Curating the Best of the Best
Date: January 23, 2026
Location: Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona
Amidst the frenzy of Arizona Car Week, RM Sotheby’s Arizona stands apart for its focus on quality over quantity. This auction is the destination for the serious investor seeking blue-chip Ferraris, Porsches, and pre-war grand tourers. The catalog is meticulously curated, often featuring vehicles with impeccable provenance and restoration history.
Acquiring assets at this level requires significant capital deployment. Borro’s expertise in collateral loans allows high-net-worth individuals to leverage their existing fine art or watch collections to participate in these high-stakes sales without disrupting their long-term investment strategies.
See how this event fits into the broader market in our January Luxury Overview.
The Blue-Chip Standard in Automotive Auctions
RM Sotheby’s occupies the top tier of the collector car market. Their Arizona sale is intentionally small — typically fewer than 100 lots — because every vehicle is hand-selected for provenance, condition, and historical significance. This curatorial approach means that results from RM Sotheby’s Arizona carry outsized influence on valuations for the rarest and most important automobiles in the world. A strong result here can reset the benchmark for an entire marque or model year.
What Sells at This Level
The typical RM Sotheby’s Arizona catalog features pre-war classics, competition Ferraris, significant Porsche 911 variants, and one-of-one coachbuilt vehicles. These are assets where provenance documentation — racing history, celebrity ownership, concours awards — can add six or seven figures to the hammer price. The buyers at this level are not hobbyists; they are sophisticated collectors who view these vehicles as alternative investments with cultural significance, and they conduct the same level of due diligence they would apply to a fine art acquisition or a real estate transaction.
Capital Strategy for Ultra-High-Value Collections
Owners of vehicles at the RM Sotheby’s level face a unique challenge: their assets are extraordinarily valuable but inherently illiquid. Selling a seven-figure automobile requires the right auction, the right season, and the right buyer — a process that can take months. Borro specializes in providing immediate liquidity against these assets. Our appraisal team has deep experience with the marques and models that appear at RM Sotheby’s, and we can structure loans that reflect the premium these vehicles command in the current market. The process is confidential, the funds are available quickly, and your vehicle remains in secure, insured storage throughout the loan term.
Arizona Car Week as a Market Signal
Taken together, the results from Mecum, Barrett-Jackson, and RM Sotheby’s during Arizona Car Week provide the most comprehensive snapshot of the collector car market available at any point during the year. Borro monitors these results closely to ensure our valuations reflect real-time market conditions. If you own significant automotive assets and are considering your capital options, Arizona Car Week is the ideal moment to have a conversation with our team about what your collection is worth and how it can work for you.
