Around the houses, May 2010

News from the main auction houses around the world

– RM Auctions –

More lots have been added to RM’s Monaco sale, including the one-of-a-kind 1937 BMW 328 Mille Miglia ‘Büegelfalte’. It was built as a standard-bodied 328 for Rudolf Schleicher’s experimental department at BMW and competed in the 1937 Le Mans 24 Hours and Tourist Trophy. The following year it won the 2-litre class in the Mille Miglia and in 1939 the car was dismantled and rebuilt as an open streamliner – with bodywork designed by Wilhelm Kaiser – ready for the 1940 Mille Miglia, where it finished sixth. Following the war, chassis 85032 was part of the reparation payments and passed to Artiom Ivanovich Mikoyan, head of the Mikoyan i Gurevich Design Bureau which was responsible for the MiG warplanes. His son eventually traded it in for a brand new Lada, which is an interesting part-exchange… The car will be sold on May 1 and is expected to fetch £4.5-6.4 million.

– Sotheby’s Australia –

On April 18, Sotheby’s is selling a Ford XB Falcon Hardtop (left) that was owned and raced by John Goss – the only driver to have won both the Bathurst 1000 and the Australian Grand Prix. Built by Ford in 1975, chassis number JG66YR is one of only four Y395 Blaze Blue XB hardtops, and is also the only one with a manual gearbox. In ’76 Alan Moffat raced it, winning at Adelaide and finishing second at Lakeside. Sir Jack Brabham has also raced this Falcon. At present the car is in original ’75 Bathurst specification and is expected to fetch in excess of £300,000.

– H&H –

At the company’s first sale of 2010 a Porsche Carrera RS 2.7 Lightweight made £220,000 on February 17. A 1938 Derby Bentley 4¼-litre Sports Saloon also went under the hammer and sold for well above its estimate, for £37,950. This particular model spent part of its life aboard a World War II destroyer, as its first owner was a Captain in the Royal Navy.

Some racers didn’t sell in its Race Retro auction on March 13, but those that did went for impressive sums. A 1971 Escort RS 1600, used by Stig Blomqvist on the 2007 Safari Rally, went for £77,000, while an ex-works-supported ’75 Escort RS 1800 sold for £99,000. The latter won the 1976 Tarmac Championship in the hands of John Taylor. The star of the sale though was the ex-works 1935 Lagonda LG45 Tourer that competed in the 1936 Monte Carlo Rally. It sailed past its estimate and went for £167,200.

– Bonhams –

The March 6 sale in Oxford didn’t match the ‘98 per cent of lots sold’ statistic from 2009, but the various lots amassed more than £1m, and 44 out of 51 cars went to new owners. As expected, the highlight of the company’s second sale in the city was the 1956 Bentley S1 Continental Fastback, which sold for £166,500. “The test for any new venue is looking at how you perform the second time,” said James Knight, head of the motoring department. On that rationale, Bonhams’ Oxford sale will no doubt be returning next year.

Bonhams sold more than £1m worth of motorcycles in its February 27 sale at Hendon’s RAF Museum. Of particular note was the 1929 Cleveland Tornado four-cylinder that went for £48,800 and the c1899/1900 Phebus tricycle which fetched £29,325.

– Shannons –

Although the Citroën 2CV has had little to do with motor sport – ignoring the 2CV Racing Club for the time being – it’s worth mentioning that a low-milage 2CV6 Charleston Sedan went for a staggering £24,330 at Shannons’ Sydney Summer sale on February 15.

Forthcoming auctions

* April 1-3 Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach Auction, Florida, USA Tel: 001 480 663 6255

* April 10 Coys Techno Classica, Essen, Germany Tel: 020 8614 7888

* April 19 Bonhams Collectors’ Motor Cars and Automobilia, RAF Museum, Hendon Tel: 020 7447 7447

* April 21 H&H Sales Ltd Classic Collectors’ Cars, The Pavilion Gardens, Buxton Tel: 08458 334455

* April 24/25 RM Auctions Classic Car Auction of Michigan, The Rock Financial Show Place, Novi, Michigan, USA Tel: 001 519 352 4575

* April 26/27 Barons Jaguar’s 75th Anniversary Sale, Esher Hall, Sandown Park, Surrey Tel: 02380 668413

* April 30 Bonhams Les Grandes Marques a Monaco, Musée des Voitures du Prince, Monaco Tel: 0033 142 611 011

* April 20-May 2 The Worldwide Group The Houston Classic Weekend, Lakewood Yacht Club, Seabrook, Texas, USA Tel: 001 260 925 6789

* April 30 Coys Legende et Passion, Espace Fontvielle, Monaco Tel: 020 8614 7888

* May 1 RM Auctions Sporting Classics of Monaco, The Grimaldi Forum, Monaco Tel: 020 7851 7070

* May 3 Shannons Sydney Autumn Auction, St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia Tel: 0061 2 8019 4116

* May 8 Oldtimer Galerie 100 Classic Cars and Motorcycles, Toffen, Switzerland Tel: 0041 (0) 31 819 6161

* May 12 Silver Auctions Big Sky Collector Car Auction, DAA Northwest, South Hayford Road, Spokane, Washington, USA Tel: 001 800 255 4485

* May 22 Bonhams Aston Martin and Related Automobilia, Newport Pagnell Tel: 020 7468 5804

* May 22 Coys Collectors’ Motor Cars, Ascot Racecourse Tel: 020 8614 7888

* June 2 Historics at Brooklands Inaugural Sale, Brooklands, Weybridge, Surrey Tel: 0800 988 3838

* June 6 Bonhams Greenwich Concours d’Elegance, Collectors’ Motorcars and Automobilia, Greenwich, Connecticut, USA Tel: 020 7468 5804

* June 7 Shannons Melbourne Winter Classic Auction, Cheltenham, Victoria, Australia Tel: 0061 2 8019 4116

Auction results

February 17 H&H Auctions
• 1973 Porsche Carrera RS 2.7 Lightweight: £220,000
• 1971 Ferrari Dino: £66,000
• 1986 Ferrari 328 GTS: £27,500
• 1938 Bentley 4¼-litre sports saloon: £37,950

March 6 Bonhams
• Ex-Len Thompson 1934 Lagonda Rapier 1½-litre monoposto: £53,750
• 1956 Bentley S1 Continental sports saloon: £166,500
• 1957 Hillman Minx competition saloon: £8280
• 1964 Bentley S3 Continental coupé: £62,000
• 1984 Aston Martin V8 Vantage saloon: £41,100
• 1989 Ford RS200 4T 4WD Coupé ‘Rally Kit’: £87,300

March 11 Coys
• 1932 MG J2: £31,750
• 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Aluminium Spyder: £303,500
• 1970 Aston Martin DB6: £123,500
• 1967 Lamborghini Miura P400: £208,500
• 1960 Porsche 356 roadster: £62,000

March 12 Gooding & Company
• 1928 Bugatti Type 35C Grand Prix: £597,370
• 1931 Bentley 8-litre Tourer: £401,590
• 1961 Porsche RS61: £1,131,670
• 1939 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS berlinetta aerodinamica: £496,480
• 1932 Bugatti Type 50 drop-head coupé: £730,170
• 1931 Voisin C20 V12 Mylord demi-berline: £1,825,390

March 13 RM Auctions
•1964 Pontiac Bonneville ‘Hank Williams Jr’ custom convertible: £149,000
•1964 Shelby Cobra USRRC roadster: unsold
• 1961 Austin-Healey ‘Sebring Sprite’ vintage racing car: £29,200
• 1958 Tojeiro-Jaguar Sports Racer: unsold
• 1963 Watson ‘Leader Card 500’ Indy roadster: unsold
• 1969 Chevrolet Corvette L88 SCCA/IMSA Racing Car: £30,660

March 13 H&H Auctions
• 1965 Marcos 1800 GT: £24,200
• 1971 Ford Escort RS 1600 (driven by Stig Blomqvist in 2007 Safari Rally): £77,000
• 1973 Porsche 911 (Irish Tarmac winner 2009): £42,900
• 1975 Ford Escort RS 1800 (ex-works supported): £99,000
• 1935 Lagonda LG45 Tourer: £167,200

Around the dealers

1989 Minardi M189
An ex-Pierluigi Martini car that comes with full race history. Includes a Lamborghini 3.5-litre engine that produces 700bhp and full carbon brake system. There is also a large spares package available. £99,995
www.specialistcarsltd.co.uk
Tel: 01653 697722

1964 Brabham BT8/BRM
This is the only BT8 built with a 2-litre BRM V8 engine. It was raced by Jack Brabham in period. The car was then supplied to Team Rosebud in Texas. £POA
www.hallandhall.net
Tel: 01778 392562

Jaguar XKR GT3
Built to current FIA GT3 rules by the late Richard Lloyd. Also featured in the February edition of Motor Sport with Johnny Mowlem at the wheel. £199,990
www.nickwhalesportscarsdirect.co.uk
Tel: 07831 440158

2008 Ferrari F430 GT
A properly sorted F430 GT built by Michelotto to FIA, ALMS and Le Mans GT2 specification. Has Sebring history with Tafel Racing. £250,600
www.fantasyjunction.com
Tel: 001 510 653 7555