Action stations! The 2018 Monterey Week entries revealed

By Steve Wakefield

27th July 2018

In just four weeks’ time the starting gun will fire on two days of frenetic auction activity on the Monterey Peninsula. Over 430 cars will be offered by the Big Three alone, nearly half at No Reserve. On Saturday evening, the eyes of the world will be on Lot 247 at the Portola Plaza, a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO estimated at $45m to $60m…

You can download a full lotlist sorted by auction, day, make and model HERE.

What we’ve already described as a “sizzling summer” of classic car sales has seen an S1 Ferrari 250 GTO traded off-the-radar for a record price, Bonhams recapture something of the old days with a fine performance at the Goodwood Festival, and Artcurial smash the ball out of the park by selling a one-owner Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster for over $3.5m at Le Mans.

True, DB4 GT Zagato ‘2 VEV’ was well bought at the Brits’ £31.6m event in the Duke of Richmond’s back garden. And the rest of the Le Mans Classic sale was a little flat – but the likeable Frenchmen still grossed €12m+.

Stay tuned for comment from Simon on how the dice might fall in Monterey. In the meantime, here’s how it’s looking, and what happened last year:

Bonhams, Gooding & Co and RM Sotheby’s Monterey auctions combined

* Total number of cars offered in 2018: 434 (2017, 359)
* Number sold in 2017: 298
* Gross/sold by number in 2017: $279,569,650/83%
* Percentage of cars met or sold below low estimate in 2017: 60%
* Percentage of cars sold below avge of estimates in 2017: 79%
* Percentage of cars sold met/exceeded top estimate in 2017: 14%
* Average price of cars sold in 2017: $938,153
* Average price of cars offered in 2018: $976,031 (2017, $854,130)
* Top-selling car in 2017: 1956 Aston Martin DBR1, $22,550,000 all-in (RM Sotheby's, above)
* Average year of cars offered in 2018: 1967 (2017, 1964)
* Percentage of cars offered at No Reserve in 2018: 46% (2017, 41%)

Bonhams at Quail Lodge, 24 August 2018

* 135 cars (2017, 109)
* 54% at No Reserve (2017, 46%)
* Gross/sold by number in 2017: $55,185,000/79%
* Star lot? ‘On Request’ 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta (above) that’s likely to be in the $8.5m to $9m zone
* Dark horse? Hard to call. Expect the Bond St Boys to grind out the figures – they always do well at The Quail

Gooding & Co at the Pebble Beach Equestrian Center, 24-25 August 2018

* 149 cars (2017, 135)
* 41% at No Reserve (2017, 36%)
* Gross/sold by number in 2017: $91,593,700/81%
* Star lot? To some it might appear a little ‘old school’, but the appeal of the short-chassis Duesie SSJ (above) with THAT bonnet could well span the generations. One of the greatest cars ever. Playing it safe, the 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C, though to sell well they might be relying on the same old players returning to the tables
* Dark horse? We love the ‘Admiral’s Ferrari’ 500 Mondial, and will look out for the 1966 Ferrari Dino Berlinetta GT, a factory prototype coming out of 25-year ownership

RM Sotheby’s at the Monterey Conference Center, 1 Portola Plaza, 24-25 August 2018

* 150 cars (2017, 115 – as the venue was undergoing construction work)
* 45% at No Reserve (2017, 42%)
* Gross/sold by number in 2017: $132,790,950/89%
* Star lot? The S2 250 GTO, obviously, which we expect to sell. Consigning DP215 (above), the last-ever front-engined David Brown factory Aston Martin racing car was a coup and it will cross the block on Friday evening, setting a marker for its period rival 24 hours later
* Dark horse? The 1953 Ferrari 250 MM, an ex-Bardinon car and – at $7.5m to $9m – worth it for those massive Weber carbs alone...

As always, K500 will report live from the event. Expect more pre-Monterey coverage in days to come.

Please note: Estimates for Bonhams’ 1962 Ferrari 250 SWB and Gooding’s 2007 Porsche RS Spyder are ‘On Request’. Gooding’s ex-Gary Cooper 1935 Duesenberg SSJ carries a guide of ‘In excess of $10,000,000’. These are not reflected in our summaries.

Monterey Week 2018 auction schedule:

Mecum – sales Thursday 23 August to Saturday 25 August. Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa, 1 Old Golf Course Road, Monterey, CA 93940. Gates open at 08:00. Auctions at 10:00. See www.mecum.com

Worldwide Auctioneers – sale Thursday 23 August. Pacific Golf Municipal Golf Links 77 Asilomar Avenue, Pacific Grove, CA 93950. Auction at 17:00 (preview Tuesday and Wednesday). See www.worldwide-auctioneers.com

Russo & Steele – sales Thursday 23 August to Saturday 25 August. Downtown Monterey on the waterfront by Fisherman’s Wharf, 290 Figueroa Street, Monterey, CA 93940. Auctions at 17:00. See www.russoandsteele.com

Bonhams – sale Friday 24 August. Quail Lodge, 8205 Valley Greens Dr, Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93923. Auction at 10:00 (preview Wednesday, Thursday, Friday). See www.bonhams.com

Gooding & Co – sales Friday 24 August, Saturday 25 August. Pebble Beach Equestrian Center, Corner of Stevenson Drive and Portola Road, Pebble Beach CA 93953. Auctions at 17:00 Friday 24 August, 11:00 Saturday 25 August (preview Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday). See www.goodingco.com

RM Sotheby’s – sales Friday 24 August, Saturday 25 August. Portola Hotel & Spa and Monterey Conference Center, 2 Portola Plaza, Monterey, CA 93940. Auctions at 17:30 (preview Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday). See www.rmauctions.com

You can download a complete lotlist of all cars offered by Bonhams, Gooding & Co and RM Sotheby's sorted by make and model HERE.