FRENCH HISTORY TAKES CENTRE STAGE AT RM'S PARIS COLLECTOR CAR AUCTION AT PLACE VAUBAN

November 25, 2014 by RM Auctions

• RM Auctions returns to the stunning Place Vauban for its second annual collector car sale in Paris, 4 February, 2015

• Held during the world-famous Retromobile week, the multi-million euro sale features a magnificent selection of 60 blue-chip motor cars

• Early highlights led by two automobiles with wonderful French provenance, a 1935 Delahaye 135 S and 1934 Lancia Belna Eclipse

• Full event details available at www.rmauctions.com

LONDON (November 25, 2014) – RM Auctions, the world's largest collector car auction house for investment-quality automobiles, makes a highly anticipated return to Paris, 4 February for its second annual sale during the world-famous Retromobile show week. Featuring a handpicked selection of 60 motor cars, the boutique auction will be held at the historic Place Vauban in central Paris, the perfect setting to present the finest examples of racing, sports and touring cars from both pre- and post-war periods.

The sale is set to open RM's 2015 European calendar in spectacular fashion, following on from a record 2014, which saw quality collector cars in high demand and prices remain firm. The sale also follows in the footsteps of RM's highly successful debut in Paris in 2014, an event that achieved €17.7 million in sales, with five exceptional automobiles exceeding €1 million. Attracting bidders from 34 countries, top sale honours at the 2014 event went to a beautifully presented 1955 Jaguar D-Type, which realized a record €3.696.000.

'The Paris sale is a significant addition to our worldwide roster of events, held during one of France's most important motoring weeks of the year. Place Vauban provides a stunning backdrop to present nearly a century of automotive history, and allows RM to create a premium experience for discerning collectors, executed at the same level as a high-end art auction,' says Augustin Sabatié-Garat, Car Specialist, RM Auctions.

Sabatié-Garat adds, 'We've continued to witness a strong market for collector cars over the past year with prices for select automobiles reaching the levels of fine art and we expect this trend to continue in 2015. Cars are increasingly being recognized and celebrated as rolling sculptures, and for collectors, there's then the added benefit and excitement of getting behind the wheel.'

Drawing ties to France's rich automotive history, highlights for RM's Paris sale are led by a wonderful 1935 Delahaye 135 S. A historic car with an incredible racing history, the Delahaye has resided in France all of its life, including many years in the ownership of Jean-Philippe Peugeot, of the Peugeot Motor Company. One of the truly great French sports racing cars of the pre-war period, it enjoyed a competitive racing career from 1936 through 1949, posting strong results at Grand Prix events throughout the 1940s, including victory at the Grand Prix des Frontières. A veteran of no less than three 24 Heures du Mans, the car's most notable performance came in 1937 when Joseph Paul and Marcel Mongin piloted it to 2nd position overall in the legendary endurance race. For decades, the 135 S has been a familiar sight on the international classic car scene, competing in many of the world's leading historic races and retrospectives driven by its well-known former owner, Jean Sage (Est. €1.200.000 - €1.600.000).

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Also set to command strong local interest at the February auction is the 1934 Lancia Belna Eclipse. A true rolling work of art, the Lancia features coachwork by Pourtout and dramatic Art Deco design by the intriguing and highly-talented, Georges Paulin, a dentist who sketched many of the most beautiful French automobiles of the pre-war period and went on to become a hero of the French Resistance.

Paulin was a pioneer of aerodynamic design and new ideas in coach-building, most prominently, one of the world's first retractable hardtops, which he dubbed 'Eclipse.' The patented design was simple and effective and was mainly utilized by French coachbuilder Marcel Pourtout up to the outbreak of World War II. Paulin then joined the Resistance movement, passing secrets along to agents who would come to his dental office, until he was tragically captured and executed on March 21, 1942.

The Lancia on offer is one of only two known examples featuring the Pourtout-built Eclipse coachwork. Built on a French-manufactured Belna chassis, the car has been restored to feature striking black and bright yellow paintwork with a genuine ostrich skin interior (Est. €300.000 - €375.000).

RM's Paris sale will also feature a number of cars that adorned the walls of young enthusiasts during the 1980s and 1990s, a previously underappreciated group that has enjoyed rising popularity and values in recent years. Superb 'poster cars' slated for the podium include a single-owner-from-new 1990 Ferrari F40 (Est. €900.000 - €1.300.000), a late production 1989 Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary, possibly the fastest iteration of the model (Est. €250.000 - €300.000), and an iconic 1983 Ferrari 512BBi presented in pristine condition in the highly desirable Rosso Corsa with black trim (Est. €190.000 - €230.000).

Adding to the excitement, RM's Paris auction is held in partnership with the Festival Automobile International, taking place at Place Vauban just prior to the sale. Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2015, the event will gather a stunning display of beautiful concept cars and pay tribute to car designers from around the world, following the vote for 'The Most Beautiful Car of 2014' (www.festivalautomobile.com).

Full event details for RM's Paris sale are available by visiting www.rmauctions.com or calling RM's London office at +44 (0) 20 7851 7070.