THE PARIS SALE BY BONHAMS|CARS AT THE POLO DE PARIS

LES BELLES ENDORMIES

Paris – On 30 January 2026, Bonhams|Cars will present “Les Belles Endormies” – a Collection of 11 collector cars, all offered without reserve, at its Polo de Paris Sale. The cars were discovered lying dormant and gathering dust in a garage in Switzerland, all impeccably stored on axle stands waiting to be brought back to life.

The Collection was assembled by Pierre Strinati, a pioneer car enthusiast who started buying cars in the 1950s. In less than a decade, Mr Strinati assembled a collection like few had done before him. It included some of the most important motorcars of the 1930s and 1950s such as a Talbot Lago T150C Goutte d’Eau, an Alfa Romeo 8C 2900, a Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing or a BMW 507 (the last two bought new). He sold most of his cars in the 1980s when traffic got too dense and speed limits were introduced!

Mercedes-Benz 500K Coupe Vanvooren
Courtesy: Bonhams. LTD

He kept the cars he loved the most, many of which are now offered in the Bonhams|Cars sale, including a 1934 Mercedes-Benz 500K Coupé with coachwork by Vanvooren (estimate: €1,500,000-2,500,000), a 1938 Delage D8-120 Cabriolet with coachwork by Henri Chapron (estimate: €250,000-350,000) and a unique 1939 Voisin C30 “Aérodyne“, which is estimated at €225,000–275,000.

A 1934 Mercedes-Benz 500K Coupé is a remarkable one-off, matching-numbers example and among just 18 W29 coupés ever built. Even rarer, this example features a fixed-head coupé body by Vanvooren, one of the most renowned and successful French luxury-car coachbuilders of the 1930s and was delivered new to Paris, underscoring its continental provenance. In continuous ownership since 1959 and formerly displayed at the Musée de l’Automobile Jean Tua in Geneva, this outstandingly original automobile presents as an exceptional survivor from the golden era of pre-war Mercedes-Benz craftsmanship (estimate: €1,500,000-2,500,000).

Maximilien Gagnebin, Senior Specialist at Bonhams|Cars, commented:

“This garage-find collection is maybe one of the last of its kind with examples showcasing the heyday of car manufacturing. These Sleeping Beauties have never been offered publicly before, most of them having been purchased by Mr Strinati in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Their condition is a testament to their long-term owner. They should be preserved through careful restoration to maintain their originality but, most importantly, they deserve to be driven as intended and shown to the public!”

1938 Delage D8-120 Cabriolet
Courtesy: Bonhams. LTD

Representing the ultimate expression of the eight-cylinder Delage, this supremely elegant D8-120 Cabriolet (estimate: €250,000-350,000) was ordered in December 1938 by the Swiss Delage and Delahaye representative, Albert Goy of Garage du Kursaal in Geneva for their customer, Mr Gossweiler of Bern. Delahaye commissioned the cabriolet body from the celebrated Parisian coachbuilder Henri Chapron, who completed the work the following summer.

Pierre Strinati bought the Delage in the early 1960s from Carrosserie Graber, who repainted the car dark grey over black from its original full black, and retrimmed the hood in April 1961. This colour combination suits the D8-120 Cabriolet very well. The leather interior remains original, as does the rest of the car (estimate: €250,000-350,000).

Voisin C30 Aerodyne
Courtesy: Bonhams. LTD

A fantastic insight into futuristic design of the late 1930s, this unique 1939 Voisin C30 is one of only five known survivors of some 20 examples built. To this day, the creator of its bodywork remains a mystery. The car was first registered in the French Alpes-Maritimes before returning to Paris. Mr Strinati acquired it in 1963 and imported it into Switzerland. He treated the car to some light restorative work in the 1980s painting it in BMW’s Savanna Beige from, what we believe, its original colour of green. The interior remains largely original and very bright with its clear plexiglass apertures in the roof. (estimate: €225,000-275,000)

Other highlights of the Collection include (All Offered Without Reserve):

1951 Citroën 11BL Traction Avant (estimate: €5,000-10,000)
1941 BMW 335 Cabriolet, coachwork by Autenrieth (estimate: €25,000-45,000)
1956 Jaguar XK140 Coupé (estimate: €25,000-45,000)
1956 Mercedes-Benz 190SL (estimate: €60,000-90,000)
1952 Jowett Jupiter (estimate: €10,000-15,000)
1966 Land Rover Series IIA (estimate: €15,000-20,000)
1952 Willys Overland (estimate: €10,000-15,000)
1934 Citroën C4 Autochenille (estimate: €20,000-40,000)

1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing
Courtesy: Bonhams. LTD

Further highlights:

The iconic and magnificent Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing, matching-numbers example, retaining its original chassis, body and engine. Recorded in Eric Lemoine’s 300 SL Register, this car left the factory on 9th August 1955 and was delivered new on 25th August 1955 in New York City. Acquired by its current Parisian owner approximately fifteen years ago, the car has since been closely monitored and maintained at MB Classic in Stains (estimate: €350,000 – 450,000);

a stunning Aston Martin DB4 Series V Special Series, matching-numbers example, retaining its original chassis, body and engine and presented in its original Aegean Blue with Connolly tan interior. Chassis DB4/1001/1 L is historically significant, being the first of only six left-hand-drive Special Series cars built out of just 19 Special Series examples within the 50 Series V cars produced. First delivered in Paris to Garage Mirabeau on 4 October 1962, it has had only two owners from new, with the current owner retaining it for over 50 years (estimate: €350,000 – 450,000);

a very rare Mercedes-Benz 320N Cabriolet A, presented in its original colour scheme, which, according to our research and the documents available with the car and the state of the Mercedes-Benz post-war archives, could be one of the six original cars built by the Mannheim factory (estimate: €400,000 – 450,000).