The auction companies have pulled out all the stops for the upcoming Paris sales and judging from the lot list Bonhams certainly did not drop the ball.
The sale in the majestic Grand Palais is headlined by this Ferrari 206 S Dino Spyder. One of just 18 examples built, this one was raced predominantly in Italy. Its lengthy career came to an end in 1970, and chassis 022 was then owned by prominent collectors Pierre Bardinon and Jacques Setton, who has owned the V6-engined Ferrari since 1984. No estimate is given for the strikingly beautiful 206 S Dino but we believe a princely sum will be required to pry the car from its longtime owner.
A stunning selection of Bugattis is also consigned and today we highlight this Type 39. It is one of just a dozen Bugatti voiturette racers built for the 1925 season. It first served as a works car and was then raced for several decades in Australia. It was eventually restored during the early 1980s and chassis 4607 has been in the current custodianship since 1986.
Finished in a particularly bright colour combination, this Alfa Romeo 1900C SS is one of just 39 clothed by Zagato. Competition prepared, it was originally owned by a Spanish enthusiast and racer. Following a sojourn in the United States, it was repatriated to Italy in 1991 when it was completely restored. Owned by a single collector since then, the 1900C SS is estimated to sell for €750,000 - €1,000,000 million.

This week, Gooding announced their first ever sale outside of the United States. Due to be held in London on April 1st, it has been named the Passion of a Lifetime auction. It is a single collection sale of a 16-strong stable created by a Belgian enthusiast over the last four decades. It includes a superb mix of Bugattis, Bentleys and Aston Martins. In a first preview, we have taken a look at two of the Aston Martins due to cross the block. The first is this DB4 GT Zagato, which was originally sold to an Englishman back in 1961. He retained the car for nearly two decades, and the current custodian has owned and actively used chassis 0176/R since 1985. Nearly a decade later, he added this DB3S to his collection. It was raced in period by the Kangaroo Stable and also set the Australian Land Speed Record in 1957. Since acquiring DB3S, it has been raced regularly in events like the Le Mans Classic and Goodwood Revival.

The dust from the Scottsdale auctions is still settling but we already look forward to the next barrage of sales due in Paris at the start of February as part of the Retromobile week. First up is the well stocked RM Sotheby's Paris Sale, which will kick off the three days of auctions. The absolute headliner is this Jaguar D-Type that was originally sold to Australia. It had a long and successful period racing career. It was eventually repatriated and remained in longterm ownership from the late 1970s through to the early 2000s. Chassis XKD 520 was sold to the current custodian by RM in Paris six years ago, and with a €5.9-6.4 million estimate, it looks like it was a solid investment.
Another legendary machine consigned is one of less than three dozen BMW 507s sold new to the United States. It was later acquired by a BMW enthusiast, whose love for the German marque had started when he saw this very car some two decades earlier. Now fully restored, it should sell for around €2 million.
Of a completely different calibre is this striking Lamborghini Veneno Roadster. One of nine built, this wild machine is consigned by its second owner and has less than 500 km on the odometer. Perhaps not to everyone's taste, it is nevertheless expected to sell for over €4.5 million.

Last week, all eyes were on the Phoenix, Arizona suburb of Scottsdale where the three major international auction companies held their first sales of the year. We have kept tabs on the sales and have tallied the results of the Bonhams, RM Sotheby's and Gooding auctions. There has clearly been a correction the last couple of years but for the right car, collectors are still willing to dig deep. One example that certainly illustrates this is the BMW 328 Roadster that crossed the block at Gooding on Friday. It was offered from a single family ownership of 75 years, which drove the price to a startling $830,000 or nearly twice the top estimate. A more surprising result was achieved by this Vector W8 Twin Turbo. Two enthusiasts were clearly keen on this one-owner, low mileage example as it exceeded the top estimate with a final all-in price of $720,000. There is no rest for the weary as the auctioneers will gather again in Paris in just over a fortnight with a three-day barrage of sales during the Retromobile week.
Porsche have introduced new versions of the GTS models of the 718 Boxster and the 718 Cayman. Gone is the turbocharged flat-four and in its place a detuned version of the naturally aspirated four-litre of the 718 Spyder is fitted. Mated to a six-speed manual gearbox, it is good for 400 hp. The 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 will arrive at the dealers in March of this year.

2020 is an even year, so the two major biennial historic racing meetings on the European continent are on the schedule; the Monaco Historic Grand Prix in May and the Le Mans Classic in July. Naturally, we can not wait, so we have taken a closer look at three very rare cars that starred at these events back in 2018.
Taking on the dominant and ubiquitous Cosworth DFV engined Formula 1 cars two years ago was this BRM P153. It was raced in period by Pedro Rodriguez and was bought directly from the British racing team by the late Tom Wheatcroft for his fantastic Donington Grand Prix Collection museum. Chassis P153/05 is now in Spanish hands and was raced with great verve at Monaco by ex-Bentley works driver Andy Soucek. The Spaniard was very competitive until a fuel pressure issue prompted him to retire from the race early. The good news is, that the car will be back in the Principality in May.
The biennial Le Mans Classic always draws out some of the best known sports racers but also cars that require a second look. One of these is the BMW M1 Group 5, which was raced at Le Mans in the early 1980s. While the more familiar M1 Procar was homologated as a Group 4 car, this class was not eligible for Le Mans from 1981 onwards. This prompted several independent companies to upgrade the existing racers to the more lenient Group 5 specifications. The featured example was originally conceived as a Procar and was upgraded ahead of the 1981 season by French specialist Oreca. It was back at Le Mans 37 after its first appearance.
Also in action two years ago was this Spice SE89P, which was resplendent in a new livery ahead of the race. These were the colours used when it raced in period by actor Paul Newman late in 1990. Chassis 002 served as a works car before that and was also raced in a striking Applebee's colourscheme.

Today, we continue our coverage of the Scottsdale auctions, by highlighting three lots from the Gooding sale. One of our favourite cars in the sale is a stellar example of the Porsche 914/6 GT. Built for the 1970 season, this was the competition version of the all-new 914/6. Although based on the production car, it was substantially lightened and featured a pure racing engine that was lifted from the 906 prototype. With class wins at Le Mans and Daytona, it was quite successful but all its accomplishments were overshadowed by the outright wins of the 917 during the same period. The rare, factory-built 914/6 GT on offer is the actual car driven to a class win in the 1970 Daytona 24 Hours.
Based on the $3.2-3.6 million estimates, the Ferrari F50 consigned is the most valuable car in the sale. If the ex-Benny Caiola machine manages to sell for anything near the estimate, it proves a great investment as the current custodian acquired the car nearly a decade ago at the 2011 Gooding Scottsdale auction for a mere $812,000.
Offered from the same collection is this Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona. One of just 121 examples built, it was sold new to the United States and was also briefly owned by movie director Sydney Pollack. Following quite an adventure in Mexico, chassis 14779 joined the consignor's stable in 2011.