RM SOTHEBY’S ONLINE ONLY: OPEN ROADS, THE EUROPEAN SUMMER AUCTION GROSSES IN EXCESS OF €8M  

The latest European auction from RM Sotheby’s—Online Only: Open Roads, The European Summer Auction—closed for bidding yesterday, generating €8.23 million in total sales with bidders hailing from no less than 41 countries.

This is the second European-based sale to be held via RM Sotheby’s’ proprietary Online Only platform and yet again proved the auction house’s expertise in attracting potential buyers from all around the world to bid on the world’s rarest and most collectable cars and in this instance, boats too.

Headlining the top results was a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Alloy by Scaglietti, part of the Richoz Collection, which achieved €1,430,000. Produced in January 1966, this aluminium-bodied 275 GTB represents a highly desirable specification of this much sought-after Ferrari model and was delivered new to Switzerland, where it has remained throughout its life. 

One of the other rarities in the Online Only: Open Roads, The European Summer Auction, and which attracted much pre-sale attention, was a genuinely unique 1968 Sonny Levi designed power boat—the “G. Cinquanta” G50, created new for charismatic Fiat boss, Gianni Agnelli. With a brief that demanded the boat to be quick and reliable while being able to negotiate mixed weather conditions on the ocean, whilst also offering comfort, prestigious marine designer, Renato “Sonny” Levi, created the 37ft “G. Cinquanta” G50 as the answer to Agnelli’s desires. This one-of-one speed boat boasts four new BPM V-8 Vulcano engines, producing even more power than the originals and perfectly capable of taking the G50 to its top running speed of 50 knots (92 km/h). This stunning one-off boat achieved an outstanding €450,000.

One of the most iconic World Rally cars of all time—the 1985 Lancia Delta S4—went under the hammer and achieved €770,000 when bidding closed. Chassis 207 was first campaigned in the final round of the 1985 World Rally Championship under the famous Lancia Martini team. Driven by noted Finnish drivers Markku Alén and Ilkka Kivimäki, chassis 207 finished an impressive 2nd overall at the Lombard RAC Rally, separated by less than 60 seconds from the winners after 63 stages and 880 km.

Other notable sales included the 2009 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 S Roadster, which saw a late flurry of bids right up until the auction closed. This sleek yet brutally fast drop-top went for €605,000.

Maarten ten Holder, Head of Europe, RM Sotheby’s, says: “Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, our business has had to adapt to new ways of connecting buyers and sellers of rare and exquisite machinery, and this latest Online Only auction is further evidence that our online auction platform is working supremely well. Surpassing €8m in sales is a good result for all concerned, and the market continues to demonstrate resilience during the difficult year for the global economy.