Maserati A6 GCS/53 Takes Top Spot at Artcurial’s Le Mans Classic

Artcurial held the tenth iteration of its Le Mans Classic auction last weekend, July 2. The one-day sale achieved over €12m ($12.5m) in totals sales, with a healthy 75% of offered vehicles sold.

Fitting for an auction held at the Le Mans racetrack, the sale was led by a vintage race car — a 1954 Maserati A6 GCS/53 Fiandri Spyder that sold for €3,418,000 ($3,563,265). The Maserati is considered by many experts and historians to be one of the best and most authentic examples remaining, and it had a known history from new. Despite its extensive race history — including a sixth-place finish at the 1954 Tour de France — the A6 GCS/53 survived without any major collisions.

Behind the Maserati was a 1958 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster selling at €1,025,120 ($1,068,688). The blue-chip collectible was delivered new to Germany and retained its matching-numbers engine, body and chassis. Furthermore, the roadster was treated to a recent mechanical overhaul, and the silver exterior and red leather interior from a late 1980s restoration remained in excellent shape.

Rounding out the top five sales was a 1961 Aston Martin DB4 Series III coupe, 1986 Toyota Tom’s 86C race car and 1948 Delahaye 135 M “El Glaoui” cabriolet by Figoni & Falaschi. They sold for €500,640, €380,000 and €357,600 — $522k, $396k and $373k — respectively. The DB4 underwent a complete restoration in 2014 including an engine overhaul by RS Williams, while the Delahaye 135 M “El Glaoui” — one of 18 built by Figoni — was sold as a project in need of restoration. The Delahaye’s new owner plans to do just that.

The 1986 Toyota Tom’s 86C retained the factory Toyota 3S-G racing engine that was supplied for TOM’s 86C team car and was recently restored to that car’s — 86C no. 36 — original configuration. It is the only 86C to exist in the configuration.

View complete results from Artcurial’s Le Mans Classic 2022 auction here