After the spectacular results at Mecum’s Kissimmee sale, all eyes were on the Arizona auction season 2026 to see whether we were in for a year of huge spending… or if the Mecum results were just a one-off.
The answer was that, yes, Kissimmee was something of a one-off. If you drilled down into the results from that auction, only the rarest and most low-mileage cars attracted the big bucks – similar cars with more normal colours and mileages either sat within estimate or failed to sell. However, the subsequent Arizona sales did throw up some fascinating results – and while the newly set Ferrari Enzo record wasn’t broken, the needle looks to have moved forward for the breed as a whole. More on that in our RM Sotheby’s results below.
Barrett-Jackson
Barrett-Jackson brought the customary glitz and glamour over nine days, raising $3.855m for charity on its Saturday sale alone thanks to the 2026 Chevrolet Corvette Stars & Steel Limited Edition ZR1X and the 2026 Ford Mustang Dark Horse SC Track Pack VIN 001, both donated by their manufacturers. The top result also benefited charity – the $2.53m raised by the above 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing went to the California Highway Patrol 11‑99 Foundation. Elsewhere, a 1961 300 SL restored by Coachwerks Restoration of Victoria, Canada and refinished in metallic blue in the 1960s sold for $1.87m.
McLarens played a big part in Barrett-Jackson’s Arizona auction season 2026 lot list. The above 2021 Elva, the 45th of 149 built, had covered just 663 miles; it sold for $1.512m. It was trumped by the 2019 McLaren Senna, number 422 of the 500 sold. Benefiting from $379k worth of options and having covered 3758 miles, it sold for $1.87m.
This 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 ‘Big Tank’ Split-Window featured a matching-numbers L84 327/360hp V8, Muncie M20 four-speed manual transmission, Z06/N03 36.5-gallon Big Tank and finned HD drum brakes – one of 63 built. Bloomington Gold Certified and a Top Flight award winner, it had been restored by the Naber Brothers in 2015 – on the day, it sold for $1.1m.
Given Mecum’s results the weekend before, just where would Barratt-Jackson’s 599 GTO land? After all, while the previous Bachman Collection 599 GTO – in a somewhat lurid colour combination – sold for $3.96m, two out of three others – including a red one like Barratt-Jackson’s – failed to find a buyer. Barratt-Jackson achieved $1,622,500 here, which makes this the third most expensive example ever sold.
Bonhams
Bonhams’ Arizona auction season 2026 lot list brought 155 items and only six had to return to their vendors. The lot list had far fewer high-end entries than RM or Barrett-Jackson, and Bonhams did struggle to sell those it had. However, the unique 2024 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport ‘Éléphant Blanc’ pictured above, created as a modern-day tribute to the pre-war Bugatti Type 41 Royale, performed well. Estimated at $4.5m-$5m, it just tipped the scales at $5.065m.
While it was the only true hypercar among Bonhams’ selection, other more modern performance vehicles included a rare manual 2006 Ferrari F430 Spider, which sold for $362,500 (est $350k-$450k), a 2026 Porsche 992 GT3 Touring that sold for $373,500 ($370k-$400k est) and a 2010 Bentley Azure that sold for $112k ($100k-$140k).
The next biggest result after the Bugatti was this European-specification 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster. Estimated at $1m-$1.2m, its original green-over-yellow colour combination had been replaced by Ivory over red as part of an older restoration. The 85th roadster built, it fell just shy of its low estimate at $945k, begging the question – retain as is, or return to original?
Other mid-century results from Bonhams’ at Arizona auction season 2026 included a 1966 Aston Martin DB6, which sold for $246,400 (est $250k-$350k), a 1969 Ferrari 365 GT 2+2, which sold for $229,600 (est $210k-$250k), a 1963 Porsche 356B 1600 Super T6 Cabriolet that sold for $162,400 ($150k-$170k) and the ex-Bernard Fornas (Cartier CEO & president) 1957 Ford F-Code Supercharged Thunderbird sold for $134,400 ($150k-$175k).
It wasn’t a great sale for the higher-value mid-century cars: a 1956 Porsche 356 A 1500 (est $440k-$500k), a 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Boano (est $650k-$750k) and a very green 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda hard-top ($275k-$350k) failed to sell.
Here’s a question of what might have been – if the timing had been right. Alpina has been in the automotive news a lot over the past few weeks – the brand has fully transitioned into BMW stewardship, while the Bovensiepen family that created the marque has been pursuing its Alpina Classic arm through various magazine and video features (including with Hagerty), but launching its own Bovensiepen Zagato car (more details on that here). We’re expecting a lot of brand messaging from BMW about its new brand this year, amplifying what was previously a very enthusiast-centred name to a more mainstream audience.
This makes the late entry of this 1987 Alpina BMW B7 Turbo/3 Katalysator into the catalogue a little puzzling. One of 42 Katalysayors built and one of just four believed to be fitted with a ZF dogleg five-speed manual gearbox, this 300bhp machine was built for the Japanese market for Nico Roehreke of Nicole Racing. He kept it for 20 years, and at the time of Bonhams’ sale it had covered just under 60k miles. Its $140k no-reserve result placed it slap bang in the centre of the $125k-$165k estimate, but one has to wonder what it may have achieved later in the year, maybe after the BMW-centric Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este weekend…
There were plenty of modern classic-era cars in the Bonhams sale at the Arizona auction season 2026, particularly Porsches; a 1997 993 Carrera 4 S made $224k against a $200k-$220k estimate, while a 1986 Carrera 3.2 made $128,800 against $115k-$135k and a 1997 993 Turbo made $252k ($250k-$300k).
Elsewhere, a 1997 BMW 850 Ci disappointed at $17,950 against a $35k-$50k estimate, while 2001 Ferrari 550 Maranello made $212,800 against a $200k-$240k estimate. A 403-mile Porsche 930 Turbo went home with its owner against a $600k-$700k estimate, as did a 2003 Lamborghini Murciélago ($485k-$585k).
One of the most fascinating cars among Bonhams’ Arizona auction season 2026 lot list was the above 1996 Hummer H1 Four-Door Hard-Top Pick-up. It was the last vehicle ever purchased by hip hop star, actor and activist Tupac Shakur, who customised it inside and out but was killed just three weeks after taking delivery. It was later stored then offered as a raffle prize in 2003, and it later entered the stewardship of Havenotz Entertainment owners Yaasmyn Fula and Sardar Khan. It had been with the vendor since 2010; estimated at $375k-$450k, it ended up selling for $456k.
RM Sotheby’s
RM Sotheby’s brought along 94 lots to the Arizona auction season 2026 – and all but five sold. The majority sold for within estimate, or just above or below – on the whole a well guided sale, but there were a couple of very large strugglers, which we’ll detail below. However, with RM Sotheby’s bringing more high-end modern Ferraris than Bonhams or Barrett-Jackson, the events at Kissimmee meant that all eyes were on RM in particular.
In any other January, the above 2003 Ferrari Enzo would have been a record-breaker. One of 111 US-market Enzos, it had covered 746 miles and came with a three-piece luggage set. It burst through its $5m-$6m estimate to land on $9.3m. Other Ferraris had big results, too – a 2015 LaFerrari sold for $5,477,500 ($4.5m-$5m est), a 2012 Ferrari LaFerrari Prototype P2 sold for $2.425m and a 1985 Ferrari Testarossa ‘Monospecchio’ sold for $179,200 ($120k-$170k est).
Elsewhere, a 2009 Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M sold for $907k ($750k-$900k), a 1995 Ferrari F50 sold for $8.805m ($7m-$9m est) and a 1991 Ferrari F40 sold for an undisclosed amount. One car to outdo its estimate by some distance was one of 36 Ferrari 812 GTSs created for the ‘Ispirazioni’ Tailor Made collection. The only example finished in Matte Grigio Coburn with Nero and Bianco King stripes, it sold for $995k against a $500k-$600k estimate.
RM Sotheby’s Arizona auction season 2026 selection box included a large number of important Porsches for both the road and track. The star performer was the above 2005 Porsche Carrera GT. The model has had its challenges over the past few years, which dented values, but remedial work via Porsche itself appears to have reignited interest. This 2147-mile example sold for $3.085m.
Other road Porsches of note included a 1988 959 Komfort that sold for $2.535m (est $1.8m-$2.2m), a 1993 Porsche 911 Turbo S Lightweight sold for $2.48m ($2.25m-$2.75m) and a 2010 997 Sport Classic sold for $775k against $600k-$800k estimate. A 2001 Porsche 996 Turbo provided a surprising result – finished in Lapis Blue with the rarely seen wood interior option, this $80k-$100k-estimated manual sold for $134,400. There was less good news for the 1972 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 factory-development car, which failed to find a new home against a $700k-$900k estimate.
Elsewhere, one of three Porsche 924 GTP factory race cars prepared for the 1980 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Al Holbert and Derek Bell, sold for $423k against a $300k-$400k estimate, while the first of 12 914/6 R factory race cars constructed by Porsche’s experimental division, after the initial prototype, which was used as a test car for the 1970 Targa Florio by Vic Elford, sold for $985k against a $900k-$1.1m estimate.
It wasn’t just modern Ferraris and Porsches among RM Sotheby’s better results during Arizona auction season 2026. The above Murphy-bodied 1929 Duesenberg Model SJ Convertible Sedan, chassis 2192, was the first major deal struck by RM Classic Cars in 1990, so it must have been an emotional moment to see it pass through the company again all these years later. Its history included stints with Domino’s Pizza founder Tom Monaghan and several leading Duesenberg collectors, and had been restored over 20 years in the 1960s-70s, including the refurbishment of its original supercharger. Against an estimate of $1.2m-$1.4m, it sold for $1,572,500.
Other notable pre-war results included an ex-Mullin Collection 1914 Delaunay-Belleville 1A4 Landaulet by Rothschild et Fils, which sold for $134,400 ($100k-$150k), a 1934 Packard 1104 Super Eight Sport Phaeton, which sold for $274,400 ($300k-$400k) and perhaps one of the most painful results of the auction – a 1910 Daimler 57HP Limousine. Built for His Majesty King George V, it had been ordered while he was still the Prince of Wales and was brought to the US in 1924 after he’d retired from the Royal Mews.
It was later bought by Charles Y Knight, the inventor of the 9.7-litre six-cylinder engine it had fitted. The engine was heavily promoted by Willys-Overland in the US, with this particular car used as a promotional tool; it was later donated to the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History before entering private ownership in 1950. Estimated at $350k-$450k, it ended up selling for $89,600.
However, given the current feeling around ex-Royal Family members in the US at the moment, the result perhaps wasn’t surprising. The result for the above 2016 Aston Martin Vulcan was, however – one of 24 made of this track-only hypercar, it had covered less than 62 miles and had been equipped with the AMR Pro package at an extra cost of £155k. Estimated at $1.5m-$1.8m, it ended up selling for just $1.04m.
It offered a stark contrast to RM’s other British track-biased hypercar, the 2020 McLaren Senna GTR. Number 53 of 75 built, it had covered just 159 miles and sold for $1.27m against a $900k-$1.1m estimate.
Further details
For more details on Barrett-Jackson’s sale, head here.
For more details on Bonhams’ sale, head here.
For more details on RM Sotheby’s sale, head here.
