BONHAMS AT GENEVA INTERNATIONAL MOTOR MUSEUM

3/12/2002

Hundreds of collectors, enthusiasts and dealers packed into Geneva’s International Motor Museum for Bonhams’ sixth annual Geneva sale of collector’s cars.

The main sale was preceded by a selection of Automobilia, which attracted keen bidding and saw a success rate of 80%.

There was much anticipation for the main event, particularly the dispersion of The ‘S’ Collection, owned by a Geneva-based enthusiast and assembled over the past 30 years.

Highlight of this 20 car collection was the 1959 Ferrari 250GT California Spyder, supplied to its first owner in Geneva days before Christmas 1959 and sold yesterday to an English enthusiast after a two-way telephone bidding battle with a Swiss collector for SFR 1,058,000.

Despite strong pre-sale interest, the Ferrari Nembo Spyder fell short of its reserve (a post-sale deal is being negotiated) but strong results were achieved for the unrestored Ferrari Daytona Spyder, sold for SFR 580,700 to a Geneva-based Ferrari collector; the Ferrari 330GTS Spyder sold for SFR 297,650 ; the Mercedes-Benz 300S Cabriolet for which SFR 264,350 was paid by a bidder in Poland; and the classic Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster which for SFR 303,200 went to a new home in Portugal. The ‘time-warp’ Ferrari 328 GTS Spyder which had covered a mere 87 miles from new is on its way to Britain for a healthy SFR 100,070.

Elsewhere in the sale the bidding was very busy and a Geneva-based Middle Eastern collector fought off competition from Europe and the USA to acquire the immaculately restored and historically significant Bentley ‘Cresta Continental’ for SFR 292,100.

Another Bentley, the 1961 S2 Continental bought new by Hollywood film director Mervyn Le Roy, also attracted fierce competition on the international telephone bidding network but was finally knocked down to a Geneva-based Bentley collector for SFR 131,150.

Another unusual and very rare car, the 1971 AC 428 Convertible powered past its pre-sale estimate to be snapped up for SFR 116,720 by a major American collector.

After the sale, Bonhams Europe President and auctioneer Simon Kidston commented : “This was our highest value Geneva sale to date even though we had accepted 30% fewer cars than last year. It was interesting to note that Swiss buyers, and in particular major collectors based in the Geneva area, were very much at the fore, fighting off competition from foreign bidders and securing many of the most important lots. We are delighted with the outcome and the high percentage sold (70%) shows that the classic car market is in excellent health.”