The World Performance Car of the year that sold for less than £12k

2006 Audi RS4 B7 Avant
Sold by Collecting Cars, £11,350

Whoever bought this will have discovered that practical cars don’t have to be boring. With a 4.2-litre 414bhp V8 engine and four-wheel drive, there are few supercars that could beat this wagon back from the supermarket – or sound as good. Finished in the desirable Sprint Blue it had covered 102,000 miles, throughout which it had been well maintained and lightly modified with Bilstein suspension and a Forge Motorsport oil cooler. The price doesn’t seem much for what is a true driving machine – one that was (justifiably) judged World Performance Car in the 2007 World Car Awards.

2014 Lotus C-01
Sold by RM Sotheby’s, £178,260

The C-01 superbike looked futuristic when it was launched 10 years ago – and it still does today. This example of the KTM-engined V-twin was one of 100 built and had remained virtually unridden.

1971 Range Rover-Aston Martin V12
Sold by Iconic auctioneers, £50,625

A labour of love – an early Range Rover fitted with a 420bhp V12 engine from a 2016 Aston Martin. The level of detail was remarkable, right down to the Aston tweeters that rose from the dashboard.

2001 Bentley Azure
Sold by Historics, £44,800

This Bentley cost more than £215,000 when new, which makes this the bargain of the month. It had covered just 45,000 miles and was in immaculate condition, yet it sold for the price of a mediocre EV.

2019 Ligier JS2 R
Sold by Bonhams Cars online, £43,360

This competed in last year’s Ligier European Series, winning the Pro-Am class at Portugal’s Portimão circuit. Ready to run, it could serve as a fuss-free trackday car or an inexpensive way to go racing.

1972 Toyota FJ43 land cruiser
Sold by Bonhams Cars online, £6190

This off-roader spent more than 35 years in Kenya before being shipped to Britain. Powered by a 3.9-litre straight-six, it was made to go anywhere but needed minor fettling to be made usable.

1990 Jaguar XJS Le Mans
Sold by Historics, £12,320

Jaguar built 280 numbered editions of the XJS to celebrate the marque’s wins at Le Mans in 1988 and 1990. The models featured twin headlamps, special wheels and badging, and embossed upholstery.

1972 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV
Sold by RM Sotheby’s, £3.8m

This proved to be the star of the so-called Dare to Dream collection amassed by Canadian tycoon Miles Nadal. One of just 150 original, extra-high-performance SV Miuras produced, it was once owned by British pop star Jay Kay.

Forthcoming a highlights

• Bonhams, Goodwood, chichester, July 12
  Anyone on the look-out for a classic Mercedes should high-tail it to this year’s Festival of Speed, where Bonhams will offer eight examples from the collection of Benz-o-phile Tom Scott. They range from an 1886 Patent Motorwagen Three Wheeler replica to a £1m 1955 300 SL Gullwing. Aston Martin fans, meanwhile, will appreciate the 1950 DB2 team car once driven by stars including Stirling Moss and Tony Rolt.
• Iconic auctioneers, Shuttleworth, Beds, July 14
  If the summer has finally arrived by the time this issue hits your doormat, you might be in the mood for some two-wheeled fun. Which makes for a good reason to head to Bedfordshire’s Old Warden Aerodrome to bid on one or two lots from Iconic’s seasonal motorcycle sale. Japanese classic fans will be swarming over a rare Z1000H from 1980 – the fuel-injected model made for just one year.
• RM Sotheby’s, Tegernsee, germany, July 27
  There’s more to Bavaria than beer steins and oompah bands – as will surely be demonstrated by this sale taking place on the shores of Lake Tegernsee, a bucolic playground for the wealthy that’s replete with five-star hotels and high-end restaurants. It’s the site of a new, 200-vehicle concours d’elegance for which RM Sotheby’s has been selected as the official auction house.
• Hampson, Oulton Park, cheshire, July 28
  Young auction house Hampson returns to Oulton Park for the second time during Gold Cup weekend – with this year’s event marking the 70th anniversary of the historic race meeting at the Cheshire circuit. Cars consigned for sale include a 1975 Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 from 20 years ownerships and a superb 1995 Bentley Continental R in Wildberry Red that once belonged to Weetabix chairman Sir Richard George.