Antiques

RESTORE OR RESTORED?

Richard Bromell ASFAV, Charterhouse Auctioneers

Restoration project – 1960 Daimler Dart SP250 £7,000-10,000

March is going to be a busy, very busy month for auctions. Planning the auction calendar is usually done 6-12 months before the sale. At this time we have no idea of what will be coming in for the auctions which is exciting. This month, we kick off with our classic & vintage car auction on the 3rd March, followed by classic & vintage motorcycles on 9th, with coins, medals & stamps on the 10th and model cars, trains, other toys, clocks, antiques & interiors on the 11th, so plenty to do.

In our classic vehicle auctions there is often great debate about buying a restoration project or buying one which has been restored, and in these March auctions there is certainly plenty to tempt bidders looking for either lots.

First up, on Thursday 3rd March at the wonderful Haynes International Motor Museum, is a rare opportunity to restore a car. The car, a 1960 Daimler Dart SP250, is a rare survivor. The 54th SP250 is just one of the 2,654 Darts made in its five-year production. A Bournemouth car all its life, we have dragged it out of a garage where it has not seen the light of day for the past 48 years. Being offered for sale without reserve, it has already attracted a great level of interest and is estimated to sell for £10,000.

As an early car, it is known as an ‘A Series’ motor. Needless to say, the ‘B Series’ was an improvement over the A and most importantly gave the car an improved chassis. An exciting and rare project, it will be interesting to see whether the buyer of the car will restore it back to its original condition to ‘A Series’ specification or whether they take the decision to restore it to ‘B Series’ specification. If the latter, then the car will be a better vehicle to drive but will, in some eyes, not be restored to its original status.

However, if a restoration project is too much to take on, then in our 9th March classic & vintage motorcycle auction there is a collection of British bikes all of which have been restored to perfection.

The owner, who lives in Kent, has been a serial collector of British bikes all of which are in fully restored condition. There are Triumphs, BSAs, Nortons amongst others, but as usual, there is one bike which stands out to me: the 1959 Triumph Bonneville.

From the first year of production, this Triumph Bonneville was painted in the famous Tangerine Dream and originally exported to America. Today, the ’59 is the one collectors chase the hardest so if you are looking for a beautifully restored iconic British bike then this Bonneville is yours, estimated at £16,000-18,000.

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