FW: Car Brings Record $4 Million At Auction

["Zacharey Cox (Entex)" <a-zachc@domain.elided>]

A coworker sent this to me, knowing how I love those ferrin cars.


Ciao,
Zach
Redmond, WA
'91 164S
'76 Alfetta GT


Jeez and it's just a crappy foreign car! (just kidding!)

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (Reuters) - A grey 1937 Alfa Romeo racing car brought a
record $4 million at a rare auto auction that Christie's International Motor
Cars held in this coastal town. 
Christie's auctioneers said the $4,072,500 paid was the highest auction
price for a car this decade. The previous record was set at a Christie's
auction last year -- $2 million for a classic Ferrari. 
The Alfa, a two passenger 8C 2900b Cabriolet that raced in the prestigious
``Mille Miglia'' Italian road race in 1938, has been described by car buffs
as arguably the ``best car in the world.'' 
Christie's auctioneers expected it to sell for between $4 million and $8
million. Fewer than 30 were ever made. 
``It is supremely rare,'' said Colin Warrington, an auto specialist for
Christie's in London. ``It is staggeringly beautiful. It is the perfect
expression of blatant power.'' 
The buyer, who asked to remain anonymous, told Reuters it would be the prize
of his collection of 30 Italian sports cars, and that he intended to drive
it on country roads and enter it in local shows. 
The bidding in front of a crowd of 2,500 people, started at $1 million and
shot to $2 million within 15 seconds. It took eight minutes to reach the
final $4 million mark -- actually $3.7 million after Christie's sales
commission. 
The car was placed at auction by Terry Cohn, a London auto collector and
racer who underwent cancer surgery shortly afterwards. Cohn, who is now
having chemotherapy treatment, pledged 10 percent of the sale price to
early-detection cancer programs in the United States and Britain. 
Four other cars out of the 71 up for sale Sunday brought more than $1
million each -- a 1964 Ferrari ($2,147,500); a 1952 Ferrari ($1,377,500); a
1937 Bugatti ($1,267,500); and a 1966 Ferrari ($1,212,500). 
A 1927 Rolls-Royce that belonged to entertainer Fred Astaire sold for
$211,500 while a 1972 Maserati coupe that once belonged to the late Frank
Sinatra sold for $43,700. 

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