Bugatti

The Monterey Car Week auctions left the collector car world in a state of shock. Sales totals were expected to be similar to 2018 when 850 cars sold for US$370 million but when the hammer fell for the final time in Monterey, just 770 cars had fetched $245 million – a shortfall of 80 cars and $125 million, or 34 percent down. Here's a car-by-car glance.

"The Quail – a Motorsport Gathering" was already a world class automotive lifestyle event and concours of gravitas, but this year "The Quail" played host to 11 major vehicle debuts and could rightfully boast to have the world's highest concentration of Ultra High Net Worth Petrolheads.

Bugatti chose today's Quail Motorsports Gathering to introduce its latest hypercar, the Centodieci. All 10 cars in the limited production run have already been sold at €8,000,000 apiece. The Centodieci's 8.0-liter W16 engine produces 1,600 hp and has an electronically capped 380 km/h top speed.

​Porsche’s circular 12.6 km (7.8 mile) test track at Nardò in Italy has been renovated and is again open for business. More than just the banked high speed test track, the Nardò Technical Center contains 20 test tracks on over 700 hectares, and has been used by 90 automotive companies in the past.

The 2019 Chantilly Arts & Elegance Richard Mille ​was a triumph in many ways, most importantly in the turnout of exclusive automobiles from 16 manufacturers including significant debutant models. For McLaren it was doubly so, as its new​ Speedtail took out "Best in Show."

Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este has been held annually at the palatial 16th-century villa on Lake Como since 1929.​ As a setting for a celebration of automotive heritage, there could be no finer location, as the former royal residence is world-renowned for its terraced Renaissance gardens.​

The Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance, now in its 24th year, is a multi-faceted diamond, with many ancillary events combining to offer something for everyone, regardless of which genre of automobiles an individual might be interested in.

The 2019 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance continued to grow in stature this year, but it was the symbiotic cluster of elite auctions that threw up the most interesting results. The collector car market is undergoing generational change, attracting a younger clientele driving prices below $500,000.

To celebrate its 110th anniversary, Bugatti is revisiting a racing car icon. As a collaboration between Bugatti and Junior Classics, the Bugatti Baby II is an electric 3/4-scale tribute to the Type 35 and the original Bugatti Baby model it spawned – only 500 will be made.

Bugatti has unveiled a stunning, one-off, Chiron-based tribute to the famous Type 57 SC Atlantic at the Geneva Motor Show. La Voiture Noire, meaning "The Black Car," had already sold for a hefty US$12.3 million before the covers were ripped off.

Car auctions have made the digital transition far better than most industries, and while we may no longer have the rampant bull market of a few years ago, the collectible car industry looks in better shape than ever. Here's a selection of the more interesting lots that sold in Paris.

Paris gave birth to the automotive industry, held the world's first motor show, was the birthplace of motorsport, and now through the annual Retromobile celebration, Paris offers the finest in automobilia available. ​Here's a sampling of the remarkable objects available this year.