Best of Bonhams

2012

Winner of the 2005 Tour Auto Regularity Class, 1961 Aston Martin DB4GT Coupé

A true dual-purpose car, the DB4GT was was equally at ease on both the circuit and Grand Tour. One of only 30 of its kind produced with left-hand drive, this model was originally shipped to the United States Aston Martin agent, BMCD on 13th January 1961.

In 1997, the car returned to the United Kingdom and was later sold to a gentleman racer and Aston Martin collector who was invited to enter the DB4GT in the Tour Auto and the Concorso d'Eleganza at Villa d'Este in 2001. The car has achieved two 3rd places, three 5th places and on the 2005 event won the Regularity Class outright at the Tour Auto.

Amongst the most beloved of all Astons, the DB4GT remains unmatched for its unique combination of performance and roadability, and this rally-ready model sold for € 1,012,000 in The Paris Sale in 2012.

2013

The 'Out of Africa' feature film 1929 De Havilland DH60GM Gipsy Moth Two-seat touring biplane.

Few great movie film sequences have ever captured the sheer romance of flying more evocatively than those featuring this very De Havilland Gipsy Moth which so characterise renowned Director Sidney Pollack's wonderful 1985 title, 'Out of Africa'. Based upon the eponymous book, first published in 1937 by authoress 'Isak Dinesen' – the pseudonym of the Danish prime character, Karen Blixen – the movie took seven Academy Award 'Oscars' amongst its total of no fewer than 28 international accolades.

In 2013, the actual aircraft which contemporary owner Cliff Lovell made available to Universal Pictures for their production of 'Out of Africa' in 1985 was offered in excellent condition with a permit to fly.

A wonderfully useable classic two-seat biplane aircraft, the Gipsy Moth brought with it all the nostalgic joy of flying through that so-atmospheric period of the late-1920s into the early-1930s and went on to sell for € 201,250 at Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais.

2014

1968 Ferrari 275GTB/4 Berlinetta

A true classic of sports car design, the 275GTB features a penetrative nose, long bonnet, purposeful side vents, high waistline and short be-spoilered tail.

Chassis number '10905' was completed in January 1968 and delivered to its first owner in Maione, Italy in March of that same year. Fully restored in 2013, this exceptional 275GTB/4 presented a wonderful opportunity to acquire an excellent example of what many regard as the finest road-going Gran Turismo ever produced by Ferrari.

This model crossed the auction block in 2014, achieving a new world auction record for the model when it was sold for an astonishing €2,225,000.

2015

1965 Aston Martin DB5 Convertible

Synonymous with Britain - and, of course, celebrated British spies - Aston Martin has produced iconic motor cars throughout decades of manufacture, and arguably none more so than those designed in the David Brown era: the DB4 and DB5.

One of only 39 examples produced in left hand drive, this rare 1965 DB5 Convertible set a new world auction record at the Bonhams Grand Palais auction in Paris on 5 February, fetching €1,897,500.

2016

1961 Aston Martin DB4 'Series IV' Sports Saloon

At its launch in October 1958, the DB4 marked a major turning point for Aston Martin as it was the first car of the David Brown era which neither used a chassis derived from the experimental Atom of 1939 nor an engine designed by W O Bentley. Moreover, it was the first Aston Martin to carry Carrozzeria Touring's 'Superleggera' bodywork, resulting in a car whose sleek lines were described as 'unmistakably Italian and yet... equally unmistakably Aston Martin.'

This original left-hand drive 'Series IV' DB4 was delivered new to Spain and was professionally restored in 2013 by Auto Storica in Barcelona. A truly spectacular example of the DB4 that ushered in a new era at Newport Pagnell, this Series IV went on to sell for €609,500 at The Grand Palais.

2017

1935 Aston Martin Ulster 'CML 719'

With an outstanding provenance and racing history including a 5th place in its class at the 1935 Le Mans 24H, this 1935 Aston Martin Ulster 'CML 719' was the star of the show at Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais sale in 2017.

It is of little surprise that it well exceeded its estimate to achieve the astonishing sum of €2,012,500, after an intense exchange between four bidders in the sale room which lasted several minutes and culminated in a round of applause when the hammer finally came down!

2018

1904 Fiat Type 24/32 rear-entrance tonneau

Founded in Turin by a group of aristocratic motoring enthusiasts, FIAT (Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino) built its first car in 1899. Introduced in 1903, the Type 24/32 was an immense success for FIAT and remained in production until 1905, by which time over 400 had been completed.

Chassis number '745', the car offered here, was ordered new by Mr & Mrs George Agassiz of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. On honeymoon in Europe in 1903, the couple visited the FIAT factory in Turin, Italy and were impressed by the Type 24/32. They duly ordered one, which was completed in June 1904 for shipment to Hollander & Tangeman in New York, the FIAT importer in the USA and Canada.

In February 2018, this 1904 Fiat Type 24/32 rear-entrance tonneau fetched €713,000 at auction, in a marathon sale that lasted over 7 hours and achieved and achieved a total of €14,930,317.

2019

1939 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Cabriolet A

Together with its predecessor the 500 K, the magnificent Mercedes-Benz 540 K was arguably the most noteworthy production model offered by the Stuttgart firm during the 1930s, representing the pinnacle of its pre-war achievements.

Offering elegant two-seater accommodation allied to breathtaking performance, this rare and stylish 540 K cabriolet represents the very best that money could buy in the late 1930s and is a fine example of this classic German model. As its maker said: 'a car for the connoisseur'.

Formerly owned by His Majesty King Hussein bin Talal, former King of Jordan, the car had been in the ownership of the late monarch's family for the past 34 years, and sold for €1,581,250 in February 2019.

2020

1931 Bugatti Type 55 Two-Seat Supersport

One of the most important Bugatti sports cars of the marque's golden era, this magnificent 1932 Bugatti Type 55 Roadster was the star lot of the Bonhams Grand Palais Sale, selling for an impressive €4,600,000 in February 2020 – the most valuable lot across all the collectors' motor car sales taking place in Paris that week.

The rare example (one of only 29 surviving) of an early French supercar was the subject of much pre-sale attention, being its very first appearance at auction, following an incredible 56 years in the ownership of renowned British Bugatti connoisseur, the late Geoffrey St John, and lately of his niece, Dr Alissar McCreary.

This exceptional and historic car presented a once in a lifetime opportunity to buy one of the most important examples of the golden age of automotive craftsmanship and performance, and was the subject of a serious yet spirited three-way bidding battle in the room before being sold to a Swiss Bugatti collector, whose final bid earned applause from the room.

2021

1992 Porsche 911 Carrera 2 Type 964 'Works Turbo Look' Cabriolet

Offered at auction for the first time, Diego Maradona's 1992 Porsche 911 Type 964 Carrera 2 Convertible Works Turbo Look achieved €483,000, making more than double its high estimate at Les Grandes Marques du Monde à Paris Sale, the first fully digital Bonhams Motor Cars sale.

The rare 911 was delivered new to 'El Diego' in November 1992. Only 1,200 variants of the 964 Carrera 2 Convertible Works Turbo Look were produced in a two-year run. A supercar of its day, the 911 was powered by a 250bhp 3.6-litre Carrera 2 engine with a top speed of 260km/h. Within half an hour of receiving delivery of the car, the footballing legend cruised through the historic centre of Seville, jumping red lights and at a speed of 180kph.

The Porsche was later sold to a private owner on the island of Majorca who owned it for 20 years before it passed through the hands of several private collectors. It was offered in practically original yet well-preserved condition, having covered circa 120,000 kms (75,000 miles) since new.

2022

2014 Ferrari LaFerrari Coupé

One of the world’s fastest, most exciting hypercars, the evocatively titled ‘LaFerrari’ integrates electric power with the iconic V12 engine, a type of power unit used in the very first Ferrari of 1947.

One of only 499 examples of the hybrid hypercar and the first production car to feature the F1-derived HY-KERS hybrid system, this yellow over black LaFerrari had covered fewer than 930km from new and was offered by its second owner.

This 2014 example lit up the auction in the Grand Palais Éphémère, achieving €2,558,750 and setting a new auction world record for a European-specification variant to the applause of the saleroom.

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