Las Vegas game designer Joe Kaminkow’s Goldfinger-themed Aston Martin DB5 – featuring all of James Bond’s gadget tracks seen in the film – caught the eye with its a bullet-proof windshield, machine guns, tyre shredders, rotating license plate, and ejector seat.
A 1971 Maserati Ghibli Spyder, 1968 Dino 206 GT, 1994 Bugatti EB110 GT and a 1948 MG TC were also favourites, but the ‘Best in Show’ award went to a car older than any of these.
A gleaming 1937 Delahaye Type 145, 12-cylinder Competition was the winner – a road car based on Rene Dreyfus’ racer of the same name, featuring an art deco style bodywork and magnesium V12 engine.
From the new Lamborghini Temerario to the boutique Tuthill GT One Porsche ‘retromod’, all sports car tastes were catered to at The Quail in the road car section.
Other new offerings included the electric Rimac Nevara R, which with 2,000bhp can hit 60mph in 1.7sec, and the Touring Superleggera Veloce12, a coachbuilder special based around the Ferrari 550 Maranello GT car.
Meanwhile, in the Bonhams Quail auction, it was an Italian classic that proved the main highlight. A 1964 Ferrari 250 GT/L ‘Lusso’ Berlinetta – designed by Pininfarina with coachwork by Scaglietti – is considered to be one of the most beautiful cars the marque has ever produced.
Delorean was one of the more unusual offerings in auction
Bonhams
One of just 350 produced, the 240bhp, four-speed car has been in the care of the same owner for 30 years and is in pristine condition. The sale price was not disclosed.
On the quirkier end of the scale, a 1982 DeLorean DMC12 with just 1,200 miles on the clock sold for $78k (£60k) while a ‘barn find’ 1953 Porsche 356, left undisturbed in a Munich warehouse for decades, went for $246k (£188k).
Full details of Bonham’s ‘The Quail Auction’ can be found here.