A 1945 Supermarine Spitfire aircraft was sold for a record price of over $3 million NZD, the highlight of Bonhams and Goodman’s highly anticipated inaugural New Zealand sale of Collectors’ Cars and Aircraft.

he sale, conducted on Sunday 14 September in Nelson, New Zealand, was attended by a crowd of over 500 enthusiasts. Spitfires rarely surface on the open market, and there had been a huge amount of interest leading up to the auction from both local and international collectors. Enormous tension mounted in the auction room as three bidders, two on the telephone and one in the room, fought it out. As auctioneer Tim Goodman knocked down the Spitfire to the successful bidder for $3.164 million NZ dollars (including 13% buyers premium), the crowd erupted into applause. The price, which translates to $2.568 million AUD, was a record for a motor vehicle or aircraft sold by auction in Australia or New Zealand, and was also the highest price achieved for a single lot by value in the company’s history.

Auction info www.bonhamsandgoodman.com.au

Posted: 09|19|08 at 10:00 am. Filed under: Auction News.