Bonhams Classic Car Auctions

Bonhams|Cars

Definition and Historical Standing
Bonhams|Cars is the specialist classic car auction division of Bonhams auction house. Founded in 1793, Bonhams is one of only three Georgian-era auction houses surviving in London, and the only one among them to remain under British ownership. Its motoring auction arm was founded in 1989 by former racing driver Robert Brooks, merged with Bonhams in 1999, and established its current structure following the acquisition of Phillips in 2001. Bonhams|Cars is renowned for pioneering the "single-marque auction" format—dating back to 1985 when Brooks and James Knight first introduced marque-specific sales to celebrate the automotive centenary, paving the way for dedicated Ferrari, BMW, Aston Martin, and other marque auctions.

Core Positioning and Differentiation
What sets Bonhams|Cars apart is its deep integration within the British automotive culture ecosystem. It has served as the founding sponsor and official auction partner of the Goodwood Festival of Speed since the inaugural event in 1993, a partnership spanning over three decades that was renewed in 2026 through to 2030. This synergy seamlessly connects its sales with three major events: the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Goodwood Revival, and the Members' Meeting, creating a unique "motorsport meets auction" atmosphere that rivals struggle to replicate. Furthermore, Bonhams|Cars has built an exceptional reputation in the "Preserved Automobiles" sector, with its dedicated "Preserving the Automobile" sales focusing on unrestored, highly original survivor cars.

Historic Sales Records
The motoring department at Bonhams has handled some of the most significant sales in auction history. In 2013, a 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196R 'Silver Arrow' Formula 1 racer hammered for €22,701,864 (approx. £19,600,000), setting a world record at the time as the most valuable car ever sold at auction—a benchmark it held for several years. Piloted by Juan Manuel Fangio and Hans Herrmann to victory at the German and Swiss Grands Prix, the car earned Bonhams a historic triple crown: "most expensive car sold at auction", "most valuable F1 car", and "most expensive Mercedes-Benz". At the 2026 Goodwood Revival Sale, an ex-Nick Mason (Pink Floyd drummer) 1936 Aston Martin 2-Litre Speed Model Competition Two-Seater went under the hammer for £345,000, emerging as the top-selling lot of the event.

Key Results in 2026
At the 2026 Monterey Car Week Quail Auction, Bonhams|Cars recorded a gross total of USD 44,700,000 with an exceptional 96% sell-through rate, where 109 lots drew over 700 registered on-site bidders. The headline act was a 24-car no-reserve "Future Classics" supercar collection, headlined by a 2020 Bugatti Divo that crossed the block for USD 8,600,000 to set a new world auction record. Other standout results included a 2023 Bugatti Chiron Super Sport (USD 4,460,000), a 2021 Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport (USD 3,960,000), and a 2022 Apollo Intensa Emozione "Ocean Dragon" (USD 3,500,000, setting a marque auction record). Meanwhile, at the 2026 Bonmont Sale in Switzerland, two flagship McLarens delivered standout performances: a 2021 McLaren Elva fetched CHF 920,000, while a 2015 McLaren P1 realised CHF 966,000.

Key Sales and Collections
Bonhams|Cars excels at curating single-owner and single-marque sales. The 2014 Gordon Willey Collection showcased 12 British classic cars, comprising seven Bentleys alongside a pre-war Frazer Nash-BMW, an Invicta, and an Aston Martin DB5. The inaugural Mercedes-Benz Sale in 2013 took place at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, making Bonhams the only auction house ever permitted to host a sale inside the museum. At the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed, Bonhams|Cars staged the novel "World's Smallest Car Auction"—a charity sale of scale models—while previewing a 1925 Bugatti Type 35C and a 1936 Aston Martin slated for the upcoming Revival Sale.

Recognition in the Chinese Market
Bonhams established its Hong Kong branch in 2007, becoming the first international auction house to open a dedicated saleroom at Pacific Place. Private sales driven by Hu Weixi, Managing Director for Asia, achieved nearly HKD 50,000,000 between October and November 2024. Nevertheless, brand recognition of Bonhams in mainland China remains heavily anchored to its antiques and fine art auctions, with its classic car division yet to establish an independent presence in the local market. Previews held in cities such as Chengdu and Beijing focus primarily on Asian art and antiquities, leaving Europe and North America as the core battlegrounds for its classic car auctions.