September 2016 - UK auction highlights
26 October, 2016
An eight-car ‘Porsche Collection’ grabbed the headlines among the 86 lots on offer at RM Sotheby’s London sale on 7 September. Determined bidding saw some quite incredible prices paid, including a 12,730-km 1995 Porsche 911 GT2 selling for a record breaking £1,848,000 (estimate £750,000 – 850,000) – smashing the previous record by over one million pounds.
New benchmarks also included a 6,303-km 1993 Porsche 911 Turbo S Lightweight fetching £974,400, blitzing its high estimate of £250,000 – a world record for a 964 series Porsche 911 at auction; a one-owner 16,652-km 1993 Porsche 911 Carrera RS achieved £716,800 (estimate £400,000 – 500,000), nearly half a million pounds more than the previous record; and a one-owner 8,918-km 1995 Porsche 911 Carrera RS Clubsport made £403,200 (estimate £220,000 – 260,000), an auction record for the model.
All three Aston Martin DB4s on offer found new homes; a 1960 DB4GT was the top sale of the day at £2,408,000 (estimate £2,200,000 – 2,500,000); a 1963 DB4 Series V Convertible just pipped its lower estimate, going for £952,000; and a left-hand drive 1961 DB4 Series II realised £515,200 (estimate £480,000 – 520,000).
Elsewhere, strong results included a 1951 Lancia Aurelia B20 GT Series I Speciale at £173,600 (estimate £80,000 – 120,000); a 32,672-mile 1986 Audi Sport Quattro at £403,200 (estimate £290,000 – 320,000); an 11,100-km 1999 Lamborghini Diablo GT at £515,200 (estimate £375,000 – 425,000); and a one-owner 1971 Monteverdi 375/L High Speed at £156,800 (estimate £110,000 – 130,000). RM Sotheby’s reported a sale total of £21.65 million with 76% of all lots sold.
Star lot at Bonhams Goodwood Revival sale on 10 September was a 1956 Porsche 550 RS Spyder, presented in an unrestored state, which sold for £4,593,500 (estimate £4,700,000 – 6,200,000).
Other notable sales included a 1965 Ferrari 275 GTB making its high estimate of £1,500,000; a 1950 Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica at £603,333 (estimate £580,000 – 640,000); a two-owner 25,253-mile 1971 Ferrari Dino 246 GT at £299,420 (estimate £150,000 – 200,000); a 1967 Aston Martin DB6 Vantage 4.2-Litre at £455,100 (estimate £280,000 – 340,000); and a part-restored 1959 Maserati 3500 GT at £135,900 (estimate £60,000 – 90,000).
Bonhams reported a sale total of £14.5 million and a sale rate above 70%.
A three-owner 1953 Mercedes-Benz 300 S Coupé headed the results at Bonhams annual Beaulieu Sale on 3 September, soaring past its high estimate of £250,000 to make £292,700.
Success among the restoration projects on offer included a 1959 Aston Martin DB4, owned by the vendor since 1986, at £203,100 (estimate £150,000 – 180,000); a 1974 BMW 3.0 CSL at £64,220 (estimate £30,000 – 40,000); and a 1971 Range Rover ‘Suffix A’ model at £23,000 (estimate £7,000 – 10,000).
Four cars featured among the watches, cameras and motorcycles in the ‘Robert White Collection’ which went under the hammer at Bonhams on 19 September; a 1930 Bentley 4½-Litre Le Mans-style Tourer sold for £315,100 (estimate £200,000 – 250,000); a 1959 AC Ace-Bristol brought £254,620 (estimate £180,000 – 220,000); a 1958 AC Ace took £180,700 (estimate £120,000 – 140,000); and a Pur Sang 'Type 51' achieved £124,700 (estimate £90,000 – 110,000).
A left-hand drive 1982 Ferrari 512 BBi which has covered just 9,008 miles from new sold for £208,000 (estimate £200,000 – 230,000) at Silverstone Auctions Salon Privé Sale on 3 September.
Other highlights included a 1,977-mile 1998 Ferrari 550 Maranello which made a low-estimate £180,000; a 1990 BMW M3 Convertible at £59,630 (estimate £37,000 – 42,000); an 885-mile 1990 Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II at £202,500 (estimate £180,000 – 220,000); a 30,857-mile 1988 Porsche 911 Turbo at £171,000 (estimate £110,000 – 130,000); and a 1974 Lamborghini Jarama S at £129,380 (estimate £125,000 – 150,000).
A 1972 Jaguar E-Type Series III topped the results at DVCA’s 8 September sale, changed hands for £28,050 (estimate £37,500 – 40,000). The car underwent a respray in 2015 and more recently received an interior refurbishment.
Charterhouse’s 13 September sale saw a 1967 Austin Mini Cooper S easily exceeding its pre-sale estimate of £14,000 – 16,000, bringing £20,500.
Star performer at Barons’ 17 September sale was a 1968 Jaguar E-Type Series 1.5 Fixed Head Coupe, fetching £67,100 (estimate £70,000 – 85,000), while a left-hand drive 1973 Jaguar E-Type Series III Roadster took an above-estimate £57,750 (estimate £45,000 – 52,000).
Highlight among more than 150 lots on offer at Brightwells’ 21 September sale was a 1978 Aston Martin V8 Series 3, built to an ‘S Specification’ by the factory, which went for £75,000 (estimate £60,000 – 70,000).
A barn find 1972 Jaguar E-Type Series III Roadster sold for more than £20,000 above its high estimate at Classic Car Auctions’ 24 September sale, making £61,050. The right-hand drive manual gearbox car has been in single family ownership since 1976, and has not been driven for some 15-20 years.