2017 Force India F1 car sells at auction

2017 Force India VJM10

Sold by Bonhams, £80,500

This positively pink Force India F1 car achieved eight points-scoring finishes out of nine races in 2017. Driven by Frenchman Esteban Ocon, it managed fifth in qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix and was also piloted by George Russell during practice for the Yas Marina event. Following its demise, Force India was acquired by a consortium led by Lawrence Stroll, thus ending up as an asset of the current Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant team which consigned it to Bonhams. The price might make it look like a bargain, but the car was sold without its Mercedes-Benz hybrid powertrain.

1924 Sunbeam 24/70

Sold by DVCA, £94,600

In its day, Sunbeam’s 4½-litre 24/70 served as a worthy rival to Rolls-Royce and Bentley. Only 102 were made; four survive. This one once belonged to Devon’s Bernard Smith, founder of Mr Kipling.

1957 Austin-Healey 100/6

Sold by Historics, £48,876

A fine example of why it usually makes economic sense to buy a restored car than to restore one yourself. This Big Healey was given a new chassis, aluminium body panels and a leather re-trim.

1966 Sunbeam Tiger

Sold by Historics, £32,840

The vendor of this superbly prepared fast road/race Tiger had owned it for 24 years and campaigned it extensively. It remained street-legal despite being fitted with a highly tuned Ford 302ci motor.

1965 Shelby Cobra

Sold by Mecum, £335,000

This Cobra was one of the 40 official continuation cars built to mark the model’s 40th anniversary – and one of five to be fitted with hand-beaten alloy bodywork. The dash was signed by Carroll Shelby.

2022 Goodwood race helmet

Sold by Bonhams, £4845

This was the helmet worn by Sir Jackie Stewart during June’s Festival of Speed – and sold by him to raise money for the Race Against Dementia charity he set up in 2014.

1992 Lancia Delta Integrale

Sold by Silverstone auctions, £104,625

Genuine and all-original Integrale Evoluzione cars are rare enough – but there can’t be many around as good as this. One of 295 ‘Giallo Ferrari’ special editions, it had covered only 17,000 miles from new.

1968 Ford Mustang

Sold by Silverstone Auctions, £54,000

Considering the fact that the original screen car fetched £2.74m at auction back in 2020, this excellent Bullitt replica seemed like an absolute bargain. Interestingly it was already finished in the correct Highland Green when it left Ford’s Dearborn plant and once resided in California (although not on the hilly streets of San Francisco).

Forthcoming sale highlights

Hampson Auctions, Oulton Park
July 31
Hampson should benefit from a captive audience when its sets out its stall at this year’s Historic Sports Car Club Gold Cup meeting. The no seller fees policy should attract plenty of entries, with all lots displayed on track throughout the pre-sale viewing. A race-prepared Lotus Seven S2 was among the first lots to be consigned.

Gooding & Company, London
September 3
California-based Gooding & Company returns to London to stage a sale at the 10th annual Concours of Elegance held at Hampton Court. The house will aim to reprise the success of its Passion of a Lifetime sale in 2020 (which grossed £34m),
with a Ferrari 250 GT SWB Competizione being among the top lots, estimate £6m-£7m.

Bonhams, Goodwood
September 17
Bonhams’ auction at the Revival is an excellent hunting ground for those in search of competition cars from all eras. One of the most remarkable models on offer this year will be one of the three Sunbeams (estimate £700,000-£800,000) that competed in the 16th grand prix organised by the Automobile Club de France in Strasbourg exactly a century ago.

Broad Arrow, Gloversville, New York
October 14-15
In what will be its second auction, Broad Arrow will sell the collection of super-enthusiast Jim Taylor. Comprising no fewer than 120 cars, the highlight will be a 1955 Jaguar D-type, the 15th of 75 cars built and, thanks to never having been raced, an example that is regarded as among the most genuine in existence.