2014 Classic Cars: Auction Results from Scottsdale and Arizona

Scottsdale and Arizona 2014 sales saw a good start to the classic car auction year with 38 automobiles achieving results of more than a million dollars each including the most expensive Corvette ever.

Side Profile of a Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider by Scaglietti
Photo: Patrick Ernzen ©2013 Courtesy of RM Auctions

The year started well for classic car auctions with 38 cars achieving more than a million dollars each at the annual sales by Barret Jackson, Gooding & Company, RM Auctions and Bonhams in Scottsdale and Phoenix, Arizona. The highest price achieved was $8,800,000 for a 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider. A 1967 Chevrolet Corvette L88 sold for $3.85 million – the highest price ever paid for a Corvette at public auction. 15 of the top 30 best results were for Ferraris while 9 Mercedes 300 SL sports cars also achieved over a million dollars.

Scottsdale & Arizona Classic Car Auctions 2014

1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider by Scaglietti
Photo: Patrick Ernzen ©2013 Courtesy of RM Auctions

The mid-January classic car auctions in Scottsdale and Phoenix in Arizona traditionally mark the start of the auction year for classic, vintage, and exotic cars. All four big classic car auction houses were present in Arizona in 2014.

RM Auction’s Arizona 2014 sale on January 16-17, 2014 saw a great start to the year with the highest price achieved over the classic car festival weekend when a 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB sold for $8,800,000, the 8thhighest price paid at public auction for a car in the past year. RM Auctions offered 126 automobiles and over a two-day period sold 108 (85% sale-through rate) for a total of $45.6 million – 11 cars made more than a million dollars.

Ferrari 250 GT Series 1 Cabriolet at Auction
Photo: Gooding & Co

Gooding & Company’s Scottsdale 2014 sale on January 17-18, 2014 also went very well by earning a total of $49.4 million and a remarkable sale-through rate of 94% of the 158 lots on offer. Gooding & Company achieved over a million dollars on 13 cars.

Bonhams Scottsdale 2014 auction on January 16, 2014 saw the British auctioneer grossing $25 million with a sell-through rate of 89% on 101 lots. Bonhams, at only its third year at the Arizona week, achieved a million dollars on six cars.

The largest auctioneer at Scottsdale, Barrett Jackson, sold 1399 cars over six days including the most expensive Corvette ever. In total, Barrett Jackson grossed $113 m in sales.

Top Prices Paid at Scottsdale & Arizona Classic Car Auctions 2014

The top-30 prices achieved at the annual Scottsdale and Arizona 2014 classic car auction sales were:

Year Car Auction House  $ Price
1 1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider by Scaglietti RM  8’800’000
2 1958 Ferrari 250 GT Series 1 Cabriolet Gooding  6’160’000
3 1997  McLaren F1 GTR Longtail Gooding  5’280’000
4 1967 Chevrolet Corvette L88 Coupe Barrett Jackson  3’850’000
5 1956 Ferrari 410 Superamerica Series i Coupe Gooding  3’300’000
6 1951 Ferrari 212 Export Berlinetta Bonhams  3’190’000
7 1931 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Supercharged Gran Sport Spider Bonhams  3’080’000
8 1969 Chevrolet Corvette #57 Rebel Convertible Race Car Barrett Jackson  2’860’000
9 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 by Scaglietti RM  2’850’000
10 1961 Porsche 718 RS 61 Spyder RM  2’750’000
11 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/6C Coachwork by Scaglietti-Design by Pininfarina Bonhams  2’640’000
12 1963 Ferrari 250 GT/L ‘Lusso’ by Scaglietti RM  2’447’500
13 1961 Ferrari 250 GT Coupe Speciale Gooding  2’365’000
14 1930 Duesenberg Model J ‘Disappearing Top’ Convertible Coupe by Murphy RM  2’200’000
15 1929 Duesenberg Model J Dual Cowl Phaeton Gooding  2’090’000
16 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing Barrett Jackson  2’090’000
17 1967 Ferrari 330 GTS Gooding  2’062’500
18 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing Gooding  1’897’500
19 1988 Ferrari F300 Barrett Jackson  1’870’000
20 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB by Scaglietti RM  1’815’000
21 1955 Lancia Aurelia B24S Spider America Gooding  1’815’000
22 1952 Ferrari 212 Inter Coupe Gooding  1’787’500
23 1995 Ferrari F50 RM  1’650’000
24 1963 Shelby Cooper Monaco King Cobra Barrett Jackson  1’650’000
25 1966 Ferrari 275 GTS by Pininfarina RM  1’485’000
26 1936 Mercedes-Benz 500K Sports Phaeton Bonhams  1’430’000
27 1959 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster Gooding  1’430’000
28 1929 Duesenberg SJ Labaron Dual Cowl Phaeton Barrett Jackson  1’430’000
29 1985 Ferrari 288 GTO Gooding  1’402’500
30 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing Gooding  1’402’500
31 2008 Bugatti Veyron “Simon Cowell’s” Barrett Jackson  1’375’000
32 1954 Plymouth Belmont Concept Car Barrett Jackson  1’320’000
33 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing RM  1’292’500
34 1961 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster with Hardtop Bonhams  1’237’500
35 1960 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster Gooding  1’100’000
36 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing Coupe Bonhams  1’078’000
37 1935 Hispano-Suiza J12 Cabriolet deVille by Rippon Brothers RM  1’045’000
38 1958 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster RM  1’045’000

All prices as provided by the relevant auction house and including premium.

Top Cars at the Scottsdale & Arizona Classic Car Auctions 2014

1951 Ferrari 212 Export Berlinetta 
Photo: Bonhams

It was no surprise that Ferraris led the price tables at the annual Scottsdale and Arizona classic and exotic car auctions in 2014. Half of the top 30 million-dollar cars were Ferraris, including the top two prices: both 1958 Ferrari 250 GTs – one each for RM Auctions and Gooding. Bonhams’ top price was also for a 1950s Ferrari – a 1951 Ferrari 212 Export Berlinetta.

The third most expensive car was  a 1997 McLaren F1 GTR Longtail sold by Gooding & Co for $5.3 million. This was the first McLaren GTR Longtail to have won a race and was in Fina livery as part of the official BMW racing team.

Red 1967 Chevrolet Corvette L88 2 Door CoupeThe  fourth highest price paid at Scottsdale 2014 was for a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette L88 Coupe, which achieved $3,850,000 – the highest price ever paid for a Corvette at public auction. Barrett-Jackson sold a further 1969 Corvette #57 Rebel L88 Convertible for $2,860,000 – the 8th highest price at Scottsdale this year.

Black 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing
Photo: Gooding & Co

Mercedes was also well represented in the top results with 9 Mercedes-Benz models including 9 300 SL models – five gullwings and four roadsters. The sensation was a 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing sold by Gooding for $1.9 million. This car was a true barn find and in original but somewhat tatty condition – by contrast, Gooding sold a 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing in concourse condition for nearly half million less. Barrett Jackson achieved over $2 million for a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing in pristine concourse condition.

Sterlling Moss driving a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing at Barrett Jackson Scottsdale 2014 sale
Photo: Barrett Jackson

The three oldest cars at the auctions achieving more than a million dollars were Duesenbergs from 1929 and 1930.

The next major classic car auctions will be in early February in Paris (Bonhams and RM Auctions) and then early March at Amelia Island (Gooding & RM).

See Also

About the author:

Henk Bekker

Henk Bekker is a freelance writer with over 20 years of experience in online writing. His best-selling cars website has been reporting car sales statistics since 2008 with classic car auction prices focusing on the most expensive automobiles sold at public auctions in the past decade. He also owns the travel websites European-Traveler.com and Lake Geneva Switzerland. Henk holds an MBA from Edinburgh Business School and an MSc in Finance from the University of London.