Collector Car Market Brief: A One-of-Three Veyron Soars in Zurich While the Hypercars Stall

The RM Sotheby’s Zurich results from Saturday draw a sharp line through the market. Collectors paid well over estimate for rarity that carries a story no factory can repeat. They balked at modern limited editions whose rarity came from an allocation list. A one-of-three Bugatti Veyron beat its high estimate by 61 percent. At the same time, a two-year-old Mercedes-AMG ONE, a Pagani Huayra Roadster, a Porsche 911 R and a Ford GT Carbon Series all went home unsold. In Nashville, Paul Newman’s race-worn Mustang made the same point from another angle. None of these results has run on this site yet.

RM Sotheby’s Zurich: CHF 16.3 Million and a Clear Split

RM offered 23 cars at the Zurich Auction on September 26 at the Park Hyatt. Its published results show 17 sales totaling CHF 16,302,075. That comes to about $19.7 million at the September 25 exchange rate of roughly $1.21 per franc. Sell-through by count was 74 percent. Pre-sale coverage expected CHF 19 million to CHF 22 million for the full catalog. The unsold lots explain most of that gap. Note that RM’s results include buyer’s premium, while its estimates do not.

Six lots now show “Price Upon Request.” In other words, they did not sell on the block, though RM may still broker private deals. Recent limited editions dominate that list:

• 2024 Mercedes-AMG ONE, one of 275, 507 km, single owner: estimate CHF 2.3 million to CHF 2.5 million
• 2020 Pagani Huayra Roadster: estimate CHF 2.5 million to CHF 3 million
• 2016 Porsche 911 R: estimate CHF 550,000 to CHF 600,000
• 2021 Ford GT Carbon Series: estimate CHF 585,000 to CHF 645,000
• 2005 Ferrari 575M Maranello: estimate CHF 150,000 to CHF 200,000
• 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet: estimate CHF 220,000 to CHF 280,000

Why it matters: The newest cars in the room failed to sell, not the most expensive ones. After all, each of the four modern cars had a planned production run. The manufacturers chose the first buyers. Many of those first owners still hold their cars, and several are testing the market at once. The AMG ONE also carried Swiss VAT on the full price unless the buyer exports it. One sale is not a trend. Even so, it matches what we saw with the Zanardi NSX. Buyers pay for a settled story. They hesitate when supply is still in flux.

A One-of-Three Veyron Beats Its Estimate by 61 Percent

Lot 113, the 2014 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse “Jean-Pierre Wimille,” sold for CHF 4,505,000. That is about $5.44 million against a CHF 2.4 million to CHF 2.8 million estimate. Bugatti built three Wimille cars. They opened the six-model “Les Légendes de Bugatti” series, with three cars per model. The paint and trim recall the Type 57G Tank that Wimille and Robert Benoist drove to victory at Le Mans in 1937. That win was Bugatti’s first at the race.

Chassis 795063 went to its first owner in Dubai in May 2014. After that, later owners registered it in Germany and Switzerland. The odometer showed 3,766 km at cataloguing. The catalog cites Bugatti Dubai service stamps at 655 km in 2016 and 2,553 km in 2017.

Why it matters: Mechanically, a Legends car is a Grand Sport Vitesse with special paint, stitching and trim. For a decade, the market treated the series as a trim package with a story. A result 61 percent over the high estimate says buyers now see “one of three, tied to a Le Mans winner” as its own model. Several outlets called the price a record for any Veyron at auction. However, RM’s results page makes no such claim. We could not verify the earlier benchmark from primary sources, so treat “record” as reported, not confirmed.

Caveats: The car sits in Switzerland on a temporary import bond. The buyer must export it with customs paperwork or pay Swiss VAT and duties. RM lists the registration as “Bill of Sale Only.” The online description gives no service history after 2017. On a low-mileage W16 car, a buyer should document that gap first.

The F40 Sold Inside Its Estimate, and That Is the Signal

Lot 106, a 1991 Ferrari F40 (chassis 89781), brought CHF 3,323,750, or about $4.01 million. The estimate was CHF 3.2 million to CHF 3.5 million. Since the result includes premium, the hammer price itself fell below the low estimate.

On paper, this is the F40 buyers pay extra for. First, this is a Swiss-delivered “cat, non-adjust” car with its matching-numbers engine and gearbox. It wears factory-correct Rosso Corsa over Stoffa Vigogna. Ferrari Classiche certified it in October 2018 and issued the Red Book. The seller has also paid Swiss taxes.

Why it matters: F40 prices have been one of the big stories of 2026. Here, a well-documented car with 38,725 km brought the going rate and no more. In other words, that looks like a plateau rather than a new leg up. It also mirrors our F50 price-movement analysis. Very low-mileage cars set the ceiling. By contrast, a car driven as intended lands mid-range.

Caveats: The title reads 1996, not 1991. Also, the car comes with two spare fuel tanks that still need fitting. On an F40, fuel-cell age is both a cost and a safety item. Ask for the date of the tanks now in the car.

The Arnoux Miura and the Manual Superamerica: Priced, Not Inflated

We previewed the ex-René Arnoux Miura before the sale. The 1969 Lamborghini Miura P400 S brought CHF 1,805,000, about $2.18 million. Its estimate was CHF 1.5 million to CHF 2 million. Chassis 4103 is one of 338 P400 S cars. This early car has solid disc brakes and its matching-numbers engine, no. 30380. The paint and trim are factory Rosso Corsa over Nero. Arnoux owned it around 1980 and sent it to the factory for a one-year restoration. Per the catalog, only the rear engine cover is a replacement.

Why it matters: A Formula 1 winner’s name added no visible premium. The car sold near mid-estimate on its own merits. The factory restoration is both provenance and caveat. However, that work is now more than 40 years old, so its value rests on the paperwork that proves it.

The Manual Superamerica

The 2005 Ferrari Superamerica made CHF 961,250, about $1.16 million, against a CHF 850,000 to CHF 1 million estimate. Only its specification justifies that price. It is one of 43 with the six-speed open-gate manual. In addition, the HGTC handling package adds carbon-ceramic brakes. The odometer showed just 7,437 km.

The car went new to the Kuwaiti royal family and has carried Swiss plates since 2022. Ferrari Classiche certified it in March 2024. Ferrari of Kuwait replaced the roof and its electric motors in 2017. As a result, that repair counts in the car’s favor, since the electrochromic roof is a known expense. The title reads 2006, and the car owes VAT unless exported. For context, see our earlier look at a low-mileage Superamerica.

Also in the Room

Elsewhere, the 1965 Aston Martin DB5 Vantage beat its CHF 800,000 to CHF 950,000 estimate at CHF 1,040,000. The 1985 Testarossa “Monospecchio” missed its CHF 220,000 to CHF 260,000 range at CHF 209,875. In short, the single mirror makes a good talking point, but it did not drive the price.

Paul Newman’s Daytona Mustang Brings $935,000 at Mecum Nashville

The 1995 Roush Racing Ford Mustang Cobra won the GTS-1 class at that year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona. Newman, then 70, shared the car with a lineup that included Tommy Kendall and Mark Martin. It finished third overall. Over the weekend it sold for a reported $935,000 at Mecum Nashville. Roush had shown the car with fresh bodywork, then refitted its original race-worn Daytona body for the sale.

We covered the consignment in June, and our early Nashville report tracked the opening days. From the same Roush group, Kurt Busch paid $110,000 for his old No. 99 Exide Ford F-150. He drove it to a Dover win in September 2000, his rookie Truck Series season. The truck still wears its original paint.

Why it matters: In both cases the unwashed surfaces are the provenance. A race car’s value rests on the documented history of that exact chassis. For that reason, the grime from the race is part of the evidence. Our last brief asked the same question about Pete Sampras’s Z8: how much of the price is the car, and how much is the name? Here the name comes with a class win, which is harder to argue with.

Caveats: We could not confirm from Mecum whether $935,000 includes buyer’s premium. Some reports also give a sale day that doesn’t match the calendar. Wait for Mecum’s official results before using this figure as a comp.

Private Sale: Singer’s “Firefly” DLS Turbo Asks $3.95 Million

RM Sotheby’s Private Sales has listed the “Firefly Commission” at $3.95 million, per Robb Report. Singer Vehicle Design built it from a Porsche 964 Carrera 2 under its DLS Turbo program. It is one of 99 DLS Turbo builds and one of 10 with right-hand drive. The UK owner took delivery at the end of 2025 and has covered 1,294 miles.

The car has a carbon body, a 710-hp twin-turbo 3.8-liter air-cooled flat six and a six-speed manual. It also comes with switchable race and road body sections, reportedly a $175,000 option. Marino Franchitti drove it up the hill at the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Why it matters: RM’s Harvey Stanley calls the price “little more than the original build cost.” That makes this listing a clean test. Does Singer’s top tier hold value on resale, or does it simply return the commission cost? Of course, an asking price is not a sale. A deal near this figure would suggest collectors pay for the builder, not the Porsche underneath.

Announced: Billy Joel’s Motorcycles Head to Gooding Christie’s

Gooding Christie’s will sell more than 70 motorcycles from Billy Joel’s collection November 19 to 22 at New York’s Javits Center. Reported estimates run $10,000 to $35,000 per bike. Highlights include a 1978 Triumph T140 Bonneville tied to Joel’s 150th Madison Square Garden show. A 1975 Ducati 750 Sport and a 1982 Ducati Mike Hailwood 900 also stand out. Proceeds go to The Joel Foundation. A preview runs at Christie’s Rockefeller Center from October 8 to 12.

Why it matters: These estimates sit close to normal market values for the models. Therefore, any premium will come from the name, not the machinery. The best comparison is Steve McQueen’s motorcycles, where documented personal use drove big multiples. Bikes with a specific, provable link to Joel, like the Garden Bonneville, should pull away from the rest.

On the Calendar

• Broad Arrow holds its first Audrain sale in Newport, Rhode Island, on October 2. Its Zoute sale follows on October 9 (see our September 24 brief).
• RM Sotheby’s 20th Hershey sale comes next in October (see our Hershey preview).
• Watch for post-sale deals on Zurich’s six unsold lots. An AMG ONE or Huayra trade below estimate would confirm the signal.

The Bottom Line

Zurich priced two kinds of rarity very differently. A 12-year-old Veyron with a one-of-three Le Mans story beat its high estimate by 61 percent. A two-year-old AMG ONE with a Formula 1 engine found no buyer at CHF 2.3 million. Put simply, an allocation is not a provenance. Until owners of recent limited editions accept that, expect more “Price Upon Request” listings.

Sources: RM Sotheby’s Zurich results and lot descriptions; pre-sale estimates as reported by Bluewin and Magneto; Mecum Nashville results as reported by American Cars and Racing and Heavy; Robb Report (Singer private sale); Hoodline (Gooding Christie’s announcement). Currency conversions use the September 25, 2026 CHF/USD rate and are approximate.