1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa Prototype Makes History at $16.39 million on Gooding & Company’s Pebble Beach Stage

Gooding & Company, the official auction house of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, made history last night selling the iconic 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa Prototype for an outstanding $16.39 million. Recognized the world over for its historical significance and stunning design, the auction of the Scaglietti-bodied, pontoon-fendered Prototype mesmerized thousands of people in the Pebble Beach auction room as well as around the world via Gooding & Company’s live webcast and twitter conversation #2011PebbleBeachAuctions. Energized with excitement after the Testa Rossa arrived on stage with a thunderous engine growl, the crowd cheered when Auctioneer Charlie Ross accepted the commanding first bid of $10 million. As the audience watched in amazement, both Charlie Ross and David Gooding entertained the steadily-escalating bids that soared past major benchmarks of $12 million, $13 million and $14 million. When the gavel finally dropped, there was a roar of enthusiasm confirming Gooding & Company’s outstanding $16.39 million world record achievement.   

Setting the tone for an outstanding start to its two-night Pebble Beach Auction, Gooding & Company’s top ten final results from yesterday are as follows:

 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa-$16,390,000

 

1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California- $3,355,000

 

1963 Shelby Cobra 289 Factory Team Car-$2,585,000

 

1953 Ferrari 375 Vignale Coupe-$2,200,000

 

1964 Porsche 904 Carrera GTS-$1,210,000

 

1972 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider-$1,025,000

 

1956 Ferrari 275 GTB-$1,001,000

 

1959 Fiat “Ferrari” Scuderia Factory Transporter-$990,000

 

1956 Ferrari 195 Inter Berlinetta-$990,000

 

1921 Bentley 3 Litre-$962,500

 

Following the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance presentation today, Gooding & Company’s Pebble Beach Auction continues this evening. Highlights include the sensational 1931 Whittell Coupe Duesenberg (lot 123), the Most Elegant American Classic ever created; Sheryl Crow’s 1959 Mercedes Benz 190 SL Roadster (lot 107), which will be auctioned to benefit the Joplin Schools Recovery Fund; a rare, all-original 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Alloy Long Nose (lot 113), Steve McQueen and Von Dutch’s 1931 Brough Superior SS80 (lot 133) and a highly-coveted, preservation class 1957 Ferrari 410 Superamerica Series II Coupe (lot 135).

Source: Gooding & Company Press Release

World’s Most Valuable Car, The 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic

The 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC was sold on Wednesday by Gooding & Company Auction House. Although they did not disclose the selling price, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that the selling price was between $30-$40 million dollars, WOW! Below is the press release from Gooding & Company.

Gooding & Company, The internationally celebrated auction house that offers a wide range of services, including private and estate sales, is proud to announce that it has sold the unparalleled 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic To an undisclosed buyer. As the official broker for the Trust That formerly owned the Atlantic, Gooding & Company found a devoted connoisseur who will become the guardian of this treasured piece of automotive history. “I Am extremely pleased to have found the new buyer for the 1936 Bugatti Type 57SC Atlantic, One of the world’s most significant and valuable automobiles that has been in a private collection and rarely seen during the past four decades,” says David Gooding, President and founder of Gooding & Company. “It has been a great pleasure to work with the Williamson Family and Trust In this important endeavor.” Formerly The coveted pillar of the world renowned Williamson Bugatti Collection, the Atlantic was the 2003 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance best in Show car. The Atlantic Was an automobile derived from Bugatti’s Prototype Aerolithe Electron Coupé That caused a sensation when it was unveiled at the 1935 Paris Auto Salon. Bugatti Later built just three Atlantics, Each one different from the next, but this 1936 Car (chassis #57374) Is the first in the series and its historical significance, originality and restoration has been revered by enthusiasts throughout the world.

(Source: Gooding & Company)

Preview The Official Auction of Pebble Beach

 

If you’re in the market for a collector car, there will be no lack of options this weekend at the Monterey Peninsula as proceedings get under way for the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Concorso Italiano, and a host of related events.  What began 59 years ago as one relatively modest exhibition of fine collector cars has burgeoned into an entire week of related events, races and auctions that has come to be a mainstay for every major collector car auction house.  While Bonhams proudly accompanies the ever-more-exclusive Quail Motorsports Gathering, RM Auctions maintains its reputation for volume and quality, and Russo and Steele continue to lead the muscle car bracket, one auctioneer has distinguished itself from the crowd with a growing reputation for the finest overall selection and its enviable affiliation with the Pebble Beach Concours as the official auction of Pebble Beach:  Gooding & Company.

 David Gooding’s event, a two night affair which is held a mere 200 yards from the 18^th hole fairway that hosts the Concours, will feature a stunning array of rare and desirable collector cars that range from prewar brass and classics to postwar vintage sports cars.  Particular attention has been paid to two cars that are expected to easily surpass the million dollar mark: a 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Special Coupe with one-off coachwork that was purportedly used as a personal car by Ettore Bugatti, and a 1935 Duesenberg Model SJ Roadster with a body that is regarded by many to be the finest coachbuilt Duesenberg ever produced by Pasadena-based Bohman & Schwartz.

 Sports car aficionados will be much more taken with the great selection of 1950s and 60s coupes and convertibles, including a 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 Competition Spider, a 1954 Cunningham C-3 Coupe, a 1956 Talbot-Lago T14 LS, and a 1958 BMW 507 Series II.  Italian sports car lovers should enjoy the offering of a 1966 Lamborghini 400GT 2+2 that was featured in the model’s original sales brochure as well as two Ferrari California Spiders and four different Maseratis.  Two legendary Italian-bodied Corvettes will also cross the block, the one-off 1963 Pininfarina Rondine, and a 1959 Corvette Coupe with coachwork by Scaglietti, the first of three ever produced.

 For more info see www.goodingco.com

Photos courtesy of Gooding & Company