AUCTION NEWS

PREVIEW: HISTORICS, ASCOT RACECOURSE, MARCH 12

istorics gets its 2022 classic car auction programme

Hunder way at Ascot Racecourse on March 12, with a varied consignment of entries ranging from established favourites through to six-figure headliners. As ever, it will be a public-facing sale, with viewing days available beforehand and bidding possible in hall, via the telephone, by commission or online.

As we’ve come to expect at Historics, there’s a wide selection of prestige classics. A 1972 Aston Martin DBS V8 could make as much as £135,000, while a later Virage-shaped V8 Coupe from 1998 carries a £80,000-£110,000 estimate. You’ll also find several Bentleys, headlined by a 1995 Continental R, as well as a selection of Rolls-Royces including a 1952 Silver Wraith and a rare Silver Dawn. The Jaguar contingent, meanwhile, features no fewer than six E-Types at the time of writing, as well as a 1947 MkIV and three Mk2s that are all expected to be available for under £25,000.

Overseas prestige is also well represented, especially when it comes to strong Mercedes-Benz quota. Entries range from more recent models, such as a pair of CL55 AMGs and a trio of R129s, right back to a 1967 W112 300 SE Cabriolet that’s estimated at £120,000-£140,000. Fellow Stuttgart brand Porsche also features prominently, with a 1994 Porsche 928 GTS that’s covered just 8200 miles surely the highlight at an estimated £46,000-£54,000.

Traditional British sports cars include a 1956 Austin Healey 100/4 BN2 in green over white, which is complemented by a 1964 3000 model in the same colour scheme. In addition, you’ll find a couple of Triumphs Stags and a wide range of TR models including a TR3, a TR4, a couple of TR5s and a TR6. A solitary MGB is joined by a 1966 Morgan 4/4, while those preferring a tin-top might like a 1970 Jensen Interceptor Mk2 offered with no reserve.

The Jensen is far from the only no-reserve entry, however. A 1974 Lotus Elite gifted to then Formula 1 driver Ronnie Peterson by Colin Chapman is one of the most remarkable, but you’ll also find a smart 1970 Fiat 500, several of the Mercedes entries, a Rover Mini Paul Smith LE, a couple of Mk5 Volkswagen Golf GTIs, a Porsche 944 S2 Cabriolet, a 2003 Jaguar XJ8 Sport, a BMW 750i and a beautiful 1964 Ford Zodiac.

With other intriguing lots including a 1972 Brabham BT38 Formula 2 car, a pre-war Railton Tourer and an AC Aceca with Cobra underpinnings that could crack over £200,000, there’s something for all pockets and tastes. For the full catalogue, see historics.co.uk.

A respected name from the pre-war era, Railton cars were hand-built to order for a wealthy client base. This 1937 2+2 Tourer with its original Carbodies coachwork was once owned by Timothy Railton, son of the firm’s co-founder, Reid Railton. It’s estimated at £37,000-£45,000.

Production of the AC Aceca ceased before Carroll Shelby could get his hands on it, but this one is a Cobra in all but name. Fitted with a 409bhp Boss V8, the Swiss-built creation is based on Cobra underpinnings expertly mated with an Aceca body, and carries an estimate of £175,000-£200,000.

This 57-year-old Ford Zodiac Mk3 has effectively covered little more than a mile a day since new. The fully restored 1964 example has covered a mere 25,057 miles, verified by a huge history folder and previous MoT test certificates, and is tantalisingly offered with no reserve. Once gifted to ex-Formula 1 racing driver Ronnie Peterson, this 1974 Lotus Elite is offered with no reserve. Resplendent in Lotus Yellow with a custom Oatmeal interior, it boasts a huge history file and a selection of period photos that includes the car’s handover by Colin Chapman.

This 1965 Mk1 Austin Mini 998 Cooper has completed less than 100 miles since a bare-metal restoration costing £31,000. Resplendent in Almond Green with some choice period tweaks, it shows excellent attention to detail – hence its £28,000-£32,000 estimate. Headlining a large Mercedes-Benz selection is this USspecification W112 300 SE Cabriolet, which boasts rare manual transmission. The 1967 example presents in excellent condition throughout and is estimated at £120,000-£140,000.

A special edition of the Silver Spur III, only 237 examples of the Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn were produced during its short three-year production run, with just 80 for the UK market. This 1996 car shows only 53,000 miles and is estimated at £18,000£23,000.

An estimated £18,000-£23,000 may seem a lot for a P38 Range Rover showing 131,000 miles, but this 1994 4.0 SE example is a pre-production model used as part of the original press launch at Cliveden. It’s now been restored to concours condition, complete with a full mechanical overhaul.

A right-hand-drive example of NSU’s forward-thinking saloon, this Wankel-powered 1975 Ro80 shows a mere 40,039 miles and presents in good order throughout. It’s one of just 45 examples licensed with the DVLA and is expected to change hands for £13,000-£16,000.

Joining a later, no-reserve 1970 example is this 1963 Fiat 500D Transformabile, with its desirable roll-back open roof and suicide doors. It’s also been uprated with a 650cc engine and front disc brakes, and is expected to command £14,000£17,000.

REVIEW: BRIGHTWELLS, TIMED ONLINE, FEBRUARY 17

rightwells’ first classic motoring sale of the year came

Bto a close on February 17, working to the firm’s now familiar timed online format. The sale offered a great mix of pre-war models, projects, traditional classics and gleaming rarities, with some impressive results achieved.

Most notable of all was a perfectly preserved 11,000mile early Honda NSX, which sold for over £110,000. However, it wasn’t the only expectation-beating entry. A 1998 Maserati Quattroporte in rare right-hand drive flavour topped its £8000 upper estimate to sell for £10,472, with a 1985 Mercedes 230CE making £12,164 against a £6000£8000 estimate and a 1974 Reliant Scimitar GTE SE5a achieving £8822 against a £4500-£5500 estimate.

An early example without power steering, this 1992 Honda NSX was beautifully original and showed just 11,567 miles from new. The estimate was £55,000-£65,000, but it was hammered away for an impressive £110,880.

Other entries to beat their guide prices included a 1996 Rover Mini Cooper, a 1971 Citroën DS21 and a 1989 Chevrolet Corvette C4 Convertible, while several others seemingly turned recent trends on their head. There’s been a lot of talk about the market for pre-war cars falling away, but a 1934 Austin Seven comfortably beat its £5000-£7000 estimate to reach £7694 and a 1939 Morris 8 Series E Tourer flew past its £5000-£7000 guide to reach £12,544. Another model that’s been subject to much price speculation – this time a 1967 Jaguar E-Type in Series 1 2+2 guise – also exceeded expectations, beating its lower reserve by almost £15,000 to sell for £49,018.

Find the full list of results at www.brightwells.com.

One of the curiosities in the sale was this six-door Range Rover. The 1984 example was given a ‘Portway’ conversion by Glenfrome of Bristol and was first registered in the name of Sheik Ahmed Bin Al-Khalili, the Grand Mufti to the Sultanate of Oman. Now in need of restoration, it sold for £5096. This 1939 Morris 8 Series E Tourer was the subject of an older restoration, but it had stood the test of time and was ready to go. At £12,544, it more than doubled its £5000 lower estimate.

Another low-mileage survivor was this Renault 4 GTL from 1986. Its £11,000-£13,000 estimate may have seemed high, but it was in excellent condition to back up its 21,933 recorded miles and sold on the hammer for £11,872.

PREVIEW: MORRIS LESLIE, ONLINE, FEBRUARY 19

orris Leslie began its 2022 calendar of classic

Mauctions with a behind-closed-doors sale at its Perth base on February 19, putting a wide variety of classics under the hammer in front of a large YouTube and Facebook audience.

The busy auction saw several impressive performances from both traditional and modern classics. A very rare 1935 BSA TW35 Deluxe, presented as a non-running restoration project, beat its £2000-£3000 guide to sell for £4180, with a 1964 Humber Hawk Series III managing £8815 against an estimate of £5000-£6000. In addition, a Morris 10cwt Pick-up based on the contemporary Marina managed a remarkable £5805 despite being off the road since 1991.

As for modern classics, a mid-engined 2005 Renault Clio V6 225 sold for £36,012 to become one of the sale headliners, but that couldn’t top the £37,350 achieved by a 1991 Audi Quattro 20-valve that had covered over 220,000 miles. In addition, a limited-edition 1999 Subaru Impreza Type RA 555 sold close to its upper estimate for £23,650, with a 1998 Rover Mini Cooper Sport that rather neatly straddled the gap between classic and modern achieving £11,825 against an £8000-£9000 guide.

Perhaps most impressive, however, was a pair of Saabs. A 1989 900i beat its £2000-£3000 estimate to achieve £4800, but the real star turn was a 1991 900S Turbo, which had the same guide price of £2000-£3000 but sold for £7000.

We’ve picked some of our sales highlights below, but for the full list of results, see www.morrisleslie.com.

This Marina commercial – officially known as a Morris 10cwt Pick-up – was purchased in 1978 but not registered until 1982 and was later stored for 30 years. Fitted with a 1.8-litre B-Series and also supplied with the original 1275cc motor, it sold for £5018 against a £2750-£3000 estimate. Based on the lightweight Type RA model, the Subaru Impreza 555 WRC Limited was launched in 1999 to celebrate the Impreza’s rallying success. This was number 483 of just 1000 examples produced and had been professionally restored. It sold at the top end of its estimate for £23,650. A phase two example of the mid-engined V6 Renaultsport Clio, this 2005 car had covered a mere 50,000 miles and was in excellent condition. It beat its lower estimate to sell for £36,012.

A large history file reveals this home-market 1998 Rover Mini Cooper Sport in fetching Amaranth spent its early years in Germany. Since returning, it had seemingly led a quieter life and looked to be in excellent condition. It was estimated at £8000-£9000 but sold for an impressive £11,825.