Bonhams crosses the line in Miami with $15m result

The sell-through was weak – insert “some sort of misfire” or “puncture” joke – but the Brits improved on their 2025 Miami Grand Prix gross by some 50 per cent, delivering a $15m sale topped by a $4.34m Bugatti Chiron Super Sport.

Gaining access to the auction required a Sunday Grand Prix ticket and the agility to navigate a series of hurdles limiting entry to those who had truly earned it. Which meant, to the casual observer watching on an iPad from the comfort of a sofa in the UK, not many. Then again, if a $7.5m to $9.5m Ferrari LaFerrari is in your sights, a dose of reassuringly expensive hospitality is unlikely to deter.

The LaFerrari did not sell. Nor did many of the headline lots. Returning Bonhams auctioneer Maarten ten Holder, assisted on the rostrum by Bond Street regular Richard Stafford, put in the effort, but a combination of punchy estimates and a potentially storm-hit Grand Prix starting 90 minutes after the first lot meant his exertions largely came to nought.

At a glance:

* Gross, motor cars: $15,059,700 (2025, $9,441,600)
* Percentage sold by number, motor cars: 55% (2025, 68%)
* Top-selling car: 2024 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport, $4,340,000 gross, $3,875,000 net (top, est. $4.4m to $5m)

A handful of older classics were catalogued and, by and large, performed well. The red 1996 Ferrari F512 M, estimated at a toppy $750k to $850k, sold sensibly for $784,000. A red 1972 Dino 246 GT made a strong $459,200 against a $500k to $550k estimate.

The fiercest bidding was reserved for a 4,285-mile 1996 Porsche 911 (993) Carrera 4 Cabriolet, which finally hammered at $165,000 (est. $60k to $90k) – $184,800 with the sale’s 12% across-the-board buyer’s premium. The turquoise car had some appealing options, but its principal draw was provenance, coming from the estate of actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy, who died last year.

It was a tough gig – but $15m still gets you to the finish with some points on the board.

Bonhams at the Miami Grand Prix, 3 May 2026 – results (2025)

Gross: $15,059,700 ($9,441,600)
Number of cars not sold: 14 (12)
Number of cars withdrawn: 0 (1)
Total number of cars: 31 (37)
Number sold: 17 (25)
Percentage cars sold by number: 55% (68%)
Percentage by value average low/high estimate: 32% (31%)
Percentage of cars met or sold below low estimate: 82% (52%)
Percentage of cars sold below avge of estimates: 82% (68%)
Percentage of cars sold met/exceeded top estimate: 12% (12%)
Average year of cars offered: 2001 (2002)
Average price of cars sold: $885,865 ($377,664)
Percentage of cars offered at No Reserve: 23% (49%)

Photo by Bonhams