VINTAGE: Top 10 Import Auction Sales - Automotive - Speed

Classic cars from Europe have also made their mark at Barrett-Jackson auctions, including two of the top-selling cars in the auction?s history, the unique Franay-bodied 1947 Bentley Mark VI and an original 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing with ultra-low mileage.

Here is the list of the top-selling imports at Barrett-Jackson:

1. 1947 Bentley Mark VI Franay, $2.75 million ? With its evocative custom coachwork by the famed French design house, the most valuable Bentley of all time sold in 2012 at the Scottsdale auction.

2. 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing, $2.2 million ? With its remarkably low original mileage of just over 4,000, this survivor achieved the highest price ever for a steel-bodied 300SL when it sold at the 2012 Scottsdale auction.

This highly original 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing with mileage just over 4,000 set a resounding record for a steel-bodied (rather than a rarer alloy body) Gullwing.(Photo: Barrett-Jackson) 3. 1947 Bentley Mark VI Franay, $1.728 million ? The same luscious car that occupies the No. 1 spot on this list was previously sold at the 2006 Palm Beach auction.

4. 1939 Mercedes-Benz 540K cabriolet, $1.7 million ? This rare pre-war beauty is one of the German marque?s high-performance supercharged touring cars, sold at the 1989 Scottsdale auction.

5.1928 Daimler P.1.50 Vee Front Royal limousine, $1.155 million ? The largest British production car ever built, this splendid piece of royal livery sold at the 2012 Scottsdale auction.

6. 1930 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A cabriolet, $1.1 million ? A big, beautiful luxury car from Italy with coachwork by Castagna of Milan, it sold at the 2012 Scottsdale auction.

7. 1914 Isotta Fraschini Tipo KM4 gunboat speedster, $1 million ? Another one from the famed pre-war Italian luxury brand, this sporty car sold at the 1990 Scottsdale auction.

8. 1914 Mercedes-Benz touring, $900,000 ? This rare early Benz was sold at the 1990 Scottsdale auction.

9. 1936 Mercedes-Benz 540K cabriolet, $702,000 ? Another one of the famous supercharged roadsters sold at the Scottsdale auction in 1988.

10. 1935 Rolls-Royce Phantom II, $440,000 ? With a luscious custom body by Hooper and Company, this two-passenger sports coupe was sold at the 2008 Scottsdale auction.

Bob Golfen, Automotive Editor for SPEED.com, is a veteran auto writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, with a passion for collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. SPEED.com fans can email Bob Golfen at

Source: http://automotive.speedtv.com/article/vintage-top-10-import-auction-sales/

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