An Argentine buyer has paid more than a million euros at auction for a vintage racing car once driven by his legendary compatriot Jean Manuel Fangio.
The anonymous buyer, bidding by phone on Saturday, paid 990,000 euros ($1.27 million) for the single-seater Talbot-Lago T26C but commission brought the total to 1,100,250 euros ($1.411 million).
The car was one of 40 collectors' items auctioned by Christie's French subsidiary at the Bugatti circuit at the Le Mans track in western France.
Pre-sale estimates had put the price at between 600,000 and 800,000 euros.
A Ferrari 365 GTB4/A Michelotti Nart Spyder from 1972, which took part at trials at Le Mans in 1975, was offered at between 1.2 million and 1.8 million euros but did not find a buyer, the highest bid being 1.1 million euros.
A Pescarolo C60-Judd which took part in the 24 hours of Le Mans endurance race in 1975, driven by two-time world rally champion champion Sebastien Loeb, went unsold, bids stopping at 150,000 euros in spite of estimates of 600,000 to 900,000 euros.
A Mazerati 4 CM Monoposto from 1937 was knocked down at 325,000 euros, though the European buyer will have to write a cheque for 368,750 euros, including charges. Estimates suggested a price of between 300,000 and 500,000 euros.
{{/usCountry}}A Mazerati 4 CM Monoposto from 1937 was knocked down at 325,000 euros, though the European buyer will have to write a cheque for 368,750 euros, including charges. Estimates suggested a price of between 300,000 and 500,000 euros.
{{/usCountry}}A total of 119 items were on offer: cars, but also race-related objects such as scale-models, drivers' overalls and armbands, accessories, pennants, posters and original race programmes.