October 2015 - UK auction highlights
16 November, 2015
H&H’s biggest sale of the year took place at the Imperial War Museum Duxford on 14 October. Attention focused on the well-publicised collection of cars from the estate of the late Richard Colton, with all proceeds going to the RNLI. Star attractions from the legacy were the 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB which sold for £7,392,000 and the 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 which realised £2,161,600, whilst Colton’s 29,000-mile 1998 Ferrari 550 Maranello achieved £150,080.
Elsewhere in the sale a number of lots far exceeded pre-sale expectations; the restoration project 1976 XJ12C driven by Patrick Macnee in The New Avengers TV series fetched £69,440 (estimate £10,000 – 12,000); a 1973 Aston Martin V8 works development car sold for £72,800 (estimate £25,000 – 35,000); and a 1987 Ford Sierra RS Cosworth made £33,900 (estimate £20,000 – 24,000).
Other highlights included a 1971 Jaguar E-Type Series III used by the footballing legend George Best which took £48,160 (estimate £40,000 – 60,000) and a 1971 Aston Martin DBS V8, the first of three Sotheby Specials produced at Ogle Design, found a new home at £88,140 (estimate £100,000 – 120,000).
Top lot at Coys Spirit of Motoring auction, held at Ascot racecourse on 10 October was a 1937 SS Jaguar 100 2½ Litre which sold for £326,600. Other highlights included a trio of convertibles all exceeding their estimates; a 1957 Mercedes-Benz 220S Cabriolet, one of only 20 right-hand drive examples produced, which went for £47,720 (estimate £28,000 – 38,000); a 1994 Porsche 911 Speedster, one of just 14 right-hand drive cars built, made £154,512 (estimate £120,000 – 140,000); and a one-owner 1972 Rolls-Royce Corniche Convertible fetched £30,114 (estimate £22,000 – 28,000).
Silverstone Auctions’ single-marque Porsche Sale saw no fewer than 47 911s among the 58 lots entered. Leading the sale was a 1973 911 Carrera RS 2.7 which made £410,625 (estimate £375,000 – 425,000), one of the first 500 examples built to satisfy motorsport’s homologation requirements. Elsewhere, a one-off 1977 911 sold for £173,250 against a pre-sale estimate of £125,000 – 150,000. Described as a '911 50', the car was designed and built by Porsche Central Operations in 2014 to compete amongst the other Porsche centres as part of their ’50 years of the 911’ restoration competition. A 1981 911 Turbo restored by Porsche Centre Leeds as part of the same competition made £118,125 (estimate £100,000 – 115,000).
Star lot at DVCA’s 15 October sale was a 1929 Rolls-Royce 20hp Two Door Weymann Close Coupled Saloon with coachwork by Freestone and Webb which sold for £37,400 (estimate £35,000 – 45,000). The car was described as being in exceptionally original condition, having been carefully maintained and enjoyed by its Dorset-based Rolls-Royce Enthusiast Club member, who used it on rallies both in the UK and Europe.
A 1935 Bentley 3½ Litre Sports Saloon by Thrupp & Maberly headed the lots at Richard Edmonds’ 25 October sale, achieving £45,500 against a pre-sale estimate of £50,000 – 55,000. Other highlights included a 1935 Austin Seven Arrow Competition 75 which took £20,000 (estimate £16,000 – 18,000) and a two-owner 1967 Lancia Flavia Sport Zagato sold for £20,500 (estimate £20,000 – 22,000).
Both the Jaguar E-Types on offer at Barons’ 27 October sale found new homes; the 1965 Series I 3.8 Roadster made £82,500 (estimate £70,000 – 90,000) and the 1971 Series III realised £20,350 (estimate £23,000 – 27,000). Elsewhere a 9,289-mile 1984 AC 3000ME sold for £19,500 (estimate £20,000 – 40,000) and a 1992 TVR S3 V8S changed hands for £11,100 (estimate £8,000 – 12,000).
Top lot at SWVA’s October sale was a 1967 Jaguar E-Type Series I 4.2 which went for £58,300, narrowly pipping a 1955 Austin-Healey 100/4 BN1, originally exported to Australia, which achieved £57,240 (estimate £45,000 – 50,000). Other notable sales included a 1971 Maserati Indy 4.7 which blitzed its upper estimate of £28,000, finding a new home for £48,760 and a 20,000-mile 1970 Daimler Sovereign 4.2 soared past its estimate of £7,900 to fetch £18,550.