RM Sotheby's, la casa de subastas vendió en marzo de este año un Mercedes-Benz 450 SLC de 1980 que perteneciera a Diego Maradona, un auto que Boca Juniors le regaló al jugador durante sus primeros años en ese club (saber más). En ese momento sorprendió su bajo precio: 37.400 dólares, aunque esperaban que se vendiera por 60.000.
Pocos meses después, Bonhans, otra firma prestigiosa, volverá a subastar el mismo auto. Será el 2 febrero en París, y esperan recaudar mucho más: entre 150.000 y 200.000 Euros.
Lo curioso de la historia es que tiene dos versiones acerca de su origen. Si bien existen discrepancias en la historia del vehículo: Sotheby's sostuvo en su momento que fue un regalo del club Boca, mientras otros aseguran que fue un regalo a modo de recuerdo de los hinchas de Argentinos Juniors antes de que Maradona se marchara al club de la Rivera. Bonhans adhiere a esta última.
El Mercedes-Benz fue comprado el 19 de diciembre de 1980 en la concesionaria de Juan Manuel Fangio. Algunos indican que el auto perteneció originalmente al propio Fangio y que habría sido el mismísimo Chueco quien entregó las llaves en manos de Maradona, durante un homenaje que le hicieron al jugador en la cancha de Argentinos.
Según informa Bonhans, este SLC residió en colecciones privadas en Argentina antes de ser importado a los EE. UU. "habiendo tenido un buen mantenimiento durante toda su vida y restaurado profesionalmente por su proveedor". El ejemplar se ofrece en excelentes condiciones, habiendo recorrido menos de 62 000 km (38 000 millas) desde nuevo (más información en el comunicado completo debajo).
Este Mercedes-Benz 450 SLC de 1980 había salido a la venta en Córdoba por un precio de 17.500 dólares en julio de 2011 (ver nota). Y en octubre de 2011 volvió a publicarse con un valor de 50 mil dólares (ver nota). Habrá que esperar hasta febrero para conocer su precio actual.
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MARADONA’S MERCEDES KICKS OFF BONHAMS PARIS SALE 2023
Ex-Diego Maradona 1980 Mercedes-Benz 450SLC 5.0-litre, estimate €150,000-200,000
A classic 1980s Mercedes-Benz sports car, first owned by football legend, the late Diego Maradona, will kick off Bonhams Grandes Marques du Monde à Paris Sale as an early consignment to the prestigious collector car auction which returns to the Grand Palais Éphémère on Thursday 2 February. It has an estimate of €150,000-200,000.
The 1980 Mercedes-Benz 450SLC 5.0-litre was delivered new to the master of the beautiful game when he was playing for his first professional side, Club Atlético Boca Juniors of Buenos Aires. The SLC, finished in ‘signal red’, was gifted to Maradona by an influential group of supporters – a mark of his importance to its first team.
Fittingly, for the future World Cup UEFA champion and FIFA Player of the 20th Century award winner, the SLC was presented to Maradona by Juan Manuel Fangio, one of the all-time great racing drivers - particularly at the wheel of Mercedes-Benz racing cars - who owned the only official Mercedes dealership in Argentina at the time.
The four-seater grand tourer coupé was already one of the era’s status symbols, but this SLC was one of only 816 homologation special examples (allowing the model to contest the World Rally Championship), with lightweight aluminium panels and an all-aluminium engine, powered by a 240hp 5-litre engine, giving a top speed of 209km/h (130mph). It was fitted with a wealth of options including black leather trim, electric sunroof, air conditioning and cruise control.
Following Maradona’s ownership, the SLC resided in private collections in Argentina before being imported into the USA. Having been well-maintained throughout its life and professionally restored by its vendor, the SLC is offered in excellent condition, having covered fewer than 62,000 kms (38,000 miles) from new.
Philip Kantor, International Chairman, Bonhams Motoring, said: “With the World Cup match between Argentina and Mexico taking place this weekend, we are delighted to announce that we will be offering this exceptional motor car – and piece of sporting memorabilia – belonging to Maradona, who led his national team to World Cup victory in Mexico in 1986. We are sure that the SLC will score highly at the rostrum in Paris.”
The sportscar was just one of the many exotic and beautiful motor cars to be owned by Maradona throughout his professional playing career. Another, a rare 1992 Porsche 911 Carrera 2 Type 964 'Works Turbo Look' Cabriolet, which he owned when playing for Seville FC in 1993, was sold by Bonhams at the Grand Palais Sale in 2021 for €483,000, nearly double its high pre-sale estimate.
The 2023 Grand Marques du Monde à Paris Sale returns to the Grand Palais Éphémère in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, where the successful 2022 edition set two new auction world records for a Ferrari La Ferrari and a Bugatti EB110 GT, and also featured a 1964 Porsche 904 GTS, formerly owned by Hollywood actor Robert Redford, which sold for €1,345,500.
Next year’s sale will offer a carefully curated selection of fine collector cars representing the great automotive marques from the dawn of motoring to the 21st century, from grand tourers and luxury saloons to supercars and racing cars. Further early highlights from the forthcoming 2023 Paris sale include a 1947 Delahaye 135M Roadster, with coachwork by Carrosserie Guilloré, one of only three produced and two remaining, which was first shown at the Paris Motor Show (estimate €700,000-900,000)