Artcurial Le Mans Highlights (7/7/12)

Artcurial’s July 7th, 2012, auction held at Le Mans was an interesting one. Among the many exotics and classics, there was a small collection of Ligiers, quite a few race cars, and a large collection of one-off cars built by Heuliez. Top sale went to this 1966 Ferrari 275 GTC in deep maroon for $1,961,553.

Our featured Audi R10 TDI failed to sell. So did the Liger JS2. A Ligier JS1 followed the JS2 across the block and it too failed to reach reserve. The following two Ligier Formula One cars were then both withdrawn from the sale. The fifth and final Ligier, a 1985 JS6D sold for $3,305.

Our featued Simca Butagaz promotional vehicle sold for $30,346. And the Peugeot 905 Evo 1B brought $833,855. Other interesting sales (and there were many) included this 1966 ASA RB Type 613 1300GT for $379,329.

This 1979 Marcos Mini Marcos Mk IV sold for $16,690.

Other race cars included a 1962 Terrier Mk 6 that brought $51,589 (below) and a 1988 WM P88 Le Mans prototype that sold for $151,732 (second below).

The WM prototype was from the Heuliez Collection. Heuliez designs, and in some cases produces, cars for various automakers, usually European. They specialize in convertibles (lately, retractable hardtops) and station wagons. They’ve even built a few prototypes of their own to showcase what they can do. They sold a bunch of cars from their collection including all of the following, beginning with two cars designed and built by Heuliez. First the 1992 Raffica Concept which sold for $4,552. And following that, the 1986 Atlantic “Stars & Stripes” concept, which sold for $3,035.

There were a few Heuliez prototypes based on German cars, namely this 1969 Porsche 914-6 Murene, which brought $54,623 and the 1998 Mercedes-Benz G Intruder concept which brought the exact same amount.

Two other concepts, both French, included this very 1970s Peugeot 204 Taxi “H4” of 1972, which brought for $25,036 (orange car below) and this 1990 Citroen Scarabee d’Or Concept (tan roadster below), which sold for $9,104.

One of the more road-going (or off-road-going) prototypes was this c.1988 UHM-Heuliez VLH 4×4 which looks quite rugged and sold for $9,104.

And finally, an actual road-going car, a 1941 Peugeot VLV Electrique, a small electric car made at the onset of WWII. It is just one of 377 built and it sold for $22,760.

For complete results, click here.