At an auction that ended on August 7, Gooding & Co. sold a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB, the color of white beach sand, for $ 3.08 million. Even more incredible is that it was done online. The uniquely designed coupe achieved the most expensive sum ever paid for a car sold on the internet.
Such a high sale for a car that was not actually seen in person is an insightful indicator of the relative health of the collector car market amid COVID-19. But it is not a surprise.
“I think this car is covid-proof in the sense that it is a really exceptional 275. It is basically a completely original car with an original interior, lots of original paint, and long-term ownership,” said David Gooding, President and CEO. of the auction house, in an interview before the sale.
True to auction house criteria, Gooding & Co. declined to identify the person who purchased the vehicle. “It is special, whether there is a pandemic or not.” In fact, the best Ferraris are doing very well in the world of the pandemic; accounted for four of the top five lots at Gooding’s auction, and six of the top 10 results from RM Sotheby’s “Driving into Summer” sale in May, in which just a 2003 Ferrari Enzo sold for $ 2.64 million, until last week when the highest price paid for a car in an online auction hit.
Three of the 10 best-selling cars at a Barrett-Jackson online auction in July were Ferraris, a critical anomaly for a company known almost exclusively for selling American high-powered cars and rustic trucks.
The results sent a strong positive message to collectors and industry enthusiasts wondering if their canceled summer sales would remain in an online format, especially for more select and perfect collector cars, such as Aston Martin (racing) brands. ), Jaguar and Ferrari (racing).
“There is an armored Kevlar that protects the 1% who care about this passion for cars,” says Steve Serio, car racer for the rich and famous. “Vehicles above that $ 100,000 price, or the parts of the economy that are not as closely tied to the oil industry, will see little change,” commented John Wiley of Hagerty in a recent report on the effects of the new. coronavirus in the world of collectors.
In total, more than $ 70 million worth of classic and collector cars have been sold online by the world’s leading auction houses since the beginning of the pandemic.
Bloomberg
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