Tag Archives: RM Sotheby's

Auctions

The Funky Green Unicorn: Jay Kay’s One-of-One LaFerrari Heads to Monaco

In the rarefied world of hypercars, exclusivity is everything. But every once in a while, something comes along that manages to stand out even among the rarest machinery on Earth. Case in point: a one-off green Ferrari LaFerrari formerly owned by Jay Kay—the famously car-obsessed frontman of Jamiroquai—which is headed to auction at RM Sotheby’s’ upcoming sale in Monaco on April 25.

Yes, that LaFerrari. And yes, that green.

Funk Meets Maranello

Jay Kay is well known in automotive circles as much as he is in music ones. His garage reportedly houses around a hundred cars, ranging from vintage classics to modern supercars. But even in a collection that eclectic, this LaFerrari stands out.

Among the 499 coupe examples Ferrari produced between 2013 and 2016, Kay’s was finished in a striking shade called Signal Green—a color that makes it the only LaFerrari ever delivered in that hue. In a sea of Rosso Corsa hypercars, this one is more Kermit than Cavallino.

Delivered new to Kay in 2014, the hypercar saw remarkably light use. The singer logged just 3000 kilometers before parting with it in 2019 for reasons unknown. Six years later, the car returns to the spotlight with fewer than 9000 kilometers on the odometer and an estimated auction value of roughly €4.5 million.

Subtle (and Not-So-Subtle) Personal Touches

If the color doesn’t already scream individuality, the interior seals the deal. The cabin echoes the vivid exterior theme, with green accents applied across the leather and carbon-fiber surfaces.

There’s also a small but unmistakable reminder of the car’s first owner: a plaque embossed with the word “Jamiroquai” mounted on the lower portion of the steering wheel. It’s the kind of detail that transforms a hypercar from collectible to conversation piece.

This particular car is also one of just 50 LaFerraris equipped with Ferrari’s transparent, removable carbon-fiber roof panel, effectively giving owners a glimpse of open-air motoring in a car better known for shattering lap times than catching sunlight.

The Hybrid That Changed Ferrari

When Ferrari unveiled the LaFerrari in 2013, it wasn’t just another halo car. It marked the company’s first venture into hybrid performance technology.

Behind the cockpit sits a naturally aspirated 6.3-liter V12 producing 800 horsepower on its own. Working alongside it is an electric motor that boosts the combined output to 963 horsepower and 900 Nm of torque.

The result? Hypercar performance that still reads like science fiction more than a decade later:

  • 0–100 km/h: 2.6 seconds
  • Top speed: 350 km/h
  • Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch sending power to the rear wheels

The LaFerrari was the spiritual successor to the Ferrari Enzo, and like the Enzo before it, ownership was limited to Ferrari’s most loyal clients. Back in 2014, the privilege cost a little over €1 million—assuming Ferrari even invited you to buy one.

A Green-Blooded Collectible

In the collector car market, rarity always drives value, but provenance helps push it into another stratosphere. A one-off color, celebrity ownership, low mileage, and a pristine service history make this LaFerrari a near-perfect storm for collectors.

And when the gavel drops in Monaco this April, someone may walk away with not just a hypercar—but arguably the most flamboyant LaFerrari ever built.

Not bad for a machine that proves even Ferrari occasionally likes to dance to a different beat.

Source: RM Sotheby’s

Auctions

The 1999 Continental SC Is the Rarest Way to Be a Gentleman Racer

Before the Bentley Continental GT became the globe-trotting symbol of nouveau-luxury speed, Bentley was already experimenting with how to make old-money muscle feel modern. One of those experiments—the Continental SC, also known as the Sedanca Coupe—is now resurfacing at auction, and it might be one of the most interesting Bentleys most people have never heard of.

Built in 1999 on the bones of the Continental R, the Continental SC was Bentley’s idea of a high-speed tuxedo with a removable roof. It was part grand tourer, part targa, and entirely unnecessary in the best possible way. Only 73 were built (plus six even rarer Mulliner versions), making this one of the rarest post-Crewe Bentleys ever produced.

And now one of them—barely driven and still looking freshly tailored—is heading to RM Sotheby’s in Miami.

Old-School Bentley, But Make It Sporty

Finished in classic Bentley black, the Continental SC looks exactly how a late-’90s British luxury coupe should: imposing, formal, and just slightly menacing. The upright matrix grille and mesh lower intakes are flanked by red Bentley badges, a subtle nod that this is no ordinary Continental R. The chrome trim is tasteful, not flashy, and the five-spoke 18-inch wheels give the car a planted, muscular stance.

Everything about the exterior says “banker by day, outlaw by night.”

But the real party trick is on the roof.

A Bentley With a Split Personality

The Continental SC is a targa in the most Bentley way possible. Two removable glass panels sit above the front seats, while a fixed glass roof section covers the rear. Whether the panels are installed or stowed away, the cabin remains bright and open—more Riviera than racetrack.

When you want open-air motoring, the glass panels lift out and disappear into a dedicated trunk compartment. To keep the chassis from turning into a luxury noodle, Bentley borrowed structural reinforcements from the Azure convertible, making this part-coupe, part-convertible Frankenstein surprisingly stiff for something weighing well over two tons.

It’s weird. It’s brilliant. And Bentley would never build something like this today.

Wood, Leather, and Late-’90s Excess

Inside, the SC is peak pre-VW Bentley. Heated leather seats with black piping look barely used, and they’re surrounded by acres of burled walnut, cold metal trim, and the sort of craftsmanship that made Rolls-Royce nervous back then.

There’s also an Alpine audio system with a CD changer, which is a reminder that this car was built when people still curated music instead of streaming it. It’s not modern, but it is wonderfully period-correct.

Turbo V8, Because of Course

Under that long, formal hood lives Bentley’s legendary 6.75-liter turbocharged V8. It makes 400 horsepower and a truly absurd 590 lb-ft of torque—numbers that still feel outrageous today. Power flows through a four-speed automatic, because manuals are for peasants, and Bentley had places to be.

The result? 0–60 mph in just over six seconds and a top speed of 155 mph. That might not sound shocking now, but in 1999 this was supercar territory for something with walnut trim and heated seats.

The Price of Rarity

This Canadian-market example is being sold without reserve at RM Sotheby’s Miami auction and is expected to bring between $250,000 and $300,000—roughly what a brand-new Continental GT costs today.

But here’s the difference: a new GT is mass-produced luxury. This is hand-built, absurdly rare, and nearly untouched, with just 4,330 km (2,691 miles) on the clock over 27 years.

You’re not just buying a car. You’re buying a Bentley that Bentley almost forgot.

And in a world of increasingly digital, sanitized luxury, the Continental SC feels like a reminder of when automakers still took wild, wonderful risks—just because they could.

Source: RM Sotheby’s

News

The $335,000 Beetle: How a One-Off California Coachbuilt VW Became the Most Expensive Bug Ever Sold

Volkswagen built more than 21 million Beetles, scattering them across continents, generations, and cultures. It’s a car so common that nearly everyone has a memory attached to one. But every rule has an exception—and in this case, the exception is a Beetle so rare, so bizarre, and so luxurious that it just became the most expensive Volkswagen ever sold.

At a recent auction, this singular California-built coachwork special hammered for an astonishing $335,000. Yes, for a Beetle. That’s not only a record for the model—it may well be a record for any Volkswagen, period.

A Bug Rebuilt From the Ground Up

The car’s origin story begins in 1969, when John van Neumann, Volkswagen’s U.S. importer and a major figure in West Coast car culture, decided that the humble Beetle deserved a second life—one dripping in luxury. He commissioned the famed Los Angeles coachbuilders Troutman-Barnes, whose résumé included custom work for Carroll Shelby and Hollywood elites, to transform an ordinary Bug into something extraordinary.

The result was a stretched, hand-built luxury sedan with a price tag of roughly $35,000 in 1969 money. To put that in perspective, a Lamborghini Miura, one of the world’s most exotic supercars at the time, cost less.

Van Neumann wasn’t building a Beetle anymore—he was building a statement.

Inside: A Rolling Lounge on Four Wheels

If the exterior was unusual, the interior was outright decadent. Instead of vinyl and simple knobs, the cabin became a rolling lounge. Mahogany trim, a built-in minibar, and a then-cutting-edge five-speaker sound system turned the Beetle into a miniature luxury saloon.

It wasn’t meant to be practical. It was meant to impress. And impress it did.

More Weight, More Power

All that extra length and luxury meant extra weight, so Troutman-Barnes swapped in a beefier powerplant. Under the engine cover sat a 1.6-liter flat-four with dual Weber carburetors, giving the luxury Bug enough grunt to move with dignity—even if no one mistook it for a sports car.

A Hollywood Debut

The car made its first public appearance at the Los Angeles Auto Show, where it caused a legitimate sensation. Audiences loved it. Hollywood loved it even more. According to long-circulated stories, none other than John Wayne rode to the Oscars in this very car—because of course he did.

A Beetle Beyond Its Own Myth

When it crossed the auction block, expectations were modest. After all, this wasn’t a Ferrari prototype or a Bugatti barn find. But collectors know a true one-off when they see it, and bids skyrocketed far beyond predictions.

By the time the gavel fell at $335,000, the room had witnessed something rare: a humble Beetle elevated to automotive folklore.

A Curiosity, A Time Capsule, A Record Holder

Today, van Neumann’s stretched salon Beetle stands as one of the most unusual projects in Volkswagen history—a curiosity that bridges the gap between cultural icon and coachbuilt exotica.

And now, officially, it’s the most expensive VW Beetle ever sold, proving that even the world’s simplest cars can have extraordinary stories.

Source: RM Sotheby’s