Gooding & Co and RM square off in the Arizona desert
If you're in the market for a classic car, then you could probably do worse than be in Arizona this week. Barrett Jackson will be holding their huge annual auction in Scottsdale, starting on the 17th and running all the way through to the 23rd January.
Of more interest (to me, anyway) are the smaller but arguably more prestigious auctions held by RM Auctions in Phoenix on Thursday 20th and Friday 21st January, and the Gooding & Co auctions held in Scottsdale on Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd January.
RM have dedicated Thursday to British-made cars, with a large selection of MGs, Jaguars and Aston Martins. I’m slightly surprised to see a 2004 London Taxicab has an estimate of $40,000 to $50,000, which must be around the equivalent of what a new one can be bought for in London!
Moving onto Friday, there are a number of cars that have caught the eye of the Drive Cult team. The Shelby (or AC as I think it should be known) 427 Cobra looks to offer an exciting ride as it boasts a 520bhp sideoiler big block V8. RM estimate this ‘no stories car’ will make between $650,000, - $750,000.
Equally insane but more for its outrageous styling is the 1964 Dodge Hemi Charger Concept car (estimated at $750,000 to $1,000,000). This car ushered in both the fabled 426 Hemi ‘elephant motor’ and the Charger nametag so loved by villains and the Duke Brothers. In fact, the original concept didn't actually have the intended Hemi as the unit built for the car was needed for racing. A subsequent owner had a correct handbuilt Hemi motor fitted to make the car as originally intended.
Along with the Taxi, another European car seldom seen in the US is the Porsche 959, and this one is on a show and display title. RM are offering a ‘Komfort’ model which also sports the factory power upgrade to raise the power to 485bhp. Despite being one of the most technically advanced cars of the decade, the 959 has always lived in the shadow of its far more flamboyant arch-rival, the Ferrari F40, even though it is considerably rarer. If you fancy this Eighties flyer, it's estimated at $350,000 to $440,000.
Where the two auction houses really go head to head (and allowing a nice segue for this article) is in attracting bidders for Ferrari Daytona Spyders, as factory examples feature in both auctions. RM’s Spyder is a US spec version once owned by Evel Knievel, who hopefully didn’t try to jump over anything in it! RM estimate $800,000 to $1,000,000 for that.
Gooding’s Spyder, on the other hand, is a European spec car with an engine unrestricted by US smog equipment which may put off some American buyers. It is also Ferrari Classiche certified and has a verifiable history from noted Ferrari historian Marcel Massini. Gooding have pitched a slightly higher estimate of $900,000 to $1,100,000 for this car, even though it is presented in yellow rather than resale red.
Ferraris feature quite heavily in the Gooding auction, as a collection of late-model tipos has been consigned. These include one of the rare Ferrari FXX Evolutions estimated at $2,200,000 to $2,500,000. This is bound to make an impression at any track day.
Moving away from Ferraris, the Porsche 904 Carrera GTS (estimate on request) really floats my boat. The 904 sports a jewel-like four-cam four-cylinder engine which produces nearly 200bhp, a pretty impressive figure for a car from the early sixties. In its heyday the 904 had a varied and successful career, and today that means 904s are eligible for all the best historic events including Goodwood, the Tour Auto and Monterey.
Finally, something from the vaguely affordable real world as Gooding also have a lovely Alfa Giulietta Spyder, estimated $65,000 to $85,000. While I would personally prefer a slightly later 101 series Guilia with the slightly larger engine (distinguished by a power bulge on the bonnet), this looks to be a lovely example and in white appears the same as the one used by Edward Fox in the classic movie Day of the Jackal, although I’m not sure you can really hide a sniper rifle in the propshaft...
The catalogues for RM and Gooding can be found here and here.
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