Monterey Auctions 2025: after a somewhat disappointing 2024, this year’s sale season during Monterey Car Week will be watched even more closely than normal. The US market got off to a great start in January on a wave of broader economic optimism, but those days seem a very long time ago. How macro-economic instability will play out – if at all – will only be known between August 8 and 17, 2025, but whatever the percentage results afterwards, this week will always be the centre of the auction world. It’s where the best cars come up for sale, and where the most business is made, and this year Bonhams, Broad Arrow, Gooding Christie’s and RM Sotheby’s are up for the fight, as is Mecum.
Consignments for Monterey Auctions 2025 are still being welcomed by all the auction houses – indeed, at time of writing the Bonhams website has only a handful of cars, while Broad Arrow has just a few more. Gooding Christie’s and RM Sotheby’s are already out of the blocks early, with yet more treats to be unveiled in the weeks to come. Mecum is yet to announce its cars yet, so we’ve skipped them in this preview. However with plenty of cars across the other four already lined up, it’s the perfect time to take a look at the early lot lists, and pick out some of the intriguing temptations that await. Which is your favourite?
Bonhams
Bonhams had just seven cars listed for its Quail, A Motorsports Gathering auction at the time of writing. The above 1924 Bugatti-Diatto Avio 8C may be familiar to long-term Magneto readers – it starred in our very first issue (available to buy here). Based on a Diatto chassis with a prototype Bugatti eight-cylinder aero engine, it was discovered in a Turin museum in the early 1960s sans bodywork. You can read more about the car here; no estimate has been released at the time of writing.
First displayed at the 1956 Geneva Auto Show, this 1956 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing was originally finished in ivory white over a green gaberdine plaid interior. After its time in the spotlight was over, it was immediately sold to a Swiss buyer, Hans Hürlimann, of the Swiss tractor manufacturer Hürlimann Traktoren. Within three months it was back to the factory for repairs following a road accident.
By 1969 it had made its way to the US, where it was bought by Georgina Garcia Conde for $1500 and then imported to Mexico. She sold the car in 1982, and after another owner it was acquired by Mexican collector Carlos Hank Rhon. It was acquired by the current family owners in 1995, who had the car restored in Mexico into its current colour scheme. More recently, it’s had its fuel pump rebuilt and brake hydraulics serviced as part of a wider service. No estimate for its Monterey Auctions 2025 sale had been released at the time of writing.
This 1934 Packard 1107 is a rare remaining example of the 738 2/4 Passenger Coupe style, and one of 960 11th Series Twelves constructed. First delivered to Toronto, Canada, its early history is unknown, but it was later part of the David and Linda Kane collection of Packards. In the early 2000s it was restored by Stone Barn Automobile Restoration in New Jersey, and later came second in class at the 2007 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. It then changed owners, and in 2016 it took an AACA National First Prize. No estimate has been released at the time of writing.
Broad Arrow
Broad Arrow’s lot list for the Monterey Auctions 2025 is a long way from being finalised, but one of the early highlights is this Blu Sera over Cuoio 1967 Ferrari 330 GTC. Originally supplied to Switzerland, it’s been in the hands of its current owner for more than two decades. It is a Ferrari Club of America Platinum Award Winner, and holds several First in Class Awards. Extensively restored, it’s had an engine rebuild from Bob Wallace and is estimated at between $600k and $700k.
This 1957 Porsche 356 A Carrera GT/GT Lightweight currently leads Broad Arrow’s lot list, and is one of 26 built for 1957. Campaigned in period by SCCA Champion Dick Thompson, otherwise known as The Flying Dentist, it was also first in class and tenth overall at the 1958 Sebring 12 Hours in the hands of Huschke von Hanstein and Herbert Linge. More recently it was treated to a full restoration between 2018 and 2021, and it subsequently took class wins at a host of US concours events. It’s estimated at between $900k and $1.2m.
Hailing from the Tom and JoAnn Martindale Collection, this 1922 Mercer Series 5 Raceabout is described as “possibly the most original and well preserved Series 5 Raceabout extant”. The history of chassis 19160 is known back to 1930, and it has covered 28,434 miles. It’s estimated at between $400k and $500k.
Gooding Christie’s
Gooding Christie’s has been bringing the big guns out the Monterey Auctions 2025 season on a weekly basis for a while, with the above 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider currently leading the line on pre-sale estimate. Chassis 2277 GT was original sold to one of Ferrari’s most loyal customers, a Dino Fabbri of Milan, co-founder of publishing house Fratelli Fabbri Editori.
Its next owner was Little Tony, otherwise known as Antonio Ciacci. The famous Italian rock singer and actor would use the cars in such films as La Più Bella Coppia del Mondo and Sissignore; in the latter it would be raced against a Lamborghini Miura P400. Extensively restored back to its original colour scheme of Nocciola over Tobacco, it holds Classiche certification and is estimated at between $8m and $10m.
This 1952 Jaguar C-type, XKC 028, is one of the 43 out of 53 built overall that were made available for private purchase. It was delivered in silver to the US via Charles Homburg in LA, who used it as a road car – although it did race once in 1981, courtesy of Jaguar’s man in Kansa, Joe Egle. Back in period, it was first debuted at the Elkhart Lake Vintage Races, but only in the concours competition – which it won. In later life, owners included Bob Baker and Arizona-based cardiologist Phillippe Reyens, who kept it for 20 years. It’s estimated at between $3.75m and $4.5m.
This 1965 Shelby Cobra 427 Competition, chassis CSX 3011, was used by its maker as a press car during the Cobra Caravan tour. It also starred in the 1966 Elvis Presley film Spinout, in which it plays a leading role: Elvis stars as a lead singer in a band and a part-time racing driver whose ‘carefree single life is threatened by three women who want to marry him’. It was first owned by F1 driver Moisés Solana Arciniega, who competed with the car in period. More recently it has been restored by Cobra Automotive of Connecticut; it’s estimated at between $2.25m and $2.75m.
RM Sotheby’s
RM Sotheby’s, as with Gooding Christie’s, has been unveiling new temptations for the Monterey Auctions 2025 almost weekly. Among the first was the above 1995 Ferrari F50, one of just two US-specification cars finished in Giallo Modena. Its first owner was Ralph Lauren, who kept it for eight years. The current owners acquired the car in 2004 with a mileage reading of 3300 miles.
Not shown publicly since the 2009 Cavallino Classic and the Celebration Exotic Car Festival in Central Florida the same year, it now has 5400 miles on the clock. It’s been serviced by Ferrari of Central Florida in 2024, which saw the fuel bladder, tyres and brakes overhauled. Carrying Classiche certification, it’s estimated at between $6.5m and $7.5m.
A big portion of RM Sotheby’s Monterey Auctions 2025 lot list is taken up with The Quadrifoglio Collection, a 11-strong collection of competition Alfa Romeos of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, all offered at no reserve. The leading lot is the above 1968 T33/2 Daytona. The first of only a few T33/2s fitted with a 2.5-litre V8 in the 1968 season, it is one of around ten surviving T33/2s overall.
Chassis 015 was entered into the 1968 Daytona 24 Hours by Autodelta, with Lucien Bianchi and Mario Andretti behind the wheel, finishing fifth in class with a 2.0-litre engine. For the Targa Florio it received the 2.5-litre motor (number 001), and was driven by Nino Vaccarella and Udo Schütz but ended in retirement. It was later piloted by Count Rudy van der Straten of the Stella Artois beer family at the Austrian Grand Prix. He would run the car under his VDS racing banner for 1969.
The T33/2 Daytona was later shipped to Angola for Antonio Peixinho to drive over the next two seasons, notching up five victories. Santos Peras took over driving duties, but with Angola’s political situation getting worse Santos returned to Portugal, leaving the Alfa and other racing machinery in Angola.
In the mid-1980s Jean Chambault heard about the cars and bought it after a protracted negotiation with the Angolan government, shipping it out in a Hercules plane. In the 1990s the T33/2 Daytona passed into several Italian collectors’ hands, and was restored during this time. It then spent time in Germany before being acquired by skiing champion David Jacobs in 2006. Further restorative works were undertaken before it was acquired by the vendor in 2012. Since then its competed in historic racing across the world and has had two engine rebuild, the most recent in 2018. It’s estimated at between $1.7m and $2m.
Modern classics are a little absent so far, but RM Sotheby’s has a few, with this 1984 Audi Sport Quattro arguably the most enticing of the lot. One of 164 built, this one is particularly special – it is one of five supplied to the Beddor family and called The Red Devil. Federalised by Andial’s Dieter Inzenhofer in 1986, it was modified with a ported and polished cylinder head, upgraded cmashafts, a Motronic ECU, a K27 turbocharger, and bespoke exhaust and intake manifolds. This resulted in a 449bhp – 145bhp more than the standard car. It was then used for autocross events extensively between 1988 and 1998. Its most notable result was taking first place at the Ferrari Club of America’s 5.2-mile Virginia City Hill Climb, beating an F40 by 12 seconds. It’s estimated at between $400k and $500k.
Further details
For more information on the Bonhams Quail Auction 2025, which takes place on August 15, click here.
For more information on the Broad Arrow Monterey Jet Center Auction 2025, which takes place on August 13-14, click here.
For more information on the Gooding Christie’s Pebble Beach Auctions 2025, which takes place on August 15-16, click here.
For more information on Mecum’s Monterey Auctions 2025, held on August 14-16, head here.
For more information on RM Sotheby’s Monterey Sale 2025, which takes place on August 15-16, click here.
