Rob Myer’s auction house had been proposing a few very interesting racing cars for sale, including a Delahaye 135 S, and the official 2008 Peugeot 908 HDi Le Mans Prototype. This car was one of the two factory cars built to race in the endurance series in the 2008 season, finishing second overall at the 24 Hours of Le Mans this same year. Peugeot had been dreaming since Audi had introduced diesel engines at the world’s most legendary endurance race to win this race again, just as their predecessors, the Peugeot 905 had done. With its twin-turbocharged 5.5 liter V12 diesel engine developing over 700 horsepower, this performance was achieved just one year later, in 2009. Sadly, this car, chassis 908-05 fitted with engine 907B never achieved its minimum reserve price and has remained into the hands of the french automotive manufacturer since.
The next very interesting racing car was one of the most powerful racing Porsche ever built, and the last one of its series, a 1973 917/30 Can Am Spyder, in its most famous Sunoco livery. The 917 needs not much introduction, but this special chassis 917/30-005 featured the monstrous twin-turbocharged flat-12 engine developing over 1100 horsepower. This particular example offered on sale on Wednesday 5th February, although being extensively documented by legendary racing driver Jürgen Barth, did not achieved its reserve price.
Over 1000 horsepower for the 917, back in 1973. Hugely impressive
There were two other racing Porsche offered by RM Auctions, including this 1982 Group C 956 Prototype, chassis 956-004, fitted with engine 956-131, one of the 10 factory Porsche 956 raced that year, and one of only three built in 1982. This particular example finished third overall during the 1982 24 Hours of Le Mans race, its second race, with the Stuttgart brand achieving to steal completely the podium back then with a very impressive 1-2-3 finish, thanks to its twin-turbocharged 2.6 liter flat-six engine developing 620 horsepower, and very talented racing drivers such as Derek Bell and Jürgen Barth. Being in its famous Rothmans livery and having everything any racing car collector could have desired, it was sold for 2.352 million euros.
The last great racing Porsche for sale at RM Auctions Paris sale was a beautiful 1964 Carrera 904 GTS, and the only one delivered in Irish Green, as well as the first example delivered in England. Equipped with the twin Weber carburetors two litre flat four-cylinder engine developing 185 horsepower, this example was first owned by Dickie Stoop, famous Frazer Nash Works driver. Chassis 904-045 had just been restored and had its engine P99034 rebuilt by specialist Bill Doyle, and had only had three owners since new. It was sold at 1.288 million euros including buyer’s premium.
A german racing car wearing a british racing livery. Just like a typical beer drinking bavarian asking for a hot cup of tea. A little awkward.
I don’t recall seeing a Jaguar D-Type ever before, and was truly enthusiastic upon the RM Auctions Paris Sale because it featured one. The Jaguar is, upon my opinion, one of, if not the most, beautiful Jaguar ever built, and probably as well one of the most iconic ones, with the road-derived XKSS version, and the E Type of course. The example offered by Rob Myer’s auction house was chassis XKD 520 fitted with engine E2021-9, a factory delivered 3.8 litre six cylinder in line engine developing 300 horsepower, fitted later in 1958 in replacement of the standard 3.4 litre engine. Built in 1955, it was the seventh customer built D Type, and was delivered new to Bib Stillwell, famous Australian driver who won four times the Australian driver’s championship, through the local importer at the time, Jack Bryson. It had an accident during transport in 1957 which required a rebuilt, but the car was back on the racetracks by 1958. Chassis XKD 520 had been owned during its lifetime by Richard Attwood, 1970 Le Mans winner, had been carefully serviced by specialist Chris Keith-Lucas, and being one of only 60 total D Types built, and one of only 54 customer delivered, it achieved a sell price of 3.696 million euros, including buyer’s premium.
The D Type is probably the most iconic car of the english manufacturer
The only racing car which had never raced sold by RM Auctions was a 2010 Ferrari 599XX, part of Ferrari’s Corse Clienti program, and proudly wearing number 17. Based on the standard 599 Grand Tourer car and designed to offer an even more impressive experience than the FXX, which was based on the Enzo supercar, the 599XX featured a 6 litre V12 engine developing over 730 horsepower, and a completely lightened binnacle, focused for racing. Chassis 170354 had only been very little used by its original owner at the Paul Ricard Circuit and official factory testings, and showed only 600 kilometers on the odometer. This car hadn’t been equipped with the further improvements proposed by the italian brand with the Evoluzione Package, and although being one of only 29 cars ever built, it didn’t achieve its reserve price and remained unsold.
I have always preferred the 599XX without the Evoluzione package. It’s softer, much more elegant, and less intrusive aesthetically…
Although I had been very impressed by the diversity of cars brought by RM Auctions for their first sale in Paris, for the quality of the event’s organization, I have to admit that I was quite surprised from the results of the sale. In fact most of the lots sold quite well, with a special note for the Mercedes 600 Pullman barn find, which gave me the opportunity to experience the barn find enthusiasm live, selling 6 times at the hammer over its high estimation price, the rest was a bit disappointing. Especially, looking at the expensive cars around or over one million euros and some important racing cars, which remained unsold. The rightful question was then: why ? Part of the answer is surely due to the fact that the sale was organized in France, a country which still suffered from the rests of the 2008 financial crisis, and where buying a car three or four times the price of a family house would have been complicated to justify, especially to avoid the famous 75% imposition put in place by president François Hollande. The other reason was maybe because this was RM’s first sale in Paris and it hadn’t gathered too much people and interest apart from the motoring specialists in fact.