RM/Sotheby's Monaco Auction and the state of the Boxer/TR market.

The car market, and more specificaly the Italian car market is softer than 6 mos ago. Yet asks are still in fantasy land, and some not pristine cars, so lots of no sales.

 

But the auction house is a factor, B-J being an example of where not to sell an exotic car. The wrong auctioneer at a good auction house isn't much better.

 

[QUOTE The wrong auctioneer at a good auction house isn't much better.[/QUOTE]

Will be interesting to see who/when & how many Blue Chip lots Max will bring along with his new venture. Would LOVE to see THAT non-compete clause! IMO, the presenter (man with gavel) plays a very important role in setting the cadence, tone, tempo and ultimately interest as to what is crossing on stage. Too many "rushing out the door" and it becomes a passing parade of little notice.

Jack

 

where is max going?

 

I too noticed that some lots were rushed but have a different interpretation. I think it's a case of chandelier bidding with no real customer interest. A lot where this seemed very obvious was the Rallye Monte Carlo winning Peogeot 205 T16. The bidding went very quickly with big 50k euro increments but there was a strange lack of energy - the bids seem to come at even intervals out of no particular place in the room; there seemed to be no drama, no easily discernible competing bidders. After progressing at big 50k increments the bidding came to a screeching halt at 500k and the auctioneer quickly passed the lot. It just doesn't happen this way when you have real bidders - bids come at uneven intervals, when things slow down the auctioneer always tries smaller increments to get things going again, etc. I think what was happening was that the auction house used its right to bid up the lot to the reserve hoping to pick up a real bid a long the way and when one didn't materialize it quickly passed the lot. Max's presence would have made some difference only to the extent that he would have done all of this in a less obvious a way.

 

I was under the impression he was going to sell cars in a broker/sales agent fashion, something like what Simon Kidston does (?), not as an auctioneer...

 

I am sure some auction house could have done better. But to deny that the market is off is to deny gravity. the only question now is how off is the market and for how long.

Or we might charitably say that prices couldnt have risen forever, so the market is taking a breather and therefore flat to a slight dip.

When in 2014 an almost completly rusted away 246 sold for 350k or somethign, a car with nothing to salvage you know sanity was not in the room. Now some sanity appears to be guiding prices. The prices are neither collapsing or expolding furtehr upwards, all sings of a good and healthymarket. Far beetr than more exubernat hype driven price boosts followed by collapse..

 

That too is my understanding...private broker/agent...that knows where the Blue Chips reside and much like Kidston may get the best, most desirable pieces via private treaty...thus leaving the 'scraps" to the houses. Auction houses do one thing very well...exposure..(and make $ for themselves!), well, the internet has taken care of that (exposure) & when there are MANY UBER privates around (DK/Foskers/Kidston/Hartley/Cottingham etc etc) the owners of truly great cars simply do not need the 'big houses' as much. Many have commented upon the poor quality of recent auction cars and with SO MANY auctions per year far outpacing the availability of "good" cars.....going private makes logical sense (and cents!).

IMO, too many car tv shows, auctions (saturation) etc draw parallels with the demise of real estate mania....

Jack

 

I will not be offended if you add my name to the esteemed list of individuals you have listed, indeed I humbly suggest you do, as Joe Sackey Classics LLC practices a strictly Private Treaty business and touches only the very best examples extant of the makes & models we all love Cars | Joe Sackey Classics

Thanking you in advance for your kind consideration.

 

Girardo & Co. ? Passione per la perfezione

 

ok, good for him.
i know kidston pretty well, and i bought my f40 through him too.
i think you are right....speaking for myself, if i was doing anything in europe i would use simon - incredibly trustworthy and knowledgeable. max was his protege so probably on the right path.

and from what i can tell, if i was going to do anything in the usa, i would call joe.

 

I am remiss...yet as way of explanation...above named based Euro and as Max HQ'ed London, listed those of "Continental Persuasion". I realize your reach too is World Wide as is your Stellar Reputation.

As a matter of fact, we (you and me) have spoken and you were kind enough to forward your latest Manuscript; The Book of the Ferrari 288 GTO.
This might not be the place, but your Down Draft work (writings/compilations/restoration) has been thrilling!

Jack

 

Thank you