Burt Reynolds was in Arizona this weekend to promote the sale of a Trans Am used promote "Smokey and the Bandit" for $550,000.
Last year was a record-setter for new vehicle sales and 2016 is expected to be even better; however, new cars and trucks aren’t the only hot sellers hitting benchmarks these days as evidenced by the millions of dollars worth of vintage metal moved in Arizona this weekend.
This weekend was abuzz with collector car sales as the four major auction houses – Barrett-Jackson, Gooding and Co., RM Sotheby’s and Russo and Steele – all held events in Phoenix and Scottsdale.
The jewel of the weekend was a 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster that sold for $9.9 million, which was shy of its projected sale price of $10 million to $13 million, at the Sothebys event, which generated more than $62 million in sales. The Mercedes originally sold for about $12,000.
When it was new, the 1937 model was delivered to the United States and bought by Reginald Sinclaire of Larkspur, Colorado, who was an heir of one of the founders of Corning Glass, according to RM Auctions. The manual-transmission car is believed to have been driven fewer than 11,000 miles in the past 80 years.
The most expensive car sold at a public auction was a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO that sold for $34.65 million, not including a buyer’s premium, on Aug. 14, 2014, at Bonhams Quail Auction in Carmel, California.
A 2015 Porsche 918 with an 887 horsepower V8 sold at auction for $1.76 million.
“We are thrilled with the sales result from this week’s Arizona auction. Though we did not witness significant price increases, we were very encouraged to see the strong sell-through rate, which indicates continued interest in the hobby,” says Ian Kelleher, Managing Director, RM Sotheby’s West Coast Division.
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“The auction was anchored by several notable world records, with numerous lots attracting highly competitive bidding from an enthused audience. There remains a healthy appetite for high-quality, fresh-to-market consignments, and with this week’s results on par with the strong success of last year’s Arizona sale, we expect continued interest, attendance and participation at our upcoming events.”
Barrett-Jackson set a new high-water mark for the year with its $1.2 million sale of a 2017 Acura NSX supercar at a charity auction benefitting the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and Camp Southern Ground.
The weekend not only brought out the usual assortment of mint condition muscle cars, sports cars and luxury vehicles, it also brought out celebrities as well as some unique vehicles as well. Jay Leno showed up to auction off his 2000 Ford F-150 Harley-Davidson edition from his auto collection, with proceeds going to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The sleek black truck sold for $200,000.
A 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster that sold for $9.9 million.
Burt Reynolds was on hand at the Barrett-Jackson event to hype the $550,000 sale of a Trans Am used to promote his iconic movie, “Smokey and the Bandit.” Other celebrities at the auctions included director Michael Bay and former child actor, Frankie Muniz.
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Some of the vehicles sold this weekend included:
- 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder with an 887 horspower engine with just 595 miles for $1.76 million
- 1953 Delahaye 235 Saoutchik shown at the Pebble Beach Concours for $1.76 million
- 1938 Coddington “French Connection” that was the last vehicle designed by renowned Boyd Coddington for $407,000
- 1970 Chevy Camaro built by Ringbrothers called “The Grinch” for its pea soup green exterior and a 602 hp V8 under the hood for $192,000
- 1959 Chevy Corvette called “The Purple People Eater” for $1.1 million
There were other stars of the four-wheeled variety at the four auctions, perhaps none more unique than a 2015 Fiat 500L that went up for auction on the other side of the country. The little car caused quite a fuss in the media as it carted Pope Francis to his many events during his recent U.S. visit. The dark grey compact cost the couple who bought the vehicle at the black-tie charity event at the Philadelphia Auto Show a tidy $82,000.
“I’m deeply grateful to Fiat Chrysler for its generosity in giving the Archdiocese of Philadelphia the two Fiats used by Pope Francis during his visit to Philadelphia,” said Archbishop Charles J. Chaput in a statement.
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“When we learned that these vehicles would be given to us, we wanted to find some way for the public to see them and answer Pope Francis’ call to love and care for the poor,” the archbishop added. “Our partnership with the Philadelphia Auto Show provides us with the wonderful opportunity to share these vehicles with the community while also connecting with a highly engaged audience for the great benefit of society’s most vulnerable and marginalized members.”