A few months ago, the story had all the makings of a dream come true for Italian car enthusiasts. Fritz Neuser, a former German cyclist turned Alfa Romeo and then Ferrari dealer, decided at the age of 93 to part with his personal collection. A collection patiently built up over several decades, which he himself described as «the work of a lifetime».
On March 15, 2026, Artcurial dispersed a large part of this exceptional collection in Paris. On paper, all the ingredients were in place: an exceptional Ferrariand Alfa Romeoand Lancia, A few rarities, some cars with no reserve price, and the story of a man whose trajectory alone summed up a bygone era of automobile passion. But once the hammer fell, the balance sheet turned out to be more nuanced than expected.
A completely successful sale... in appearance
First observation: everything sold. In auction jargon, this is what we call a «white glove» sale. Not a single automobile lot was left on the sidelines. For such a personal collection, this is already a powerful symbol: Fritz Neuser's cars have all found a new owner.
But behind this apparent success, the figures tell a different story. According to the detailed analysis published by Parking, In fact, 77 % of the cars sold below their low estimate, with an average difference of around 25 %. In other words, the buyers were there, but they didn't buy at any price.
This is perhaps the most important lesson to be learned from this sale: even a rich collection of Ferraris, Alfa Romeos and Lancias, driven by a fine human story, is no longer enough to make bids systematically soar. The market has become more selective.
Nonetheless, in the end, the seller did well thanks to a few models that sold for more than their estimate:
- Total low estimates: €4,028,000
- Total high estimates: €5,784,000
- Total actual sales: €4,006,230
Ferrari remains queen, but no longer untouchable
The star of the sale was unsurprisingly a Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona from 1970. With its superb condition, rare color and extensive work carried out in Italy under the supervision of Fritz Neuser, it fetched €602,000 including fees. This was the highest price of the day, and one of the few results truly in line with the model's prestigious image.
Other Ferraris also confirmed their appeal. The 365 GT4 BB from 1975 sold for €367,220, while the 575 2006 Superamerica, equipped with the HGTC package, fetched €355,180. The 308 GTB Vetroresina, highly sought-after for its polyester bodywork and Ferrari Classiche certification, finished at €176,988.
But even at Ferrari, not everything went up in flames. The 512 BBi from 1983, estimated at between €220,000 and €260,000, sold for €180,600. The Ferrari Roma 2021, too recent and already on the used market, didn't spark off any spectacular battles either, with a final price of €144,480.
The lesson is clear: the simple Ferrari badge is no longer a guarantee of success. Buyers pay for a real difference: a rare color, a crystal-clear history, exceptional condition, a sought-after configuration. The rest is negotiable.
Alfa Romeo: passion at a moderate price
On the Alfa Romeo side, the sale told an even more interesting story. Fritz Neuser wasn't just a Ferrari salesman: he had been deeply involved with Alfa Romeo, to the point of creating a small special series based on a Ferrari himself. Spider.
The 1987 Alfa Romeo 2L Auto-Neuser «Breitspider», from a limited series produced at the time by his own company, fetched €30,100. A coherent, almost sentimental result for a car that perfectly sums up the spirit of a dealer capable of transforming a commercial difficulty into an opportunity.
More spectacular on paper, the’Alfa Romeo GTAm 1970, authenticated and with Alfa Romeo certificates, sold for €201,068. This is a substantial sum, but again below the high expectations. Even such a desirable Alfa Romeo must now convince by its condition, authenticity and track record.
Perhaps the real bargain was elsewhere: the 1972 Alfa Romeo GT 1300 Junior Zagato. Estimated at between €45,000 and €65,000, it ended up at €38,528, despite €20,000 of recent work carried out by Scuderia Auto-Neuser. For a model signed Zagato, produced in limited numbers and endowed with a real personality, the price seems almost reasonable.
Conversely, the’Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider 1600 Veloce from 1965 suffered from a decisive factor: its engine was no longer the original one. Despite careful restoration, it fetched just €48,160 against a low estimate of €70,000. In this segment, authenticity counts more than ever.
Lancia Fulvia: small value, great pleasure
Among the most attractive Italian cars in the sale, the Lancia Fulvia 1.3 Sport from 1971 deserved special attention. With its beautiful original condition, ASI ID card and only 25,120 km indicated, it ticked a lot of boxes for an old-fashioned driving enthusiast.
Estimated at between €15,000 and €25,000, it sold for €14,448 including fees. No record, no frenzy, but probably one of the most seductive cars for those looking for a true Italian with character, but without the crazy prices.
And that's what makes this sale so interesting: alongside the big Ferraris costing hundreds of thousands of euros, some of the cars were a reminder that motoring passion can still be bought for almost affordable sums.
Surprises and flops
The 1988 De Tomaso Pantera GT5S held up rather well, with a final price of €198,660, slightly above its low estimate. Its original condition, documentation and configuration clearly reassured buyers.
Sbarro creations, on the other hand, showed the limits of the market for highly atypical models. The Sbarro Alcador GTB, a one-off based on a Ferrari 360 Modena, fetched €138,460, well short of its estimate of €180,000 to €260,000. The Sbarro Alcador Roadster, based on a Ferrari Testarossa and estimated at up to €400,000, did not exceed €132,440.
These cars are rare, sometimes unique, but that's not always enough. Rarity can attract, but it can also worry. Without a reference market, without clearly identified demand, buyers become cautious.
A fully sold collection, but a cooler market
All in all, the sale gives a paradoxical impression. On the one hand, all the cars were sold. On the other, the majority were sold below estimate. This sends a strong signal to the classic car market.
The Fritz Neuser collection had everything it needed: a strong personal history, a predominantly Italian focus, important Ferraris, rare Alfa Romeos, a charming Lancia and several cars with interesting pedigrees. But the buyers made their choice. They rewarded the most coherent, desirable and well-documented models. They punished cars that were too recent, too modified, too atypical or simply too ambitiously priced.
Take a look at the video below, which analyses the sale of the Fritz Neuser Collection.
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