The same weekend the legendary Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance will take place in Carmel, California, Mecum Auctions will host their annual Monterey 2014 auction in the area. The sale will attract all sorts of priceless sheet metal to the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel on Del Monte golf course, but there are eight vehicles which Mecum considers the “Main Attractions” for the event.
The first of the auction’s main attractions is a pristine 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster. The car, which is from the first production year for 300SL Roadsters, was delivered to its first owner in Mexico before being restored in the early 1990s and finding a second home, also in Mexico. It then went to a new owner in Florida, who had the car restored again with no expenses spared. Mecum considers the car to be “one of the most beautiful examples of the 300SL Roadster in existence.” It is estimated to sell for anywhere between $1,750,000 and $2,250,000. A 1955 300SL Coupe is another main attraction, and will command a similar $1,700,000 – $2,000,000 asking price.
Another headline-making car at the event will be the 1930 Dusenberg Model J Torpedo Berline Convertible. The car originally served as a demonstrator for Duesenberg’s Los Angeles sales branch before being sold to Hollywood screen writer Gene Markey in 1930. It has traded hands countless times and has an extensive and interesting history, including being featured at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1998. The car has gone through a complete restoration and is presented in concours condition. Estimates place the car’s worth at $1,400,000 – $1,700,000.
Next up is a 1961 Ferrari 250 Series II Cabriolet. The car is one of the most well-preserved, lowest-mileage Ferrari 250 examples in existence and unlike other cars in the auction, is an unrestored original. As such, the car shows signs of wear and use, but is still in immaculate condition and has just 5,200 original kilometres on the odometer. The price is only being revealed upon request by Mecum, but considering the unmatched desirability of some vintage Ferrari models, expect this one to fetch at least $2,000,000.
One of our personal favorite Main Attractions from Mecum Monterey is the 1976 Porsche 934/935 IMSA El Salvador. The car, 7th of the 31 934 Turbo RSRs made, was homologated for the 1976 IMSA racing season and delivered to Georg Loos of the ‘GELO’ team. It competed in the Mugello six-hour race, Nurburgring 1,000km and at Le Mans. The car was restored in 2005 and sports the original 3.2-liter engine producing the same 760 ponies it did in the mid 70s. Mecum is expecting it to sell for $750,000 – $850,000.
Continuing with the race car theme, a 1995 Porsche 962 K8 Spyder will also be on offer at Mecum. The car was the winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1995, crossing the finish line five laps up from the next closest competitor. The car also went on to race at the Sebring 12 hours and Le Mans 24 hours that year, but didn’t achieve a notable finish in either race. Its post-professional racing career saw it re-emerge in the FIA’s SportsRacing World Cup in Europe, before being acquired by a private collector. Mecum places its worth at $900,000 to $1,500,000.
Next up is a 1972 McLaren M20 Can Am, one of the three M20s retaining its original tub and bodywork. The car was tested by Denis Hulme and F1 legend Jackie Stewart before being turned over to Peter Revson for the 1972 season. It scored multiple podium positions, including an overall victory at Road America. It has had the same owner since 1987 and has also been vintage raced in recent times. Like the Ferrari 250 Series II, Mecum has reserved pricing estimates for those who ask.
The final of Mecum’s Main Attractions for Monterey 2014 is a 1954 Ferrari 375 Mille Miglia Spyder. The 375 MM was built for endurance racing and made its debut at the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans. This example was delivered to well-known Ferrari race team owner Anthony Paravonno, who entered it in multiple SCCA-sanctioned races. After Paravonna inexplicably disappeared and his assets were sold off, the car went through a lengthy and difficult restoration process. Of all the impressive cars at Mecum Monterey, the 375 MM will be one of the vehicles which draws the most attention. Mecum isn’t revealing how much it will go for, but RM Auctions has sold similar 375 MM examples for over $9,000,000.
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