Iconic German sports cars take center stage at RM Sotheby’s Paris sale

PARIS, France – RM Sotheby’s enjoyed another successful night in Paris at its seventh annual sale during Rétromobile week. The auction amassed over €16.5 million in sales with 75 percent of all lots sold for the diverse range of desirable cars and automobilia offered for sale. The packed auction room, which encouraged enthusiastic bidding on key lots, witnessed strong individual results across cars from rare 1950s and ‘60s sports roadsters through to modern hypercars. The much publicized Poster Car Collection was a particular success and brought in over €6.4 million total.

The star lot of the Poster Car Collection, the 1958 BMW 507 Series II, was the subject of high pre-auction interest, and on the night the beautifully restored roadster changed hands for an outstanding €1,996,250, under the imposing dome of Les Invalides, at Place Vauban. The 507 Series II—highly coveted and regarded as one of the most stunning roadsters to come out of the 1950s—is a matching numbers car and attracted a flurry of bids. The BMW is signed by its famous designer, legendary design pioneer Albrecht von Goertz.

The high demand for collectable ‘50s and ‘60s German cars continued throughout the night as the 1964 Porsche 904 GTS sold for €1,917,500, surpassing its pre-sale estimate (Est. €1.6m/€1.8m). The fully matching numbers Porsche is a two-seat dual-purpose sports racing car, retaining its original engine and gearbox. The German sports and racing theme continued as the top five sales were rounded out by two Mercedes-Benz 300 SL models. A 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing, believed to be one of the first models privately delivered to Europe and boasting interesting early competition history, settled on €1.07m (Est. €800,000/€1.2m) and a 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster was bought for €764,375.

A 2012 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport was the third-highest value sale of the night, bringing in a final €1.52 million (Est. 1.2m/€1.8m). The French hypercar is one of only 48 Super Sport models ever produced and was offered for sale with numerous optional extras and having been well maintained by just one owner who covered only 4,000km from new.

The much-lauded Poster Car Collection, which comprised a wonderful selection of iconic, poster-worthy cars from across the decades, was a standout feature of the sale. With all-but-one of the 21 cars finding new homes and led by the sale’s top-selling BMW 507 Roadster Series II and Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing, the entire collection grossed €6,437,459, exceeding pre-sale low estimate for all cars. Other stand-out sales from the grouping included a 1992 Jaguar XJ220 at €398,750 (Est. €300,000/€350,000), a 1967 Iso Grifo GL Series I reaching €275,000 (Est. €200,000/€250,000) and a 1973 Ferrari Dino 246 GTS restoration project bought for €263,750.

RM Sotheby’s Paris auction also brought about the sale of several exclusively rare lots, led by the 1969 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3 ‘Red Pig’ Replica, smashing its pre-sale estimate (€150,000/€200,000) to bring in €432,500 as bids just kept coming for the faithful re-creation of Mercedes-Benz and AMG’s iconic ‘Red Pig’.

1. 1958 BMW 507 Roadster Series II - €1,996,250 ($2,178,298)

2. 1964 Porsche 904 GTS - €1,917,500 ($2,092,366)

3. 2012 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport - €1,523,750 ($1,662,709)

4. 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing - €1,073,750 ($1,171,670)

5. 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster - €764,375 ($834,082)

6. 1965 Aston Martin DB5 - €623,750 ($680,632)

7. 1970 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Berlinetta - €522,500 ($570,149)

8.1939 Delahaye 135 Roadster - €455,000 ($496,493)

9.1969 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3 ‘Red Pig’ Replica - €432,500 ($471,941)

10.1992 Jaguar XJ - €398,750 ($435,114)

RM Sotheby’s continues its 2020 auction calendar next month with its Amelia Island, Florida auction on March 6-7—the official auction of the esteemed Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. Taking place over two days in 2020, the 22nd annual sale will offer some of the finest coach-built classics, sports and racing cars. The European calendar continues just weeks later as RM Sotheby’s stages the company’s second German sale during Techno-Classica Essen, March 27 at the Messe Essen exhibition center. The Essen sale is set to present a number of diverse collector cars during the long-running Techno-Classica fair, recognized as the first great German car salon for vintage cars and collector vehicles. 

Complete results from RM Sotheby’s Paris as well as further details on upcoming auctions are available at rmsothebys.com.

* Results are listed in EURO and include buyer’s premium.
* Results include select transactions that occurred immediately following the sale

About RM Sotheby’s

RM Sotheby’s is the world's largest collector car auction house by total sales. With 40 years of proven results in the collector car industry, RM’s vertically integrated range of services, from auctions and private sales to estate planning and financial services, coupled with an expert team of car specialists and an international footprint, provide an unsurpassed level of service to the global collector car market. RM Sotheby’s is currently responsible for six of the top ten most valuable motor cars ever sold at auction. In February 2015, RM formed a strategic partnership with Sotheby’s, uniting the two companies for the full calendar of future automobile auctions. For further information, visit rmsothebys.com.