Coys is claiming a world auction record for an all-electric vehicle after a 2009 Tesla Roadster “Signature Edition” sold for €50,740 ($56,735) at the company’s sale at the Paris Motor Show.
“The 2009 Tesla Roadster ‘Signature Edition’ was the first ever Tesla delivered to Europe,” the auction company said in a news release. “Tesla is fast becoming the modern-day-car market leader and with the way things are going, both in terms of fuel efficiency and performance, there is little doubt that this early, historically important all-electric car will be one of the classics of the future.”
Coys said more than 2,000 people attended the sale with cars going to buyers from Europe, Japan and the United States.
“We were very excited to be the auction partners of the Paris Motor Show,” Chris Routledge, Coys chief executive, was quotes in the news release. “As an inaugural auction Paris was challenging but we were delighted to add it to our European portfolio which includes Techno Classica Essen, Scloss Dyck, Maastricht Inter-Classics and Monaco, along with signature sales at Olympia and Westminster in London as well as the only classic motorcycle auction held in the British capital.
“The event is about passion, enthusiasm, seeing the cars you love… the auction was about the aspiration to buy the car of your dreams, so we brought a very broad selection of cars, coming from every corner of France and all over Europe, that visitors as well as collectors could access.”
Coys said another highlight of the sale was a 1973 Ferrari 365 GT4 that was featured in the 2003 movie, Enzo Ferrari. The car was consigned by the Violati Collection with its original MO 39333 Modena license plate. The car sold for €75,800 ($84,755) to a collector in New Zealand.
Another star of the sale was a 1931 Cadillac Fleetwood convertible, formerly owned by Liberace and covered in 24 carat golf leaf. It sold for €98,000 ($109,580).
Among other vehicles on the docket, a 1955 Porsche 356 Pre A cabriolet sold for €260,600 ($219,390) and a 1953 Porsche 1500 S coupe brought €283,000 ($316,440) — both going to the same buyer. A 2009 Ferrari 430 Scuderia went for €170,000 ($190,085) and an anniversary-edition 1990 Lamborghini Countach with less than 400 miles on its odometer brought €367,000 ($410,361).
Coys next sale is scheduled for October 29 at the Alexandrea Palace in London.