September 2019 - UK auction highlights
14 October, 2019
A 1935 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante Faux Cabriolet claimed the top spot at Bonhams’ Goodwood Revival sale, making £1,499,000 (estimate £1,000,000 – 1,500,000) after its headline car – the ex-Donald Campbell Aston Martin DB4GT – sold prior to auction.
Other ‘30s machinery finding new homes included an Alfa Romeo 6C 2300 B Short-Chassis Spider, with elegant Touring-style coachwork, at £408,250 (estimate £400,000 – 450,000); plus a Lagonda V12 'Le Mans Replica' which set a new national record in 1938 for covering 101.5 miles in an hour – hammered away for £207,000 (estimate £200,000 – 300,000).
The ex-works Sir Jack Brabham 1961 Cooper Climax T55 blitzed its £100,000 – 150,000 pre-sale estimate, going for £244,375 with all proceeds donated to Sir Jackie Stewart's charity, Race Against Dementia. Chassis F1/10/61 is one of just two T55s built and was driven to victory by Brabham on its debut at the 1961 Aintree 200.
A 1965 BMW 1800 Ti that had been modified to Ti/SA spec also recorded a strong result, achieving £58,650 (estimate £30,000 – 40,000), while a 2016 Land Rover Defender 90 Heritage with less than 30 miles on the clock – one of 400 special edition Hardtops – brought £51,750 (£45,000 – 48,000).
All the cars offered from the estate of the late Peter Phillips changed hands. Highlights included a 1969 Aston Martin DB6 Volante – converted to Vantage specification in period by the factory – which made £743,000 (estimate £650,000 – 750,000); a 1915 Rolls-Royce 40/50hp Silver Ghost Alpine Eagle Tourer drew £264,500 (estimate £300,000 – 500,000); and a 1968 Aston Martin DBS Vantage, meticulously restored by Works Service in 2008, generated £135,700 (estimate £90,000 – 130,000).
A 1929 Bugatti Type 44 came within a whisker of making its £300,000 upper estimate, taking £293,250 at Bonhams’ Beaulieu sale on 7 September.
The top five was rounded off with a 1908 Napier Type 23 45hp at £235,750 (estimate £250,000 – 300,000); a 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Newmarket Tourer at £155,250 (estimate £110,000 – 150.000); a 1937 Alvis 4.3 Litre Short Chassis Drophead Coupe with unique coachwork by Vanden Plas at £126,500 (estimate £120,000 – 135,000); and a 1926 Frazer Nash Super Sports 1½-Litre – owned by the vendor since 1977 – at £91,666 (estimate £130,000 – 150,000).
Bonhams held its first ‘MPH’ sale at Bicester on 26 September, aimed at modern and affordable classics. A 38,207-mile 1993 Ford Escort RS Cosworth (estimate £40,000 – 50,000) – recently recommissioned following 10 years in storage – shared the honours for the top price on the day with an ex-military 1993 Land Rover Defender 110 SOV SAS (estimate £80,000 – 100,000), each bringing £49,500.
A 1960 Aston Martin DB4, offered as an unfinished restoration project, soared past its £100,000 – 120,000 estimate, selling for £210,560 at Brightwells’ 4 September sale.
Other notable success among the 182-car catalogue included a US-Market 1974 Jaguar E-Type Series III V12 Roadster at a mid-estimate £84,560. Converted to right-hand drive, it had covered less than 1,000 miles since emerging from an exacting £118,000 restoration in 2017, which included discreet upgrades aimed at enhancing its everyday usability.
The first production right-hand drive Sunbeam Tiger being sold on behalf of its late long-term owner, Mike Griffiths, attracted a final bid of £57,120 (estimate £55,000 – 60,000), while a JD Classics-restored 1966 Mini Cooper S in concours condition took £49,280 (estimate £49,000 – 55,000).
Brightwells generated total sales of £1.9 million, with a sell-through rate of 73%.
Silverstone Auctions kicked off the first of its two single-marque sales on 21 September with a roster of 34 Ferraris going under the hammer at the Dallas Burston Polo Club. A left-hand drive 1972 365 GTC/4 was one of the star attractions, entered by the noted car collector and Jamiroquai frontman Jay Kay. Purchased by him in 2016 following a two year nut-and-bolt restoration by Joe Macari, it exceeded its lower estimate, fetching £219,375 (estimate £200,000 – 260,000).
Interest among the modern Ferraris saw a 19,000-km 2008 599 GTB – one of just 10 with a manual gearbox delivered to Europe – sell for £360,000 (estimate £365,000 – 400,000); a one-of-40 2012 599 GTB 60 F1 Alonso Final Edition with 8,000 miles on the clock taking £208,125 (estimate £220,000 – 260,000); and a left-hand drive 1995 512M with circa 30,000km drawing £153,000 (estimate £120,000 – 140,000).
Topping the Porsche sale was a 4,300-mile left-hand drive 2005 Carrera GT which sold to a telephone bidder for £607,500 (estimate £600,000 – 650,000). Silverstone Auctions reported £1.8 million in Ferrari sales, with the Porsche auction bringing £1.2 million.
Classic car auction results and prices for: Bugatti | Aston Martin | Alfa Romeo | Lagonda | Cooper | BMW | Land Rover | Rolls-Royce | Napier | Alvis | Frazer Nash | Ford | Jaguar | Sunbeam | Mini | Ferrari | Porsche
From leading auction houses: Bonhams | Brightwells | Silverstone Auctions
Read through the rest of our classic car auction reports for more auction results. Check out our online resource for upcoming classic car auction events and classic car auction results around the world.