March 2016 - UK auction highlights
18 April, 2016
Bonhams returned to Goodwood for its 94-lot Members’ Meeting sale, which included 14 cars from the late Kingsley Curtis collection. Star of the collection, a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing, achieved the top sale of the day at £841,500 (estimate £800,000 – 1,000,000). Strong demand for other cars in the collection saw the one-owner 2,494-mile 1992 Ford Escort RS Cosworth achieve £67,580, nearly double its top estimate, and the two-owner 24,509-mile 1981 Aston Martin V8 Volante smashed its pre-sale estimate of £60,000 – 80,000, changing hands for £130,300.
Elsewhere, a rare right-hand drive 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series sold for £203,100 (estimate £180,000 – 210,000). One of only 350 examples produced, the one-owner car has covered just 3,900 miles from new. Other highlights included; a 1929 Bentley 4½ Litre Tourer, in single-family ownership since 1969, made £320,700 (estimate £250,000 – 300,000); a 1924 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, first owned by Lord Mountbatten, sold for £264,700 (estimate £170,000 – 230,000); and a 29,000-mile 1972 Land Rover Series III 109” Safari fetched £31,050 (estimate £18,000 – 22,000).
Brightwells’ 2 March auction reported total sales just shy of £1.7 million and a sale rate of more than 80%. Top price of the day was £74,000, a figure achieved by a 1962 Jaguar E-Type Series I 3.8 (estimate £60,000 – 65,000) and a 1934 Bentley 3½ Litre Tourer (estimate £70,000 – 80,000). The Bentley, which retains its original registration number, started life as a saloon before being converted to its present tourer bodywork, and had been owned since 1970 by the last custodian.
Strong demand for a 1939 Alvis Speed 25 SC Charlesworth, stored since 1970 and now in need of a complete restoration, saw it blitz the pre-sale estimate of £15,000 – 20,000, selling for £35,000. Meanwhile a 43,500-mile 1974 Fiat 130 Coupe also exceeded expectations, finding a new home at £13,000 (estimate £5,500 – 7,500).
A 1949 Humber Super Snipe Mk II Drophead Coupe by Tickford sold for £29,700 at DVCA’s 3 March sale, just above its low estimate. Tickford only produced 125 Mk II Drophead Coupes, with less than 30 thought to be still in existence. This particular example was the subject of an older restoration and has more recently formed part of a private collection.
Star lot at Richard Edmonds’ 5 March sale was a 1935 Lagonda M45 with replica Fox and Nichol Team Car bodywork, selling for £55,250 (estimate £58,000 – 65,000). The car has been in a private collection since 1976 and was recommissioned last year. Other highlights included a 1963 Morris Mini Cooper S, making £18,800 (estimate £12,000 – 15,000) and a 1950 Land Rover Series I 80” fetched £17,000 (estimate £12,000 – 15,000).
Birmingham’s NEC was the venue for Silverstone Auctions’ Restoration Show sale. A 32,200-km 1999 Lamborghini Diablo SV proved to be the highlight of the event, selling for £174,375, just over its high estimate.
Ferrari’s 412 series cars have long been ignored by the market, but Silverstone’s left-hand drive 19,997-km 1987 example proved that demand for low mileage cars in the right colours is increasing. Their car, in the desirable combination of Azzurro/Crema and recently recommissioned following 10 years in storage, made £50,625 - easily beating its pre-sale estimate of £40,000 – 45,000. Other low-mileage cars finding new homes included a 23,800-mile 1982 Lancia Beta Montecarlo at £15,525 (estimate £14,000 – 18,000) and 6,904-mile 1986 Ford Capri 2.0 Laser fetched a mid-estimate £15,188.
Among the seven Land Rovers going across the block; a 1948 Series I sold for £47,250 (estimate £27,000 – 32,000); a 2016 110 ‘Heritage Edition’ made £42,187 (estimate £38,000 – 43,000); and a rare 1950 Series I Station Wagon with coachwork by Tickford achieved £38,250 (estimate £35,000 – 40,000).
80s poster cars headed the results at Coys’ 8 March Spring Classics sale, with a one-owner 51,800-km 1984 Lamborghini Countach 5000 S fetching £253,800 (estimate £275,000 – 295,000), and a 1988 Ferrari Testarossa which has covered 66,000km from new achieved £93,640 (estimate £75,000 – 90,000). Success among the modern collectables included a 21,000-mile left-hand drive 2002 Aston Martin Vanquish, selling for £49,960 (estimate £50,000 – 60,000), and a one-owner 2010 Porsche 911 GT2 Club Sport made a mid-estimate £97,400.
Other notable highlights included; a 1967 Maserati Mistral 4000, imported in to the UK from California in 2013, which realised £53,320 (estimate £30,000 – 40,000); a ‘barn find’ 1963 Jaguar E-Type Series I, offered at no reserve, made £61,160; and a 1994 Ferrari 348 tb Speciale, one of only 4 examples delivered to the UK, sold for £70,000 (estimate £50,000 – 60,000).
A 1987 Ferrari Testarossa headed the results as Historics at Brooklands kicked off their year with a 169-lot sale on 12 March. The right-hand drive car has covered some 35,000 miles from new and soared above its pre-sale estimate of £74,000 – 86,000, recording a sale at £108,640. Other highlights among the seven Ferraris on offer included a 1998 456 that sold for a mid-estimate £38,080, and a left-hand drive 1988 328 GTS with 48,659 kilometres, which made its low estimate, fetching £58,240. Elsewhere, strong results included; a 1971 Alfa Romeo 1300 Junior Zagato at £29,130, over double its low-estimate; a 61,603-mile 1989 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet achieved £83,440 (estimate £55,000 – 65,000); and a 1966 Chevrolet Corvette C2 Sting Ray brought £48,160 (estimate £28,000 – 34,000).
Unsurprisingly, the star at Classic Car Auctions’ 19 March sale was a ‘barn-find’ 1973 Aston Martin V8 which smashed its pre-sale estimate of £35,000 – 45,000, posting a sale at £64,350. Other estimate-busting success included; a 1982 Talbot Sunbeam Lotus at £17,050 (estimate of £10,000 – 12,000); an ex-Sir Elton John 2005 Maserati Quattroporte making £27,500 (estimate £15,000 – 17,000); and a 2001 TVR Tuscan 4.0 Speed Six taking £25,300 (estimate £16,000 – 18,000).