H&H achieves £220,000 for Rare Carrera RS 2.7 Lightweight

TANGERINE DREAM

H&H achieves £220,000 for rare Carrera RS 2.7 Lightweight

One of the 17 original righthand drive Porsche RS 2.7 Lightweights was the star of H&H’s Buxton sale last week (February 17) – the auction house’s first of 2010. A successful international rally car early in its life, this icon of the 1970s was later reconfigured for road use. Presented for sale in its original colour of Tangerine, chassis No.9113601101 sold very much as estimated for £220,000.

In period, Ferrari’s rival to the Carrera was the svelte, Pininfarina-penned Dino 246 GT and, like the sale’s RS 2.7, the 1971 Dino offered had enjoyed a degree of competition success. On the market for the first time in 32 years, it made £66,000. Another red Prancing Horse, a 1986 328 GTS that had covered just 47,000 miles from new, fetched £27,500.

Some feel that Derby Bentleys are under-valued. The buyers in Buxton were quick to spot the attraction of the delightfully original 1938 4.25-litre Sports Saloon, however, which had reputedly spent much of WWII aboard a destroyer, courtesy of its first owner; a Captain in the Royal Navy. At £37,950 the eventual sale price was way above estimate.

There were a number of fine Jaguar’s on offer, the best performing of which proved to be a lefthand drive 1968 E-Type 4.2-litre Roadster. Finished in Primrose yellow, it had been the subject of numerous upgrades and found a new home for £35,200. A 1950, lefthand drive example of the much rarer MKV 3.5-litre Drophead Coupe, that had completed just 62,000 miles from new but was in need of some refurbishment, returned its vendor £31,900.


Automobilia
The sale’s clockwork Alfa Romeo P2 racer was fabulously original. Produced from tinplate in the 1930s by CIJ, it even featured a full complement of filler caps – a rare occurrence – and comfortably exceeded its guide price to make £3,375.

A trio of superb glass mascots by Red-Ashay all sold well. That entitled ‘Acceleration’ achieved £2,475, ‘Ecstasy’ made £2,025 and ‘Victoire’ returned £1,912.50. A copy of Gruber and Konradsheim’s definitive book about the Carrera RS 2.7 that would have sold new for around £130 changed hands for £900.

H&H’s next sale will be a feature of Race Retro – the International Historic Motorsport Show – Stoneleigh, Warks on March 13. Further details can be found at www.handh.co.uk

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H&H Ends 2009 on a high note

Winter may have been knocking at the windows, but the temperature inside H&H’s last auction of the year (Buxton, December 8/9) was decidedly summer-like, with sports car after sports car finding a new home and a packed saleroom reverberating to voices in half a dozen different languages.

Topping the results list was a splendid 1924 Bentley 3/4.5-litre Sports. A team prize winner in last year’s Le Mans Classic and His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent’s mount for the 1995 Mille Miglia Storica, CX 6596 was bang on the money at £220,000.

If H&H was to be renamed right now, ‘Aces R Us’ would certainly be a valid new moniker, as the auction house had sold one in each of its previous four sales, and two more of these Tojeiro-penned classics were entered for this event. Both sold, with the 1956 Ace Bristol (currently sporting a 289 cu in Ford V8 engine) making £107,800 and the 1955 AC-powered version being knocked down for £94,600.

A selection of Jaguar two-seaters also made good money, the best performer being a silver 1950 XK120 Roadster which once raced at Bathurst – it fetched £77,000. Next in line was a delicious dark blue 1974 V12 E-type Roadster (one of seven cars entered from a private Yorkshire collection all of which sold). Described by H&H as ‘one of the nicest we have encountered’, it changed hands for £50,600. The former concours winning white 1960 XK150SE Fixed Head Coupe returned £41,800.

The sale included no less than seven MGs. The pretty TC that had spent much of its life in America cost its new owner £22,000, while the tidy red 1960 MG A 1600 Coupe made an impressive £11,000. The white 1969 MKIII Midget needed recommissioning but doubled its estimate at £3,410.

There was an attractive selection of high performance saloons on offer too. The two relatively recent Bentleys on offer were both snapped up - the red 1994 Continental R sold for £37,400, while the high specification 2001 Arnage Red Label made £26,400. With less than a 1,000 Lotus Carltons produced, they are inevitably a rare sight at auction – the green 1993 one on offer sold well at £15,400. Even more select was the bright red 1985 Renault 5 Turbo 2. One of only 200 such homologation specials made, it went for £14,850.

Of considerably more modest pace but even rarer still, were the c.1927 Austin Heavy 12/4 Tickford ‘All Weather’ Saloon and the c.1942 Dennis Merryweather Turntable Fire Appliance both entered by the Donington Collection. Absent from the sale due to its sheer size, the latter nevertheless exceeded estimate at £11,275, while the former also left its price guide behind to reach £10,120.

Motorcycles

Eighty five percent of the motorcycle lots sold. Heading the list was a magnificent 1926 Brough Superior SS80 which was knocked down for £60,500. Another prize performer was the 1955 Matchless G45. This prince among classic racing motorcycles realised £44,000 (thought to be a new world auction record price for the model). Yet another prime example of Britain’s golden age of motorcycle manufacture was a 1953 Vincent Rapide Series C that had appeared in an episode of Dr Who and several other TV programmes. It fetched £25,850.

Automobilia

Highlights among the automobilia section included an assortment of lightweight aluminium Jaguar E-type panels (£5,062.50), a photographic album entitled ‘Beach Auto Racing Sunbeam 1000HP’ (£3,600), a Rolls-Royce ‘Whisper’ Mascot (£1,687.50), a Jaguar Hanging Sign (£956.25) and a Tete d’Aigle glass mascot (£843.75).

Across the motorcars, motorcycles, bicycles, registration numbers and automobilia the auction grossed in excess of £1,500,000. For further information and images please contact H&H on 08458 33 44 55 (0044 1925 210 035 outside the UK) or info@handh.co.uk

The company’s next auction will be held at the Pavilion Gardens, Buxton on February 17, 2010. The current star lot is an ultra rare (1 of 17) right-hand drive 1973 Porsche RS 2.7 Lightweight.

H&H ENJOYS SOME FANTASTIC RESULTS IN ITS SECOND AUCTION AT THE HAYNES INTERNATIONAL MOTOR MUSEUM

Last week (Thursday, October 29), H&H made a welcome return to the Haynes International Motor Museum, Somerset – achieving an excellent sale rate of 82% for the cars and 90% for the motorcycles.

Despite the current economic climate, the auction was notably better attended than last year’s inaugural one at this venue which took place during the height of the banking crisis. Several buyers from the company’s regular Buxton events had travelled south for the occasion and the assembled throng was bolstered by both local enthusiasts and a notable European contingent. Telephone and commission bids were also very strong throughout the sale from all over the world.

Cars
The star four-wheeler proved to be the 1930 Talbot 90 Fox & Nicholl Team car – the third such competition Talbot H&H has sold in the last few years. Affectionately known by its team number plate of PL 4, the car boasted a rich history including appearances at the Brooklands Double Twelve, Le Mans, Irish Grand Prix, Ards Tourist Trophy and other major races during 1930. Though far from original ‘PL 4’ is well known in marque circles and exceeded its top estimate by selling to a European collector for £134,750.

To paraphrase the old saying about London buses, ‘you don’t see an AC Ace for ages then four come along (almost) at once’! Indeed, H&H has now sold examples of this iconic British sports car at each of its last four sales. The hammer fell on the silver 1957 Bristol-engined car in this one for £124,300.

As much as anything, this buoyant auction will be remembered for its Jaguar results. The very tidy Old English White, 1960 3.8-litre MkII saloon achieved above top estimate at £20,350; the similarly coloured, 1954 XK120 Drophead Coupe realised £30,800; the black, 1955 XK140 Roadster made £39,600, and the especially pretty green, 1954 XK120 Drophead Coupe found a new home for £58,300.

Local Interest
Supplied new by the College Green Motor Company of Bristol, the 1922 Hands 10/20 Tourer had spent almost all its life in the South West. One of just 150 cars thought to have been made by George W. Hands’ Birmingham-based enterprise, it had been with the vendor since 1960. Extremely well viewed (among those poring over it was a previous keeper!), the 10/20 was sold to a gentleman with a singularly appropriate surname for an estimate topping £11,000.

Motorcycles
The best performing of the 10 motorcycles on offer was unquestionably the 1943 Zundapp KS750 military combination. This splendid German-built relic of WWII was offered at ‘No Reserve’. Missing parts of its drivetrain and in need of restoration, the Zundapp was sold back to Eastern Europe for an impressive £8,800. The maroon 1954 Ariel Square Four from a private collection also exceeded expectations by making £7,260.

Automobilia
H&H enjoys a reputation for assembling an eclectic mix of high quality automobilia to accompany its car sales. This auction’s selection included a number of gems – in particular the album of some 214 pre-war racing photos (many thought to have been unseen until now) that was eventually knocked down for no less than £8,775.

Said H&H’s Managing Director, Simon Hope, “The Haynes Museum serves as a great backdrop for a collectors’ vehicle auction and we were delighted with the results from our second visit there. We now look forward to winding up what has been another excellent year at our spiritual home of the Pavilion Gardens, Buxton on December 9.”

For further information and images please contact H&H on info@handh.co.uk or 08458 334455 (0044 1925 210035 for non UK residents)

H&H achieves new auction world record price for MG

H&H set a new auction world record price for a K3 Magnette at its Buxton sale last week (Wednesday September 16th 2009). The figure achieved - £231,000 – also stands as a new marque record for a car sold ‘under the hammer’. The previous holder of this title was a 1935 MG NB Magnette Airline Coupe which RM Auctions despatched for £199,037 in April 2007 (though, back then £1 = $2.0034 whereas today £1 = $1.63133). Purchased by a European collector the 1934/37 MG K3 Magnette had prompted much debate in the lead-up to the sale as to the relative merits of continuous history versus originality. And while ‘JB 3180’ had certainly had a chequered (chequered flag?) past few could argue with its rich history.

Another car to create strong interest was the 1957 AC Ace Bristol restoration project. Offering a new custodian the chance to have the two-seater refurbished to his / her own precise specification, it was bought for £90,750. Formerly owned by the naturalist, sportsman and historian Captain Humphrey Drummond of Megginch Castle and exuding a wonderful patina, the 1931 Lagonda 3 Litre Tourer soared past its £50,000 - £60,000 saleroom estimate to fetch £80,300. While, other pleasing results included an older restored 1966 Aston Martin DB6 Vantage (£69,300), beautifully presented 1965/2005 Jaguar Suffolk SS100 (£34,100), solid left-hand drive 1964 Jaguar E-type 3.8 litre Roadster (£28,600) and smart 1964 Daimler SP250 ‘Dart’ (£21,450).

The rarest car in the auction the 1957 Allard Palm Beach MKII GT (1 of only 2 made) had been dry stored for many years and thus needed recommissioning. A former Motor Show exhibit and Sydney Allard’s personal transport for a time, the striking coupe nevertheless exceeded its £30,000 - £40,000 saleroom estimate to make £44,000. A real head turner despite its tarnished chrome, faded paint and cracked tyre sidewalls, the 1928 Chrysler Imperial L-80 LeBaron Club Coupe (1 of 25 made) was hotly contested fetching £20,350 against a £10,000 - £12,000 saleroom estimate. Decidedly more dilapidated, the 1937 SS Jaguar 3.5 Litre Saloon still managed a bullish £17,050. Both styled by Pininfarina and sharing the same jewel-like 2.4 litre V6 engine, the 1971 Fiat Dino 2.4 Spider and 1972 Ferrari Dino 246 GT commanded £36,850 and £66,000 respectively.

A Vincent Rapide restoration project offered for sale without a frame but with a logbook and quantity of other spares elicited a round of saleroom applause when it made £24,750 (rather more than its £4,000 - £5,000 saleroom estimate). While, other notable prices realised in the motorcycle section encompassed the stunning 1926 Wanderer (£22,000), 1922 Sunbeam Combination (£9,900), 1952 BMW Combination (£8,800) and 1986 Manxman Racer (£9,900). Though, the presence of a BBC film crew also enabled the 1961 Cazenave Moped to reach £350 (the vendor splitting sale proceeds between the NSPCC and RSPCA). The automobilia sale proved to be among H&H’s best to date with a bound run of The Automotor Journal taking £4,387.50, a McLaren F1 launch brochure £2,475, a Sonic 7 petrol-powered child’s car £2,250, The Dunlop Trophy £2,137.50 and a charcoal study drawing by F. Gordon Crosby £731.25.

Overall, the auction grossed in excess of £1.3 million and attracted bidders from four continents. For more information and photographs please contact head office on 08458 334455 or info@handh.co.uk

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Ace’s High As H&H Enjoys Another Record Breaking Buxton Sale

H&H set a new world auction record price on Wednesday July 22nd 2009 by selling a 1961 AC Ace 2.6 for £209,000. Hotly contested both on the phone and in the room, the ex-London Motor Show Car soon tore past its pre-sale estimate of £140,000 - £180,000 and is destined for a new life overseas. Attracting almost as much interest, the pretty 1926 Bugatti Type 23 ‘Brescia Modifie’ and handsome 1937 Alvis Speed 25 SB Cross & Ellis Tourer sold to European collectors for a guide price shredding £148,500 and £85,800 respectively.

All three pre-WW2 Rolls-Royces on offer were secured by UK buyers. The one family and 47,500 miles from new 25/30hp H.J. Mulliner Saloon made £33,000, while the 20/25hp Park Ward Coupe fetched £28,600 and the 20/25hp Park Ward Salamanca elicited £20,900. A somewhat daunting restoration project, the latter’s price was boosted by its documented usage during Winston Churchill’s official April 1946 visit to Aberdeen. British enthusiasts also accounted for the 1937 Talbot BG 110 Speed Tourer (£63,140), 1966 Alvis TF21 Saloon (£20,350) and 1935 Rover Speed 14 Streamline Coupe (£19,250).

Possibly the most viewed car at the auction, the 1998 Porsche 550 Spyder Evocation took £18,795 or just over half the £36,850 achieved by the 1998 Ferrari F355 GTS (complete with F1 Paddle Shift transmission). Extremely sound albeit somewhat scruffy, the one lady owner and 15,000 miles from new 1968 Skoda 1000MBX commanded £2,090, while new homes were also found for a stunning 1987 Lotus Esprit HC (£10,780), tidy 1969 Jaguar E-type 4.2 FHC (£16,500) and late entered 1972 Aston Martin V8 (£18,700). Well travelled, the one family from new 1972 Volkswagen Type 2 Camper Van drew £9,900, while among the more everyday fare the four MG B Roadsters and three Morris Minors all changed hands too.

Ten of the eleven motorcycle entries sold with best price of the day going to the 1980 Ducati 900 ‘Hailwood’ Replica (£14,300) followed by the 1953 Vincent Comet (£9,680), 1961 Norton Special (£7,150) and 1967 Triumph T120R Bonneville (£5,060). In the Automobilia section, a run of Brooklands Yearbooks went for £2,587.50, while a Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost mascot cost its new owner £1,462.50; the same amount being paid for a pair of Carl Zeiss Jena headlamps. Other notable results included a Raymond Sommer autograph (£506.25) and some lovely early Lancia literature (£450).

Overall the July 21st-22nd event grossed in excess of £1.1 million taking H&H’s auction sales total for the year so far to more than £4.5 million. The company’s next auction will be held on September 15th-16th 2009 and is currently spearheaded by the ex-J.H.T. Smith 1934/37 MG K3.

For more information and images please contact H&H on info@handh.co.uk or lo-call 08458 334455. The prices quoted above include buyer’s premium but not the VAT thereon.

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