Silver dream racer

This month’s lots…

Nuvolari’s GP winning V12 titan expected to reach mega money in February

1 Auto Union D-Type

Attracting much excitement, the Auto Union D-Type that Tazio Nuvolari steered to victory in the ’39 Belgrade GP is to go on the block at Christie’s International Motor Cars sale in Paris on February 17. In the same sale is the Talbot-Lago T26GS which Pierre Levegh famously drove solo for most of the ’52 Le Mans.

2 LSR Darracq

Bonhams’ Olympia sale on December 4 had several entries that exceeded reserves. Highlight for many was the recreated 1905 LSR Darracq that Sir Algernon Lee Guinness drove to 121mph. It was sold to a VSCC member for £199,500. A fierce bidding war broke out over the 1955 Daimler ‘Golden Zebra’. Built for Lady Nora Docker, it sold for £177,500, comfortably topping the reserve of £120,000. A 1972 Lola T280 fetched £199,500 (est: £70,000), while the ex-Keith Hall Lotus Eleven went for £74,100.

3 Talbot 105 Team Car

H&H enjoyed a bumper end of season sale at Buxton in November. The ex-Fox & Nicholl Talbot 105 team car that finished third at Le Mans in 1932 was sold for £308,000. Other highlights included a 1930 Lagonda tourer that went for £83,600 and the ’62 Triumph Zest that raised £23,000.

4 Porsche 956

The 1983 Le Mans-winning Porsche 956 will be the star of the RM Auctions sale in Arizona on January 19. Driven to second place in ’82 by Vern Schuppan and Jochen Mass, it won a year on with Schuppan sharing with Al Holbert and Hurley Haywood. It was bought by Schuppan in ’86 and retained by him for 14 years. Other 956s up for grabs include a pair to be sold by Coys at the Autosport International show at Birmingham’s NEC in January. The first is a works ‘Rothmans’ car that came third at Le Mans in 1982, the other an ex-John Fitzpatrick Racing example that came fifth at La Sarthe in 1983.

5 Alfa Romeo 1750SS

A fabulous ’29 Alfa Romeo 1750 Super Sport is the star entry for the H&H sale at Cheltenham Racecourse on March 1. Driven to victory in the 1929 Irish GP by former Russian Imperial Guard Boris Ivanowski, UU79 has been in the same ownership for the last 40 years.