A 2007 Saleen S7-LM, one of just three produced, heads a docket of contemporary collectibles into the inaugural Bonhams’ Los Angeles ‘Supercars on Sunset’ Saturday, April 10.
Hosted in the capital of car culture at one of the great car museums of the world, the Petersen, Supercars on Sunset will feature a superlative selection of today’s cars and supercars –– the classics of tomorrow.
In addition to the Saleen, they include five McLarens, led by a 2020 Elva and a 2021 Senna; a 2016 Porsche 911 GT3 RS, purchased with $250,000 in options by marque enthusiast, Jerry Seinfeld; a 2014 Ferrari 458 Speciale; and a 2019 Ford GT Heritage.
Supercars on Sunset occurs April 10 at 2 p.m. from the Bonhams Los Angeles gallery, 7601 West Sunset Boulevard. The event is “Live & Online”; an auctioneer will be offering the cars live, and the sale will be streamed on the Bonhams online bidding platform and YouTube. Absentee and telephone bids are also encouraged.
Following CDC guidelines, masks are required at the preview, and masks and hand sanitizer will be available on site. Social distancing guidelines will also be followed.
The three-day preview for Supercars on Sunset is at the world-famous Petersen Automotive Museum, 6060 Wilshire Boulevard, three miles from the Bonhams saleroom. The preview will be on the second floor patio of the Museum, easily accessible from the parking area, Thursday, April 8, and Friday, April 9, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., and Saturday, April 10, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Simultaneously, the Petersen is offering the exhibition, “Supercars | A Century of Spectacle and Speed.” An advance appointment is required for ticket entry to the Museum.
Online, Bonhams’ virtual viewing platform will facilitate an appointment for condition reports and a one-to-one walk-around inspection with a specialist to fully examine a specific car. In addition, the online catalogue has full details, images and videos of every lot.
“We are very excited to present this all-American supercar in the Bonhams Supercars on Sunset auction,” says Jakob Greisen, vice president–head of US Motoring for Bonhams, founded in 1793, with major salerooms in London, New York, Los Angeles and Hong Kong.
“Bonhams, which has more than 40 years’ experience in the collectors’ car market, has lately made its mark on the contemporary collectors’ car scene, with a strong performance both in the USA and overseas,” he adds, noting that the auction house plans to hold the Los Angeles event in the spring and fall annually.
The silver-liveried 2007 Saleen S7-LM, which Bonhams estimates at $1,000,000–$1,300,000, is one of the rarest supercars ever produced. A collaboration of racing driver and team manager Steve Saleen and race car engineering firm Ray Mallock Limited, the S7 secured four championships in 2001, including the American and European Le Mans racing series.
This one-of-three S7-LMs delivers race car performance, outputting 1,000 bhp, routed to the rear wheels by a manual six-speed. Top speed is 248 mph. The exterior has an adjustable rear spoiler and “butterfly” doors; the black leather interior is accented in yellow and aluminum. “The California owner has kept this supercar impeccably, covering just 300 miles in 14 years,” Greisen notes.
The mid-engine 2020 Elva is the latest hypercar from McLaren and represents the firm’s first open-cockpit roadster, with its distinctive flying buttresses replacing the roof and windscreen.
Powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8, the all-carbon fibre Elva is McLaren’s lightest-ever road car; it has a top speed of 200 mph and posts 0–62 mph in under 3 seconds. Delivered new to the United States, this is the 45th example of only 149 produced and is estimated at $1,700,000–$2,100,000.
The track-focused 2019 McLaren Senna celebrates the late Formula 1 legend, Ayrton Senna, who won his three World Championships with the McLaren team. The 197th of the 500 run, the supercar, MSO Graphite Grey over black leather, has covered just 441 miles and is estimated at $950,000–$1,100,000.
Says Greisen: “This new sale concept will provide the ideal opportunity for the innovative collector to invest in the most exciting high-performance machines of the modern era which are at the same time emerging collectors’ cars, entering a higher appreciation of their design, engineering and overall impact on automotive culture.”
Registered bidders can bid in real time online and by telephone or absentee bid. If by April 1 local guidelines allow for an audience, Bonhams will invite registered bidders to attend in person with a limited number of guests to maintain social distancing in the auction room.
Consignments are invited until March 31 at us.motors@bonhams.com, and event details, event streaming and a continually updated docket are at bonhams.com/supercars.
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