Ex-Senna F1 cars put Bonhams in pole position at Monaco

Two Formula 1 single-seaters once driven by the great Brazilian World Champion took Bonhams over the finishing line at Monaco this evening.

Top-selling car was the punters’ favourite, the 1993 Marlboro McLaren-Cosworth MP4/8A. Bonhams would probably have preferred to hit the €4m mark, but €3.65m hammer (€4.1975m gross) places the car around US$5m all-in. The Toleman-Hart smashed through its upper estimate of €1m to sell for €1.4m net, €1.61m with premium.

The 1953 Ferrari 625 sports car by Vignale did not sell on the night.

At a glance:

* Gross: €12,700,100 (2016, €15,267,400)
* Percentage sold by number: 72% (2016, 59%)
* Top-selling car: 1993 McLaren Cosworth ex-Ayrton Senna, €4,197,500 gross, €3,650,000 net (estimate 'On Request')
* Well sold? The €356,500 all-in 1955 Jaguar XK140 SE Michelotti Coupé (est. €20,000 to €50,000) sold in aid of an animal rescue charity
* Well bought? The EB110GT. €525k net against a guide of €600k to €700k, though tax needed paying if it remained in the EU, which might explain the with-premium total of €603,750. Even so...

Bonhams’ deluxe venue of Villa La Vigie – new for 2018 – was a definite hit, with a busy tent for the duration of the sale. Only the top lots earned a place at the villa, the others relegated to the car parks. Which sort of worked, and the Brits used the opportunity to showcase their leading entries (Aston Zagato ‘2 VEV’, ex-Surtees BMW 507 and Alfa Tipo B) at the Goodwood Festival.
 

Bidding on the Senna McLaren came down to three in the room, with auctioneer Rupert Banner raising the stakes €100k a time once the total had hit €3m, just squeezing out another €50k before he dropped the hammer... and the new owner became one Bernie Ecclestone.

Of the 911 RS Porsches, the No Reserve 1973 2.7 Touring was a typical auction car and sold at today’s market value of €575k incl. premium. The 964 RS was bang-on at €230k gross, while the 997 GT3 RS 4.0 was not sold. And neither was the 1993 911 (964) Turbo 3.6-Litre X88 – an interesting pointer of things to come at RM on Saturday, perhaps?

Compared with Bonhams’ Fairmont Hotel sale in 2016, the sell-through of 72% today was better, though this was achieved with more cars at No Reserve and this time only 5% beat top estimate. Two years ago, that figure was 25% – more cars sold in 2018, at the expense of the estimates.

Next stop RM tomorrow afternoon for a marathon 88-car catalogue. But before that we’re following the seller of the €356.5k all-in Jaguar XK140 SE Michelotti Coupé to the Casino. Whatever he’s putting his money on, we’re with him all the way...

Bonhams at Monaco, 11 May 2018 – Results (2016)

Total gross cars: €12,700,100 (€15,267,400)
Number of cars not sold: 15 (17)
Number of cars withdrawn: 0 (0)
Total number of cars: 53 (41)
Number sold: 38 (24)
Percentage cars sold by number: 72% (59%)
Percentage by value average low/high estimate: 61% (59%)
Percentage of cars sold below low estimate: 61% (42%)
Percentage of cars sold not met avge of estimates: 84% (67%)
Percentage of cars sold met/exceeded top estimate: 5% (25%)
Average year of cars offered: 1974 (1973)
Average price of cars sold €334,213 (€636,142)
Percentage of cars offered at No Reserve: 36% (10%)

Photos by K500