Bonhams: The Great Brands in Monaco – motoring news
Bonhams will be hard at work at the Fairmont Hotel in the Principality on May 13 for “Les Grandes Marques à Monaco”, a sale for which thirty-five prestige and collector’s vehicles have already been registered in its catalogue.
A line-up of heterogeneous vehicles among those which will appear first, a Bugatti Type 35 B chassis from 1927 which is one of the key lots of this Monegasque meeting. This chassis n°4888 has a long and well-documented history, from its delivery to its first owners in the Netherlands in May 1927, until its acquisition by its current owner in 1975. This “matching numbers” vehicle should be auctioned for an amount between 2 and 3 million euros.
Another Bugatti, a Type 37 from 1929, will also be among the lots whose sale price is expected to exceed one million euros. This vehicle, delivered new in France and whose historic condition makes it numerous entries in competition, was the subject of a restoration at the end of the 90s, ordered by the family that has owned the vehicle for 63 years now. Its sale price should be between 800,000 and 1,100,000 €.
Alongside these Bugatti models there will also be a 1951 Ferrari 212 Inter cabriolet bodied by Vignale. This exceptional example of the 212 Inter cabriolet is totally authentic and has regularly distinguished itself in the Concours d’Élégance of recent years. In 2014, it was notably awarded 2nd prize in its category at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Élégance, and ranked 2nd in the coveted “Best of Show”. This Ferrari should change owners for an apparent amount between 1.9 and 2.3 million euros.
A 1975 Ferrari 275 GTS that belonged to Jean-Pierre Beltoise (winner of the 1972 Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix), and restored in 2011 by the Belgian specialist Gipimotor based in Brussels, should appeal to a collector with a budget between 1.2 to 1.6 million euros.
Finally, we also note the presence of two very special Porsche models. The first is a 959 Komfort chassis from 1988 with less than 26,000 km traveled. This vehicle, which is one of the 292 examples of the 959 assembled by the Stuttgart manufacturer, was purchased new by Sheikh Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani of Qatar. It should change owners for 1.4 to 1.6 million euros.
Finally, the second Porsche model comes in the form of a 911 GT2 from 1997, a road-legal model produced in 57 units by Porsche. This chassis, which has covered 8,845 km, was ordered by a customer residing in Japan, and it has retained its original white livery (reference L3AU – FIRNWEISS) as well as its interior trim (black and gray seats). Its sale price should be between 850,000 and 1,150,000 €.
Photo: Ferrari 212 Inter cabriolet 1951 – Credit: Bonhams