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$30.3m gross: Bonhams wraps up its 2019 Quail sale

$30.3m gross: Bonhams wraps up its 2019 Quail sale 17th August 2019

Carrying on where it finished yesterday evening, Bonhams sold a further 85 cars at 64% sell-through on the final day of its bumper 2019 Quail Lodge catalogue. Once again, the event was marked by a high percentage failing to meet low estimate. Top seller today turned out to be the charismatic $3.6m 1951 Ferrari 340 America Coupé Speciale by Vignale, a car we tipped in our preview.

Despite all the other local attractions and a gentle drift away from the venue as Gooding’s and RM’s sales started late afternoon, there was still a respectable crowd in and outside the tent throughout. UK buyers on site at Bonhams – as with other sales – were in the minority due to the weakness of the pound.

At a glance, Friday 16 August:

* Gross: $20,070,660
* Percentage sold by number: 65%
* Top-selling car: 1951 Ferrari 340 America Coupé Speciale by Vignale (top) $3,635,000 gross, $3,300,000 net (est. Refer Dept.)    
* Well sold? The $1.38m gross Cobra 427 – not always easy to sell now
* Well bought? Not this writer’s cup of tea, but the 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Cabriolet carried an estimate of $350k to $450k yet was sold for $190.4k all-in
* One to take away? The 1966 Jaguar E-type Series 1 4.2 FHC. Estimated at $130k to $160k, it was bought for $72,800 incl. premium


Bonhams tends to have a way with older cars and worked its magic with some of the earlies.  

There’s not much more to say; few of the ‘big’ cars sold, packing the catalogue meant that quality and variety suffered. Before the inevitable post-sale dealing, it looks like the gross, price-per-car and percentage-sold figures are down on last year. Something to think about.

Bonhams at Quail Lodge, 15-16 August 2019 – Strictly provisional (2018)

Gross: $30,309,080 ($37,021,850)
Number of cars not sold: 59 (17)
Number of cars withdrawn: 4 (0)
Total number of cars: 219 (135)
Number sold: 160 (118)
Percentage cars sold by number: 73% (87%)
Percentage by value average low/high estimate: 43% (57%)
Percentage of cars met or sold below low estimate: 80% (60%)
Percentage of cars sold below avge of estimates: 93% (75%)
Percentage of cars sold met/exceeded top estimate: 5% (9%)
Average price of cars sold: $138,398 ($274,236)
Average year of cars offered: 1964 (1964)
Percentage of cars offered at No Reserve: 56% (53%)

Photos by K500