Day One: Mercedes Collection
The first day of RM's 2013 London sale saw over £9.7 million change hands. This part of the sale was dedicated to the Mercedes marque, and significant cars which sold included two 300SLs (the black Roadster achieving £716,800, the silver ‘Gullwing’ £739,200), and the 1938 540 K Cabriolet B going for £820,000 – the top selling car of the night.
While a crowded seated saleroom followed the fortunes of the 74 lots on offer that evening, many others spent the time browsing Monday night’s section of the catalogue.
Pride of place on a raised dais next to the entrance to the venue was the Laidlaw Collection. Fittingly, the ex-works, ex-Ecurie Ecosse, long-nose D-type took centre stage. It was flanked by the other Laidlaw cars, all painstakingly well prepared.
Other entries that caught our eye included the 2004 Ferrari 575 GTC, the 1970 Alfa Romeo T33 sports-racer and, at least trying to be sensible, the two-tone 1967 Bentley T1 Saloon, so reasonably estimated at £16,000 – 22,000. It was to sell for £20,160.
Text: Steve Wakefield
Day Two: Laidlaw collection, Bond's submersible Esprit, and more...
Day Two proceedings began with the eclectic Maat collection, with lots ranging from a pretty Jaguar XK140 FHC (sold for £50,400) to a Ferrari 612 with a mere 162km on the odometer – sold for £78,400, healthily surpassing expectations.
Soon afterwards came a rare right-hand drive Porsche 911 2.7 RS Touring (£319,200) and then ‘Wet Nellie’ – more commonly known as Roger Moore’s submersible Lotus in 'The Spy Who Loved Me'. At £616,000 it might have been a touch below estimate, but it's hardly as if there was a precedent set for this type of vehicle...
Then came the headline lots: seven prominent racing cars from the collection of Lord Laidlaw. While a £4m bid failed to reach the ex-Works D-type’s reserve, the Porsche 904/6 (£1.23m) and Maserati 250S (£2.13m) both found new owners.
Text: Joe Breeze
Photos: Steve Wakefield
