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8 Cars That Caught Our Eye at Bonhams Scottsdale 2025
Bonhams concluded its annual Scottsdale sale with $5.2M in total sales. Of the 77 vehicles offered, 52 sold, making for a 68 percent sell-through rate and an average price of $104,843.
This has never been a huge sale, with an average vehicle count of around 100 in recent years, but there have also been more heavy-hitting cars in the past. Two years ago, this was a nearly $30M auction, but just one car sold for seven figures this year. There were deals to be had here in 2025, particularly among small British sports cars, a handful of temptingly cheap Jaguars, and a group of small, charming, and surprisingly low-priced Abarths. We examined the cars in Arizona, and below we look at the most interesting stuff from Bonhams Scottsdale 2025 in detail.

Lot 151: 2006 Mercedes-Benz SLR “McLaren Edition”
Sold for $715,000
Chassis no. WDDAJ76F86M000938. Kilo Grey over Oxblood leather. Original, #2 condition.
Equipment: 5439cc/617hp V-8, automatic, MSO steering and suspension upgrades, titanium exhaust, body kit.
Condition: One of 25 cars built to individual order by MSO (McLaren Special Operations). Originally finished in black over black, and sent back to the factory in 2011 for its current configuration. 9300 original miles. In excellent condition, showing little to no use.
Bottom line: After McLaren stopped building the hyper-GT it co-developed with Mercedes-Benz, the factory offered a bespoke program where it would modify and improve used SLRs to owners’ individual specifications—at a cost of £150,000. The handling and styling upgrades in the “McLaren Edition” are notable, and this one looks sharp in these colors. The price it brought is slightly under its $725K estimate and less than the value of the “722 Edition” trim also offered on the SLR McLaren, but $715K is nevertheless about twice as much as a base coupe would normally sell for in today’s market in this condition and with this mileage.

Lot 109: 1968 Abarth Scorpione 1300S
Sold for $47,040
Chassis no. 1236614103; Engine no. 0659475. Red over black vinyl. Enthusiast restoration, #3 condition.
Equipment: 1280cc/75hp four-cylinder mounted in the rear, single Weber carburetor, 4-speed, four-wheel Girling disc brakes, hubcaps, OMP exhaust, Abarth steering wheel.
Condition: Not much individual history represented but believed to be one of 30 built and four in the U.S. Dull paint with some cracks here and there. Mild scratches in the windows and severe ones on the rear window. Scruffy wheels. Visibly worn seats and carpets. Rare, cool little car in driver condition.
Bottom line: A nifty piece of Etceterini, the Scorpione was also sold as the OTAS 820 Grand Prix, the Giannini, and the Lombardi Grand Prix (Carrozzeria Francis Lombardi is who originally developed the design). The earliest versions were propelled by Fiat 850 engines, but the Abarth-badged cars got the larger mill from the Fiat 124. Good-looking, impossibly low to the ground, very rare, and certainly a hoot to drive, the little Abarth got a ton of attention at the Bonhams preview and deservedly so. That attention didn’t translate to enthusiastic bidding, though. While the price falls within the presale estimate range, it still feels light for what it bought. What a neat little car for not much money.

Lot 108: Fiat 850 “Abarth 1000 OT” Spider
Sold for $28,000
Chassis no. 100GS007300. Red over black vinyl. Enthusiast restoration, #3+ condition.
Equipment: Four-cylinder, 4-speed, Abarth muffler, Campagnolo wheels, Falken tires, Abarth-badged Ferrero steering wheel, dash clock.
Condition: Supposedly has a 982-cc engine in place of the original 843-cc unit, but this has not been confirmed. Tired but presentable paint. Aged wheels. Large touch-up on the rear deck and huge chip in front of the driver’s door handle. The driver’s door also sticks out a bit at the bottom. Lightly aged interior. Tidy underneath. Solid driver-quality example of a cute Fiat Spider with desirable Abarth upgrades.
Bottom line: There were several charming little Abarths grouped together at this auction, and most of them sold for temptingly low prices. This is one of them. Although this would be expensive for a normal Fiat 850 Spider, with the Abarth bits (and presumably the larger-displacement engine), it’s a lot of rare little Italian sports car for the money.

Lot 156: 1987 Nissan Skyline “Type HR31” GTS-R NISMO
Sold for $201,600
Chassis no. HR31128388. Blue Calsonic livery over blue. Recent restoration, #3+ condition.
Equipment: RHD. 2029cc/400hp turbocharged six-cylinder, 5-speed, Sabelt harnesses, fire system, Momo steering wheel.
Condition: Represented as coming from 30 years of ownership. Competed in the 1988 and 1989 seasons of the Japanese Touring Car Championship (JTCC), driven by Moto Kitano, Tako Wada, and Kazuyoshi Hoshino. Believed to be the first Skyline to wear the famous Calsonic livery and the only remaining NISMO Calsonic GTSR. The paint is aged and has fading, but there are very few dings and scratches for a race car. The decals appear to be redone. The engine compartment is in very good condition, and the interior shows little wear. Extensively refurbished but not fully restored last year, and looks track-ready.
Bottom line: Overshadowed by the all-conquering R32 Skyline GT-R that followed it, the R31 was nevertheless a successful car on track in its own right, with the GTS-R version taking touring car titles in Australia and Japan. This car isn’t one of those winners, but its famous livery and solid overall condition make it a desirable addition for any collector who values Nissan racing history, and the price here makes sense.

Lot 180: 1967 Jaguar E-Type Series 1 4.2 Roadster
Sold for $62,720
Chassis no. 1E14702. Pale Primrose with black top over black leather. Older restoration, #3+ condition.
Equipment: 4235cc/265hp six-cylinder, alloy radiator with electric fan, 4-speed, wire wheels, red line tires, boot cover, wood-rim steering wheel, wooden shift knob, Blaupunkt radio.
Condition: Sold new in Canada and originally finished in blue over blue. Restored in the 1990s. Replacement engine. Represented with new exhaust and new wheels and tires in 2023. Older paint and chrome with some minor blemishes on the grille. The fender trim pieces are sticking up slightly at the front on each side. Clean wheels and tires. Lightly worn seats and switches. A bit scruffy underneath but no major signs of trouble visible.
Bottom line: Jaguar values, even for the legendary E-Type, have been rather soft over the past year. This result doesn’t show that trend reversing. The same car was a $70,000 no-sale on Bring a Trailer last July, but it was a no reserve lot in Scottsdale so the seller had to take it. It’s a surprisingly low number for a flawed but pretty good example. For XKE owners, this probably doesn’t look good. However, for people who have always dreamed of owning an E but have long since been priced out of them, this might be encouraging.

Lot 130: 1961 Land Rover Series II 88
Sold for $28,000
Chassis no. 144103461; Engine no. 151119002. Beige over gray. Unrestored original, #4 condition.
Equipment: 2286cc/77hp four-cylinder gas engine, 4-speed.
Condition: Bought new by Arthur Miller when he was married to Marilyn Monroe. Comes with original title. Almost every surface that can have rust on it does. The seats are ripped. The steering wheel looks filthy and the gauges are barely legible. It does, however, run and drive and stop. Most of the value here is presumably in the celebrity history, because this Rover is in sorry shape.
Bottom line: Although Arthur Miller’s Rover has room for all my sons in the back, and Marilyn Monroe’s seat prints are in the passenger’s seat, the crucible of the auction block proved Bonhams‘ $60,000–$80,000 presale estimate to be rather ambitious. The price it brought would ordinarily buy a Series II 88 in #3 condition so there was some famous-people premium here, but Arthur Miller ain’t Steve McQueen when it comes to old cars.

Lot 160: 1972 Aston Martin DBS V8
Sold for $35,840
Chassis no. V810367RCA. Gold over brown leather. Unrestored original, #4 condition.
Equipment: 5340cc/320hp V-8, TorqueFlite automatic, alloy wheels, air conditioning, original radio.
Condition: Faded paint with some blistering on the hood and doors. The lower fascia is broken and hanging loosely. The mechanicals are old and oxidized, and the interior is heavily faded and worn. An exceptionally scruffy and neglected DBS needing a full restoration.
Bottom line: For years now, a steady stream of scruffy and neglected vintage Aston Martins (many of them from the ’70s) from a collection in the Middle East has been coming to auction. This is presumably another one. At this point, any possible demand for an Aston Martin restoration project has long been satisfied, and the prices are getting downright cheap. Is this DBS V8 worth saving? Maybe. But it’s also probably worth more than the auction price in parts at this point.

Lot 154P: 1956 Mecedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing
Sold for $1,490,000
Chassis no. 1980406500063; Engine no. 1989806500071. Silver over blue leather. Older restoration, #3+ condition.
Equipment: 2996cc/240hp six-cylinder, 4-speed, Becker Mexico radio, fitted luggage, tools and books.
Condition: Represented as matching numbers. The paint is in very good condition, showing no significant damage. The engine compartment is aged and grimy, as is the underbody. The interior exhibits usage and the seat upholstery is stretched. An older restoration that presents well and has clearly been driven and enjoyed.
Bottom line: Like E-Types, Gullwings have been on the soft side for the past year or so. This result is spot on for the condition. It was also Bonhams’ most expensive car at Scottsdale 2025, as well as the only one to break seven figures.
The Scorpione looks like a Saab.
The Jag might be a good driver if you can do your own work.
The Scorpione looks like an Alfa Romeo Junior Z built from 1969-1975.
I agree the Scorpione reminds me of a Saab Sonett.
The 1987 Nissan Skyline “Type HR31” GTS-R NISMO is not a pretty car though the color is nice.
I’m generally not the biggest fan of restomods. Largely because nice clean examples get cut and hacked and the result is usually a ‘ Oh that’s just so wrong ! Why the hell did they do that ?’ But the Aston is a perfect candidate. Been abused but needs to be saved. A fresh modern V-8 transplant naturally, the TorqueFlite needed to go anyway, as well as the mustard 70’s refrigerator/ stove/ dishwasher combo color. Then a few subtle changes that look factory. Some cleanup and refinement. Would you do 30?
Oh please no! The 5.3L 4-cam V8 is one of the world’s great engines. It’s a vital part of what makes this car special and worth saving. A “modern V8 transplant” has many applications, but this is NOT one of them.
My fave? The little FIAT 850 Loved these cars — cheap and easy to work on but sadly all but gone due to the tin worm. They were so small that a bunch of us picked up and moved my buddy Lenny’s 850 from the school parking lot to a “primo” spot on the grass right under the principal’s window. Lots of fun ’til we got caught.
My Mom had a Fly yellow Fiat 850 over black interior when I was 16. Got my license in that car. In 1973. She sold it about 5 years ago along with her 1966 MGB Roadster that resides in my garage. She quit driving the B about 6-7 years ago because no one in western So Dak could work on it. She was 88 and never had the top up. She’s 94 now and still drives. She’s sharper than most people half her age and doesn’t wear glasses!
As for the Landy, McQueen never schtupped Marylin Monroe. Miller did, so there’s that… Nice literary asides, BTW.
The SAAB Sonett III was designed in the late ’60s initially by Italian designer Sergio Coggiola, who obviously had seen the Abarth Scorpione, so the Sonett was a copy of an existing design. SAAB designer Gunnar A. Sjögren then adapted it to the previous Sonett chassis.
I can buy an E-type and an Aston Martin for less than $100,000.00? If I hadn’t squandered my life savings on restorations, I’d track them both down in a heartbeat. In a world where a pile of Ferrari scrap sells for seven figures, I’d grab a drivable English sports car for these prices any day.
Nice to see there is a gullwing that has actually been driven.
Todd- I certainly wouldn’t leave the original engine on a palate under a soon-to-be tattered tarp behind the garage. Would gladly sell to someone in need of a rebuildable engine that has the means to do a full correct restoration. There is always the consideration of were it not for parts cars some cars might not be saved. So selling off some pieces to recoup some of the cost might work. The…practical side… of buying an old Aston? Johnny Walker Blue on a Johnny Walker Red budget. Better than parting the whole thing out and leaving the rest for the buzzards. There are some more recent used modern Vantage V-8s and trans combos for sale. I could do that. Well I can’t, but I can dream about it.