It’s a who’s who of hypercars at a brace of upcoming auctions in Paris. Think of a headline-grabbing machine from Modena, Stuttgart, Molsheim, Detroit, or Woking, and you’ll find it on the roster at RM Sotheby’s and Bonhams. Collectors with a need for speed will be spoiled for choice as the star cars of the last two decades all go under the hammer.
Topping the bill at RM Sotheby’s, by estimate at least, is a Ferrari LaFerrari (top) that is classified as still brand new. Built in 2016, it wasn’t registered by its keeper until 2018 and has been driven fewer than nine miles. It’s finished in Bianco Avus with a Nero Alcantara interior that adds contrasting Rosso stitching and seatbelts for a dash of color. Seemingly every option was ticked when the car was specified, including a sports exhaust, front suspension lift, telemetry, and track packs. Behind black 21-inch rims sit red brake callipers. The limited mileage would appear to be mostly down to regular servicing, which has included the fitment of a new hybrid battery and an upgraded lithium-ion auxiliary battery. One of 499 LaFerraris built between 2013 and 2016, the 6.3-litre V12 hybrid hypercar is estimated to sell for up to €4.8 million.
If you fancy its forebearer then, as luck would have it, there’s a 2003 Enzo up for grabs for €3–€3.5M. It’s had a bit more use than the LaFerrari, with around 9,000 miles on the clock, but it does come with Rosso Corsa paintwork, a Nero leather cabin, and a Ferrari Classiche “Red Book” certifying its origins. If you miss out at RM, then another Enzo will be on the block at Bonhams in Paris just a day later, although the 2004 Nero black example (one of just 12 in this hue) is pitched to hit as high as €4.5M.
The related Maserati MC12 Versione Corsa from 2007 cuts quite the dash in its bright orange hue. It’s one of just 12 streetable versions of Maserati’s GT1 racer. Unhampered by FIA racing rules, the roadgoing MC12 was able to eke 745bhp out of its 6-litre, dry-sump V12 motor. It cost a cool one million Euros when new, but is now expected to match the Enzo and sell for up to €3.5M.
Just down the road, at Sant’Agata Bolognese, Lamborghini had some celebrating to do in 2018. To mark 100 years since the birth of founder Ferruccio, the company launched the Centenario. Only 20 coupes and 20 roadster versions, based on the venerable Aventador, were built, and it’s an open-topped edition that’s being offered by RM Sotheby’s. The one-owner car has a shade over 40 miles on the odometer and comes in a fetching combination of Rosso Efesto, Nero Ade Alcantara, and Rosso Alala. Anticipated to sell for between €3M and €4M, it is described as “an unblemished example of arguably the most extreme and advanced Lamborghini ever produced.”
For similar outlay by RM’s estimate, you could become the keeper of a 2017 Bugatti Chiron ‘La Mer Argentée’. It’s quite the bobby dazzler with its factory chrome wrap covering an original Nocturne over Argent Metallic color scheme. The car had over £100,000 spent on a Performance Package in 2019, and the owner actually made some use of the upgrades, as the Molsheim monster has covered almost 3,000 miles. It should fetch somewhere between €2,750,000 and €3,500,000, according to the auction house.
Next to these, a 2014 Porsche 918 estimated at €1.6M–€1.8M, a 2005 Carrera GT at €1.3M, a 2015 McLaren P1 at €900,000–€1.2M, and a 2022 Ford GT Carbon Series at €750,000–€1,000,000 seem almost like bargains.
Porsche fans could face an interesting conundrum as two 1990s rarities vie for bidders’ attention. Racing aficionados will be tempted by a 1991 962C that finished 10th at the 1991 Le Mans 24 Hours and is expected to achieve up to €1.5M, but hot on its heels is a 1996 911 GT2 that’s just been fully restored. One of 194 road cars built, it has had just two owners and is tipped to sell for up to €1.4M.
Step further back in time and there’s plenty of fascinating machinery under seven figures. For €300,000–€400,000, you could pick some prewar coachbuilt excellence in the form of a 1930 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A Transformable Cabriolet or a 1934 Hispano-Suiza J12 Coupé Chauffeur. Perhaps a Rolls-Royce is more to your taking, in which case a 1920 40/50 HP Silver Ghost Tourer, a 1936 Phantom II Saloon, or a 1933 Phantom II Continental Berline could all be yours.
Other highlights of these sales include awesome oddballs such as a 1980 BMW M1, a 1991 Alfa Romeo SZ, a 1981 Rolls-Royce Camargue, and even a 1994 Lamborghini LM002. If Porkers with flat-nosed snouts are up your strasse then you can pick from a one-of-a-kind 928 GT from 1989 or a 1986 911 Turbo Flachbau. Choices, choices.
Of all the eclectic and exotic on offer, however, it’s two Italian oddities that have captured our hearts. A 1958 Fiat 500 Spiaggina Boana beach car is simply bellissimo. Only two were built by Mario Boano and this stunning original example was first registered to none other than Gianni Agnelli himself. If it gets to its €290,000 estimate, that will be a lot of money for not a lot of metal. A 1955 Alfa Romeo T10 Autotutto camper is a delightful deviation from the de rigeur VW buses. Powered by a two-cylinder supercharged diesel engine, it is anything but ordinary, which is reflected in the price estimate of €90,000–€110,000.
The bidding for all of this automotive art begins on January 31 at RM Sotheby’s at the Salles du Carousel in the Louvre Palace of Paris, and on February 1 at Bonhams’ sale at The Grand Palais Éphémère.
