1960s Classics Add Glamour To Strong Month For EU

Sought-after high-performance and prestige cars led a set of impressive results across Collecting Cars in the EU through November, with the average selling price of a car coming in at €65,000. Numerous supercars in particular exemplified why the platform is now seen as the route of choice for many collectors when selling a high-value vehicle.

An Aston Martin DBS Superleggera was offered in Belgium, finished in the demure combination of Ultramarine Black and Dark Knight leather, finding a winning bid of €215,000. Another high-performance grand tourer was the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren listed the following week, with just over 20,000 km from new. It was sold for €267,000.

Also consigned in Belgium was the Porsche 991.2 GT3 RS equipped with the highly desirable Weissach Pack, which changed hands for €225,000. An example of its twin-turbocharged ‘Rennsport’ cousin, the 991 GT2 RS was also sold in November. Not only was this car fitted with the full Manthey Racing Performance Kit, but it was previously owned by F1 driver and 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours winner Nico Hulkenberg. It attracted interest from around the world, selling with a high bid of €422,500.

Those looking for more affordable thrills were spoilt for choice with a selection of 1990s performance heroes. These included a Porsche 993 Carrera in Finland with the sought-after manual transmission (€65,000), a well-preserved E34-generation BMW M5 with just under 40,000 km from new (€41,000), and a highly original Ford Escort RS Cosworth in Sweden (€57,500).

November saw a great new film with Chris Harris go live on the Collecting Cars YouTube channel, and triggered some debate about whether the latest M2 now makes a better all-rounder than the M3.

Tying in with this content was an auction for a brand-new 2023 BMW M2 in Germany. Equipped with a raft of desirable factory options, and the eight-speed ‘M Steptronic Sport’ paddle-shift gearbox, this M2 found a winning bid of €85,500. In Sweden, a great example of the previous generation model in M2 CS guise was listed, with delivery mileage of just 76 km. It sold for €70,500.

While Porsche may be the best-selling brand on Collecting Cars, classics from Italy are just as well-received by our global audience of bidders. Early in November, a beautiful 1962 Maserati 3500 GT came to market in Belgium, which was presented in collector-quality condition thanks to a comprehensive previous restoration. It sold with a high bid of €153,000.

Another 1960s icon was the Ferrari 250 GT Coupe by Pinin Farina, which sold for €330,000. Offered for sale in the Netherlands, it retained its matching-numbers 3.0-litre ‘Tipo 128’ Colombo V12 with triple Weber carburettors. This particular car features in an original 1961 photograph taken outside the pit garages at Monza, where Enzo Ferrari himself can be seen leaning on the front wing, giving it fascinating and intriguing early provenance.

Auctions can be ideal sales channels for unique or rare models, giving the chance for an unusual vehicle to be presented in detail, and opening up the chance of a bidding war to own it. One of the most striking auctions during November was the Brabham BT14/21 offered in Switzerland. Not only did this 1960s single-seater boast period racing provenance and a recent full restoration, but it also came with a ‘matching’ Thames Trader transporter, ready to take it to a host of international historic motorsport meets. This lot found a winning bid of CHF120,600.

A track-ready car of a very different sort was the Ariel Atom 3.5 listed in Sweden. Equipped with a 310hp supercharged 2.0-litre engine and with some desirable options that included a full windscreen, this lightweight performance hero was sold for €46,500. In Germany, the team consigned an exceptionally rare RUF Dakara. This modified SUV, based on the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, featured the trademark RUF widebody styling as well as a hugely powerful 600hp twin-turbocharged V8, and sold for €64,000.

The average value of cars sold in the EU last month demonstrates the power of Collecting Cars for finding new homes for sought-after classic, luxury and high-performance vehicles. There is plenty of interest from bidders for desirable, well-presented cars; so sellers can talk to our team today about how to achieve a great result at auction.