LONDON.- RM Sotheby’s flagship London auction will return on 1 November 2025, once again taking up its traditional position on the eve of the RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run. Following the runaway success of last year’s £18-million sale, the auction will be held for a second successive year at The Peninsula London in Belgravia, a much-anticipated temporary residence at what has quickly established itself as the most luxurious and glamorous five-star destinations in the city. This year’s sale is expected to be bigger and better than ever before, underpinned by several high-profile consignments in recent weeks including a brace of spectacular pre-war Alfa Romeos representing two of the Milanese firm’s most successful and sought-after collector models, each to be offered at entirely no reserve.

The 8C 2900 is not just the most important model in Alfa Romeo’s history, it is also one of the rarest with only 32 having ever been built. Its double overhead camshaft, twin-supercharged straight-eight engine, and independently sprung chassis represented the very best of pre-war racing technology, while the cars were also among the most beautiful of the era, bodied by great carrozzeria including Touring and Zagato.

This 1937 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 B Spider in the style of Zagato (Est: £3,500,000 - £5,500,000 No Reserve) is the very first B variant. Delivered new to Germany, it was quickly fitted with a more Teutonic Karosseriewerk Aug. Nowack body. After passing through the hands of several owners and spending some years in the United States, the car eventually came back to Europe in 1978 and by the early 1980s had passed into the ownership of noted Alfa authority David Black. During its restoration the car was fitted with a 1930s Spider body, believed to have been completed by Zagato for the Brussels Motor Show.

Enjoying a known chain of ownership from new and fresh from its replacement engine having been rebuilt by Jim Stokes Workshops, this significant Alfa Romeo offers a rare opportunity to own a spectacular and storied pre-war supercar. Notably, it is accompanied by its period Nowack coachwork and will be offered at no reserve.

The 8C is joined by another of the firm’s iconic pre-war sports cars, a 1932 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gran Sport Series V Spider by Touring (Est: £800,000 - £1,200,000 No Reserve). Introduced in 1929, the 6C 1750 took the world of motorsport by storm, sweeping aside all comers to win every major race in which the model was entered, including the Mille Miglia, the Brooklands Double Twelve, and the Ulster TT.

This magnificent Touring-bodied example is one of 30 Gran Sport Series V variants built in 1932 and is presented in fabulously original condition, retaining many of its numbered components including its supercharged 1,750-cc engine. A machine of impeccable provenance, it boasts a known chain of ownership including 45 years with the Black family, and has been dutifully maintained by leading specialist Jim Stokes Workshops for decades.

Ideally suited to historic events such as the Mille Miglia, this significant Alfa Romeo is nothing short of a golden ticket to some of the world’s best touring events and, like its younger sibling ,will be offered at no reserve.

Offering world-beating performance with a more modern flavour is a 1991 Ferrari F40 (Est: £2,400,000 - £2,800,000) that has been in current ownership for 31 years. Purchased by the consignor from its first owner, this adjustable suspension example has since covered only 5,343 miles and benefits from a £48,930 service at marque specialist Autofficina in February 2025.

For those who prefer their beauty less brutal, a 1964 Ferrari 250 GT/L Berlinetta Lusso by Scaglietti (Est: £1,000,000 - £1,500,000) combines traffic-stopping good looks with thoroughbred performance. This matching-numbers example not only boasts fantastic provenance but was originally finished in the truly rare colour combination of Avorio over Rosso.

The Italian theme continues with a magnificently specified 1988 Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV (Est: £550,000 - £650,000). Thought to be one of only 17 right-hand-drive “88.5” examples, the car is finished in the striking shade of Blu Acapulco—a dynamic colour that shifts between blue and purple depending on the light.

From the same collection comes a remarkable 1993 Lamborghini Diablo (Est: £375,000 - £425,000) that has remained unregistered since leaving Sant’Agata Bolognese. Finished in right-hand-drive and wearing Rosso Diablo over Rosso leather, its odometer reads just 249 kilometres.

A 1967 Iso Grifo GL Series I by Bertone (Est: £380,000 - £460,000) combines performance, good looks, and true rarity, being one of the first 50 cars that were hand-built by Bertone. Fascinatingly, the car was fitted with a Chevrolet Corvette LT1 engine in period, while it benefits from a £120,000 restoration by Barkaways of Kent between 2014 and 2016.

Ayrton Senna famously won the 1984 Nürburgring Race of Champions, the spectacle that saw former Formula 1 champions put to the test in identical Mercedes-Benz 190 Es. Senna was so taken with the car he drove to victory in that race that he bought this 1985 Mercedes-Benz 190 E 2.3-16 (Est: £220,000 - £250,000) the following year; the Brazilian ace even drove the Smoke Silver Metallic over black car home from the factory. Today, the car is offered with impeccable provenance and raft of documentation in the driver’s name.

The Mercedes-Benz is followed by another German automotive legend, a 1980 BMW M1 (Est: £350,000 - £450,000). Finished in its original Toprot over Schwarz and delivered new to Switzerland, the iconic supercar has had just two owners from new. With just 44,128 kilometres on the clock, this example would prove a strong basis for a sympathetic restoration.

The Peninsula London will also play host to a number of inter-war gems, including a 1928 Bugatti Type 44 Profilé 'Aérodynamique' by Gangloff (Est: £250,000 - £275,000) boasting an exceptionally rare and desirable streamlined body, and a 1939 SS 100 Jaguar 3½-Litre Roadster (Est: £200,000 - £250,000) that has remained in the same family ownership since 1970. Like the BMW M1, the SS 100 offers a fabulous restoration opportunity.

Those attending the RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run the day after the sale will be treated to several early automotive pioneers led by a 1904 Talbot CT4VB 12/16 HP Brougham (Est: £300,000 - £350,000), a highly-desirable and accomplished four-cylinder Veteran with magnificent coachwork.

It is joined by two contemporaries, a 1904 Humber 10/12 HP Twin-Cylinder Two-Seater (Est: £80,000 - £120,000) and a 1904 Cadillac Model B Touring (Est: £120,000 - £140,000), plus an earlier 1902 Boyer 9 HP Two-Cylinder Rear-Entrance Tonneau (Est: £120,000 - £150,000) and a fabulous 1901 De Dion-Bouton Tricycle with Quadricycle Attachment (Est: £60,000 - £80,000).

Away from automobiles, a number of significant pieces of automobilia will be auctioned including Registration Number “1F” (Est: £800,000 - £1,200,000), while a fascinating collection of Juan Manuel Fangio memorabilia offered at no reserve and directly from the legendary driver’s family will also be sold. It includes Fangio’s 1955 Omega Automatic Watch (Est: £10,000 - £20,000), his 1957 Sebring 12 Hours Winner’s Trophy (Est: £8,000 - £12,000), and his 1955 Argentine Passport (Est: £3,000 - £5,000).

As has become tradition, the London auction will take place on the eve of the RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, which begins in Hyde Park, just a stone’s throw from The Peninsula London. RM Sotheby’s and the Royal Automobile Club have just put pen to paper on a five-year renewal of their partnership, which will see RM Sotheby’s serve as title sponsor of the historic event until at least 2029.