Gooding & Company Releases Entire Catalogue for Upcoming London Sale, Led by a 1953 Ferrari 166 MM/53 Spider Offered from Long-Term Ownership
Santa Monica, Calif. (2 August 2023) — Gooding & Company, the international auction house acclaimed for consistently selling the most significant collector cars in the UK each year, will return to Hampton Court Palace on 1 September as the official auction partner of the Concours of Elegance. The firm’s highly anticipated London Auction, led by the Ferrari 166 MM/53 Spider, will feature a number of important English and European classics brought to market in a world-class event conducted by auction maestro Charlie Ross. The entire London Auction catalogue is now live on Gooding & Company’s website, goodingco.com. Bidder registration for the upcoming sale is now open; as with all of Gooding & Company’s live events, the auction will also accommodate online, telephone, and remote bidding.
“We are delighted to present this diverse array of wonderful machinery at our upcoming London Auction, continuing to expand on our tradition of bringing some of the greatest cars to the UK market at Hampton Court Palace each year,” said Joe Twyman, Gooding & Company European Sales Consultant. “We have a number of really significant cars across a range of price points and eras, all coming from great homes and passionate, knowledgeable collectors. We look forward to helping them find their next custodian and conducting what will surely be another successful event.”
1953 Ferrari 166 MM/53 Spider (Estimate: £2,500,000 – £3,000,000)
Photo copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company. Image by Mathieu Heurtault.1953 Ferrari 166 MM/53 Spider (Estimate: £2,500,000 – £3,000,000)
As the only car to win all of the three great European sports car races – the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Targa Florio, and the Mille Miglia – the Ferrari 166 MM completely took the competition world by storm upon introduction in the late 1940s and into the early 1950s. Powered by a two-liter Colombo-designed V-12 engine, the 166 would go on to define the look, sound, and inimitable character of Ferrari cars for years to come. In 1953, Ferrari built a limited series of 13 chassis called the 166 MM/53, intended for private customers to enter in the popular under-two-liter class. These exclusive cars were propelled by the usual two-liter, 12-cylinder engine which benefited from upgraded roller cam followers and three four-choke Weber carburetors to produce as much as 160 bhp. Seven of the 166 MM/53 chassis were sent to Carrozzeria Vignale in Torino, where six of them received Michelotti-designed Spider bodies. Gooding & Company is proud to present this fascinating example of this rare competition model, which raced throughout Europe during its earliest years and has since been treasured by its current owner since 1960.According to Ferrari historian Marcel Massini, this 166 MM/53 was the fifth of the six Vignale-built Spiders and 11th of the 13 examples built in total. Originally numbered chassis 0328 M, the car was immediately renumbered by Ferrari as 0050 M, most likely at the request of its first owner, famed Dominican diplomat, polo player, racing driver, and notorious playboy Porfirio Rubirosa. Sometime in late 1953 or early 1954, Ferrari renumbered the Vignale Spider yet again, this time as 0308 M. Over the course of the next several years, 0308 M was owned by a number of European collectors and racing drivers, who frequently entered the 166 MM/53 in competition events and French hill climbs. In January 1960, the Vignale Spider joined the collection of Bernard Worth, and has been owned, raced, and cherished by him since. Always registered as “72 SMK,” the car has participated in a remarkable variety of events throughout the past 63 years, and has more recently been a regular attendee of the Ferrari Owners’ Club of Great Britain annual meeting. This attentively maintained 166 MM/53 has never been the subject of a comprehensive restoration, and presents in lovely condition with an inviting patina, appearing very much the same as it did when it was first acquired by Mr. Worth in 1960. Coming to public auction for the very first time, this remarkable example, among the last and most developed of the great 166 MM Ferraris, carries with it a rich and nuanced history fit for the most sophisticated of collectors.
1955 Fiat 8V Berlinetta (Estimate: £1,500,000 – £2,000,000)
Photo copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company. Image by Peter Singhof.
1955 Fiat 8V Berlinetta (Estimate: £1,500,000 – £2,000,000)
Fiat’s spectacular 8V, or Otto Vu, made its debut at the 1952 Geneva Motor Show, becoming an instant sensation due to its advanced engineering and stunning coachwork. Equipped with an aluminum V-8 engine, each Otto Vucame fashioned with stunning custom coachwork by Italy’s most distinguished carrozzerie, including Zagato, Ghia, Pinin Farina, and Vignale. Only 114 8Vs were built in total, and to this day, they maintain a reputation as the most important sporting Fiats produced after WWII. Of these, less than 30 Berlinettas were fitted with Zagato coachwork featuring the iconic double-bubble roof. According to Tony Adriaensens’ definitive book, OttoVu: Siata Derivata Fiat, this example, chassis 000076 was sent by Fiat to Zagato in early May 1954, delivered in stunning green metallic.The 8V would remain in Italy for many decades, frequently partaking in several competitive vintage motoring events. By the mid-1980s, it was owned by Gianfranco Pittarel, who kept the car for approximately 30 years, enjoying it on the 1000 Miglia Storica an impressive eight times. In prior ownership, the 8V was reunited with its matching-numbers engine, and was also treated to restoration work completed by noted Milan-based collector and restorer Gabriele Artom. This work, which included a new, two-tone interior and a refinish in green metallic, was completed by 2019. Presenting wonderfully today, 000076 is a great representation of one of the most exotic and sought-after cars of the mid-1950s, eligible for the world’s most exclusive motoring events and leading concours.
1954 Ferrari 250 Europa (Estimate: £1,200,000 – £1,500,000)Photo copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company. Image by Mathieu Heurtault.
1954 Ferrari 250 Europa (Estimate: £1,200,000 – £1,500,000)
Ferrari unveiled two companion models at the Paris Salon in 1953: the 250 Europa and the 375 America. Virtually identical except for engine displacement, the 250 Europa featured a Lampredi engine of three-liter capacity and boasted handsome coachwork designed by Carrozzeria Pinin Farina, including an imposing egg-crate grille, elegant proportions, and restrained, yet sporting, lines. Ferrari built just 22 examples of the 250 Europa, including the one presented here, chassis 0351 EU. A penultimate example of this rare breed, 0351 EU was completed in May 1954 and delivered new to acclaimed Hollywood director Clarence L. Brown, who entered it in the Concours d’Elegance at Cannes, as immortalized in the 1954 Ferrari Yearbook.The car eventually made its way to its third owner, Stan Baker of Seattle, Washington, in 1961. Mr. Baker repainted the car in its current ivory color and retained it for the next 42 years. During this time, he entered the Europa in the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance®, where it won First in Class for European sports cars. It would return to the Concours 25 years later to earn a Third in Class award. After the Europa joined the collection of its fourth owner, Ferrari enthusiast and FCA master judge Tom Shaughnessy, it was displayed at the annual Cavallino Classic in Palm Beach, Florida, and also graced the cover of Cavallino magazine’s August/September 2004 issue. Later on, under the ownership of Ian Proudfoot, the Europa underwent carefully planned preservation work, including an engine and gearbox rebuild by marque specialist Terry Hoyle, as well as extensive detailing and conservation efforts including fashioning a set of “driver” seat cushions to preserve the beautiful patina of the original upholstery. Today, this rare and elegant Europa remains in well-preserved and largely original condition, having never required a comprehensive restoration. Ferrari Classiche Red Book certified, this important 250 Europa is among the precious few Lampredi-powered Ferraris to survive to this day in such charming and well-preserved condition. Additionally, this vehicle has a combined acceptance to two upcoming 1000 Miglia events, the Warm Up USA Event in November 2023, and the celebrated 1000 Miglia in 2024, subject to registration and entry fee.
1965 Aston Martin DB5 Convertible (Estimate: £1,000,000 – £1,300,000)Photo copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company. Image by Ian Skelton.
1965 Aston Martin DB5 Convertible (Estimate: £1,000,000 – £1,300,000)
Of the 1,021 examples of the legendary DB5 built by Aston Martin between 1963 and 1965, just 123 were the top-of-the-line convertible model, and of these, a mere 84 were supplied in right-hand drive. As a result, this limited group of sporty, open-top grand tourers have always been greatly sought after by collectors as some of the most desirable of all David Brown-era Aston Martins. According to factory records on file, this example, chassis DB5C/1295/R, was originally specified with a number of interesting options, including Marchal fog lamps, a Motorola radio with power antenna, Britax lap belts, three-ear knock-off hubs, chrome-plated wire wheels, and a full Everflex tonneau cover in black. It was originally registered as “236 GDA,” a number plate which accompanies the car today. Owned by just four UK owners from new, the convertible has lived a life of status as an exclusive DB5, including being displayed at the prestigious 1995 Louis Vuitton Classic Concours d’Elegance in London. After being acquired by the current owner in 2016, the DB5 underwent a comprehensive restoration entrusted to marque specialist Rex Woodgate, which was completed in 2019. This work entailed stripping the aluminum body and steel chassis to bare metal, retrimming the interior, and rebuilding the engine and rear end. Today, the DB5 Convertible presents in a sophisticated shade of metallic gray over an oxblood leather interior, and comes from a significant collection of postwar sports and GT cars.
1962 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster (Estimate: £1,300,000 – £1,500,000)
Photo courtesy of owner. Image by Mathieu Heurtault.
The London Auction will also proudly present a desirable disc-brake, iron-block 1962 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster (Estimate: £1,300,000 – £1,500,000), as well as an exciting trio of Formula 1 engines, all offered without reserve: a 1992 Lamborghini LE3512 V-12 Formula One Engine (Estimate: £50,000 – £80,000, Without Reserve), a c. 1983 TAG-Porsche TTE P01 Formula One Engine (Estimate: £50,000 – £80,000, Without Reserve), and a 1991 Judd GV V-10 Formula One Engine (Estimate: £50,000 – £80,000, Without Reserve).
London Auction
Date: Friday, 1 September at at 15.00 BST
Location: Hampton Court Palace, UK
Viewing Days: Thursday-Friday, 31 August – 1 September
Concours of Elegance Ticketing Information: https://concoursofelegance.co.uk/tickets/
Bidder Registration: www.goodingco.com/register
Live Auction Broadcast: www.goodingco.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/GoodingandCompany
Twitter: @goodingandco #LondonAuction #GoodingLondon
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Phone: +1.310.899.1960
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