Former ‘Gentlemen Racer’ Sending 100 Classics To Auction In March

An eclectic collection of nearly 100 rare and desirable classic cars, ranging from the 1950s up to the ’90s and all owned by a single person, will be available at the RM Sotheby’s Essen, Germany auction from 26-27 March. What makes this sale even more notable is that all will be going without reserve and many of them have been fully maintained since new, with no restorations.

Marcel Petitjean is a former ‘gentleman racer’ now based in France. He began collecting classic cars with the intention of creating a museum, but has now decided to sell off much of the collection. And, oh my, what a collection!

Top of the list could be the 1958 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster, with estimates of up to $1.2 million. Or, perhaps the 1964 Porsche 904 GTS, estimated at nearly $1 million. Or how about the 1968 Lamborghini Miura P400, which Petitjean has owned for the last 40 years and is estimated at up to $883,000?

The rest of the list is just as enticing, and – good news! – slightly more ‘affordable’. There’s a 1958 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe for up to $220,000. Dropping down even further – though no less desirable – is a 1971 Citroën SM, powered by a Maserati V12, with estimates of just $39,000. The collection also includes long-gone names such as Bizzarrini, Bitter, Matra and even a Delorean DMC-12.

These cars have apparently been kept in dry storage and are in exceptional shape, though most haven’t been driven in decades. With no reserves on any of these vehicles, we’re checking our bank accounts now.

*Images courtesy of RM Sotheby’s