The amount of time wasted up here on the top floor of MotorMartin Towers watching Classic Car Auctions is really quite significant, especially when they can involve fascinating restoration projects, immaculate, one-owner cars, and from pre-War saloons to classic hot hatches. Therefore news that friends of MotorMartin, Barons, have such a diverse and interesting line-up in its annual Christmas Classic sale at Sandown Park on Tuesday, December 12th meant that even more hours are already looking like being lost, especially as the sale even includes a Frisky Prince – on what is believed to be the first time one of these cars has come to market – and three stunning scale models that would delight any enthusiast on Christmas morning.
Barons have suggested to MotorMartin that those who fondly remember assembling a kit of parts into a model car or airplane in the Christmases of their youth have the ultimate collection of full-size, matching numbers, parts to assemble, in the form of the 1963 Jaguar E-type S1 3.8 Roadster restoration project. The original components of this car have been stored for over 20 years. All it needs now is an enthusiastic new owner wanting to get to grips with a complete restoration project. At £35,000-£45,000 it should prove to be both financially rewarding and hugely enjoyable for the successful bidder.
E-type fans who would prefer to get their hands on a pristine example are likely to get all fired up over the immaculate 1962 Series 1 FHC. Fully restored, it has featured in several magazines and appeared on BBC TV’s Top Gear. It carries an estimate of £130,000-£150,000. Best start saving then.
It’s been explained to MotorMartin that the 1961 Frisky Prince is one of just two known to exist, the other being in the USA. The vendor’s father bought the little three-wheeler new, but laid it up in 1963 when his newly-purchased Trojan bubble car caught his fancy instead! The Frisky was stored for the next 50 years until the original owner passed away and his son decided to get the car back on the road. The Frisky was made at Frisky builders, Petbow, in Kent, which was bought out by Cummings Power Generation. The vendor works for Cummings and has had lots of help from them in renovating the Prince. As far as is known, a Frisky Prince has never come on the market, so this is a great opportunity to own a very rare, one family-owned car. Estimate: £13,000-£16,000.
The Peugeot 205 1.9 GTI is a true 1980s icon of which MotorMartin has written about before, and the 1989 example on offer at Barons has had one user since new. The lady concerned has kept her car in excellent condition, and has covered just over 21,000 miles in it. Low mileage 205 GTI 1.9s are commanding high sums at present, and at £18,000-£22,000 this car is very attractively priced for such a collectable machine.
The carefully restored 1956 Jensen 541 is a stunning British beauty. This stylish Grand Tourer is a real head-turner, its dramatic lines enhanced by the royal blue metallic paintwork. Estimate: £39,000-£46,000.
The 1934 Alvis Speed 20 SB is a challenging but enormously rewarding restoration project. This barn-find motor car originally sported a tourer body by Cross and Ellis, and elements of that body remain with it, as does a complete Speed 20 saloon body. At £10,000-£20,000 it offers fans of pre-War cars a wonderful chance to bring something very special back to life.
First-time classic car buyers who are also keen to tackle a restoration might want to treat themselves to the 1954 Morris Minor 1000. This ‘Moggie’ has spent some 30 years hidden under a dust sheet in a farm cart shed. Now looking for somebody to restore it and take it out for jaunts once more, it is offered at no reserve.
The charismatic 1972 Mini Pickup is an eye-catching little machine that would make a lovely promotional vehicle for a business. At 11’ long it can only transport relatively small loads, but its attention-grabbing properties more than make up for that. Estimate: £8,000-£12,000.
For those looking to purchase something that can more comfortably fit under the Christmas tree, Barons has three beautiful, highly detailed 1/8 scale models built by Pocher of Italy: a model of the ‘Star of India’ – the 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Torpedo Thrupp and Maberly-bodied open tourer built for the Maharaja of Raikot; a model of the classic James Bond Aston Martin DB5 – complete with ejector seat, and a model of a magnificent 1935 Mercedes-Benz 500K, with leather seats, working rear brakes and steering and a turning crankshaft. Each carries an estimate of £650-£750.
For further information MotorMartin recommends you visit www.barons-auctions.com but be prepared to spend. It is Christmas after all.
Where will you go?