The 31st July Classic Car auction was a slightly smaller affair than usual with 83 cars on offer rather than the usual 100+ but trade was still lively and by the time the dust had settled 54 had successfully changed hands for a total of £682k to give a clearance rate of 65% which is fairly typical of UK auctions these days.
Top results of the day went to a pair of Jaguar XK convertibles, a very smart 1960 XK150 SE 3.8 DHC raising a whisker under £65,000 despite having lost its original engine at some point. Not far behind was a 1954 XK120 SE Roadster in equally good condition but in LHD which fetched £61,600. These prices are around 20% lower than they would have been at the height of the market a few years back but are substantial sums nonetheless.
Other Jaguar results of note included a 1964 Mk2 3.8 Manual Overdrive from 36-year ownership and in pleasingly original condition which fetched £22,400. A pair of XJS Jaguars also did well, a 1992 4.0 Convertible with 139k miles on the clock but remarkably rust-free due to spending most of its life in sunny Spain fetching £13,440, while a 1994 V12 6.0 Convertible with 76k miles made £12,990.
Once an auction favourite, the Austin-Healey 3000 has become less sought-after of late and of the three on offer only one was sold, a recently restored 1964 MkIII BJ8 in a somewhat unusual red over black colour scheme which made a whisker under £45,000.
A very glamorous 1983 Rolls-Royce Corniche Convertible with 87k miles on the clock found a buyer at £32,480 which seemed good value when you consider that it would have cost another £100k on top of that when new.
Equally aristocratic and even more expensive when new was an extremely rare 1985 Bristol Britannia which had been converted to full Brigand Turbo spec by the factory in 1999. With 104k miles on the clock and in really super condition, this highly individual and luxurious machine fetched £25,760.
A pair of Teal Bugatti Type 35 replicas did remarkably well, a fibreglass-bodied example with a Marina 1.8 TC engine doubling its pre-sale estimate to finish on £21,460 while an aluminium-bodied example with a Nissan Silvia 1.8 Turbo engine but in need of recommissioning following 10 years in storage fetched £16,800. Hard to fathom as an aluminium Teal would normally command a significant premium over a GRP one but not in this case, evidently.
Much admired during the viewing was a fabulous 1954 Citroen Traction Avant 11C Commerciale which had been expertly restored about 15 years ago. In really super condition and with vast amounts of legroom for the rear passengers, it looked an absolute steal at £12,286, the price perhaps being held back a little by LHD and the sheer size of the car which would be too long and wide for most domestic garages.
Classic Fords seem fairly immune to the vagaries currently affecting some sectors of the market and all five on offer had no trouble finding buyers. A really lovely 1972 Capri MkI 1600XL with only 27k miles on the clock fully deserved the £16,800 required to secure it. The same could be said of the 1970 Cortina 1600E which had been fitted with a rebuilt Lotus Twin Cam engine and painted in classic Lotus Cortina white with a green stripe which fetched £11,760. A really super 1956 Zephyr Zodiac MkI with a credible 32k miles on the clock also looked great value at £11,200.
As has been widely reported, pre-war cars have been struggling of late but 10 of the 12 on offer were successfully sold, top honours going to a magnificent 1934 Humber Snipe 80 Golfer’s Coupe. Built to order for Sir Philip Sassoon MP and subsequently owned by Earl Haig, this unique Lancefield-bodied Humber was in super condition following a recent £30k mechanical overhaul and looked great value at £26,880.
An impressive 1928 Sunbeam 16.9 Saloon that had been rebodied as a four-seat Tourer in the 1980s was also a quality buy at £17,360. A rare 1925 Delage DI Tourer in need of recommissioning following a few years in storage looked like an interesting project at just £11,200 while a 1935 Riley Kestrel 22T in good running order was also great value at £11,150.
The next Brightwells Classic Car Auction will be on 11th September with a closing date for entries of 30th August so if you are thinking of selling, please don’t hesitate get in touch by calling 01568 611122 or by emailing classiccars@brightwells.com for a free, no obligation valuation.