HONG KONG.- An extremely rare Leica NASA (c.1966) led Bonhams Hong Kong’s Fine Leica Centenary auction today by fetching HK$4.36 million, over five times its pre-sale estimate (HK$750,000-1,000,000) as the famed German camera-maker turned 100 this year.

With the renewed interest in space exploration, the Leica NASA (c.1966) prototype easily became one of the most sought-after lots in the sale. With bidders in the saleroom and on the telephone competing for the unique model that almost made space history, the price of the top lot was driven up quickly and eventually sold to an Asian private collector.

The auction's other highlight was Elcan 90mm F/1 c.1980 which flew past its pre-sale estimate of HK$380,000-620,000 to sell at HK$1,180,000.

Jon Baddeley, World Wide Head of Bonhams Collectors’ Sales, stated, “We were delighted with the result of this, the third specialist sale of Leica that Bonhams have held here in Hong Kong. The strength of the market is now firmly focused on the great rarities as shown by the HK$4,360,000 achieved for the one of a kind Leica made as a prototype for NASA as proposed camera for the space traveller in 1966.”

The Bonhams Camera department holds a dedicated camera auction once a year in Hong Kong as well as offering cameras twice a year in London as part of the Science & Technology Auctions.