K500 2015 sector analysis: Pre-War European

By Steve Wakefield

10th January 2016

January 2015 283.82, December 2015 261.55.

The figures suggest decline, and we don’t see ‘grey porridge’ Rolls-Royce 20/25s and their ilk going anywhere soon. The odd beacon of light comes in the form of sporting, driver-friendly, event-eligible cars acceptable to today’s younger enthusiast. We liked Bonhams’ Frederiksen sale Lagonda LG6 Rapide DHC ($820K), but the top award must go to the Bond St house’s Goodwood Festival, £2.9m ex-Works Aston Martin Ulster LM19, run close by Artcurial’s quaint 1925 Bugatti Type 13 ‘Brescia’ that sold for €834,400 a few days earlier.

RM’s forthcoming Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster will be a gauge of the market’s appetite for ‘old school’ concours cars for the more mature collector.