Six Bargains From The World’s Most Expensive Car Auctions

Every year, the Monterey auctions are all about big numbers. The number of cars there is big. The sale prices are big. The crowds are big, too, and let’s not even talk about hotel bills or the price of a cocktail. The big eight-figure Ferrari sales are the ones that get people clapping and make the headlines (and rightly so), but  there are hundreds of transactions at a lower price point than that. Inevitably, some  cars slip under the radar and go for unexpectedly low prices each year despite strong overall results. Here are six of the most notable ones.

1949 Bentley Mk VI Sedanca Coupe
Gooding & Company
Presale estimate: $200,000 - $250,000
Hagerty Price Guide: N/A
Final price: $126,500

A six-figure price tag may not sound like a bargain at first, but consider what the buyer got with this car and what kind of future potential it holds. As a Bentley Mk VI, it’s always been a highly exclusive automobile, but this one is special as it wears sedanca bodywork by Hooper of London (making it one of just two such cars built) and was ordered new by the prince regent of Iraq (somewhere it probably won’t be returning to any time soon). With no reserve it hammered at barely half of Gooding’s low estimate. Granted, the car had some tired cosmetics and condition-wise could be described as a pretty driver, but given the car’s exclusivity it’s an attractive buy, and after a bit more extensive restoration work it would be a solid concours contender.

1961 Lancia Flavia Coupe
Russo and Steele
Presale estimate: N/A
Hagerty Price Guide: $6,300 - $16,300
Final price: $11,275

This car admittedly wasn’t a huge bargain relative to its actual value, but it does show that a pretty, low-volume Italian performance car built by a highly respected manufacturer can be had for a less than bank-breaking purchase price in Monterey. Flavias were front-wheel drive and a bit pokey performance-wise, but they were smooth, rewarding drivers and a comparable Alfa of this vintage would cost at least twice as much. The Russo and Steele example was also mechanically refreshed recently, so while parts are hard to source for old Lancias, it should work well for the time being. For used Civic money, it’s tempting.

1985 Buick Grand National
Mecum
Presale estimate: N/A
Hagerty Price Guide: $9,000 - $32,500
Final price: $9,000