London calling for RM Sotheby’s

On the evening of 7 September, Max Girardo will bring the gavel down on 76 lots at the RM Sotheby’s London Sale in Battersea, headed – as with last year’s auction – by a very special Ferrari 250 GT ‘Tour de France’. We’ve browsed the catalogue and selected some highlights…

We’ve already covered two rather yellow stars of the show – the Alfa Romeo RZ (£50,000-70,000) and Bugatti EB110 SS (£600,000-770,000) – in the magazine. But there’s plenty more to whet the appetite at the RM Sotheby’s annual (and ever-popular) London sale next week. Take the headline lot, a 1958 Ferrari 250 GT ‘Tour de France’, for example – an early single-louvred car with matching numbers and period competition history, to boot. Eligible for almost any historic event, be it on or off the track, it’s estimated to fetch a strong £4.5m-5.5m.

Pristine ponies

Ferraris – particularly those with outrageously low mileage – appear to be the flavour of the auction, in fact. Hot on the TdF’s heels is a genuine 1973 Daytona Spider (est. £2m-2.4m), boasting not just a scant 3,800 miles on the clock and Classiche certification, but also a truly elegant colour combination: Marrone Colorado over Beige Scuro. Then there’s the ‘as new’ right-hand-drive 328 GTS, which has covered a scarcely believable 556 miles (sacrilege?) and is estimated at an almost-as-startling £170,000-200,000. A desirable (and rare) manual 612 Scaglietti (£80,000-100,000) and a one-owner F40 (£780,000-900,000) are also of note.

Seldom-seen classics

Two less familiar Italian classics, but both with sought-after Mille Miglia eligibility, caught our eye: the charming Ghia-bodied 1953 Cisitalia 505 DF (£130,000-150,000) and the 1955 Moretti 750 Sport Barchetta (£175,000-225,000).

Judging by the photo, the matching-numbers Lancia Stratos HF Stradale (£270,000-320,000) looks to be a riot to drive, while those after an eligible historic racer with fantastic provenance should look at the rare MGA Twin Cam (£120,000-160,000).

Fame fascination

If celebrity provenance is something you look out for, how about the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I Drophead Coupé offered by the famous James Bond set designer Sir Ken Adam (£175,000-200,000), or the quite exquisite and highly original Maserati Mistral Spyder, formerly owned by the ‘English Marilyn Monroe’, Diana Dors (£475,000-575,000)?

Black and gold

Which car would we most like to drive home (through Central London, naturally)? It simply has to be the black Bizzarrini GT 5300 Strada, estimated at £495,000-700,000. It might not have its original engine, but its history is well documented and, well, just look at it…

Photos courtesy of RM Sotheby's

You can find the full catalogue for the RM Sotheby’s London Sale, to be held on 7 September at Battersea Evolution, listed in the Classic Driver Market.