Classic car sales at Amelia Island total almost $55 million
It was a busy weekend in Amelia Island, Fla., as almost $55 million in classic cars found new homes.
The weekend marked the 18th annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, a highlight in the world of classic car shows. RM Auctions, the official auction house of the event, and Gooding & Co. each hosted auctions in which world records were set.
The highlight of the weekend for RM was the $4.5 million sale of a 1935 Duesenberg SJ Walker-LaGrande Convertible Coupe. The car was only one of three ever made, and the only model with a supercharger. As a result, it has 320 horsepower from an inline eight-cylinder engine.
PHOTOS: Highlights of the Amelia Island auctions
Its top speed when new was 140 mph, an eye-watering achievement for sports cars of that era. The car is also an award winner from shows like the Pebble Beach Concours.
RM’s other million-dollar-plus sales were a 1933 Stutz DV32 Convertible Victoria for $1.51 million, a 1965 Ferrari GTB for $1.37 million, a 1952 Ferrari 225 Sport Berlinetta “Tuboscocca” for $1.23 million, and a 1911 Lozier Model 51 Seven-Passenger for $1.1 million.
A rare 1948 Tucker 48 formerly owned by George Lucas was one of the few cars offered by RM Auctions that did not sell over the weekend. The car reached a high bid of $1.475 million, which wasn’t enough to meet its expected sale price of $1.5 million to $1.9 million.
The Ontario, Canada-based auction house sold a total of $26.8 million worth of cars over its two-day event.
The highlight of Gooding & Co.’s weekend was the $2.75 million sale of a 1928 Bentley 4 ½ Liter Semi-LeMans Tourer. The car features many racing upgrades specific to the Le Mans racers of the day. The car has a twin-carbureted inline four-cylinder engine making 130 horsepower.
Another highlight for Gooding was the sale of a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Long Nose Alloy. The car sold for $2.36 million on Friday, a world record for such a car. This brilliant yellow coupe is one of roughly 25 alloy-bodied models made. It has a 300-horsepower 3.3-liter V-12 engine with six Weber carburetors, and a five-speed manual gearbox.
Gooding’s other sales eclipsing the $1 million mark were a 1929 Rolls Royce Phantom Derby Speedster, a 1953 Fiat 8V Supersonic, a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4, a 1995 Ferrari F50, a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTS and a 1969 Ferrari 365 GTC. These car pushed Gooding’s total sales to $28.2 million for the weekend.
The classic car world now turns its attention to Lake Como, Italy. That’s where the annual Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este will be held on May 25. Villa d’Este rivals only the Pebble Beach Concours in terms of international prestige for car shows.
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Amelia Island auctions draw some doozies -- and a Duesenberg SJ
Rare Tucker 48 formerly owned by George Lucas headed to auction
