Around the Houses, May 2011

Around the houses

NEWS FROM THE MAIN AUCTION HOUSES AROUND THE WORLD

R1VI AUCTIONS —

Thanks to an impressive 96 per cent sell-through rate, RM sold over £15 million worth of cars at its Amelia Island sale on March 12.

Top of the results sheet was the 1952 Ferrari 340 Mexico coupe that Motor Sport featured in the April issue. The rare Ferrari sold for £460,000 above estimate at £2,663,885.

Other interesting sales included a stunning 1930 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS spider (above, £615,030), the 1950 Fitch-Whitmore Le Mans Special (£123,005), a fully restored 1968 Lola T70 MkIII GT coupe (£102,495) and a raceready 2002 Cadillac Northstar Le Mans Prototype (£129,840) which finished third in that year’s Petit Le Mans.

GOODING AND COMPANY —

A day earlier on March 11 Gooding and Company broke seven world auction records on the way to posting £11.05m in sales.

The star lot was a 1951 Ferrari 212 Export cabriolet that went for £1.16m — a new world record for a 212 — while the Austin-Healey 100S featured in our April issue also sold well. We called its £375-470,000 estimate ‘whopping’, yet the hammer dropped at £392,770, which is, unsurprisingly, a new world record for a 100S. Once upon a time only 3000s went so high.

Other notable Amelia Island sales included a 1995 Ferrari F50 (£409,850), an ex-Brian Redman/Bob Snodgrass 1963 Lotus 23B (£126,375), a 1971 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV Prototype (£1.06m) and a 1953 Siata 208 CS Berlinetta (£375,850).

SILITERSTONE AUCTIONS —

An auction house has opened at Silverstone circuit in the new ‘Wing’ building. The joint venture between Silverstone Circuits and sports car dealer Nick Whale will hold three auctions this year on June 11, July 23 and November 4, and four sales in subsequent years. The first sale coincides with Silverstone’s MotoGP round and will feature motorbikes and ‘bike memorabilia, while the July 23 auction takes place over the weekend of the Silverstone Classic and will comprise classic cars, modern

supercars, competition cars, motorbikes and automobilia. The final auction of the year, which will feature the same wide range of lots as July, will be called The Walter Hayes Sale.

BRIGHTWELLS —

The Leominster-based auction house sold 44 of the 76 lots offered at its Classic Cars and Motorcycles auction on March 2. The three cars that we featured in last month’s issue had mixed fortunes, as although the c.1965 Austin-Healey WSM sold above estimate at £45,000, the 1965 Ford Lotus Cortina Mk1 racer went unsold and the 1967 Ginetta G12 was withdrawn.

HISTORICS AT BROOKLANDS —

The collection of classic American vehicles from the set of Captain America sold well at Historics at Brooklands’ March 3 sale. However, the exLouis Klemantaski 1956 Ruddspeed-modified AC Aceca didn’t find a new owner.

BONHAMS —

On March 5 Bonhams hosted another successful sale at New Bond Street where it sold a 1929 Rolls-Royce 40/50hp Phantom II Weymann Sports saloon for £205,000, a 1959 Jaguar XK150 3.8-litre roadster for £46,600 and a 1962 Jaguar E-type Series 1 roadster for an astonishing £100,500. It would seem that the 50th anniversary of this model is having a positive impact on sales.

On April 11 Bonhams will hold its annual sale at the RAF museum in Hendon and has already confirmed a trio of modern greats: a Ferrari F50 (£350-400,000), an F40 (£300350,000) and a 288 GTO (£350-400,000).

H8c1-1 SALES LTD —

The Race Retro sale on February 26 was once again packed full of competition cars, and most sold extremely well. Highlights included a 1950 Healey Silverstone (£121,000), a 1979 Vauxhall Chevette HSR works car (£66,000), a 1971 Ford Escort RS 1600 rally car (£33,000), a 1966 Lotus Elan S2 coupe rally car (£24,750) and a 1963 MGB roadster with MSA HTP papers (£18,150).

BARONS —

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On April 18/19 Barons will hold its Jaguar Heritage sale including a 1948 Jaguar 31/2-litre DHC (£90-120,000), a 1974 E-type S3 Roadster (£25-30,000) and an unusual Jaguar MkIX — powered by a 6-litre V12 (£50-60,000)!