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Bonhams|Cars nets $44.7 million and 96% sell-through at The Quail, led by a record $8.6M Bugatti Divo sale.
Bonhams|Cars tallied $44.7 million in sales and a 96% sell-through rate at its Quail Auction during Monterey Car Week, propelled by a no-reserve group of modern hypercars that drew standing-room-only crowds and multiple auction records.
The single-day sale offered 109 lots spanning contemporary exotics, hot-rod stalwart Vic Edelbrock Jr.’s collection, and pre- and postwar classics. More than 700 bidders and guests packed the tent, with most action coming from the floor rather than phones, contributing to brisk hammer times across the catalog.
Center stage was a rare no-reserve “Future Classics” ensemble of 24 late-model supercars and hypercars. The headline result came from a 2020 Bugatti Divo, which triggered a prolonged bidding fight before selling for $8.6 million — a world auction record for the model. Showing fewer than 800 miles and previously exhibited in the Petersen Automotive Museum’s “Hypercars” show, the Divo was billed as a once-in-a-generation opportunity for collectors.
Two additional Bugattis also landed among the day’s top prices: a 2023 Chiron Super Sport brought $4.46 million and a 2021 Chiron Pur Sport achieved $3.96 million. The group’s breadth extended beyond Molsheim badges. A 2022 Apollo Intensa Emozione “Ocean Dragon” realized $3.4 million, a model record at auction, while a 2017 Pagani Huayra Roadster with just over 800 miles commanded $3.3 million.
Bonhams|Cars executives said the combination of no-reserve consignments, tight curation and an engaged on-site audience lifted clearance rates and pushed best-in-class examples beyond guidance. The mood in the room remained buoyant from the opening lots through the supercar run, with frequent applause as paddle wars pushed past estimates.
Beyond the modern machinery, the catalog’s variety helped sustain momentum. The Edelbrock collection attracted significant interest from American performance buyers, while traditional Monterey staples — coachbuilt Europeans and period racers — benefited from spillover energy generated by the hypercar segment.
The strong sell-through rate mirrored a wider Car Week theme: top-quality, low-mileage examples with clear histories continue to find ready buyers, even as average offerings face more scrutiny. Specialists cited several factors, including limited production numbers, museum or single-owner provenance, and fresh-to-market status for many of the contemporary lots.
While Bonhams|Cars did not disclose aggregate presale estimates, the final total surpassed internal expectations, according to people familiar with the sale. The auction house said further details — including lot-by-lot results and post-sale transactions — would be published following routine settlement and reconciliation.
The Quail Auction has emerged as a bellwether for late-model collectible demand during Monterey week, and this year’s performance suggests the appetite for scarce, headline-ready supercars remains intact. With the Divo and Apollo IE posting model records and the Chiron pair trading near the front of the market, consignors and rival houses will likely recalibrate expectations heading into the autumn season.
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