Auction Recap: Bonhams Greenwich 2015

Bonhams concluded its annual Greenwich auction on May 31 with sales totaling $6,744,650 and an average sale price of $83,267 per car. Held, as always, in conjunction with the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance and right on the water in Roger Sherman Baldwin Park, the auction brought together an impressive range of vehicles including prewar luxury and postwar sports cars, as well as concours restorations and all-original preserved vehicles. A torrential downpour brought people from the concours field to seek shelter under the auction tent, but the sale still went off well. Overall numbers were down from 2014 when Bonhams achieved $7,874,207 in total sales, but the per-car average was up from last year’s $81,177.

The top sales spots were mostly taken by prewar cars, and the star 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Stelvio predictably brought the highest number at $1,595,000. A genuine 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 also brought a below market $584,000, while a 1962 Mercedes-Benz 190SL brought a very strong $155,100. Prewar Jaguars also made a strong showing, with a 1938 SS100 bringing $215,000 and a 1935 SS90 bringing $214,500. Both Jags were in an unfinished state and required plenty of work before completion.

Interesting lots at the other end of the price spectrum included a 1966 Austin A35 van, which would be a perfect fit for the paddock at a vintage race, for $12,100; a 1951 MG TD Roadster for $20,900; a Bugeye Sprite with period-correct Judson supercharger for $33,000; and a lightly modified supercharged MG Y-Type saloon for $20,900. Despite the proximity of Greenwich to New York, one of the very cheapest cars in the sale was a Checker Marathon for $7,700. It was every bit a worn-out old cab as far as its condition goes, but Checker Marathon is an icon, and Bonhams’ example was significant in that it was the last one in active service in New York City.

Top 10:

1. 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Stelvio Convertible sold for $1,595,000
2. 1938 Mercedes-Benz 322 Long Wheelbase Kombination Roadster sold for $775,000
3. 1973 Porsche 911 RS 2.7 M472 Touring sold for $594,000
4. 1939 Delahaye 135M Competition Convertible Coupe sold for $297,000
5. 1938 Jaguar SS100 2 ½ Liter Roadster sold for $215,000
6. 1935 SS90 Roadster sold for $214,500
7. 1939 Packard Twelve 1708 Convertible Sedan sold for $160,600
8. 1962 Mercedes-Benz 190SL sold for $155,100
9. 1931 Lincoln Model K Convertible Coupe sold for $114,400
10. 1931 Cadillac 355-A V-8 Convertible Coupe sold for $101,200

Bonhams’ next collector car auction will be the Summer Classic Sale in Oxford, England, on June 20, followed shortly by the Goodwood Festival of Speed sale on June 26.