At Pebble Beach:Auto Auction Off The Charts

摘要

THIS SUMMER AT THE PEBBLEBeach Concours d'Elegance, a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa changed hands for $16.4 million. It happened in a haze of champagne bubbles and cigar smoke. Early into a buzzing Saturday-evening auction on Aug. 20, Gooding & Company's Charlie Ross called the car for an opening bid of $5 million. Instantly met. Immediate next offer: $10 million.The crowd went wild."We had good vibes about selling something like that, but in the back of your mind just before you get on the rostrum you think, What happens if it doesn't sell?"' says Ross, whose disarming charm and British wit make him dangerously effective on the auction stand. "But when Fiona on the phone screamed out 10 million at the top of her voice, I thought: 'This is exciting!'"