Bonhams Breaks Record After Selling £10m Aston Martin

Bonhams has broken a nice record after it sold a classic 1961 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato for a staggering £10,081,500, which makes the two-seater coupe the most pricey British car ever sold at a European auction. Judging from the bank-breaking price, there’s no doubt that the anonymous bidder who won the superstar is a wealthy classic car enthusiast.

The old Aston Martin was part of the Goodwood Festival of Speed sale in Sussex, which itself scored a total sales of more than £32 million. The Zagato is one of the only three DP209 versions ever built by Aston Martin, so it’s clear that this car is very special. Despite such, knowing that it could fetch a £10m final price was still a huge surprise for Bonhams’ motoring chairman, James Knight, who auctioned the coupe.

The 1961 DB4GT Zagato was once driven by the British F1-legend, Jim Clark, who won the world title twice. It had also spent its past 47 years with the Essex Racing Stable. What makes this Aston Martin even more valuable is the fact that it’s one of only two of the legendary ‘VEV’ quasi-works race cars, and it’s configured in the ultra-light and rare DP209 specification.

Another Bonhams’ superstar was a 1957 BMW 507 Roadster which was recorded as the most expensive BMW ever sold at auction, thanks to its £3,809,500 final price. This car is historically attractive as it was previously owned by British F1 driver John Surtees.

A Ferrari 1932-34 Alfa Romeo Tipo B Grand Prix Monoposto was also popular at Bonhams 50th auction with a £4,593,500 final bid. Other most sought-after autos at the sale include the ex-James Bond (Goldeneye), 1965 Aston Martin DB5 which was sold for £1.9 million, a 1931 Bentley 4½-Litre Supercharged Two-Seater and a 2012 Bugatti Veyron Super Sports Coupe which was both went under the hammer for more than £2 million.