Paris - On Saturday 12 February 2005, Christie’s International Motor Cars Department will stage a sale within the confines of Rétromobile, one of Europe’s most important and popular collector’s car exhibitions. This sale, now famous among classic car collectors, will consist of race and road cars with a worldwide reputation, most with unique and fascinating histories.

Highlighting the sale is a 1982 Porsche 956, chassis number 004, in distinctive Rothmans livery (estimate: EURO800,000-1,200,000). This is one of only ten Works models ever built by the Porsche factory, and provides 620bhp through a 3 litre V6 turbocharged engine, with a weight of only 840kg. This example finished third overall and won its class in the Le Mans 24 Hour Endurance race of 1982, a famous year which saw the entire podium filled by Porsche. Impressive results were also later achieved by chassis no 004 at the 9hr Endurance Races at Kyalami and Brands Hatch and the 1000km at Spa, with drivers of the car including such motor racing legends as Jacky Ickx and Stefan Bellof. This example was extensively restored at the Porsche Factory in Weissach between 1991 and 1992, and is sold complete with FIA papers.

Another racing car to be offered in this sale is the ex-René Trautmann 1964 Lancia Flavia Sport "Competizione", with coachwork by Zagato (estimate: EURO50,000-70,000). Zagato, one of Italy’s most famous coachbuilding firms, is famous for combining conceptual design with technical and aerodynamic precision. This example, which displays these attributes as well as any, has a competition history in the hands of René Trautmann, the famous French racing driver of the 1960s.



Also featured is the inspirational 1972 Maserati Boomerang concept car (estimate: EURO700,000-900,000). This car, designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, went on to inspire a generation of automotive design, with concepts from the Boomerang apparent in such iconic motor cars as the Volkswagen Golf and, more obviously, the Lotus Esprit. The purity of design and audacious lines of this car were first admired at the 1971 Turin Motor Show in the form of a non-functioning prototype. By the 1972 Geneva Motor Show, this fully functional example had been engineered and it went on to star at motor shows in Paris and London until 1974. The car then moved to Spain, where it spent a number of years in storage. After a comprehensive restoration, the car made a nostalgic appearance at the 1990 Bagatelle Concours d’Elegance, where Giugiaro famously hand-signed the rear of the Boomerang. With welcome invites to all the world’s great motoring events, this car still wins regular prizes with its pioneering shape. In recent times, the Boomerang has undergone further restoration enabling it to be fully functional and roadworthy, a stark contrast to the normally static concept car examples.

In the same year that the Boomerang was unveiled in Geneva, the eccentric Aston Martin Ogle made its debut at the Montreal Motor Show. With a design that epitomised the 1970s, the car was based on the chassis of a DBS V8 with a pioneering brake light system that increased the light intensity dependent on the pressure applied to the brakes. This example, which was featured at the Montreal Motor Show, is one of two known to exist (estimate: EURO50,000-80,000). The other model was ordered by an Aston Martin client and custom built for him in 1973.

The 1983 ex-Le Mans Group C Lancia LC2 will also be offered at this sale (estimate: EURO400,000-600,000), while cars of an older nature will be represented by a 1929 Isotta Fraschini Roadster Type 8A (estimate: EURO325,000-425,000), the ex-Turin Motor Show 1955 OSCA MT4 - 2AD Berlinetta Vignale (estimate: EURO350,000-450,000) and a 1934 Mercedes-Benz 380K Cabriolet C (estimate: EURO250,000-300,000).

This sale will offer an important private collection of automobilia, including original works of art by artists including Geo Ham, Rob Roy, René Vincent and Emmanuel Zurini.

For the full lotlist, please CLICK HERE. All cars will, as usual, be included in the Classic Driver car database in the next few days, just CLICK HERE to view the full motor car catalogue when it's uploaded.

Auction: Exceptional Motor Cars at Rétromobile
Porte de Versailles, Parc des Expositions, Paris

Saturday, February 12th at 7.30pm

Viewing:
Friday, February 11th from 11am - 6pm
Saturday, February 12th from 10am - 7pm

Christie's International Motor Cars Ltd The Jack Barclay Showroom 2-4 Ponton Rd Nine Elms London SW8 5BA Tel: + 44(0)20 7389 2851 Fax: + 44(0)20 7627 8917 [email protected]

Text/Photos - Christie's