Seidel continues: “Of course, at a large live auction like this, there is much more excitement; everything revolves around these two auction days, and you don’t get to see how the bids grow over a period of ten days like you do in the four online auctions.” Having direct contact with the customers is very important to him – as is having contact with the city of Ladenburg with its associations with Benz. “I was brought up in this town and would like to give something back of what was given to me, growing up here,” Marcel Seidel continues. He describes the atmosphere of this live auction as having a family feel, and he appreciates the connection with the past that can be sensed within the historical walls of the old Benz factory. He tells us: “It really is a unique event, and the whole thing happens twice a year here in Ladenburg.”

Summing up, Marcel Seidel tells us that the live auction went very well. He says the sales rate was 80% and, with the forthcoming post-auction sale, he is expecting to achieve a sales rate of around 90%.

Highlights of the auction in this Roman town included the original engine block for a Porsche 911 S/T, listed as lot no. 3203, which achieved a sale price of € 59,520 including auction fee.

From Porsche, we move on to Ferrari. Here, there was a unique collection of 20 Ferrari yearbooks, listed as lot no. 4040, from the years 1949 to 1970, which went for a sale price of € 26,200 including auction fee. This lot had a reserve price of just under € 20,000.

A rare double-sided, lithographed Fiat dealer’s sign from the 1920s far exceeded its reserve price of € 9,500, achieving a sale price of € 17,856 including auction fee.

There was one rarity that Marcel Seidel wanted to highlight in particular: a folder with ten boards showing colour and trim samples for some special bodywork editions, including the rare Ferrari colours "Blu inchiostro". This folder went under the hammer for a sale price of € 10,118 including auction fee, well above its reserve price of € 8,500.

Finally, this likeable expert from Ladenburg turns his attention to Mercedes-Benz: a tool bag for the coveted Mercedes-Benz 300SL, listed as lot no. 6066, changed hands for a sale price of € 9,523 including auction fee.

All these items were auctioned on Friday 1st December and Saturday 2nd December 2023, on both days from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm, in the Dr Carl Benz Car Museum in Ladenburg. Automobilia expert Seidel and his team only allowed themselves a 30-minute break, continuing through until Saturday evening, when the auctioneer’s microphone, red-hot from so much excitement, finally fell from his hands. You can find further highlights and dates on www.automobilia-ladenburg.de