RM Auctions

So you think you have an eye for value in assessing investment-quality cars and motorcycles? Here are a dozen cars and motorcycles that went to auction last week. We've included the official description, several images and the official estimates on price from the auctioneer. Can you guess how much each sold for? Answers at the bottom of the story.  Read More

It's hard not to get carried away with the superlatives when writing of the art deco wheeled sculptures of Paris-based automotive couturier Giuseppe Figoni. This exquisite 1938 Talbot-Lago T23 'Goutte d'Eau' Coupe is not just a pretty face either - an almost identical car finished third in the 1938 Le Mans 24 hour race ... and it's for sale. From the studios of French coachbuilder Figoni et Falaschi, Figoni's Talbot-Lago T23 is one of just four Jeancart-style machines still in existence.  Read More

The final hammer has come down on the Milhous Collection auction we previewed last week. The two-day event resulted in 100 percent of all lots being sold for a total of US$38.3 million. The item to fetch the highest price was a 1912 Oldsmobile Limited Five-Touring, which set a world record auction price for an Oldsmobile at $3.3 million.  Read More

A rare piece of car history is headed to the auction block. Named after the King of Spain who reigned from 1886 until 1931, the Type Alfonso XIII is set to go on sale at an upcoming Amelia Island auction, and is expected to fetch somewhere between US$750,000 and $1 million.  Read More

An entire thesis could be constructed on what turns an otherwise normal person into a collector. Whether it be fine art or beer cans, passion for collecting things knows no bounds. Take Bob and Paul Milhous for example. They started out working in the printing industry, and along the way Paul discovered an interest in musical instruments after buying a piano, while Bob kicked off his fascination with desirable motorcars with a 1934 Packard. Eventually a decision to combine the two individual, and very eclectic, collections into one saw four changes of location before finally settling in at a huge, purpose-built private complex in Florida. Now this fascinating array of historical objects is up for auction.  Read More

Just four decades ago, Ducati was known for its outdated desmodromic singles and little else. On April 23, 1972, Paul Smart and Bruno Spaggiari debuted Ducati's new desmodromic 750 v-twin with a 1-2 victory at the Imola 200 Mile Race. They beat Giacomo Agostini's MV Agusta, plus the best that Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Triumph, BSA, Laverda and Moto Guzzi could offer. The famous victory set Ducati on a course that saw its big desmo V-twins dominating superbike racing for four decades. The official factory reserve bike from Ducatis most famous moment is coming up for auction, with bidding expected to finish beyond EUR150,000.  Read More

The historically-significant 1884 De Dion Bouton et Trepardoux Dos-a-Dos Steam Runabout which we wrote up a few weeks back has sold at auction for US$4.62 million. Apart from being the winner of the first automobile race in history, it's also the world’s oldest running motor car, and now also the most valuable early motor car yet sold at auction.  Read More

This 1884 de Dion Bouton et Trepardoux Dos-a-Dos Steam Runabout was one Count de Dion's second prototype and can lay claim to having "won" the world's first automobile race. Although it takes more than half an hour to "steam" before it can be driven and needs "watering" every 20 miles, it is nonetheless, one of the most significant automobiles in history ... and it's for sale. Extensive detailed photo gallery.  Read More

Held each year since 1950, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is now the centerpiece of a week-long collector car festival in Monterey each August, and in addition to becoming the world’s foremost classic car event, it is increasingly being preferred by prestige manufacturers as the launch platform for new and concept vehicles. This year the car regarded by some as the most beautiful collector car in the world is to go under the auctioneer’s hammer. The work of prodigiously talented automotive stylist and coachbuilder Jacques Saoutchik, this 1949 Delahaye 175 S Roadster is expected to fetch around US$6 million.  Read More