Image: Trevor Yale Ryan
This is Part II of the Melbourne Car Spotters Monterey Car Week Full Recap: Auction and Event Coverage, and Our Favourite Snaps. We'd highly recommend reading Part I: New Car Reveals here, so you're in the know about what's on the horizon in the car world.
Our Favourite Event & Auction Highlights
What would a 'car week' be without ludicrous auctions, events, and spotting? Have a look below at our favourite event, a selection of notable auction results, and the pick of the crop from Instagram.
Rare Shades by @PTSRS & @000Magazine
Although somewhat niche, we couldn't resist leaving out our favourite event of the week: Rare Shades. Organised by one of our favourite Instagram pages, @ptsrs, Rare Shades was a gathering of Porsches, but not in the traditional sense. All had one thing in common: Paint To Sample (PTS) bodywork, making for a spectacular array of blues, greens, pinks, reds, blacks, and the rest, all arranged by shade and by model year. With quite a cult following, PTS enthusiasm is a whole 'nother level of car nerdiness; cult participants nitpicking over subtle differences in metallic fleck when determining whether a car is Sapphire Blue or Aqua Blue. If you didn't know, the PTS progam enables new Porsche owners to spec their cars with an array of rarer colours, based on historical or otherwise uncommon colours. Unfortunately, we in Australia don't have a large representation of PTS; Aussies opting for safer black, silver, and white for the most part. It is spectacular to see a niche community come together and organise a unique and interesting event - check out the album of the event below, as well as @PTSRS on Instagram.
Although somewhat niche, we couldn't resist leaving out our favourite event of the week: Rare Shades. Organised by one of our favourite Instagram pages, @ptsrs, Rare Shades was a gathering of Porsches, but not in the traditional sense. All had one thing in common: Paint To Sample (PTS) bodywork, making for a spectacular array of blues, greens, pinks, reds, blacks, and the rest, all arranged by shade and by model year. With quite a cult following, PTS enthusiasm is a whole 'nother level of car nerdiness; cult participants nitpicking over subtle differences in metallic fleck when determining whether a car is Sapphire Blue or Aqua Blue. If you didn't know, the PTS progam enables new Porsche owners to spec their cars with an array of rarer colours, based on historical or otherwise uncommon colours. Unfortunately, we in Australia don't have a large representation of PTS; Aussies opting for safer black, silver, and white for the most part. It is spectacular to see a niche community come together and organise a unique and interesting event - check out the album of the event below, as well as @PTSRS on Instagram.
Auction Highlights
If you were an avid car collector with a few million to spend, you could burn through your budget very quickly at Monterey. Six main auctions all occur during the week, including the RM Sothebys, the Official Pebble Beach, and Bonhams as the most significant. Just looking at the catalogues, you have to wonder whether you've just opened a 'Dream Car Calendar', or a list of cars featured in the latest Forza or Project Cars videogames.
$368m USD of car was sold at all six main auctions, with three cars selling for $20m+ each. The list of notable cars is far too long to mention here (it could be filled with multi-million dollar Ferraris alone), so check out our personal favourite highlights below, as well as the RM Sotheby's catalogues for some bedtime reading (here:http://media.rmsothebys.com/digitalcatalogs/2018/MO18/index.html)
If you were an avid car collector with a few million to spend, you could burn through your budget very quickly at Monterey. Six main auctions all occur during the week, including the RM Sothebys, the Official Pebble Beach, and Bonhams as the most significant. Just looking at the catalogues, you have to wonder whether you've just opened a 'Dream Car Calendar', or a list of cars featured in the latest Forza or Project Cars videogames.
$368m USD of car was sold at all six main auctions, with three cars selling for $20m+ each. The list of notable cars is far too long to mention here (it could be filled with multi-million dollar Ferraris alone), so check out our personal favourite highlights below, as well as the RM Sotheby's catalogues for some bedtime reading (here:http://media.rmsothebys.com/digitalcatalogs/2018/MO18/index.html)
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1962 Ferrari 250 GTO (chassis #3413GT)
We knew the 250 GTO would sell for some other-worldly price, and it didn't disappoint. Traditionally the world's most expensive and highly sought-after car, the 250 went for a record $48,405,000 USD, breaking the record for the highest price for a car at auction. Formerly owned by the chief software engineer of Microsoft, Dr Greg Whitten, its new owner has joined an ultra-exclusive club. |
Image courtesy RM Sotheby's
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1963 Aston Martin DP215 Grand Touring Competition Prototype
A unique model from Aston Martin Works, the DP215 was designed as a possible entry into Le Mans. Completely restored, the AM fetched a handy $21,450,000 USD. Several design features from the DP215 can be seen in the current Aston bloodline, particularly in the face of the V12 Vanquish Zagato model. The final 'DB' Aston made by the factory, its price certainly reflects its rarity. |
Image courtesy RM Sotheby's
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1966 Ford GT MkII
If you're a Le Mans fan, you'll probably recognise this legend of the track. In 1966, Ford GTs finished 1st, 2nd, and 3rd at Le Mans, famously beating out Ferrari. This one finished 3rd, and won 'People's Choice' award at Pebble Beach in 2003. It sold for an eye-watering $9,795,000 USD. |
Image courtesy RM Sotheby's
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McLaren F1 HDK
Whilst only available through RM Sotheby's 'Private Sales' division, this McLaren F1 HDK (High-Downforce Kit) is asking about $22m USD. Chassis number 014, it is only one of 8 road cars fitted with the High-Downforce Kit, and one of two with LM interior conversion done by McLaren Special Operations. The HDK was a factory option for later-model F1s, but this one was later added later by McLaren; it includes the elongated front splitter and rear wing, making it appear much more like the F1 GTR. |
Image courtesy @evanlernerphoto, via Instagram
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A crashed 1987 Porsche 959
One sure to make a car lover tear up - this Porsche 959 was supposedly being towed on a freeway, when its trailer became unhitched, careening it off the road and into a tree. The real shame is that it was a rarer 'Komfort' version, one of 294 made. That being said, it still fetched $476k USD at auction. Its rear engine was apparently not damaged in the incident, but it's certain to be a hefty repair bill. |
Image courtesy Mecum Auctions
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1998 Mercedes AMG CLK GTR
If you ever wanted a prototype racecar for the road, this is the one to get. Equivalent to the Porsche GT1, the CLK GTR was limited to only 25 units as a homologation special, this one being the ninth. It ended up selling for $4,515,000 USD. |
Image courtesy RM Sotheby's
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1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV
One of the more popular cars to spot in Melbourne to date, and arguably one of the most beautiful cars of all time, the Miura never fails to impress. This one, the rarer SV designation, sold for a handy $2,177,500 USD. One of 150 SVs built (275 of the standard P400s), this example is finished in Rosso Corsa - one of only 46 made in that colour. We're lucky to have a handful here in Victoria, including red, white, light blue, and green. |
Image courtesy RM Sotheby's
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1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C
One of the many Ferraris at auction over the week, this gorgeous 275 GTB/C is one of only 12 built. At one stage of its life it was owned by Bernie Ecclestone, and has raced at the 24h of Daytona twice as part of the North American Racing Team (N.A.R.T.). The 'C' stands for 'Competizione', which indicates lightweight aluminium bodywork, minimal creature comforts inside the cabin, and a long-range fuel tank in the boot. Unfortunately it failed to reach its reserve price, with the highest bid hitting $10,300,000 USD. |
Image courtesy newatlas.com
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Our Favourite Photos From the Wider Insta-Verse
With such an incredible ability to drag cars of all sorts out of the woodwork, Instagram was bursting with quality content and spots from Monterey. We've put below our favourite photos of the week, from the many talented photographers from across the world (including Melbourne's own @tommyfraser, @ns_images, @jbbimages, and @lankester.cars). Let us know in the comments what your favourite car of the week was!
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