Luxury

A NEED FOR SPEED

In 1984, Ferrari launched the Testarossa, a 12-cylinder mid-engine supercar, which became a beloved model and was featured prominently in the popular TV series Miami Vice. On 20 May, a rare single-owner collection of five black Ferrari Testarossas and 512s with black leather interiors will be featured in Sotheby’s marquee Villa Erba sale.

The biennial sale is returning to the stunning waterside of Lake Como, Italy after a three-year hiatus. It is being organized in collaboration with the vintage and classic car event Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, which takes place annually in Cernobbio.

The collection is led by the 1996 Ferrari F512 M—the final model of the Testarossa powered by a flat-12 Testarossa engine, which can achieve 434 horsepower. Other featured Testarossas include a 1986 ‘Monospecchio’, a 1987 ‘Monodado’ and a 1989 model, as well as the much-rarer 1992 Ferrari 512 TR—a direct redesign of the classic silhouette that is 100lb lighter than its predecessor and is able to achieve speeds of up to 195mph.

Car specialist Stephen Knobloch says, “Black Ferraris are not only fewer in number, but it is also a color that gives Ferraris a highly purposeful look. For me, a black Testarossa is the ultimate specification, and these five cars present a rare opportunity.”

Other highlights include an innovative 4×4 twin-engine off-road Citroën 2CV Sahara.

Elsewhere in Europe, the annual 24 Hours of Le Mans sports car endurance race is the most highly anticipated event of its kind. This year, it turns 100. To celebrate, RM Sotheby’s is hosting an auction on the track itself. Held in partnership with Le Mans and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, it will feature 24 cars, including a 1984 Lancia LC2, which appeared in the race that year, and is estimated at €2.2–2.4 million.

A 1992 Ferrari 512 TR

SALONE’S RETURN LIGHTS UP MILAN

For serious collectors and creators, Salone del Mobile is the year’s foremost event.

For serious collectors and creators, Salone del Mobile—the comprehensive showcase of new lifestyle products and ideas—is the year’s foremost event. The 2023 edition of the Milan fair, running from 18–23 April, includes the return of the lighting exhibition Euroluce after a four-year hiatus. For art enthusiasts who arrive in the city early, the modern and contemporary art fair MiArt will run from 14–16 April and display artworks that straddle several genres and periods.

Coinciding with both events, Sotheby’s Milan will present highlights from its Contemporary Auction from 15–19 April at Palazzo Serbelloni, located between the districts of Porta Venezia and Brera—the beating heart of Milanese design.

Lighting exhibition Euroluce

BRINGING BACK BAUHAUS

Sotheby’s is partnering with contemporary interiors brand Christopher Farr for the auction house’s global Classic Design sales

Sotheby’s is partnering with contemporary interiors brand Christopher Farr for the auction house’s global Classic Design sales, which kick off in March with an exhibition in the New York galleries. Continuing the legacy of the pioneering women textile artists of the Bauhaus, Christopher Farr has created a series of exclusive wallpapers, textiles and rugs translated from original artworks of Anni Albers—produced in association with the Albers Foundation—and rugs by her mentor Gunta Stölzl. Both are considered to be among the most influential textile artists of the 20th century, despite Stölzl not receiving as much fame as her trainee. Christopher Farr co-founder Matthew Bourne says: “She was the first and only female Master at the Bauhaus—no mean feat in that era.” These designs will form the backdrop for the sale series’ global preview exhibitions and will be displayed in the Story Café in Sotheby’s London headquarters until mid-May.

Christopher Farr has a long history of working with artists and their estates—most recently collaborating with Sotheby’s and wildlife charity WWF UK and Artwise Curators on the exhibition Tomorrow’s Tigers, which featured specially commissioned art rugs designed by artists such as Ai Weiwei, Peter Doig and Rose Wylie.

An installation view of Anni Albers’ Child’s Check wallpaper in Grass

Photos: Christopher Horwood; courtesy of Salone del Mobile/Diego Ravier.