Bonhams sell Europe’s most expensive Aston Martin for over £10M

Auction house Bonhams yesterday broke the record for the most valuable British car sold at a European auction when an Aston Martin was sold for more than £10m.

A European buyer paid £10,081,500 for the 1961 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato which Bonhams said was a record.

In 1961, fresh off the factory floor, the car was driven in the Le Mans 24 Hours race, but failed to finish.

The car was driven by Clark in the RAC Tourist Trophy at Goodwood and in the Paris 1,000 Kilometres at Montlhery and originally part of private racing team the Essex Racing Stable, the car has been owned by the same family since 1971.

Setting the world record for the most valuable BMW ever sold under the hammer at auction was the John Surtees CBE, one owner from new, 1957 BMW 507 Roadster which realised £3,809,500 against a pre-sale estimate of £2,000,000-2,500,000. After a tense and lengthy bidding exchange, the motor car sold in the room to a European buyer.

The lots were part of the auction house’s Festival of Speed sale at Goodwood which saw more than £32m of cars go under the hammer in the sale.

Other lots include a 1957 BMW 507 Roadster which sold for £3.8m, which is a world record price for a BMW sold at auction.

Racing cars were popular, with a Ferrari 1932-34 Alfa Romeo Tipo B Grand Prix Monoposto selling for £4,593,500.

Other highlights include a 1965 Aston Martin DB5 Sports Saloon which £1.9m and a 1931 Bentley 4½-Litre Supercharged Tourer ‘Blower’ going and a 2012 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport Coupe which both sold for just over £2m.