Image: The 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder Weissach in specially ordered, factory-applied Gulf Oil livery, sold for a staggering $3,525,000 at Amelia Island.
Photo copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company, LLC. Image by Brian Henniker.
Gooding closes out 2024 with +5% growth in year over year results and $205+ million achieved across live and online auction sales; sets new industry benchmark with the private sale of Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa chassis 0704 TR.
Global collector car auction powerhouse and market leader Gooding reports over $205 million in total sales across five live and online auctions in 2024, indicating +5% growth in its year over year results despite a more discerning market. Gooding not only sustained growth in the arena of private sales, estate sales, and Geared Online auctions, but also produced memorable results and market-defining moments at the company’s three flagship venues in Amelia Island, Pebble Beach, and the UK, notwithstanding the record-shattering sale at the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California. The sell-through rate for all presented lots at auction was 86%, with a total of 422 vehicle, motorcycle, and automobilia lots sold; 45 lots sold for over $1 million at auction.
The top lot of the year was the highly publicized 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spider, which sold for $14,030,000 at Gooding & Company’s 20th annual Pebble Beach Auctions. The second most valuable lot sold in 2024 was the 1903 Mercedes-Simplex 60 HP ‘Roi des Belges,’ which set a new world record at auction for all antique and pre-1930s cars when it achieved $12,105,000 at Amelia Island. The Mercedes-Simplex 60 HP came to auction from 121 years of single family ownership, and won the inaugural Rétromobile Preservation Award at the 2024 Salon Rétromobile in Paris. The top 10 cars sold by Gooding at auction in 2024 included six lots over $5 million, and the list portrayed an increased diversity in the number of marques and eras represented, ranging from 1903 to 1995 and consisting of Alfa Romeo, Bugatti, Ferrari, Duesenberg, Porsche, and Mercedes. Furthermore, the most significant private sale of the year was Gooding’s transaction of the beautifully preserved and historic Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa, chassis 0704 TR, among the most valuable cars sold by any party in 2024.
In the latter half of the year, Gooding announced new additions to its Specialist team, including the hiring of industry veteran and respected auction executive Rupert Banner as a Senior Specialist. At the close of the year, luxury and art world leader, Christie’s, bought Gooding & Company. The newly acquired entity, Gooding Christie’s, will host its first auction of 2025 at Amelia Island on Thursday, March 6 and Friday, March 7, and will display three exceptional motor cars at Salon Rétromobile in Paris this February.
“In over two decades of operation under the Gooding brand, 2024 proved to be one of our most memorable, successful, and defining years across all of our services, including live and online auctions, estate sales, and private treaty. Our auction business displayed tremendous strength and resilience, and outperformed the previous year’s sales totals in the midst of a challenging downmarket. Our team excelled in facilitating the consignment, promotion, and sale of some of the most significant cars transacted publicly and privately this year,” says Gooding Christie’s President, David Gooding. “We are especially proud of the diversity and range of this year’s offerings, including numerous significant world records, as well as the most valuable car sold at auction in the UK, and we look forward to only greater growth and success as Gooding Christie’s in the coming year.”
Top Ten Lots Sold at Auction in 2024:
1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spider, sold for $14,030,000
1903 Mercedes-Simplex 60 HP ‘Roi des Belges,’ sold for $12,105,000
1938 Bugatti Type 57C Aravis ‘Special Cabriolet’, sold for $6,605,000
1955 Ferrari 857 Sport Spider, sold for $5,350,000
1958 Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France Berlinetta, sold for $5,200,000
1995 Ferrari 333 SP Evoluzione, sold for $5,120,000
1976 Porsche 935, sold for $4,295,000
1954 Ferrari 500 Mondial Series I Spider, sold for $3,995,000
1933 Bugatti Type 43A Roadster ‘Sport Luxe,’ sold for £2,981,250
1934 Duesenberg Model J Disappearing-Top Convertible Coupe, sold for $3,745,000
Notable World Auction Records in 2024 (model specific):
1903 Mercedes-Simplex 60 HP ‘Roi des Belges’, sold for $12,105,000 (a world record for all pre-1930 cars, world record for all antique cars)
1938 Bugatti Type 57C Aravis ‘Special Cabriolet,’ sold for $6,605,000 (a world record for the model)
1995 Ferrari 333 SP Evoluzione, sold for $5,120,000 (a world record for the model)
1933 Bugatti Type 43A Roadster ‘Sport Luxe,’ sold for £2,981,250 (a world record for the model)
1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spider, sold for $3,635,000 (a world record for the model)
1961 Porsche RS61, sold for $3,100,000 (a world record for the model)
1910 Stearns 30/60 Five-Passenger Touring, sold for $1,600,000 (a world record for the marque)
1930 Bugatti Type 46 Semi-Profilée Coupe, sold for $1,105,000 (a world record for the model)
2001 Ferrari 550 GTZ Barchetta, sold for $841,000 (a world record for the model)
1990 RUF BTR III, sold for $830,000 (a world record for the model)
Amelia Island Auctions, February 29 - March 1
$67,342,270 in total sales
87% sell-through rate
111 of 127 lots sold
14 lots sold for over $1 million
4 major auction records
Gooding’s record-breaking Amelia Island Auctions kickstarted the year on a strong note in the first quarter. As the leading auction of the week, Gooding reported $67,342,270 in total sales, led by the incredibly historic 1903 Mercedes-Simplex 60 HP ‘Roi des Belges,’ offered from 121 years of single family ownership after being purchased new by Alfred Harmsworth, the founder of the Daily Mail. The Mercedes-Simplex 60 HP set new world records for all antique and pre-1930s cars, selling for $12,105,000 on the auction block. A few weeks prior to this monumental sale, the Mercedes-Simplex was displayed at Gooding & Company’s stand at Salon Rétromobile in Paris, where it was awarded the inaugural Rétromobile Preservation Award. Additional top sales at the Amelia Island Auctions included the record-setting 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spider in vibrant Verde Bahram over an unrestored tan leather interior, which achieved $3,635,000, and the 2015 Porsche 918 Spyder Weissach in specially ordered, factory-applied Gulf Oil livery, which sold for a staggering $3,525,000.
Selections from the Mullin Collection Auction, April 26
$19,016,295 in total sales
100% sell-through rate
114 of 114 lots sold
2 major Bugatti auction records
Gooding & Company was granted the unique privilege of presenting a selection of vehicle and automobilia lots from the world-famous Mullin Collection at the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, California. Presenting highly desirable French and European selections from the collection of the late Peter Mullin and his wife, Merle, the auction exceeded all estimates, realizing over $19 million in a single day. Not only did the auction gather a large crowd of bidders at the Museum, but it also ushered in an exceptional number of online and phone bidders from all over the world, including Europe and Oceania. The top lot of the auction was the exquisite 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Aravis ‘Special Cabriolet,’ which doubled its pre-auction estimate and sold for a remarkable $6,605,000. The 1930 Bugatti Type 46 Semi-Profilée Coupe also set a new world record for the Type 46 model, achieving $1,105,000.
Pebble Beach Auctions, August 16-17
$108,989,200 in total sales
82% sell-through rate
151 of 185 lots sold
25 lots sold for over $1 million
$721,783 average price per lot
In August, Gooding hosted its 20th annual Pebble Beach Auctions as the official auction house of the world’s foremost automotive concours event, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, where it presented its largest catalogue offering to date. Gooding was the only auction house to outperform the previous year’s sales total, grossing $108+ million over the course of the two-day sale and indicating +13% growth over 2023’s Pebble Beach results. The headlining lot was the 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Lungo Spider, which sold for $14,030,000. Additional top sellers included the record-breaking 1995 Ferrari 333 SP Evoluzione, which achieved $5,120,000 on the auction block, and the 1976 Porsche 935, chassis 935-001, which sold for $4,295,000. Gooding also sold 100% of offerings from a number of important collections, including the Thomas H. Larsen Collection, the Scott Isquick Collection, the Dr. Theodore Waugh Collection, and Limited Edition: The Zagato Collection.
London Auction, August 30
£7,507,125 in total sales
Most valuable car sold at auction in the UK in 2024
New record achieved for a Bugatti Type 43
Later in the summer, Gooding hosted its fourth London Auction as the official auction partner of the Concours of Elegance at the historic Hampton Court Palace. Achieving over £7.5 million in total sales, Gooding notably sold the most valuable car at auction in the UK in 2024, the 1933 Bugatti Type 43A Roadster ‘Sport Luxe,’ presented from the stable of notable Dutch collector Jack Braam Ruben. The Type 43A Roadster set a new world record at auction for the model when it sold for £2,981,250.
Geared Online Auctions
Gooding & Company continued to develop its online auction platform and bespoke digital offerings for bidders all around the world in 2024. In May, the auction house hosted its Geared Online | Motorcycles sale, realizing over $500,000 from 54 motorcycle and automobilia lots sold, including offerings from Ducati, Laverda, MV Agusta, Moto Guzzi, Honda, BMW, and Triumph.
Looking Ahead to 2025
Following its high-profile acquisition by Christie’s, Gooding will host its first auction event as Gooding Christie’s over the course of a two-day sale at Amelia Island on March 6-7, 2025. Early announcements for the sale include the ex-Queen Maria of Yugoslavia 1931 Duesenberg Model J Convertible Sedan (Estimate: $1,700,000 – $1,900,000), and a stunning 1972 Maserati Ghibli 4.9 SS Spider (Estimate: $900,000 – $1,100,000) restored to its original color scheme of Oro Longchamps over a Marrone leather interior. Gooding Christie’s will also present a selection of Brass Era and classic offerings from the respected William Alley Collection, as well as Ferraris, Alfa Romeos, Porsches, and Fords from the Ken Roath Collection.
Ahead of the Amelia Island Auctions, Gooding Christie’s will display a selection of offerings at the 2025 Salon Rétromobile in Paris, taking place from Tuesday, February 4 to Sunday, February 9. More details will soon be announced regarding star cars to be presented at the anticipated Parisian event.
In the spring, Gooding Christie’s will host a Geared Online auction in April, featuring curated vehicle and automobilia offerings. Gooding Christie’s is actively consigning for this sale, and encourages prospective sellers to contact the specialist team without delay. Later in the year, Gooding Christie’s will present its Pebble Beach Auctions as the official auction house of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance® on August 15-17. Individuals interested in consigning their vehicles or automobilia for an upcoming auction, or presenting a car for private treaty, are invited to speak to our skilled team of auction executives and expert specialists.
Amelia Island Auctions
Date: Thursday, March 6 at 3 p.m. EST, and Friday, March 7 at 11 a.m. EST
Location: Racquet Park, Omni Amelia Island Resort
Public Preview: Wednesday, March 5 through Friday, March 7
Auction Catalogue: $120, includes admission for two to the viewing and the auctions
General Admission: $50, includes admission for one to the viewing and the auctions
Bidder Registration: www.goodingco.com/register
