Gooding opens at Pebble Beach 2022

With veteran auctioneer Charlie Ross’s place taken by fellow Brit Thomas Forrester, working from on-the-night, strictly provisional figures, the Californian firm sold 54 of the 69 cars offered, generating a gross of at least $59m.

The popular Ross was unable to make the trip to the US this August, so recommended a colleague he works with on British television. Forrester’s flamboyant style won many friends in the saleroom.

A feature of the evening was modern Porsches and Ferraris once again hitting the high notes, even with the Californian firm’s usual confident estimates.

The headlining Bugatti was bought in the room and, although under estimate, $10.3m was probably a fair figure for buyer and seller alike. Gooding’s 2020 London sale generated £7.86m for an arguably ‘better’ car, a sum felt disappointing at the time.

Non-sellers on the night included the 1999 Ferrari 333 SP, the 1930 Bentley  4 1/2 Litre Supercharged 'Blower' and the 1950 Ferrari 166 MM Berlinetta Le Mans.

At a glance from strictly on-the-night figures:
 
* Gross, motor cars: $59,079,400
* Percentage sold by number: 78%
* Top-selling car: 1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante $10,345,000 gross, $9,400,000 net (est. $10m to $12m)
* Well sold? The 1990 Ferrari F40 was desirable (in the US) North American spec and went for a record $3,965,000. We repeat our regular public service announcement that Ferrari made over 1,300 of them, all in red.
* Well bought? Most cars went at market price or not at all.

Other results of note (all prices gross):

* 2006 Ford GT Heritage Edition, $731,000. Proof, if needed, that the first ‘new’ Ford GT remains a popular modern classic. The later car is still becalmed – Gooding’s 2019 GT did not sell on the night.
* 1995 Ferrari F50, $4,625,000. More big money for an F50 but Broad Arrow’s $5m+ record remains intact.
* 1967 Lamborghini 400 GT 2+2, $235,200. Broad Arrow sold an ‘Interim’ – THE model – for $654,000.
* 1993 Porsche 964 Carrera RSR 3.8, $1,215,000. More Porsche passion.
* 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 Lightweight, $2,425,000. And yet more – proper 2.8 RSR money not so long ago. It was a lovely car.

Gooding at Pebble Beach, 19 August 2022 – provisional results

Gross: $59,079,400
Number of cars not sold: 15
Number of cars withdrawn: 1
Total number of cars: 69
Number sold: 54
Percentage cars sold by number: 78%
Percentage of cars met or sold below low estimate: 63%
Percentage of cars sold below avge of estimates: 78%
Percentage of cars sold met/exceeded top estimate: 17%
Average price of cars sold: $1,094,063
Average year of cars offered: 1978
Percentage of cars offered at No Reserve: 30%

Photos by K500