THE ULTIMATE MONTEREY AUCTION BUYERS GUIDE! 8 MARKET INSIDERS NAME THEIR TOP 24 PICKS
Updated: Aug 22, 2022
Welcome to our fourth annual roster of the top 24 auction vehicles slated for the coming Monterey car week. I've invited seven esteemed market insiders to join me by sharing their three "gotta have" rides, and I think their choices speak directly to the hearts and soul's of our writers and the market at large.
Each panelist has picked one lot from the three signature auctions at Monterey Car Week: Bonhams, Gooding and RM-Sotheby's. Selections are based on the individual's personal preferences, and not necessarily the most valuable or popular vehicle. Each contributor has also offered up their personal auction presale estimates in conjunction with house estimates. All prices are in U.S. Dollars.
This year we have two former panelists rejoining the fold plus a new contributor making for an exciting and eclectic mix of varied perspectives. Welcome: Nick Candee, Rich Doucette, Mark Lizewskie, Tim McGrane, Glenn Mounger, Verity Spencer, Bill Warner... and yours truly.
Our Top 24 Monterey Auction Insider Top Picks is sure to raise the temperature at this year's event! Thanks so much to all of you.
The results are in! Please post your comments below.
IMAGE COURTESY BONHAMS, GOODING, RM-SOTHEBY'S
BILL WARNER - Founder & Chairman Emeritus Amelia Island Concours
#1 1969 Lamborghini Miura S P400 - Bonhams
BILL'S ESTIMATE: $2.6M
BONHAM'S ESTIMATE: $1.7 - 2.2M
SOLD: $1.9M
Great looking car but a shame it is not an SV. Restored by the dean of Lamborghinis, Gary Bobileff. A La Jolla shop isolated engine from the gearbox by splitting the sump as per SV specs yet the difference in the S and SV goes beyond that. The chassis on the SV was more robust, hence more desirable, but any Miura is highly regarded among the cognoscenti. Originally sold in La Jolla, California it was used sparingly until later in its life; Lamborghini engineer and factory test driver in the Miura era, Claudio Zampolli, performed a full restoration. These cars could be thought of as being aerodynamically challenged at over 120 MPH as they are subject to nose lift. At the time—and even today—it is a groundbreaking design which over 50 years later still makes a design statement that is fresh and exciting. Arguably the best of builder Bertone and designer Gandini. The late General Motors manager of Design, Dave Holls, once commented to me that the magic of the Miura design was that if you did not know any better, you were really not sure just where the motor was located! With 385 HP on tap and a wonderful carbureted transverse V-12 just behind your ears, it offers an experience that few cars can meet. It is a car that would be welcome at any concours in the world and give the owner great pride in owning one of the most beautiful sports/GT cars ever built.
... if you did not know any better, you were really not sure just where the motor was located.
#2 1985 March 85GTP/Chevy - Gooding
BILL'S ESTIMATE: $325,000
GOODING'S ESTIMATE: $250,000 - 350,000
SOLD: $257,600
You have to want one as if you are a serious racer and you’ll be in with the Porsche 962’s. Eleven March 85GTPs were made in 1985 with no particular exceptional history or wins. It is the Uncola of GTP cars once owned by airline pilot and race driver, William “Bill” Wonder who also owned an early Ford GT40 and a McLaren M8F. Nice car, but expensive to maintain even with a Chevy motor.
... the Uncola of GTP cars.
#3 1968 Maserati Ghibli Spyder - RM-Sotheby's
BILL'S ESTIMATE: $850,000
RM-SOTHEBY'S ESTIMATE: $1.2 - 1.6M
SOLD: $995,000
I used to own one of these and they are great drivers; in fact, wish I had kept it. Not a sports car per se, but a wonderful road car capable of covering long distances in great comfort. I found it to be easier to drive (power steering) than my Ferrari Daytona. The belt drive system for the air pump, AC, alternator, etc. is a real Rube Goldberg design and can be problematic. The water pump drive is equally a nightmare with two Heim joints on a short cable tying the two pulleys together. Break the cable then look for a hotel room. With only 125 Ghibli Spyders built (both 4.7 and 4.9) it is rare to see one today. It is outstandingly beautiful. Being a prototype carries some panache but being a prototype can be both a blessing and a curse. You choose! Other’s have sold in the $700-800K level. I sold mine, with cooling upgrade for $725K at Amelia several years ago. I’d love to see it break $ 1M and would be well worth it. Figure if a Daytona Spyder is north of $2M, then a Ghibli Spyder should be a bargain at $1M—providing any car at $1M can be considered a bargain!
Being a prototype carries some panache but being a prototype can be both a blessing and a curse.
GLENN MOUNGER - Chairman Emeritus The Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
#1 1937 Bugatti Type 57 SC Atalante - Gooding
GLENN'S ESTIMATE: $9-10M
GOODING'S ESTIMATE: $10-12M
SOLD: $10.3M
While perusing the Gooding & Company catalog, several cars caught my eye. However, this Bugatti Type 57SC was just too special to pass up. It’s the kind of car that dreams are made of. These extraordinary cars capture the passion, imagination and sublime motoring adventure like no other car. Essentially the last of the great supercharged sporting coupes from this era. The encroaching war would put a halt to the flamboyance and artistry of the Art Deco period, and this is partly why I’ve selected this absolutely sublime example. The low chassis, curvaceous Jean Bugatti coachwork, the delicately bobbed roofline and impossibly low hood, create a car that seems to have stopped time; like all great moments of artistry, we stand in awe. This Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante has the additional distinction of being a rare, supercharged car, inclusive of historically important ownership, but most importantly, captivatingly beautiful in every respect. I anticipate a very strong result for this example.
... a car that seems to have stopped time.
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