Christie’s to Acquire Gooding & Company

Leading auction house Gooding & Company has announced that it has entered into an agreement with Christie’s over the ownership of Gooding’s classic car auction business.

“When we founded Gooding & Company 21 years ago, we built it on the pillars of integrity, quality, and passion within the collector car market,” said David Gooding, Co-Founder and President of Gooding & Company. “I am proud of our tremendous growth within this industry, and I am confident that our acquisition by Christie’s is the next step in our continued development as a global market leader in this space. I look forward to working with Christie’s Chief Executive Officer, Guillaume Cerutti, and the Christie’s team to achieve the next evolution of the Gooding & Company brand.”

The acquisition marks a milestone for Christie’s, which moved away from the high-end classic car auction scene in 2007. In a post on their website, Christie’s explained the acquisition as a way to establish its position the company’s position in the expanding classic and collector car market, and to further solidify its leadership in the broader luxury sector.

In some ways, this is a homecoming for Gooding’s team, as co-founder and president David Gooding began his collector car auction career at Christie’s. He eventually became the global head of its International Motor Car division before taking on a role at RM Auctions. He, along with Chief Creative Officer Dawn Ahrens, launched Gooding & Company in 2003 — and changed the collector car auction landscape with their intimate, classy, premier experiences at venues such as Pebble Beach, Amelia Island, Scottsdale, Hampton Court Palace and beyond. The company now holds world record valuations for 12 marques, including Ferrari, Porsche, McLaren, Duesenberg, Mercer and Bugatti.

“We are delighted to be part of this full-circle moment for David, as he rejoins the Christie’s family,” said Guillaume Cerutti, Christie’s Chief Executive Officer. “We have long admired the company that David and his exceptional team have built, as well as their way of doing business. Christie’s is confident that we will provide the opportunity for significant global growth. The legacy that David Gooding and his team have built over the past two decades is well admired by collectors internationally and we could not be more honored to welcome them into the Christie’s family.”