There is something special about the atmosphere at an auction: the auctioneer as the master of ceremonies, the bidding battles, the applause when the hammer goes down on a lot...And the RM Auctions marquee was, of course, abuzz with all of that! 

This 9 June 2023 will remain as something of a landmark in the history of RM Auctions. “This is our first partnership with the ACO,” says Benjamin Arnaud, Director of Sales at RM Auctions France. “Of course, we have handled cars from the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the past, but this is the first time we’ve been here at the 24 Hours circuit for an exclusive sale, that is an integral part of the Centenary celebrations. It’s a first, and probably the only auction of its kind before the next centenary!” he smiles. “It’s an exciting partnership, designed to promote the heritage made famous by the 24 Hours of Le Mans, now highly prized by collectors.”  

Symbolically, there were 24 lots are up for sale, including 21 cars in driveable condition. The first lot was a French flag used for the 1965 race, and it immediately set the tone. “What better way to launch a sale than with a flag used to start the race?” asked the auctioneer responsible for presenting the lots. But even he had no idea that, seconds later, there would be a 15-minute duel between a buyer present in the marquee and another bidding by phone. The prices attained drew gasps of astonishment and the hammer finally went down at a price ten times higher than the estimate!

After this thrilling start, which had the whole audience on the edge of their seats, there came a Jacky Ickx race suit, an Aston Martin, Lancia, Ferrari, Porsche, Delahaye, Alpine, Saleen, Viper, Jaguar, Spyker, Venturi, OSCA, Lister Jaguar, Rondeau, Nissan, and more... Pointing out that the auction included cars dating from 1932 to 2007, Arnaud continues: “The 24 Hours of Le Mans offers us a fascinating look back in time. Competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans is a demonstration of know-how but also of the capacity, both industrial and commercial, to stand the test of time.”  

The bidding continued under the watchful eye of two expert onlookers, Jack Leconte (who took a class win with the Saleen in 2010) and Hervé Poulain (another gentleman-driver and top-flight auctioneer), with potential buyers in the marquee or members of RM Sotheby’s on the telephone or online with other buyers discreetly indicating their intentions. Benjamin Arnaud shares his view of the buyers and collectors: “There are almost as many types of buyer as there are owners and collectors: there are those who will choose to drive the car and those who won’t, those who prefer a car that has been restored and those who like to preserve the race-weathered bodywork, those who see the car as a work of art... Likewise, the sellers are as diverse as the buyers: there are the big collectors, the admirers of historic endurance cars, those who buy a car from a marque they appreciate...”

In addition to the sound of the auctioneer’s hammer going down, the audience were also treated to the roar of the engines, as several cars were started up, including the Porsche 962 C, the Lister Jaguar, Delahaye, Jaguar XJR-12 and Ferrari Daytona, which drew the greatest applause even before the ignition was fired!

Ferrari may not have fetched the highest bid – that honour went to the Porsche 962 C – but the Prancing Horse did provide the other two highlights of the sale as a storm broke out over the 24 Hours circuit, appearing to add to the feverishness inside the marquee. The 1971 Ferrari Daytona drew a flurry of bids, like the 1965 flag earlier, before the tension reached its peak with the 1955 121 LM. Its sale was greeted with a round of applause after the final bid was made just as the hammer was about to fall. The happy new owner, American John Houghteling, and his wife toasted his purchase with champagne, having fulfilled his ultimate dream as a Ferrari collector. 

“For me, the two most important races in the world are the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Mille Miglia (a 1,600-kilometre road race that started and finished in the Italian city of Brescia and took place through the 1930s and 1950s). “In 1955, Stirling Moss and Mercedes broke the record of the Mille Migila and the 121 LM was the particular car designed to beat it, but Piero Taruffi had to retire due to a water pump failure. After being one of the top cars of the Mille Miglia, the 121 LM came to Le Mans. For me, it is one of the most significant cars of that time, and I wanted a factory car of the Scuderia Ferrari. This is a jewel of motorsport history. It was designed by Sergio Scaglietti (one of the great Ferrari engineers at that time) and it took Ferrari Classiche (the department specialised in restoring classic Ferraris and having them certified by the marque) five years to restore it. My wife will drive it at the classic Mille Miglia, and I consider driving it at the Le Mans Classic. It will probably be to late for 2023, but I’ll definitely do it in the future.”