$19.8m McLaren F1 leads the way for RM at the Portola Plaza

Of the Big Three, the Canadians probably came out best today, even if you take out the top-selling F1. They just edged ahead on the number of cars managing to reach low estimate and 11% beat top. Today’s gross is likely to break the $48m mark.

Unlike yesterday’s Bond car, bidding on the McLaren was conducted exclusively on the phone. It had been guaranteed so was always going to sell. Knocking on the door of $20m is still big money, if a little light of what was suggested.

At a glance, Friday 16 August (provisional):

* Gross: $48,797,230
* Percentage sold by number: 70%
* Top-selling car: 1994 McLaren F1 'LM-Specification' $19,805,000 gross, $18,000,000 net (est. $21m to $23m)
* Well sold? The $478k XJR13 replica. David Hobbs must be here – I wonder what he’d think of it?
* Well bought? The off-the-wall 1967 Jaguar Pirana by Bertone, Gandini's ‘pre-Espada’. A genuine piece of automobile history for $324k (est. $400k to $600k)
* One to take away? Maybe the dark red Ferrari 275 GTB/2 for a whisker under $2m

Away from the silver-grey supercar, it was a familiar tale of no-sales of the big-ticket lots. Non-sellers on the night included the pretty Dino 196 SP (above), the 1973 Carrera RS, the Maserati A6GCS and the Ferrari 225 Sport Vignale.

With a less hectic schedule tomorrow, expect more focus to return to the market.

RM Sotheby’s at Monterey, 16 August 2019 – Strictly provisional

Gross: $48,797,230
Number of cars not sold: 23
Number of cars withdrawn: 0
Total number of cars: 76
Number sold: 53
Percentage of cars sold by number: 70%
Percentage of cars met or sold below low estimate: 75%
Percentage of cars sold below avge of estimates: 89%
Percentage of cars sold met/exceeded top estimate: 11%
Average price of cars sold: $920,702
Average year of cars offered: 1971
Percentage of cars offered at No Reserve: 37%

Photos by K500