At the “Driven by Disruption” auction of RM Sotheby's in New York, the Ferrari 290 MM went under the hammer for an exorbitant amount. On December 10, the exclusive Ferrari changed hands for $ 28.000.000. That is more than € 25.500.000. The artfully edited Porsche 356 of the controversial Janis Joplin, who died in 1970, also yielded a hefty sum, although that did not come close to the exceptionally high yield paid for the Ferrari.
De 1956 Ferrari 290 MM, chassis 0626 expectant built for the Formula One racing legends Juan Manuel Fangio. The car became specially designed for the fivefold F1 world champion and was a of the only four 290 MMs they became built. A special aspect of this unique Ferrari is that it never crashed, despite a long-term commitment in competitions. This 1964 MM was raced until 290.
In advance, the revenue from the "Fangio Ferrari" was estimated at an amount in between $ 28.000.000 and $32.000.000. The realized sales value is a record for the auction house. The worldwide sales record remains in the hands of the Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta. This was in 2014 by Bonhams for an amount of $38.100.000 sold. In Euros, that amounts to an amount of almost € 34.800.000.
Porsche from Janis Joplin
RM Sotheby's also achieved a substantial return with another "lot". The elaborately painted Porsche 356 C Cabriolet of Janis Joplin, who died in 1970, went under the hammer for € 1.600.000. An estimated value of € 547.500 was allocated to a special Porsche in advance. The artwork was in the possession of the Janis Joplin family from 1973 until the auction date. The Porsche has been on display for the past twenty years at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland.
Joplin bought the original white Porsche in 1968 for an amount of $ 3.500, - (€ 3.200, -). However, she was not a fan of the basic color. The singer had the car fitted with psychedelic paintings and her zodiac sign by a friend. The owner reportedly enjoyed driving with her artistic convertible. Long after her death - in 1990 - the manual four-speed gearbox of the Porsche also received a restoration.
Also other striking results
Other striking results were the auctions of a Pontiac Bonneville from 1963 (once owned by Roy Rogers and Daly Evans) and a Ferrari Testarossa built for children. The Pontiac sold for € 281.250, -; the "toy" Ferrari for more than € 81.000, -