H&H returns to Duxford for the Imperial War Museum sale on 20 April, where the star attraction is a 1961 Jaguar E-Type with a pre-sale estimate of £700,000 – 900,000. Chassis 850007 is one of just seven Project ZP537/24 cars built, which were the first competition E-Types. Originally supplied new to John Coombs, ‘9 VPD’ served as a spare for the team where it was the sister car to ‘4 WPD’/’BUY 1’. Although little is known of its period competition history, it was loaned to Albert Powell to race in the 1961 Scott-Brown Memorial Trophy meeting at Snetterton, running as a high as fourth before retiring. The current vendor purchased the car in poor condition in July 2002 and commissioned a major restoration by marque specialist Beacon Hill Garage of Hindhead, with instructions that they restore it as an FIA compliant racer while preserving as many of the original components as possible. Since completion in 2005 '9 VPD' has returned to racing, with regular appearances at the Goodwood Revival, and notable success includes wining its class at the 2006 Spa 6-Hours and a fourth place finish at that year’s Le Mans Classic.
Cars with famous connections feature heavily among the 104 lots on offer, headed by a 1954 Lagonda 3-Litre Drophead Coupe (estimate £350,000 – 450,000). The car was built to special order for HRH, Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh and is one of just 20 MK1 examples produced. Unique features at the time included a power hood, floor-change gearbox, a radio telephone (since removed) and an extra vanity mirror for HM, The Queen. The car was extensively used by Prince Phillip for both private and public engagements, including being driven by him at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics during his 1956-1957 Tour of the Commonwealth.
Other notable entries include; two cars from the TV Series Minder - Dennis Waterman’s 1977 Ford Capri 2.0 S (estimate £65,000 – 85,000) and George Cole’s 1981 Daimler Sovereign 4.2 (£35,000 – 45,000); a 1984 Audi Quattro, previously owned by Nigel Mansell is estimated at £30,000 – 40,000; and a 1978 Ford Capri 3.0 S, driven by Lewis Collins in the TV Series The Professionals (estimate £35,000 – 45,000).
Top lot at Barons’ 6 April sale is a left-hand drive 2004 Lamborghini Murciélago, estimated at £95,000 – 110,000. Other highlights include; a comprehensively restored ex-Californian 1968 Jaguar E-Type Series 1.5 (estimate £69,000 – 73,000); a left-hand drive one-owner 1971 Alfa Romeo Montreal that has been stored since 1985 (estimate £18,000 – 22,000); and a 1959 Alfa Romeo 2000 Touring Spider, imported from the USA and now UK registered, is estimated at £28,000 – 32,000.
Anglia Car Auctions 9 April sale features over 200 lots, with a pair of Mercedes-Benz heading the entries; a right-hand drive 1969 280 SL (estimate £100,000 – 120,000) and a left-hand drive 1960 190 SL which has travelled just 8,500 miles since a comprehensive restoration (estimate £80,000 – 100,000). Other highlights include; a 1971 Ford Capri 3000E Broadspeed (estimate £25,000 – 30,000); a 14,964-mile 1979 Jaguar XJ6 4.2 (estimate £15,000 – 20,000); and a 1991 Peugeot 205 GTi which was restored at a cost approaching £20,000 has a pre-sale estimate of £18,000 – 22,000.
Notable lots among the Japanese cars on offer include; an ex-Makinen/Solberg 2002 Subaru Impreza S8 WRC (estimate £70,000 – 80,000); a 2000 Subaru Imprezza P1 (estimate £11,000 – 13,000); a 1996 Nissan Skyline GTR R33 (estimate £12,000 – 15,000); and a 2001 Nissan Skyline GT-R
Cars already consigned for Tennants’ 9 April sale include a 16,932-mile 2003 Aston Martin DB7 GTA S, believed to be one of just 112 examples produced, and a 1936 Hudson Terraplane Drophead Coupe which was the subject of a body-off restoration in the early 90’s (estimate £30,000 – 35,000).
Charterhouse will offer a 1996 Lotus Esprit V8 GT at their 13 April sale. Owned by a garage proprietor, the car recently had an engine rebuild which included a new crank, turbos, camshafts and clutch, plus new brakes, headlights and tyres. (Estimate £18,500 – 20,500).
Coys’ first Ascot sale of the year takes place on 16 April, with 46 cars set to go across the block. Top-lot honours is shared between a 13,000-km 2007 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition, one of only 150 examples produced (estimate £330,000 – 380,000), and a 1985 Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV (estimate £320,000 – 380,000). Delivered new to France, the Lamborghini was subsequently imported in to Japan in 2004 by the president of the Japanese Countach owners club, where it underwent a full restoration before being driven just 3000km between 2004 and 2015. The current vendor brought the car back to Europe, and it has now covered just 37,629 kilometres from new.
Elsewhere, a 1932 Bentley 4 Litre Saloon with coachwork by Thrupp & Maberly carries a pre-sale estimate of £130,000 – 160,000. One of just 12 examples known to still exist, the current owner instigated a full restoration in 2001, a project that eventually took over 12 years to complete. Other highlights include; a 7,500-mile 2009 Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M, one of only 37 right-hand drive cars produced (estimate £300,000 – 320,000); a 1968 Aston Martin DB6, which was subject to a bare metal restoration in 2015, (estimate £300,000 – 350,000); and a 1962 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II Drophead Coupé by H.J. Mulliner (estimate £330,000 – 360,000).
A two-owner 1966 Riley Kestrel is the ‘low-mileage star’ at SWVA’s 29 April sale, with an estimate of £9,000 – 10,000. The car covered very few miles before its first owner passed away, and was subsequently left untouched for years. After being recommissioned it then formed part of a private collection, being scarcely used, and now shows a warranted 728 miles from new.
Barons host their second sale of the month at the International Ford Show on 30 April, with American muscle much in evidence among the 50 lots already consigned. A 7.1 litre 710 bhp 1965 Ford Mustang racing car is offered with a pre-sale estimate of £55,000 – 70,000. Originally an ex-ICS Series car that was built in the ‘90s and raced by John Young, the current owner developed it further and competed with it in the Aston Martin Owners Club Intermarque Challenge. Other American Fords include; a 1965 Mustang Coupe recently fitted with a new Boss 302 engine (estimate £20,000 – 23,000), a 1969 Talladega 428 Cobra Jet (estimate £32,000 – 35,000); and a 49,000-mile 1971 Mustang 302 Convertible (estimate £30,000 – 34,000).