RM Sotheby’s returned to the Ritz-Carlton at Amelia Island for the company’s 23rd annual sale as the official auction house of the renowned Concours d’Elegance, The Amelia. A single-day live auction for 2022, the sale was a resounding success, totaling $46,636,640 and with an incredible 89% of all lots offered finding new homes.
Showing evidence of the strength of the market for rare pre-war cars, the highest sale price of the day was set by one of the most significant Packards ever produced. The 1934 Packard Twelve Individual Custom Convertible Victoria by Dietrich is one of just three known examples remaining today. Boasting excellent provenance along with show-winning history, this incredible Packard won First in Class and runner-up to Best of Show at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Such a magnificent Packard is extremely rare to find at auction and crossed the block selling for an astounding $4,130,000. Following the Packard, the air left the room as a 1930 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Sedan by Murphy shattered its high estimate by over a $1,000,000, selling for $3,525,000.
Not far behind the pre-war showstoppers, a beautiful trio of the world’s fastest production cars crossed the block. Selling for $3,360,000, the stunning 2019 Bugatti Chiron Sport is the first example to ever be publicly sold at auction in North America and is one of approximately sixty Chiron Sport examples produced, wearing a striking color combination of Nocturne exterior over Beluga Black and Italian Red interior. This once-in-a-lifetime Chiron is an exquisitely optioned, beautifully maintained example of the world-renowned hypercar and sold with a mere 3,950 miles on the clock. Joining the French hypercar and selling for $2,700,000, the 2020 McLaren Speedtail is known as the most aerodynamic and fastest car ever produced by McLaren. With each of the 106 examples being purchased by pre-selected customers before the model’s announcement, the availability of this Speedtail, number 87, now offers its new owner the most advanced road-going vehicle that McLaren has built to date. Representing the legendary Italian brand and boasting the most extreme performance ever achieved by a Ferrari production car, a striking black 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari sold for an incredible $3,662,500 with only 576 original miles on the dash.
Other notable highlights from the sale included a pristine 1991 Ferrari Testarossa which sold after a spirited bidding contest for an impressive$321,250, well past its high estimate of $180,000. The iconic Mercedes 300 SL continues to prove they belong in any well-curated collection as a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing sold for $2,040,000, along with a 1962 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster selling for $1,545,000. Porsches dominated the preview and sale with over twenty crossing the block, but none demanded a higher price than the 1994 Porsche 911 Turbo S ‘Package’, which rounded out our top ten list by selling for $1,105,000. Not to be outdone by the Porsches, a show field-quality 1993 Jaguar XJ220 set a world record sale price crossing the block at an incredible $687,000.
Along with world-class cars, special pieces of automobilia were sold at the beginning of the sale, with none being more memorable than an Original Painting of Mario Andretti by Kelly Telfer, signed by Mario Andretti himself, which sold for $138K. With all proceeds going to charity to research Spina Bifida, not a dry eye was left when Bill Warner, founder of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, slammed the gavel.
RM Sotheby’s Amelia Island 2022 Top Ten Sales
1. 1934 Packard Twelve Individual Custom Convertible Victoria by Dietrich $4,130,000
2. 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari $3,662,500
3. 1930 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Sedan by Murphy $3,525,000
4. 2019 Bugatti Chiron Sport $3,360,000
5. 2020 McLaren Speedtail $2,700,000
6. 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing $2,040,000
7. 1962 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster $1,545,000
8. 1953 Cunningham C-3 Cabriolet by Vignale $1,215,000
9. 1964 Shelby 289 Cobra $1,132,500
10. 1994 Porsche 911 Turbo S ‘Package’ $1,105,000
Reflecting on an eventful week in Florida, Gord Duff, Global Head of Auctions, said: “The 2022 auction season has continued to show us that the collector car market further gains momentum. We broke records in Arizona and Paris, and Amelia Island has proven to be a great success as well, having sold over $46 million on Saturday. One of the most exciting moments of the auction was selling the 1930 Duesenberg for more than $1,000,000 over its high estimate. The Duesenberg came from a long-standing client and friend of RM Sotheby’s, so it was great to see it exceed all expectations. Lastly, The Oscar Davis Collection just announced this past weekend received an incredible amount of attention as we placed two of Mr. Davis’s cars on display. Our entire team is motivated and ready to continue the charge in Fort Lauderdale, Monaco, and Monterey.”
If you are interested in more news click here.
