hotel parking garage in Mexico, and then restored in the 1970s. The consignor bought it in 2012, had it restored again, and it got second-in-class honors at Pebble Beach. Original body, chassis, and drivetrain. Beautiful paint. Mild age to the front bumper. Very clean underbody. Good gaps. Beautiful interior. A concours restoration that has mellowed from an exceptional-condition car to merely an excellent one.
Bottom line: With its monstrous six-cylinder engine (each cylinder displaces 1331cc), was fast, smooth, and extremely expensive in its day. This one has the unrepeatable combination of unique and handsome coachwork, all its original major components, and a restoration recent enough that it has no major needs. There isn’t much “growth” or “heat” in the market for prewar greats, but truly special cars will always bring top dollar and this one certainly qualifies. The only 8-Litre to sell close to this one was a Gurney-Nutting-bodied coupe that brought €2,190,400 (about $3M at the time).
Lot 168: 1939 Bugatti Type 57C Atalante by Gangloff
Sold for $2,370,000
Chassis no. 57828; Engine no. 100C. Black and red over tan leather. Older restoration, #3+ condition.
Equipment: RHD. 3257cc/160hp supercharged straight-eight, floor shift four-speed, centerlock wheels, Dunlop tires, suicide doors, roll-up roof, wood-rim steering wheel, wood shift knob, wood dash and window trim, Jaeger gauges and dash clock, semaphores.
Condition: Factory-built Type 57 C (supercharged). Ordered in March of 1939, and because Bugatti had discontinued its Atalante design by this point, the company outsourced the coachwork to Gangloff, which is similar to the Bugatti design but has extended rear bodywork and fenders. Delivered new to Algeria, but in France by the 1950s. Engine block replaced at some point. Sold to the Petersen Museum in 2006. Older paint with some minor touch-ups on the tail. Dull brightwork with scratching on the radiator surround and radiator cap. The grille and hood trim pieces are significantly pitted. Chips at the front of the driver’s door. Wavy weather stripping. Good interior with light wear to the seats and visible wear in parts of the carpet. A little disappointing up close, but a genuine Atalanta is always nice to look at.
Bottom line: This Bugatti is far from a concours winner, but its beautiful and rare shape as well as desirable details like the fold-back roof are enough to grab collectors’ attention. It sold right within its $1.75M-$2.5M estimate range.
Lot 171: 2002 Ferrari 575M Maranello
Sold for $123,200
Chassis no.ZFFBV55A620127767. Argento Nurburgring over black leather. Original, $2- condition.
Equipment: 5748cc/515hp V-12, six-speed manual, red calipers, Pirelli P Zero tires.
Condition: Showing 16,959 miles. Represented with $40,000 in service a year ago, but a big chunk of that would have gone to the manual transmission conversion. A few chips and scratches on the nose, and a few blemishes on the wheels. Mildly stretched driver’s seat leather but clean interior with good switches. A lightly used 575 with the desirable six-speed manual, but it didn’t leave the factory that way.
Bottom line: In these ’90s and ’00s Ferraris, a clutch pedal and an open-gate shifter make a huge difference in value. In some cases, a stick shift car can be worth double the price of a flappy paddle car in similar condition, and in some cases it can be worth more than double. In our price guide, for example, stick-shift 575Ms carry a 125 percent premium, because just 246 of them were made out of a little over 2000 cars total. In this case, though, the conversion made little difference to how much the bidders were willing to put up. The price here is about what a paddle-shift 575 in this condition would sell for, so the new owner got the conversion work and the snick-snick manual essentially for free.
Lot 159: 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing
Sold for $2,040,000
Chassis no. 1980406500100; Engine no. 1989806500106. Silver Metallic over red leather. Older restoration, #2 condition.
Equipment: 2996cc/240hp six-cylinder, four-speed, Rudge wheels, fitted luggage, Becker Mexico radio.
Condition: Sold new to an American serviceman in Germany, and originally finished in Fire Engine Red over black. Restored by Rudi Koniczek. Excellent paint and body. The chrome and trim are all excellent. The underbody is restored and clean and the interior shows little noticeable wear. A very good older restoration that still presents well.
Bottom line: RM sold this Gullwing in 2003 for $258,500, and again in 2005 for $283,250. Barrett-Jackson sold it in 2006 for $621,000. Gullwings have been expensive for a long time, then, but they’re a lot pricier than they used to be. This one’s color change from original is a potential knock against it, but Rudge wheels on a 300SL can carry a six-figure premium. This result is spot-on in today’s market.
Lot 160: 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Tour de France
Sold for $3,772,500
Chassis no. 0933GT. Oro Chiaro over brown leather. Older restoration, #2- condition.
Equipment: 2953cc/240hp V-12, triple Webers, four-speed, Borrani wire wheels, Michelin X tires, competition filler cap, wood-rim steering wheel, aluminum shift knob.
Condition: Sold new to Casimiro Toselli. Third in class at the 1000 km of Buenos Aires. Fourth overall at the Venezuelan Grand Prix, and successfully raced in that country throughout 1959. Period hill climb history in Italy as well. In France by 1961, but seized by French tax authorities. Later passed into collector ownership, and restored. Non-original engine fitted. One-off color combination. One of 28 single-louver, covered headlight cars. Comes with original Bordeaux leather upholstery (not currently fitted). Good older paint with a handful of tiny blemishes. Mild cracks in the windshield rubber, and loose rubber on the rear window. Mild wear to the leather, and the prancing horse badge on the steering wheel is cracked. A gorgeous car in unusual colors. Not a trailer queen but definitely presentable, and event-eligible pretty much everywhere.
Bottom line: This was the most expensive car sold at the Arizona auctions this year but, believe it or not, this price is quite cheap for a TdF. It’s below condition #4 (“fair”) value in the Hagerty Price Guide, and most of the solid TdFs sold in the last 10 years have brought more than $5M or $6M.
Report by Andrew Newton for hagerty.com
