“We are better off having fewer cars, or less valuable ones, without having unrealistic expectations that would hurt things,” says Gord Duff, the global head of auctions for RM Sothebys.
Three of those top 10 are from perennial blue-chip-favorite Ferrari, but a 1956 Aston Martin DBR1, offered by RM Sotheby’s, is expected to fetch $20 million and leads the group. The car is special because it was the first of five DBR1 made and won Aston Martin the 1959 title at Le Mans. That was the same year it won the 1,000-kilometer contest of Nuerburgring, Germany, piloted by the successful racing champion Stirling Moss.
“We are very bullish going into Monterey,” Duff says. “Will the numbers be down this year compared to previous years? Yes, they will. The value of a few key cars we had last year, we just don’t have this year. But we do have that $20 million Aston.”
All told, Sothebys will offer 10 Aston Martins, 18 Porsches, and 29 Ferraris over the course of the weekend. Gooding will offer 27 Porsches and 26 Ferraris. A full 12 percent of all marques offered this year among all auction houses are Ferraris this year, the largest percentage of any brand. It’s the first time in 10 years Ferrari has been the most common brand sold.
So if you love Ferrari—and who doesn’t?—this could be your year, too.
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.