Monterey >> Portola Plaza in downtown Monterey was slowly transforming Monday as classic cars started to pour in for this week’s auctions and activities.
Bob Knowles of Phoenix was detailing a yellow 1976 Ferrari 308 GTB “Vetroresina” for RM Sotheby’s, which is a company known for collector car auctions and record-setting results. Knowles runs his own personal professional car detailing service and has worked with RM Sotheby’s for the past 20 years.
Knowles has been detailing classic cars for the past 29 years and travels across the country with RM Sotheby’s plus other classic car auction companies throughout the year.
RM Sotheby’s celebrated one of its most successful results in Monterey In 2017 by generating nearly $133 million with 88 percent of all lots sold across the two-evening auction. A total of 32 people purchased cars worth $1 million or more.
The car auction company hopes to repeat another successful year in Monterey by featuring cars like a 1952 Bentley Mark VI drophead foursome coupe that could be sold for as high as $500,000. Other hard to find cars include a 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series, which was a previously single-family owned car for 50 years and can be sold for nearly $250,000 or more depending who wants it more.
Then there’s the 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari, which is expected to sell anywhere from $2-5 million during this week’s auction events. The car has a 6.2-liter V12 engine along with a 120-kw electric motor that can fully accelerate to 62 miles per hour in less than three seconds.
Over at the Fisherman’s Wharf parking lot is Russo and Steele’s collector automobile auction, which also features exotic and rare classics during Classic Car Week. The three-evening event, which starts Wednesday, will auction over 250 automobiles at what it calls a highly interactive, visceral ground level auction arena that provides cars with no separation from the buyers.
Russo and Steele has a 1968 Ford Mustang Eleanor Fastback that features a 428 Cobra jet engine, 5-speed manual transmission and side exhaust. For those who are less adventurous, the auction also has a 1961 Fiat Jolly that was restored from the ground up. The Ferrari deep red four seater has new wicker seats in the front and rear.
Other auctions this week include the Worldwide Auctioneers Pacific Grove event, in its second year at the P.G. Golf Links, the Mecum Muscle Cars at the Hyatt Regency Monterey, Bonhams Auction at Quail Lodge, and the Pebble Beach Auctions presented by Gooding & Company. For more information on the events see the events schedule at https://bit.ly/2Mr1owz.
Apart from car auctions, Monterey Car Week will have historic racing, touring and shows. The week will end with the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where RM Sotheby’s restoration team has won six Best of Show honors.
Juan Reyes can be reached at (831) 726-4360
