Artcurial’s 2018 Le Mans Classic sale – live from the saleroom

In a steamy atmosphere reminiscent of P.T. Barnum enjoying a run at the Comédie-Française, the Parisians conducted another charismatic sale this afternoon. Third time at auction did not prove lucky for the ex-NART 1971 Le Mans ‘Daytona’, but the No Reserve Mercedes-Benz 300 SLs sold well: €986,000 for the ‘Gullwing’ and a record-breaking €3,071,200 for the Roadster, a late example that ticked every single box, including just 1,372km from new.

Bidding on the 300 SL Roadster – after a saleroom announcement that it did not have its original paint – started at €1.3m and soon went to €1.6m, €1.8m and then through the magical €2m barrier. Such was the persistence of two telephone bidders that at one point a €3m offer was on the cards. It didn’t go quite that far, but the winning bid was €2,710,000. That’s €3,071,200 with premium – say $3.6m, comfortably the most expensive 300 SL Roadster sold at auction. So, smiles all round for Maître Hervé Poulain, Matthieu Lamoure and Pierre Novikoff.

The Roadster’s ‘Gullwing’ companion achieved a more modest €850k net. The rest of the catalogue, too, proved to be more of a challenge in the full but subdued marquee, despite a marked increase in quality this year and over a third offered at No Reserve. Neither the 1993 Carrera 3.8 RSR nor the One-77 sold in the tent. Eyebrows were raised when Lamoure announced he was selling the Miura P400 (€800k to €1.1m) for €700k. A ‘buy’ at €812k all-in, perhaps, but probably right for a non-original-colour/non-matching-engine car lacking a well-documented Italian restoration required for really top dollar today.

Later in the auction, the more modern Mercedes sold well and despite some non-sellers – including, perhaps inevitably, the racing Daytona – Artcurial expects to announce a €10m+ sale, its best result yet at the Le Mans Classic.

Photos by K500