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Automotive Lifestyle
VINTAGE: Monaco’s Historic Grand Prix
Some of the greatest cars in European racing history compete on the iconic Circuit de Monte Carlo.
A Alfa Romeo Tipo B P3 chases through the famous streets of Monaco during the Historic Grand Prix. (Photo: Wouter Melissen)
Public road for 51 weeks of the year, the Circuit de Monte Carlo on the streets of Monaco is one of the most famous and instantly recognizable racing tracks in the world.
The Monaco Grand Prix is steeped in tradition and its rich history is celebrated every two years. Popular with drivers and spectators alike, the Historic Grand Prix attracts cars of a type that originally raced in Monaco from the late 1920s all the way to the early 1980s.
With the Armco barriers at most places literally at arm’s length, racing on the Circuit de Monte Carlo is an exhilarating experience regardless of being in a Bugatti Type 35, in a modern Formula 1 racer or on a grandstand. This is one of the reasons the Historic Grand Prix always attracts a very strong entry, which often includes cars that are not raced anywhere else. As with most other major historic events these days, collector-car auctions are part of the weekend's activities.
The 2012 Monaco Historic Grand was the eighth edition and we were trackside for all three days, braving both the hot sun and the very wet rain at the end. This has resulted in an action-packed and at times scorching 220-shot gallery of the races, a 80-shot gallery of the auctions and the following report of two of the auctions and of each of the race groups in alphabetical order (the actual race order differed).
The Auctions
Building on the success of their inaugural Monaco sale in 2010, RM Auctions was back at the Grimaldi Forum with an even more impressive group of cars and bikes this year. The auction kicked off on Friday with a 96-lot all-Ducati sale, which included the complete Saltarelli Collection as well as two recent MotoGP bikes, ridden by Casey Stoner and Valentino Rossi and offered directly from the factory.
Our focus was on the second day when about 90 collector cars crossed the block. Ferrari was represented particularly strongly with a range of different models, as well as the V12-powered Arno XI Hydroplane, which sold for a staggering 868,000 euros ($1.1 million).
Topping the 33.5 million euro ($42.7 million) auction was another Ferrari, one of just two 625 TRCs produced, which sold for a resounding 5 million euro ($6.5 million). Other highlights included two Alfa Romeo Tipo 33s, both selling for around 1 million euro ($1.27 million), a 2.2 million euro ($2.8 million) Mercedes-Benz 540 K and a Peugeot 908 HDI Fap, which sold for 1.7 million euro ($2.17 million).
Also included was a GT3 specification Lamborghini Gallardo offered by Blancpain with 100 percent of the 173,600 euro ($221,000) proceeds going to the Monaco Association against Muscular Dystrophy.
Bonhams annual sale at the principality's automotive museum was modest by comparison. The top seller was a Ferrari 330 GT based 250 GTO replica, which found a new owner for 281,750 euros ($359,000). Other highlights included a lovely Facel Vega II and a V8-powered AC Aceca, fetching 253,000 euro ($322,000) and 138,000 euro ($176,000) respectively.
Serie A – Pre-1952 Voiturettes and Grand Prix Cars
These were the earliest machines on the track, consisting mostly of Grand Prix and Voiturette racers of the 1930s. Among them was a complete armada of ERAs as well as several Bugattis, Maseratis and Alfa Romeos.
One of the rarest was the Type 59/50B III Bugatti, raced here with great verve by Tom Dark. This was one of the final Grand Prix cars built by the famous French marque, using a leftover Type 59 chassis and a Type 50 engine. Never particularly successful in period, it did win the first race held in France after World War II.
One of the 1970s most flamboyant racing drivers, Arturo Merzario, was entered with an Alfa Romeo 8C 35, but mechanical problems unfortunately prevented “Little Art” from taking to track in at least one of the sessions.
Having no such problems was Julian Bronson in the ex-Raymond Mays ERA R4D. He had won during the previous two editions and once again placed the most developed of all original ERAs on pole. Only Roland Portman in Georg Kaufmann's Maserati 4CL managed to mix it with the English machines, but he was not able to start the race.
In the 10-lap event, Bronson was raced hard by Paddins Downling in a B-Type ERA. He managed to hold on to the lead and scored his third Monaco victory in a row.
The Monaco Grand Prix is steeped in tradition and its rich history is celebrated every two years. Popular with drivers and spectators alike, the Historic Grand Prix attracts cars of a type that originally raced in Monaco from the late 1920s all the way to the early 1980s.
With the Armco barriers at most places literally at arm’s length, racing on the Circuit de Monte Carlo is an exhilarating experience regardless of being in a Bugatti Type 35, in a modern Formula 1 racer or on a grandstand. This is one of the reasons the Historic Grand Prix always attracts a very strong entry, which often includes cars that are not raced anywhere else. As with most other major historic events these days, collector-car auctions are part of the weekend's activities.
The 2012 Monaco Historic Grand was the eighth edition and we were trackside for all three days, braving both the hot sun and the very wet rain at the end. This has resulted in an action-packed and at times scorching 220-shot gallery of the races, a 80-shot gallery of the auctions and the following report of two of the auctions and of each of the race groups in alphabetical order (the actual race order differed).
The Auctions
Building on the success of their inaugural Monaco sale in 2010, RM Auctions was back at the Grimaldi Forum with an even more impressive group of cars and bikes this year. The auction kicked off on Friday with a 96-lot all-Ducati sale, which included the complete Saltarelli Collection as well as two recent MotoGP bikes, ridden by Casey Stoner and Valentino Rossi and offered directly from the factory.
Our focus was on the second day when about 90 collector cars crossed the block. Ferrari was represented particularly strongly with a range of different models, as well as the V12-powered Arno XI Hydroplane, which sold for a staggering 868,000 euros ($1.1 million).
Topping the 33.5 million euro ($42.7 million) auction was another Ferrari, one of just two 625 TRCs produced, which sold for a resounding 5 million euro ($6.5 million). Other highlights included two Alfa Romeo Tipo 33s, both selling for around 1 million euro ($1.27 million), a 2.2 million euro ($2.8 million) Mercedes-Benz 540 K and a Peugeot 908 HDI Fap, which sold for 1.7 million euro ($2.17 million).
Also included was a GT3 specification Lamborghini Gallardo offered by Blancpain with 100 percent of the 173,600 euro ($221,000) proceeds going to the Monaco Association against Muscular Dystrophy.
Bonhams annual sale at the principality's automotive museum was modest by comparison. The top seller was a Ferrari 330 GT based 250 GTO replica, which found a new owner for 281,750 euros ($359,000). Other highlights included a lovely Facel Vega II and a V8-powered AC Aceca, fetching 253,000 euro ($322,000) and 138,000 euro ($176,000) respectively.
Serie A – Pre-1952 Voiturettes and Grand Prix Cars
These were the earliest machines on the track, consisting mostly of Grand Prix and Voiturette racers of the 1930s. Among them was a complete armada of ERAs as well as several Bugattis, Maseratis and Alfa Romeos.
One of the rarest was the Type 59/50B III Bugatti, raced here with great verve by Tom Dark. This was one of the final Grand Prix cars built by the famous French marque, using a leftover Type 59 chassis and a Type 50 engine. Never particularly successful in period, it did win the first race held in France after World War II.
One of the 1970s most flamboyant racing drivers, Arturo Merzario, was entered with an Alfa Romeo 8C 35, but mechanical problems unfortunately prevented “Little Art” from taking to track in at least one of the sessions.
Having no such problems was Julian Bronson in the ex-Raymond Mays ERA R4D. He had won during the previous two editions and once again placed the most developed of all original ERAs on pole. Only Roland Portman in Georg Kaufmann's Maserati 4CL managed to mix it with the English machines, but he was not able to start the race.
In the 10-lap event, Bronson was raced hard by Paddins Downling in a B-Type ERA. He managed to hold on to the lead and scored his third Monaco victory in a row.
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