The annual auctions that take place ahead of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance aren't the year's biggest, but they're certainly the best place to see the impossibly well-heeled compete for the privilege of owning the world's finest cars.
And when you put two people who want a rare Ferrari very badly in the same room, often with only a British auctioneer standing between them and fisticuffs, pecuniary fireworks result.
Last year RM saw $94.5 million in sales -- a good chunk of the staggering $260.3 million total for all Monterey/Pebble Beach car week auctions -- and we're sure they're hoping for even better results in 2013.
Set for Aug. 16 and 17, this year's RM auction will see more than 100 lots, including three boats, cross the block.
The crown jewel seems to be a 1953 Ferrari 375 MM Spider by Pininfarina -- the only one of its kind, immaculately restored to factory-fresh condition with the help of a replacement V12 engine ordered by the car's original owner but not previously installed in any vehicle. How much will it sell for? RM has declined to provide an estimate, so we'll have to wait until auction day to see. In the meantime, enjoy a video of it in action below.
There are no 50-year-old Porsches in the lot listing (though oddly, you can take home a 1963 356) but you can celebrate the 911's anniversary year with an awesomely brown 1970 911 S 2.2.
If you're more a fan of American sports cars, there's a race-ready 1963 Corvette Sting Ray to be had, along with a '70 Shelby 350 GT for the muscle addict.
Don't think the market has forgotten about prewar cars: from a 1931 Stutz DV32 Convertible Victoria by Rollston to a '28 Mercedes-Benz 680S Torpedo Roadster that is (for a Saoutchik-bodied car, anyway) elegant and refined, the auction offers no shortage of concours-ready vehicles. Our choice for ultimate style, however, would probably be the stunning black 1935 Hispano-Suiza K6 cabriolet by Brandone.
Want something quirky? You can choose a streamlined Tatra T87, an aluminum 1965 Bizzarrini 5300 GT or a 1958 Facel Vega Series 4 Sport Coupe.
And about those boats we mentioned earlier -- there are three of them, each with a motor from a high-profile automaker. Two have American mills: the '38 Ventnor K-2 Runabout with a Packard V12 and the '55 Guess-DeSoto F4. But there's a '58 Timossi-Maserati KD-13 for a collector seeking some Italian fare. As the car market continues to rocket skyward, we wouldn't be surprised if more of these vintage racing boats continue to surface.
The gallery above highlights just a few of the cars RM is offering at Monterey, but there's plenty more where that came from -- to say nothing of the other auction houses, including Gooding & Co. and Mecum, ahead of Pebble Beach. Stay tuned for more updates before the big events arrive.
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