Amelia Island

The Ritz-Carlton
9 March 2018

MILLION-DOLLAR MARMON SIXTEEN AND PORSCHE 911 CARRERA RS 3.8 STEAL THE SHOW AT RM SOTHEBY'S 20TH AMELIA ISLAND SALE

RM Sotheby's returned to Amelia Island for its 20th annual sale as the official auction of the renowned Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. The single-day sale achieved $27.7 million with a strong 86 percent of all lots sold, with international attendance from bidders representing 32 countries. Exceptional pre-war classics and modern high-performance models were the highlights of the night, with top sale honors led by a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB, one of approximately 58 long-nose, torque-tube, triple-carburetor, steel-bodied examples. Retaining its original chassis, engine, and gearbox, the beautifully presented car sold for a final $2,205,000.

One of the most highly anticipated segments of the evening was the offering of Exclusively Porsche – The 964 Collection, a group of 11 limited-production Porsche 911 Type 964 variants assembled by a single owner. Stand outs from the collection included the one-of-55 1993 911 Carrera RS 3.8, which sold for a final $1,655,000 against a pre-sale estimate of $1.2M–$1.5M, smashing the previous record for a Type 964 Porsche 911 Carrera RS at public auction. The paint-to-sample Ferrari Yellow 1993 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.8, showing less than 800 km from new, roared onto the stage and brought a strong $1,270,000.

"Our 20th anniversary Amelia Island sale showed robust demand across the market with a strong 86 percent sell-through rate," said Gord Duff, Global Head of Auctions for RM Sotheby's, following the sale. "We saw a number of long bidding contests drive results well over estimate for cars in virtually every category, from American Classics like the 1931 Marmon Sixteen Coupe, to the Porsche 911 Carrera RS 3.8 from the 964 Collection, and the 2001 Lamborghini Diablo, which continued the string of recent strong prices for low-mileage supercars. To be able to sell both a Marmon Sixteen and a 911 Carrera RS 3.8 for record prices on the same night speaks to the expertise of our team of specialists as well as our client reach."

Pre-War classics also drew strong interest at RM Sotheby's Amelia Island sale. Most notably, a 1931 Marmon Sixteen LeBaron Coupe wearing a superb restoration by Marmon expert Harry Sherry and complete with its original body, engine, and chassis incited a fierce battle between a bidder in the room and on the phone, selling for a final $1,050,000 against a pre-sale estimate of $700,000–$900,000. Additional American high performers included a 1932 REO Royale 8-35 Convertible Coupe, one of only five known surviving examples, which achieved a final $280,000 (Estimate: $200,000–$250,000). European classics were led by the immaculate 1930 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A S Boattail Cabriolet, known as "The Grey Goddess," which dazzled under the auction lights before bringing a well-deserved $1,270,000. A 1928 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Étoile Town Car with striking coachwork by Hibbard & Darrin also far-exceeded expectations at $335,000 (Estimate: $175,000–$250,000).