Artcurial’s 2017 Mercedes-Benz Sale: The stars align

After a barn-storming performance by RM at Maranello, Artcurial’s healthy 8.5m euros gross in Paris last weekend shows there’s life left in one-marque sales yet.

The event was held at the Mercedes-Benz Centre in Paris. Eighteen lots were consigned from Mercedes-Benz France’s collection of historic cars. The sell-through was a fine 80%.

At a glance:

* Gross: €8,536,360
* Percentage sold by number: 80%
* Top-selling car: 1961 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster with hardtop, €1,380,000 gross, €1.2m hammer (est. €800k to €1m)

The with-premium (Artcurial’s redoutable 16%/12% split) price of the ex-Mercedes-Benz France 300 SL Roadster values it at around $1.53m. For a non-alloy-block, non-disc-brake car, that’s strong money. To European specification and in a ‘neutral’ (and original) combination of all-Ivory with red leather, the car was catalogued as “in satisfactory condition”. No 300 SL Roadster in Monterey this year beat $1.38m and you have to go back to January 2015 to find another sold at this level.

The 300 SL ‘Gullwing’ also came from the French marque agents. It, too, was presented in safe and as-delivered colours, this time silver with blue leather. Condition-wise, no basket-case, it was mechanically original but overdue for an extensive restoration. It had also suffered accident damage to its tubular chassis resulting in a restamped (by Mercedes-Benz France) chassis number. Against an estimate of €900k to €1.3m it was hammered at €950k, that’s €1.1m all-in, or around $1.3m. In the scheme of things, particularly the chassis number issue, that's probably market-correct.

Of the other lots, Artcurial did well to sell so many but were aided by over half at No Reserve. The 1934 Mercedes-Benz 380 K Sport Roadster went way over its upper estimate of €440k to sell at €470k net, €545.2k gross. Bravo!

Artcurial at the Paris Mercedes-Benz Centre, 15 October 2017

Total gross cars: €8,536,360
Number of cars not sold: 11
Number of cars withdrawn: 1
Total number of cars: 54
Number sold: 43
Percentage cars sold by number: 80%
Percentage by value average low/high estimate: 68%
Percentage of cars sold below low estimate: 38%
Percentage of cars sold not met avge of estimates: 63%
Percentage of cars sold met/exceeded top estimate: 14%
Average year of cars offered: 1973
Average price of cars sold: €198,520
Number of cars offered at No Reserve: 30
Percentage of cars offered at No Reserve: 56%

Photos by Artcurial/Dirk de Jager