Attending Monterey Car Week in Pebble Beach is on the bucket list for any true car enthusiast. Considered to be one of the most prestigious car events in the world, this automotive mecca is a place where manufacturers debut new cars and concepts, auction companies offer the most rare and sought after automobiles to be sold for record-highs, and multi-million dollar classics and supercars can be seen cruising through the streets of Monterey and Carmel as frequent as taxicabs in NYC. Think SEMA but for the ultra affluent.
One highlight of Monterey Car Week is being able to witness the plethora of rare vehicles crossing the various auction blocks. This year, RM Sotheby’s featured several high-profile automobiles with a lot of hype surrounding them prior to the auction.
Set to be auctioned off, for example, was a stunning 1962 Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta, an Aston Martin DB5 as seen in James Bond’s Goldfinger, and perhaps the most anticipated car of the weekend; a 1994 McLaren F1 “LM Specification” – one of only two ever produced.
The Ferrari 250 GT SWB Berlinetta offered by RM Sotheby’s was a gorgeous sight to see in person. Finished in silver metallic over red leather (Grigio Argento/Ross), the 250 featured a 3.0L V12, and is just one of forty examples to have coachwork done by Scaglietti.
This classic Ferrari was expected to fetch a premium, with the pre-auction estimate set at $8-10 million. With the final price being $8,145,000, it barely exceeded the auction’s estimate and is on its way to a new home.
As seen on the silver screen, the 1965 Aston Martin DB5 “Bond Car” was the marque lot for ‘An Evening with Aston Martin.’ Considered to be “The Most Famous Car in the World,” this DB5 is one of four cars built exclusively by Q Branch and featured in ‘Goldfinger.’
Complete with all of the 007 gadgets from the movie, this Aston was one of the finest examples of a DB5 to ever go across the auction block. It sparked a bidding war between several parties, with a final price of $6,345,000, and surpassing the auction’s estimate of $4-6 million.
Widely argued to be the greatest supercar of all time, the McLaren F1 had some big shoes to fill before crossing the stage in Monterey. This 1994 McLaren F1 “LM Spec” is one of two cars modified to LM specifications by the factory.
This includes the unrestricted GTR engine (from the McLaren F1 GTR racecar), pushing out 680hp, as opposed to the “regular” McLaren F1’s 627hp. In addition, the F1 LM was built with an extra-high downforce kit, consisting of substantial increases to the front splitter, rear diffuser and wing.
Peep this beauty’s lines in the video below!
Adding to an already desirable car, the McLaren F1 had a production run of 64 road cars, with a total production number of 106 F1’s including race cars. A bidding war began as soon the LM finished revving on stage, and shortly after the F1 LM sold with a final price of $19,805,000 – below the auction’s estimate of $21-23 million. It did, however, a set a new auction record for the highest priced F1 sold to date.
Will we ever see the almighty “F1” at a half-mile event anytime soon? Probably not, but it would be incredible to see how an automotive masterpiece from nearly three decades ago stacks up to cars of modern time.
These were just a few of the incredible sights that made up this year’s Car Week. It truly is a must-attend event for any car guy or gal, and we can’t wait to see what Pebble Beach has to offer next year.