Gooding and Co. Scottsdale 2012 – Auction Report

Lot # 5 1971 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 Convertible; S/N 344671M1297463; Sienna Bronze, Black stripes/Saddle vinyl; Black vinyl top; Estimate $90,000 - $120,000; Recent restoration, 2+ condition; Hammered Sold at $72,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $79,200 -- Ram Air hood and air cleaner, P/S, P/B, 4-speed, Rally II wheals, G70-14 Polyglas GT tires, underdash 8-track. Like new but dusty underhood. Fresh restoration to like new with excellent clear coat repaint. AACA National First Prize. Comes with original bill of sale, Protecto-o-Plate and manuals. Impossible to fault. No Reserve. This color in clear coat makes this 4-4-2 look like a piece of root beer candy, and it's that tasty as a car, too. A factory 4-speed and well equipped with options, it is a sound buy at this price. Cataloged as offered by "renowned actor Jeremy Piven" whoever he is, but nearly everything at Gooding & Company is "renowned", rendering Mr. Piven's actual status inconclusive. This car was sold at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale in 2010 for $84,700, offered by Mecum in Indy four months later at a reported high bid of $87,500 and sold by Gooding at Pebble Beach three months after that for $84,700.

Lot # 7 1966 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe; S/N 194376S112988; Mosport Green/Green vinyl; Estimate $65,000 - $85,000; Cosmetic restoration, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $77,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $84,700 -- 427/390hp, 4-speed, A/C, P/W, alloy wheels, gold line tires, AM-FM, wood rim steering wheel. Excellent paint, chrome and interior. Cracked right windshield post. Peeling old undercoat. Aged and used underhood. An attractive driver in an unusual color. Documentation includes the first owner's five speeding tickets, original window sticker and bill of sale. No Reserve. This is a good driver in a great color with a reassuring history of caring owners who took continuous care of it but it is expensive reassurance at this price.

Lot # 8 1937 SS Jaguar 100 2 1/2 Liter Roadster; S/N 49026; Engine # L1012E; BRGreen/Brown leather; Black cloth top; Estimate $325,000 - $400,000; Recent restoration, 2+ condition; Hammered Sold at $290,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $319,000 -- RHD. Body color wire wheels, folding windshield, dual aeroscreens, badge bar, radiator and headlight stone guards. Clean, sharp car in better than new condition. Owned from the 60's into the 90's by Robert Wood who restored it in the mid-60's. Re-restored in the 90's and further refreshed in the mid-00's. 2007 JCNA National Concours Champion in addition to many other awards. This is a quality SS 100, and its value is enhanced by the continuous ownership history since the 60's. Those factors, however, are not enough to offset the 2 1/2 liter engine's drag on its value and it is appropriately priced in this transaction. Most drivers, and certainly most onlookers, aren't going to make particular note of the missing liter, which saved the buyer at least $200,000.

Lot # 10 1966 Ferrari 275 GTS, Body by Pininfarina; S/N 07885; Engine # 07885; Red/Tan leather; Estimate $475,000 - $550,000; Older restoration, 2 condition; Hammered Sold at $700,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $770,000 -- Chrome spoke Borrani wire wheels, Michelin XWX tires. Restored to nearly like new condition with very good paint, chrome, interior and glass. Clean and fresh underhood. Originally owned by Jan de Vroom, later winner of FCA Platinum and multiple award winner at Cavallino. Sold by Gooding at Pebble Beach in 2004 for $264,000, then again in 2009 for $451,000. The result it reached here, however, is off the charts, a wildly optimistic result even for a 275 GTS of this quality and history. This will set dealers and owners to work adjusting their expectations.

Lot # 14 1957 AC Ace Bristol Roadster; S/N BEX329; Engine # 100D682; Blue Metallic/Black; Estimate $225,000 - $275,000; Older restoration, 2- condition; Hammered Sold at $210,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $231,000 -- Triple Solex carbs on 100D engine, 4-speed, chrome wire knock-off wheels, wood-rimmed steering wheel, passenger side dual exhaust. Recent Colorado Grand participant. Very nice paint and aluminum bodywork. Interior shows light patina. Carpet around shifter rough cut but correct. Fine car. This Ace is a winner from every angle and its price was on the lower side of current values, which have been climbing at an alarming rate. The new owner should be very happy. So should the seller.

Lot # 18 1969 Iso Grifo 7 Liter 2-Dr. Coupe; S/N 920242; Purple Metallic/Cream leather; Estimate $350,000 - $550,000; Recent restoration, 2+ condition; Hammered Sold at $320,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $352,000 -- 7-liter V8, 4-speed manual transmission, disc brakes, center-lock cast aluminum wheels, humongous "penthouse" hood scoop, above bumper fog lights. Fantastic period color combination in nearly perfect condition. Small scuff on passenger side rear fender. Loaded with Italian charm and designed by the considerable talents of Giotto Bizzarrini and Giorgetto Giugiaro, the company nevertheless suffered a short life that has affected both the name recognition and the value of its cars. A shame, really, as cars like this Grifo offer fantastic Italian styling and flair with the sledgehammer strength and reliability of '60s American V8s. Gooding's own estimates ran a rather large spread and it brought a reasonable price at the lower end of the spectrum.

Lot # 20 1929 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Ascot Tourer, Body by Brewster; S/N S346KP; Engine # 20468; Blue/Brown; Estimate $375,000 - $450,000; Unrestored original, 3 condition; Hammered Sold at $340,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $374,000 -- Drum headlights and cowl lights, dual sidemounts, whitewalls, folding windshield, tubular bumpers, cloth covered luggage trunk fitted to the rear of the tonneau, dual taillights. Flush side body with hidden hinges, one of only five built. Five owners from new, sound but aged old repaint, new upholstery, 48,179 miles. Owned by the Buess family from 1950 until 2010 and in largely original condition with selective visual repairs. Sold for $200,750 at the Worldwide Houston auction in 2010 from the Buess family collection and given some needed attention to its appearance since then. A great car for touring and Rolls-Royce owners' events, and this was clearly the right audience for the car. It may have sold just short of its estimate, but this price was fair for both buyer and seller.

Lot # 22 1965 Ferrari 500 Superfast, Body by Pininfarina; S/N 6049SA; Engine # 6049SA; Silver-Grey/Black leather; Estimate $950,000 - $1,250,000; Visually maintained, largely original, 2- condition; Hammered Sold at $1,000,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $1,100,000 -- Chrome spoke Borranis, 215/70VR15 Michelin XWX tires, Radiomobile radio, rear window shade. First owner was the Aga Khan, later owned many years by Pierre Bardinon. Good paint, wavy bumpers, sketchy trim chrome, dull wheel rims, stretched upholstery. Driver standard preparation underhood. Chassis shows use. No SA on the engine. 36/SA engine internal number. Sold by Gooding at Amelia Island in 2010 for $814,000 with no visible change in its condition since then. The Scottsdale bidders overlooked the car's cosmetic shortcomings and paid generously for the Superfast legend and ownership history, a super-premium price.

Lot # 25 1959 Porsche 356A Coupe, Body by Reutter; S/N 107990; Engine # 74644; Silver/Red, Tan; Estimate $100,000 - $120,000; Recent restoration, 2+ condition; Hammered Sold at $90,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $99,000 -- Numbers-matching engine, 4-speed, painted steel wheels, chrome hubcaps, period-correct reproduction tires, front and rear bumper overriders. Outstanding paint and bodywork reportedly costing nearly $18,000. Brand new interior with red leather and tan square weave carpeting. A turn-key 356A. Porsche 356s of all stripes have seen a consistent rise in values for the last several years due to any number of factors including strong performance, the continued success of Porsche on and off the track, and an active and supportive community. That, and they're nice to look at. This last bit was particularly true of this '59 356A which was very nicely restored and sported a flattering color combination. The car was essentially perfect in every respect and the new owner should be very happy with a purchase that could not be reproduced for the $99,000 spent.

Lot # 27 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Alloy Gullwing; S/N 1980435500208; Engine # 1989805500218; Silver/Blue leather, plaid; Estimate $2,500,000 - $3,000,000; Concours restoration, 1+ condition; Hammered Sold at $4,200,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $4,620,000 -- 3 liter, NSL-code straight six, 4-speed manual transmission, belly pans, chrome Rudge wheels, fitted luggage. Restored to perfection. More German fans present than at a David Hasselhoff concert. When very rare and desirable cars are restored to perfection and then brought to a well-marketed auction like Gooding Scottsdale, amazing things happen. $4.62 million dollars is big money, but for those who want one of the 29 aluminum bodied Gullwings, this was a rare opportunity. And while many thought it made much more sense to buy a steel Gullwing and pocket the nearly $4 million in change, at least two people in attendance thought otherwise. This is a breathtaking price, even for a breathtaking car.

Lot # 28 1957 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider, Body by Pinin Farina; S/N AR149502726; White/Black, Red piping; Black cloth top; Estimate $60,000 - $80,000; Older restoration, 3+ condition; Hammered Sold at $55,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $60,500 -- AM-FM. Good paint, chrome and interior. Chassis shows use and age. A presentable driver quality Giulietta. No Reserve. A pretty car, pretty well maintained as needed over its life and ready to impart the Giulietta experience to a new owner. Prices of Giuliettas and Giulias have been steadily climbing and this result is at the crest of the wave.

Lot # 30 1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV; S/N 4906; Engine # 30651; Rid, Gold sills/Tan leather; Estimate $1,200,000 - $1,400,000; Recent restoration, 2+ condition; Hammered Sold at $1,000,000 plus commission of 10.00%; Final Price $1,100,000 -- Gold alloy wheels, P/W, Pirelli Cinturato tires. Excellent fresh paint and interior. Chassis and underbody like new. A gorgeous, fresh, sharp car, except for the scratched side window glass. Better than new but not over the top. 2001 and 2007 Concorso Italiano class winner. A meticulous restoration of one of just 150 (or so) factory-built Miura SVs that brought a reasonable price in the rapidly climbing market for these rare, beautiful and special cars.