The Bid is Right

Guess how much Mario Andretti's Lamborghini Diablo will sell for [Guessing Closed]

by Conner Golden
27 October 2022 3 min read
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How much would you pay for a car owned by racing icon Mario Andretti? Interesting. Alright, how much would you plunk down for an early Lamborghini Diablo? That much? Well, what about a Lamborghini Diablo bought new by Andretti? Hey, don’t just tell me—throw your hypothetical figure down in the comment section below. How else can you expect to take home the $500 pot in this iteration of The Bid is Right?

Much like the Callaway C16 and Lotus Elan featured in previous iterations of The Bid is Right, nailing an accurate estimation of the final bid on Andretti’s Diablo takes more than just sourcing a handful of reference sales. This car has star power, baby—and you have to decide just how far Andretti’s star will carry this Lambo when the clock spins to zero.

Bring a Trailer | autostreetusa

Our first suggestion would be to read up on Insider’s many investigations into just how much a well-known owner adds to the closing bid. Spoiler alert—it depends. Was the star associated with the car in a professional capacity? Was this celebrity prominently spotted out and about with the car prior to the sale? Is this a big “car” celebrity, or just a big name who happened to sell the car to someone who knew who they were?

It’s usually a mixed bag. Most star cars that surface at public auctions are run-of-the-mill classics and/or collector cars that would be rather unremarkable without the celeb association—like James Gandolfini’s Cadillac Escalade, or the Pope’s Ford Escort. Then, there are ultra-desirable cars like Paul Walker’s 1973 Porsche Carrera 2.7 RS who find in overlap bidders chasing the star and enthusiasts who really just want the car, thank-you-very-much.

Bring a Trailer | autostreetusa

Andretti’s a big, big name, and the Diablo is a desirable car in its own right. But, is the Andretti name associated inextricably with the story of the big Lambo? Probably not, but you’ll have to decide that for yourself.

The second suggestion would be to read the auction listing very, very carefully. After leaving Andretti’s care, the car apparently lived a hard-knock life, with subsequent owners not lavishing the proper care and maintenance necessary to keep the Diablo terrorizing nice, quiet neighborhoods. The car was sold previously at public auction—we won’t say where and when, natch—for a shockingly low sum, likely on account of its billing as “in need of reconditioning.”

Bring a Trailer | autostreetusa

Read the listing deep and thoroughly enough, and you’ll find the car is excellently represented by this seller, with all prior aesthetic and mechanical issues addressed in detail. At the time of this sale, Andretti’s ‘ol Lambo looks great, with crispy new paint and only a few minor blemishes marring the rosso exterior.

Alright, the usual house rules apply. Throw your guess in the comments below as to where the final bid will land when the sale ends. Closest to the pin without going over gets $500 for all your hours of research and relay—or, for your blind hipshot. Get after it.

House rules:

  • The commenter who guesses closest to the hammer price without going over wins. (Hammer price excludes auction house fees).
  • One guess per commenter.
  • If two people guess the same amount (within a dollar) the earlier guess wins.
  • Commenters must provide first and last name in addition to email address.
  • We will close the guessing on Wednesday, November 2nd at 1:00 PM EST.
  • Your privacy is important to us, and we’ll never sell your information. By providing your email you will receive the weekly Insider newsletter, and you can opt out at any time.
  • You can read the full rules here.

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