Back in the day, MotorMartin paid £350 for my dream car, a slightly tired C-reg Ford Capri 2.0 Laser, nothing strange in that you might say other than buying a reasonable 2.0 Laser today will set you back around £4-5000 and it will still need plenty of money spending on it before it gets to a decent standard. When the Capri was no longer a going concern (and it still hurts) its replacement was another C-reg Ford but this time an Orion 1.6i Ghia for £300. A quick scan of the internet later and we find the 1.6i Ghia currently ranges in price from £3-5500, yet even at this money, they’ll still be hiding plenty of mechanical and body work related expensive issues. So what to do if you, like me, are a fan of Classic fast Fords, other than wish that you’d never sold yours in the first place?
The answer is simple yet potentially rather expensive. Take yourself along to a classic car auction run by a reputable firm such as Silverstone Auctions https://www.silverstoneauctions.com and see what they have to offer. This type of auction would appear to be growing in popularity with a continuing supply of the rare and exotic vehicles making there way out of private collections and ownership to be sold. It’s well worth checking out the various forthcoming classic car shows as Auctions are becoming a popular addition to the usual car show activities.
MotorMartin has been made aware that the recent Escort RS Turbo, see https://motormartin.wordpress.com/2015/11/12/news-94-amazing-cars-in-silverstone-auctions-classic-motor-show-sale/ created a ‘frenzied’ bidding war which resulted in a world record auction price for a 1985 Ford Escort RS Turbo Series 1 of £60,188, which helped Silverstone Auctions to a magnificent total of £4.4 million at its sale at the Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show this weekend.
In total, 80% of the 95 lots on offer were successfully hammered away in the two-day auction at the NEC, Birmingham.
Other fast Fords also proved extremely popular with the hundreds of buyers at the sale. A true time warp, 13,000 miles from new 1987 Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500 sold for £90,000.
While fast Fords proved popular throughout, a number of other significant results were seen at the sale. Achieving a believed UK auction record, a right-hand drive 1993 Ferrari 512 TR sold for £185,625, including premium, an amazing £75,000 over its lower estimate. Another Ferrari, a very special, last of the line 1999 Ferrari F355 F1 was hard fought over by bidders at the show, selling for £103,500.
The stunning 1991 Jaguar XJ220, formerly a part of the Brunei Royal family car collection, sold for a premium inclusive total of £315,000, while a beautiful 1956 Porsche 356A T1 Cabriolet was successfully sold for £196,875, more than £26,000 over its lower estimate.
Speaking excitedly immediately after the sale, managing director of Silverstone Auctions, Nick Whale, said: “It’s been an absolutely fantastic weekend here at the UK’s biggest classic car show. The atmosphere at the sale was electric and I’m delighted we’ve been able to secure such great prices on behalf of our vendors, as well as breaking a few records along the way. The key sign of a successful auction is when you have both happy sellers and happy buyers and this time we are proud to have achieved both!”
A pair of celebrity owned cars also found new homes. The ex-Peter Sellers 1966 Lotus Elan S2 sold for £50,625 and the 1973 Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2, once owned by boxing legend Henry Cooper, sold for £30,938.
Befitting the location at the heart of the UK’s automotive industry, two luxury British classics more than outperformed expectations. A 1999 Bentley Continental Sedanca Coupe Auto sold for £108,000, more than twice its lower estimate. While a very beautiful 1979 Aston Martin V8 Volante was hammered away for £151,875, more than £50,000 over its lower estimate.
Nick added: “It’s been another incredibly busy and successful year for our team and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all those that have attended one of our sales during the year and bought and sold cars with us. We look forward to seeing you at our sales in 2016, the full calendar for which is now confirmed.”
Silverstone Auctions’ next sales take place at Race Retro at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, on the 27th and 28thof February, and the Practical Classics Restoration and Classic Car Show on the 6th of March back at the NEC, Birmingham. Entries are now being invited into both these sales so those looking to sell a classic car with the support and expertise of Silverstone Auctions are encouraged to get in touch soon.
To view the full results from the Classic Motor Show Sale please visit https://www.silverstoneauctions.com/nec-classic-motor-show-sale-2015/view_lots/pn/all.
Even if you’re not looking for your next purchase, MotorMartin can happily recommend browsing the sale results and spending a few moments creating your dream garage again and again and again…
Ford Capri 2.0 Laser C866 AND where are you now?
Where will you go?