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1954 Ferrari 375-Plus sells for record $18 million at Goodwood

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Among all the action at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this past weekend, Bonhams held its classic car auction, bringing in a massive $38.4 million in sales. And this was undoubtedly the highlight.

Bearing the chassis number 0384 AM, this 1954 Ferrari 375-Plus has a storied racing history, competing that year in such events as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Mille Miglia and the Silverstone endurance race, where the late José Froilán Gonzalez drove it to victory. One of only five made, the 375 Plus packed a 4.9-liter V12 with 330 horsepower under aluminum barchetta bodywork by Pininfarina. It was subsequently owned by Kleenex scion Jim Kimberly, trading hands between owners on both sides of the Atlantic and was the subject of a legal dispute over its ownership four years ago.

With the dispute now resolved and after heated competition between two bidders, the Ferrari finally sold for £10.7 million, equivalent to $18.2 million at today's rates and accounting for nearly half of the day's sales totals. Other highlights included a 1902 De Dietrich 16-HP "Paris-Vienna" Rear-Entrance Tonneau and a a '75 Lamborghini Countach, each of which sold for around $1.7 million – the latter eclipsing the example that Bonhams also recently sold for $1.2 million.
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BONHAMS FESTIVAL OF SPEED SALE RACES AHEAD WITH £22.6 MILLION ($38.4 MILLION USD) AND A NEW WORLD RECORD
27 Jun 2014, The Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale: Collector's Motor Cars and Automobilia

- The brutally fast 1954 Ferrari 375-Plus led the pack at £10.7 million ($18.2 million USD)
- Sale achieved £22.6 million ($38.4 million USD)
- Ancient classic: 1902 De Dietrich sold for astounding £998,300
- Modern classic: 1975 Lamborghini Countach sells for £953,500

Bonhams' annual Festival of Speed Sale saw spectacular results, with the 'Fearsome Four-Nine' Ferrari 375-Plus battled out between bidders, and the hammer finally falling at £10.7 million ($18.2 million USD).

Robert Brooks, Bonhams Co-Chairman, said: "We've had a truly diverse range of spectacular motor cars at our Sale this year, causing great excitement in the sale room for both spectator and bidder alike, and achieving an outstanding result."

"With a total of £22.6 million worth sold in four hours, it's been another fantastic Festival of Speed for Bonhams"

Bonhams and Goodwood racing car historian Doug Nye, said: "This Sale has offered a phenomenal range of really special and important cars with their various classes. Above all, each of the prime cars offered has links with some of the greatest racing drivers of all time. Names like Jim Clark, Graham Hill, John Surtees and so many more. It's always a pleasure to see new owners' delight as the gavel falls. After all, they're winners too."

A 1902 De Dietrich - formerly part of the Michael Banfield Collection (over 1,000 lots from which were sold by Bonhams earlier this summer) - achieved at Goodwood today an astounding £998,300 ($1.7 million USD). Few cars can have come to light as spectacularly as this magnificent veteran, which was discovered during World War Two when a German bomb demolished the stable in which it had been sleeping on blocks since 1912. With just four owners from new, the powerful four-cylinder 4078cc De Dietrich is identical in specification to the works racers built for the 1902 Paris-Vienna challenge.

From ancient to modern, the Bonhams sale supplied all tastes. One of the most iconic sports cars of the 20th Century - a 1975 Lamborghini Countach LP400 'Periscopio' Coupé - sold for a new world record £953,500 ($1.6 million USD).

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