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Automotive Lifestyle
VINTAGE: Monaco Hosts Historic Feast
Rare machines race on iconic course; RM scores highest-ever total for single-day collector-car auction.
Wouter Melissen  | http://www.ultimatecarpage.com  |  Posted May 05, 2010   Monaco (FR)
A pre-war Maserati 6CM slides through a turn during historic racing at Monaco's famed Grand Prix course. (Photo: Ultimate Car Page)
On the tight streets of the small Principality on the Mediterranean shore, the seventh Monaco Historic Grand Prix was held this past weekend.

The unique event allows the current custodians of the classic race cars to tread in the steps of legendary drivers that starred on the demanding track, such as Stirling Moss, Graham Hill and Ayrton Senna.

Part of Monaco's famed Grand Prix street course runs along the harbor filled with multi-million-dollar yachts. (Photo: Ultimate Car Page)
The Historic Grand Prix also attracts its fair share of rarely seen machinery. This year, our attention was particularly grabbed by the unusual CTA Arsenal, which was driven in anger for the first time since 1947, and the freshly restored Lotus 49 that was driven to a debut victory by Jim Clark in 1967.

In addition to the on-track activity, there was plenty of action in the various auction rooms set up around the track. Canadian auctioneer RM Auctions completely overshadowed the competition with its inaugural Sporting Classics of Monaco sale.

At the end of the evening, RM sold 88 of the 105 cars consigned for a staggering $45,101,139 in total sales (33 million Euro), which represents a world record for a single-day collector-car auction. The sale was topped by the Ferrari 400 Superamerica, although in a post-auction transaction, the BMW 328 Buegelfalte Roadster sold for an undisclosed amount, believed to be somewhere between four and five million Euro.

First held in 1929, the annual Monaco Grand Prix is considered one of the most prestigious races on the calendar. The temporary track runs on the streets of the small Principality, which are lined on one side by exclusive shops and restaurants, and on the other by a harbor filled with spectacular yachts. In this spectacular arena the world's finest drivers have excelled.

The signature collector car at the RM Auction was a unique BMW 328 Buegelfalte Roadster, reportedly sold post-bidding at more than $5.6 million. (Photo: Ultimate Car Page)
With such a rich history, it is hardly surprising that the streets of Monaco also host a historic racing event. Originally a one-off event in 1997, the Monaco Historic Grand Prix has been a bi-annual fixture on the calendar since 2000. Although it is thoroughly enjoyed by the spectators, the event above all provides the current owners of the historic racing cars a very rare opportunity to race at Monaco.

One of the similarities with the contemporary Grands Prix is the fact that the same names always appear on the sharp end of the field. In only the seventh edition of the event, American driver Duncan Dayton was chasing his 10th victory in 2010. Among the challengers in the two classes he competed were other former winners like Frank Sytner and Joaquin Folch-Rossinol.

Our photographers travelled to the Mediterranean shore to capture all the races and two of the auctions. The 230 best shots have made it into our exclusive gallery, which includes 20 shots of every one of the eight classes.

To view the 230-shot gallery of the auctions and racing, see Monaco Historics.
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Wouter Melissen

UltimateCarPage.com

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