Gear -- 4 days ago
Already a firm favourite in the calendars of classic car fiends, this year’s Salon Retromobile in Paris sent the motoring world into hysteria as the 59 cars making up the renowned Baillon barn find collection went up for grabs in the Artcurial sale. Realising a total of over £34,000,000 following a lengthy two-part auction lasting 11 hours, over 3500 people muscled their way into the sales room, with an extra 1000 bidders joining in online, to see the hammer go down on some of the most beautiful cars in history. Brace yourselves, gentlemen, because here are the six finest and most expensive cars sold at this year’s auction.
1968 Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada
Sold for: £925,000
Created by former Alfa Romeo, Ferrari and ISO engineer Giotto Bizzarrini during the short lived days of his motor company, Bizzarrini S.p.A, the 5300 GT Strada is a rare motoring monument to1960s Italian engineering. Understandably, the dainty 5300 smashed its previous sale record for its type and almost cracked £1million; doubling its upper estimate as it went under the hammer.
1938 Mercedes-Benz 380 K Cabriolet A
Sold for: £1,000,000
The elegant Mercedes-Benz ‘K’ models, of which this is one of, were a follow up to the Ferdinand Porsche-designed S/SS/SSK models of the late 1920’s. This pristine example sold to an Asian collector for a hefty £1million.
1949 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport SWB by Saoutchik (Baillon Collection)
Sold for: £1,300,000
By far the worst condition car just so happened to be one of the most expensive purchases of the sale. The crash-damaged and rust-rotten Talbot-Lago was one of 59 cars found decaying at the residence of the late transport magnate Roger Baillon. Despite its condition, the car sold for a staggering £1.3million (three times its estimate) to a European collector, presumably in the market for a significant restoration project.
1966 Ferrari 275 GTB Berlinetta
Sold for: £1,500,000
After a similar model achieved an eye watering £1.8million at the Bonhams December Bond Street sale, it was time for another 275 GTB to be rolled out for sale in the hope it would attract a similar, if not better, price tag. After the hammer had fallen, the car fetched £1.4million, and despite being slightly under the December value, the handsome sum proves that post-1960 Ferrari’s are still some of the most desirable motorcars on the market today.
1956 Maserati A6G 2000 Gran Sport Berlinetta Frua (Baillon Collection)
Sold for: £1,500,000
Another of the famed Baillon collection, this stunning Maserati was plucked from the rubble of the Baillon estate and presented to eager bidders in Paris where it fetched £1.5million, setting a new record value for its type.
1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider (Baillon Collection)
Sold for: £12,100,000
Unsurprisingly, it’s a case of saving the best until last and it was yet another post-1960 Ferrari that stole the show and achieved a new record price of £12.1million, only this one is different. Found abandoned in a barn with books piled high on the bonnet over six months ago, this stunning, if not a little rustic, example of the highly sought-after short-wheelbase 250 GT California used to belong to French actor Alain Delon.
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