Monterey Car Week

During Monterey Car Week, two of the highest-profile events, The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering and the iconic Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, collectively present a field of well over 400 coveted automobiles representing a wide spectrum of time, design, power and provenance. And while some of the examples have been passed down through generations or obtained through private sales, many have crossed the public auction block.

This year, during Northern California’s roughly seven-day automotive maelstrom, five primary auction houses—RM Sotheby’s, Gooding & Company, Bonhams, Mecum and Broad Arrow—were, together, responsible for approximately $463 million in total sales, according to collector-market aggregator Classic.com.

“This year’s Monterey auctions were eagerly anticipated as a barometer of the state of the industry, particularly with respect to the impact from a potential recession, higher interest rates, war in the Ukraine and post-Covid behavioral shifts,” says Juan Diego Calle, car collector and co-founder of Classic.com. “During Monterey, it seemed as if all of those were non-issues. It was business as usual—booming, in fact.”

During the 2022 Monterey Car Week, approximately $463 million in total vehicle sales were made, according to collector and co-founder of Classic.com, Juan Diego Calle. 

Fairfax Media/Getty Images

The report also reveals that a growing number of millennials are in the market, hoping to buy what inspired them in their formative years. This is evidenced by the fact that 28 percent of the 100 costliest cars sold in Monterey last week were from the 1980s and later.
“We’re clearly seeing a generational shift toward vehicles from the 80’s and 90’s, driven by a younger demographic of collectors and enthusiasts,” Calle says, also noting that the average amount paid for a vehicle was close to $590,000. “Surely there were prewar gems selling for record prices, but the large crowds came out to see more modern icons such as the Ferrari F40, F50, Porsche 959 and Carrera GT.”

The five that fetched top dollar, though, were all from last century—the most recent built in 1957—and all from the storied marques you would expect. Also no surprise is that they came from auction houses the likes of Gooding & Company and RM Sotheby’s, the latter responsible for not just the highest seller, but four out of the five. Who knows? One or more of these may be rolling onto the final fairway at Pebble Beach to compete for Best of Show when Monterey Car Week Gears up again next August.
1957 Ferrari 500 TRC Spider by Scaglietti—$7.815 Million

The 1957 Ferrari 500 TRC Spider that crossed the block had raced in that year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. 

Motorcar Studios, courtesy of RM Sotheby’s.

The penultimate example of only 19 built, this 500 Testa Rossa was fit to comply with new-at-the-time FIA Appendix C regulations, hence the “TRC” moniker. Fit with a 190 hp four-cylinder engine developed by Aurelio Lampredi, and beautifully bodied by Carrozzeria Scaglietti, the car was raced by Richard Ginther and François Picard in that year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans but failed to finish. It did, however, go on to have various drivers on the podium 18 times through 1963, and racer Aston Gregory alone had 12 class wins behind the wheel. Last kept as part of the Oscar Davis Collection, the car had been returned to its matching-numbers state before selling through RM Sotheby’s for $7,815,000 on August 20.
1924 Hispano-Suiza H6C “Tulipwood” Torpedo by Nieuport-Astra—$9.245 Million

The one-of-a-kind 1924 Hispano-Suiza H6C “Tulipwood” Torpedo by Nieuport-Astra. 

Darin Schnabel, courtesy of RM Sotheby’s.

This revered vehicle is dressed in unusual coachwork to be sure, but also among the most beautiful, harkening back to a bygone age for not just the automobile, but watercraft and aviation as well. The car was a commission from André Dubonnet, of Dubonnet aperitif wealth and fame, who had been a combat pilot in World War I and wanted to incorporate innovative aircraft construction techniques and materials in a race car.
Dubonnet did so with the help of Nieuport-Astra, an aircraft builder in France who created this approximately 160-pound body with strips of mahogany (originally thought to be tulipwood) and a myriad aluminum rivets. The result looks as much maritime as motorsport, and Dubonnet raced it to a sixth-place finish at the 1924 Targa Florio. Six decades later, it completed an eight-month restoration and competed in the 1984 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where it was recognized as the Most Significant Hispano-Suiza of the contest. Bidding reached $9,245,000 when the hammer finally dropped in Monterey on August 18.
1937 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster by Sindelfingen—$9.9 Million

Offered through RM Sotheby’s, this 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster by Sindelfingen has less than 13,000 miles on it. 

Darin Schnabel, courtesy of RM Sotheby’s.

A ride worthy of royalty, this Mercedes-Benz 540 K Special Roadster, offered through RM Sotheby’s, was built for Afghanistan’s King Mohammad Zahir Shaw in 1937 and has since seen less than 13,000 miles on it over the course of just four subsequent owners. Among those stewards was Vernon Jarvis who, for three decades, included the car as part of his Early American Museum that was open to the public in Silver Springs, Fla.
The example features coachwork by the marque’s own team of artisans at Sindelfingen, Germany. In particular, it wears a low-door, long-tail design with a covered spare-tire compartment at the rear, one of only three known to still exist with this stylistic combination. But aside from its aesthetic rarity, the fact that it was a monarch’s automobile easily explains how it fetched the kingly sum of $9,905,000 on August 18.

1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante—$10.345 Million

This 1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante is one of 17 built. 

Brian Henniker, courtesy of Gooding & Company.

Out of Gooding & Company’s $109,452,370 in total sales from the 130 lots purchased at its 2022 Pebble Beach Auctions, this 1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante accounts for $10,345,000 of that. And it’s no wonder. The car’s nomenclature alone makes it worthy of being hermetically encased and preserved for the ages. The original French marque’s magnum opus, the Type 57 model line was designed by founder Ettore Bugatti’s son Jean, who tragically died while testing the Type 57C Tank in 1939.
Only 17 examples of the Atalante were made, and this one was lowered and supercharged, or in French, Surbaissé and Compresseur (SC). Fit with a 200 hp inline four-cylinder engine mated to a four-speed manual gearbox, the car has managed to keep the original chassis and body it was born with, making it one of the lynchpins of Bugatti’s legacy.
1955 Ferrari 410 Sport Spider—$22 Million

The 1955 Ferrari 410 Sport Spider driven by Juan Manuel Fangio, Carroll Shelby and Phil Hill, among other racing greats. 

Patrick Ernzen, courtesy of RM Sotheby’s.

The truly seductive draw of owning a collector car is becoming a part of its provenance, and the better its story the more intense the desire to become the next chapter. That’s why this 1955 Ferrari 410 Sport Spider hammered for more than twice that of its next closest competitor. But then few machines have shared such a leading role with the biggest stars in motorsport at the time.
The Ferrari 410 Sport Spider is a model comprising only two cars, each developed to compete in the 1955 Carrera Panamericana. The contest, however, was called off after 83 people were killed at Le Mans in one of the most horrific racing accidents in history. So Juan Manuel Fangio was the first to take the reins of this Prancing Horse, chassis No.0598 CM, at the 1000 KM of Buenos Aires the next year. It soon came stateside, campaigned by John Edgar’s eponymous team and its wunderkind racer Carroll Shelby.
Although other icons of the track, like Phil Hill, Masten Gregory and Richie Ginther took turns behind the wheel, all adding exponentially to its value down the road, it was Shelby that made it the eight-figure Ferrari of today. Out of its 11 overall victories and 19 podium finishes, Shelby was the pilot for eight and 10 of those, respectively. Then, of course, there’s the indelible affirmation of its exclusivity, inscribed on the fuel tank by Shelby’s own hand: “Mr. Ferrari told me that this was the best Ferrari he ever built.” Say no more.
Click here to see photos of the 5 most expensive cars sold at the 2022 Monterey Auctions.

The 1955 Ferrari 410 Sport Spider that crossed the block through RM Sotheby’s. 

Patrick Ernzen, courtesy of RM Sotheby’s.

Even cars from animated films are a hit with collectors.

Just look at the Porsche 911 Sally Edition, which is based on the character of the same name from Pixar’s Cars movies. The sports car sold for $3.6 million at RM Sotheby’s Monterey Car Week auction this past weekend, with every single dollar of its jaw-dropping hammer price going to charity.

Saturday’s auction was a reunion for key members of the Cars team, including Bonnie Hunt, who’s voiced Sally Carrera in the three movies; Jay Ward, Pixar’s creative director, and Bob Pauley, who handled production design for the first and third entries in the franchise. They were on hand to witness the winning bid come in via telephone on Saturday. Although it attracted significant interest before the sale, it’s unlikely that many saw the car, which was said to be valued at more than $200,000, commanding such a high fee.

The Sally Carrera (left) used to promote “Cars” and the street-legal version (right) that sold for $3.6 million. 

Porsche Cars North America

The current-generation 911 Carrera GTS is no normal movie car, and not just because it’s based on a computer animated character. The vehicle that went up for bid is a one-of-a-kind example built by Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur division to resemble Sally as closely as possible. It has a number of unique design elements, including a Sally Blue Metallic finish, custom interior and even a “tattoo” beneath the rear wing. The car is also street legal and, in news sure to please enthusiasts, is powered by a flat-six mated to a seven-speed manual transmission.
“What a night and what a result! It’s fantastic to see a car inspired by my character in Cars do so much good,” Hunt said in a statement. “I’ve loved playing the role of Sally for the past 16 years, she has a special place in my heart, and it’s wonderful that her personality and values continue to inspire new generations today. The car looked amazing, and I know the team put their heart and souls into creating it. I am thrilled for the new owner who has something very special, and completely unique.”

The $3.6 million will be split between two charitable organizations, Girls Inc. and USA for UNHCR. Girls Inc. is network of 76 local organizations throughout the US and Canada that aims to help girls and young women to effect positive change and become leaders. USA for UNHCR, meanwhile, is focused on providing urgent help to the nearly 6.2 million refugees displaced across Europe since Russia invaded Ukraine earlier this year.

While the automotive unobtanium on parade at this year’s Rolex Motorsport Reunion will celebrate a century of Le Mans contenders—from scrappy 1920s air racers to wild mid-aughts prototypes—the Audi paddock will feature a race machine that’s aimed squarely at the future: the Audi S1 e-tron quattro Hoonitron. 

Ingolstadt’s comically named EV was inspired by the 1985 Audi Sport quattro S1, a wild-eyed Group B racer that’s been piloted by a who’s who of rally legends, from Michèle Mouton to Walter Röhrl, who was the first to break the 11-minute barrier at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in 1987 with a time of 10:47.85, a record for the unpaved course that remains uncontested since the route has been paved. 

The Audi S1 e tron quattro Hoonitron (left) and the Audi Sport quattro S1 that inspired it  

Audi

While the glorious fuel-burning S1 was reported to produce 750 horsepower in its unfettered form, the new racer packs its performance in a most tidy electron-spewing package. Built in an accelerated one-month frenzy at Audi Sport’s facility in Neckarsulm, the boxy racer features a carbon fiber chassis, dual electric motors, a slew of FIA-mandated safety features, and of course Audi’s signature all-wheel drive configuration. Severely flared, scooped and spoilered, the new S1 is a slightly sleeker, lower-to-the-ground iteration than the more upright original. While the OG S1’s charm lies in its improbable proportions (and legendary track record), the new version is like a design student’s concept drawing executed solely through straight lines with the promise of great things ahead. 

Audi S1 e-tron quattro Hoonitron in profile 

Audi

The US debut of the Hoonitron prefigures the 11th installment of Ken Block’s slide-tastic series, Gymkhana. While the contents of the forthcoming video have yet to be seen, it’s fair to assume there will be a cornucopia of lurid powerslides and millimeter-close stunts exhibiting peak achievements of an adrenaline junky driver and a highly tuned electric race weapon. Our only regret about this stateside appearance? The unlikelihood of these fantastical machines leaving the paddock and hitting the track.
Check out more photos of the Hoonitron below:

Audi

Audi

Audi

Audi

Audi

Monterey Car Week is finally here, and so is the first of Aston Martin’s big reveals.

The British automaker offered up a first glimpse at the stunning open-cockpit DBR22 on Monday. The exquisite speed machine is meant to celebrate 10 years of the marque’s bespoke Q division and will make its full public debut later this week.
Aston Martin first teased the DBR22 earlier this month when it announced it would be bringing two new cars to Monterey to make their official debuts at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The brand claimed it would be “very special, ultra-exclusive” vehicle, but even that didn’t prepare us for the company’s roofless design concept. The new model is inspired by the iconic DBR1 and DB3S race cars of the 1950s, the former of which Roy Salvadori and Carol Shelby drove to victory at Le Mans in 1959. Like those racers, it features an uncovered two-seat cockpit with a lowline wind deflector instead of a windscreen. It’s similar to the recent V12 Speedster but features a much smoother body design with as few panels as possible, a prominent horseshoe vent in the hood an all-new grille with a carbon-fiber inserts.

Aston Martin DBR22 

Aston Martin

Despite its exterior very explicitly taking inspiration from the past, the DBR22’s interior has some very modern features, like the brand’s current infotainment system. The look of the cabin is sleek and spare, but everything, including the dashboard, is covered in “supple aromatic” leather and accented with carbon-fiber trim.
Powering the car is the same 5.2-liter twin-turbocharged V-12 that Aston Martin has made use of for a few years now. The beefy mill is connected to an eight-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission and pumps out 705 horses and 555 ft lbs of twist. With all that power, you’ll be able to rocket from zero to 60 in 3.4 seconds and hit a top speed of 198 mph. The car has some serious zip to it, so anyone getting behind the wheel may want to put on a good pair of glasses or goggles before taking it out for a spin.

Inside the DBR22 

Aston Martin

Aston Martin hasn’t announced a price or release date for the DBR22, but we’d be willing to bet good money that any car honoring the marque’s Q division will be both expensive and limited. Every past Q model has been exclusive, and there have even been suggestions that the latest could be limited to as few as 10 examples to celebrate its first decade in operation.
Click here to see all of the photos of the Aston Martin DBR22.

Aston Martin

During the 2022 edition of Northern California’s Monterey Car Week, this 1963 Jaguar E-Type Lightweight Competition coupe is sure to be a star of the Bonhams auction at the Quail Lodge & Golf Club, in Carmel, Calif., on August 19. Yet this car has been a star long before now, as it’s one of only 12 examples made by the factory and was raced at the 1963 24 Hours of Le Mans by Walt Hansgen and Augie Pabst as drivers for Briggs Cunningham’s eponymous team.

A racer, team owner and constructor, Cunningham played a big role in postwar motorsports and even tried his hand at building sports and GT road cars in the first half of the 1950s. Following that endeavor, Cunningham became the East Coast Jaguar distributor, after which he campaigned a Jaguar D-Type and several racing XKs over the next few years. By 1957, Jaguar’s D-Type had taken its third victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but a new model was underway. That was the E-Type, which debuted in 1961, and with its advent, Cunningham entered a roadster at Le Mans in June 1962 with support from the factory.

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Even more competitive, though, was the E-Type Lightweight Competition, developed by the factory as a response to Maranello’s threat in the form of the Ferrari 250 GTO. Cunningham eventually acquired three Lightweights, chassis No. S850659, S850664 (this car), and S850665. Incorporating aerodynamic cues from an earlier Jaguar works car known as the Low-Drag Coupe, the Lightweight comprises an alloy body and hardtop that adds rigidity to the aluminum structure. The alloy 3.8-liter inline-six competition engine develops 293 bhp at 5,750 rpm, and was upgraded with Lucas fuel injection, dry-sump lubrication and, eventually, a five-speed manual ZF transmission.

The 1963 Jaguar E-Type Lightweight Competition being offered by Bonhams at its Quail Auction on August 19. 

Pawel Litwinski, courtesy of Bonhams.

The Lightweight’s chassis features four-wheel independent suspension—with revised geometry—and four-wheel disc brakes with the rears mounted inboard. Not intended for homologation by the factory, the model was never formally marketed or acknowledged in Jaguar sales collateral. Backed with official factory support, Cunningham entered three Lightweights in the 1963 24 Hours of Le Mans, with one car driven by Bob Grossman and Cunningham himself finishing ninth overall and second in class.

The cockpit where drivers Walt Hansgen and Augie Pabst took turns behind the wheel during the 1963 24 Hours of Le Mans. 

Pawel Litwinski, courtesy of Bonhams.

This example being offered through Bonhams is the seventh Lightweight built and the second of the three vehicles purchased by Cunningham. With the ZF five-speed gearbox still in the works, chassis No. S850664 was equipped with a Jaguar four-speed gearbox for the Le Mans race. That transmission failed within an hour, forcing an early retirement after qualifying at 14th on the starting grid. Following Le Mans, the factory installed a five-speed gearbox and front hood, and Cunningham brought the car to the United States where it briefly—but successfully—competed at the Road America 500 and Bridgehampton in 1963 before finally going to Cunningham’s museum in Costa Mesa, Calif.

The three Jaguar E-Type Lightweight Competition race cars campaigned by Briggs Cunningham’s team, circa 1963. 

Bonhams

Starting in the early 1970s, chassis No. S850664 had many different owners and became involved with vintage racing in the UK, eventually undergoing a careful restoration. It was most recently acquired by the consignor at Bonhams’ 2017 Quail Auction. Importantly, this highly coveted Lightweight retains its original aluminum engine and is presented as it appeared in 1963 at Le Mans. It is also accompanied by extensive period documentation including owners’ correspondence and period photographs, and has been featured in the most important publications on the marque.
Click here to see photos of the 1963 Jaguar E-Type Lightweight presented by Bonhams.

The 1963 Jaguar E-Type Lightweight Competition being auctioned through Bonhams. 

Pawel Litwinski, courtesy of Bonhams.

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Only a few months after Porsche and Pixar promised a modern, real-life Sally Carrera at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Tex., the car is ready to hit the auction block next week through RM Sotheby’s at the Portola Hotel in Monterey, Calif., as part of this year’s Monterey Car Week. Unlike the original Sally model used to promote the Pixar film Cars, this example is the result of Porsche’s Exclusive Manufaktur division working with Pixar’s Jay Ward and Bob Pauley to bring Sally to life in the form of a current-generation 911 Carrera GTS that exudes the spirit of Sally without looking cartoonish.

“This time we weren’t going to make a car with eyes,” Pauley told Robb Report during an interview ahead of the vehicle’s public announcement. “This isn’t a character, this is a street-legal car inspired by Sally in the details.”

The first Sally Carrera (left) was made for promoting the “Cars” movie, while this new version is a street-legal interpretation of its namesake character. 

Porsche Cars North America

Those details include a special paint dubbed Sally Blue Metallic, which had to be mixed and applied by hand. Many of the exterior elements that are done in black on the standard 911 are painted body-color on Sally, including the rear diffuser and slats on the rear engine cover.
“The 992 has many more black surfaces, and by painting many of these it gives the car a bespoke element,” says Grant Larson, Porsche designer and director of Special Projects for the marque. “It’s breathtaking because it really feels like Sally,” Pauley adds. And when the rear wing is up, you can even see Sally’s “tattoo,” the same found on the namesake character in the film.

The Sally Special is Inspired by the animated character Sally Carrera from “Cars” and built from a Porsche 911 Carrera GTS. 

Porsche Cars North America

In addition to the special paint, Larson worked with Pauley and Ward to create a new, exclusive wheel design that is a modern take on the 996 Turbo wheel. “We interpreted some of Bob’s sketches of the wheel, and it was a perfect reinterpretation of the 996 but more fitting to the form language of the 992,” says Larson.
The Sally Special is powered by a flat-six engine that makes 473 hp and is fitted with a seven-speed manual transmission. Options include rear-axle steering, a front-axle lift system (to clear steep driveways and speed bumps), and an extended-range fuel tank.

When the rear wing is up, you can see Sally’s “tattoo,” found on the original car in the film. 

Porsche Cars North America

The interior is also fully customized, with Pepita upholstery done in Speed Blue, Chalk and black. “When she left the standard production line, everything from the interior was pulled apart and refined,” Larson says. “Nothing was left untouched.” This includes a sketch of the original Sally on the dashboard with the designation that the vehicle is one of one. Larson also mentions that the car has more than 35 options from Porsche’s Sonderwunsch customization program.

The seats are fully customized with Pepita-patterned upholstery done in Speed Blue, Chalk and black. 

Porsche Cars North America

While Porsche isn’t giving an estimate for the Sally Special’s value, a current 911 Carrera GTS with a custom, paint-to-sample exterior color and Exclusive Manufactur leather interior, as well as many of Sally’s options, balance out to well over $200,000. According to some customers, the Sonderwunsch features can add as much as $100,000 to that cost. Then again, Sally isn’t something you could ever configure yourself.
“There’s really no way to put a price tag on this,” Ward says. And it isn’t only the options that make Sally special. Larson notes that many Porsche employees and suppliers donated their time and materials along the way. “We hope whoever wins it will want to drive it,” says Ward. “We specced it selfishly for ourselves.”

Unique touches include a sketch of the original Sally on the dashboard with the designation that the vehicle is one of one. 

Porsche Cars North America

Sally will go under the hammer as lot No. 332 on Saturday, August 20. Proceeds will go to both Girls Inc., an advocacy group for girls and young women, and the USA for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency providing aid to children and their families affected by the conflict in Ukraine.
Click here to see photos of the Sally Special developed by Porsche and Pixar.

The Sally Special developed by Porsche and Pixar. 

Porsche Cars North America

As the US teeters on the brink of a possible recession yet enjoys healthy jobs growth and dropping fuel prices, it’s becoming trickier than ever for prognosticators to get a bead on collecting trends. These mixed-up moments are like a double-rating on the Face Pain Scale: “No hurt” with a dash of “hurts a whole lot.”

If you’re looking ahead to Monterey Car Week’s cornucopia of classic auctions during this best-of-times/worst-of-times moment, you could do worse than draw expert advice on the classic car market from the data-driven folks at Hagerty. 

First off, while the company’s market rating has observed 15 straight months of gains through June, the metric finally slipped a tad in July. That said, Hagerty notes that there’s no shortage of “big” cars this year, with more million-dollar vehicles for auction than ever. That includes the vaunted McLaren F1 #059, which will be sold using RM Sotheby’s first proprietary sealed-bid formats and could exceed the $20 million range established by earlier F1s. Of course, demand is heavily reliant on supply, and this year’s unprecedented twelve Mercedes-Benz 500K/540Ks should test the outer edges of interest in that premium but rather niche market.

1998 McLaren F1. 

RM Sotheby’s

Given the vagaries of these multifarious times, Hagerty takes three potential scenarios that cover most eventualities among the approximately 1,200 auctions throughout the week. The first is a perfect storm of everything working in favor of the market, with total sales approaching $500 million, which would beat the prior record by $100 million. The second recalls 2019, in which there’s a significant disconnect between greedy sellers and realistic bidders. The third sees consignors stick with reasonable reserve prices and buyers bid strongly thanks to the high-quality nature of the goods on hand. For all their hedging, Hagerty ultimately contends that the third scenario is the likeliest outcome, and commits to a rather specific forecast of $398 million in sales, edging the last market peak of 2015 only slightly. 
However, despite the depth of numbers, data, and market-driven analysis available to industry pundits everywhere, there’s nothing like the vagaries of the human heart (and the realities of the bank account) to gauge a potential acquisition. May the best buyers win. 

Click here to see highlights of the Monterey Car Week Auctions.

RM Sotheby’s