Gooding & Company Makes World Auction History in Pebble Beach Selling the $16.39 Million Ferrari Testa Rossa Prototype and $10.34 Million Whittell Coupe

PEBBLE BEACH, California, August 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Gooding & Company, the official auction house of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, sold more than $78 million in collector cars at its Pebble Beach Auctions on Saturday and Sunday.  Gooding & Company sold the iconic 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa Prototype for an extraordinary $16.39 million, commanding the new worldwide record for a car sold at auction.  The sensational Whittell Coupe, a bespoke 1931 Duesenberg Model J, sold for $10.34 million, and a new world record was established for an American car sold at auction.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110823/LA56154 )

"Our Pebble Beach Auctions this year were sensational, but the ultimate moments for me were when we broke through two major world records with the Ferrari Testa Rossa Prototype and the Whittell Coupe," says President and founder David Gooding.  "The outstanding $78 million in total sales prove that the collector car market is alive and well, with considerable strength at the top."

Joining Saturday's Testa Rossa star, other auction highlights include the sale of the 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider at $3.355 million, the record-breaking $2.585 million sale of the Shelby Cobra 289 Factory Team Car and the sale of Bentley's oldest surviving production car, Chassis 3, the 1921 Bentley 3 Litre that sold for an impressive $962,500.  Sheryl Crow's 1959 Mercedes-Benz 190 SL benefitting the Joplin Schools Recovery Fund sold for a record-breaking $143,000.

About Gooding & Company:

Gooding & Company, internationally celebrated for its world-class automotive auctions, provides unparalleled service in the collector car market, offering a wide range of services including private and estate sales, appraisals and collection management. Gooding & Company will conduct its next annual Scottsdale Auctions on January 20 & 21, 2012 and Amelia Island Auction on March 9, 2012.  

For additional vehicle information and up-to-the-minute results, follow Gooding & Company on Facebook and Twitter @GoodingCompany.