Alfa Romeo B.A.T. 5, 7 & 9 hammered sold for $14.8 million at RM Sotheby’s sale
The Alfa Romeo Berlina Aerodinamica Tecnica concept cars as a single lot take top sale at $14.8M during Sotheby’s $142.8M Contemporary Art Evening Auction.
NEW YORK – On October 28th in New York, RM Sotheby’s sold the renowned trio of Alfa Romeo Berlina Aerodinamica Tecnica concept cars, B.A.T. 5, 7 and 9d, for $14,840,000 during Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Evening Auction, achieving the top sale slot and setting a new record for the most valuable post-war Alfa Romeo sold as a single lot at auction and one of the most valuable of any Alfa Romeo ever sold.
With nearly one million viewers tuning in to Sotheby’s live-streamed sales of Contemporary and Impressionist & Modern Art, the trio of automotive icons, offered as a one lot, saw strong pre-sale interest, as well as bidding activity during the auction, which comes as no surprise given the rarity and desirability of the beautifully-designed and sculptural examples of automotive art. Making for a truly unique sale, Sotheby’s auctioneer, Oliver Barker, taking bids from a global audience of specialists from New York, London, and Hong Kong, marked the second time in which a truly unique automotive was offered at a Sotheby’s Contemporary Evening Auction. The impressive digital presentation was kicked off with a 30-minute pre-show highlighting the sale’s top lots including the Alfa Romeo B.A.T. cars featuring well-known journalist Kurt Anderson discussing the significance of the offering with Ian Kelleher, Chief Marketing Officer of RM Sotheby’s. The completely digital initiative highlighted the departure from the conventional means of print promotion and utilized an entirely digital format that reflected the best in class leading auction presentation.
Regarded by many as the seminal vehicle designs of the 20th century, the B.A.T. 5, 7, & 9d were produced by Bertone and presented individually to the public at the Turin auto salons over three consecutive years in 1953, 1954 and 1955. Despite their individual popularity and collective significance, the B.A.T.s were never displayed together when new. Offered in the Sotheby’s sale from long-term ownership and for the first time as a united trio, the three cars showcased that the power of artistry and ingenuity is always attractive on the market, no matter the medium.
Coming on the heels of Sotheby’s successful sales in Hong Kong, London, and Paris earlier this month, the Contemporary Art Evening Sale brought a total of $142.8 million with 95.1 percent of lots sold, while the Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale achieved $141.1 million with 100% sell-through rate. With a combined total of $283.9 million, the two sales raised the total of the auction house’s October evening sales of Contemporary and Impressionist & Modern Art to over $500 million worldwide. Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Evening Sale was led by the trio of Alfa Romeo B.A.T. concepts, the Impressionist & Modern Art Evening Sale was led by a prime example of Alberto Giacometti’s towering female sculptures: Femme Leoni from 1947, which brought $25.9 million after 5-minute bidding battle between Hong Kong and New York. To see the complete results, visit sothebys.com.
Learn more about the B.A.T. concept cars at rmsothebys.com.
About RM Sotheby’s
RM Sotheby’s is the world's largest collector car auction house by total sales. With 40 years of proven results in the collector car industry, RM’s vertically integrated range of services, from auctions (live and online) and private sales to estate planning and financial services, coupled with an expert team of Car Specialists and an international footprint, provide an unsurpassed level of service to the global collector car market. RM Sotheby’s is currently responsible for six of the top ten most valuable motor cars ever sold at auction.
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