At the beginning of February, Bonhams moved to the ephemeral Grand Palais in Paris for its traditional auction. Between pre-war and competition cars were on display celebrity models: Schumacher’s Mercedes and Redford’s Porsche. Let’s see how much they cost…
Every February in Paris, it’s effervescence! The holding of the Retromobile Show motivates the auction houses to bring together the most beautiful sets for exceptional auction sessions. If the Parisian event had to shift its dates due to the pandemic, at Bonhams, the sale ” The Great Brands of the World » has indeed been maintained in the setting of the ephemeral Grand Palais. The argus has just made a stopover there.
Beautiful people in Paris
To attract people, the houses put on the gathering of an impressive number of lots (here more than 100 cars) and/or “headliner” models selected for their rarity, their track record or quite simply for having belonged to a celebrity. On this February 2022 sale, three men were in the spotlight: actor Robert Redford, pilot Michael Schumacher and actor Steve McQueen.
The notoriety of the former undoubtedly contributed to making this copy of the Porsche 904 GTS (1964) more desirable than another since it belonged to him for 10 years! The copy in question, powered by a 4-cylinder engine of around 180 hp, was sold for just over 1.3 million euros, its lowest estimate.
Thanks to the second’s impressive track record, Bonhams has ensured international media coverage. In reality, the cars presented by the British house were not actually owned by the German driver. Moreover, the Mercedes C63 AMG station wagon of the seven-time F1 world champion did not thrill the crowds. The car he drove for 6 months went for less than €30,000. Proof that the name is not everything…
As for the Tesla Roadster with which Michael Schumacher took part in the Race of Champions in 2010, it sold for €138,000. Apart from the fact that the Red Baron drove it and Sébastien Loeb – who was competing against Schumi – signed it, it is above all the interest in the electric roadster (1er model launched by the American firm based on the Lotus Elise) which won over the crowds. Anything related to Tesla has an incredible aura.
Steve McQueen sells
Finally, a Steve McQueen car was also present… Presented out of sight, the Jaguar E-Type cabriolet played the role of gondola for an upcoming sale in Monaco (May 13). According to the experts at Bonhams themselves, as soon as the name “McQueen” is mentioned, the auctions get carried away and everything sells : “even credit cards in the name of the actor! concedes Philip Kantor, the director of the automotive department at Bonhams. The presence of the vehicle was therefore not insignificant. Curious to know more about this model? The argus will tell you in the days to come his unique story on video.
