Silverstone Auctions enjoyed a great sale at the NEC’s Classic Car Show last week achieving a 75% sales rate netting a total of £5.8 million in sales. Setting a world record for a Triumph TR2 from the 1955 Le Mans race surpassing its highest estimate.
Saturday saw a packed saleroom and the first car off the block was the 1991 Golf GTi Rivage Cabriolet which was being auctioned at No Reserve for the Motor Neurone Disease Association. Bidding got underway well with the car selling for £10,125. With the energy high in the room the following lots all sold very well with the 1991 Peugeot 205 GTi going for £19,125 and the Maserati 4200 Spyder for £21,600. Lot 204 is where the room gasped and cheered with delight as the 1991 BMW 325i E30 Sport with 6,794 miles attracted lots of bidding with the remaining two bidders who were in the room battling it out to a final sale price of £51,188.
The enthusiasm continued, Lot 207 the 1976 Alfa Romeo Montreal which is in need of some TLC attracted interest and sold on the phone for £39,375. The first of the three figured lots, Lot 215 the 1993 Jaguar XJ220 with 2,000 miles from new and formerly owned by Sir John Madjeski, founder of Auto Trader, saw some steady bidding and selling for £362,813.
Aston Martins which this year have been tricky to sell did very well. Lot 224 the 1984 V8 Series 4 Oscar India achieved £155,250. Lot 230 the 2010 V12 Vantage also did well with interest all the way to the hammer selling for £52,650. And then came the first of the star lots, Lot 234 the 1965 DB5 which appeared on the Royal Mail Stamp issue and in stunning condition sold for £607,500. Lot 241 the V8 Vantage Volante one of the six sporting the Vantage engine in the standard Series 1 Volante coachwork sold for £202,500. And those were just some of the Saturday cars.
A last-minute invitation to the 2020 Goodwood Festival Speed Cartier Style et Luxe saw Lot 259 the 1994 Range Rover Limousine that once ferried boxing legend Mike Tyson around in June 2000 fetch £33,188. During the auction, filming was taking place for a new TV restoration show on Channel 4 of which Lot 216 was making a star appearance. Followed from recommissioning through to auction the car sold for £20,813.
On Sunday the surprises continued Lot 402 the 1978 Ford Bronco which is the rarest of all production models and formerly owned by Ford UK sold for £28,125. The Ex-Lulu 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE sold for £68,625 with Lot 406 the 2013 Evanta DBR1 evocation built by the Evanta Motor Company which at the time was owned by TV classic car presenter Ant Anstead sold for £75,375.
By now excitement was growing as the star of the auction was up next, the 1955 Triumph TR2 ex-works Le Mans car. Estimated at £100,000 to £140,000 and bought straight after the race by Prince Hussein of Jordan and now being sold after 47 years of ownership by the current vendor, who were all in the room waiting in anticipation. The emotion was really high as bidding reached the higher estimate and continued further upwards. The healthy bidding continued between the room and the phones with the phone becoming the winning bidder at £258,750 making this a world record for a Triumph TR2. A huge round of applause erupted around the room for what was a tremendous achievement and a testament to the car on offer.
As the room settled down there was still more to come with the following two Aston Martins selling very well at £287,500 for Lot 421 the DB6 Mk1 Vantage and Lot 428 another stunning and exceptional DB5 selling for £618,750.
Several Ferraris also did well, a marque that has struggled this year with Lot 445 the 1973 Dino 246 GT selling for £236,250 and the following lot 446 a 2006 F430 Coupe F1 selling for £63,000. Lots 451 and 452 a 1989 328 GTS and 550 Maranello respectively sold for £81,000 and £101,250.
Silverstone Auctions now turn their attention to the Middle East sale on the 22nd November, where they are hosting an auction of hypercars and supercars as part of the Riyadh Car Show.
