The Automobile Museum of Château de Vernon classic and collector car sale proved to be a stellar auction for Artcurial, with 97 per cent of lots finding new homes, for a total sales volume of €3,018,596.
Held on September 28, 2025, the auction saw 107 lots offered – a significant proportion of which came from the collection of Jean-Pierre Nylin, who created the museum in 2008 under the patronage of Ari Vatanen and Artcurial auctioneer Hervé Poulain. Several lots went past their high estimates, and barn-find cars – an area of the market that has struggled over the past year – also provided some interesting food for thought. To take the pulse of the continental Europe market, here are ten of our highlights from the sale.
As a four-seat tourer built by the London coachbuilder R Harrison & Sons, this Bentley 3 Litre Tourer retained the same style of bodywork it carried when it left the factory in April 1923. It had remained in the same Bordeaux collection since the 1960s, as shown by its registration 1188 BC 33 issued in 1962 and replaced in 2012 when it was re-registered as an historic vehicle. Evidence suggested the car was already in France before this date. It was restored many years ago and presented in ‘sound used’ condition. In 2012 the Bentley was recommissioned by the Atelier des Vieilles Bielles at Saint-Yzans-de-Médoc after a lengthy period off the road. Against a pre-sale estimate of €120k-€160k, it sold for €168,560.
One of the more interesting ownership stories at the Château de Vernon sale concerned this 1957 Alfa Romeo 1900 CSS. The Alfa was built on April 4, 1957 and sold on June 3 of the same year to the Cotonificio Lampugnani in Milan. By 1967, when the car was still in Milan, it was owned by Angelo Motta, who kept it until 1985. At that point the Italian racing driver Count Giovanni Lurani Cernuschi became the keeper. During his career the count had taken part in several major races both before and after the war, including the Le Mans 24 Hours, Targa Florio and Mille Miglia. In 1990 the Alfa was sold to U Colombo, also in Milan. In 2015 it was bought at auction by an Italian dealer, who sold it a few months later to the vendor. Against an estimate of €130k-€150k, it sold for €150k.
Lotus Esprit V8s took a large lurch upwards in values over the past five years (although there are some indications that values have declined a little), but among the Esprit hardcore, there is plenty of preference for the four-cylinder models. The 42nd car out 64 built and one of only five destined for France, this 1995 Sport 300 model came from the Nylin Collection. For the uninitiated, the Sport 300 boasted more than 300bhp in a 1216kg body. This particular example was described as being in need of recommissioning, but this didn’t stop it blasting past its €35k-€55k estimate to land on €96,320.
This 1959 Maserati 3500 GT was originally delivered through the Franco Cornacchia dealership in Milan to Luciano Canaves of the Bergamo region. The vendor had acquired it in late 2013 from a dealer near Verona, who had received it on consignment from the son of the previous owner. The 3500 GT had apparently remained in that family’s possession for many years.
After purchase, the vendor used it sparingly before addressing its mechanical issues. In 2024, the car underwent extensive mechanical restoration costing nearly €30,000. The engine, not the original unit but of the correct type, was completely rebuilt by Valenti Automobili in Belgium, including the installation of new pistons, piston rings and bearings. The three carburettors were also dismantled and serviced by the same workshop. Additional work was carried out by KB Technics in Belgium, which also comprehensively overhauled the braking system, running gear and gearbox. The restoration was completed in 2025. Estimated at between €120k and €150k, it sold for €125,216.
One of the more interest market trends over the past year has been estimate-busting results for the Ferrari 456. Still among the cheapest ways into Prancing Horse ownership in the UK – well, at least in terms of purchase; ownership has its challenges – 456s have regularly outperformed their high estimates in continental Europe, a trend that’s also being seen with the model’s more controversial follow-up, the 612 Scaglietti. The 456 – a desired manual version – at the Château de Vernon sale came from the Nylin Collection and had covered just 38,939km. However, it was in need of recommissioning and thus estimated at €30k to €50k – but it smashed through that to land on €69,832.
Despite Porsche being the brand of the moment, models such as the 356 and early 911s continue to be somewhat subdued – even Porsche isn’t immune to the current market trend of moving away from 1950s and 1960s. This 1963 Porsche 356 B 1600 Super Cabriolet hit its €80k-€120k estimate marks, landing on €81,872, but when other cars in the collection went through their estimates this turned out to be a notable result. In driving condition but in need of further restoration, it looked like a very nice winter project because its original colour (not the one it currently wears) is the rare Smyrna Green.
The collection contained several Jaguars and Daimlers, with the above 1952 Jaguar XK120 certainly catching the eye in Twilight Blue. Originally a US car, sold new to Los Angeles, it headed to England in 1989 and restored over four years. Thirty-plus years hence it needs more work, and was estimated at €80k-€120k. However, that’s around what you’d pay for a car that’s on the button these days, judging by recent British sales – and while of course importing one across the Channel will incur import taxes, it’ll still likely be less expensive than a restoration. As such, this one finished on €72,240.
Another car to slightly disappoint was this 1926 Lancia Lambda Torpedo hailing from a Bordeaux collection. It had been in the area since 1955, joining that particular collection in the 1970s. Much of its early life was unknown – including its year of manufacture – but it had been restored, although the interior wasn’t quite right. Not in running order and described as needing a thorough overhaul, it landed shy of its €70k-€100k estimate at €54,180.
This 1986 Martini MK 49 Formula 3 was one of the stellar performers of the day. It won the 1986 French F3 Championship, with Yannick Dalmas driving for Oreca – two names that would go on to have a huge influence at Le Mans. It was bought by Jean-Pierre Nylin in 2008, and its previous owner had acquired it straight from Oreca and then put it on display in his living room for 20 years. Despite having not been driven since the 1980s, and its low €10k-€15k estimate, it ended up selling for €46,956.
One of the late-auction surprises was for this 1926 Lorraine-Dietrich B3-6 Berline Weymann, part of a collection of very dusty French pre-war cars. Originally sold to R de Testa in Paris, it later went on display at a museum in Reims before it joined the collection of the vendor in 1993. It then had an engine rebuilt, and it was then driven 150km for the inaugural rally of the Lorraine-Dietrich Club in July 1995. It was later exhibited at the Parc de Saint-Cloud together with 17 other Lorraines in 2008, and then – with 27 of its sister cars – it was seen at the Lorraine-Dietrich retrospective at the first Salon Auto Moto in Metz in 2018. It hadn’t been driven for 30 years. Estimated at €7k-€10k, it sold for €24,080.
More information on Artcurial’s Automobile Museum of Château de Vernon sale can be found here.
