Records tumble at UK’s biggest ever one day sale of classic vehicles as 80% of entries sell at a packed Brightwells saleroom Brightwells was bursting at the seams on Wednesday 16th July as a huge crowd converged on the 10-acre sales site in Leominster to see over 170 cars and 30 motorcycles pass through the ring in what was thought to be the largest one day auction of classic cars and motorcycles ever staged in the UK. By the end of a gloriously warm and sunny afternoon, an impressive 80% of vehicles had found new homes in a sale which grossed £1.6m. Top price of the day went to an imposing 1930 Lagonda 3-Litre Tourer that had been in single ownership for 50 years and treated to a lengthy restoration throughout that time. Retaining plenty of character and with a well-preserved original interior, it deserved every penny of the £99,000 required to secure it. Equally aristocratic was the beautiful 1937 Bentley 4 ¼ Drophead Coupe that graced the front of the catalogue. Starting off in life as a saloon, it had been expertly rebodied in the early 1990s in the style of a Gurney Nutting drophead and had been in regular use since, including numerous runs to the Continent. Exquisitely proportioned and in fine fettle throughout, it was hotly contested by three determined bidders before being finally bagged for £96,800. Also attracting much pre-sale interest was a wonderfully shabby but mechanically sound 1934 Alvis Speed 20 SB Vanden Plas Drophead Coupe. With just one owner since 1965 and always in regular use, this delightful ‘oily rag’ machine soared way beyond estimate to finish on £50,600 – the new owner now facing the dilemma of just where to strike the balance between restoration and conservation.
01568 611122
brightwells.com