Blenheim, 24th June, 2021

RM Sotheby’s is delighted announce a raft of incredible new consignments for its flagship Monterey auction on 13-14 August in California. To say the latest consignments are impressive doesn’t do them justice – the sale now boasts some of the most historically significant, road and race cars ever made from across both the pre- and post-war decades.

Le Mans Greats
Following on the heels of the recently announced Gulf Porsche 917K, arguably the most iconic Le Mans car of all time, come two further Le Mans and endurance racing legends.

The Porsche 956 is for many the definitive group C racing car, and the 1983 Porsche 956 Group C, chassis no. 956 110, is certainly one of the most significant and original examples to survive. One of nine prepared by the Porsche factory for privateer racing in the World Endurance Championship and Le Mans, and was driven by David Hobbs, Derek Warwick, Dieter Quester, and John Fitzpatrick. One of just two privateer-delivered 956 cars to beat the Rothmans Porsche factory team 956s, it scored podium place finishes at Imola, Mosport, Silverstone, and an outright victory at the Brands Hatch 1,000 KM, as well as securing first place at Road America Can-Am and contesting Le Mans. Chassis no. 956 110 is also the only 956 that can claim a victory on American soil, being the sole example to race in the United States in-period. (Estimate: $4,500,000 - $6,000,000). Also offered is a 1981 Ferrari 512 BB/LM chassis no. 35527, a competition great from Maranello.  The car offered was campaigned by Luigi Chinetti’s N.A.R.T. team for the 1981 Le Mans 24hrs, driven by John Morton, Alain Cudini, and Philippe Gurdjian. It ran 3rd overall before retiring, at the fastest pace achieved by any BB/LM at Le Mans. (Estimate: $3,000,000 - $3,500,000)

V12 Ferraris of the Golden Era

Approximately 25 years earlier, the sports racing Ferrari of choice would have been the 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta ‘Tour de France’ by Scaglietti. Chassis no. 1031GT is a two-time competitor at the Tour de France in 1958 and 1959, driven by privateer racer Jacques Péron, who specified its light-blue-over-Havana livery. Achieving 4th overall in the 1958 Tour de France and 6th at the Monza Lottery in 1959, this is a car with an enviable period history. Meticulously restored by marque expert Charlie Potts of California Classics in 2016 to achieve as close to the original delivery specifications of Jacques Péron as possible, this stunning competition-grade Ferraris is estimated at $5,750,000 - $6,500,000. And if a more refined GT Ferrari of the golden era is your choice, the 1963 Ferrari 250 GT/L Berlinetta Lusso by Scaglietti s/n 5003GT on offer is the perfect example.  A winner of the coveted Ferrari Cup in 2011 and 2014 at the Carmel-by-the-Sea Concours, it was also chosen First-in-Class at the Concorso Italiano in 2014. (Estimate: $1,500,000 - $1,750,000).

Pre-War Grand Tourers: Magnificent pre-war Touring cars are always a feature of RM Sotheby’s Monterey sales. This year is no exception and leading the category is the 1935 Duesenberg Model J ‘Sweep Panel’ Dual-Cowl Phaeton by LaGrande, featuring elegantly arching coachwork styled by American Art Deco master, Gordon Buehrig. Resplendent in its black-and-chrome exterior, this Model J Dual-Cowl Phaeton is fully restored to the highest standard and has been shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. (Estimate: $3,000,000 - $4,000,000). Another all-American classic is the 1930 Cadillac V-16 Convertible Sedan by Murphy, packed with many special features including a disappearing windshield for rear passengers and exotic inlaid interior woodwork. This Murphy-bodied Cadillac was built specifically for the son of noted GM dealer and horseracing legend Charles Howard, and the sole example executed in this style by the preeminent Pasadena based coachbuilder. With well-known provenance and numerous Best-in-Class victories, including at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the car is an opportunity not to be missed. (Estimate: $1,500,000 - $1,800,000). Also offered is a 1937 Bugatti Type 57 Cabriolet, one of the most desired of all continental ‘Grand Routiers’, and which benefits from a full, frame-off restoration. The car is a multiple concours winner, including several appearances at Amelia Island and awards for Best of Show Pre-War in 2013 at the La Jolla Concours d’Elegance. (Estimate: $650,000 - $800,000).

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Additional highlights for the Monterey auction and worthy of note to all supercar aficionados, is the 1994 Bugatti EB110 Super Sport. A car very much ahead of its time in terms of the use of cutting-edge composites and featuring a quad-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-12-powered engine, this rare Super Sport is an important part of Bugatti’s ongoing legacy of performance. A video of RM Sotheby’s Car Specialist Ramsey Potts giving a short introduction to the Bugatti can be found HERE, (Estimate: $2,750,000 - $3,000,000).

Not to be outshined in its bare metal finish is the stunning 1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 S by Bertone, being offered without reserve; estimated at $1,800,000 - $2,200,000: The car offered here is a rare specification Miura S, and to be offered at auction without reserve, makes it rarer still. Chassis no. 4761 is a sensational time capsule type discovery, taken off the road in 1974 and hidden in a Northern California Bay Area warehouse for the next 45 years. Remarkably, it was purchased new at the factory by a prominent Iranian family then shipped to their 19 year old daughter attending university in California. Showing less than 16,000 original miles, it was acquired in 2019 by a well known Miura aficionado, who undertook a no expense spared effort to preserve the impressive originality, down to the original Pirelli tires it was equipped with from new. Originally finished in the rare combination of Gray-White with a full Blue interior, this matching numbers car is a late Series II Miura S, which benefits from all of the critical SV performance upgrades which were put into production before the Miura SV was announced. The SV performance upgrades incorporated into the Miura S presented here included improved radiator cooling, improved exhaust and engine cooling ducts, vented disc brakes, stronger frame reinforcements and engine porting with SV specification carbs. With literally nothing to hide, the Miura is presented in bare metal finish to best showcase the incredible integrity of all the original numbered body panels. This remarkable example has been mechanically sorted and serviced with receipts from noted California Lamborghini Miura Specialist Jeff Stephan. A truly unique opportunity for the next owner to personalize and make their own by choosing the perfect color or simply leave as is, totally unique.

The Fox Collection is filled with supercar selections that truly stand out from their contemporaries, with a combination of uncommon specifications, low mileages, limited production numbers and outstanding color combinations. Included in the collection are two-blue chip exotics; a 2008 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 (Estimate: $1,200,000 - $1,400,000) and a 2015 Ferrari La Ferrari (Estimate: $2,750,000 - $3,000,000), both with odometers reading fewer than 1,000 miles at time of cataloguing. Also included is a 2003 Ferrari Enzo, one of two cars delivered in a Nero-and-Cuoio colorway (Estimate: $2,200,000 - $2,450,000); a 2015 Porsche 918 ‘Weissach’ Spyder, ordered from Porsche’s Special Wishes to Sample in Black-with-Cognac leather interior (Estimate: $1,200,000 - $1,400,000); a 2006 Ford GT in rare Chrome Yellow-on-Black (Estimate: $350,000 - $450,000); a 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 S Roadster (Estimate: $600,000 - $750,000); a 2012 Lexus LFA Nuerburgring Package (Estimate: $900,000 - $1,100,000). Also within the collection are a number of Youngtimer-era supercars, including a 1995 Ferrari F512 M, one of only 75 U.S.-spec examples (Estimate: $400,000 - $500,000); a 2005 Ferrari Superamerica, optioned with the ultra-desirable HGTE Handling package (Estimate: $225,000 - $275,000); a 1984 Ferrari 512 BBi showing only 500 miles (Estimate: $375,000 - $450,000); and rounding out the collection is a 2003 BMW Alpina V8 Roadster (Estimate: $275,000 - $350,000).