70 Million Dollar Porsche Auction Mistake

[SFM6S087]

https://www.foxnews.com/auto/oldest-porsche-auctions-70-million-mistake

Watch the video that's a little more than half way down this page. It's amazing that the auctioneer for a multi-million dollar car can't properly enunciate numbers that end with "teen." He starts the bidding at what  sounds like 30 million and the crowd gets excited. Then it sounds like the bidding goes to 40 million, 50 million, 60 million and finally 70 million. All the while the crowd is going wild.

But then he clarifies and you learn that the opening bid was really 13 million and the current bid is 17 million. Ouch! Then he continually repeats the 17 million bid trying to get an advance, but it sounds like 70 million almost every time he says it. Only one out of every 20 or so times does he properly enunciate so the audience can tell it's 17 and not 70.

Just unbelievable. I felt bad for the guy, but worse for the owner of the car... which didn't meet the reserve.

How do you get a job as an auctioneer when you can't enunciate numbers clearly?

Steve

[Shelby_r_b]

Wow. That was painful to watch. I saw a shorter clip of this prior, but this one really reflects the pain involved.
I can't imagine being the owner, as the car was shipped from Europe! 

[Coralsnake]

I will have to watch it again....seems like there was more to it that pronunciation

[Harris Speedster]

This first Porsche was in a Jay Leno episode a while back.
They were driving it around down on the streets in Ca.
The guy representing the car was highly schooled on its beginnings and importance to Automotive History , I feel bad for him.

Ferdinand Porsche was actually building cars for others, pre war and post war,  before he made this attempt.

Neat car, of High Historical value.
Porsche has won more LeMans races than any manufacturer in the world.

This error has made world news, I would bet that Rob>> RM auctions and Sotheby's is not happy at all.

[Coralsnake]

While his accent is somewhat difficult, I didnt have an issue with the auctioneer. Of course, I am used to them foreigners

The guy that should be receiving the negative attention should be the guy running the screen.

[2112]

Will there be a malpractice suit?

[OldMil]

Don't know why the crowd got all bent out of shape...

[Bigfoot]

Accent was a tad tricky

[roddster]

  But it seems so much more "upscale" when you get that foreign accent mode going, right?

[Shelby_r_b]

  But it seems so much more "upscale" when you get that foreign accent mode going, right?

Funny, I was actually thinking the same thing!  Because, the former auctioneer for them was British. 

[sfm5]

Accent was a tad tricky

I guess that's why they have the giant numbers on the screen behind the stage 

[Chad]

I was there and it was very funny!!!  It was very exciting when it went from 20,000,000 to 70,000,000 in 10,000,000 increments!!

[Kent]

Some other funny facts

The first and second ever registered Porsche were owned by womens ;-)

And the first car Ferdinand Porsche built was electric


(maybe the reason why I dont have one, and in germany we have to many)

[Harris Speedster]

 Lohner-Werke, employed him to develop an electric powertrain for his coaches.

The 1898 "System Lohner-Porsche".
The electric thing is new found to me, never researched that far back.
Two women buying the first Porsche's is pretty cool info.

Have info and pics of the first few flat glass split windshield Porsche's that came to the US, in film actually that Ben had taken.

Kent, you must enjoy archival work too, that's cool.
You all know that Carroll was an MG guy and racer, don't you?
Respectfully submitted.
John

[CSX2259]

I think it was a fly fishing trip, imagine if just one bidder had raised their paddle during any of the $10M advances! To advance the bidding that many time and have as many people of the auction house all on the same page just seems to choreographed.