July 2019 - UK auction highlights
8 August, 2019
An ex-Nigel Mansell F1 car achieved a world record price at Bonhams’ Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale on 5 July. The 1992 Williams FW14B which gave Mansell five wins in his championship year was sold to a private collector for £2,703,000 – a new bench mark for a Williams Grand Prix car at auction.
Other competition machinery finding new homes included a 2001 Lister Storm GT1 run by the factory from 2001-03 in the FIA GT Championship, which fetched £465,750 (estimate £450,000 – 550,000); the 1933 RAC TT class-winning MG J4 Midget sailed past its £180,000 – 240,000, selling for £255,875; and an ex-Works 1964 Austin-Healey 3000 Mk III BJ8 which won the 1964 Spa-Sofia-Liège rally took a mid-estimate £230,000.
Bonhams’ 1962 Aston Martin DB4 Series IV 4.2 Vantage drew £465,750 against its pre-sale estimate of £400,000 – 500,000; while a 1998 Jaguar XJ220 with just 9,346 miles from new brought £414,000 (estimate £350,000 – 450,000) and a 21,050-mile 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series, one of 12 UK delivered cars, went for £184,000 (estimate £160,000 – 200,000).
The star attraction at Brightwells’ 10 July sale, a 1923 Vauxhall OE 30-98, didn’t disappoint on the day – creeping above its £180,000 lower estimate to record a sale at £185,000.
British sports cars fared well, with a 19,578-mile 1961 Jaguar XK 150 S 3.4 Fixed Head Coupe at £107,500 (estimate £110,000 – 160,000); a 1959 Jaguar XK 150 SE 3.4 Drophead Coupe with modern upgrades bringing £71,500 (estimate £55,000 – 60,000); and a 1966 Austin-Healey 3000 MkIII BJ8 which had been converted to right-hand drive just pipped its upper estimate, making £60,500.
Brightwells generated total sales of £1.8 million and a 76% sell-through rate.
A 1981 Porsche 911 Turbo wound up as the top sale at Historics on 13 July, changing hands for a mid-estimate £91,840. The car had covered just 1,000 miles since being meticulously restored in 2013 by Porsche Leeds as part of a nationwide dealer competition, where it won the Porsche Mechanical Restoration award and the Porsche Cars GB Employees’ Choice.
Historics reported a 65% sell-through rate with a £2.3 million total.
E-Types headed the results at H&H’s 24 July sale, a recently restored Light Blue 1971 V12 Roadster which was converted to right-hand drive taking £84,375 (estimate £80,000 – 100,000); and a 3,052-mile 1973 V12 Roadster that had been in single family ownership since 1979 made £69,750 (estimate £70,000 – 80,000).
Success among the Mercedes’ on offer at Silverstone Auctions’ two-day Silverstone Classic sale at the end of July included a left-hand drive 1954 300 SL Gullwing at £832,500 (estimate £850,000 – 1,000,000); a 690-mile 2010 SLS AMG smashed its £160,000 – 180,000 estimate, selling for £203,625; and a 2006 SLR McLaren with 16,500 miles from new raised £187,875 (estimate £160,000 – 180,000).
Elsewhere, a 78-mile 2018 Ferrari California T ’70th Anniversary’ – the only example in this colour scheme – sold for £270,000 (estimate £255,000 – 285,000); a Ford Sierra RS 500 Group A driven by Guy Edwards in the 1988 BTCC generated £170,000 (estimate £150,000 – 180,000); and a 25,900-mile 1991 Porsche 928 GT in original unrestored condition fetched £67,500 (estimate £55,000 – 65,000).
Both cars owned by the late Barrie Williams were successfully hammered away, his 1964 International Welsh Rally-winning Austin Mini Cooper S at £65,250 (estimate £60,000 – 80,000), and a recently restored 1972 Lancia Fulvia HF 1600 at £39,375 (estimate £30,000 – 35,000).
Classic car auction results and prices for: Williams | Lister | MG | Austin-Healey | Aston Martin | Jaguar | Mercedes-Benz | Vauxhall | Porsche | Ferrari | Ford | Austin | Mini | Lancia
From leading auction houses: Bonhams | Brightwells | Historics | H&H Classics | Silverstone Auctions
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