Bonhams made a successful return to the Gstaad Palace
with its first collector car sale in the Swiss Alps hotel for 14
years which achieved a raft of princely sums with many lots
surpassing or doubling their pre-sale estimates, resulting in a
total of more than CHF 7.5 million and a sell-through rate
of 89%.
Leading the sale, held in the stunning ballroom of the Gstaad
Palace, was a rare 1991 Ferrari F40 which sold for CHF
1,995,000 to a telephone bidder. This example of the last great
analogue supercars – and the final Ferrari to be overseen by the
company founder Enzo – had had only two Swiss owners from
new.
With the sale attracting many Swiss collectors among the international audience, it was natural that
Swiss-built cars would perform well in Gstaad. A second highlight of the day was a 1958 Alfa Romeo 1900C
Super Spring Barchetta, achieving CHF 316,500. One of ten Alfa Romeos bodied by Carrosserie Ghia in
Aigle, the Alfa had been designed by Giovanni Michelotti along the lines of a Riva speedboat, with a striking
wraparound windscreen.
Another Swiss offering was a 1969 Monteverdi 375S Coupé, the brainchild of Swiss car dealer Peter
Monteverdi, who had wanted to create a Swiss luxury marque to rival the likes of Ferrari. This hand-built
sportscar, the 1969 Geneva Salon show car, doubled its pre-sale estimate to attain CHF 230,000. Further
success was enjoyed by another example of Swiss craftsmanship – a 1959 Volkswagen Beutler which
also surpassed its estimate, selling forCHF 158,700.
Porsches enjoyed a purple patch, with a duo of 911s attracting a lot of attention at the viewing and later
attracting a flurry of bids to both achieve more than double their estimate. The first, a 1996 Porsche 911
(Type 993) Turbo, which had covered only 26,000 kms from new, sold for CHF 243,800, following an
enthusiastic bidding battle. A 2011 911 (Type 997) Turbo S Coupé which had covered just 154 kms and
had spent its life in storage, made CHF 172,500.
The Gstaad Palace garage was transformed into a boutique Bonhams showroom for the weekend, with
further cars displayed outside with the verdant Swiss Alps providing a suitably stunning backdrop for the
cream of the automotive world on offer.
Further highlights of the sale included: 2008 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series, sold for CHF299,000
This one-owner example of 350 limited-edition high-performance coupés topped its pre-sale estimate by
CHF100,000.
1994 Ferrari 512 TR, sold for CHF 230,000
This Swiss-delivered and owned example of the original Testarossa’s successor was another car which
doubled its pre-sale estimate.
1969 Citroën DS 21 'Majesty' Saloon, sold for CHF 120,750
This incredibly rare Citroen, one of only 27 such models with striking coachwork by Henri Chapron, also
broke through its ceiling estimate.
Maarten Ten Holder, Managing Director, Bonhams Collector Cars, who was the auctioneer of The
Gstaad Sale, said: “This was a red-letter day for the Bonhams, marking a successful return to Gstaad after
an absence of 14 years.
“The strong interest shown by the bidders in the viewing and in the packed saleroom reflects the healthy
appetite for collector cars in Switzerland and beyond and it is gratifying to see the Swiss-built cars
performing so well.
“We are so pleased to have rekindled our relationship with the Gstaad Palace which has provided an
exquisite venue for this sale. We thank Andrea Scherz and his team for opening up his beautiful hotel to us
once again and we all look forward to coming back in 2024.”
Bonhams will return to Switzerland in 2023 for The Bonmont Sale, which had its debut at The Bonmont Golf
& Country Club, in 2019, and will be staged every other year, alternating with The Gstaad Sale, going
forward.
Meanwhile, the Bonhams Eurocars team are currently inviting consignments to The Zoute Sale on 9
October, at Knokke-Heist on the Belgian coast, as part of the Zoute Grand Prix.
