A rare Leica 250 GG with motor drive has topped a sale dedicated to the world's most prestigious camera brand in celebration of its 100th anniversary.
 The auction featured 100 of the rarest and most valuable Leicas, celebrating the company's centenary |
Westlich Photographica Auction in Austria marked the company's centenary with 100 lots of its rarest and most valuable cameras on May 23, with the 250 GG from 1941 selling for an impressive $785,307 against a starting price of just $163,600.
The 250 GG is also known as "The Reporter" as it could be used for 250 exposures without reloading, thanks to the electric motor drive. The motor drive meant that the cameras were largely used for aerial reconnaissance by the German air force.
Today, many of the motor drives are lost to collectors, meaning top bids were paid to own one.
The second highest results of the sale came from a Leica MP Black Paint dating to 1957, which made $556,259 against a $191,000 starting bid. The MP is prized as the only example with an individual serial number in comparison to all other Leica cameras.
The auction was "white glove" affair, with all 100 lots sold.
Also selling was a portrait of the inventor of the Leica camera, Oskar Barnack, by Julius Huisgen from 1934, which made $9,816.
In November 2012, the M3D owned by LIFE magazine photographer David Douglas set a record for the brand at $2m.
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