Gooding & Company Shatters Expectations with Auction at the Mullin Automotive Museum, Surpassing Over $19 Million in Total Sales
Image: The world-record 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Aravis 'Special Cabriolet,' which sold for an unprecedented $6,605,000.
Photo copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company. Image by Brian Henniker
Desirable lots from the famed Mullin Collection outperformed pre-auction estimates at the Friday sale, culminating in tremendous prices and new major Bugatti world records.
International auction house Gooding & Company had the unique honor and privilege of selling a selection of vehicle and automobilia lots from the world-renowned Mullin Collection on Friday, April 26 at the famous Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California. The premier selection of French and European automotive gems offered from the collection of late collector and philanthropist Peter Mullin and his wife, Merle, performed especially well at auction, immensely exceeding estimates. The sale garnered the attention of the world’s foremost collectors, not only resulting in a packed auction room of serious bidders, but a continuous stream of online and phone bidders throughout the 114-lot auction. Offered entirely without reserve, 100% of lots from the collection sold, achieving a total of $19,016,295 in sales.
The single most monumental sale of the auction was undoubtedly that of the 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Aravis 'Special Cabriolet', which stunned spectators when it sold for $6,605,000, doubling its pre-auction estimate. Ordered new for famed Bugatti racing driver Maurice Trintignant, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance® class winner set a record for the Type 57C Aravis, delineating a new benchmark for an already rare and special breed of Bugatti. The 1930 Bugatti Type 46 Semi-Profilée Coupe also cemented a new world record for the Molsheim marque by becoming the most valuable Type 46 to sell at auction in achieving $1,105,000.
Other top sellers from the auction included the multiple class award-winning 1933 Hispano-Suiza J12 Cabriolet, which sold for $2,315,000, and the 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster, sold for $1,105,000. The auction also witnessed the historic sale of cars from the legendary Schlumpf Reserve Collection. Many of these lots performed exceptionally well, including the 1927 Bugatti Type 40 ‘Break de Chasse,’ which brought in a tremendous $445,000, the 1927 Bugatti Type 40 Faux Cabriolet, which sold for $246,400, and the 1931 Bugatti Type 40A Roadster, which achieved $302,000. The pair of Bugatti Type 57 Ventoux examples also performed well: the 1934 example sold for $472,500, and the 1936 example sold for $511,000.
Spirited bidding allowed the sale figures of other lots to climb to impressively high levels above their pre-auction estimates, as with the 1912 Renault Type CB Landaulet, which achieved $257,600, the 1938 Avions Voisin Type C30 Cabriolet, which sold for $357,000, and the 1966 Citroën 2CV Sahara, which went to its new home for $128,800. Automobilia lots from the most esteemed European marques also fared quite well: the c. 1946 Bugatti Type 75 You-You Boat achieved $62,500, and the c. 1928 Hispano-Suiza 12NB Aircraft Engine, No. 430193, went for $52,500.
“The spectacular performance of this auction only serves as a testament to the Mullin name, signifying the influence and weight of the legacy left behind by Peter and the commitment to excellence as embodied in the collection he curated with his wife, Merle,” said Gooding & Company President and Co-Founder, David Gooding. “It was an honor to conduct this sale at the Mullin Automotive Museum, where Charlie Ross masterfully steered a room and global network of some of our most serious clients and collectors as he sent off these important artifacts to new homes and collections.”
Top Five Lots:
Lot 22 - 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Aravis ‘Special Cabriolet,’ sold for $6,605,000
Lot 67 - 1933 Hispano-Suiza J12 Cabriolet, sold for $2,315,000
Lot 57 - 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster, sold for $1,105,000
Lot 88 - 1930 Bugatti Type 46 Semi-Profilée Coupe, sold for $1,105,000
Lot 44 - 1937 Delage D8-120 Three-Position Cabriolet, sold for $731,000
New World Auction Records:
Lot 22 - 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Aravis ‘Special Cabriolet,’ sold for $6,605,000 (a world record for the model)
Lot 88 - 1930 Bugatti Type 46 Semi-Profilée Coupe, sold for $1,105,000 (a world record for the model)
Looking Ahead
Gooding & Company has unveiled the online catalogue for Geared Online | Motorcycles on goodingco.com, headlined by the incredibly rare and original 1972 Ducati 750 Imola Desmo (Estimate: $650,000 – $750,000) alongside various Italian, German, English, and Japanese motorcycle offerings. Bidding for the online auction commences on Wednesday, May 8, with lots starting to close on Friday, May 17. Registration for the upcoming sale is now open; contact Gooding & Company's expert team of specialists for any inquiries or inspection appointment availability.
Geared Online | Motorcycles
Online Catalogue Available: Monday, April 29
Auction Begins: Wednesday, May 8 at 9:00 AM PDT
Lots Begin Closing: Friday, May 17 at 9:00 AM PDT
Bidder Registration: www.goodingco.com/register
Website: www.goodingco.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GoodingandCompany
X: @goodingandco #GearedOnline
Instagram: @goodingandcompany #GearedOnline
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/GoodingandCompany
Phone: +1.310.899.1960
