Bonhams is a British auction house founded in 1793 by Thomas Dodd and subsequently associated with the Bonham family from 1853 onward. The firm merged with several other auction houses over the centuries, including Brooks and Butterfield & Butterfield, before consolidating under the Bonhams name. In 2023, Bonhams was acquired by a consortium including private equity firms, following its previous ownership by the Bonham family and other private shareholders.
Bonhams conducts auctions across a wide range of collecting categories, including fine art, motor cars, jewelry, watches, Asian art, antiquities, books and manuscripts, wine, whisky, and scientific instruments. The company is recognized as one of the leading auctioneers of collector motor cars and maintains a particularly strong position in the vintage and classic automobile market, holding regular sales at prominent automotive events including the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Scottsdale auction week.
The auction house operates from principal salerooms in London (New Bond Street and Knightsbridge), New York, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong, with additional offices and representatives in Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa. Bonhams conducts several hundred auctions per year, spanning live in-room sales, online-only auctions, and hybrid formats.
Bonhams offers a full range of auction services including consignment, valuation, estate services, and private treaty sales. The company also operates Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr in Paris and Bonhams Skinner in Boston, expanding its reach in the French and American markets respectively. Buyer's premiums are tiered based on the hammer price of each lot.