Artcurial’s 45.8m euros sale raises the rafters at Rétromobile 2015

During an 11-hour marathon, held in an atmosphere best described as ‘French surrealism meets Barnum & Bailey’, Artcurial presented 176 classic cars and sold a shade under 90% of them.

Every lot in the much-publicised Baillon Collection found a new owner, with many going for frankly unbelievable prices. The headlining entry, a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider once owned by Alain Delon, achieved 16,288,000 euros (with buyer’s premium) – a new world record for the type.

Although by French law auctions need to be accessible by all members of the public, it was only after the 59 Baillon cars had been sold that, in a spirit of liberté, egalité and fraternité, the doors were opened to the masses. At one point it was left to ‘Obelix’ to hold them back – leaving those wishing to make offers on the remaining 117 cars standing out in the cold.

Such was the interest in the event that 1600 registered to bid and Artcurial estimates the total in the room to have been 3500. Maître Hervé Poulain’s led the three-man team and those who’d thought they’d heard it all at Barrett-Jackson last month were met with another cacophonous wall of sound. Each bid was proposed or accepted by Poulain, then repeated twice, in an ever-louder loop of noise. Irony of ironies, then, when the three implored the saleroom to “Shhh!”

It might have seemed bizarre, but it worked, setting the highest gross ever for a collectors’ car sale in mainland Europe and several model records along the way. A significant number of cars went to buyers outside Europe, with the 858,200 euros 1962 Maserati 3500 GT Spyder going to Asia and the Baillon ‘barn’, 1956 Maserati A6G 2000 Gran Sport Berlinetta by Frua (2,010,880 euros) to an American collector.

Both the latter and the California Spider had been stored separately from the farm buildings that housed the other 57 cars of transport magnate – and would-be museum creator – Roger Baillon. So, although their condition was certainly ‘poor’ in no way could they be compared with the severely crash-damaged and rust-eaten 1949 Talbot Lago T26 Grand Sport SWB by Saoutchik that sold for nearly three times its upper estimate, at 1,702,000 euros.

Rather than quote endless examples of wacky results such as the Jaguar S-type (est. 4000 – 6000 euros) that achieved 25,032 euros – a generous price for a car in fine condition at most British provincial sales – we suggest you visit www.artcurial.com for the figures. Be prepared to boggle.

No sooner had the dust settled on the California Spider sale than the event continued at a fair, if noisy clip, with the regular catalogue of 117 cars. It was another good performance by Artcurial, probably the strongest of the week, although 21 cars failed to sell. These included the ‘club racer’ 2.7 Carrera RS and the usual suspects left behind at auction: cars of narrow appeal (the ex-Le Mans, highly modified Gp. 5 BMW M1 racing car), ‘one man’s dream’ (the 1938 Mercedes-Benz 540 K 'Spezial Roadster long tail' ‘evocation’) and over-familiarity (the ex-Campbell Bugatti Type 43 Grand Sport).

The pre-War Cord and Chrysler were like tourists lost around the Gare de Nord after midnight – in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Of the two 275 GTB/2s, it was the grey, for-sympathetic-restoration car we'd tipped that sold, at 1,988,000 euros, right at the top of its estimate and highest-selling non-Baillon entry. The ex-Frankenheimer GTB/2 was just too expensive for what it was, its bright, non-original yellow paintwork not aiding its cause.

Artcurial can be congratulated on doing an excellent job with the 1,244,400 euros, 1968 Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada, a price that almost doubled its upper estimate and established another record.

And considering some of the other results, we’d say: 107,280 euros Alfa Montreal, a model finally receiving some appreciation; 196,680 euros Testarossa, the TR marches on; 482,760 euros ex-Paddy McNally 365 BB, a superb car that presented well in the saleroom; 290,000 euros Islero S, over estimate and of a type that has been selling well in recent sales (ditto Espada and Khamsin); 150,800 euros E-type S1 4.2 FHC, a one-owner car until 2014 in original condition and excellent colour, also the best-driving S1. The XKs did not sparkle this time – the Parisian audience on the night demanded glamour.

The percentage of cars sold by number (88%) was the best this week and, working the eventual gross figure out as a percentage of the average of low and high estimate, Artcurial won again with an excellent 99% - a figure flattered somewhat by the extraordinary over-enthusiasm for the Roger Baillon cars. Artcurial was considered by most experts to have had the best catalogue last week – the figures speak for themselves.

Artcurial at Rétromobile, Paris 2015

Gross (motor cars): 45,848,544 euros (2014: 24,802,501 euros)
Number of cars not sold 21   
Total Number of cars 176   
Number sold 155   
Percentage cars sold by number 88%
Percentage cars sold by value (average low/high estimate) 99%

All photos by K500, Strictly Copyright