Porsche Soapbox from Festival of Speed fetches £2600

2003 Porsche Club GB soapbox
Sold by Mathewsons, £2600

Long-standing visitors to the Goodwood Festival of Speed will have fond memories of the Soapbox Challenge held from 2000-04, in which competitors raced hand-built go-karts down the hill. The much-loved event was canned after the ‘soapboxes’ became ultra-sophisticated and car manufacturers began to spend large sums – despite an official £1000 budget cap. This example was entered by Porsche Club GB in 2003 and 2004 and featured a lightweight chassis, rose-jointed adjustable steering and aluminium BMX wheel rims fitted with ‘aero covers’. It topped 50mph with ease.

1975 Triumph TR7
Sold by Mathewsons, £17,000

This was a sleeper – not only the oldest known surviving TR7, but the original, works-prepared press and reconnaissance rally car, complete with ultra-rare 16-valve Sprint engine. A bargain.

1953 Fiat 8V Supersonic
Sold by RM Sotheby’s, £1.9m

One of 14 Ghia-bodied examples of the Supersonic, this car had not been seen in public for more than 50 years prior to being restored. Between 1960 and 2001 it was hidden at a Fiat dealership in Milan.

1998 Honda Integra Type R
Sold by CCA, £15,750

The fun-filled Integra Type R has been called one of the greatest front-wheel-drive cars ever. Many have been thrashed and modified but not this one. One owner; 45,000 miles. They don’t come better.

1989 Lamborghini Countach
Sold by RM Sotheby’s, £1.3m

This was one of the two 25th Anniversary Countachs from Martin Scorsese’s 2013 hit The Wolf of Wall Street in which Leonardo DiCaprio played out-of-control financier Jordan Belfort.

1970 Heuer Chronograph
Sold by Bonhams, £166

This well-preserved Heuer chronograph was in full working order and was sold with its original box. The perfect accessory for any classic rallyist, it went for peanuts at this Paris-based online auction.

2010 Peugeot 107
Sold by Mathewsons, £7700

This 107 offered an affordable route into rallying. It came fresh from winning the 2023 English Junior Rally Championship in the hands of Charlie Mathewson, son of the auction house owner.

1951 Alta F2
Sold by Bonhams, £97,750

This superbly original Alta Formula 2 car was raced extensively in period before being sold at auction in 1974. The buyer kept it for 49 years, then consigned it to Bonhams 2023 Goodwood Revival sale – but the deal fell through, so the car was re-offered at this year-end auction in London.

Forthcoming sale highlights

• Broad Arrow, Amelia Island, Florida, March 1-2
  Still miffed about not making the list for one of the 106 McLaren Speedtails produced in 2020? If so, this Broad Arrow sale could be your chance to make amends – the star lot is a Kingfisher Blue example laden with so many extras that they added more than £500,000 to the car’s already eye-watering original price. All the same, the owner covered less than 900 miles in it before deciding to sell… It could be yours for £1.9m-£2.2m.
• RM Sotheby’s, Miami, Florida, March 1-2
  This year’s edition of RM Sotheby’s annual spring sale includes the 1929 De Havilland Gipsy Moth from the 1985 Sydney Pollack film Out of Africa starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep (and a wonderful soundtrack by John Barry). The instantly recognisable plane, registration G-AAMY, was last sold at auction in Paris 12 years ago and made £200,000. RM Sotheby’s estimates it at a more modest £110,000-£175,000.
• Iconic Auctioneers. Mecum, Glendale, California, March 5-9
  Looking for the ultimate retro race base? Fancy living like Jim Rockford? Then check out the dazzling Streamline Emperor Park aluminium caravan from 1963 that’s up for grabs in this Mecum sale. The subject of a £32,000 restoration, the gleaming aluminium 30-footer boasts a maple interior, acacia wood flooring, a copper-lined shower and a fully fitted kitchen (with TWO sinks)…
• Iconic auctioneers, shuttleworth, Bedfordshire, April 7
  This motorcycle sale features two combinations from an era when they would have been typical family transport for a working man. But the owners must have been on a good wage – one is a 1938 Brough Superior and comes with its original Alpine Grand Sport ‘chair’, while the other is a 1951 Vincent Rapide with a Steib attached. Respective estimates are £60,000 and £35,000.